Caltrain’s electrification energy bill lower — for now

“The trains are quite a bit more efficient. They’re using less energy than the initial forecast, so that’s good news. There is 20% less energy usage, and that’s brought down some of our forecasts for what our energy costs will be,” Caltrain Energy Manager John Passmann said.

The $16.5 million figure refers only to the energy bill, or traction power costs, though a full comparison between diesel and electric operating figures has yet to be completed — and fluctuating electricity rates could paint a different picture in the near future. While overall maintenance and infrastructure for the electric fleet may yield a higher price tag, there are also more programs and credits available for the electric trains to offset some of the higher line items. 

“Overall, the main takeaway is that it’s looking better than what we forecasted,” Prassmann said. 

The agency recently enrolled in the California Air Resources Board’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, which could bring in about $6 million per year in credits. The program functions similar to a cap-and-trade system, where any entity that sells or uses fuel above a certain benchmark goes into a deficit. Conversely, those that use less than the benchmark, such as Caltrain, receive credits which can be sold to those operating on a deficit.

Caltrain is also in negotiations with Pacific Gas and Electric to get reimbursed for the power it generates and subsequently exports from braking, which would make it the first such customer to do so. While some rail systems, such as BART, also generate power from braking, it typically goes directly back to their system, rather than onto the grid, Prassmann said.

While PG&E delivers the electricity, community choice aggregators, such as Peninsula Clean Energy and San Jose Clean Energy, provide the energy from a variety of sources, and the majority of Caltrain’s electricity comes from wind and solar sources.

“With both San Jose Clean Energy and PCE, we are on their premium 100% renewable product at slightly different costs than the average customer,” Prassmann said.

A full fiscal analysis, including future income from the LCSF program, could eventually result in lower operating costs than the diesel trains, though it’s too early to tell, said Caltrain spokesperson Dan Lieberman. He added the primary objective of the switch was not to bring down costs but to adhere to climate action commitments and develop more environmentally sustainable transit. Overall ridership has also increased since the switch — which has seen higher frequency at each station — and weekend services have doubled. 

Caltrain switched from diesel to a fully electric fleet in September.