Port of Long Beach boosts push for zero-emissions trucks
A zero-emissions truck drives on the replacement for the Gerald Desmond Bridge (soon to be officially named the Long Beach International Gateway) during the bridge’s grand opening on Oct. 2, 2020, according to the company's release.
To support a goal of a zero-emissions truck fleet by 2035, the Port of Long Beach will start collecting its Clean Truck Fund Rate on April 1, 2022, as approved by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners today.
The rate for nonexempt trucks of $10 per twenty-foot equivalent unit – a standard measure for one 20-foot-long cargo container – was set in March 2020 by the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to encourage the trucking industry to invest in cleaner vehicles and reach zero emissions. Zero-emissions trucks are exempt from the rate, and the Port of Long Beach has approved an expiring exemption for the cleanest natural gas-powered trucks as a transitional step to a future when zero-emissions cargo trucks are widely available.
The Clean Truck Fund rate is expected to generate $90 million in the first year, or $45 million per port. As part of Monday’s action, the Board approved an initial funding prioritization for both low-nitrogen oxides and zero-emissions trucks, with at least 10% of the funds to be provided to zero-emissions trucks.
Phasing out older, more polluting trucks has been key to clean air gains the San Pedro Bay ports have made since the original Clean Truck Program was launched in 2008. Diesel emissions from trucks have been cut by as much as 97% compared to 2005 levels. Trucks remain the Port's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and the second highest source of nitrogen oxides, a contributor to regional smog formation.
The Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) has established a goal of zero-emissions trucks by 2035. A key component of the overall strategy to transition to a zero-emissions truck fleet is an updated Clean Truck Program incentivizing the development and adoption of new technology.
Updated in 2017, the CAAP contains a comprehensive strategy to accelerate progress toward a zero-emissions future while protecting and strengthening the ports’ competitive position in the global economy. Since 2005, port-related air pollution emissions in San Pedro Bay have dropped 89% for diesel particulate matter, 63% for nitrogen oxides and 97% for sulfur oxides. Targets for reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) from port-related sources were introduced as part of the 2017 CAAP Update. The document calls for the ports to reduce GHGs to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The CAAP was originally approved in 2006.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $200 billion in trade annually, supporting more than 575,000 Southern California jobs.
