I-5 Truck Idle Reduction Initiative

Press: Oregon

The Enterprise
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Clever Move On Energy
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is handing the state of Washington and Oregon grants that will serve to keep our air cleaner, conserve the nation's fuel resources, help to reduce global warming -- and save money for long-haul truckers, too.

GreenBiz.com
Monday, October 4, 2004
Climate Trust to Buy Carbon from Reduced Diesel Pollution at Truck Stops
The Climate Trust says it will spend up to $2.2 million to address one of the West Coast’s most serious air pollution problems: the emissions from diesel trucks idling at truck stops. Truckers are required to keep off the road for at least eight hours per day to combat potential fatigue. While taking their required rest at truck stops, they most often idle their engines to provide heating, air conditioning, and power for equipment in the cab. The idle reduction technology allows trucks to use the power grid’s more efficient electricity rather than their own diesel engines to provide a comfortable space and needed in-cab services. The Climate Trust project will commit $2 million in a collaborative project that implements innovative idle reduction technology at truck stops in Oregon and an additional $200,000 for projects in Washington.

Oregonian (OregonLive.com)
Friday, October 1, 2004
Project aims to have engines idle no more. Oregon and other West Coast governments join to finds ways of cutting unnecessary diesel emissions.
Over the rumble of idling engines at a Portland truck stop, federal and state officials Thursday described a sweeping new push to cut diesel pollution on the West Coast. Efforts in Oregon start with a $6 million project to eliminate the need for truckers to idle their engines while stopped -- a practice that keeps engines warm and air-conditioners running but that consumes about a billion gallons in fuel each year nationwide and spews tons of toxic pollutants. "The technology is available. What we need to do is make it accessible," said Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will supply $200,000 for work by Oregon State University on the truck idle reduction project.

Oregon Public Broadcasting Radio
Friday, October 1, 2004
Eco-Friendly Truck Stop
Governor Ted Kulongoski this week helped introduce a new program to install electrical connections at state truck stops along Interstate 5. The program is an important step in a West Coast initiative to curb global warming. It's called the Oregon Truck Stop Electrification Project. What it amounts to is providing RV like hookups at truck stop parking places. Governor Kulongoski says it saves truckers money because they can turn off their big diesel engines at night and use electricity for heat, microwaves and TVs. Ted Kulongoski: It can cost as much as a $1.80 an hour in fuel costs alone to idle the truck. Truckers also know that sleeping in a truck that is idling emitting diesel fumes is hard on the environment and it is bad for their health. Kulongoski says the program will also reduce noise pollution around truck stops. He's hoping to have 600 of these electrified parking places installed soon.

Bend.com (OR)
Thursday, September 30, 2004
State - Feds Launch I-5 Truck Emissions Project
Gov. Ted Kulongoski was joined Thursday by officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to announce the West Coast Diesel Emissions Reduction Collaborative, a joint effort of federal, state and local government agencies as well as private-sector interests and non-profit organizations from California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia to reduce air pollution emissions from diesel sources. This new collaborative arose in part out of the Global Warming Initiative the governor launched in 2003 with the governors of California and Washington to address the issue of global warming and to curb greenhouse emissions. The EPA identified this effort as an opportunity to create a wider West Coast corridor program for truck stops as part of a still larger effort to reduce diesel emissions in several sectors, including marine and railroads.