California Construction News staff writer
A $500 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be used to create a partnership with IBEW Local 11 to develop workforce training and to support projects that will reduce pollution related to goods movement.
“We are building toward a greener future that ensures clean air, good jobs and resilient infrastructure,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a news release. “Thank you to the Biden-Harris Administration, Senator Padilla, EPA Administrator Regan and our regional partners for bringing this historic level of funding to L.A. to reduce air pollution and help make our supply chain more sustainable.”
Administered by the Southern California Air Quality Management District, funding will go to:
- Installing 1,000 medium and heavy-duty vehicle chargers and deploying 800 medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles and 18 electric locomotives.
- Reducing air pollutants from diesel emissions in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
- Creating hundreds of new high-quality jobs
- Educating communities about electric vehicles to accelerate their deployment.
- Building resilience in goods movement and supply chain by modernizing vehicles and developing a skilled workforce to be better prepared for the future
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach also committed $5 million from the Clean Truck Fund Rate for charging infrastructure projects funded with this new grant money.
Earlier this year, EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited the Port of L.A. to highlight sustainability progress and upcoming federal investments in zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure, air quality planning projects and enhanced efforts to protect the health of communities near U.S ports.
Also, Mayor Bass announced the creation of her new Climate Cabinet to work to the goal of reaching 100% clean energy by 2035.
