Amazon opens third fulfillment center in Tracy

Amazon officially opened their latest Tracy fulfillment center with a ribbon cutting on Friday at the 3.7 million-square-foot facility on East Grant Line Road. Director of operations Vincent Wong cut the ribbon for the facility, named SCK6, which had a soft opening in October. Assistant General Manager Mohammed Khan said the building will have approximately 1,500 employees and 3,000 robots in the building at 15000 East Grant Line Road.

At maximum capacity he said Amazon will be able to ship 1 million units a day from the facility, which is the online retailer’s second advanced robotics fulfillment center. Wong welcomed the crowd of employees, some dressed in San Jose Sharks attire, along with invited guests to the dedication.

“We are honored to serve the people of Tracy and especially honored to support our work force here in this place. At Amazon, people are our most valuable asset and resources,” Wong said. “Promotion actually plays an important part in their growth and (our employees are) promoted for recognizing our people and reaching their goals. At Amazon, we start with the community in which we work and live, including myself, we are committed to uniting Tracy and leveraging our resources for good. Since the beginning of 2022 we actually provided more than $4 million in donations for our community here and also in in-kind donations and volunteer hours.”

SCK6 is the fourth logistics center opened in Tracy by the online retailer. Mayor Nancy Young welcomed the new facility to the Tracy community noting that her youngest son had just started working at SCK6 the night before.

“When I got on council it was really hard, and even as my children were growing up, it was a challenge to get a job in the city of Tracy, especially for young people because they were really competing with a lot of adults trying to just hold on their homes and make their ends meet,” Young said. “But when Amazon came here it was the first really big opportunity for a lot of young adults and adults alike to be able to get a really good paying job to be able to take care of their finances. I’m just really excited that this is a great addition to continue to grow our community, to grow our economy and I just want to say thank you all for being a part of this and I encourage each and every one of the Sharkies, each and every one of the workers out there to keep moving forward knowing that you can continue to grow wherever you are, blossom wherever you are.”

San Joaquin County Fifth District Supervisor Robert Rickman joined in welcoming the new facility that had been in the planning stages since he was mayor of Tracy.

“When we approved this facility when I was mayor of Tracy one of the issues we ran into was this was going to be the biggest building in the city of Tracy. So, we had to work with Amazon, adjust our zoning in order to get this building built,” Rickman said. “So driving up and down Grant Line Road and seeing just a dirt field to what it is now is just absolutely amazing.”

New jobs generated by the facility will be a boon to the surrounding communities.

“One of our jobs as elected officials is to bring more jobs, bring awesome companies to our counties, to our cities, and Amazon you have fulfilled that role. The building behind me, what you see, you see local employment — people from Tracy, Stockton, Manteca, Ripon, Lodi, Livermore, the entire surrounding communities — coming to Tracy and making a living, not just for themselves but for their families their spouses and their children,” Rickman said.

He noted the health and education benefits their employees their employees and the company’s work with schools and education will make a difference in the community.

“Your footprint isn’t just here in this parking lot on Grant Line Road but encompasses the entire city of Tracy and San Joaquin County where our population is approximately 800,000 people that live here in the county,” Rickman said.

Amazon has three major centers in town include its OAK4 fulfillment center that opened in 2013, just south SCK6. Two more and two centers in the Prologis International Park of Commerce on the west side of town.

https://www.ttownmedia.com/tracy_press/amazon-opens-third-fulfillment-center-in-tracy/article_faf470c0-ce7b-11ed-a6f7-5f3f6ce4d7e1.html

Standalone battery energy storage coming to eastern Kern

A battery project coming to eastern Kern will be just the third in the county’s large and diverse energy portfolio to provide lithium electricity storage on a standalone basis, apart from photovoltaic solar panels. Dallas-based Leeward Renewable Energy’s 126,000-megawatt Antelope Valley BESS, for battery energy storage system, will be sited between two PV solar projects it already owns and operates. It is expected to deliver more than 500 megawatt-hours of power during peak demand, enough for 100,000 homes for four hours after the sun goes down.

Leeward recently announced it has signed a 15-year agreement to provide power from the project to Southern California Edison. Construction is expected to be complete in early 2024. Leeward said it is the company’s first standalone battery energy storage project, designed to support resiliency and reliability of the state power grid while meeting the most stringent safety requirements.

“We are proud to partner with Southern California Edison to help meet California’s zero-carbon goals and facilitate the transition to a cleaner and more reliable power grid that will directly address the urgent need for energy capacity in the state,” Leeward’s chief commercial officer, Eran Mahrer, said in a news release last month. “LRE looks forward to our continued long-term partnership with SCE, the county and the community as we develop and operate Antelope Valley BESS.”

The project is to be built adjacent to Leeward’s 100-megawatt Rabbitbrush solar-plus-storage project, and next to its 174-megawatt Chapparal Springs project providing electrical generation and storage. Leeward said the projects demonstrate its commitment to be a long-term partner with the community on employment and other economic benefits, as well as protections and enhancements for the community and the environment. The county’s top energy permitting official, Director Lorelei Oviatt of the Planning and Natural Resources Department, said the project is part of “the new frontier, which is lithium batteries.”

She noted the state puts limitations on standalone battery energy storage projects, usually insisting they be paired with a solar generation facility. Oviatt noted the project will pay its full property taxes, unlike PV solar projects, which enjoy a large exemption from such taxes in California. It will pay almost as much in property taxes as an Amazon fulfillment center, she noted. The county Board of Supervisors encourages such investments, Oviatt added, saying, “We certainly would like to have more of them.”

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/standalone-battery-energy-storage-coming-to-eastern-kern/article_6dce956a-1ce4-11ee-a28c-e3b31a29faf8.html

More than $260M in projects will improve Highway 58 over next five years

More than $260 million in improvements to Highway 58 between Tehachapi and Bakersfield are in the works over the next five years. Last week, the Kern Council of Governments announced that the California Transportation Commission awarded $9.3 million for the final ramp for the interchange at Highway 99 and Highway 58 as part of more than $2.2 billion to fund projects across the state. According to a news release issued by KernCOG, the Highway 58 mainline connection from Highway 99 to the 7-mile Westside Parkway freeway is scheduled to open to traffic with a ribbon-cutting this September, providing connectivity to Interstate 5 via Stockdale Highway west of Bakersfield.

“The new funding is critical to help keep heavy-duty vehicles off our neighborhood streets, providing smoother traffic flows and thereby reducing emissions, including in many of our historically disadvantaged communities,” said Ahron Hakimi, executive director of KernCOG. Once the connector is open, the agency said, two more Highway 99 and 58 interchange ramps will be completed over the next several years — the 58 westbound to northbound and the 99 southbound to westbound movements.

According to Caltrans, the estimated construction cost for the Centennial Corridor Southbound Highway 99 and westbound Highway 58 Connector project is more than $29 million. It is expected to be complete by summer 2028. The funding to complete the final ramp for the 99-to-58 freeway-to-freeway interchange comes from the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program. The program is funded by state and federal fuel taxes, including the Senate Bill 1 Transportation Improvement Fee.

Closer to Tehachapi, as reported by officials from the city of Tehachapi, Caltrans is moving forward with the $165 million Keene Pavement Project and a $65.9 million truck climbing lane project. The Keene Pavement Project will remove four curves, replace disintegrating pavement and make other improvements on a 10- to 12-mile stretch of Highway 58 just west of Tehachapi. That section of the highway has been the scene of numerous accidents in recent years, including big rig crashes that resulted in closures lasting many hours. According to the Caltrans District 9 quarterly report, the project will begin in March 2026 and is expected to be completed by November 2026. District 9 also oversees another long-awaited project — a truck climbing lane on eastbound 58 between Bakersfield and Tehachapi.

Although two or three segments of truck climbing lanes have been discussed through the years, the project expected to be underway first is what Caltrans calls the most critical section of Highway 58 through the Tehachapi Mountains  —  from approximately 0.8 miles east of the junction with State Route 223 to 0.4 miles west of Hart Flat Road.   This project was originally proposed to begin in 2027. However, city officials have reported ongoing efforts to work with Caltrans, state Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, and KernCOG to consolidate the truck climbing lane project with the Keene Pavement Project, with both to begin in 2026 or as early as 2025.

At a Tehachapi City Council meeting in May, Councilman Phil Smith said Grove set up a meeting between local officials and the new Caltrans Director Tony Tavares, who was appointed to lead the state’s transportation agency in June 2022. Smith has served on the Tehachapi City Council since 1986 and as a member of the Kern COG Board of Directors since 1995. He has advocated for improvements to Highway 58 — and specifically the truck climbing lanes.

He said city officials were encouraged in an initial meeting when Tavares said that Highway 58 is “an extremely significant route.” And Caltrans District 9 Director Ryan Dermody said it is “the most important route in District 9.”  Hakimi, of KernCOG — which is the county’s transportation planning agency — and Tehachapi City Manager Greg Garrett have also been involved in the meetings, Smith said, along with city Development Services Director Jay Schlosser. Garrett and Smith have since reported that Caltrans has committed to funding and moving forward with the truck climbing lane project.

The segment of the project expected to be completed first is the most easterly of planned truck passing lanes on the eastbound side of Highway 58 between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, Smith said. The lower elevation section of the highway is part of Caltrans District 6, headquartered in Fresno, and details of when that part of the project might move forward are not currently available. District 9 is headquartered in Bishop.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/more-than-260m-in-projects-will-improve-highway-58-over-next-five-years/article_e89aade2-1e9c-11ee-adfc-eb811a9dd2a5.html

Big mixed-use development planned for Hanford along Hwy. 198 | Around Kings County

Property owners on the north side of Hwy 198 between 11th and 12th avenues have filed an ambitious plan for a large mixed-use project just under 40 acres being processed by the City of Hanford. Named Hanford Place, consultant firm QK has submitted for a conditional use permit and mitigated negative declaration on the project. No developer or medical agent has been named.

The proposed project would include the following: a 22,525-square-foot ambulatory surgery center; a 12,445-square-foot specialty clinic; two 12,445-square-foot medical office buildings; a 12,445- square-foot psychiatric health facility; a 100,000-square-foot, a four-story 105-room hotel with a conference center and pool; a 35,000-square-foot nursing college; a 54,611-square-foot skilled nursing facility; a 34,480-square-foot memory care facility; a 34,380-square-foot assisted living facility; a three-story 90-unit multi-family apartment; 41,500 square feet of medical/commercial uses; and a five-acre bio infiltration basin. The application says construction should begin in March of 2024.

New vehicle registrations in California are predicted to approach 1.8 million units this year and increase 6.9 percent from 2022 according to the California New Car Dealers Assn.

Following three years of below average sales, pent-up demand is at elevated levels as the volume of postponed purchases continues to grow. This will be the driving force for the market for the remainder of the year, say the dealers. Weakening consumer affordability will hold back the release of pent-up demand, but improving vehicle inventories should be sufficient to push sales above current levels.

New light vehicle registrations in California increased 5.8 percent in the first quarter of this year versus the year earlier, slightly below the 8.4 percent improvement in national sales. New vehicle registrations in the state increased for the second consecutive quarter in 1Q ’23. Prior to the fourth quarter of last year, the market declined by more than 10 percent for four consecutive quarters. California’s new vehicle market is predicted to increase higher than last year’s results in the remaining three quarters of this year.

 Among items of interest, estimated electric vehicle market share approached 20 percent in 1Q ’23; Tesla Model Y was Best-Seller in California; Best Full Size Pickup: Ford F-Series; Toyota retained the title of Top Selling Brand in California in 1Q ’23.

Wonderful Renewable Energy, LLC filed an application for a development code text change to allow for permitted uses in the Light Industrial (IL) zone district to be permitted in the Rural Commercial (CR) zone district subject to the approval of a Site Plan Review zoning permit. Wonderful wants to establish a biomass wood yard to manage wood or nut waste for biomass conversion to power generation. The Kings County Planning Commission approved the application this month.

The Wonderful Company is the world’s largest almond and pistachio grower, generating 250,000 tons of nut waste per year, made up of wood, hulls and shells). The industry is looking to turn these liabilities into carbon-negative revenue via reliable electricity and bio-char production. Besides waste nuts and shells, the company removes large numbers of trees each year including thousands of nut tree acres due the drought, anticipating a lack of water to sustain some orchards. The Wonderful Company announced in 2019 it will use 100 percent renewable electricity across all its U.S. operations by 2025.

Cotton mapping for the San Joaquin Valley by CDFA was completed the week of June 1, 2023 confirming lower planting estimates in each county.

The current total mapped acreage for the SJV is 93,229 acres (down from 125,449 acres in 2022). The breakdown of cotton acreage is 30,799 acres in Fresno County (down from 34,290 acres in 2022), 7,226 acres in Kern County (down from 9,591 acres in 2022), 34,701 acres in Kings County (down from 46,988 acres in 2022), 18,875 acres in Merced County (down from 29,113 acres in 2022), 86 acres in Madera County (down from 254 acres in 2022), and 1,542 acres in Tulare County (down from 5,213 acres in 2022)

German power generation company RWE has announced that it has linked its 137MW utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS), called Fifth Standard, to the California independent system operator. Located in western Fresno County, the BESS project is the company’s largest facility to date in the US. The project also includes a 150MWac solar PV facility, which is expected to be completed in August 2023.

It will feature 369,334 solar photovoltaic panels covering 1,600 acres. The facility will power 26,000 homes in the region and support California’s clean energy goals as the state works toward its net-zero target of 2045. The excess energy will not be sent to the grid, but instead will be stored in an on-site lithium-ion battery energy storage facility with up to 548 megawatt-hours of capacity. The power storage system will allow the plant to maximize its value by releasing solar energy when electric demand is highest.

RWE Clean Energy CEO Mark Noyes stated: “Projects like Fifth Standard, with its co-located battery storage system, will become increasingly important to help ensure that as renewables form a bigger part of the energy mix, the electricity produced can be used when it is needed most.

“In our case, future growth is backed by a project development pipeline comprising more than 24GW in onshore wind, solar and battery storage, one of the largest in the US.”

https://hanfordsentinel.com/business/big-mixed-use-development-planned-for-hanford-along-hwy-198-around-kings-county/article_26b635b2-59bf-576a-8ca5-024b6fe0b288.html

Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) Program

The Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) program was established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and expanded with a $10 billion investment under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The Advanced Energy Project Credit provides a tax credit for investments in advanced energy projects, as defined in 26 USC § 48C(c)(1).

The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, in partnership with DOE, have announced up to $4 billion in a first round of tax credits for projects that expand clean energy manufacturing and recycling and critical materials refining, processing and recycling, and for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions at industrial facilities.

Approximately $1.6 billion of this allocation will be set aside for projects in designated energy communities. The program will provide an investment tax credit of up to 30% of qualified investments for certified projects that meet prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.

https://www.energy.gov/infrastructure/qualifying-advanced-energy-project-credit-48c-program

This electric flying taxi has been approved for takeoff — sort of

Electric air taxis got one step closer to liftoff this week, when federal regulators gave one company the green light to start flight testing its new production prototype. California-based transportation company Joby Aviation announced Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration had granted its aircraft a “Special Airworthiness Certificate,” which allows it to operate in U.S. airspace with certain restrictions.

The FAA confirmed in an email to NPR that it had issued the certificate “for research and development purposes” on June 21. It said it had also granted one to a similar vehicle made by another company, Archer, the week before. This is actually the third Joby aircraft to get this certification, the FAA confirmed. The company has been building and flying pre-production prototypes thousands of miles since 2017. But this time around is significant, because it’s the first of its factory-built vehicles to be approved for test flights. Until now, Bloomberg explains, the company could only demo a prototype made by hand — as opposed to the ones now coming off its production line.

Joby aims to begin commercial passenger operations in the U.S. in 2025, pending FAA certification. It has partnered with Delta Air Lines to deliver a “transformational, sustainable home-to-airport transportation service” for fliers, set to roll out first in New York and Los Angeles. That means customers in those cities would be able to reserve a seat for air taxi trips to and from the airports when booking Delta flights, the companies say. An animation on Joby’s website shows one such journey, from a heliport in downtown Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport, completed in seven minutes (as opposed to 49 minutes by car). Beyond airport trips, Joby advertises its air taxis as “an aerial rideshare service” that customers can book through an app, as an alternative to ground transportation — at least in some ways.

“Flying with us might feel more like getting into an SUV than boarding a plane,” its website says.

But, as safety regulators and urban planning experts told NPR, there’s a lot that needs to happen before then — and many accessibility and sustainability questions to address along the way.

What exactly is a flying taxi?

These Jetson-esque contraptions are technically known as eVTOL aircraft, which stands for “electric vertical take-off and landing.” Joby says theirs is designed to carry four passengers and one pilot at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, and can travel up to 150 miles on a single charge. The company says it will be significantly quieter than helicopters — and more affordable, too. Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt told the Washington Post in 2021 the company hopes to begin services at an average price of around $3 per mile — comparable to that of an taxi or Uber — and eventually move that down to below $1 per mile.

“Our goal is to actually be competitive with the cost of ground transportation, but to deliver you to your destination … five times faster and with a dramatically better experience,” Bevirt told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday.

Many eVTOL companies are working closely with automakers to make their products a reality (which Flying Magazine attributes to automakers’ interest in electrification and manufacturing expertise). In Joby’s case, that partner — and its largest external shareholder — is Toyota. Toyota has invested some $400 million in the company since 2020, and collaborated on the design of its production line and the manufacturing of the aircraft itself. Dozens of its engineers work with the Joby team in California, and the two signed a long-term agreement in April for Toyota to supply key parts for the aircraft’s production.

What happens next?

On Wednesday, Joby unveiled the first aircraft to come off its pilot production line in Marina, Calif., in front of a crowd of employees and guests including California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“Today’s achievement is the culmination of years of investment in our processes and technology and it marks a major step on our journey to scaled production,” Bevirt said in a statement.

Despite this week’s major milestones, Bevirt says the company is still in the “crawl phase” of its journey. The pilot manufacturing line currently has the potential to build just “a few tens of aircraft per year,” according to Bevirt. He says Joby is working with states to select a site for the first phase of manufacturing, where it can increase that number to hundreds. And before the air taxis will be available for airport rideshares, they’re going to the U.S. military. Several are headed to Edwards Air Force Base in California next year as part of Joby’s $131 million contract with the U.S. Air Force. They will be used to “demonstrate a range of potential logistics use cases, including cargo and passenger transportation.”

Regulators — and competitors — are laying the groundwork

The FAA says it’s steadily preparing for air taxi travel to become a reality — at least, at some point. In May, the agency released an updated blueprint for airspace and procedure changes to accommodate this type of aircraft. Earlier this month, it proposed a comprehensive rule for training and certifying pilots. And it says it will be releasing an implementation plan next month that shows how all of its efforts can help the industry scale safely.

“Safety will dictate the certification timeline, but we could see air taxis in the skies by 2024 or 2025,” the FAA said.

While Joby appears to be towards the front of the pack, it’s competing with dozens of companies. Another frontrunner, Archer, said earlier this month that it — and its partner, automaker Stellantis — are pivoting from the “concept” to “execution” phase, with its Georgia-based manufacturing facility set to come online by mid-2024. And companies in other countries, including Germany and China, are also working on similar vehicles. Europe could see flying taxis taking off relatively soon: French officials are hoping to offer a small fleet of them to people attending the Paris Olympics next summer.

Who gets to fly first?

Joby bills itself as providing a “faster, cleaner, and smarter way to carry people through their lives,” with “a green alternative to driving that’s bookable at the touch of an app.” But, experts say, that doesn’t necessarily mean this kind of transportation is going to be available to just anyone who wants to spend less time in rush hour traffic. It’s a great innovation for those with means, says Daniel Sperling, the founding chair of the Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and Economy at the University of California, Davis.

But, he writes in an email, the industry faces challenges, from noise to NIMBY concerns. There’s also the optics, he says: “Rich people flying above the rest of us normal folks.” Because this type of transportation will likely mainly be provided by private sector companies, there are concerns that it will exclude low-income people, says Petra Hurtado, the director of research and foresight at the American Planning Association.

“Unless there will be funding mechanisms to make this an affordable option to all, integrating it into existing transit systems, I don’t think it will be accessible to all,” she tells NPR over email, adding that local governments may not have a say in how they operate because the skies are regulated by the FAA.

Hurtado also points out that while air taxis are being billed as sustainable, that depends on how they’re being used.

“If it replaces the person who would be driving or taking a taxi, it might generate less [greenhouse gas] emissions for that one trip, but how many air taxis would we need to replace the majority of cars in one particular route?” she added. “I wouldn’t want to see a sky crowded with air taxis.”

In an ideal world, Hurtado says, air taxis would fill existing gaps in urban transportation systems rather than create new ones. She’d also like to see cities take a more proactive approach to transportation planning in general, and learn from past mistakes. That would mean, for example, considering the negative impacts not only of where air taxis land and take off, but along their route as well.

“Too often in the past have transportation projects impacted marginalized communities and disadvantaged populations,” she wrote, pointing to highways as an example. “I hope these mistakes won’t be repeated with this type of transportation system.”

https://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=1185060325

Hydrogen-fueled airplane lands, makes home in Mojave

The Mojave Air & Space Port has found a renewable-energy tenant that appears to fit neatly within the facility’s history of aerospace innovation. Hawthorne-based Universal Hydrogen Co. uses hydrogen fuel cell technology to help power a modified 40-passenger regional airliner. It recently put the concept to work in flying one it calls “Lightning McClean” south from Moses Lake, Wash. An announcement Friday that the company will move flight tests of its zero-emission drivetrain technology to eastern Kern is expected to boost Mojave’s reputation as a place where aviation feats never before achieved are able to take wing.

“Bringing Universal Hydrogen to the Mojave Air & Space Port is a big win for us and the local community,” the air and space port’s general manager, Tim Reid, said in a news release heralding the company’s arrival in Mojave.

“With their research and development,” he added, “Universal Hydrogen’s technology will be a total game changer for zero emissions flight within the next decade, meeting the environmental goals of California while advancing the industry with a new, sustainable energy source.”

The company said its De Havilland Canada DHC-8 airliner is powered on one side by a renewable-hydrogen fuel powertrain. During the first four legs of the 800-mile trip from Washington, the fuel cell was throttled down after takeoff. But on the final portion, hydrogen was used for the duration of the more than one-hour flight, marking “the longest flight by a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain to date.” Universal Hydrogen plans to launch commercial service by late 2025. Along with that, it has a goal of certifying a powertrain conversion kit for retrofitting existing regional aircraft to fly on hydrogen fuel. Its idea is to transport renewable hydrogen from production sites by putting it in modular capsules and moving it along existing freight networks.

Earlier this year the company notched an initial, successful flight test. It was followed by four additional tests. During its second test flight, Universal Hydrogen reported, its aircraft flew for 30 minutes at 170 knots, reaching an altitude of 5,000 feet. Then, on June 12, the company said it reached 10,000 feet. The company’s news release Friday said moving its flight testing regimen to Mojave “will allow the company to take advantage of a strong engineering talent pool in Mojave as well as nearby Los Angeles.” Universal Hydrogen has been awarded a $5 million development grant from the California Office of Business Development.

Aviation is seen as one of the toughest industries to decarbonize. But in the company’s news release, California Energy Commission Chairman David Hochschild expressed hope, stating that Universal Hydrogen “is proving that true zero emission is achievable” using hydrogen as airplane fuel.

Plus, he said it’s good for the local economy.

“Basing their test flight operations in Mojave will supercharge a site of significant aviation and space history, and create good-paying jobs for Californians as we ramp up our efforts to combat climate change,” Hochschild stated.

The Mojave Air & Space Port opened in 1935 and has since established itself as a hub of aviation innovation. In 1986, the Rutan Model 76 Voyager became the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping to refuel after taking off from the facility. Among other success stories originating there was that of SpaceShipOne, a pioneering craft whose launch from the port in 2004 was seen as an important step toward privately funded human spaceflight.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/hydrogen-fueled-airplane-lands-makes-home-in-mojave/article_b004cf48-1ad3-11ee-8507-737467060b93.html

Electric truck stop near Bakersfield gearing up for 31 chargers by January

Kern County’s first all-electric truck stop is on track to open 31 charging stations this year — about half of them to be powered by solar panels on-site, the head of the Long Beach company behind the project announced Thursday. WattEV founder and CEO Salim Youssefzadeh said the 110-acre site 2 miles north of Merle Haggard Drive along Highway 65 will be one of four charging stations operational by the end of this year in Bakersfield, Gardena, Long Beach and San Bernardino. The one along Highway 65 is expected to be the largest, with the most charging capacity, because of the availability of surrounding land. WattEV expects to open more stations next year along Highway 65 and Interstate 5, extending the company’s reach as far north as Sacramento.

Funded mostly by private investment but subsidized by about $60 million in state and federal grants, the project serves California’s goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 while also cutting a primary source of particulate air pollution in the Central Valley. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has voiced support for the project, saying in 2021 it “recognizes the importance of zero and near zero transportation projects in the valley and the potential for battery electric medium and heavy-duty trucks to create significant reductions in criteria air pollutant emissions.”

The company aims to deliver more than just battery-charging services: Its all-inclusive, trucking-as-a-service business model is designed to reduce carriers’ financial risk by setting a monthly rate for providing and refueling delivery trucks. Youssefzadeh said WattEV has purchased 14 Nikola electric trucks and has 87 Volvos on order to serve customers by January. Trucks not owned by WattEV will also be able to charge up at the station.

How fast the company scales up will be determined on demand for its services, he said — and things look good so far, given distribution centers’ and trucking companies’ environmental and sustainability targets.

“We’re definitely seeing a lot of demand and interest, shippers as well as the carriers,” Youssefzadeh said.

They’re interested in the technology, “but they don’t necessarily want to deal with the unknowns, for the upfront costs of the infrastructure or the truck.”

WattEV expects to offer a kind of valet service at some of its stations: Drivers would drive to the truck stop in their own car, get into a fully charged rig parked at the site, then return later to drop it off for the night and drive home in their own car. The site along Highway 65 is planned to open with 5 megawatts of solar served by a 2-megawatt-hour battery storage system, Youssefzadeh said. Initially, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will provide the property 640 kilowatts of power, to be upgraded to 7 megawatts. Eventually the property will generate and use 25 megawatts of solar power, he said. By year’s end, he said, there are to be 16 360-kilowatt chargers served by PG&E, and 15 240-kilowatt chargers powered by on-site solar. Charging a truck will initially take between two and three hours, he said, until the facility becomes certified on a megawatt-charger, when trucks can be fully charged in 30 minutes.

Next year’s infrastructure expansion is expected to bring more charging sites to Kern County and elsewhere around the valley. Youssefzadeh said additional stations will be added later to serve trucks traveling along Interstate 10 as far as Arizona and Mexico

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/electric-truck-stop-near-bakersfield-gearing-up-for-31-chargers-by-january/article_21f51420-1c58-11ee-8972-3bbd8a18a1b6.html

‘A win for the entire region.’ Merced County awarded $49.6 million for Castle rail project

Merced County’s Castle Commerce Center is about to receive a huge boost in the form of a $49.6 million grant to build out an inland port that will improve its capacity to move freight worldwide. The California State Transportation Agency announced Merced County was awarded the grant on Thursday. “This will directly support our agricultural producers and manufacturers throughout the entire San Joaquin Valley,” said Merced County Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Silveira.

“This is a win for the entire region,” Silveira added. “From local agricultural producers to major manufacturers throughout the Valley, being able to transport goods in a quick and efficient manner is absolutely critical. This grant will position us to drive our economy in the right direction.” In January 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed $1.2 billion for port and freight infrastructure to support the state’s goods movement networks, which have been hurt by global disruptions and increased port congestion in recent years. The grant will help the state develop a more efficient, sustainable and resilient goods movement system.

Castle’s rail district became operational in May 2022 under Patriot Rail, which operates the rail line and has already tripled the shipping volume to and from Castle in recent months, according to Merced County spokesperson Mike North. The grant will help area farmers, manufacturers and other businesses to ship and receive goods throughout the San Joaquin Valley cost effectively. “Castle’s inland port and rail activities is focused on increasing regional economic opportunities while reducing semi-truck traffic along our roadways,” North said. The $49.6 million grant will enhance Castle Commerce Center’s existing rail capacity by: Facilitating the development of 70 acres at Castle to support pre-shipment processing and intermodal cross-docking for Central Valley agricultural producers. Providing cost-effective, direct rail service for shippers. Expanding the railway to a new staging and container laydown area to support cross-docking and processing. Evaluating, engineering and planning for further expansion on existing land within Castle Commerce Center. Merced County Supervisor Daron McDaniel, whose District 3 includes Castle Commerce Center, said the inland port and rail district has been in the works for many years and is a major focal point for the county.

“This is a prime example of government facilitating an environment where the private sector can thrive,” McDaniel said. The Merced County inland port will support additional goods movement to and from the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Oakland while making Merced County a focal point for inland goods movement. The rail district expansion project is expected to be complete by mid-2028. “With all that has been accomplished to date and coupled with this sizable state investment, Castle is proving to be the leading economic development site in California,” said Assistant Merced County Executive Officer Mark Hendrickson.

https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/article277078128.html

State of Calif. Announces $1.5B in Port Infrastructure Upgrades (UPDATED July 11)

The State of California on July 6 announced an investment of more than $1.5 billion—including approximately $450 million for zero-emission infrastructure, locomotives, vessels and vehicles—as part of the state’s work to build a more “efficient, sustainable and resilient supply chain.”

According to the State of California, the $1.2 billion will fund 15 projects creating an estimated 20,000 jobs and “increase the capacity to move goods throughout the state’s global trade gateways while lessening environmental impacts on neighboring communities.” Administered by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), $350 million was also awarded to 13 projects that eliminate street-level rail crossings to make “critical lifesaving safety improvements, reduce emissions and keep goods and people moving.”

Projects receiving funding will help boost capacity to move goods through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere—as well as enhance all major trade centers throughout the state—from San Diego to the Central Valley to the Bay Area. The high-priority grade separation projects, the majority of which are funded through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, will improve safety and reduce conflicts and delays at railroad crossings, helping enhance the state’s freight and passenger rail systems, the State of California said.

The funding—particularly the investments in zero-emission projects, which account for nearly 40 % of the Port and Freight Infrastructure Program awards—builds on a partnership between the governments of California and Japan announced this March to collaborate on strategies to “cut planet-warming pollution at seaports and establish green shipping corridors as part of the state’s broader strategy to aggressively combat and adapt to climate change.”

The investments, the State of California says, also follow the California Transportation Commission’s (CTC) recent approval of $1.1 billion for infrastructure improvements on high-volume freight corridors as part of the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP)—for a total state investment in supply chain infrastructure of more than $2.6 billion in just the past week.

Part of the funding includes a $383.35 million grant awarded to the Port of Long Beach to complete a series of construction and clean-air technology projects aimed at accelerating the transformation to zero-emissions operations and enhancing the reliability of cargo movement.

As part of the state’s Port and Freight Infrastructure Program, nearly $225 million will fund a variety of zero-emissions cargo-moving equipment and supportive infrastructure projects across the Port of Long Beach and include “top handlers” and other manually operated cargo-handling equipment, as well as tugboats and locomotives. The sum is the single largest grant the Port has ever received to support the zero-emissions goals of the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan Update.

Additionally, $158.4 million of the state grant will go toward the planned Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, which will shift more cargo from trucks to on-dock rail, where containers are taken to and from marine terminals by trains. The $1.57 billion facility will be built in phases, with construction scheduled to begin in 2024 and be completed in 2032.

As part of its Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), the Port of Long Beach has set a goal of zero-emissions terminal operations by 2030, and zero-emissions trucking by 2035. The Port has a long track record of air quality improvement projects that have “dramatically lowered” emissions since 2005.

Additionally, the Port of Los Angeles has been awarded $233 million in grants from the State of California to complete essential infrastructure projects aimed at creating a more efficient and sustainable supply chain.

Port of Los Angeles infrastructure projects supported by the new state grants include:

  • Maritime Support Facility (MSF) Improvement and Expansion Project—The MSF provides chassis and empty container storage for all 12 container terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, critical to facilitating goods movement throughout the complex. With this new funding, the area will be improved and expanded from 30 to 71 acres. Improvements will include utilities, drainage, sewage, power, water supply, as well as a paved perimeter roadway. The $198.2 million total project amount includes $149.3 million from CalSTA and $48.4 million in matching funds from the Port of Los Angeles.
  • Rail Mainline/Wilmington Community & Waterfront Pedestrian Grade Separation Bridge—In addition to demolition work and soil remediation, the project involves construction of a 400-foot dedicated pedestrian bridge over freight tracks, creating a safer connection between the Wilmington community, several local area schools and the Port of Los Angeles’ Wilmington Waterfront area. The project will also include construction of retaining walls, storm drainage, electrical and utilities, sidewalks and landscaping. The total project cost of $57.9 million includes $42 million from CalSTA, $5.62 million from the Port of Los Angeles and $10.2 million from LA Metro.
  • State Route 47/Seaside Avenue and Navy Way Interchange Improvements—This project will modify the intersection of Navy Way and Seaside Avenue to improve traffic operations, reduce collisions and improve safety. Improvements will add a new westbound auxiliary lane, a new eastbound two-lane collector-distributor road, a new off-ramp terminus and eliminate a traffic signal, among other upgrades. Total project cost of $62.98 million includes $41.79 million from CalSTA and $21.19 million in Port of Los Angeles funds.

Last week the Port of Los Angeles received a $15 million grant from the CTC for a four-lane grade separation on Terminal Island that will reduce truck delays and improve public safety.

Of the $1.5 billion awarded by CalSTA, approximately $250 million is allocated for zero-emission infrastructure, locomotives, vehicles and vessels.

Southern California regional projects totaling $191 million were among the grants announced. These include a $100 million BNSF rail expansion project in the High Desert and another $76.3 million zero-emission rail and drayage fleet support project by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, among others. These projects support the Port of Los Angeles by improving cargo movement throughout the region.

Additionally, Merced County has been awarded a $49.6 million grant—one of the largest in the history of Merced County and San Joaquin Valley—from CalSTA to build-out an inland port at Castle Commerce Center, “leveraging its unique capacity to move freight worldwide.”

The $49.6 million CalSTA grant will enhance Castle Commerce Center’s existing rail capacity by:

  • Facilitating the development of 70 acres at Castle to support pre-shipment processing and intermodal cross-docking for Central Valley agricultural producers.
  • Providing cost-effective, direct rail service for shippers.
  • Expanding the railway to a new staging and container laydown area to support cross-docking and processing.
  • Evaluating, engineering, and planning for further expansion on existing land within Castle Commerce Center.

These projects, Merced County says, will support additional goods movement to and from the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach, and the Port of Oakland while making the County a focal point for inland goods movement.

Situated at the southeastern corner of Castle, its rail district became operational in May 2022 under Patriot Rail, which operates the rail line and has already tripled the shipping volume to and from Castle in recent months. The CalSTA grant, Merced County says, will “further enhance the viability of agricultural producers, manufacturers, and other enterprises throughout the San Joaquin Valley to cost-effectively and efficiently ship and receive goods along the BNSF railroad mainline, which runs adjacent to the site.” Castle’s inland port and rail activities is focused on increasing regional economic opportunities while reducing semi-truck traffic along its roadways.

“Patriot Rail is privileged to partner with Merced County to advance the rail foundation of an inland port at the Castle Commerce Center,” said Patriot Rail CEO John E. Fenton.

The rail district expansion project is expected to be complete by mid-2028.

Meanwhile, the Port of Stockton was awarded $45.9 million for the Rail Infrastructure Improvements for Sustainable Exports (RISE) Project through CalSTA’s Port and Freight Infrastructure Program (PFIP).

The RIISE project supports building new infrastructure to enhance rail capacity, accommodate increased freight tonnage and train frequencies, mitigate potential service disruptions, and reduce long-term repair and maintenance costs. PFIP will fund the replacement of the San Joaquin River rail bridge; expansion of the port’s long lead track to two tracks; and procurement of a zero-emission electric railcar mover.

The project will help reduce trucks traversing neighborhood streets, consistent with the priorities of near-port communities and the Stockton AB 617 Community Steering Committee, reducing public health harms and negative environmental and economic impacts.

“No other state has a supply chain as critical to the national and global economy as California,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “These investments—unprecedented in scope and scale—will modernize our ports, reduce pollution, eliminate bottlenecks and create a more dynamic distribution network.”

“CalSTA’s ‘Core Four’ priorities are safety, climate action, equity and economic prosperity, and the strategic investments announced today shine in all those areas,” said Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin during an event on July 6 announcing the awards at the Port of Long Beach. “These awards—a direct result of Governor Newsom’s visionary leadership—will help maintain our state’s competitive edge in our nation-leading supply chain infrastructure and will create a cleaner, safer and more efficient goods movement system that will have a lasting positive impact for the people of California. The historic level of state funding also puts these projects in a stronger position to compete for significant federal infrastructure dollars from the Biden-Harris Administration.”

https://www.railwayage.com/intermodal/state-of-calif-announces-1-5b-in-port-infrastructure-upgrades/