Two companies based at the Port of Long Beach won a combined $44 million to help reduce truck emissions at the nation’s largest port complex, officials announced Monday.
The federal grants from the Department of Transportation include $34.8 million to the Long Beach Container Terminal to support its electrification advancement project, which will reduce fossil-fueled trucks and cargo-handling equipment with zero-emission technology and improving overall terminal efficiency to minimize truck idling and gate congestion.
Another $9.1 million will go to WattEVER Inc. to support a project that will accelerate emission reductions and speed up adoption of heavy-duty battery electric vehicles.
“These investments are a huge win for clean air, electrification, and the region,” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, said in a statement.
The funding is a result of the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that specifically aims to reduce emissions at the nation’s ports.
Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said in a statement that the funding will help the local port reach its goal of zero emissions by 2035.
A report last fall showed the Port of Long Beach made significant progress in reducing air pollution emissions in 2022 and the port is well on its way to meet its goals.
The port’s annual emissions inventory report found that compared to 2005, diesel particulates are down by 91%, nitrogen oxides have decreased 63% and sulfur oxides have decreased by 97%, while cargo volume increased by 36%.
California — which has some of the nation’s worst air pollution — has also enacted strict requirements around truck pollution. Truck manufacturers are now required to sell an increasing number of zero-emission trucks over the next couple of decades.