The utility that delivers drinking water to 278,000 residents across El Cajon, Santee, La Mesa, and surrounding communities has taken a major step toward an all-electric future. Helix Water District unveiled its $11 million fleet electrification project at its operations center on Vernon Way in El Cajon on Friday, showcasing what officials say will be a model for public agencies across the region.

The charging depot features 87 high-speed chargers with capacity ranging from 40 kilowatts to 640 kilowatts, providing a combined 5.86 megawatts — enough to power more than 3,000 homes. Many of the charging stations are mounted on overhead steel structures to minimize trenching costs and preserve operational flexibility in the yard.

"This project will be a model for other agencies working to electrify their fleets," said Helix Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg. "It helps the cities we serve meet their climate action plan goals while maintaining our commitment to reliability."

The project addresses state mandates under California's Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation, which requires all public agencies to transition to 100 percent zero-emission vehicles for new purchases by 2027. Helix Director of Operations Kevin Miller said the district has already cut its carbon footprint by 40 percent over the past two decades — this project is the next step.

The cost was largely offset by outside funding: the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District provided $5.3 million, SDG&E's Power Your Drive for Fleets program contributed $2.2 million in grants and $2 million in rebates, and the California Energy Commission added $750,000. Of the $11 million total, roughly $10 million came from external grants. MTS also received more than $60 million in state rail funding on the same day — reinforcing a broader regional push toward clean, modernized public infrastructure in East County.