Clearing the Air: How San Joaquin County Became a Hub for Clean Energy
San Joaquin County is at the forefront of California’s move toward a cleaner future, spearheading efforts to improve energy efficiency and achieve zero-carbon emissions through significant transportation initiatives launched by several key local companies.
“SCK is working with entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing the way we power aircraft,” says Richard Sokol, director of the Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK). “The work that will be completed at the airport will help set the standard for how future aircraft are serviced with alternative, climate-friendly fuels like hydrogen.”
Cleaner Air Travel: ZeroAvia at Stockton Airport
Currently, SCK hosts a research and development facility for ZeroAvia, an aviation company that develops liquid hydrogen refueling systems for hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Sokol highlights that ZeroAvia’s arrival at SCK is a positive step forward for the airport and the entire Stockton region, as it enables the airport to collaborate with companies working in the green energy movement.
“San Joaquin County is excited to play an important role in clean-energy research,” Sokol says.
Supported by the California Energy Commission, ZeroAvia is building a liquid hydrogen aircraft refueling vehicle at the airport. Dominic Weeks, the company’s head of external affairs, cites several key reasons for choosing the airport.
“The transition to hydrogen aircraft is underway. We are proving planes can fly on a fuel which can be made from water and sunlight, and it promises cost reductions, not increases,” Weeks says. “To scale for large planes, liquid hydrogen is a key ingredient, and for this refueler project, we needed an environment that provided excellent connectivity, airside access and good access to renewable energy.”
Energy Independence: The Benefits of Hydrogen-Electric Flight
By developing hydrogen-electric aircraft engines, ZeroAvia is pioneering a clean future for flight, which includes a host of benefits like lower emissions, cleaner air, reduced noise and greater energy independence.
As Weeks explains, hydrogen stores the energy to fly the plane, which fuel cells use to generate electricity, and that electricity then powers electric motors that turn propellers. The only byproduct is water.
“Our vision is a clean future of flight as it will allow people to fly more and, crucially, more affordably.”
Dominic Weeks, ZeroAvia
The technology reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 90% or more, and it produces zero particulates or nitrogen oxide emissions. Major carriers like American Airlines and United Airlines are signing up to retrofit these engines into existing fleets, and original equipment manufacturers are planning to utilize these engines in line-fit for future platforms.
“Our vision is a clean future of flight as it will allow people to fly more and, crucially, more affordably,” Weeks says. “Aviation is seen as the hardest to decarbonize of all transport segments, so once this transition kicks into gear, it will be a powerful message to green transport overall that anything is possible.”
Carbon Capture Blueprint
In 2023, San Joaquin County became home to the country’s first commercial carbon capture plant. Located in Tracy, Heirloom Carbon Technologies’ facility takes carbon dioxide from the air, captures it by heating limestone in a kiln powered by renewable energy, then permanently seals the gas in crushed limestone. Heirloom’s goal is to remove 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2035, impacting California and beyond. The company is another key example of California’s push for a clean energy future.
At the time of the facility’s opening in 2023, former Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm stated, “Heirloom Carbon Technologies, right here in Tracy, California, is the blueprint for how Americans can beat climate change.”
And California Gov. Gavin Newsom added, “We’ve set ambitious, nation-leading climate goals to cut pollution and accelerate our transition to clean energy. Projects like this Heirloom facility are exactly the sort of big and innovative ideas that we’re embracing – using renewable energy to directly remove pollution from our air, all while creating good-paying jobs in the Central Valley. California is creating the model for expanding the economy and fighting climate change.”
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