Clean Ports Program

Announcement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced 55 selected applications for nearly $3 billion in Clean Ports Program grants. Learn about the selections.

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About the Clean Ports Program

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides EPA with $3 billion to fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure as well as climate and air quality planning at U.S. ports. This new funding program will build on EPA’s Ports Initiative that helps our nation’s ports, a critical part of our infrastructure and supply chain, address public health and environmental impacts on surrounding communities.

EPA has announced 55 selected applications for nearly $3 billion in grants for two separate Notices of Funding Opportunities- the Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition AND the Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition. The selected applications will fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure as well as climate and air quality planning at U.S. ports located in 27 states and territories.

EPA anticipates making awards beginning in December 2024 once all legal 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.

Clean Ports Program goals:

  • Build a foundation for the port sector to transition over time to fully zero-emissions operations, positioning ports to serve as a catalyst for transformational change across the freight sector.
  • Reduce diesel pollution (criteria pollutants, GHGs, and air toxics) in near-port communities.
  • Help ensure that meaningful community engagement and emissions reduction planning are port industry standard practices.

View or download the Clean Ports Program Infographic (pdf) (384.96 KB) .

View or download the Clean Ports Program Fast Facts (pdf) (119 KB, April 2024, EPA-420-F-24-020) or Datos rápidos del Programa de puertos limpios (pdf) (119 KB, April 2024, EPA-420-F-24-021).

Notices of Funding Opportunities

Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition

The Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition will fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions (criteria pollutants, air toxics, and/or greenhouse gases) at U.S. ports, delivering cleaner air for communities across the country.

Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition

The Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition is poised to fund climate and air quality planning activities at U.S. ports; including emissions inventories, strategy analysis, community engagement, and resiliency measure identification, all of which will build the capacity of port stakeholders to continue to reduce pollution and transition to zero-emissions operations over time.

Build America Buy America Waiver

After consideration of public comments and in consultation with federal agency partners, EPA is issuing a targeted, time-limited Public Interest General Applicability Waiver of Build America, Buy America Act provisions for certain zero emissions mobile port equipment purchased under the Clean Ports Program. EPA believes that the limited scope and duration of this proposed waiver incentivizes manufacturers to invest in increasing domestic production capacity, while helping to ensure a sufficient supply of mobile port equipment available for Clean Ports Program projects in the near-term.

The waiver applies to certain Clean Ports Program grantee expenditures for zero emission mobile port equipment that meets each of the following criteria:

  • the contracted order date for the equipment is on or before December 31, 2027;
  • the contracted delivery date for the equipment is on or before December 31, 2028;
  • and the equipment is delivered no later than July 1, 2029.
  • NOTE: yard trucks and ship-to-shore cranes have different timelines than other equipment covered by the domestic content waiver provision. See details in the "55 Percent Domestic Content Waiver Provision" section of the waiver.

Applicants to the ZE Technology Deployment Competition were able to consider these waiver provisions, if applicable, when describing their domestic sourcing implementation plans in the Project Summary section of their workplans (Section 1.a.) and technology availability in the Risk Mitigation section of their workplans (Section 1.d.).

Project-level waivers remain an option for grant recipients should the provisions established by this waiver prove inadequate.

You can view the final waiver on EPA’s Approved BABA Waivers page.

You can view questions and answers about the final waiver in the document below. If you have any additional questions about the waiver, please contact [email protected].

Key elements of the finalized BABA waiver are as follows:

55% Domestic Content Waiver Provision

The waiver allows Clean Ports Program grantees to purchase certain types of zero-emissions mobile port equipment that does not meet the 55% domestic content BABA requirement. This equipment must still be manufactured in the United States.

Equipment Covered by the 55% Content Waiver Provision

The following zero-emission mobile port equipment is covered by the 55% domestic content waiver provision described above:

  • Zero emission cranes:
    • Rubber tire gantry cranes
    • Mobile harbor cranes
    • Rail-mounted gantry cranes
    • Stacking cranes
    • Ship-to-shore cranes (note that the domestic content waiver provision for this equipment is more limited than others; please see for more details "55 Percent Domestic Content Waiver Provision" section of the waiver)
  • Other zero emission cargo handling equipment (with the exception of equipment types listed below that are excluded from this waiver provision):
    • Bulk cargo handling equipment
    • Containerized cargo handling equipment
    • Straddle Carriers
    • Mobile shore power cable management systems
  • Zero emission class 3-8 vehicles:
    • Drayage trucks
    • Yard trucks (also known as terminal tractors, yard tractors, or yard hostlers)
  • Zero emission locomotives:
    • Switch locomotives
  • Zero emission vessels:
    • Tugboats
    • Push boats
    • Pull boats
    • Ferries

Equipment Excluded from the 55% Content Waiver Provision

The zero-emission cargo handling equipment that are not covered by the waiver of 55% domestic content requirement are:

  • Battery electric (BE) heavy forklifts 36,000lbs 24” & 48” Load Center (L.C.)
  • BE heavy forklifts 55,000lbs 48” L.C.
  • BE heavy forklifts 65,000lbs 48” L.C.
  • BE heavy forklifts 92,500lbs 48” L.C.
  • BE heavy forklifts 100,000lbs 48” L.C.
  • BE loaded top-pick container handler (up to 6-high-stack and 90,000lbs)
  • BE empty side-pick container handler (up to 8-high stack and 20,000lbs)
  • BE reach stacker (up to 5-high stack and 99,000lbs)

Supplemental De Minimis Waiver Provision

EPA is also finalizing a supplemental de minimis waiver provision, which waives BABA compliance requirements for 15 percent (%) of the material costs associated with the purchase of mobile zero emissions port equipment. This provision does not apply to cranes.

EPA’s existing public interest De Minimis waiver (pdf) (2.9 MB) allows up to 5% of total project costs to be used on items that are not required to demonstrate compliance with BABA requirements; this existing 5% waiver will remain applicable to the Clean Ports Program. EPA is now also waiving BABA requirements for an additional 15% of the total material costs associated with zero emission mobile port equipment (other than cranes) purchased under the Clean Ports Program that do not meet domestic manufacturing requirements (i.e., are not domestically manufactured and do not meet domestic content requirements for manufactured products).

The EPA encourages grant recipients to seek out domestic suppliers prior to using the supplemental de minimis to maximize the use of domestic equipment.

Important Dates

Activity Date
Notices of Funding Opportunities Open Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Webinar: Overview of EPA’s Clean Ports Program Funding Opportunities Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 2:00 PM (ET)
Optional Notice of Intent to Apply Due to [email protected] (Closed) Thursday, March 28, 2024 (Closed)
Deadline for comments on proposed BABA Waiver (Closed) Monday, April 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM (ET) (Closed)
Deadline for Submitting Questions (Closed) Monday, May 6, 2024 (Closed)
NOFOs Close – Applications Due (Closed) Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 11:59 PM (ET) (Closed)
Anticipated Notification of Selection October 2024
Anticipated Awards December 2024 – January 2025

Documents for Applicants

Application Attachments

Please note that the Supplemental Application Template was a required application attachment. This collection of information is approved by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. (OMB Control No. 2060-0754).

Application Reference Material

Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers: Clean Ports Program Competitions (pdf) (672.33 KB, updated: June 17, 2024)

If you have additional questions, please email [email protected].

For questions related to the Clean Ports Program Build America Buy America requirements or waiver, please see the BABA General Applicability Public Interest Waiver for EPA’s Clean Ports Program Questions and Answers, or email [email protected].

Eligible Applicants

The following entities are eligible to apply for both competitions under the Clean Ports Program:

  • Port authority
  • State, regional, local, or Tribal agency that has jurisdiction over a port authority or port
  • Air pollution control agency
  • Private entity that:
    • Applies in partnership with an eligible entity above, and
    • Owns, operates, or uses facilities, cargo-handling equipment, transportation equipment, or related technology of a port.

Engaging Communities

While community groups were not eligible to apply directly for funding, the Clean Ports Program has been designed to ensure that near-port community engagement and equity considerations are key elements of the program. Priority points were awarded to projects that take place in disadvantaged communities experiencing poor air quality. Applicants were strongly encouraged to engage with local communities to inform their project, and EPA evaluated applications on the extent and quality of meaningful engagement activities before applying, during the project, and after project completion to ensure that community concerns are considered in proposed projects and beyond. For guidance on meaningful engagement with near-port communities, view our Community - Clean Port Collaboration Toolkit.

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities for the Planning Competition include:

  • Emissions inventory and accounting practices (one or more required)
  • Stakeholder collaboration and communication, including workforce planning analysis, with a focus on near-port communities
  • Strategy analysis and goal-setting
  • Resiliency planning

Eligible expenses for the ZE Technology Competition include:

  • ZE Mobile Equipment that Serves a Port
    • Cargo handling equipment (e.g., terminal tractors, forklifts, top handlers, side picks, straddle carriers)
    • Drayage trucks
    • Locomotives and railcar movers
    • Harbor craft and other vessels (e.g., commercial and Tribal fishing vessels, tugs, ferries, patrol boats, workboats, dredges, pilot boats, barges)
  • ZE Infrastructure Serving Mobile Equipment
    • Shore power for marine vessels
    • Electric charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure as well as battery energy storage systems serving port equipment purchased as part of the applicant’s grant award
    • Solar and wind power generation systems that are installed to primarily power mobile equipment, including port equipment purchased as part of the applicant’s grant award
  • ZE Technology Deployment Support Activities
    • Project-specific public engagement
    • Safety planning, operational planning, workforce training, and protocol development
    • Project management, administrative costs, and performance monitoring
    • Collection and analysis of in-use operational data to optimize/refine ZE technology implementation
    • Infrastructure testing
    • Permit application

Application Process

Application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov by the deadline to be considered for funding. Specifically, the Grants.gov registration process requires that your organization have a Unique Entity Identifier (previously known as the DUNS number) and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov); the process of obtaining both could take a month or more for new registrants.

Potential applicants without a Grants.gov account are encouraged to initiate the Grants.gov registration process well ahead of the deadline for funding since the registration process can take a month or more.

Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active the System for Award Management registration. If you have never done business with the Federal Government, you will need to register your organization in SAM.gov. If you do not have a SAM.gov account, then you will create an account using the government sign in service (login.gov) to complete your System for Award Management registration. The registration is FREE. The process for entity registrations includes obtaining Unique Entity ID (UEI), a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned an entity by SAM.gov, and requires assertions, representations and certifications, and other information about your organization. Please review the Entity Registration Checklist for details on this process. It is recommended to begin the System for Award Management registration process prior to applying to this grant competition; registration may take more than a month to complete.

Applicants with existing Grants.gov accounts are encouraged to check the status of your System for Award Management account and address any account issues in advance of applying.

Please note that System for Award Management registrations do expire, and inactive accounts must re-register to be able to submit an application. If you have done business with the Federal Government previously, you can check your entity status using your government issued UEI to determine if your registration is active. The System for Award Management requires you renew your registration every 365 days to keep it active. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through Grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the application submission deadline.

All applications must now be submitted through Grants.gov using the “Workspace” feature. Information on the Workspace feature can be found at the Grants.gov Workspace Overview Page. For more information on the registration requirements that must be completed in order to submit an application through Grants.gov, click on “Applicants” on the top of the page, and then click the “Get Registered” link on the page. Contact the Federal Service Desk for help with your System for Award Management account, to resolve technical issues or chat with a help desk agent: (866) 606-8220. The Federal Service desk hours of operation are Monday – Friday 8am – 8pm ET.

Tools and Resources for Applicants

Technical Resources for Ports: A collection of resources from EPA’s Ports Initiative with tools focused on shore power, emissions inventories, operational strategies, fuel cell technologies (pdf) (3.6 MB, July 2022, EPA-420-R-22-013), and more.

Best Clean Air Practices at Ports: Information, tools, and real world examples of best clean air practices for port-wide planning, drayage trucks , rail facilities , ocean-going vessels , cargo-handling equipment , and harbor craft compiled by EPA’s Ports Initiative.

Community Port Collaboration: Resources developed by EPA’s Ports Initiative to support effective communication and engagement between the port industry, communities, and other port stakeholders. Tools include the Environmental Justice Primer for Ports, Ports Primer for Communities, Community Action Roadmap, pilot projects, and more.

Public Engagement

Webinars and Events

For information on past events related to EPA’s Clean Ports Program, including webinar slides and recordings, please visit the Ports Initiative Events page. Recent events include:

  • EPA’s Clean Ports Program: Frequent Questions and Answers Webinar (4/25/2024)
  • EPA’s Clean Ports Program and MARAD’s PIDP: An Overview of Complementary Federal Funding Opportunities Webinar (4/11/2024)
  • Overview of EPA’s Clean Ports Funding Opportunities (3/13/2024)
  • EPA Clean Ports Program – First Look! Webinar (10/31/2023)
  • Advancing Environmental Justice in Near Ports Communities (3/13/2023)
  • IRA Clean Ports Funding Listening Sessions (11/9/2022 and 12/6/2022)

Requests for Information

Public comment period on proposed waiver for Build America, Buy America Act provisions closed on April 15. EPA received 54 comments on the proposal, which informed the final waiver.

Technical Request for Information: EPA’s RFI on the Development of Guidance for Zero-Emission Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Port Equipment, and Fueling Infrastructure Deployment under the Inflation Reduction Act Funding Programs closed on June 5, 2023.

General Request for Information: EPA’s general RFI on Inflation Reduction Act Provisions for Office of Air and Radiation Implementation closed on January 18, 2023.

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Last updated on October 29, 2024