20250SB__128297AMD INTRODUCED 2026-02-20 AMENDED_SENATE 2026-04-06 AMENDED_SENATE 2026-04-28 2025 SB AMD Introduced by Senator Becker (Coauthors: Senators McNerney, Stern, and Wiener) (Coauthor: Assembly Member Harabedian) LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Becker COAUTHOR SENATE McNerney COAUTHOR SENATE Stern COAUTHOR SENATE Wiener COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Harabedian

An act to add Sections and 25216.9 to the Public Resources Code, relating to transportation electrification. transportation electrification Transportation electrification: grid-integrated vehicle technologies: standards. (1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), in consultation with the State Air Resources Board and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), to require any weight class of battery electric vehicle to be bidirectional capable, as defined, if it determines there is a sufficiently compelling beneficial bidirectional-capable use case to the battery electric vehicle operator and electrical grid, as specified.

Existing law defines various terms related to bidirectional-capable use. </xhtml:p><xhtml:p>This bill would expand various

definitions related to bidirectional-capable use to include in their meanings vehicle types beyond battery electric, among other changes.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Existing</xhtml:p>"?> Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), to develop uptime recordkeeping and reporting standards for electric vehicle chargers and charging stations.

This bill would require the Energy Commission, on or before December 31, 2028, to conduct and publish on its internet website an assessment of, among other things, the electrical grid energy supply, reliability, and cost implications associated with the state’s transition to 100% renewable and zero-carbon energy sources and the target level of grid-integrated vehicle technology vehicle use and grid-integrated charging technology-enabled vehicle use necessary to address those needs, as provided.

The bill would require the Energy Commission, on or before December 31, 2029, to adopt and implement standards, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, the PUC, and other relevant local and state agencies, for grid-integrated vehicle technology and associated grid-integrated charging technology of new vehicles, as provided.

The bill would require that these standards establish requirements for on-road vehicles of any weight class sold within the state to incorporate grid-integrated vehicle technology and grid-integrated charging technology to achieve those targets, except as specified, and include specified provisions relating to, among other things, classes and types of grid-integrated vehicle technologies that can satisfy those requirements and alternative compliance mechanisms, as provided.

The bill would exempt specified types of vehicles from these requirements adopted by the Energy Commission, including, among others, authorized emergency vehicles, as provided. The bill would require the Energy Commission, if it adopts requirements that would require the inclusion of grid-integrated charging technology or grid-integrated vehicle technology on a specific vehicle model or type within a weight class, to adopt a process for a manufacturer to apply for a waiver from that requirement if implementation is not feasible for the vehicle model.

MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Battery Integration and Grid Reliability Act.

SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (

a) The Legislature has recognized that ensuring a reliable supply of electricity is essential to the health, safety, and welfare of the people of this state and to the state economy, and that grid-integrated transportation technologies hold the promise of delivering energy system and economic development benefits to the state. (

b) The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act (Division 15 (commencing with

Section 25000) of the Public Resources Code) creates the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission for purposes of promoting access to affordable, reliable electricity and transportation fuels and ensuring the development of a secure and coordinated energy system to serve the economy and residents of the state. (

c) The Legislature has established a policy of supplying percent of retail sales of electricity to California consumers from renewable and zero-carbon energy sources no later than 2045. (

d) The Legislature has also recognized that investing in the development of innovative and pioneering energy and transportation technologies will provide an opportunity for the state to take a global economic and technological leadership role. (

e) In furtherance of these goals, the state has established policies to promote the availability of affordable, reliable electricity, and the expansion of electrical grid-integrated vehicle technology that supports the development of a reliable, clean electrical grid, including by authorizing the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to require battery electric vehicles to have bidirectional charging capability in light of the benefits of that capability to vehicle operators and the electrical grid. (

f) California is the home of America’s electrical grid-integrated vehicle technology industry, birthplace of the nation’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, and home to multiple developers of electric vehicle technology and potential sources of battery manufacturing materials. (

g) As electric vehicle technologies have been adopted by increasing numbers of California drivers and businesses, the potential and need for the technology to help support electrical grid reliability and affordability has become apparent. (

h) The growing adoption of electric vehicle technologies in California, represented by 2,500,000 vehicles sold in the state since 2010, presents a critical opportunity for the state to harness resources consumers already prefer to bolster our electrical grid. (

i) Electrical grid-integrated charging technologies, which include managed charging and bidirectional charging, offer drivers access to low-cost, flexible charging and backup energy benefits. (

j) Electric vehicles and electrical grid-integrated charging technologies offer a crucial source of electricity demand to address solar energy supply peaks, a distributed and dispatchable source of electricity supply during demand peaks, and a source of backup residential battery energy during outage events, providing substantial reliability and resilience benefits for an electrical grid supplied by renewable energy sources and increasingly threatened by extreme weather events, wildfires, and other disruptions.

Among the various generation and storage technologies that will constitute California’s future electric grid, electric vehicles and electrical grid-integrated charging technologies will provide electrical grid services that are distributed across the state and simultaneously serve transportation needs, maximizing cost efficiency. (

k) According to State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission estimates of light-duty battery electric vehicle deployment, the total battery capacity of passenger electric vehicles on the road in California in likely exceeded gigawatthours, providing a potentially equivalent but largely untapped complement to existing stationary storage deployments. While the Public Utilities Commission and electrical utilities are actively supporting pilots and investment in beneficial vehicle-grid integration, the majority of these vehicles are not yet enabled to provide energy to the electrical grid. (

l) The Legislature has further found that clean and reliable electricity supply is essential to the health of the California economy and of vital importance to the health and welfare of the citizens of the state, and that long-term, integrated electrical grid planning is essential to the promotion of the general welfare, maintenance of a sound economy, and conservation of resources. (

m) It is in the interest of the state to ensure sufficient adoption of electrical grid-integrated vehicle technologies and associated electrical grid-integrated charging technologies in order to facilitate the state’s transition to a reliable and affordable electrical grid supplied by renewable energy sources, and to solidify the state’s electrical grid-integrated vehicle technology and supporting industries, among other economic and energy benefits. <caml:Num>SEC. 3.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:HSC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'26.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'PART'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'5.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'8.8.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'44269.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section of the <caml:DocName>Health and Safety Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_8FCF70E5-31C9-456E-9C2A-582AEAAE7F5D"><caml:Num>44269.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_BD3D557B-A74E-4608-ACF1-843B8A9F1D6E"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>For purposes of this chapter, all of the following

definitions apply, unless updated pursuant to

Section 44269.1:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Battery electric vehicle” means a vehicle that operates solely by use of an electric battery or battery pack, or that is powered primarily through the use of an electric battery or battery pack but uses a flywheel or capacitor that stores energy produced by the electric motor or through regenerative braking to assist in vehicle operation.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Beneficial bidirectional-capable use case” means the usage of bidirectional-capable vehicles and bidirectional electric vehicle service equipment in a manner that results in electrical reliability and resiliency benefits and cost savings to the vehicle operator or electrical grid and is compatible with vehicle operator needs.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Bidirectional-capable vehicle” means a vehicle capable of both charging and discharging electricity.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Bidirectional charging” means a charging capability that enables a vehicle to be charged by either the electrical grid or an onsite clean energy resource, and to discharge stored energy capacity through electric vehicle service equipment to either serve load or export it to the electrical grid.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Bidirectional electric vehicle service equipment” means electric vehicle service equipment capable of both charging and discharging electricity from a vehicle.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(f)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Board” means the State Air Resources Board.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(g)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Commission” means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(h)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Electric vehicle service equipment” has the same meaning as defined in

Section 44268.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>

SEC. 3.

Section is added to the Public Resources Code , to read: 25010. It is further the policy of the state and the intent of the Legislature to ensure sufficient adoption of electrical grid-integrated vehicle technologies and associated electrical grid-integrated charging technologies in order to ensure an integrated energy policy that maximizes the efficiency, resiliency, and cost-effectiveness of state energy systems.

SEC.

Section 25216.9 is added to the Public Resources Code , to read: 25216.9. (

a) For purposes of this section, all of the following

definitions apply: (1) “Grid benefits” means the ability of a vehicle to support the reliability, resiliency, or cost-effectiveness of the electrical grid through grid-integrated vehicle technology, including, but not limited to, avoided investments in electrical grid infrastructure, demand management, or other contributions to resource adequacy or ancillary services. (2) “Grid-integrated charging technology” means any vehicle charging technology that manages the time, charging level, or location at which an electrical grid-connected vehicle battery connects to the electrical grid. (3) “Grid-integrated vehicle technology” means any vehicle propulsion or fixed supplemental power technology for onboard electrical systems that employs electricity from onboard energy storage fueled directly by an external electrical source, including, but not limited to, battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and battery auxiliary power unit vehicle technologies. (

b) On or before December 31, 2028, the commission shall conduct, and publish on its internet website, an assessment of all of the following:

(1) The electrical grid energy supply, reliability, and cost implications associated with the state’s transition to percent renewable and zero-carbon energy sources for retail electricity by pursuant to Sections 399.15 and 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code.

(2) The potential for grid-integrated vehicle technology and grid-integrated charging technology adoption to provide electrical grid benefits within the state to address the needs identified pursuant to paragraph (1), including, but not limited to, the relative role of those technologies among all other energy storage technologies capable of addressing the needs identified pursuant to paragraph (1) in a cost-effective manner.

(3) The target levels of grid-integrated vehicle technology vehicle use and grid-integrated charging technology-enabled vehicle use necessary to address the needs identified pursuant to paragraph (1). The target levels shall be calculated in terms of total electrical grid benefits and reflect an analysis of factors including, but not limited to, all of the following: (

A) Anticipated battery sizes, capacities, and costs. (

B) Charging and electrical grid integration dynamics. (

C) Total vehicle and battery utilization. (

D) Affordability of electricity. (

E) Feasibility of integration of grid-integrated charging technology. (

F) Electrical grid capacity and vehicle charging availability to serve increased grid-integrated vehicle technology and grid-integrated charging technology adoption throughout the state and any infrastructure investments or electrical utility regulatory updates needed to address the needs identified pursuant to paragraph (1), including, but not limited to, any existing assessments developed by the Public Utilities Commission. (

c) On or before December 31, 2029, the commission shall adopt and implement standards, pursuant to subdivision (f), in accordance with the provisions of

Chapter 3.5 (commencing with

Section 11340) of Part of Division of Title of the Government Code for the grid-integrated vehicle technology and associated grid-integrated charging technology of new vehicles. The standards adopted by the commission pursuant to this

section shall do both of the following, to the extent applicable pursuant to subdivision (d): (1) (

A) Establish requirements for on-road vehicles of any weight class sold within the state to incorporate grid-integrated vehicle technology and grid-integrated charging technology to achieve the targets identified by the commission pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (

b) in order to meet electrical grid energy supply, reliability, and affordability goals. (

B) The requirements established pursuant to subparagraph (

A) shall have an initial date of applicability no earlier than January 1, 2030, and shall be designed to achieve the targets no later than December 31, 2045. (

C) The commission shall configure the requirements in subparagraph (

A) as a target level of potential electrical grid benefits for each manufacturer by total battery capacity and charging capacity, as appropriate to maximize electrical grid reliability and affordability. The requirements shall enable a manufacturer to determine the appropriate composition of technologies to achieve compliance with its target level of potential electrical grid benefits. (

D) The requirements established pursuant to subparagraph (

A) shall account for anticipated total new vehicle sales and shall not prohibit the sale of any individual vehicle propulsion technology or vehicle category or impose any limitation or requirements on vehicle weight, speed, individual vehicle driving, charging, or discharging behavior, or the installation of electric vehicle supply equipment. (

E) Requirements adopted by the commission pursuant to subparagraph (

A) shall not apply to any of the following vehicles: (

i) An authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in

Section of the Vehicle Code. (ii) A specialized vehicle manufactured for the maintenance and provision of utility services by a public agency utility, as defined in

Section of the Vehicle Code. (iii) A specialized vehicle manufactured for the maintenance and provision of utility services by a public utility, as defined in

Section of the Public Utilities Code. (iv) A specialized vehicle manufactured for the maintenance and provision of telecommunications services by a facilities-based provider of telecommunications service, as defined in

Section of the Government Code. (

F) If the commission adopts requirements pursuant to subparagraph (

A) that would require the inclusion of grid-integrated charging technology or grid-integrated vehicle technology on a specific vehicle model or type within a weight class, the commission shall adopt a process for a manufacturer to apply for a waiver from that requirement if implementation of the requirement is not feasible for the vehicle model.

(2) Include provisions relating to all of the following: (

A) Classes and types of grid-integrated vehicle technologies, including, but not limited to, battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and internal combustion vehicles using plug-in battery auxiliary power units, that can satisfy the requirements established pursuant to paragraph (1). (

B) Classes and types of grid-integrated charging technologies, including, but not limited to, bidirectional charging and managed charging, that can satisfy the requirements established pursuant to paragraph (1) and comply with the

definitions and requirements established pursuant to Sections 44269.1 and 44269.2 of the Health and Safety Code. (

C) Mechanisms to account for and measure compliance according to the potential different electrical grid benefits provided by batteries of different capacities and different grid-integrated charging technology dynamics. (

D) Vehicle manufacturer certification of compliance with this

section and commission monitoring of compliance. (

E) Minimum capacity of vehicle batteries necessary to achieve the targets identified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b). (

F) Alternative compliance mechanisms to comply with the requirements, such as market-based mechanisms, software updates to enhance charging technology electrical grid benefits, and investments in electrical infrastructure upgrades to support grid-integrated charging adoption and performance, or other alternative compliance mechanisms that the commission determines will advance the purposes of this division. (

G) Levels of production and delivery of zero-carbon electricity necessary, on an annual basis, to supply the grid-integrated vehicle technology and vehicle-grid integrated technology to be deployed in the state as a result of the requirements established pursuant to paragraph (1), in accordance with

Article 16 (commencing with

Section 399.11) of

Chapter 2.3 of, and

Article 1 (commencing with

Section 451) of

Chapter of, Part of Division of the Public Utilities Code, relating to retail electricity supply. (H)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Any other requirements necessary or appropriate to carry out the goals of this section.</xhtml:p>"?> (

d) The commission may elect to adopt no requirement pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (

c) for any particular weight class of vehicle if the commission determines that the target level for that weight class, identified pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), has been achieved. (

e) The commission shall consult with the State Air Resources Board, the Public Utilities Commission, and other relevant local and state agencies in the development and implementation of standards pursuant to this section. (

f) The standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (

c) shall not supersede any other minimum requirements for on-road vehicles or on-road vehicle sales duly adopted by the commission or any other department, including, but not limited to, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Insurance, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation, Public Utilities Commission, or State Air Resources Board.