Derrick Truck Plaza Electrification Celebrated at Grand Opening
06/21/10 by Staff Writer
Derrick Travel Plaza is doing its part to reduce air pollution. Officials launched a truck stop electrification service June 18 at a grand opening ceremony at the plaza off I-85 on Peeler Road. It is the third such project in the state.
The facility now offers 44 parking spaces equipped with electricity so truckers can turn off their engines when they stop to rest. By plugging into the electrification units, the drivers can have access to everything from electrical outlets and satellite TV connections to a built-in computer with wireless Internet service and filtered central air and heating.
The project was funded with a $100,000 EPA Smartway grant through Centralina and a $400,000 Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant through the Cabarrus-Rowan Metropolitan Organization. It offers economic, environmental and health benefits.
John Wear, executive director of the Center for Environment at Catawba College, noted that truck stop electrification is one more way to reduce fossil fuel use and improve air quality. “Allowing truckers to cut their engines off at night, creating more energy-efficient businesses and homes – all these actions have a cumulative effect,” he said. “The end result is cleaner air.”
Commissioner Jon Barber was particularly pleased that the electrification project would improve air quality for students in the nearby Southeast Middle School. "If this station here is going to improve air quality near the schools, that's a great benefit," he said. "I think this is outstanding."
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires truckers to rest for 10 hours after driving for 11 hours, so truckers often park at truck stops for several hours. They typically idle their engines during this time to provide their sleeper compartments with heat and air conditioning.
Extended truck idling in the United States spews 11 million tons of carbon dioxide, 180,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and 5,000 tons of particulate matter into the environment each year, which causes air pollution. That can trigger severe health problems, including asthma, emphysema, heart attacks and lung cancer.
Truck stop electrification reduces diesel emissions and saves money on fuel that truckers would use if they idled their engines during their rest time. Annual fuel savings could be a much as $3,240 per truck parking space, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, the service reduces noise caused by idling.