$3bn Clean Ports Investment Announced by Biden Admin.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated a $3 billion initiative aimed at supporting zero-emission technology and infrastructure in ports.

This initiative includes two distinct funding opportunity notices. The first, allocating nearly $2.8 billion, is targeted at deploying zero-emission technology within ports to curb emissions from various mobile sources. Funding is available for a range of projects, including the procurement of zero-emission cargo handling equipment operated and maintained by humans, emission-free harbor craft and vessels, as well as the installation of electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations, among other technological advancements.

An additional sum of roughly $150 million is dedicated to a competition focused on climate and air quality planning at US ports. This includes funding for emissions inventory projects, strategic planning analysis, community engagement efforts, and the identification of resilience measures.

John Podesta, the senior advisor to the president for international climate policy, commented on the significance of this announcement, stating, “Communities living near America’s ports have borne the brunt of some of the worst air pollution coming from shipping, trucking, and maritime industries. Today’s historic announcement from EPA is an investment in a cleaner, healthier future for those communities.”

This announcement follows a commitment made by the Biden administration in November of the previous year, which allocated $653 million towards the development of ports across the US. This funding is part of a record-breaking investment in American ports and waterways, totaling nearly $17 billion, as outlined in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Additionally, earlier this month, President Biden issued an executive order enhancing the coast guard's authority to oversee cybersecurity measures in ports and laid out a strategy to replace Chinese-manufactured port cranes with those made in Japan due to security concerns. Over the next five years, Biden has allocated $20 billion to substitute Chinese cranes with alternatives provided by a US subsidiary of Mitsui.