Port of San Diego clears 70 port electric truck charging hub

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The Port of San Diego has approved the environmental review and authorized a Coastal Development Permit for a proposed 70 port electric truck charging facility near the National City Marine Terminal.

The decision allows the 4.8 acre Tidelands Avenue Electric Truck Hub proposed by Skycharger to move closer to development. It does not, however, authorize construction. The port and Skycharger must first complete lease negotiations, while the developer must secure building permits and other required approvals.

Port commissioners certified the Final Environmental Impact Report on August 11, 2026. They also authorized port staff to sign a nonbinding term sheet with Skycharger covering the principal commercial terms under discussion.

The charging hub is intended primarily for battery electric trucks serving the port’s two marine cargo terminals. Its location at 19th Street and Tidelands Avenue places it on an established truck route within an industrial area that has no residential neighbors.

The proposed facility would provide 70 charging ports with different power levels for both short charging stops and overnight use. Plans also include a convenience store and restrooms for drivers.

Skycharger is proposing a 1,719 kW solar array and a battery system rated at 1.9 MW with 7.8 MWh of energy storage. The distributed energy system is intended to improve power reliability and keep charging operations resilient.

For cargo operators, access to charging infrastructure is one of the practical issues determining whether electric trucks can complete regular terminal rotations. A truck without dependable charging is much like a vessel without a confirmed bunkering call: the equipment may be available, but the operating schedule remains uncertain.

The hub would support the port’s Maritime Clean Air Strategy, which seeks to reduce diesel emissions from maritime and industrial activities around San Diego Bay. The port and its partners have invested or committed $240 million to clean air technologies and projects.

Existing initiatives include electric mobile harbor cranes at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, an electric harbor tug operated by Crowley, terminal shore power, a solar powered microgrid and electric cargo handling equipment.

The port published the draft Environmental Impact Report on January 29, 2026. The assessment examined air quality, energy use, hazardous materials, water quality, noise and transportation.

The review found that the project would not create significant environmental impacts and therefore requires no formal mitigation measures. The port has nevertheless developed operating conditions covering truck route enforcement, emergency response, hazard controls, stormwater protection, lighting and tribal cultural monitoring.

These requirements are included in a monitoring and reporting programme and have been incorporated into the Coastal Development Permit.

“Projects like this reflect our continued commitment to cleaner air and a healthier San Diego Bay for everyone,” said Ann Moore, chair of the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners.

Andy Karetsky, Skycharger’s chief executive, said the facility would help accelerate the transition to electric trucks at the port. He said community feedback over the previous three years had helped shape the proposal.

Skycharger is also developing a Trucking as a Service programme designed to reduce the initial cost of switching to zero emission vehicles.

The proposed model would include a 90 day trial period followed by a five year path to vehicle ownership. Such an arrangement could allow smaller trucking businesses and independent operators to test electric equipment in daily port operations before making a longer financial commitment.

Skycharger was selected through a competitive request for proposals process in March 2024. Its project partners include Burns & McDonnell and Skyview Ventures. Skyview Ventures would finance the design, procurement, installation, operation and maintenance of the facility.

Skycharger has previously worked on the West Coast Electric Highway charging network and recently constructed PepsiCo’s LA Mega Facility in Torrance, California.

The proposed lease would run for 20 years and include an option for a further five years. Rent would combine a fixed annual payment with a percentage based on the project’s gross sales.

Skycharger would also contribute $150,000 annually to community benefits throughout the lease. The detailed use of that funding has not yet been agreed and would be recorded in any future lease agreement.

Port staff intend to present a negotiated lease to commissioners for consideration in the coming months. Construction can begin only after the lease has been executed and Skycharger has obtained the remaining building permits.