Ports of Tomorrow: Benefits of EPA Clean Ports Grant
Article Summary
Despite being one of the lowest carbon means of moving goods by ton-mile, shipping is still responsible for ~3% of global emissions. To help tackle global CO2 emissions and adhere to the Paris Agreement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are offering $3 billion in funding for port decarbonization projects. Alongside this, air quality and environmental justice (EJ) will also be considered. Consideration for funding will be prioritized based on the progress the funds can make in these three areas at ports, as well as whether a port is in a non-attainment area for air quality and geographical diversity (i.e., funds to be spread across east coast, west coast, great lakes and inland river ports). Note, that inland dry ports where goods are transferred from truck/rail via shipping containers are also eligible. The majority of funding (90%) is available for zero emission (ZE) technologies, such as electric equipment run on renewable electricity. Three hundred million dollars is available for planning activities for climate and air quality emissions, such as building an inventory of emissions, creating a net zero pathway and bringing stakeholders together to collaborate.
The preliminary timeline the EPA have announced is the release of the Notice Of Funding (NOFO) in February 2024, and the application window closing in May 2024. Successful applications will be selected in September 2024, with grants awarded in December 2024.
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