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ICYMI: The ports are grappling with an energy infrastructure gap that's threatening its transition to #ZeroEmission technologies. Frequent power surges and outages are disrupting the operations of electric-powered cranes and cargo-handling equipment, posing a significant challenge to the 2030 diesel-free mandate. Despite substantial investments in #GreenTechnology, the port's current power supply cannot meet the increasing demand. Learn more about the critical need for reliable power infrastructure to support the port’s sustainable future in the article below by Paul Berger. #EnergyInfrastructure #SustainableShipping #Logistics

The Port of Los Angeles’s transition to green technology is on the blink. Terminal operators at the port say power surges and lulls are knocking out cranes and other cargo equipment just as container terminals are relying more on the electric grid to power their operations. The terminal operators are asking how the port expects to achieve a mandate to phase out diesel-powered machinery by 2030 when today’s power supply is so unreliable. And their frustrations highlight the fragility of U.S. infrastructure facilities, from ports and railroads to trucking operations, as they switch to zero-emission technologies. 

The Push to Decarbonize Rail has Begun: ➡ In April of last year, the California Air Resources Board approved new regulations for locomotive emissions, presenting an aggressive timeline to reach 100% Zero-Emission (ZE) locomotives by 2047. ➡ Compliance costs will be high and immediate. ➡ Emissions created in 2025 determine whether railroads and industrial switch operations need to set aside funds in 2026 for upgrades. ➡ Thirteen states follow California's lead in air emission policies. ➡ Litigation could influence the timeline and a possible chain reaction of regulations. PLG's industry experts can help you prepare by determining the best locomotive carbon emissions compliance strategy. We provide the following real-world experience implementing these initiatives for leading railroads: ❇ Fleet Strategy ❇ Total Cost of Ownership ❇ Timing and Specifications ❇ Fuel Efficiency Download the fact sheet and contact us to discuss your organization's goals: https://lnkd.in/epPMJBv #rail #zeroemission #decarbonization #railindustry #locomotives

The Port of Los Angeles is grappling with an energy infrastructure gap that's threatening its transition to #ZeroEmission technologies. Frequent power surges and outages are disrupting the operations of electric-powered cranes and cargo-handling equipment, posing a significant challenge to the 2030 diesel-free mandate. Despite substantial investments in #GreenTechnology, the port's current power supply cannot meet the increasing demand. Learn more about the critical need for reliable power infrastructure to support the port’s sustainable future in the article below by Paul Berger. #EnergyInfrastructure #SustainableShipping #Logistics

The Port of Los Angeles’s transition to green technology is on the blink. The private companies that handle containers at the crucial seaport say power surges and lulls are knocking out cranes and other cargo equipment just as container terminals are relying more on the electric grid to power their operations. The terminal operators are asking how the port expects to achieve a mandate to phase out diesel-powered machinery by 2030 when today’s power supply is so unreliable. Their frustrations highlight the gap in energy infrastructure that complicates moves toward zero-emission technologies even as companies invest big sums in the transition. Thomas Jelenić, a vice president at the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, which represents the terminal operators, said so far this year there have been at least nine power-related outages that have affected one or more terminals. Jelenić said the dips and surges in voltage can be brief but can cause ship-to-shore cranes to reset. “That’s a big deal because it stops the flow of cargo from the ship to the terminals,” he said. Several executives said the power issues are knocking out not just cranes but also the automated gates that accept and deliver boxes to trucks and the computer systems that manage the location of containers. The terminal operators must then recalibrate machinery and sometimes replace fried circuit cards before they can resume operations. “Our grid is a huge concern,” said one terminal executive who didn’t want to be identified. “I haven’t seen anything that would convince me that there is a plan to support the port infrastructure in time to meet the 2030 mandate.” The terminal operators upgraded ship-to-shore cranes to run on electric power decades ago. Now, they are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in electric- and battery-powered equipment such as yard cranes and massive forklifts that carry and stack containers as well as semi-trucks that shuttle containers across docks, and the chargers that will be needed to power the vehicles. The terminals are leased to private companies by the city-controlled Port of Los Angeles and they get their power from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said the port’s main problem isn’t power supply but power distribution. “The surges and the lulls are magnified with more sensitive electrical equipment,” he said. LADWP officials say the outages this year were caused by a series of unusual events, including equipment failure, bad weather, birds hitting power lines and vehicles hitting electric poles. Simon Zewdu, senior assistant general manager at LADWP, said one of the port’s major weaknesses is that it is served by overhead power lines that are exposed to the elements.

From MxV Rail - carbon reducing efforts are taking hold across the freight rail industry

Great perspective, Valerie Yurk. I believe gaining consensus from the railroads could be much easier if we approach this issue with a business-first mindset. Protecting the integrity of the critical U.S. rail supply chain is a priority that resonates across stakeholders, from railroad executives like Keith Creel and Joe Hinrichs, to Ian Jefferies who leads the Association of American Railroads, to shareholders like Berkshire Hathaway, Vanguard Fiduciary Trust, and Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., to politicians and policymakers like California Air Resources Board and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With that in mind, if we start with the key tenets mentioned in your editorial, we can begin by eliminating options that won't work for EVERY railroad and focus solely on those with the potential to STRENGTHEN their operational and financial integrity. This approach could quickly lead to consensus, as railroads, recognizing the value of a sound business strategy, would be eager to transition their fleets to zero emissions. Railroads' willingness to invest in equipment and infrastructure is undeniable, investing six times more than the average US manufacturer. So why aren't they investing in new locomotive fleets anymore? The answer lies in business sense: if the available locomotives worsen operations, it's simply not rational to buy them. Unless we want to risk losing one-third of all US exports, it's in everyone's best interest to seek and support readily-available energy sources, and the nearest-term technologies that can not only eliminate emissions, but also enhance operational and financial performance. Considering, as Mark Duve mentioned, that all railroad technology and equipment must pass stringent safety testing and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) concurrence, a practical starting point would be to review all new non-diesel power and energy storage technologies that have achieved zero emission EPA certification for rail and FRA concurrence in the past 10 years or are currently in testing. Supporting viable technologies that have already met or are close to meeting these critical benchmarks could leapfrog a decade of waiting for new developments. While OptiFuel Systems may not be the only company to have new technologies on both lists, it seems imprudent to overlook newer suppliers in your reporting, in particular when they seem to already done most of the heavy-lifting. https://lnkd.in/gYYwGYUw

The U.S. just took a major world leadership step forward on zero emission trucks with the unveiling of the National Zero Emission Freight Corridor Strategy. This powerful plan outlines an all-of-government approach to speeding and growing zero emission trucks at the pace we need and in the places we need them. It does so by prioritizing, targeting and partnering with states, fleets, infrastructure providers and truck makers in those locations most ready for zero emission trucks now, and expanding in phases from there as other regions signal readiness. What I think is most important about the National Zero Emission Freight Strategy is that it is NOT scattergun and is NOT everywhere all at once! Rather, teams at DOE, DOT and the Joint Office identified where highest freight flows, biggest hubs (like ports and multi-modal sites) and community needs were, then overlayed on that where state’s had requirements to deploy (such as ACT) and where infrastructure, fleet and OEM companies were investing first.  These first priority locations are well known to industry but it is so important to recognize them: they include hubs along 1-5, I-10, I-80, I-15, parts of I-95 and the Texas Triangle. These locations also contain many of the nation’s communities most in need of clean air relief that targeted zero emission deployments can bring. Europe has an excellent infrastructure approach known as AFIR (Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Requirement) that sets minimal requirements for charging and fueling along major routes. However, I think the U.S. strategy goes the next step by really focusing on where it will be most effective to start – focusing our resources - and how to grow a national system in phases the smartest way possible. I am proud that early assessment work and recommendations from CALSTART (Phasing In U.S. Charging Infrastructure) and ICCT were able to contribute, among many others, to this ground-breaking national strategy. Congratulations in particular to Alycia Gilde and Kevin George Miller for their tireless work, and key agency leads and the White House for supporting. This program, combined with smart regulations from the states and EPA, can help America build, use and grow the technologies the world needs for climate and the jobs we need for our economy. Let’s start building! https://lnkd.in/gHiTPA3x)

Strong analysis below -- and a great shout-out to Alycia Gilde and Kevin George Miller :)

I'm really excited about EPA's Clean Ports Program announcement (https://lnkd.in/eSUG2yN3). This effort will send $3 billion to support port electrification - supporting the administration's Zero Emission Freight Corridor strategy (https://lnkd.in/e6t7njzV). A large portion of this funding is going to support electrification of drayage trucks. Drayage trucks - the vehicles used for unloading container ships - are prime candidates for electrification. Their average trips are short (roughly 140 miles a day the Port of NY/NJ), the fleets are centrally located, and reducing their emissions would make a huge difference for frontline communities. By one estimate, nearly 500 deaths a year around the Port of Los Angeles could be attributed to diesel drayage emissions alone (https://lnkd.in/e48v3hPm). But the charging demands for electrifying these fleets are significant. Individual depots host dozens to hundreds of vehicles with demanding duty cycles which require fast charging. And depots may be clustered closely together in areas without strong pre-existing infrastructure. For some of these large loads, upgrades to substations and even additional transmission will be required. (https://lnkd.in/ejE4dMKn). Fleet and depot owners, states and utilities will need to work with their grid operators to ensure that transmission upgrades are proactively planned to handle these large loads - particularly as grid operators are beginning to engage states in implementing FERC Order No. 1920.