Thanks to grants awarded through a lottery, which drew dozens of local truck owners and companies, nearly 100 alternative-fueled trucks in Long Beach, Calif. will hit the streets, according to presstelegram.com.

The trucks, which haul about half the daily cargo that is carried into and out of the ports, are powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Since the port began its ban on older rigs Oct. 1, there has been a fleet of nearly 5,000 new, lower-emission trucks that are in service.

In a July 7 lottery drawing, 98 trucks were chosen out of 1,200 to receive the most funding provided by local and state grants and port fees.

Port authorities plan to make half of the roughly 16,000 heavy-duty trucks entering port property alternative-fueled vehicles. However, only a few hundred vehicles have been able to make the switch due to a few logistical problems.

By 2012, all the trucks must meet 2007 federal emission standards and must burn 90 percent cleaner air than trucks built before 1989.

Further, port authorities have signed a deal for $46.5 million with state and regional air quality regulators to help subsidize further clean truck purchases. Prices range from $90,000 for a basic diesel model to $200,000 for an all-electric rig.

For more information about the future of grants in California for alternative-fueled trucks, please click here.