Sea-Tac sets up charging system for airport vehicles

Seattle, Wash. – The Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines, and Western Washington Clean Cities unveiled a new project providing nearly 600 electric charging stations throughout the Seattle-Tacoma Internatonal Airport for ground support equipment (GSE) such as baggage tugs, bag ramps and pushback vehicles.

Converting the GSE from fossil fuel to electric, each year the project is projected to save $2.8 million in airline fuel costs and 10,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of taking 1,900 cars off the road.

"The eGSE project here at Sea-Tac should serve as an example of how energy efficiency is not only good for the environment, but is also a smart financial investment," says U.S. Congressman Adam Smith. "We must continue to invest in alternative energy technologies that protect consumers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strike a balance between moving away from our dependence on fossil fuels while mitigating the economic impact of that transition."

The port has installed bright yellow charging corrals with smart, fast-charging plug-ins for vehicles to receive a full charge in less than 4 hours. The technology determines which vehicle needs the most charge and meters out the power. This first phase provides 296 charging locations throughout concourse D, C, and the north satellite. The second phase will cover the rest of the terminal at concourse A, B, and the south satellite for a total of 576 charging locations by September.

"This project provides the infrastructure for airlines to convert their vehicles from diesel to electric in Sea-Tac's effort to become the first major airport in the U.S. to provide charging stations at all gates," says Courtney Gregoire, co-president, Port of Seattle Commission. "As many as 650 vehicles could eventually be covered by electric technology and make a huge difference in the airport's carbon footprint."

Alaska Airlines has taken the lead in this green opportunity with 204 electric vehicles (146 with Alaska, 58 with Horizon) in operation on the ground at Sea-Tac. Alaska's conversion to electric vehicles is the equivalent of taking 360 passenger vehicles off the road for a year, or a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 1,000 tons a year.

"Switching from fossil fuels to electric-powered equipment not only benefits the environment by reducing carbon emissions and fuel use, but the transition is expected to save Alaska Air Group about $300,000 a year in fuel costs," says Jeff Butler, Alaska Airlines' vice president of the airport operations and customer service. "These sustainability efforts help us keep our costs down in order to provide better value for our customers."

The $31 million project is funded in large part through federal grants. The U.S. Department of Energy provided $5 million through a grant with the Western Washington Clean Cities Coalition. An additional $3.5 million came from a Federal Aviation Administration grant. Part of the grant money is being used to help airlines fund the purchase of new electric vehicles. Additional airlines are scheduled to join the program later this year.

Source: Alaska Airlines