California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) has been awarded a $~4.15 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand its zero emission infrastructure and add more electric ground support equipment (GSE). With the short distances driven at limited speeds under extreme loads, ground handling and support equipment (GHE/GSE) at airports present a nearly ideal use case for battery-electric vehicles. That’s a good thing, too. As demand for on-road fossil fuels drops, airports and airlines – historically responsible for about 4% Earth’s global warming – are becoming a bigger and bigger slice of a rapidly shrinking pie when it comes to the fossil fuel emissions generated by the aviation and air travel industries as a whole, making investment in this sector extra impactful. “This latest investment by the FAA is a tremendous vote of confidence in the work we are doing to build a more sustainable Ontario International Airport,” explains Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. “Three VALE grants in three years represents meaningful progress, and this latest award will allow us and our airline partners to continue reducing emissions while investing in the infrastructure ONT will need for the future.” The Federal Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) grant program helps airports meet air-quality goals by funding eligible projects that reduce GHG emissions. ONT’s latest award will reduce the need for aircraft and ground equipment to burn fuel while parked at the terminal, supporting cleaner and more efficient airport operations – and, after Ontario’s 25% cost match, the $4,147,752 will bring total spending on electric GSE at Terminals 2 and 4 to $5.53 million. Advertisement - scroll for more content Electrek’s Take Autonomous baggage handler; via OshKosh. Reduced operating costs, fossil fuel use, and air pollution are their own rewards, of course – the fact that GHE like refueling trucks, baggage handlers, and airplane tugs are just kind of fun and interesting on their own is a bonus. That said, I can only hope that more airports accelerate their adoption of cleaner GSE/GHE. SOURCES: ONT; images by OshKosh, Shire. If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.
