Port Houston Awarded Nearly $27 Million For Clean Truck Program
April 25 2024 - 3:34PM
Business Wire
Grant Investment is Pivotal in Reducing Air
Emissions
In a release issued on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced that
Texas was awarded a $26.9 million grant for the Port Houston new
clean truck program to help reduce air emissions. Port Houston’s
CLEANSTACS Program (Catalyzing Lower Emissions with Alliances and
New Systems in Trucking and Community Sustainability) was one of
fewer than 20 projects selected nationwide.
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Truck activity on a container yard at one
of Port Houston's two container terminals. Port Houston's Barbours
Cut and Bayport container terminals handle more than 70% of all the
container cargo through the Gulf (Photo: Business Wire)
“This project represents an ambitious program for Port Houston,
and another step toward cleaner air quality for the region, and
achieving our 2050 carbon neutral goal,” said Port Houston Chairman
Ric Campo. “The availability of these funds will help reduce
barriers for small trucking fleets, a true win-win-win for our
local community, our truckers, and our port.” Prior to this
program, many truck owners were unable to afford the high upfront
costs to purchase zero-emission equipment.
The program will help fund 30 new zero-emission (ZE) short-haul
trucks, and portable electric chargers for battery electric vehicle
trucks, to make zero-emission technology accessible and more
affordable to owners and operators of small trucking fleets. The
funds will also pay for installing new automated terminal operating
systems to help reduce truck idling times.
“When truckers spend hours idling at ports, it is bad for
drivers, bad for supply chains, and bad for nearby communities that
feel the brunt of more polluted air,” said U.S. Transportation
Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The investments we are announcing today
will save truck drivers time and money and help ports reduce
congestion and emissions, while making the air more breathable for
workers and communities.”
“The announcement of this first-of-its-kind investment is
pivotal in reducing air emissions across our region,” Chairman
Campo added. “I would like to thank our Congressional delegation
for supporting and advocating for this project. We could not have
done it without them.”
U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Congressmembers Brian Babin, Sheila
Jackson Lee, Sylvia Garcia, Al Green, Wesley Hunt, Lizzie Fletcher,
Dan Crenshaw, and Colin Allred all wrote letters of support to
advocate for project funding. The Reduction of Truck Emissions at
Port Facilities Grant is a new program funded by the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law passed in November of 2021.
Port Houston will use its portion of the grant to subsidize
replacement of existing drayage trucks with new ZE trucks, which
can cost upwards of $400,000 -$500,000. Fleet owners are
responsible for covering 20% of the cost, and both electric and
hydrogen fuel-cell trucks are eligible.
“Port Houston is following through on its sustainability
commitment to reduce emissions from port operations,” said
Executive Director Roger Guenther. “Not only did we prioritize this
project and submit it for federal funding, but we are also
providing the $6.27 million local match to bring this to
fruition.”
This project also includes a workforce training component: Port
Houston is teaming up with a local community college to develop
three mechanics training courses. These courses will equip both the
current and future generations with the skills to work on new ZE
fleets.
“Reducing emissions is great for our environment and our
communities. It is also good for business, ultimately reducing
costs for operators, while developing the workforce for the
future,” said Port Houston’s Chief Infrastructure Officer Rich
Byrnes. “What Port Houston is doing is walking the talk of our
long-range plans to achieve carbon neutrality and taking an
important step to support the National Zero Emissions Freight
Strategy.”
Of the $26.9 million grant, $25.1 million will help jumpstart
the CLEANSTACS first phase, which includes 30 new zero-emission
drayage trucks, 15 anti-idling devices for existing trucks, a
regional truck study to help reduce traffic through port
communities, including Galena Park and Pleasantville, and public
engagement and community education for the new technologies
available in goods movement. The 30 new ZE trucks are scheduled to
be deployed by the end of 2025.
Jacintoport International, LLC will receive $1.8 million of the
funding to install new terminal operating systems at its facility
along the Houston Ship Channel. Truck idling time at the gates is
expected to be reduced by at least 10 minutes.
About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the
public wharves and facilities along the Houston Ship Channel,
including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most
efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the
advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship
Channel complex and its more than 200 private and eight public
facilities is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and
an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of
Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports the creation of
nearly 1.5 million jobs in Texas and 3.37 million jobs nationwide,
and economic activity totaling $439 billion in Texas and $906
billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information,
visit the website at PortHouston.com.
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Lisa Ashley-Daniels, Director, Public Relations, Office:
713-670-2644; Mobile: 832-247-8179; E-mail:
lashley@porthouston.com