At their September meeting, the South Coast AQMD Governing Board approved Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC), the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and Port of Long Beach (POLB).

The MOUs will establish a framework to allow the Ports to invest Clean Truck Fund Rate proceeds into heavy-duty zero-emission drayage truck charging infrastructure projects. Under the MOUs, each port will contribute $12.5 million for a total of $25 million towards eight projects.

Under the oversight of the MSRC, the projects will install up to 207 electric truck charging units across eight Southern California locations: Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, Rialto, Fontana, Commerce, and POLB. Battery storage will also be added at the Rialto site and POLB. Project implementers will match the Ports’ funding for each site, and South Coast AQMD is managing the contracts. Under California’s Clean Truck Program, both Ports are implementing a Clean Truck Fund Rate, which collects $10 per 20-foot equivalent unit from cargo owners on loaded containers entering and exiting the port complex. The program aims to generate funds to encourage the adoption and deployment of clean trucks and achieve a zero-emission drayage truck fleet by 2035.

To assist in the transition to cleaner technology, the MSRC is funding up to $50 million to develop zero-emission vehicle refueling infrastructure for use by the goods movement industry. These important efforts will leverage the MSRC’s identification of critical truck charging opportunities to help achieve the goal of zero-emission ports.

For more information on the MSRC, visit http://www.cleantransportationfunding.org.