Public Utilities Board Backs $3M Shift to Fund 45 Public EV Chargers Across City

Riverside Public Utilities will move $3 million to help pay for 45 publicly accessible EV chargers at city facilities, after the Board of Public Utilities unanimously voted on Tuesday to recommend the funding shift to the City Council.

The money will come from RPU's low carbon fuel standard reserve, a state-funded program that generates credits through reduced transportation emissions.

The proposal supports Riverside's Electrify Riverside program, which staff said is designed to expand public charging access and lower installation costs.

Under the plan, the funds will cover the chargers themselves and some of the electrical infrastructure needed to connect them, but not onsite work such as parking lot modifications.

Assistant General Manager Tracy Sato told the board on Tuesday that the city plans to buy Level 3 fast chargers from Chaevi, a South Korea-based charging company. The city's November 2025 memorandum of understanding with Chaevi calls for 45 chargers, and officials said they are still selecting charger sites.

Possible locations include libraries, police stations, fire stations, City Hall, downtown parking garages and the airport, according to the meeting discussion. Officials said they are also looking at whether some chargers could be placed on county property.

The city says the project is intended to benefit EV owners, including residents who cannot charge at home because they rent or live in multifamily housing. Staff also noted that state rules require at least half of the funding to benefit disadvantaged low-income communities.

While Sato said charging rates are still being negotiated, she noted that the chargers will not be free — and that they are expected to generate enough revenue to help cover operations and maintenance.

"I do support the city having more EV chargers . . . [but] when I hear us presume what disadvantaged communities want, I have to point out that none of us in this room are probably disadvantaged and we might actually want to reach out to some of those communities and see what they would prefer such a large sum of money be spent for," said resident Malissa McKeith.

Board member Gary Montgomery echoed McKeith's concerns, telling staff, "I don't know a lot of low-income people that own EVs."

Sato said the city is seeing an increase in low-income customers buying EVs because of the "substantial rebate."

"So we are seeing more folks, especially in low income and disadvantaged communities participating in this. And then . . . everybody benefits from clean air."

The board also approved a separate item that updated a Riverside Transmission Reliability Project agreement with Southern California Edison, lowering the city's interconnection facility costs from $15.9 million to $14.2 million and revising the project schedule.

The EV charger item will go to the City Council for final approval.