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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