Starting in July, drivers to pay at Sonoma County electric vehicle charging stations

Sonoma County soon will begin charging electric vehicle drivers to plug in to the network of county-owned charging stations, which for the past five years have been free for public use.

Under a plan approved by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, a charge will cost $3 for the first hour, and $6 for up to four hours. Each hour after the first four hours will cost an additional $10.

The new fees will take effect July 1 at 20 county charging stations from Cloverdale to Bodega Bay. Most are concentrated in Santa Rosa.

Supervisor Efren Carrillo, who drives an electric car, argued that free charging stations were important initially because a free charge helps convince people to purchase electric vehicles.

But now “we should pay for it,” he said.

“We’ve been getting a pretty good deal,” said Carrillo, chairman of the board. “Electricity is cheaper, even with low gas prices.”

Charging at the county’s stations is expected to generate a total net revenue of $231,000 per year, which will be used to offset installation, maintenance and technology costs, said David Worthington, the county’s fleet manager. Currently, it costs the county’s General Services Department $19.10 per day to run each charging station. Three four-hour charges per station could offset virtually all of those costs, he said. Any additional revenue could be used to fund the installation of more charging stations.

The move is part of a larger initiative underway across the county to increase the use of electric vehicles through a massive expansion of public and private charging stations. Sonoma Clean Power, the public electricity provider, is spearheading efforts to add 10,000 electric vehicles to local roads in the next five years and develop the charging infrastructure to support them.

At present, there are 338,000 registered vehicles in Sonoma County according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. About 1,500 of them are electric cars, according to the county’s Center for Climate Protection. But county and Sonoma Clean Power officials say that figure is expected to grow significantly in coming years.

“It’s very exciting to see what’s happening with this electric vehicle revolution,” Carrillo said. “I think it’s only going to get more exciting.”

Carrillo said the county also is seeking to expand its charging station network as it qualifies for regional, state and federal grants. The cost to plug in varies depending on where charging stations are located. Most stations charge drivers $1 to $2 per hour, though businesses such as wineries often waive fees to encourage people to visit.

Supervisors said expansion of electric vehicles is a critical component of the county’s efforts to combat climate change because transportation accounts for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the county. The county has a goal of reducing greenhouse gases to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

Supervisors on Tuesday floated other ideas for transportation programs that could help the county reduce emissions. The options included a bike share program similar to those in San Francisco and New York; a car share program at new affordable housing complexes; shuttles to and from the new Sonoma-Marin rail line when it launches service later this year; and new shower facilities at county buildings to encourage workers to bike to work.