Interview: Navigating the EV Transition with Public Fleet Expert Sam Zantzinger, ForeFront Power

In an era where energy resilience and sustainability are no longer optional, ForeFront Power is at the forefront, delivering innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging, solar, and energy storage solutions tailored for commercial, industrial, public-sector, and community solar customers across the U.S. and Mexico. As a subsidiary of the globally respected Mitsui & Co., with an “A” credit rating from S&P, ForeFront brings both financial rigor and technical expertise to its renewable energy deployments.

Founded in 2017 and based in San Francisco — with strategic offices in New York, Mexico City, and more — ForeFront has deployed over 1,900 behind-the-meter and community solar projects, totaling more than 1.6 GW of capacity. These aren’t just numbers; they represent a growing network of green energy infrastructure helping businesses hedge against volatile electricity prices, public agencies meet sustainability goals, and educational institutions cut operational costs. ForeFront’s breadth of offerings ensures that each customer receives a solution optimized for their situation.

ForeFront Power has built a proven model: quickly scale energy infrastructure projects, finance them via Power Purchase Agreements or subscriptions, and handle operations and maintenance for the entire operational lifetime of these systems, delivering stable energy and financial benefits. Through public-sector partnerships, community outreach, fleet electrification, and cutting-edge infrastructure, ForeFront provides tailored solutions across industries — backed by their parent company, Mitsui’s, financial muscle.

As energy markets shift, renewable energy becomes cleaner and more distributed. ForeFront’s work aligns with emerging trends, such as virtual power plants, microgrids, and vehicle-grid integration — connecting distributed clean assets to deliver resilience, affordability, and decarbonization at scale. With nearly two gigawatts of projects under its belt and deep expertise tailored to customer needs, ForeFront Power is shaping a decentralized, sustainable energy future — building both power and promise for communities across North America.

ForeFront Power eMobility’s Innovative Fleet Electrification

As customer needs have shifted, so has ForeFront Power’s business, launching a new branch dedicated to Fleet Electrification projects. Public agencies or businesses can seamlessly electrify vehicle fleets, provide charging stations for staff, students, and the broader community, while simultaneously reducing carbon footprints, and saving significantly on fuel and maintenance costs — in some cases, up to millions of dollars. ForeFront Power customizes its product offerings and financing solutions to fit each organization’s unique needs. With zero upfront cost, EV fleet operations become predictable and manageable.

ForeFront Power prides itself on offering the right combination of technology to meet their client’s diverse needs. Often solutions have to match the space and accessibility constraints for multi-site portfolios, as well as take into account complex planning for a staged transition to EVs (most fleet operators don’t have the luxury to convert fleets to 100% electric overnight).

Intelligent energy management systems further enable savings and performance when coupled properly to equipment and infrastructure. As a full-service electrification partner, ForeFront Power supports its partners from initial planning through long-term maintenance and operations, allowing you to focus on your core mission while they handle the details.

EVinfo.net Interviews Sam Zantzinger, Senior Director of Origination in ForeFront Power’s Fleet Mobility Business

This week, EVinfo.net spoke with Sam Zantzinger, Senior Director of Origination in ForeFront Power’s Fleet Mobility business, to gauge the mood among public agencies and hear how ForeFront Power is advising its public sector customers on managing the EV transition in tumultuous times.

Bill Pierce:

Could you provide some background on ForeFront Power and how it started working with EV Fleets?

Sam Zantzinger:

ForeFront Power is a leading developer, advisory consultant, and asset manager of fleet electrification solutions, commercial and industrial-scale solar energy, and battery storage in North America. We’re the No. 1 developer serving California’s public sector, having worked with 120+ agencies in the state, but we also have robust experience coast to coast.

After helping to develop over 140 MW of distributed solar and storage capacity for ForeFront Power’s behind-the-meter business, I moved over to lead our Fleet Mobility team in the first half of 2025. We’ve moved into this space because of the customer demand for partners they can trust and grow with, and the strong alignment to our existing electrification work. It’s an exciting time to work in EV infrastructure, and it’s a natural extension of our 15+ years of work developing and managing behind-the-meter solar and storage assets.

Our team of EV experts and enthusiasts works across light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles. As I like to say, “If it takes a charge, we can do it.” We work with plug-in tech, pantograph systems, and inductive charging. Most of our partnerships are within the public sector, supporting compliance with clean fuel mandates and regulations. We also have extensive experience in the education sector. We operate nationwide and our goal is to become the No. 1 EV infrastructure developer and asset manager in the U.S.

Bill Pierce:

How is ForeFront Power structuring its Fleet Mobility offering to meet the needs of public sector customers in this very fluid market?

Sam Zantzinger:

Two of our core competencies are navigating policy and incentive markets. Being on the bleeding edge of legislation allows us to quickly adapt and support clients in meeting their goals. The services we offer haven’t changed dramatically, but we’ve continued to adapt them to market conditions. While there are many rapidly changing headlines and policies, we don’t foresee dramatic changes to electrification regulation on the public sector in the coming future. If anything, we expect regulation to expand steadily.

For example, while our primary focus is fleet development, we recognize that public agencies often need public-facing charging infrastructure as well. They are under specific mandates to electrify their fleets, but their communities are also calling for public charging access. So, we’ve developed an EV offering that can encompass fleet electrification as well as public charging. Our goal is to provide a practical solution that helps public sector partners meet both the mandates and community needs.

Our extensive experience with the built environment, which we have gleaned through 15+ years of developing gigawatts of distributed solar and storage, enables us to consistently deliver in this space. And our understanding of the policy and incentive markets combined with our efficient permitting, time management of timely procurement/delivery, and avoiding construction delays, has allowed us to help our partners navigate these fluid and often turbulent times.

Bill Pierce:

What are some of your key observations in 2025 so far?

Sam Zantzinger:

Public Sector Asset Management is Hot

Something I have been hearing from our own customers and partners for some time: public sector leaders know they need public chargers, but nobody wants to handle the operations and maintenance. What we’re seeing is that our customers are as excited about our O&M support as they are about things like our grant writing support. Asset management has simply become a critical need for these agencies. They want to hear that we are more than an installer—that we can be a long-term partner who rides along the whole journey with them.

The Light-Duty Opportunity

Everyone is talking about the challenging landscape for heavy-duty fleets. Since the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule no longer applies to the private sector, a lot of R&D from OEMs—some estimating as much as 80%—just evaporated overnight. Without that financial incentive, many OEMs are reevaluating how much to invest in heavy-duty development.

But then there’s a bright spot: the total cost of ownership for light-duty and some MDHD vehicles is already favorable today. The light-duty market, especially, is working really well in large part due to the cost of charging being cheaper than increasing fuel costs. So, there are real business cases where electrification saves agencies money. It’s important to remember that even in this challenging policy landscape, there are technologies that don’t need incentives to be viable.

Policy Uncertainty Got You Down? Raise Your Voice!

Despite the shadow cast by policy uncertainty, there are some exciting new technologies emerging. For example, our partner Penske Energy has been showcasing its mobile charging stations that bypass permitting by avoiding digging. They use hollowed-out highway dividers to run wiring from portable switchgear to the chargers. Fast and functional, the technology is designed for rapid deployment in urban areas. This is a great example of transitional infrastructure: the industry is forced to innovate because timelines for permitting and higher costs with permanent infrastructure are uncertain.

Of course, with federal incentives disappearing, it means that public agencies are left with mandates they must address without the federal support to get it done. And here’s what I want to emphasize to your readers: if your agency is impacted, don’t suffer in silence! Reach out to your representatives. Ask for funding and support to meet mandates. Beyond California and New York, where mandates are most stringent, communities are still demanding action, and the only way to get federal, state, and local support and funding is to speak up.

Take Action Now, But Take it One Step at a Time

Many fleet operators feel stuck because they don’t know what the policy landscape will be in six months… or even next week! But it’s risky to wait, because if the mandates stay in place, you risk being outside of compliance and without a plan. I’ve heard it said that agencies should forget about pilots and just electrify everything now. But in our experience, it’s much better to start small, because these projects are complex, time-consuming, and need to prove to work with a fleet’s operation. As many know, infrastructure projects take time – especially when you rely on utility participation and stakeholder engagement. So start now and take your learnings from a reasonable pilot.

I like to think of this time period as the second phase of charging infrastructure. Gen. 1 OEMs were the pioneers to get infrastructure installed ASAP. Now a new generation of providers like ABB and Kempower are leapfrogging with hardware equipped with the learnings of Gen. 1. It’s a different ballgame with highly reliable and efficient systems. Rather than risk being left behind, it’s important to pilot these technologies in your organization to determine what will work best for the long haul.

Lead Locally for Lasting Impact

On a final note, I am so energized by the public agencies who are acting like pioneers in the era of electrification. Some folks understandably view mandates as a burden and have voiced the need for more support. But there are others who see themselves as stewards—early adopters who feel responsible for driving the technology forward to help make it commercially viable for the broader market. That local leadership mentality is really inspiring to see!

Contact Forefront Power Today

Interested organizations are encouraged to connect with ForeFront’s team of e-mobility and fleet experts to explore how these solutions can advance their sustainability and operational goals.