Sea-Tac Explores Airport-owned GSE Model

Seattle-Tacoma Five-year Environmental Strategy Plan

The plan involves four divisions of defined environmental goals to be achieved by 2014. The GSE project falls under the “Moving People and Goods Efficiently” objective.

Moving People and Goods Efficiently

Goal 1a: Air Quality
Sea-Tac will improve the overall efficiency of its vehicle fleet by 30 % over 2006 levels by 2015.

Goal 1b: Air Quality
Sea-Tac will continue to work with its business partners to consolidate trips, reduce vehicle miles travelled, and promote clean vehicles from taxis, shuttles, buses, construction vehicles, service equipment, and ground support equipment.

Goal 2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Sea-Tac will reduce airport owned and controlled greenhouse gas emissions by 15% below 2005 levels by 2020.

Goal 3: Transportation
Sea-Tac will increase the average occupancy of passenger vehicles accessing the airport from 2.6 in 2009 to 3.6 in 2015.

Goal 4: Adaptation Planning
Sea-Tac will complete a risk analysis of potential climate change impacts and implications for the airport, and develop a strategy plan for avoiding/mitigating risks.

Goal 5: Electricity Use
Sea-Tac will meet all future load growth through conservation measures and renewable energy.

Goal 6: Natural Gas Use
Sea-Tac will continue to reduce natural gas consumption per square foot of terminal space through cost-effective conservation and efficiency measures.

Goal 7: Technology Deployment
Sea-Tac will serve as a leader in identifying and implementing leading-edge technologies and process improvements that reduce energy demand and improve efficiency.

Goal 8: Sustainable Buildings
Sea-Tac will integrate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) or other “green” building performance measures into all projects.

Goal 9: Asset Management
Sea-Tac will continue to improve its asset management practices in a manner that minimizes the total cost of owning and operating facilities and maximizes environmentally-sustainable development.

Going Electric

Sea-Tac is looking to replace the entire applicable GSE fleet in use to electric. Simonson says the majority of the existing vehicles are gasoline, with propane-powered GSE in enclosed areas, and some of the greater hp-engines running on diesel. The switch to electric-powered GSE is estimated to reduce annual petroleum use by nearly 1 million gallons (gasoline equivalents) and will prevent 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year, according to the airport.

The following is a breakdown of units that the airport aims to replace, based on carrier estimates:
Bag Tugs 334
Belt Loaders 192
Pushback Tractors 71
Other 92
Total 689

Source: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport