From left are Air District Executive Director Gretchen Bennitt, Air District Board Member Tom Stallard, Air District Board Member Lucas Frerichs, Congressman Mike Thompson, Air District Board Vice Chair Carol Scianna, Air District Board Member Sheila Allen and Yolo Food Bank Executive Director Karen Baker. Photo courtesy of Yolo Food Bank

WOODLAND, CA (MPG) - The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District and the Yolo Food Bank celebrated the food bank’s new all-electric Harvest Van during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 29. The vehicle was made possible through a $30,000 Clean Air Funds grant awarded by the Air District, which supports projects that reduce transportation-related emissions and improve local air quality. Congressman Mike Thompson joined Air District Board Members for the event at the Yolo Food Bank facility in Woodland.

“To be able to work with the Food Bank to deliver an electric vehicle that is going to reduce emissions and also serve our food insecure residents, it's a win-win situation for all of us across Yolo County,” said Air District Board Member and Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs. “It’s one of those things that I think people take for granted, clean air, but it’s something that is as important to us as anything else that we do.”

The new electric cargo van supports the Yolo Food Bank's Harvest Program, which partners with local farms to gather fresh produce and distribute it to families experiencing food insecurity throughout Yolo County. By replacing a heavy-duty diesel truck with an all-electric cargo van, the Food Bank has expanded its ability to transport nutritious food while reducing harmful vehicle emissions and improving local air quality.

“With the investment of this cleaner vehicle from Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, the Yolo Food Bank is able to better engage volunteers who are eager to help harvest food from our generous farmers to feed the food insecure of Yolo County,” said Yolo Food Bank Executive Director Karen Baker. “This is especially important given the cost of fuel and the impact vehicle emissions have on the environment.”

Increasing the use of renewable energy is important, Congressman Thompson said.

“Our planet depends upon it and our future generations depend on it,” he said. “That’s a big charge that we’ve been given and the fact that everybody here responded to that is pretty exciting, and pretty impressive.”

The ribbon-cutting highlighted the partnership between the Air District and Yolo Food Bank and demonstrated how government incentive programs can help organizations adopt cleaner technologies to benefit the community. In 2025, the Air District awarded more than $2.7 million in incentive funding to support cleaner equipment, cleaner transportation, and cleaner technologies — nearly half of which directly benefited low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The Air District's Clean Air Funds Program provides grants for projects that reduce emissions from mobile sources. Funding is available to private companies, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other eligible entities through four project categories: Clean Vehicle Technology, Alternative Transportation, Transit Services, and Public Education.

The program is funded in part through AB 2766, which authorizes California air districts to collect a $4 fee on annual motor vehicle registrations within their jurisdictions. The Air District invests a portion of this money through the Clean Air Funds Program to support community projects that reduce transportation-related emissions and improve air quality throughout Yolo County and northeastern Solano County.