SACRAMENTO
Caltrans charges ahead on powering a West Coast zero-emission truck corridor with $102 million in federal funds
California along with Oregon and Washington have secured $102 million to install charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations for trucks along Interstate 5 and other key freight corridors.
What is Gov. Gavin Newsom saying: “The Biden-Harris Administration is helping California build our clean transportation infrastructure, faster. This latest federal funding is another opportunity for America’s exports to look west for moving freight while fighting our climate crisis.”
The West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project is an innovative and collaborative multi-state effort to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the trucking and logistics industries. The funding comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021.
“Focusing on economic prosperity and climate action allows us to combine our sustainability and equity efforts while improving our nation’s transportation network,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “This latest federal funding is another opportunity for America’s exports to look west for moving freight while combatting climate change.”
The award will result in new, publicly accessible charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations. These stations will support the emissions-free movement of goods locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Construction of the new charging stations is expected to begin in 2026.
“With this level of federal funding, truckers can travel from San Diego to Seattle in zero-emission trucks,” said Patty Monahan, California Energy Commission commissioner. “By zeroing out harmful pollution in this critical sector with zero-emission trucks, we can bring cleaner air to the communities that need it the most.”
“We are pleased to have partnered with Caltrans, the California Energy Commission and ODOT to receive this award. This coordinated effort amongst the three states will further enhance all our efforts to strengthen the overall charging infrastructure along the West Coast,” said Roger Millar, Washington State Secretary of Transportation. “The award supports Washington’s climate work by allowing further investment in building a robust and sustainable EV charging infrastructure throughout Washington.”
The project builds on years of partnership and planning to support infrastructure for zero-emission trucks on the West Coast. This includes public-private collaboration and coordination among electric utilities in the three states. The new charging and fueling stations will support California’s implementation of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) standard, a world-leading policy first adopted in 2020 that requires an increasing percentage of truck sales to be ZEVs. In 2021, Oregon and Washington became the second and third states after California to adopt this policy. In 2023, one out of six new medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in California were zero-emission vehicles, exceeding the ACT’s ZEV sales goals two years ahead of schedule.
This funding will also support implementation of the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) standard adopted by California in 2023. Under the ACF, fleets across the state will start a phased transition to ZEVs and all new medium- and heavy-duty truck sales will be ZEVs by 2036.
Development of infrastructure on the project will build on the significant progress for light-duty ZEV infrastructure. With over 14,000 direct current (DC) fast chargers, the three states account for one-third of the nation’s publicly accessible fast chargers for light-duty vehicles.
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LAKE COUNTY
2024 AgVenture Class dives deep into pear industry
On the first day of this year’s AgVenture Program, community leaders were given a deep dive into the pear industry with tours of a local pear orchard and a working pear packing facility.
Gregory Panella provided an overview of pear farming, including cultural practices, integrated pest management (IPM), sustainability, and regulatory compliance. He proudly carries on the pioneering Henderson and Stokes families’ pear farming tradition, being fifth generation to farm orchards that Lewis Henderson began planting in 1891.
Panella, with daughter Audrey alongside, gave a tour of his original orchard where class members had the rare opportunity to watch skilled pear pickers up close as they deftly moved up and down ladders with large picking bags over their shoulders.
After departing the orchard, the class headed to Scully Packing Company for a guided tour of a local pear shed abuzz with activity. Scully family members Phil, Toni, Pat, Andy, and Hannah each shared insights into pear harvest and what it takes to successfully run a pear packing operation, then guided class members up along catwalks to watch the hive of conveyors, packing lines, and forklifts. The tour ended in a huge cold storage room where palletized boxes are precooled for shipment to markets across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
After the tour, Pat Scully explained a range of sales and marketing strategies for fresh pears, noting Scully Packing Company ships 40 percent of the state’s Bartlett pear crop destined for the fresh market (retailers, wholesalers, brokers). Overall, Lake County grows 25 percent of all California pears.
At the end of the day, Broc Zoller PhD, a plant pathologist and licensed pest control adviser (PCA), provided class members an opportunity to examine a comprehensive collection of examples of the damage pests and diseases can do to pears and pear trees. He explained how the pear industry leverages private- and government-funded research, integrated pest management techniques, and cultural practices to control these threats.
The class also heard about the history of farming in Lake County from Myron Holdenried of the pioneering farming family, as well as the vital role commercial agriculture plays in Lake County’s economy today from Agricultural Commissioner Katherine VanDerWall.
About AgVenture
Launched in 2010, AgVenture is an innovative agricultural educational program designed for non-farming community members and others who wish to understand the vital contributions of agriculture to Lake County’s quality of life. The program’s steering committee, which includes Katy Evans, Rebecca Harper, Colleen Rentsch, Toni Scully, Bonnie Sears, Debra Sommerfield, Katherine VanDerWall, and Sharron Zoller, wishes to thank all program sponsors who make AgVenture possible, with special recognition to Bella Vista Farming Company for providing transportation for all of the tours.
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KELSEYVILLE
Fiddler’s Jam at the Ely Stage Stop Monday.
Labor Day Weekend Fiddler’s Jam at the Ely Stage Stop Museum. Sunday September 1, noon utill 2 p.m.. Come out to the Ely Museum’s Oak Grove and enjoy an afternoon of music, a hay ride, barbecue, and relax in the shade of the oaks. The blacksmith shop will be open, check out the restored 1890’s Kelseyville Jail, historic carriages and other displays. 9921 Soda Bay Road, a half mile north of Kitt’s Corner off HWY 29. Bring a folding chair if you want a spot in the shade.
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