EPA Grants US Ports $3B to Cut Carbon Emissions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected 55 applicants to receive nearly $3 billion through its 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 across the country, all with the goal of reducing diesel air pollution in the U.S.
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President Joe Biden made the announcement Monday morning during a visit to the Port of Baltimore.
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 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.
In funding human-operated equipment, the EPA is also indirectly giving the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) a vote of support as the union spars with the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) on terms of a new contract. The union dockworkers, who went on strike for three days across East and Gulf Coast ports, sought to halt automation projects at the gateways as part of the talks. Master contract negotiations between the ILA and USMX are restarting in November.
Nearly $412 million was awarded to the Port of Los Angeles to support the zero-emission transition at the nation’s busiest trade gateway. The port and its private sector partners will match the EPA grant with an additional $236 million, taking total investment to $644 million.
The new funding will go toward purchasing nearly 425 pieces of human-operated zero-emissions cargo handling equipment, installing 300 new charging ports and other related infrastructure and deploying 250 zero-emissions drayage trucks. The grant will also provide for $50 million for a community-led zero-emissions grant program, workforce development and related engagement activities.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will receive $344 million to implement their proposed project, Catalyzing Change. The project will deploy electric cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks with supporting charging infrastructure, including through a voucher program and a “green drayage accelerator” program.
The authority is reducing the number of polluting vehicles at the port by scrapping a portion of its existing fleet and is training workers to operate the new equipment.
“Our nation’s ports are critical to creating opportunity here in America, offering good-paying jobs, moving goods, and powering our economy,” said EPA administrator Michael Regan in a statement. “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.”
Massive grants were doled out to the Port of Virginia and Port of Oakland to help them make clean upgrades.
The Port of Virginia received $380 million to buy and install electric assets and equipment while retiring legacy gas-powered equipment.
Using the grant, the port will retire more than 150 pieces of legacy equipment at two of its terminals. All retired units will be replaced with new battery-electric equipment; the old units will be scrapped for recycling.
Replacement equipment includes specialized cranes for rail operations and container yards, forklifts, shuttle carriers for moving containers, electric locomotives, on-terminal trucks and shuttle buses for safely moving people to and from work areas.
The EPA awarded $322 million to the Port of Oakland, to fast track the gateway’s conversion to nearly 100 percent zero-emissions cargo handling operations. The grant will finance 663 pieces of zero-emissions equipment which includes 475 drayage trucks and 188 pieces of cargo handling equipment.
Port complexes in Baltimore, Savannah, Philadelphia and Wilmington, N.C. all got substantial funding as well.
The grants are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
U.S. railroads get $2.4 billion for improvement projects
Ports aren’t the only linchpin in America’s supply chain getting substantial government grants.
The Federal Railroad Administration announced more than $2.4 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for 122 rail improvement projects in 41 states and Washington, D.C.
These projects are designed to make railroads safer, more reliable and more resilient, all while moving goods with fewer disruptions, lower shipping costs and less pollution.
Grants are administered through the administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program, which goes to projects like upgrading tracks, replacing or rehabilitating aging bridges, expanding rail connections at ports, adding modern locomotives to fleets and more.
The largest individual grant has been awarded to New York, with $215 million given to replace a CSX-owned passenger rail bridge spanning the Hudson River between Albany and Rensselaer, N.Y.
Another major $157 million grant will go to a project in Springfield, Ill., which will consolidate the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern corridors into one multitrack corridor through the city and advance the efforts to provide a higher speed intercity passenger rail connection between St. Louis and Chicago.
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