ALEXANDRIA, Va.—TravelCenters of America said it has formed a new business unit, eTA, to bring alternative energy and sustainable resources to the marketplace. eTA will primarily partner with private companies, customers and the public sector to encourage and oversee the transition.

John D. Thomas will act as the senior vice president, Sustainability & Alternative Energy for TA. With his expertise and knowledge of the industry, Thomas will work to advance the company’s goals to ensure TA is at the front of the pack when it comes to transitioning to carbon fuel alternatives and taking advantage of other alternative fuel opportunities, the company said.

“TA’s sites are strategically located where highway travelers are most likely to rest and refuel, and TA has the scale and infrastructure proximity to incorporate lower carbon fuel and alternative energy resources into its broad range of fuel offerings,” Thomas said. “These assets, combined with the company’s cutting-edge operating platform and digital systems, ideally position TA to capitalize on policy and market trends to offer low-priced, clean transportation energy and serve as the partner of choice for tomorrow’s traveler.”

eTA represents the continued efforts of TA and TA’s previously announced plans to create a spectrum of potential alternative energy offerings for consumers and offer the widest range of nonfuel offerings among restaurants, c-stores and the truck service industries.

TA’s creation of eTA follows a number of moves in the alternative energy space and partnerships in the industry to provide alternative energy services. Recent projects and partnerships include: 

• A $4 million grant with the California Energy Commission to participate in testing innovations related to medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MDHD) electrification
• Working with Nikola Corp. to offer hydrogen fueling in California for heavy-duty trucks (presently at two sites), with the possibility of extending the service nationwide
• Expanding diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) availability, while planning to add DEF to fueling lanes at 40 more sites with a total of 173 fueling lanes; TA aims to make DEF available throughout its entire network by early 2022
• Increasing investments in biodiesel blending, with the goal to install more biodiesel blending infrastructures throughout the company’s network; TA also is aiming to expand offerings of renewable diesel in California and Oregon
• Plans to install FreeWire EV charging stations for travelers in California in the second quarter of 2021