SCAQMD Rule 2305: Warehouses Can Earn Points to Cut Compliance Costs
Southern California warehouses of 100,000+ sq ft must earn annual WAIRE Points or pay up to $1,000 per point in mitigation fees.
- up to $1,000
- 68
- 186
What Happened
Warehouses of 100,000 square feet or more in Southern California must comply with SCAQMD Rule 2305 (the WAIRE Program) by earning annual WAIRE Points or paying mitigation fees of up to $1,000 per missing point. The obligation can be calculated using either the Weighted Annual Truck Trips (WATTs) method based on actual truck traffic, or the Square Footage method based on facility size. The WATTs method is generally more cost-effective because slower periods reduce point requirements and zero-emission truck visits earn points.
- Based on actual truck trips; flexible and often lower cost.
- Based on facility size; simpler but typically higher fixed cost.
- Acquire a ZE Class 6 or 7 truck: 68 points (avoids $68,000 in fees).
- 365 ZE Class 6/7 truck visits: 12 points ($12,000 value).
- Install 150-350 kW EVSE: 186 points ($186,000 value).
Surplus points can be banked for up to three years, and points earned at one covered warehouse in the South Coast Air Basin can be shared with other facilities under the same operator. Xos offers mobile energy storage and charging (the Xos Hub) that deploys in days to earn EVSE points, plus electric stepvans and MDXT trucks that earn points upon acquisition and with each qualified visit.
Why this matters
The WAIRE program places a financial burden on large warehouses to reduce truck emissions, but strategic investments in zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure can turn mandatory compliance into long-term savings.
Terms in This Story
- WAIRE
- Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions program, a regulatory requirement under SCAQMD Rule 2305.
- SCAQMD
- South Coast Air Quality Management District, the air pollution control agency for Southern California.
- EVSE
- Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, the hardware needed to charge electric vehicles.
- ZE
- Zero-Emission, referring to vehicles that produce no tailpipe emissions.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.