Advisory Group Collaborates to Tour EV Infrastructure

California has big plans to cut down on pollution from cars, trucks and other vehicles.

A meeting in June between PG&E and more than a dozen public agencies showed how the company and local leaders are teaming up to reach those goals.

PG&E’s Transportation Electrification Advisory Group brought together representatives of 15 local governments, regional planning and community-based organizations, including the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek and Santa Rosa; Contra Costa and San Mateo counties; and Cool the Earth, Grid Alternatives and Breathe California.

It was the latest in a series of twice-a-year meetings that started in 2023 to work directly with local government stakeholders to reduce transportation emissions. This effort supports commitments to the California Public Utilities Commission and existing PG&E efforts to serve EV customers.

“The vision behind the advisory group is to have strong, two-way coordination with the local governments and communities we serve,” said Babeeta Nagra, the PG&E Government Relations representative who coordinates with the advisory group. “PG&E plays an important role in helping our customers through the transition to a carbon-neutral future. The advisory group builds relationships to foster a more thoughtful approach to that transition.”

Added PG&E Vice President, Government Relations Chris Patterson: “Strong local government relationships are essential to the success of transportation electrification. By working closely with local governments and community leaders, we can ensure projects reflect community needs and accelerate clean mobility goals, and that electric vehicle charging networks are accessible, reliable and deliver long-term benefits where people live and work.”

Making projects happen

In June, the advisory group convened with a tour of an EV project. The group visited Electrify America’s 20-port charging station on Harrison Street in San Francisco.

Since its opening in May 2024, the station has ranked as one of the highest-used EV sites in PG&E’s service area, with over 8,000 user sessions in its first month alone.

Beyond its location near the heart of downtown, this Electrify America site draws customers for its amenities: Hyper-fast chargers; lounges with food and beverage vending machines; complimentary, high-speed WiFi; restrooms with baby-changing stations; and 24/7 monitoring and security.

Making it happen wasn’t easy. Regulations and real estate constraints made it a complex design project. PG&E worked closely with the customer and groups including the City and County of San Francisco, Caltrans and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

“We were excited to host the Transportation Electrification Advisory Group at Electrify America’s flagship, indoor fast-charging station in downtown San Francisco,” said Rhiannon Davis, Director of Government Affairs, Electrify America. “The station reflects our  commitment to making EVs accessible to all, particularly in dense urban areas such as San Francisco. The group’s tour of our station gave attendees a firsthand look at what’s possible when local officials, utilities and charging network providers collaborate to bring high-quality charging infrastructure directly into communities.”

The feedback among attendees was overwhelmingly positive, said Josh Jones, director of strategic accounts on PG&E’s Service Planning and Design team. Stakeholders appreciated seeing what it takes to energize and operate a major fast-charging station in the heart of a big city.

Sharon Quatch, climate resilience educator for clean air advocate Breathe California, called the tour a “great opportunity” to see how an EV charging station could meet the needs of EV owners.

“There were so many amenities that made it easier to fill in the time while waiting for cars to complete charging,” Quatch said. “I hope to see future spaces like this all over the United States.”

Annika Osborn, director of programs and community development for climate action advocacy group Cool the Earth/Ride and Drive Clean, thanked PG&E for organizing the visit.

“It was inspiring to see how busy the station was and the wide variety of EVs charging there — proof that electric transportation is truly taking off and that there’s a need for robust, affordable and accessible charging,” she said. “The facilities were modern and comfortable, making it a welcoming stop for any EV driver.”

‘A valuable platform’

After the tour, the advisory group met at PG&E’s Harrison Street Service Center for their formal coordination meeting.

PG&E Strategic Accounts Program Manager Neema Yazdi and Director of Clean Energy Transportation David Almeida talked about the company’s 2027 General Rate Case, its Flexible Service Connection pilot (PDF) and its EV Fleet Advisory Services program.

They also outlined the process of connecting large-scale EV infrastructure to the grid. And they discussed how to speed up development through making permitting more efficient and improving coordination among public agencies.

PG&E coworkers also learned from attendees.

Service Planning and Design Manager Zuby Cheema said one of his key takeaways was the shared urgency and enthusiasm among public agencies to improve and strengthen partnerships with utilities.

Zuby also learned more about the challenges cities and public agencies face. Those challenges include site availability, funding, grid capacity and visibility into new-service connection timelines.

Advisory group members said they appreciated the opportunity for updates on the latest transportation news.

“The broad scope of work and missions represented on the advisory group provides interesting discussion and good perspective,” said Breathe California Deputy Executive Director Margo Sidener. “I always learn something from my peers at each meeting, regardless of the decades that I have worked in the sector.”

Osborn of Cool the Earth/Ride and Drive Clean, called the advisory group a rewarding experience.

“It’s exciting to collaborate with stakeholders across sectors who are all committed to accelerating clean transportation in California. The group provides a valuable platform to learn from experts and share perspectives with others in the group. We’re essentially helping shape strategies that make EV adoption more accessible and equitable. I appreciate PG&E’s leadership in fostering these conversations and advancing real-world solutions for a more sustainable future.”

A look ahead

The advisory group will continue to meet regularly, with a potential tour in late 2025 or early 2026.

Future meetings may highlight changing policies on funding for clean energy adoption — a topic that came up in the most recent meeting, Nagra said.

Attendees also said they want to learn more about ongoing collaboration in preplanning, forecasting electricity demand and identifying potential charging hubs early in planning.

“For EV adoption to continue at the pace necessary to meet shared climate commitments, it is important to work collaboratively and defend supportive policies. We are committed to and focused on accelerating equitable EV adoption that helps California and our customers meet clean air and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals,” Nagra said.