Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will launch what it claims is the first zero-emission, electric propulsion short-route ferry in California beginning in 2024.
Partnering with Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry Company, the electrification project will be one of the first under PG&E’s Electric Vehicle Fleet Program to bring transportation electrification to the marine sector.
This program helps medium- and heavy-duty fleet customers install charging infrastructure via comprehensive construction support and financial incentives. Under the project, electricity transmission to the ferry terminal and support for the installation of charging infrastructure will be constructed to enable the 58 ft, 400 passenger vessel to offer ferry services, sunset cruises and chartered events.
“The Angel Island ferry is an important part of California history and Bay Area tourism, carrying hundreds of thousands of visitors to Angel Island State Park for nearly a half-century. We are excited to support and collaborate on its conversion to an electric propulsion vessel,” said Lydia Krefta, director for clean energy transportation at PG&E. “This partnership marks a significant expansion of our resources beyond land-based electric vehicles, and it demonstrates how we deliver for our hometowns and in support of California’s clean energy goals.”
Green Yachts, a California-based electric boat vendor, will help to transform the ferry into an electric propulsion vessel. The Angel Island ferry requires 30 kWh to go one mile. By comparison, an electric semi-truck requires 2 kWh to go one mile. That means an increased energy infrastructure will need to be deployed to electrify the marine sector.
Preparing for the future
PG&E said the electrification of the Angel Island ferry is an expanded effort by the energy giant to proactively prepare the grid for the future by increasing access to charging infrastructure and supporting electric transportation adoption through rates, rebates, tools and education.
PG&E’s climate change strategy includes proactively preparing the grid for 12,000 GWh of electric vehicle (EV)-related electric load and improving processes to enable EV energization and interconnection.
The energy company is working to enable 2 million EVs to participate in vehicle-grid integration applications, allowing EVs to power homes and buildings in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
As part of this effort, PG&E is collaborating with both General Motors and Ford in pilot projects to see how EV trucks could be used as an on-demand power source.
The company also received approval to establish the first vehicle to grid (V2G) export rate, allowing vans, buses and other utility vehicles to be used to power the grid in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.
