Engineering California Toward an Electrified Transportation Future

California is undertaking a sweeping infrastructure transformation. The world’s fourth-largest economy is targeting carbon neutrality by 2045. Plans are underway to lower carbon emissions 48 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

To help achieve such environmental ambitions, California’s transportation leaders are transitioning away from fossil fuels. At airports and shipping ports, with bus fleets and commuter rail, infrastructure electrification projects are proceeding at an unprecedented scale and unmatched speed.

The complexity and scale of many electrification projects underscore why it is critically important to partner with a design consultant who understands what’s involved in the electrification transition. Starting with a comprehensive master plan, transportation agencies can prepare for circumstances unique to their facilities, all while improving the likelihood that they achieve their carbon-reduction goals.

Electrification’s Engineering Challenges

The electrification journey is far from easy. Electrifying vehicle fleets and facility infrastructure will demand new and resilient sources of power. Electrical distribution systems may need to be supplemented with new substations, transformers and switchgear. Adding heavy equipment poses structural design challenges, requiring detailed analyses to evaluate whether facilities can support the new or relocated equipment.

Source: California Air Resources Board

During client conversations, Burns is frequently asked if electrification projects will undermine whether agencies can maintain 24/7 operations. The power grid is often unreliable. California’s fire risks and the increasing regularity of extreme weather now make redundant sources of utility power and other backup systems more and more essential.

Meanwhile, electrification is driving up power demand across California, creating competition over power supplies. Electricity prices are creeping higher while utilities’ interconnection queues grow longer. Transportation agencies and other large energy users are finding it increasingly difficult to expand utility service at a time when additional power supplies are needed more than ever.

The scale of this challenge is illustrated by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LA Metro) transition to 100 percent zero-emission buses.

LA Metro is working to comply with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandate that public transit agencies fully transition fleets by 2040. Replacing the 2,000+ bus fleet will demand major infrastructure-readiness upgrades across 13 bus divisions. LA Metro anticipates needing to install more than 1,000 chargers and an estimated 142 megawatts (MW) of new power supplies.

LA Metro is transitioning the agency’s 2,000+ bus fleet entirely to zero-emission vehicles / Photo courtesy of WikiMedia

Transportation Agency Microgrids

For many facilities, the solution to achieve low-carbon, resilient power is to install an on-site microgrid. Burns partners with equipment suppliers, utilities, and energy-as-a-service providers to design and build on-site power solutions. By integrating low-carbon energy resources through a microgrid solution, facilities can offset, complement or — in some cases —fully replace utility power.

Microgrids provide flexibility for clients to scale power supply to match on-site loads. Energy users can often participate in utility demand response or load shifting programs. When power demand is variable, microgrids allow users to adjust power consumption to take advantage of lower energy market prices.

In Silicon Valley, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is navigating how to replace the agency’s 500-bus fleet. Charging hundreds of electric vehicles will require massive power resources. VTA is exploring a solar-powered microgrid to ensure the transition does not undermine the agency’s operational resilience or stand in the way of VTA’s goal to lower agency-wide emissions by 90 percent.

Burns is part of VTA’s project management and technical advisory team, guiding VTA throughout design and construction of the agency’s battery-electric bus charging infrastructure. Proposed energy systems include the construction of a 1.5-MW rooftop solar photovoltaic array and 1-MW | 4-MWh battery energy storage system. The distributed energy resources would potentially be connected through a microgrid configuration, offsetting peak demand costs and providing up to 24 hours of resilient back-up power.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is installing a solar-plus-storage microgrid to help power the agency’s new battery-electric bus fleet / Photo courtesy of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Start with an Electrification Master Plan

Before agencies determine whether a microgrid is an appropriate investment, the ideal first step is to develop an electrification master plan. Proper planning can help agencies forecast future power demand, accurately measure available utility and on-site power supplies, and develop realistic scenarios of whether backup power supplies are sufficient for resilient operations.

At Los Angeles International Airport, for example, a utility strategic plan is in the works. The plan will guide utility enhancements to support $30 billion of capital improvements underway across the LAX campus. Airport leaders are committed to expanding the campus while still achieving net zero carbon emissions and 100-percent renewable energy by 2045.

Burns is part of the team developing the utility strategic plan, identifying opportunities to install on-site power and enhance infrastructure resilience through a low-carbon microgrid.

Los Angeles International Airport is developing a utility strategic plan to support $30 billion of capital improvements while achieving the airport’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions.

Building Upon California’s Early Progress

California’s carbon neutrality goals are ambitious but still very much achievable.

The most recent statewide inventory found transportation emissions fell 4 percent in 2022. While transportation remains California’s leading source of emissions, it was also the sector with the greatest drop in emissions since CARB’s previous assessment.

Source: California Air Resources Board

Significant new investments will be needed to continue this progress. Agencies will require financial support to build new on-site power sources, transition to zero-emission fleets, or totally re-envision their facilities. Mission-critical transportation facilities will need to be strengthened to maintain reliable and resilient operations — all without undermining environmental commitments.

Solving these infrastructure challenges will undoubtedly lead to tremendous opportunities. Electrification offers the potential to unleash financial, health and environmental benefits for riders, taxpayers and communities.

Burns partners with our transportation clients to guide them toward their electrification goals. Our team of consulting engineers provide expertise to solve the full range of technical, financial and operational challenges that accompany the electrification transition.