PowerFlex, LA County ISD, and LACDA Celebrate New EV Charging at Carmelitos Public Housing Development to Expand Equitable Access in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 6, 2025--

PowerFlex, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department (ISD) and the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA), celebrated the installation of new Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at the LACDA Carmelitos community in Long Beach today. The installation includes 20 Level 2 ports and supports Los Angeles County’s goal of installing 15,000 EV chargers on County properties by 2035, expanding equitable access for residents and the wider community.

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Hosted at the Carmelitos Community Center, the “Charge Up Carmelitos!” event featured remarks from both public- and private-sector partners. Ten of the new chargers will serve Carmelitos residents and are accessible to the public, while the remaining 10 chargers are designated for LACDA fleet operations, all supporting a broader clean transportation initiative on site. Additional projects include DC Fast charging for a community shuttle and a solar carport capable of powering EV charging.

“Today’s event is a powerful example of public–private partnership delivering real, local benefits. Working with LA County ISD and LACDA, we’re making EV charging more reliable and accessible for residents and the community at large — while building the scalable infrastructure needed to meet the County’s clean transportation goals,” said Raphael Declercq, CEO of PowerFlex.

“As the County’s energy lead department, our role is to ensure that our decarbonization strategy is deeply rooted in social equity. The Carmelitos project site represents more than just an EV charging deployment; it symbolizes the County’s commitment to prioritizing sustainable infrastructure in historically underserved communities. This project, driven by a strong multi-agency partnership, paves the way for a more accessible future for the County,” said Michael Owh, Director of the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department.

“The successful execution of this project is a testament to the powerful collaboration between ISD, LACDA, PowerFlex and the William C. Velasquez Institute. By deploying affordable electric vehicle technology, we are directly advancing the County’s goal of facilitating the transition to cleaner transportation for all residents. This community-centered initiative serves as a scalable blueprint for expanding sustainable mobility throughout the County,” said Minh Le, General Manager of the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department Energy and Environmental Service.

“The LACDA has made a deliberate commitment to integrating sustainability features into its infrastructure improvements, including the installation of solar panels at several public housing sites. Today, we are proud to celebrate this new partnership that brings EV charging stations to Carmelitos, which will advance access to sustainable transportation not only for our residents but for the community as well,” said Emilio Salas, LACDA Executive Director.

Built with PowerFlex technology and supported by Southern California Electric’s Charge Ready program, the Carmelitos chargers highlight how coordinated investment, community-focused design, and innovative partners can achieve near-term emissions reductions and long-term resilience. ISD and LACDA are working together on additional projects at other sites to further expand access to affordable, reliable EV charging for residents.

About PowerFlex

PowerFlex is a clean technology solutions company making the transformation to carbon-free electrification and transportation possible. Our adaptive energy optimization platform PowerFlex X™ monitors, controls, and co-optimizes onsite assets like EV chargers, solar, energy storage, and microgrids — reducing overall energy costs through patented algorithms that maximize distributed energy resources.

PowerFlex is the second-largest installer of commercial solar in the United States, with over 500 megawatts (MW) of total solar capacity plus 50+ megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery energy storage. Combined, our solar and energy storage projects offset 460,000 metric tons of CO 2 each year. We also manage more than 50,000 EV chargers nationwide, making us the second-largest EV charging provider in the U.S. in terms of Level 2 port management.

PowerFlex is backed by EDF power solutions and Manulife Investments.

Visit powerflex.com for more information and connect with us on LinkedIn and YouTube.

About LA County Internal Services Department

The Internal Services Department (ISD) is a general services organization that supports the County of Los Angeles by providing a range of support services to other County departments in the areas of purchasing, contracting, facilities, information technology, and other support services, such as energy and environmental (EES) programs management, parking, and mail services. ISD administers high-impact public programs, including SoCalRen, Electrifyze (which promotes Electric Vehicle adoption), and EBD Program. ISD has also been designated by the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors as the lead department for residential broadband service and digital equity initiatives. For more information on ISD, visit isd.lacounty.gov.

LA County ISD Fleet vehicle using new EV chargers at Carmelitos Community Center in Long Beach, CA

Newly installed public and private EV chargers in Carmelitos Community Center

Carmelitos Community members engage with PowerFlex employees at Carmelitos Charge Up! event

Teams from LA County ISD, LACDA, SCE and PowerFlex cut the ribbon at the Carmelitos Charge Up! event.

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Friday that inflation is still too high and suggested the central bank may have to raise interest rates in the coming months to bring it down, a clearer signal than he had sent previously about his economic outlook.

In his first high-profile speech at the Fed’s annual conference at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Warsh acknowledged that recent U.S. data show inflation has cooled a bit, but “they do not tell me that underlying trends have meaningfully improved.”

“We must be confident that underlying inflation is moving to our objective, clearly and at sufficient speed,” Warsh said. “Otherwise, we have work to do.”

The Fed chair, who replaced his predecessor, Jerome Powell on May 22, faces high stakes with his speech as questions swirl around Wall Street about his focus on fighting inflation.

Those concerns may have contributed to rising bond yields, which can increase the cost of borrowing for the government and everyone else. Yet Warsh has said he doesn’t want to provide what analysts call “forward guidance” about whether the Fed will hike or cut rates or stay on hold at upcoming meetings. He argues that it limits the Fed’s flexibility by committing it to a specific policy.

Yet some economists have argued that he could say more about his views on Fed policy without tipping his hand about future actions.

Warsh on Friday reiterated his skepticism about providing such guidance or even outlining his broad approach to interest-rate policy.

But he did suggest that interest rates currently aren't restricting economic activity, pointing to robust business investment in AI equipment and infrastructure and strong consumer spending. As a rule of thumb, interest rates often need to be high enough to limit borrowing and spending to cool inflation.

The Fed next meets September 15-16, and Warsh's remarks don't necessarily signal the central bank will raise rates then. But his speech indicated that rates may not be high enough to bring inflation down to the Fed's 2% target.

Warsh said inflation data “are more concerning" than trends on the job market, where the unemployment rate is low. He also argued that inflation is unlikely to move back to the target on its own.

Warsh noted that in the past year, 54% of goods and services tracked by the government have seen price increases of 3% or higher. While that is down from the pandemic peak, it is “well above” the 32% that saw such increases in the two decades before the pandemic.

Inflation cooled in June and July after spiking in May from soaring gas prices, yet it remains above the central bank’s target. According to the Fed’s preferred measure, it was 3.7% in July.

Warsh also sought to clear up some areas of confusion that arose after his remarks at a July 29 news conference. He specified that short-term interest rates are the “predominant tool” the Fed can use to lower inflation.

Previous Fed chairs have often used speeches at Jackson Hole to address broad questions about interest-rate policy and the economy, or to signal upcoming changes in their approach. In 2022, with pandemic-era inflation having soared to 9.1%, Warsh's predecessor Powell signaled the Fed would continue to sharply raise interest rates in a fight against runaway prices, and he acknowledged that such maneuvers would bring “pain” to consumers and businesses.

Most analysts expect the Fed will keep rates unchanged when it meets next in mid-September. Wall Street investors, however, are betting the central bank will hike rates by December, according to futures pricing tracked by CME FedWatch.

Questions about Warsh’s approach have intensified amid President Donald Trump’s continued calls for lower interest rates. While Trump has continued to defend Warsh, whom he appointed, the president has criticized other Fed officials for supporting higher rates.

Trump has also renewed his efforts to remove Fed governor Lisa Cook, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden. Replacing Cook would enable Trump to appoint a majority of the seven-member board. Trump tried to fire her last year but was temporarily blocked by the Supreme Court.

If Warsh does assuage some of these concerns, longer-term interest rates could decline slightly. Those rates have steadily risen in recent weeks because of a range of factors, including burgeoning U.S. government deficits and outsize borrowing by tech firms building AI infrastructure.

The rate on the 30-year Treasury bond reached the highest level in 19 years last week, prompting an unusual effort by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to buy back bonds and push the yields lower.

FILE - A sign on the border of Wyoming and Montana appears on the side of Belfry Highway, May 24, 2017, in Powell, Wyoming. (AP Photo/Robert Yoon, File)