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Owners of Balboa Island Ferry asking for more time to convert to electric engines

April 5, 2023

The Balboa Island Ferry, in service for more than a century, could be grounded by new emission requirements, its operator says about hopes it can get an extension on a 2025 deadline to convert its three vessels to all-electric engines.

The daily ferry service transports cars, bicycles and pedestrians 900 feet across the busy Newport Harbor from Agate Avenue on Balboa Island to Palm Avenue on the Balboa Peninsula. At this time of the year, there are typically two boats running. On weekends and in the summer, three boats operate from 6:30 a.m. until midnight.

Cars board a Balboa Island Ferry from Balboa Island in the harbor in Newport Beach, CA on Monday, March 27, 2023. The ferry transports people and cars from Balboa Peninsula to Balboa Island. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A Balboa Island Ferry crosses the harbor in Newport Beach, CA on Monday, March 27, 2023. The ferry transports people and cars from Balboa Peninsula to Balboa Island. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Two Balboa Island Ferrys pass in the harbor in Newport Beach, CA on Monday, March 27, 2023. The ferry transports people and cars from Balboa Peninsula to Balboa Island. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Deckhand Mallory Leventhal collects fares as a Balboa Island Ferry crosses the harbor in Newport Beach, CA on Monday, March 27, 2023. The ferry transports people and cars from Balboa Peninsula to Balboa Island. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kevin Rader takes in the view as a Balboa Island Ferry crosses the harbor in Newport Beach, CA on Monday, March 27, 2023. The ferry transports people and cars from Balboa Peninsula to Balboa Island. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Capt. Donovan Yule pilots a Balboa Island Ferry across the harbor in Newport Beach, CA on Monday, March 27, 2023. The ferry transports people and cars from Balboa Peninsula to Balboa Island. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Annually about 1.5 million passengers and 300,000 to 400,000 cars cross via the ferry system, according to owner Seymour Beek.

New regulations rolled out in 2022 by the California Air Resources Board for tugs, ferries, sportfishing vessels and whale-watching boats seek to reduce harmful emissions by replacing or modifying older diesel engines so vessels meet the strictest of emissions standards, labeled Tier 4. It accompanies efforts to require all in-state sales of cars and trucks to be reduced to zero emissions by 2035.

Sportfishing boat operators received an extension to get to Tier 4 engines by 2035, but are required to meet at least Tier 3 engine standards by the end of 2024.

In the state, there are about 12 other ferries that fall into the short-run category along with harbor crafts such as tug boats and other service vessels that travel less than three miles. Among them are the Angel Island Ferry in San Francisco and a boat that runs to Alcatraz. There are also some agricultural ferries that are used in the delta areas along the coast.

“Ours is so unique and different,” said Beek. “People come to town, and the one thing they want to do is ride the ferry. It serves a useful purpose and is also a source of entertainment.”

Beyond its historical and fun factors, Beek said the ferry is reducing emissions just by carting the vehicles across the bay that would otherwise have to travel at least six miles from dock to dock. The ferry also is a way to help underserved populations have affordable access to the water and beachfront on the peninsula and the island, he said.

Beek, whose father came up with the ferry idea in 1919 and started the service using a rowboat with an outboard, said he has been looking at options for converting the vessel’s engines to electric power the last couple of years and it will be a “staggering cost,” about $4.5 million to outfit all three vessels, including coming up with the engineering for the concept.

“It’s very hard to find anyone that does this kind of engineering work,” he said. “It’s also dependent on Coast Guard requirements, which are not finalized yet.”

The ferry employs about 40 people and its fares – $1.50 for pedestrians, $1.75 for bicyclists, and $2.50 for a car and driver – are set by the California Public Utilities Commission, Beek said, adding the service makes very little profit.

About 15 years ago, the ferry updated its diesel engines to make them run cleaner, Beek said. They could be updated again to a Tier 3 diesel engine, he said, but that wouldn’t comply with the new requirements. So now, he said he is hopeful the state board might consider an extension on the 2025 deadline to give him time to raise money and for the technology to come down in cost. He said he expects to meet with officials again this week.

State Assemblywoman Diane Dixon, a former Newport Beach mayor and councilmember, said she is willing to help with sponsoring a bill if needed.

“It’s more money than he takes in a year,” she said about the cost of going electric, even if a workable design can be found. “He just wants the same exemption to 2035, which is what sportfishing got.

“I’m confident we can work out a solution,” she said. “If not, I’ll introduce a bill to save the Balboa Island Ferry.”

Newport Beach city officials have also reached out to the California Air Resources Board on Beek’s behalf, asking for an extension. While CARB does offer some funding opportunities, a small, unique business like the Balboa Island Ferry would have difficulty being successful with an application, city officials wrote the board last month.

“This ferry is an iconic, historical harbor amenity that eases traffic congestion for area residents and visitors and provides an important secondary access,” Mayor Noah Blom wrote.

Beek said if he does go electric, he’ll need to purchase and install other infrastructure, such as charging stations, and his boats might have to look different. The electric batteries are much heavier than the engines the boats have now, he said.

When the regulations were being adopted, officials at the time said California is regularly reported by the American Lung Association as having some of the worst air quality in the nation, and harbor crafts are one of the top three equipment categories at the seaports that contribute to cancer risks from diesel emissions in nearby communities.

“Emissions from diesel vessels are a leading source of cancer risk for these communities, and transitioning to cleaner engines and zero-emission technologies will generate billions in health benefits, save hundreds of lives, and reduce a wide range of lung and heart illnesses,” an American Lung Association representative said at the time.

CARB officials did not respond by deadline for comment on the potential for an extension.

CARB, charged with protecting public health by cleaning up the air in California, first adopted regulations for commercial harbor crafts in 2007, amended them in 2010, and then again now.

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Owners of Balboa Island Ferry asking for more time to convert to electric engines

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