DATE: January 11, 2022
SUBJECT:
Title
INFORMATIONAL UPDATE AND DIRECTION TO STAFF ON THE MARITIME CLEAN AIR STRATEGY’S ZERO EMISSION HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK OBJECTIVES INCLUDING:
A) PROGRESS ON THE ZERO EMISSION HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK TRANSITION PLAN; AND
B) COMPILATION OF FORESEEABLE TASKS AND MILESTONES FOR TRUCK OBJECTIVE 1B: DEVELOPMENT OF A SHORT-HAUL ZERO EMISSION TRUCK PROGRAM; TRUCK OBJECTIVE 1D: CREATION OF A TRUCK REGISTRY; AND TRUCK OBJECTIVE 2A: IDENTIFICATION OF FOUR LOCATIONS FOR ZERO EMISSION TRUCK CHARGING
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS) sets a bold vision of “Health Equity for All” and presents thirty-four near-term objectives to reduce emissions from maritime-related activities. Importantly, the MCAS aims to achieve 40 percent zero emission truck trips to the District’s marine cargo terminals in 2026 and 100 percent zero emission heavy-duty truck trips in 2030. During the November 9, 2021 Board of Port Commissioners Board Meeting, the Board directed staff to develop a Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Truck Transition Plan (Truck Transition Plan) to serve as roadmap to achieve these targets. Staff were requested to complete the Truck Transition Plan by June 2022 and to provide updates during Board meetings in January and March of 2022.
Staff have retained a consultant, WSP, to help prepare the Truck Transition Plan. Data collection is ongoing to identify trucks and their operating characteristics which service the District’s marine cargo terminals. Development of a framework to predict when the population of trucks may convert to zero emission technologies is proceeding.
Additionally, staff were directed to provide an update to the Board in January 2022 and to include a compilation of foreseeable tasks and milestones on a variety of MCAS Truck Objectives that support the transition of heavy-duty diesel trucks to zero emission technologies. These objectives include:
• Truck Objective 1B: Development of a Short-Haul Zero Emission Truck Program;
• Truck Objective 1D: Creation of a Truck Registry to Track Truck Trips; and
• Truck Objective 2A: Identification of Four Locations for Zero Emission Truck Charging.
The scope and schedule to complete these objectives is provided herein.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Receive informational update and provide direction to staff on the Maritime Clean Air Strategy’s zero emission heavy-duty truck objectives including:
A) Progress on the Zero Emission Heavy-Duty Truck Transition Plan; and
B) Compilation of foreseeable tasks and milestones for Truck Objective 1B: Development of a Short-Haul Zero Emission Truck Program; Truck Objective 1D: Creation of a Truck Registry; and Truck Objective 2B: Identification of Four Locations for Zero Emission Truck Charging
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FISCAL IMPACT:
Funds associated with the preparation of District plans and technical work are included in the FY 2022 budget within the Professional Services expense account (#620100). Funds required for future fiscal years associated with this topic will be budgeted for in the appropriate year subject to Board approval upon adoption of each fiscal year’s budget.
Compass Strategic Goals:
This agenda item supports the following Strategic Goal(s).
• A Port that the public understands and trusts.
• A thriving and modern maritime seaport.
• A Port with a healthy and sustainable bay and its environment.
• A Port that is a safe place to visit, work and play.
• A Port with an innovative and motivated workforce.
• A financially sustainable Port that drives job creation and regional economic vitality.
DISCUSSION:
The Board of Port Commissioners adopted the Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS) on October 12, 2021. The MCAS includes a vision of “Health Equity for All” and contains approximately thirty-four near-term objectives, several of which aim to reduce emissions from maritime-related activities and industries. The MCAS also includes long-term goals to achieve 100% zero emission trucks and cargo handling equipment by 2030. These goals advance the conversion to zero emission technologies ahead of the 2035 zero / near-zero emission goals established by the State.
As one of the seven emission sources presented in the MCAS, the transition from diesel heavy-duty trucks to zero emissions was an important priority for several stakeholders. Importantly, the MCAS aspires to achieve 40 percent zero emission truck trips to/from the District’s marine cargo terminals by June 30, 2026, and 100 percent zero emission heavy-duty truck trips by December 31, 2030. At the November 9, 2021 Board meeting, the Board provided direction to staff to initiate a Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Truck Transition Plan to serve as roadmap to achieve these targets. The Board also directed staff to provide a status update on the Truck Transition Plan at their forthcoming January 11, 2022 Board meeting. Therefore, a summary of the progress made on the Truck Transition Plan will be provided herein.
The MCAS also contains objectives to support the tracking and implementation of zero emission trucks. For example, Truck Objective 1B aims to develop a Short Haul Zero Emission Truck Program by the end of 2022. Truck Objective 1D calls for the creation of a truck registry or database to track truck trips in and out of the District's marine cargo terminals. Lastly, Truck Objective 2A tasks staff to identify four potential locations where public-facing medium/heavy duty electric truck charging can be sited. Staff have compiled a list of all foreseeable tasks and timelines to achieve these objectives and will be presented below.
Update on the Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Truck Transition Plan
As noted earlier, the Board directed staff at their November 9, 2021 Board meeting to hire a consultant to help prepare a Truck Transition Plan that identifies a pathway(s) to meet the MCAS zero emission truck goals for 2026 and 2030. The Board also directed staff to include an additional near-term scenario that incorporates a combination of zero and near-zero emission technologies to achieve equivalent or better emission reductions by 2026. Staff were requested to complete the Truck Transition Plan by June 2022 and to provide status updates to the Board meetings January and March of 2022.
Since the November Board meeting, staff have retained a consultant, WSP, to help prepare the Truck Transition Plan. WSP has experience working on similar zero emission truck transition plans such as the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency’s zero emission bus transition plan. Furthermore, WSP has worked throughout the United States and in other countries such as Australia developing comparable plans.
Critical to the Truck Transition Plan is the collection of data, which is necessary to establish a baseline inventory of heavy-duty trucks which transport freight to and from the District’s marine cargo terminals. District staff and WSP will utilize two methods to collect the necessary data to create a baseline inventory of heavy-duty trucks: Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology and a survey. Following an analysis of District resources, it was determined that the existing ALPR system located at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, which has been used to ascertain compliance with State regulations for drayage trucks, also collects and temporarily stores license plate data related to incoming trucks. Upon further investigation, staff learned there is a data file that includes twelve months of license plate data, which may be helpful to better understand the characteristics of trucks that call to the terminal. WSP is validating the data and analyzing it to determine if the make, model, and year of the vehicles can be extracted from the file. This system is only present at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.
The second method involves the collection of information via a traditional survey of truck fleets and an intercept survey of drivers. WSP has worked with staff to develop a series of survey questions focused on obtaining truck and operating characteristics of the heavy-duty truck population. Testing of the survey was convened in December and distributed among fleets which operate at both the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and the National City Marine Terminal in January. WSP will reconcile results from the ALPR system and the survey. Data collection is expected to progress through mid-February.
The data obtained from the ALPR system and the survey will be used to forecast when the existing fleet may convert to zero emission trucks and to prioritize specific trucks and routes that are most appropriate for zero emission operations. The framework to predict truck turnover to zero emission options is currently being developed by WSP. As mentioned, the preliminary pathways to transition certain trucks and/or routes to zero emissions will be presented to the Board at the March 8, 2022 Board Meeting. A final Truck Transition Plan will be presented to the Board in June 2022. The full scope and schedule of the Truck Transition Plan is outlined below.
Additional MCAS Heavy-Duty Truck Objectives
As explained above, there are many objectives outlined in the MCAS, several of which support the transition to zero emission technologies, including: (1) the introduction of an initial Short Haul Zero Emission Truck Program, (2) establishment and deployment of a truck registry or database to track truck trips to measure progress to achieve MCAS truck targets, and (3) identification of potential locations in the San Diego region where medium/heavy-duty truck charging can take place, which may include locations in close proximity to the District’s two marine cargo terminals. District staff have developed a compilation of foreseeable tasks and timelines to complete each of these objectives.
Truck Objective 1B: Short Haul Zero Emission Truck Program
Truck Objective 1B directs staff to develop an initial Short-Haul Zero Emission Truck Program by the end of 2022, that targets displacing approximately 65,000 diesel truck miles. Staff from the Planning department will lead the development and implementation of the Short Haul Zero Emission Truck Program with assistance from Maritime. The goal of the program is to provide funding and resources to trucking fleets which service the District’s marine cargo terminals to accelerate early adoption of zero emission technologies. This objective was created in coordination with the Community Emission Reduction Plan (CERP) for the Portside Environmental Justice Neighborhoods (AB 617 Portside Community), which contains a similar goal.
The program will seek to identify several trucks and their routes, funding partners, incentive structures to deploy zero emission technology, and necessary infrastructure for vehicle charging. The Truck Transition Plan will help to inform the program. The program will be presented to the Board for consideration by the end of 2022, and targets having the charging infrastructure in place in 2024, so that operations may commence later that calendar year.
Truck Objective 1D: Truck Registry and Tracking Mechanism
The purpose of Truck Objective 1D is to establish a tracking mechanism to measure progress to achieve the MCAS goals of 40 percent zero emission truck trips by 2026 and 100 percent by 2030. Staff from the Information and Technology department will assist the Planning and Maritime departments to complete this objective. To accomplish the objective, staff will identify appropriate processes and technologies to count and report truck trips. Likewise, it is anticipated that forthcoming state regulations will require ports in California to collect this information and report it annually. As such, the system will be deployed at both the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and the National City Marine Terminals. Equipment and/or capital expenses identified to fulfill Objective 1B will be included in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Deployment and Implementation of the truck tracking system is will occur by June 30, 2023.
Truck Objective 2A: Heavy-Duty Truck Charging Locations
As the District recognizes the importance of infrastructure to support the transition of heavy-duty diesel trucks to zero emissions, the goal of Truck Objective 2A is to identify potential locations where charging for battery electric vehicles can be sited. It is the intent of Objective 2A to identify at least four public charging locations with each site capable of charging ten medium- and/or heavy-duty vehicles. These locations may be situated throughout the San Diego region along freight corridors and/or in close proximity to the District’s marine cargo terminals. Staff from the Planning and Maritime departments will spearhead Objective 2A and will present a concept plan to the Board for further consideration by the end of 2022.
In summary, progress on the development of the Truck Transition Plan is proceeding. A preliminary zero emission pathway to reach the MCAS objectives will be presented to the Board during the March 8, 2022 Board meeting. As progress continues regarding the MCAS Truck Objectives described above, necessary funds will be identified and budgeted in the appropriate fiscal year and subject to Board approval.
General Counsel’s Comments:
The Office of the General Counsel has reviewed and approved this agenda, as presented, as to form and legality.
Environmental Review:
This Board item does not constitute an “approval” or a “project” under the definitions set forth in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Sections 15352 and 15378 because no direct or indirect changes to the physical environment would occur. CEQA requires that the District adequately assess the environmental impacts of its projects and reasonably foreseeable activities that may result from projects prior to the approval of the same. Any project approval resulting in a physical change to the environment will be analyzed in accordance with CEQA prior to such approval. CEQA review may result in the District, in its sole and absolute discretion, requiring implementation of mitigation measures, adopting an alternative, including without limitation, a “no project alternative” or adopting a Statement of Overriding Consideration, if required. The current Board direction in no way limits the exercise of this discretion. Therefore, no further CEQA review is required.
In addition, this Board item complies with Section 87 of the Port Act, which allows for the establishment, improvement, and conduct of a harbor, and for the construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance, and operation of wharves, docks, piers, slips, quays, and all other works, buildings, facilities, utilities, structures, and appliances incidental, necessary, or convenient, for the promotion and accommodation of commerce and navigation. The Port Act was enacted by the California Legislature and is consistent with the Public Trust Doctrine. Consequently, this update is consistent with the Public Trust Doctrine.
Finally, this Board item does not allow for “development,” as defined in Section 30106 of the California Coastal Act, or “new development,” pursuant to Section 1.a. of the District’s Coastal Development Permit (CDP) Regulations because it will not result in, without limitation, a physical change, change in use or increase the intensity of uses. Therefore, issuance of a Coastal Development Permit or exclusion is not required. However, development within the District requires processing under the District’s CDP Regulations. Future development, as defined in Section 30106 of the Coastal Act, will remain subject to its own independent review pursuant to the Districts certified CDP Regulations, PMP, and Chapters 3 and 8 of the Coastal Act. The Board’s direction in no way limits the exercise of the District’s discretion under the District’s CDP Regulations.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program:
The agenda sheet has no direct DEI impact on contracting or workforce reporting at this time.
PREPARED BY:
Philip Gibbons
Program Manager, Planning
Attachment(s):
Attachment A: Draft Presentation