Grantee tracks lobbying campaign that slowed down move toward electric vehicles in San Francisco

San Francisco has ambitious "zero emissions" goals, but lawmakers have limited how and where companies can charge electric fleets. They acted earlier this year to fears of losing jobs to driverless vehicles, like these Waymo robotaxis in a company lot on 14th Street. (Photo: Ted Weinstein)

Intense lobbying led the City of San Francisco to adopt a series of policies that will make it harder for companies to use electric vehicles in the city – and, as a result, will make it harder for the city to achieve its goals to stop all greenhouse gas emissions within the next 15 years. With support from the Fund, reporter Kristi Coale obtained public records and other documents to track how unions and private companies persuaded city policymakers to make it harder for delivery companies to use electric vehicles. The report is the final installment in Coale’s four-part series in the Fisc on battles over electricity in San Francisco.