EPA to Award More than $1 Billion to Decarbonize California’s Ports — Including San Diego’s

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it will award one billion dollars across seven California ports as part of a national effort to build zero-emission port infrastructure.

The grants will also go toward implementing climate and air quality management plans.

“California’s ports move the goods that power our economy. This historic investment in our ports is a major step forward in accelerating the zero-emission infrastructure transition,” said Sen. Alex Padilla, who serves as chair of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, in a statement.

“With more than a billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act funding headed to California, we’re decarbonizing our supply chain to produce cleaner air in neighboring communities and meet our climate goals while creating green jobs.”

A significant portion of the funding — $58.6 million — goes to the Port of San Diego.

The funds aim to build climate resilience by implementing the final elements to complete electrification of the maritime cargo terminals and the goods movement network on San Diego Bay.

The funds will also help construct improvements to the Port’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal to support all future investments in electrical infrastructure and install a grid-based shore power system to connect ocean-going vessels and support electric commercial harbor craft deployed throughout San Diego Bay, among other improvements.

“The Port of San Diego is grateful to Senator Padilla for his continued advocacy of the work we are doing to get closer to our goal of becoming a zero emissions operation,” said Frank Urtasun, chair of the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. 

“Modernizing our cargo terminals is a win for our maritime tenants, cargo trade business, and most importantly for our public health goals.”

The money comes from the EPA’s Clean Ports Program, which is in turn funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The remainder of the funds will go to the following ports:

• Port of Los Angeles — $411.69 million: This project aims to accelerate the port’s transition toward ZE on-terminal operations by significantly reducing air pollution in and around the port, deploying zero-emissions cargo handling equipment, and enhancing electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

• Port of Oakland — $322.17 million: Supports the vision of reducing emissions and fully decarbonizing port acti­­vities by transitioning to zero-emission alternatives for drayage trucks and cargo handling equipment. This includes the purchase of 762 pieces of zero-emissions equipment (battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell) to complete a nearly 100 percent­­ conversion of all cargo handling equipment to zero emissions technologies.

• Port of Stockton — $110.47 million: Transforms the port into the first small port with zero-emissions terminal operations and increases the zero-emissions workforce in Northern California. The port will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxide by acquiring electric forklifts, cranes, terminal tractors, and a mobile railcar indexer; obtaining a direct current fast charger; implementing a shore power system; and deploying rooftop solar power and battery energy storage to power new equipment.

• Port of San Francisco — $55.39 million: This investment will 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. The project will also connect disadvantaged communities with high-paying employment centers. The funding will deliver a series of projects that will complete the establishment of the first zero-emission fast ferry network in the country, connecting the two visitor and employment centers of Downtown San Francisco and Mission Bay with the emerging waterfront neighborhood on Treasure Island.

• Port of Hueneme — $42.29 million: The Port of Hueneme Reducing Emissions, Supporting Health project 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-emissions terminal equipment and a drayage truck incentive program.

• Port of Redwood City — $1.97 million: This project, in partnership with a private entity, includes climate and air quality planning for hydrogen-based fueling and infrastructure.

California ports will receive three of the largest seven grants nationwide, including more than $411 million for the Port of Los Angeles, the largest award in the nation.

California’s ports play a vital role in the national and global economy, moving hundreds of billions of dollars in goods every year. These ports process about 40% of all container-based imports and 30% of all exports in the United States.