ENERGY

California Competes for Electric Car Funds: The state said it will offer up to $2 million in matching funds for two state consortiums competing for $12 million to be doled out later this year by the Federal Transit Administration toward the development of an electric vehicle industry. The consortiums are Calstart, made up of about 30 state and national companies and public agencies, and the California Electric Mobility Consortium, headed by Solar Electric Engineering of Santa Rosa, a maker of electric cars. Gov. Pete Wilson described the state’s financial aid as an effort to foster the development of advanced transportation technology companies to offset pending job losses in California’s defense industry.