Skycharger, a developer of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, has been conditionally awarded a $10 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to design, construct, and operate two high-capacity electric truck stops along I-5 in Southern California.
Funded under the CEC’s CRITICAL PATHS 2.0 program, the project will deploy 32 fast chargers capable of simultaneously charging 64 heavy-duty trucks at 200 kW or more.
The stations in Kettleman City and Lebec will be supported by 5.1 MW of solar and 8 MWh of battery energy storage to enhance sustainability and grid resilience.
These two locations experience some of the highest truck volumes along the I-5 corridor, with daily traffic exceeding 14,000 trucks in Kettleman City and 23,000 in Lebec. Their strategic location supports the broader transition to electric trucking.
Skycharger’s award builds on its earlier selection by the Port of San Diego for a 70-port electric truck charging hub and a prior $10 million CEC grant to support that project.
The Kettleman City and Lebec truck stops will support electric port-servicing trucks traveling north of the Los Angeles area. Both sites are located in disadvantaged and low-income communities and are expected to deliver job creation and environmental benefits. The project is anticipated to avoid over one million metric tons of carbon dioxide and eliminate local tailpipe emissions from diesel trucks.
Skycharger will construct the sites in partnership with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and engineering firm Burns & McDonnell. Over 90 skilled jobs will be created through Project Labor Agreements with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), prioritizing local hiring and workforce training in Kern, Kings, and nearby counties.
To further support local communities, Skycharger will establish a community fund providing $100,000 annually with a 1.5 percent yearly increase, totaling approximately $2.24 million over 20 years.
Filed Under: Charging, Technology News