Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Promoting the Demonstration
and Acquisition of Zero-
Emission Buses in California:
The Role of ZEBus Regulation
2010a). In California, 10 transit agencies have a
fleet size of more than 200 buses. They range from
the Golden Gate Transit with 209 buses to the LA
Metro with almost 2,700 buses. Under the cur-
rent ZEBus Regulation, 6,800 urban buses which
represent about half of the statewide population
will be subject to the requirements of the ZEBus
Regulation (CARB, 2010a).
Several amendments were made to the ZEBus
Regulation in 2004 and 2006. The most recent
modifications approved in 2006 included a delay
in the ZEBus purchase requirement to 2011 for
diesel path agencies, and 2012 for alternative path
agencies. The CARB also added an “advanced”
demonstration for large transit agencies to the
diesel path. In 2009, based on the information
presented and public testimony received, the
CARB kickstarted the procedures to amend the
ZEBus Regulation. The amendments include
delaying the purchase requirement of ZEBuses,
researching and developing commercial-readiness
metrics as a purchase-implementation criteria, and
implementing the ZEBus purchase requirement
once commercial readiness has been achieved
with lead-time and ramp-up period for reaching
the requirements (CARB, 2010a).
Regulatory Details
The first case study examines the demonstration
and acquisition of Zero-Emission Buses (ZE-
Buses) in California and the role of Zero Emission
Bus Regulation (ZEBus Regulation) introduced
by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
The ZEBus Regulation was first introduced in
2000 by the CARB under the Transit Fleet Rule
(California Code of Regulations (CCR) title 13,
sections 2023 et seq.). The ZEBus Regulation was
introduced with the intention of reducing emis-
sions from transportation and improve air quality
in California by “establishing a new fleet retrofit
and modernization rule for transit agencies and
more stringent emission standards of new urban
bus engines and vehicles” (CARB, 2010a, p. 2).
The ZEBus Regulation contains three primary
elements.
1.
Demonstration:
Diesel path transit agen-
cies are required to initiate a ZEBus
demonstration.
2.
Acquisition:
15 percent of new annual bus
purchases are required to be ZEBuses.
3.
Size-dependent:
Only large transit agen-
cies whose fleet size exceeds 200 buses are
affected.
Regulatory Characteristics
The ZEBus Regulation introduced by the CARB
to radically reduce emissions by public trans-
portation in California has displayed most of
the 12 characteristics of properly designed and
implemented regulation. To show the degree of
applicability, the characteristics are marked with
●. The ZEBus Regulation is strong in terms of
the goal-setting, outcome-oriented, stringency,
incentive-based, information-driven, participa-
tory, process-based and capability-enhancing
characteristics. It is moderate in terms of flex-
ibility, certainty and consistency, and weak in
voluntary-based participation.
Under the fleet rule, each transit agency was
required to select a compliance path - either the
“diesel” path or the “alternative fuel” path. Large
transit agencies of fleet size over 200 urban buses
are required to acquire 15 per cent of all new
annual urban bus purchases as ZEBuses. The
regulation also included requirements for transit
agencies to demonstrate ZEBus with the goal of
developing zero-emission transit rules (CARB,
