Federal officials recently announced the Port of Baltimore will receive $147 million from the federal Clean Ports Program.
The Port of Balitmore one of 55 applicants across 27 states and territories selected 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 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.
According to the press release,
“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.”
“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.
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 NOx, and 200 short tons of PM2.5 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.
Port of Baltimore Funding
Federal Programs Overview:
- The Climate and Air Quality Planning (CAQP) Competition funds climate and air quality planning activities at U.S. ports to build the capacity of port stakeholders to continue to reduce pollution and transition to zero-emissions operations over time.
- The Zero-Emission Technology Deployment (ZE Tech) Competition funds 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.
Awards:
- CAQP – Maryland Port Administration – $1,974,660
- Update and expand emissions inventory
- Alternative energy analysis with emissions reduction strategy plan
- Workforce analysis and community engagement plan
- ZE Tech – Maryland Port Administration – $145,658,479
- Electric cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks
- Charging infrastructure, battery energy storage system, electrical infrastructure upgrades
