BAKER CITY, Ore. -- Baker Truck Corral, located just off Interstate 84 here, is the first of 50 truck stops throughout the country that will get electrified recharging stations as part of a federally funded program to reduce truck idling. According to TheTrucker.com, 24 of Shorepower Technologies' plug-in and recharging stations are being installed at the location.

Called Truck Stop Electrification (TSE), the electrified recharging stations help truckers reduce fuel costs and emissions produced by long hours of idling.

"We're excited because TSE benefits everyone," Jeff Kim, president and CEO of Shorepower Technologies, told the website. "Drivers and fleets save money and get improved working conditions; truck stops generate a new source of revenue; and the general public gets cleaner air and less noise."

Through the Shorepower Truck Electrification Project (STEP), qualifying truck stops can receive a complete TSE system at no cost to them, with Shorepower handling everything from construction through the grand opening, according to a company news release.

"We'll go from 400 to nearly 2,000 electrified parking spaces by the end of the project," Kim told TheTrucker.com. "This represents the opportunity to save over 7 million gallons of diesel per year."

The program is being administered by Cascade Sierra Solutions, a Eugene, Ore. -based organization, in partnership with Shorepower Technologies under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy.

The second part of STEP is to provide equipment incentives to about 5,000 vehicle owners who commit to using the hookups to reduce engine idling.

According to the website, Shorepower is seeking truck stops, preferably serving 75 or more trucks a night, to participate in the program. The pedestals will be installed over the next 18 months, but Shorepower has to select the sites by September, according to the report. Truck stop owners and operators interested in participating should contact Shorepower at (508) 925-0098 or e-mail jspitzer@shorepower.com.

Once the pedestals are installed, truck drivers will be able to access 120 VAC, 208 VAC or 240 VAC power sources. Power will be sold at a rate of $1 per hour, and cable television will be included at most locations, with wireless Internet available for an additional charge. Access and payment can be handled with a card, smartphone, laptop or telephone activation system.

Kurt Miller, owner and general manager of Baker Truck Corral, said offering the Shorepower stations is "just about taking care of our customers." His hope is that "by having [the] service, drivers will choose this stop for their breaks."

Truck stop owners and operators will share in the revenue generated by the pedestals, the report noted.