The city of Lompoc is considering a future purchase of off-grid, solar-powered vehicle charging systems for the city’s “fleet” of electric vehicles and making related budget appropriations.

I don’t believe that the city has a “fleet of EVs” yet, but I am sure they will some day since the state mandated conversion to EVs to save the environment.
 
The staff report for the July 2 public hearing on the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) said:

“The City is eligible for a small share of LCTOP funds annually during the term of the LCTOP and was awarded $2,472 based on fare-box revenue and was also awarded $197,561 of the FY 2023-24 funding allotted to SBCAG based on population.”
 
Translated to English this means they will get a small sum to “help” with the conversion. The staff estimate is that this will amount to about $200,000 each fiscal year. The hearing was limited in scope to this one item, so it offers little clarity of the big picture.

I reviewed the city’s draft Capital Improvement Plan 636655298302070000 (cityoflompoc.com), and I find nothing listed for the future purchase of any solar off-grid systems or the construction of the transportation center that was proposed several years ago.

The CIP is supposed to be a long-range budget document for improving the city infrastructure, so you would think it would include a project as large as the full conversion to EVs will become.

I checked on the cost for two manufacturers modular off-grid EV chargers and they ranged from $26,000 to $60,000 each depending on the options; some don’t include the electronics necessary to operate them. How many of these units the city eventually needs has not been discussed.

Some legitimate questions are:

Will one of these units be required for each EV the city eventually purchases?

Is off-grid power a reliable source 12 months of the year to charge the EVs, considering shorter daylight hours in winter and frequent overcast skies in our city?

How will power generated during daylight hours be stored for nighttime charging of vehicles? 
 
There doesn’t seem to be a strategic long-range plan to convert to an all-EV fleet that has been mandated by the state.

Since the target date for carbon neutrality as mandated by the state is just 21 years away (2045), shouldn’t local governments be letting the public know how much this program is going to cost tax and fee payers in the future?
 
A complex program like this could take many months to plan and years to execute. But before that the first step is to present an in-depth long-range plan, including cost estimates and funding sources to the City Council, accept public comment and then start buying the parts and pieces to put the project together.
 
References:
Low Carbon Transit Operations Program staff report: 638551796486370000 (cityoflompoc.com)
 
Lompoc Capital Improvement Plan: 636655298302070000 (cityoflompoc.com)
This modular off-grid solar EV charger can be installed in just four hours (electrek.co) This modular off-grid solar EV charger can be installed in just four hours (electrek.co)
 
Charged EVs | Solar-powered off-grid EV charging stations offer surprisingly attractive cost advantages – Charged EVs

Ron Fink, a Lompoc resident since 1975, is retired from the aerospace industry. He has been following Lompoc politics since 1992, and after serving for 23 years appointed to various community commissions, retired from public service. The opinions expressed are his own.