Angel Island Ferry has partnered with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Green Yachts to launch California’s first short-route electric ferry from the beginning of 2024.
Over the next few months, Green Yachts will transform the 59-foot, 400-passenger Angel Island vessel to electric propulsion and PG&E will support the installation of charging infrastructure at the ferry terminal.
Captain Maggie McDonogh, fourth-generation owner and operator of the Angel Island ferry highlight that the Angel Island is going to be the first of the short-run ferries in California to be 100% zero-emission. This electrification project is an important milestone for PG&E, extending its Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet Program to the marine sector for the first time.
As part of its Climate Strategy and its mission to prepare the grid for 12,000GWh of EV-related load, PG&E also recently announced that it will enable 2 million EVs to participate in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) programmes.
PG&E’s electric vehicle fleet program seeks to help customers convert large- and medium-sized vehicles to all-electric through construction support and financial incentives. The Angel Island Ferry marks the first extension of the program to the maritime sector, according to the company.
Graham Balch, managing broker at Green Yachts, said an electric semi-truck needs 2 kilowatt-hours to travel one mile, while the Angel Island Ferry will require 15 times that amount.
The increased energy requirement per mile shows the significant challenge associated with electrifying the marine sector,
Balch said.
The conversion is expected to be completed by 2024, which will put the ferry in compliance with state regulations that aim to reduce pollution in California waterways.
