Residential EV pages:
- Electric Vehicles (EVs)
- EV FAQ
- EV rebate
- EV Charging Equipment Rebate
- Your Own Charging Station
- Public Charging Stations
Choose the type of electric vehicle charging station that is right for you!
- Our In-Home Charging Station Guide (PDF) is a good start for simple questions and answers.
- The Electric Vehicle Charger Selection Guide (PDF) has all of the available options for charging station hardware and software.
- For landlords and tenants
- California law requires landlords to approve a tenant’s written request to install an EV charging station at the tenant’s parking space for leases signed, renewed, or extended on or after July 1, 2015. Tenants are required to pay for all installation, use, maintenance, and removal of the charging station. To learn more about other legal requirements and exceptions, read this article on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations for California Landlords.
- If you would like assistance selecting a charging station type, please call our office at 707-269-1700.
Permitting details for installing a residential charging station
Depending on where you live, the permitting process will be slightly different. If you live in Eureka, Arcata, or part of unincorporated Humboldt County, check out the PDF links below. If you live in a different city or have questions about your specific project, please call our office for more information.
- Permitting for the County of Humboldt and the City of Eureka (PDF)
- Permitting for the City of Arcata (PDF)
For information about accessibility requirements for EV charging stations, you can find California-specific guides and FAQs from the Division of State Architect Access Compliance Reference Material.
Financing options for installing a charging station:
- PACE Financing is a program that allows property owners to borrow money in order to make energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades to their property, including installing an EV charging station. The loan is then paid back as part of the property tax bill. Follow the above link for more information and to see a list of PACE programs in California.
- The Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit provides a tax credit of 30% of the cost (up to $1,000 for residential installations and up to $100,000 for commercial installations) of purchasing and installing an EV charging station. The updated version of the credit began as of January 1, 2023 and is set to run until December 31, 2032. If you installed a charging station during the past two years or will be installing one in 2020, visit the link above and look at IRS Form 8911 (PDF) for details.
- RCEA also now has a rebate available for installing residential home charging equipment: See our RCEA EV Charging Equipment Rebate page.
Interested in installing a public or private charging station at your local business?
Give us a call at 707-269-1700 and we can help you through the process.
The state of California has introduced the Northern California Incentive Project. The project provides financial incentives for the installation of new Level 2 (L2) and DC fast charging (DCFC) installations in public or private shared-use locations in Humboldt County. You can read more on the CALeVIP website. As of October 2023 there is $108k still available for L2 installations in the Humboldt County region.
Charging Levels
Charging levels refer to the amount of electricity a charging station provides. Currently RCEA manages Level 2 public charging stations. Level 3 or DC Fast Chargers are currently available in Arcata, Eureka, Loleta, Willow Creek, and Klamath.
Level 1
8 to 15 hours to recharge
1kW, 120V , 12-16A
Equivalent to a standard wall outlet and slowest charge level
Level 2
3 to 8 hours to recharge
Typically 6kW, 208-240V
Many public charging stations are level 2, as are RV hook-ups
Typical type of charger to install at home
Level 3
20 to 60 min to recharge
Typically 50kW, occasionally 20kW, 208-600V DC
Also known as DC Fast chargers and are the quickest charging option