UPDATE - September 30, 2019
An ordinance requiring commercial parking lots and garages with more than 100 parking spaces to install electric vehicle charging equipment passed out of the Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee today, unanimously, and will be heard by the full Board next week.
The measure, if enacted, will require beginning January 1, 2023 any commercial parking lot or garage with more than 100 parking spaces to provide 10% of the parking spaces with Level 2 charging stations OR a lower number of fast charging stations (Level 3) OR by install functionally equivalent electric vehicle charging services such as battery swapping technology.
Key to BOMA member interests is the waiver process that will allow the San Francisco Department of Environment to determine the actual number of charging stations based on:
- Whether the existing local utility infrastructure is unable to supply sufficient electrical capacity;
- Whether, due to site conditions it is technically infeasible to install, maintain, and operate charging stations;
- OR, if there is a good faith effort by the garage operator/owner to engage at least two companies that install, maintain and operate EV charging stations to install the infrastructure at minimal or no cost to the garage owner but the companies declined because of financial infeasibity.
Background
With regard to this ordinance, we sincerely appreciate elected leaders and their staff of informing us and our BOMA San Francisco Energy & Environment Committee leaders of this measure to determine the feasibility of implementing a well-intended policy objective. There were a number of possible issues that would have made the requirements of the ordinance difficult to execute if not for the explanation of the waiver process from City and County of San Francisco stakeholders and the understanding of that process from our members.
BOMA San Francisco members with parking garages/parking garage operator members, in general, have had Level 2 (or higher) charging stations for many years. The feedback received indicates that, due to a precipitous drop in those who drive to these structures on a daily basis, the usage for existing electric vehicle charging stations has diminished as well. What occurs is that those who do drive electric cars to San Francisco, either for work or to visit, can make it to the building garage and back home at the level of charge the vehicle has at the time they arrive. Also, charging a vehicle that has minimal depletion of a full charge, e.g., a Tesla 3 with 310 mile range, when it arrives to a garage means that the current electric vehicle charging stations can swap electric cars multiple times and adequately handle the vehicles that need to be recharged.
Even so, the ordinance as drafted is future-focused, as are our members. With more electric vehicles coming online and autonomous electric vehicles around the corner, this measure seems flexible enough to allow for private garage adaptability as EV chargers/battery swapping technology and need evolves.
If you have questions about the waiver process as detailed in the ordinance, please email johnb@boma.com.
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Original Post - July 19, 2019
Mayor Breed and Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Aaron Peskin have introduced an ordinance that will require any commercial parking lot or garage – including the City and County of San Francisco – with more than 100 parking spaces to provide 10% of them for Level 2 charging stations for electric vehicles. The requirement will need to be completed by 2023.
Please click here to review the ordinance and let us know if you have any comments at johnb@boma.com.
