What Is Next For Clean Transportation: Modernizing School Buses, Public Transit, Cross-Border Trucks, Refrigerated Semi-Truck Trailers And More

SDG&E proposes charging infrastructure for about 3,000 zero emission medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles and equipment

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Jan 23, 2018, 06:30 ET

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With school and transit buses, trucks and other medium/heavy-duty equipment generating the bulk of the most harmful air pollutants in the region, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is proposing a new solution.

Under a proposal submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) this week, SDG&E is seeking approval to build charging infrastructure to enable about 3,000 medium/heavy-duty vehicles to go electric. To clean up the air in areas suffering from the highest levels of tailpipe emissions, 40 percent of the installations will be targeted for vehicles and equipment that are based in or travel through disadvantaged communities. Overall, this program will help local, regional and statewide government meet climate action goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This new proposal comes on the heels of SDG&E receiving unanimous support and approval from the CPUC on Jan. 11 to proceed with several pilot projects to install charging stations at the Port of San Diego, San Diego International Airport, Park & Ride lots, shuttle hubs and delivery fleet hubs.

"We are building momentum to achieve a cleaner, more sustainable future, as businesses, local government agencies and every day citizens embrace ambitious climate goals to clean up transportation," Caroline Winn, SDG&E's chief operating officer, said. "We live in an exciting time because technological barriers are disappearing, and it's now feasible for vehicles and equipment that transport people and goods to be powered by new electricity and natural gas engine technology, which is much cleaner than conventional gasoline and diesel engine technology."

If approved by the CPUC, the new proposal would enable a much wider deployment of charging stations in the region, which is home to more than 103,000 Class 2 through Class 8 commercial vehicles, including trucks that operate around the congested ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. These vehicles range in weight from 6,000 pounds to more than 33,000 pounds. In California, Class 2–8 vehicles produce more particulate matter than all of the state's power plants combined and can cause or worsen asthma and other health conditions.

The application would also support the electrification of forklifts and refrigerated semi-truck trailers, which are vital for moving and delivering perishable goods. If approved by the CPUC, the program would be implemented over five years and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42,000 metric tons per year, equivalent to avoiding the use of more than 4.7 million gallons of gasoline.

SDG&E's proposal was developed under Senate Bill 350 (SB 350), which recognizes that widespread transportation electrification is required to meet the state's goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Organizations offering support for this proposal include the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce, UC San Diego, Amazon, North County Transit District, Sierra Club, Ace Parking, Sysco and the San Diego Air Pollution Control District.

A cutting-edge element of the proposal is an electric school bus pilot. Under the pilot, bus batteries would charge when energy is plentiful—such as during the day when there is abundant solar power—and discharge the energy when there is high demand on the power grid.

Meanwhile, as part its Power Your Drive Program, SDG&E continues to make progress installing up to 3,500 charging stations at multi-family homes and businesses. SDG&E's charging projects do not just deliver clean air, they also create jobs and stimulate the economy.

SDG&E is an innovative San Diego-based energy company that provides safe, reliable, clean energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company was the first to meet California's goal of delivering 33 percent of energy from renewable sources, has fueled the adoption of electric vehicles and energy efficiency through unique customer programs, and supports a number of non-profit partners. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information, visit SDGEnews.com or connect with SDG&E on Twitter (@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE) and Facebook.