The queue to apply for California’s new e-bike incentive program, which only offered 1,500 vouchers, reached 100,000 people.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB)’s new e-bike incentive program launched with “no technical issues,” but the 1,500 vouchers were snapped up within minutes due to high demand, according to the agency.
As Melanie Curry explains in Streetsblog California, the long-awaited program only made 1,500 vouchers available, while the queue on the CARB website at one point reached 100,000. “People who tried to apply were frustrated that there was a lot of waiting, with little communication about that wait, and were surprised that the window to apply closed abruptly about forty minutes into the launch, leaving many people out.”
As Curry notes, CARB could have communicated more effectively about the timing of the application and the documentation required. However, the larger problem is the small number of vouchers available. Demand for e-bikes is encouraging — and the state could support it by expanding the program. “Note as well that California invests far more in incentives for electric cars than in cheaper, cleaner, more efficient, healthier, and much less damaging e-bikes.”
FULL STORY: E-bike Incentive Launch a “Mess”?
Pilot Project Offers E-Bike Rebates in New York State
The program will start in the Village of Ossining with plans to expand in the greater Hudson River region.
DC Launches New Round of E-Bike Rebates
District residents can apply for a subsidy of up to $1,500 to purchase e-bikes.
California E-Bike Rebate Program Launches — Again
After a series of fits and starts, CARB says the program will begin accepting applications this month.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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