Biden-Harris Administration Announces Selections for Nearly $3 Billion of Investments in Clean Ports as Part of Investing in America Agenda

EPA’s Clean Ports Program to fund 55 zero-emission port equipment, infrastructure, and planning projects across the nation to tackle climate change, reduce air pollution, promote good jobs, and advance environmental justice

October 29, 2024

WASHINGTON —  Today, October 29, as part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of 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 across the country. The grants are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act — the largest investment in combating climate change and promoting clean energy in history— and will advance environmental justice by reducing diesel air pollution in U.S. ports and surrounding communities while promoting good-paying and union jobs that help America’s ports thrive.

Ports are vital to the U.S. economy and are responsible for moving goods and people throughout the country. At the same time, the port and freight equipment responsible for moving goods including trucks, locomotives, marine vessels, and cargo-handling equipment contribute to significant levels of diesel air pollution at and near port facilities. This pollution is especially harmful to nearby communities’ health and contributes to climate change. The funds announced today will improve air quality at ports across the country 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 391,220 homes' energy use 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,” said 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.”

“President Biden and Vice President Harris entered office with a vision to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and tackle the climate crisis in a way that would create good-paying and union jobs and uplift the communities who’ve borne the brunt of pollution,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy. “The EPA Clean Ports program is one of the best examples of their vision come to life.”

“Decarbonizing our nation’s ports is one of the many ways President Biden and Vice President Harris’s investment agenda is helping cut pollution and create good-paying union jobs,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “The communities being uplifted by these grants provide proof points for how good environmental policy can be good economic policy. By advancing clean energy solutions in every sector of our growing economy, the Biden-Harris administration continues to position our nation to lead the global clean energy race, while protecting all communities -- especially those on the front-line and the fence-line -- from harmful pollution in the air we breathe and the water we drink.”

“The Port of Baltimore is a vital economic engine for the state and a leader among the nation’s ports. As we work to improve the Port, it is essential that we build for the future. The projects supported by the Clean Ports Program will help reduce emissions, improve air quality in the Baltimore region and create more clean energy jobs,” said Senator Ben Cardin (MD). “The Biden-Harris administration’s bold investments in modernizing our infrastructure are driving our economy forward while enabling us to take on climate change in a meaningful way.”

“We fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act to create good-paying jobs in our communities while tackling the climate crisis head-on, and today’s announcement shows these investments are being put to work. This new federal funding will support the Port of Baltimore’s transition to electric infrastructure as part of its plans to reduce emissions – both bolstering the Port's growth and improving air quality for nearby communities. These efforts will help strengthen Baltimore’s economy and create more local jobs for Marylanders,” said Senator Van Hollen (MD).

 “The tremendous projects selected for these federal funding awards will improve air quality and combat climate change by dramatically diminishing the Port of Baltimore's greenhouse gas and toxic pollutant emissions via installation of zero-emission cargo handling equipment and trucks, while also bolstering the Maryland Port Administration’s overall emissions reduction strategy. These extraordinary federal investments into our Port are consistent with our collective duty to preserve the planet – while also continuing to uplift the Port of Baltimore’s workforce and surrounding communities in the transition to a zero-emissions facility,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07). “As exemplified by this compelling announcement, the historic Inflation Reduction Act continues to tackle the climate crisis with fierce urgency right here in Baltimore,” he concluded.

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 across the country seeking to advance next-generation, clean technologies at U.S. ports.

After a thorough and rigorous grant application review process, EPA selected 55 applications to receive this historic investment. Applications to 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 NO_x, and 200 short tons of PM_2.5 in the first 10 years of operation.  These estimates are based on initial counts of proposed zero-emission equipment and shore power installations and do not consider benefits from retiring older vehicles, among other factors. These simplified estimates were prepared using national default emissions and activity factors and will be refined over time with more detailed information from selectees.

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 5 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 ZE Equipment for Ports (ZEEP) Voucher Incentive Program and Green Drayage Accelerator (GDA) program. PANYNJ commits to reducing the number of polluting vehicles at the port by scrapping a portion of the existing fleet. The project also includes the installation of vessel shore power infrastructure. As part of this project, PANYNJ will implement a comprehensive community engagement plan and train workers to operate and maintain new equipment and infrastructure.
• 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 project also includes the scrappage of diesel cargo handling equipment, a vessel, and a railcar mover to reduce air pollution at the port and in the surrounding area. As part of this project, the applicant plans to develop a stakeholder engagement plan to facilitate community engagement and a guidebook for workforce development. 
• 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. GPA plans to engage with communities through their community advisory network and conduct classroom and on the job training for workers related to shore power, zero-emission vehicles, and charging stations.
• 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 (ZE) 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. In addition to the deployment of zero-emission technology, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority plans to conduct community engagement and workforce development through this project.
• 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 a portion of the existing diesel fleet. The project includes community engagement activities, workforce training on zero-emission equipment, and efforts to expand access to high-quality jobs in near-port communities.

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 comprehensive program designed to accelerate the introduction of zero-emissions technology into the Houston Port ecosystem. The project includes nine tasks: 1) greenhouse gas emissions inventory; 2) truck route analysis; 3) infrastructure cost assessment; 4) climate action plan; 5) performance measurement framework; 6) advisory council and community engagement forum; 7) trucking industry collaborative; 8) workforce planning and engagement; and 9) resiliency planning.
• 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. Reduction strategies will prioritize technologically and operationally feasible vehicles and equipment that can be integrated to reduce criteria, greenhouse gas, and toxic air emissions. The project also includes development of a resiliency plan to protect infrastructure from climate related vulnerabilities, such as hurricanes.
• 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 ZE 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. A workforce development and climate resilience needs assessment will be prepared as part of the planning process. Meaningful community is already a standard practice at NWSA, and the project is informed by community concerns.

In addition to protecting human health and the environment, the program will protect and grow good-paying and union port jobs, create new good-paying and union jobs in the domestic clean energy sector, and enhance U.S. economic competitiveness through the innovation, installation, maintenance, and operation of zero-emissions equipment and infrastructure. The program’s historic investment in zero-emission port technology will also help promote and ensure the U.S. position as a global leader in clean technologies.

EPA’s Clean Ports Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.  Disadvantaged communities will benefit from cleaner air and access to high quality jobs that will be created to operate zero emissions technologies at ports.

EPA ensured that near-port community engagement and equity considerations were at the forefront of the Clean Ports Program’s design, including by evaluating applications on the extent and quality of their projects’ community engagement efforts. The program will also help to ensure that meaningful community engagement and emissions reduction planning become a part of port industry standard practices by building on the successes of EPA’s Ports Initiative and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act programs. These programs have previously invested over $196 million to implement 207 diesel emissions reduction projects at ports with an additional $88 million to multi-sector projects that involve ports and have encouraged strong community-port collaboration.

The agency anticipates making awards once all legal, statutory, and administrative requirements are satisfied. Selectees will work with EPA over the coming months to finalize project plans before receiving final awards and moving into the implementation phase. Project implementation will occur over the next three to four years depending on the scope of each project.

To learn more about the Clean Ports Program tentatively selected applications, please visit the Clean Ports Program Selections webpage.