OTA welcomes grant for anti-idling technologies

Other people's money

TORONTO, Ont. -- The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is hailing a provincial government announcement that promotes anti-idling technologies.

The four-year, $15 million grant program is designed to assist operators of commercial vehicles in the battle against climate change, by investing in fuel saving technologies, and is considered "a good first step that is consistent with the industry's enviroTruck initiative," according to the OTA, which has been working with the province for the past year in developing the program.
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The OTA estimates that APU technology can reduce idling by up to 90% and save up to 7,200 litres of diesel fuel per year for a typical tractor semi-trailer unit. However, the purchase cost of the technology is expensive, averaging from $8,000 to $10,000 per unit, and thus the need for this and previous incentive programs, according to the OTA

Under the plan, Ontario trucking companies will be able to apply for grants towards the purchase of anti-idling devices, such as auxiliary power units (APU's) or in-cab heater technologies, and hybrid or alternative energy vehicles. Companies that qualify for the grant, are required collect data on the fuel savings from the green technologies, as part of a longer-term effort to reduce GHG emissions.

Applications for the program will be available Nov. 28, and the program is retroactive to August 2007 – the launch date of the McGuinty government's "Go Green Action Plan" which includes targets for greenhouse gas reductions by the freight transportation sector. According to Transportation Minister Jim Bradley, the Green Commercial Vehicle Program could take up to 40,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the air every year.

Why not just pay $3/ton for some bogus carbon offsets, which would only blow $120k per year?