Over 5K Sonoma County EV Drivers Receive PG&E Rebate

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — More than 5,000 customers in Sonoma County have applied for and received PG&E's $800 fuel rebate for driving an electric vehicle, the company said Monday in a reminder to residential customers that the rebate offer is set to expire.

"As of Oct. 29, 5,086 customers in Sonoma County have applied for and received PG&E’s Clean Fuel Rebate for driving an EV," PG&E Spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said. "That’s more than any other North Bay or North Coast county, just 355 above Marin County at 4,731 rebates."

PG&E has handed out 2,549 EV rebates in Solano County, 1,057 in Napa County, 669 in Humboldt County, 302 in Mendocino County and 150 in Lake County.

The one-time rebate for residential customers who are EV drivers is in addition to any federal, state or local incentives, according to Deanna Contreras, PG&E's spokesperson for the North Bay.

Since launching the rebate in 2017, PG&E has paid more than $95 million to about 147,000 customers, Contreras said.

The deadline to apply for the rebate is Dec. 31.

According to a PG&E news release:

Eligible EV owners can receive one rebate per owned or leased plug-in EV for using electricity as a clean transportation fuel—regardless of when they got their car. To apply, customers need their PG&E account number and vehicle registration documentation such as a registration card or signed purchase agreement. More information is posted online at Pge.com/evcleanfuelrebate.com.

The Clean Fuel Rebate is administered by PG&E in partnership with the California Air Resources Board and the California Public Utilities Commission. It is part of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard initiative, which aims to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the adoption of clean fuels like electricity. Transportation is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in California at 41 percent.

By participating in the Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, PG&E—for the benefit of its EV customers—generates credits for the clean electricity it provides to those customers who charge their EVs at home. After selling these credits to regulated parties under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, PG&E returns the revenue to customers driving EVs through the Clean Fuel Rebate.

Separately, PG&E said it has set its own commitment to further electrify its vehicle fleet by 2030, including 100 percent of its light-duty fleet, 10 percent of its medium-duty fleet and 5 percent of its heavy-duty fleet.

"Expanding the use of electric vehicles is essential for California to achieve its bold climate goals," PG&E Interim CEO Bill Smith said. "PG&E has been an active partner in helping make EVs an option for millions of Californians, including through our Clean Fuel Rebate. We’re also leading the way by adopting EVs for our own fleet. Reducing vehicle emissions is good for our state and good for the environment in which we all live."