Legislative Updates

Beginning January 1, 2024, California Air Resources Board (CARB) Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) Regulations took effect requiring the transition of applicable fleets to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). These regulations target medium and heavy-duty vehicles (weighing 8,500 lbs. or more) and apply to both State and Local Government Fleets as well as High Priority Fleets (including solid waste haulers).

Many waste haulers will be required to comply with the High Priority Fleet regulations. Please refer to our Guidance on CARB ACF High Priority Fleets for Local Governments to learn more about the regulations and what actionable steps you should take. It is important for municipalities to understand these regulations and how their waste haulers choose to implement them, as these capital investments may lead to significant rate adjustment requests; you do not want your municipality’s customers paying more than their reasonable share of the cost to electrify a statewide fleet. Hauling agreements may need to be updated or amended, depending on the implementation goals of your municipality and your hauler(s). Reach out to HF&H for support navigating these conversations!

State and Local Government Fleets must also comply with the regulations and the first reports are due to CARB by April 1, 2024. The regulations offer two compliance options:

1. The ZEV Purchase Schedule, which requires that 50% of a state or local government’s annual qualifying vehicle purchases per calendar year must be zero-emissions (from January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2026), and 100% of qualifying vehicle purchases must be zero-emissions beginning January 1, 2027; or
2. The ZEV Milestones Option, which allows for phasing ZEVs into the fleet between 2025 and 2042, depending on the type of vehicle and its usage. This option must be selected and reported to CARB by 2030.

Please reference our Guidance on CARB ACF Regulations for State and Local Government Fleets for more details on the regulations. Additionally, please see our Guidance on CARB ACF Reporting for State and Local Government Fleets for the full reporting requirements. We have created additional guidance documents as well as reporting and recordkeeping forms to help jurisdictions better understand and navigate the regulations. Please contact HF&H to learn more!

Remember, whether you own an affected fleet or contract with one, HF&H Consultants is here to help. We can support with a variety of projects, including but not limited to, fleet electrification strategy, cost of service studies, stakeholder engagement, and service provider negotiations. HF&H will keep you up to date on the regulations throughout the year. We hope to see you at the 2024 SWANA Western Regional Symposium in Palm Springs as well as HF&H hosted workshops on emerging issues later this summer. You can also visit the CARB Advanced Clean Fleets webpage for more details.