The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it awarded $3 billion to ports across the country to fund zero-emission port equipment, infrastructure, and planning projects.
Part of the EPA’s Clean Ports Program, the investment will help tackle climate change, air pollution reduction, job creation and environmental justice, officials said. The 55 ports awarded grants in 27 states will improve air quality around the ports through the installation of zero-emission freight and ferry technologies. Officials said the installations could elimination more than 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution.
“Our nation’s ports are critical to creating opportunity here in America, offering good-paying jobs, moving goods, and powering our economy,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said. “Today’s historic $3 billion investment builds on President Biden’s vision of growing our economy while ensuring America leads in globally competitive solutions of the future. Delivering cleaner technologies and resources to U.S. ports will slash harmful air and climate pollution while protecting people who work in and live nearby ports communities.”
The grants come from two separate funding opportunities – the Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition, which funds zero-emission equipment and infrastructure purchases, and the Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition, which funds climate and air quality planning activities.
Selected projects will support the purchase of more than 1,500 units of cargo handling equipment, 1,000 drayage trucks, 10 locomotives and 20 vessels, as well as shore power systems, battery-electric and hydrogen vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, and solar power generation.
The awards for Zero-Emission Technology Deployment competitive grants include more than $344 million for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to deploy electric cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks with supporting charging infrastructure; $21 million for the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority for the acquisition and deployment of battery-electric cargo handling equipment, and supporting equipment; and $48 million for the Georgia Ports Authority for vessel short power systems that allow ships to ‘plug-in’ to electric grid power and turn off auxiliary diesel engines while at port.
Awards for the Climate and Air Quality Planning project competition include nearly $3 million for the Port of Houston Authority for its Ports Optimizing Resilient Transportation through Sustainable, human, Innovative and Forward-looking Technology (PORT SHIFT) program to accelerate the introduction of zero-emission technology into the Houston Port ecosystem; $1.8 million for the Puerto Rico Ports Authority for the development of a baseline air emissions inventory and two projected emissions inventories for 2030 and 2050; and $3 million for the Northwest Seaport Alliance for a breakbulk cargo terminal at the Port of Tacoma.