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Porterville Unified School District in California is building a microgrid combining a 763 kilowatt solar array, a 408 kilowatt, 1,632 kilowatt hour battery storage system, and 35 DC fast charger ports, with ForeFront Power and The Mobility House. The project is partly funded by a U.S. EPA Clean School Bus Program grant secured with CALSTART's support, as reported on 7 July 2026. The microgrid can disconnect from Southern California Edison's grid to draw on site solar and battery power.

Why it matters: The project demonstrates how federal Clean School Bus grants can underwrite integrated solar, storage and DC fast charging infrastructure at scale, creating a procurement model for school districts seeking resilience and lower energy costs. It also highlights the role of charge management providers and nonprofit facilitators in securing public funding for EV infrastructure.

The U.S. House of Representatives has put forward legislation to introduce a sweeping federal fee on electric vehicles, which would be levied in addition to the state level EV charges already in place across much of the country. The Detroit News reports the proposal as part of broader transport funding discussions. No specific fee amounts or implementation timeline were disclosed in the excerpt.

Why it matters: Additional federal and state fees could affect the total cost of ownership for fleet operators and private EV buyers, potentially slowing adoption rates and reducing demand for public charging infrastructure that CPOs and contractors are building out.

Republican leaders on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are proposing legislation to eliminate 879 million dollars originally allocated for electric vehicle chargers under the 2021 Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, redirecting it from what they term wasteful Democrat priorities. The funding has been subject to legal challenges since January 2025, when the Trump administration attempted to halt it unilaterally before a court ordered the U.S. Department of Transportation to proceed. A poll of 600 potential EV buyers released on 12 January by advocacy group EVs for All America found that 20 per cent cited unreliable charger networks as their top concern about plug-in models.

Why it matters: The proposed cut threatens nearly 900 million dollars in federal capital that charge point operators and contractors have been counting on for network expansion, potentially stalling site development pipelines. For procurement teams, the uncertainty around appropriated funds complicates long term project planning and may force a shift towards private or state level financing.