UCR Researchers Awarded $250,000 Sloan Foundation Grant to Study Clean Energy Transition in Inland Logistics Hub
A multidisciplinary team of UC Riverside researchers has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to study the future of clean energy transition in one of the nation’s most important logistics hubs.
The project is led by Chikako Takeshita (Society, Environment, and Health Equity), with co-principal investigators Marissa Brookes (Political Science & Inland Empire Labor and Community Center), Chuy Flores (Inland Empire Labor and Community Center), and Aaron Gregory (SEHE).
The research will examine how industry leaders, workers, community members, and policymakers shape the transition to zero-emission technologies at the San Bernardino BNSF rail terminal—an inland port central to both regional economic activity and environmental impact.
As California advances efforts to decarbonize the transportation sector, inland logistics hubs like those in the Inland Empire face complex tradeoffs between environmental goals, labor dynamics, and technological change. The project will focus on how different electrification pathways—including battery-electric systems, hydrogen technologies, and overhead rail infrastructure—affect local communities, workforce opportunities, and environmental outcomes.
The research team will employ a mixed-methods approach that includes interviews with industry and regulatory stakeholders, in-depth policy analysis, and two public workshops designed to bring together community members, workers, and decision-makers. In collaboration with the People’s Collective for Environmental Justice (PC4EJ), the project will also produce publicly accessible reports aimed at supporting more equitable and inclusive planning processes.
The Sloan Foundation’s support highlights the growing urgency of understanding how large-scale infrastructure transitions can be designed in ways that are both environmentally sustainable and socially just. Findings from the project are expected to inform policy development, industry practice, and community engagement strategies in California and beyond.