Zero-Emission Truck Charging Depot Slated For Livermore

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LIVERMORE — East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), the local energy provider for Alameda County, has announced a new financing program to support the transition to zero-emission heavy-duty trucks.

The EBCE Board has approved $4.5 million in financing to Forum Mobility, a zero-emission truck solutions provider, to support the development of an innovative electric truck charging depot in Livermore. This site is part of a new network of electric charging depots that Forum Mobility is building for drayage trucking carriers moving freight in and out of the Port of Oakland. “Drayage” refers to a form of trucking service that connects the different modes of shipping products.

“The City of Livermore, as a longtime leader in climate action, is proud to help lead the transition to zero-emission goods movement,” said Livermore Councilmember Ben Barrientos, who also serves on EBCE’s board of directors. “As the host of key, cutting-edge clean charging infrastructure, cleaning up the I-580 freight corridor starts with us.”

The EBCE loan will support the development of Forum’s Greenville Community Charging Depot on a 4.4-acre site just off of I-580 in Livermore. The depot will be capable of charging up to 96 trucks simultaneously. According to the U.S. EPA, heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for 23% of the carbon emissions from the transportation sector, as well as 45% of NOx and 57% of PM 2.5 pollution in the US – with disproportionate impacts on communities of color.

“A transition to zero-emission vehicles will mean cleaner air for our communities, a safer climate, and if done well, lower costs per mile for truckers,” stated a press release from EBCE.

“East Bay Community energy provides clean electricity from Oakland to Tracy – and now Forum Mobility will provide clean trucking on the same route,” said Nick Chaset, CEO of East Bay Community Energy. “We’re excited to help Forum Mobility charge electric trucks with 100% renewable energy and further reduce harmful emissions in our community.”

The California Air Resources Board recently approved rules requiring all of California’s in-state drayage fleet – approximately 33,000 trucks – to be zero-emission by 2035. Charging infrastructure is a key ingredient for success. The California Energy Commission estimates that to comply with these and other proposed vehicle regulations, California will need 157,000 medium- and heavy-duty chargers by 2030.