Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) EV Charger Rebate Guide 2026

What is Peninsula Clean Energy?

Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) is the community choice aggregator (CCA) for San Mateo County and the City of Los Banos. Since 2016, PCE has been the default electricity-generation provider for residential and commercial customers in its service area, while PG&E continues to deliver the power and bill the customer. PCE's mission centers on accelerating electrification — including widespread EV adoption.

In practice, PCE runs three EV-related programs that Bay Area homeowners and property managers should know:

• Used EV Rebate Program — $2,000 toward the purchase of a used plug-in hybrid or BEV for income-qualifying San Mateo County residents.
• EV Ready Program — a $28M infrastructure initiative providing free technical assistance and project incentives to multi-unit dwellings, condos, HOAs, and workplaces.
• EV Advisor Service — free 1:1 advice on choosing a charger, picking a rate plan, and stacking incentives. Open to all San Mateo County residents.

The largest cash incentives — the ones that motivate the “up to $4,500” headline — flow through the EV Ready Program in coordination with the statewide CalEVIP Peninsula-Silicon Valley project.

2026 rebate amounts (current as of 2026-04-27)

The current Level 2 charger structure under the CalEVIP Peninsula-Silicon Valley project (administered by the Center for Sustainable Energy in partnership with PCE):

The base rebate is the lower of $4,500 or 75% of project cost, per port. So a $5,000-per-port project receives $3,750 (75%), while a $7,000-per-port project receives the full $4,500 cap. Sites that qualify as both DAC and LIC receive only one $500 add-on (not stacked).

For DC fast charging (workplace and public-access projects only):

Always confirm current funding availability at calevip.org/incentive-project/peninsula-silicon-valley — funds are reserved on a first-come basis and program rules update. The structure above describes the program as of this guide's last update.

Income-qualified add-ons and DAC/LIC tracts

The +$500 add-on applies to projects located in a disadvantaged community (DAC) as defined by CalEnviroScreen, or a low-income community (LIC) per the IRS / DOE definition. Several San Mateo County tracts qualify — including portions of:

• East Palo Alto
• North Fair Oaks (unincorporated)
• Daly City (parts)
• South San Francisco (parts)
• Redwood City (eastern tracts)

Use the CalEnviroScreen tool to confirm eligibility for any specific address. Note: a project that qualifies as both DAC and LIC still only receives the single $500 bonus (not $1,000).

San Mateo County coverage map

Peninsula Clean Energy and the CalEVIP Peninsula-Silicon Valley project together cover all incorporated cities and unincorporated areas of San Mateo County:

Plus all unincorporated San Mateo County (North Fair Oaks, Emerald Hills, Devonshire, etc.). If your property is across the county line in San Francisco or Santa Clara County, different programs apply — call (650) 542-8877 and we'll point you at the right one.

How to apply — step-by-step

1. Sign up for free EV Ready technical assistance at pceev.clearesult.com. A PCE-paid advisor reviews your site, recommends charger count and type, and pre-qualifies you for the rebate.
2. Get a quote from a Trade Ally electrician. ChargeWizards is happy to bid the work alongside any other Trade Ally — we already know the program forms.
3. Reserve your CalEVIP funds. Submit the project application at calevip.org. You'll get a reservation letter confirming your incentive amount before you spend any money.
4. Purchase qualifying equipment (after reservation, never before). Must be ENERGY STAR, networked, with remote diagnostics. ChargeWizards tracks current eligible models and provides the manufacturer paperwork CalEVIP requires.
5. Install & permit. Pull the city permit, complete the work, and pass final inspection. ChargeWizards manages this end-to-end.
6. Submit the rebate-claim package to CalEVIP — invoice, permit final, photos, charger serial numbers, network confirmation. Most claims process in 6–12 weeks.
7. Receive your rebate check. Direct to the property owner or to the contractor as a pass-through deduction, depending on how the project is structured.

Equipment that qualifies

The CalEVIP Peninsula-Silicon Valley project requires that all rebated Level 2 chargers meet three standards:

• ENERGY STAR certified — verified efficiency.
• Networked — cellular or Wi-Fi connection for usage reporting.
• Remote diagnostics & OTA firmware updates — the network supports remote troubleshooting and software updates.

Common eligible commercial-grade Level 2 chargers used on PCE / CalEVIP MUD projects include ChargePoint CP6000 / CT4000, Enphase IQ EV Charger 2, Wallbox Pulsar Plus / Commander 2, EVBox, Blink IQ 200, and Flo CoRe+. Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3 Universal) is networked and ENERGY STAR-aware, but as a non-OCPP charger its eligibility under specific CalEVIP rules can vary — confirm with the project administrator before purchase. For Tesla-only multi-unit setups we typically pair Wall Connectors with Group Power Management plus a separately incentive-eligible J1772 unit when needed.

See our companion guide on Tesla Power Management for how Group mode lets up to six Wall Connectors share one circuit on a condo or HOA project.

Stacking: PCE/CalEVIP + federal 30C + PG&E EV2-A

The three-layer Bay Area incentive stack:

See our deep dives on the federal 30C tax credit (note: expires June 30, 2026) and PG&E EV2-A rate plan.

Timeline: from application to rebate check

A typical multi-unit dwelling or workplace project under the CalEVIP Peninsula-Silicon Valley + PCE EV Ready stack:

• Weeks 0–2: EV Ready technical assistance (free).
• Weeks 2–6: Quote, contractor selection, CalEVIP reservation submission.
• Weeks 6–10: Reservation letter received. Equipment ordered.
• Weeks 10–14: Permit, install, and final inspection.
• Weeks 14–20: Rebate-claim package submitted. Check arrives 6–12 weeks later.

Total: ~4–6 months from first call to check in hand. ChargeWizards manages every step except the EV Ready technical assistance call (which we encourage you to do directly with PCE's advisor; it's genuinely useful).

ChargeWizards handles the paperwork

For property managers, HOA boards, and condo owners, the program forms can be the heaviest part of the project. Here's what we take off your plate on every PCE / CalEVIP install:

• Site walk and load assessment
• CalEVIP reservation packet preparation
• Equipment selection from the eligible list
• City permit, drawings, and load calculations
• Install & final inspection coordination
• Rebate-claim package: itemized invoice, photos, serials, permit final, network confirmation
• Coordination with PCE's EV Ready advisor and the CalEVIP administrator

We're a Tesla Certified Installer (CSLB #1134931) and have been doing San Mateo County multi-unit projects since the program launched. Call (650) 542-8877 or get a free quote and we'll route it through the right rebate.