The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced they will invest $25 million in collaboration with regional air quality management authorities.
According to the port authority, the cooperation aims to provide charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty trucks in one of the country’s most populous regions.
The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Board’s $135 million project will build up to 207 charging stations at eight locations in Southern California, including Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, Rialto, Fontana, Commerce and the Port of Long Beach. The South Coast Air Quality Management District will oversee the project contract.
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“We are investing in the Clean Truck Fund to get zero-emission (ZE) trucks and infrastructure on the roads as quickly as possible,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.
“In addition to funding charging stations, we’ve partnered with the state of California to provide vouchers worth up to $250,000 toward the purchase of ZE heavy-duty trucks. Every day we move closer to our goal of a zero-emission port.”
This week, the Los Angeles Port Commission and the Long Beach Port Commission approved allocating $12.5 million from their respective Clean Truck Funds for the idea.
The Clean Truck Fund fee supports the Port’s goal of transitioning to a zero-emission truck fleet by 2035, as outlined in the Clean Air Action Plan.
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The toll will be levied starting in April 2022 and will be $10 per TEU or $20 per 40-foot equivalent unit. Loaded containers transported by zero-emission trucks are exempt from the tax, as are trucks with low nitrogen oxide emissions, subject to limitations.
Through March 2024, the Port of Los Angeles is reported to have collected approximately $78 million, while the Port of Long Beach is reported to have collected approximately $75 million.
Recently, the Port of Long Beach announced it will receive $283 million from the federal government to help build “America’s Green Gateway.”