New electric parking spots to reduce pollution

Truckers stopping to rest at the Smyrna Rest Area will now be able to power their trucks without running the diesel engine, saving money on fuel and reducing pollution.

The new 24 hour parking spots will provide truckers with electric power, cable TV, connection to the internet, and heat or air conditioning.  Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara says, “If just half of the electrified parking spaces are used for ten hours per day, truckers will save 44,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually, eliminate 500 tons of carbon dioxide emmissions, and significantly reduce nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon emissions.”

The electric hookups will also save truckers money, because they won’t have to pay for the fuel it takes to run their trucks for hours and hours while idling.  It’s estimated that a truck burns through a gallon of fuel every hour while ilding, which can really add up when a driver is taking a mandatory 10 hour break from driving, especially as the price of diesel fuel hovers around $4 per gallon.