The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 55 applicants across 27 states and territories to receive nearly $3 billion through EPA’s Clean Ports Program.
The 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.
These grants are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and will advance environmental justice by reducing diesel air pollution in U.S. ports and surrounding communities.
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.
Furthermore, the 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.
This includes 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.
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.