The Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) is a strategic program that impacts warehouse facilities and landowners in the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The following overview provides a guide to what all fleet owners must know about the WAIRE Program, or you can learn how our EV Acquisitions and WAIRE Program Assistance can help you by clicking here.
What is the WAIRE Program?
The WAIRE Program is an attempt to reduce emissions in the goods movement industry, and is a program that regulates warehouses. The program, or Rule 2305, applies to anyone who operates in the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Why the WAIRE Program Was Started
WAIRE is a program that is designed to work on both regional and local levels to help reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. The program targets the emissions of warehouses and mobile sources to help them meet state and federal requirements for air quality and fine particulate standards.
Under the program, diesel-related emissions, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter will help the warehouse supply chain meet air quality standards. The program is an attempt to help these entities meet reporting and compliance standards.
You can determine if the program applies to you by referencing the following map.
WAIRE Point Requirements
The WAIRE Program uses a menu-based system that revolves around points. Annually, each warehouse must earn a certain number of points using one of three main methods:
- Complete WAIRE menu actions in any combination
- Complete your site-specific plan actions (must be approved for a custom WAIRE plan)
- Pay a “mitigation fee”
Throughout the year, it’s possible for warehouses to have more than the necessary points they need to meet WAIRE requirements. If you exceed the point threshold, you’ll benefit from having your points “rolled over.” You can use these additional points the following year to hit your point threshold, or you can pass them to another warehouse that you operate.
You can also pay your mitigation fee in lieu of earning your required points, as outlined above. Fees are based on each point you need to earn to meet your obligation, and each point is valued at $1,000.
Payments of all fees must be made prior to or when you submit your report for the current compliance period.
How many points do you need to meet your WAIRE Points Compliance Obligation (WPCO)?
WPCO is determined using a complex formula that takes multiple factors into account, such as:
- Emission levels
- Truck size and weight
- Trips taken
WPCO uses the following formula: weighted annual truck trips * stringency * annual variables = WPCO.
Our WAIRE calculator provides a quick and clear estimate of EV programs required for your business operations. Click here to learn more.
WAIRE Reporting Requirements
Warehouse owners and operators that must comply with WAIRE will need to meet the program’s reporting requirements. Reporting requirements include:
- Submitting an Initial Site Information Report about the warehouse’s operations. This report only needs to be submitted once. If the operator moves to an additional warehouse, another Initial Site Information Report must be submitted.
- Submitting annual WAIRE Reports documenting compliance during the previous year. These reports indicate how many points were earned as well as the operator’s WAIRE Points Compliance Obligation, or WPCO.
- Providing basic information about the warehouse building and its tenants.
Here’s what each type of report should include:
Initial Site Information Report
- The warehouse size and square footage used for warehousing activities.
- Annual truck trip data, including the number of truck trips in the last year and the number of truck trips expected in the coming 12 months.
- Whether the operator owns or leases trucks or tractors that serve the warehouse. If so, the report must include fleet data for the previous 12 months, such as the number of trucks in the fleet, typical dwell time at the warehouse, which trucks are owned or leased, etc.
- Whether the facility has an alternative fueling station or an electric charging station on-site.
Annual WAIRE Reports
- Truck trip data, including how many actual truck trips were taken during the compliance period.
- How many WAIRE Points were earned from the WAIRE menu, mitigation fees, an approved WAIRE plan or from transferred WAIRE points.
- Each WAIRE menu item that earned WAIRE points must also include information about the reporting metric specified in the program’s rules.
- The warehouse operator’s current contact information.
Any records related to WAIRE reporting must be kept for a minimum of seven years from the reporting deadline and be made available upon request.
WAIRE Exemptions
The aim of the WAIRE program is to improve air quality in some of the most populous areas of California. The regulations target large and medium-sized warehouses, so there are some exceptions to the new program.
WAIRE exemptions include:
- Warehousing operations with less than 50,000 square feet of indoor floor area in a single building. Even in this case, the number of WAIRE points must be less than 10.
- If WAIRE menu solutions underperform due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the operator’s or landowner’s control.
Generally speaking, the WAIRE program has few exemptions. That said, reporting and compliance requirements currently apply to just 4,000 operators.
Who Must Follow the WAIRE Program?
Warehouse owners and operators in the South Coast Air Quality Management District must comply with WAIRE regulations if they have 100,000+ square feet of indoor floor space in a single building.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District covers the South Coast Air Basin, which includes California’s biggest metropolitan area and spans 6,729 square miles.
You Don’t Have to Handle This Alone
Knowing how many zero emissions vehicle acquisitions, charging station installations, and operational usage is needed is as easy as 1…2…3. At TCI, our in-house EV Acquisition team has the expertise to assist in navigating these complexities, help you understand the implications for your warehouse, and guide you towards implementing and executing the actions needed for full compliance. Plus, we’re able to provide the trucks and charging stations you need to earn WAIRE points for full compliance.
“TCI is committed to supporting our customers by providing a dedicated zero emissions team that can help navigate the difficult and time-consuming tasks that have been set forth by environmental regulatory agencies.”
– Ryan Flynn | Co-President, TCI Transportation
For more information on how we can help you comply with the WAIRE Program, visit our WAIRE Program Assistance webpage.
