California City Getting Paid to Electrify Fleet

The City of Porterville, California, is rapidly electrifying its fleet and getting paid to do so by SRECTrade via the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program. In a region battling air pollution, the municipality has taken steps to deploy zero- and near zero-emissions fleet equipment by deploying compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and electric buses, as well as light-duty charging stations, that generated more than $65,000 of LCFS credits in 2020. With higher post-COVID use, these could generate more than $100,000 in 2021 while reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 6,500 lbs.

Porterville, located in the San Joaquin Valley, deployed its first CNG bus in 2010 and first electric bus in 2018. Porterville's fleet today consists of 10 battery-electric buses, 12 battery-electric vans, 10 200kW DC Fast Chargers and six Level-2 public charging stations, with 14 additional DCFC stations under construction. By 2024, Porterville plans to convert its entire fleet to electric and provide more public-access charging infrastructure for residents.

These cleaner vehicles also save money. Electric fuel and maintenance costs have been reduced by about 80% and 75%, respectively. Grant and incentive programs such as the California LCFS program supported the city's initial deployment while also providing an ongoing revenue stream and offsetting electricity costs. In the past year alone, the City of Porterville generated an average of $0.21/kWh from its electric fleet.

Porterville has set its sights on other clean energy goals as well, including exploring solar generation, energy storage, renewable electric vehicle chargers, and electric vehicle and charger programs that would help its residents make the switch to electric vehicles. SRECTrade will continue supporting the municipality through its expertise in environmental commodities and reporting of the value being generated.

Originally posted on Government Fleet