The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected 55 applicants across 27 states and territories to receive nearly $3 billion through EPA’s Clean Ports Program. These grants will support the deployment of zero-emission equipment, as well as infrastructure and climate and air quality planning projects at ports nationwide. The grants are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and will advance environmental justice by reducing diesel air pollution in U.S. ports and surrounding communities.
The funds are intended to improve air quality at U.S. ports by installing clean, zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated infrastructure, eliminating more than 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution — equivalent to the energy use of 391,220 homes for one year.
“Our nation’s ports are critical to creating opportunity here in America, offering good-paying jobs, moving goods and powering our economy,” says EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “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.”
In February 2024, EPA announced two separate funding opportunities for U.S. ports: a Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition to directly fund zero-emission equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions; and a Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition to fund climate and air quality planning activities. The competitions closed in May 2024 with over $8 billion in requests from applicants nationwide seeking to advance next-generation, clean technologies at U.S. ports.
EPA selected 55 applications to receive this investment. Applications for the Clean Ports Program were evaluated in part on their workforce development efforts to ensure that projects will expand access to high-quality jobs. Grant selections also align with the administration’s national goal for a zero-emission freight sector, the National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization and the “all-of government” National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy.
Selected projects cover a wide range of human-operated and human-maintained equipment used at and around ports, with funds supporting the purchase of zero-emission equipment, including over 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.
Initial estimates of tailpipe reductions from this new equipment are estimated to be over 3 million metric tons of CO2, 12 thousand short tons of nitrogen oxides and 200 short tons of PM2.5 in the first 10 years of operation.
Selected Zero-Emission Technology Deployment project examples include:
- The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has been selected to receive an anticipated $344,138,135 to work with five collaborating partners to implement their proposed project, Catalyzing Change: Zero-Emissions NY-NJ Port Projects for a Greener Future. The proposed project includes the deployment of electric cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks with supporting charging infrastructure, including through a Zero-Emission Equipment for Ports (ZEEP) Voucher Incentive Program and Green Drayage Accelerator (GDA) program.
- The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority has been selected to receive an anticipated $21,905,782 to initiate the transition to a zero-emission future for the Port of Detroit in Michigan. The proposed project includes the acquisition and deployment of battery electric cargo handling equipment, vessels, railcar movers, charging equipment and solar arrays to support the electricity needs of the new equipment.
- The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has been selected to receive an anticipated $48,763,746 to upgrade the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick with vessel shore power systems. These systems will allow ships to “plug-in” to electric grid power and turn off auxiliary diesel engines while at port. In addition, the project includes the scrappage and replacement of diesel terminal tractors with new electric terminal tractors and the installation of electric charging infrastructure.
- The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority has been selected to receive an anticipated $77,650,965 to deploy zero-emission port equipment across the Port of Philadelphia’s (PhilaPort) operations in Pennsylvania. The equipment slated for purchase under this project includes zero-emissions cargo handling equipment and associated charging infrastructure. The project also includes the scrappage of a portion of the existing diesel fleet to reduce air pollution at the port and in the surrounding area.
- The Port Department of the City of Oakland has been selected to receive an anticipated $322,167,584 to purchase and deploy zero-emission technology at the Port of Oakland in California. Project activities include the deployment of electric and hydrogen cargo handling equipment, drayage trucks, charging infrastructure, and a battery energy storage system, and the scrappage of part of the existing diesel fleet.
Selected Climate and Air Quality Planning project examples include:
- The Port of Houston Authority in Texas, which has been selected to receive an anticipated $2,983,457 grant for the Port Houston’s PORT SHIFT (Ports Optimizing Resilient Transportation through Sustainable, Human, Innovative, and Forward-looking Technology), a program designed to accelerate the introduction of zero-emissions technology into the Houston Port ecosystem.
- The Puerto Rico Ports Authority has been selected to receive an anticipated $1,800,000 for planning activities including the development of a baseline air emissions inventory and two projected “business as usual” emissions inventories for 2030/2050, development of emissions reduction strategies and stakeholder engagement.
- The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has been selected to receive an anticipated $3,000,000 to conduct planning for a breakbulk cargo terminal at the Port of Tacoma in Washington. Expected activities include completing a baseline emissions inventory and feasibility analysis of zero-emission technology to inform the development of a plan to transition 40 pieces of CHE and light-duty vehicles to zero-emissions, and engineering and design for shore power.
To learn more about the Clean Ports Program tentatively selected applications, visit the Clean Ports Program Selections webpage.
