Dive Brief:
- The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach are proposing incentives to help reduce the cost of zero-emissions trucks used at the ports, according to a Sept. 15 press release.
- The proposed three-year Zero-Emission Truck Rewards Incentive Program, or ZE-TRIP, would offer qualifying trucks incentives of $60 per terminal visit and up to $36,000 per vehicle annually.
- Comments on the draft proposal can be made now through Nov. 2 and a virtual public hearing is set to take place on Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. to noon and can be joined using this meeting link or call in at (800) 475-4499.
Dive Insight:
The latest proposal from the San Pedro Bay Ports is part of their shared Clean Air Action Plan, or CAAP, under which they aim to reduce port-related air pollution, per the plan’s website. One of the goals outlined in the plan, first introduced in 2006 and updated twice since then, is to achieve zero emissions for on-road drayage trucks serving the ports by 2035.
The latest proposal builds on previous financial relief programs the port has offered to encourage the transition to zero-emission trucks. In 2023, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach said they would offer $60 million in vouchers to help companies acquire zero-emission Class 8 drayage trucks to be operated at the San Pedro Bay complex.
“This incentive program is another tool in our decarbonization playbook, helping offset the higher costs of owning and operating zero-emission trucks based on direct feedback from truckers about what they need,” Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba said in the release.
Separately, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach announced they would invest $40 million for regional electric-truck charging infrastructure, last month. The project is part of an updated clean air agreement with the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Similarly, the Port of New York and New Jersey launched a voucher program that aims to reduce costs for zero-emission drayage and yard trucks, according to a September press release. The voucher is for $230,000 for Class 8 drayage trucks and $150,000 for off-road terminal trucks.
