Port of Long Beach looks to eliminate gas powered vehicles by 2035
With the state of California set to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, industrial complexes like the Port of Long Beach are starting to plan for the future in accordance with state law.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced on Thursday the ban of new gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035 saying that this rule will cut smog pollution from small vehicles by 25% by 2037.
Unfortunately, cutting smog pollution from big vehicles like trucks and big rigs will take some radical changes to industries.
However, the Port of Long Beach is aiming to do its part, by switching to mostly hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2035.
"While zero-emissions light-duty vehicles will mostly be battery-electric technology by 2035, we expect our drayage truck operators will use a mix of fuel types, including both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell," the Port said in a statement.
The Port of Long Beach told CBSLA Reporter Rina Nakano that it's currently building the infrastructure for the tri-generation system where organic materials are recycled into hydrogen power.
Hydrogen power is a clean fuel that when consumed only produces water. By the end of the year, the Port of Long Beach said it hopes to open a hydrogen pump station on site, so heavy hauling drivers can fill at the port.
Paul Fukumoto, who works with Fuel Cell Energy, an electric services company, told Nakano that it's innovations like these that will make a big impact for Californians. He added that electric-powered vehicles are not sustainable because they need to be charged. Hydrogen powered vehicles are more efficient for the nonstop work flow.
"We've seen the small incremental changes in the air emission laws have cleaned up the air so we can actually see the mountains most days of the years. So you can see that those changes enable the health and benefit for the local population," Fukumoto said.