The Port of San Diego has effectively green-lit the new Skycharger flagship solar + electric semi project on a 4.8 acre site near the National City Marine Terminal, promising to fleet electrification easier, more affordable, and more accessible to the area’s port and logistics fleets.
The Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners has certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and has authorized issuance of a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for the Tidelands Avenue Electric Truck Hub proposed by Skychargers, LLC (Skycharger), effectively giving the project a green light to push forward.
As proposed, the new Skycharger facility would feature 70 charging ports of varying output levels to support both the opportunity and overnight charging needs of local trucking fleets, with power coming from both SDG&E and an on-site, 1,719-kW solar array backed by a 1.9 MW/7.8 MWh battery energy storage system (“BESS”) designed to keep kWh costs low while simultaneously ensuring maximum operational resilience.
Skycharger’s sky chargers
“Projects like this reflect our continued commitment to cleaner air and a healthier San Diego Bay for everyone,” explains Ann Moore, Chairperson at the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. “By advancing zero-emissions infrastructure and supporting the transition to cleaner technologies, we are improving air quality on and around the bay while creating opportunities for more people to safely access and enjoy our waterfront.”
Skycharger is also developing a Trucking as a Service (TaaS) program, similar to what we’ve seen from companies like Zeem further down state. The way Skycharger describes it, their TaaS business model would helps operators deploy ZETs without large, upfront capital investments or long-term capital commitments through a 90-day “try before you buy” ultra short-term lease program and a five-year path to ownership – financial tools that will help fleet managers, and everyone else living and working around these ports, to breathe a bit easier.
“This project is an investment in the public health of our community and in the future we want to build together,” said Commissioner GilAnthony Ungab, M.D., Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. “I am proud of and deeply appreciative of the community members who have been engaged throughout this process. Their input has been critical to helping shape a project that gives us an opportunity to move toward a cleaner, healthier future while supporting the economic activity, jobs, and industries that are so important to our region.”
The Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners has authorized staff to sign a non-binding Term Sheet with Skycharger as lease negotiations continue in support of the Port of San Diego’s Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS), a program that is already significantly reducing diesel pollution from maritime and industrial operations in and around the Port by electrifying a number of heavy equipment assets critical to its logistics and freight-handling business.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Skycharger.
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Facts Only
* The Port of San Diego green-lit the Skycharger solar + electric semi project on a 4.8-acre site near the National City Marine Terminal.
* The Board of Port Commissioners certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
* A Coastal Development Permit (CDP) was authorized for the Tidelands Avenue Electric Truck Hub proposed by Skycharger.
* The facility will feature 70 charging ports for local trucking fleets.
* Power will come from SDG&E and an on-site, 1,719-kW solar array.
* A 1.9 MW/7.8 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) is included.
* Skycharger is developing a Trucking as a Service (TaaS) program.
* The Board authorized staff to sign a non-binding Term Sheet with Skycharger supporting the Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS).
Executive Summary
The Port of San Diego has approved a project by Skychargers, LLC to install a solar and electric charging facility on a 4.8-acre site near the National City Marine Terminal. This initiative aims to make fleet electrification more accessible, affordable, and easier for local port and logistics fleets. The Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners certified the Environmental Impact Report and authorized a Coastal Development Permit for the proposed Tidelands Avenue Electric Truck Hub.
The facility will include 70 charging ports for local trucking fleets, powered by both SDG&E and an on-site solar array, along with a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 1.9 MW/7.8 MWh to manage power costs and ensure operational resilience. Skycharger is also developing a Trucking as a Service (TaaS) program, offering leasing options for zero-emission trucks to reduce upfront capital investment for fleet operators.
Commissioners have expressed support, viewing the project as an investment in community health, cleaner air, and economic activity. The Port of San Diego Board has authorized staff to sign a non-binding Term Sheet with Skycharger to support the Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS).
Full Take
The narrative frames technological infrastructure deployment—specifically electric and renewable energy solutions for logistics fleets—as a direct mechanism for public health improvement, economic growth, and community well-being. The shift involves moving from traditional fossil fuel dependency to distributed, resilient energy systems managed by private-public partnerships. This framework positions environmental mitigation not solely as an ecological necessity but as a public health and economic imperative, which is then leveraged to gain regulatory approval.
The discussion around the TaaS model introduces a layer of structural critique concerning access and capital barriers within the logistics industry. By proposing lease programs, Skycharger attempts to mitigate the financial hurdle for fleet operators, aligning commercial incentives with environmental goals. However, the tension lies in balancing private sector innovation with public mandates; the success of this transition depends on whether these technological rollouts sufficiently address existing inequities in access to clean infrastructure versus concentrating benefits among established economic actors.
The language used by officials centers on engagement and future-building, which serves to smooth the path for large-scale infrastructural shifts. The implication is that complex technical and financial decisions can be effectively framed within a moral consensus about a "cleaner, healthier future," potentially obscuring the specific distribution of costs and benefits among different community segments. What remains open is how these broad commitments translate into equitable mechanisms for ownership, operational control, and long-term sustainability for all stakeholders involved in the port's ecosystem.