(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) This chapter should be used to finance the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure that is permanently fixed to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property.

(2) Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a necessary component to transitioning to increase electric vehicle usage. Electric vehicles and their electric charging infrastructure also address the issue of global climate change.

(3) The upfront cost of installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure improvements for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property prevents many property owners from making those improvements. To make those improvements more affordable and to promote the installation of those improvements, it is necessary to authorize an alternative procedure for authorizing assessments to finance the cost of installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

(4) The Legislature declares that a public purpose will be served by a voluntary contractual assessment program that provides the legislative body of a public agency with the authority to finance the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure that is permanently fixed to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property.

(b) For the purpose of financing the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, “public agency” means a county, city, city and county, or a municipal utility district, an irrigation district, or public utility district that owns and operates an electric distribution system. The definition of “city” in Section 5005 shall not apply to this section.

(c) The legislative body of any public agency may designate an area, in the manner provided pursuant to Section 5898.20, within which authorized public agency officials and property owners may enter into voluntary contractual assessments to finance the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure that is permanently fixed to real property pursuant to this chapter.

(d) For purposes of establishing a voluntary contractual assessment program relating to electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the legislative body shall make the determinations required pursuant to Section 5898.20 by adopting a resolution indicating its intention to do so. The resolution of intention shall identify the kinds of electric vehicle charging infrastructure that may be financed and shall include all of the information that is required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5898.20, including, but not limited to, directing an appropriate public agency official to prepare a report pursuant to Section 5898.22.

(e) For purposes of the report required pursuant to Section 5898.22, relating to a voluntary contractual assessment program for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the designated public agency official shall satisfy the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 5898.22 by identifying the types of electric vehicle charging infrastructure that may be financed through the use of contractual assessments.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, upon the written consent of an authorized public agency official, the proposed arrangements for financing the program pertaining to the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure that is permanently fixed to real property may authorize the property owner to purchase directly the related equipment and materials for the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and to contract directly for the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure that is permanently fixed to the property owner’s residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property.

(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 649, Sec. 8. (SB 1340) Effective January 1, 2011.)