Jerrod KingeryPorts in California are on the path to becoming more environmentally friendly thanks to a billion-dollar grant from the federal government.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that seven California ports are set to receive over $1 billion through the EPA’s Clean Ports Program to build of zero-emission port infrastructure and implement climate and air quality planning projects.
This funding is part of $3 billion in Clean Ports grants the EPA is administering across the U.S. The Port of Los Angeles was awarded the largest grant in the nation at $411 million.
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About 40% of containerized imports in the U.S. come through ports in California, as well at 30% of the nation’s exports.
Ports receiving funding include:
- Port of Los Angeles — $411.69 million to accelerate the port’s transition toward zero-emission on-terminal operations by significantly reducing air pollution in and around the port, deploying zero-emission cargo handling equipment and enhancing electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
- Port of Oakland — $322.17 million to support the vision of reducing emissions and fully decarbonizing port activities by transitioning to zero-emission alternatives for drayage trucks and cargo handling equipment.
- Port of Stockton — $110.47 million to transform the port into the first small port with zero-emission terminal operations and increase the zero-emission workforce in Northern California.
- Port of San Diego — $58.6 million to support the port’s longstanding commitment to the electrification of San Diego’s maritime cargo handling facilities and freight transportation by implementing the final electrification elements to transform the maritime cargo terminals and the goods movement network on San Diego Bay.
- Port of San Francisco — $55.39 million to transition ferry operations along the San Francisco waterfront to zero-emissions, removing 455,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide greenhouse gases and enhancing air quality at the Port of San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area airshed.
- Port of Hueneme — $42.29 million for The Port of Hueneme Reducing Emissions, Supporting Health (PHRESH) project, which consists of two components: PHRESH START (Sustainable, Thoughtful And Resilient Transformation), which includes planning activities, and PHRESH AIR (Accelerating Implementation and Results), which involves the deployment of roughly 35 pieces of zero-emission terminal equipment and a drayage truck incentive program.
To learn more about the Clean Ports Program’s selected applications, please visit the Clean Ports Program Selections webpage.
Photo by Siva Seshappan
