Contra Costa County's push to install electric vehicle chargers at libraries, county buildings, and fleet yards across the region earned a statewide Zero Emission Vehicle Readiness Award on Monday, July 13, in Martinez.

The California New Motor Vehicle Board presented the award to the county Public Works Department's Energy Management Team, recognizing what the board calls "exceptional progress" toward zero-emission transportation. Public Works Director Warren Lai and all five county supervisors attended the ceremony.

Lai credited the Board of Supervisors' commitment to sustainability and the Energy Management Team's progress in transitioning county facilities, fleets, and communities to zero-emission transportation.

The award caps several years of grant-funded infrastructure work that touches Walnut Creek directly. The county's EV 4 All program, backed by a $15 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant awarded in January 2024, is placing chargers at 15 library branches in 14 cities and unincorporated communities. Walnut Creek is among the cities served by that network, according to the county.

Separately, a $3.6 million California Energy Commission grant announced in September 2024 is funding the installation of 178 chargers at 14 county-maintained facilities. Those chargers will serve the county's own zero-emission fleet, neighboring cities' fleets, and the public.

Beyond hardware, the county has built workforce pipelines. Partnerships with local school districts and the Contra Costa Community College District offer internships and pre-apprenticeship programs tied to charger installation and maintenance, training students for EV maintenance careers.

The county also coordinates electrification planning across all 19 cities in Contra Costa through the County-wide Transportation Electrification Coordination group, known as C-TEC, launched in 2022. That body compiles fleet data and shares best practices so smaller cities don't have to start from scratch.

When the CEC grant was announced in September 2024, Lai said the funding would "launch a countywide EV charging network" and help the county reach its goal of transitioning its fleet to zero emissions by 2035.

The ZEV Readiness Award is reviewed on a rolling basis by the full New Motor Vehicle Board. Other 2026 recipients include the city of Carson in April and Pasadena Water and Power in June.

Supervisors Ken Carlson, Diane Burgis, Candace Andersen, John Gioia, and Shanelle Scales-Preston joined Lai at the July 13 ceremony alongside Kimberlee Vaye, assistant director of the New Motor Vehicle Board.