PORT ANGELES — Port of Port Angeles commissioners unanimously approved a letter to support a Chehalis-Centralia Airport federal grant application that would benefit the William R. Fairchild International Airport.
If Chehalis is awarded a Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Transportation, charging infrastructure for both electric vehicles and electric aircraft would be installed at Fairchild and other Chehalis partner airports in western Washington.
“The program is all about increasing the availability of electric vehicle chargers in certain corridors of the country,” said Katharine Frazier, the port’s grants and contracts manager, on Tuesday. “[Chehalis’] approach is rather unique because their goal is electric charging at airports that can serve both electric vehicles, electric ground equipment and electric aircraft.”
Proposing a multi-purpose charging infrastructure and organizing it around small airports is an intriguing way to design the project, said Caleb McMahon, the port’s director of economic development.
“They have looked at all the airports surrounding Sea-Tac and how far away they are,” McMahon said. ”They’re looking to create a course so, once electric planes get out there, they have a very specific track that they can follow.”
The other airport partners are Friday Harbor Airport, King County International Airport – Boeing Field, McAllister Field in Yakima and Paine Field in Everett.
The port supplies electricity to vessels, but it does not have the capacity to provide power if they’re the size of a Maersk container ship currently docked at Terminal 1 that broke down and is waiting for a part to be delivered.
“They’re either going to go to dry dock somewhere or have a big ocean tug or trans-Pacific tow to Asia,” Terminal Manager Scott Hough told commissioners. “We have it for a month or maybe more.”
The port has been seeking to develop the electrification of its facilities and equipment. In August, it received a $525,408 grant from the state Department of Transportation to upgrade its shore power and purchase electric cargo equipment to help further its goal of reducing emissions and improving air quality.
Hough said a log ship was scheduled to arrive today and stay until Sept. 20 and another by the end of the year; chip barges also are scheduled for the first part of October.
The parking lot and floats at John Wayne Marina recently were retrofit with LED light bulbs that use about 75 percent less energy than the incandescent bulbs they replaced. Facilities Maintenance Manager Wilson Easton said it cost just more than $8,000 to install the bulbs in the parking lot, but it will save the port $3,326 a year in energy bills.
The port also qualified for a $2,440 rebate through a program administered by the Clallam County Public Utility District.
“I can do this on all of our properties,” Easton said. “The one thing I don’t like is throwing away good lights and fixtures.”
Commissioners discussed what organizations might be able to use the incandescent bulbs and fixtures.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
