LADWP purchased eight compressed natural gas aerial boom trucks with grant
August 14, 2023 (LOS ANGELES) – The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has added eight new compressed natural gas (CNG) aerial boom trucks to its fleet that will be used for tree trimming operations to support the safety and reliability of LADWP’s power transmission and distribution system. The purchase was made possible by a $240,000 state grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC).
Replacing LADWP’s older diesel-powered aerial boom trucks with alternative-fuel vehicles helps significantly reduce air emissions, benefitting the quality of life for Angelenos. LADWP operates one of the largest plug-in fleets in the city with a total of nearly 600 electric and hybrid vehicles out of its 8,600 on-road vehicles which include 4,200 heavy-duty vehicles. This translates to about 4.29 million pounds of CO2 emissions avoided annually.
LADWP applied for the grant under MSRC’s eligible program for the purchase of Medium & Heavy-Duty Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Qualifying heavy-duty alternative fuel vehicles were eligible to receive a maximum MSRC contribution of $30,000 per vehicle. The eight new CNG vehicles were ordered in September 2020, with all eight delivered and placed into service as of May 31, 2023.
“The MSRC grant will help increase our clean fuel fleet while also helping us decrease our CO2 emissions and reduce transportation-related pollution which is one of the largest contributors to LA’s still too smoggy skies,” says Katherine Rubin, Director of Environmental Affairs, LADWP.
The MSRC was formed in 1990 under AB 2766. AB 2766 created a discretionary fund to implement programs to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles. To determine which projects should be funded by the discretionary fund, AB 2766 called for the creation of the MSRC, which is tasked to develop a Work Program for evaluating programs and make final recommendations to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board on which programs and/or projects would be funded. A Technical Advisory Committee was formed to assist and advise the MSRC.
LADWP is leading the way in sustainability. The John Ferraro Building, LADWP downtown LA headquarters, was the first building in California to achieve the LEED Zero Energy in 2019. The building also earned the first-ever USGC Pacific Region Leadership Award for Decarbonization at the 2019 Greenbuilder Conference for continuing to make extensive energy efficiency upgrades. To further sustainability efforts, LADWP partnered with the City of Los Angeles to create the La Kretz Innovation Campus, which is a launching pad for the LA Cleantech Incubator created to enable development of clean technology start-up businesses in Los Angeles by offering flexible office space, business coaching, and access to expertise and capital.
For more information about LADWP’s commitment to a sustainable LA, visit www.ladwp.com/sustainability.
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