The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced on Monday that they have added eight compressed natural gas aerial boom trucks to their fleet for tree trimming operations.
This purchase was made possible by a $240,000 state grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC). LADWP applied for the grant under MSRC’s program for Medium & Heavy-Duty Alternative Fuel Vehicles.
Qualified heavy-duty alternative fuel vehicles were eligible for a maximum MSRC contribution of $30,000 per vehicle. The eight new CNG vehicles were ordered in September 2020 and were all delivered and put into service by May 31, 2023.
“The MSRC grant will not only help increase our clean fuel fleet, but also decrease our CO2 emissions and reduce transportation-related pollution, which is one of the main reasons for the smoggy skies in L.A.,” stated Katherine Rubin, the director of environmental affairs for LADWP.
Replacing LADWP’s older diesel-powered aerial boom trucks with alternative-fuel vehicles has a significant impact on reducing air emissions. Currently, LADWP operates nearly 600 electric and hybrid vehicles out of their total fleet of 8,600 on-road vehicles, including 4,200 heavy-duty vehicles.
This translates to an annual reduction of approximately 4.29 million pounds of CO2 emissions.
The MSRC was established in 1990 through AB 2766, which created a discretionary fund to implement programs aimed at reducing air pollution from motor vehicles. The MSRC is responsible for evaluating these programs and making recommendations to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board regarding funding.
To support this decision-making process, a Technical Advisory Committee was formed to provide assistance and advice to the MSRC.
In 2019, the John Ferraro Building, LADWP’s headquarters in downtown L.A., became the first building in California to achieve LEED Zero Energy status. Additionally, the building received the USGC Pacific Region Leadership Award for Decarbonization at the 2019 Greenbuilder Conference in recognition of its ongoing efforts to improve energy efficiency.
As part of their commitment to sustainability, LADWP partnered with the city to establish the La Kretz Innovation Campus. This campus serves as a hub for the LA Cleantech Incubator, supporting the development of clean technology start-up businesses in Los Angeles by providing office space, business coaching, and access to expertise and capital.
