Kern Council of Governments (Kern COG), in partnership with Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA) and key stakeholders will develop a Blueprint for medium- and heavy-duty zero emission vehicle infrastructure. The Blueprint will identify major gaps in infrastructure for zero emission trucks and buses, community needs, available technology solutions, and ultimately a set of high-impact ‘shovel-ready’ infrastructure projects illustrative of pathways of progress to zero emission transportation.
Kern County is situated strategically between California’s San Joaquin Valley and the Southern California Ports, eastern United States, and the California Central Coast, and therefore a key location for goods movement. High-impact clean transportation projects identified through the Blueprint will facilitate more widespread use of zero emission medium-and heavy-duty trucks all along California’s major truck corridors and place Kern County on a path to achieving its Sustainable Communities Strategy greenhouse gas emission reduction goals at an accelerated rate.
The project approach is designed to accelerate the region’s clean transportation goals through the identification of high-impact or transformational infrastructure projects capable of stimulating additional outside investment. Projects identified through the planning process will not only have merit because of their immediate benefits (i.e., emissions reductions), but also because of their ability to demonstrate innovation and induce other fleet operators to electrify. The project team will document progress to-date in deploying zero emission infrastructure, engage with stakeholders to align the Blueprint with community needs, develop transparent and agreed upon methodologies for project selection, conduct thorough analyses, and produce detailed implementation plans for each site. The project scope will include both electric charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure.
The document posted here is a working draft of the final Blueprint. Several key sections will be added as they become available. The Executive Summary and Project Information sections will be posted following completion of the other sections.
Comments on the document are welcomed. Please send written comments as a memo or document, not only an email, to Linda Urata, Regional Planner, Kern COG at lurata@kerncog.org by April 9, 2023 (prior to 8:00am PST on Monday, April 10, 2023).
2023 Kern Medium-Heavy Duty ZEV Infrastructure Blueprint DRAFT