Heavy-duty electric trucks servicing San Pedro Bay port terminals can now charge for free at the Port of Long Beach, which on Nov. 18 announced that it has opened the first two public charging stations in the nation for such vehicles. The port is partnering with EV Connect, a Los Angeles area-based provider of charge-management solutions for electric vehicles, to provide the stations at the Clean Truck Program Terminal Access Center, 1265 Harbor Ave., Long Beach. “Southern California will need a network of thousands of heavy-duty charging stations, not only at the ports but all around the region, as society…

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Oregon’s Port of Portland $24,360,000 for port infrastructure improvements that would support current and future operations. The funding is to support current infrastructure by strengthening pavement for flexible cargo storage and upgrading pavement in the container yard. The funds also are to support new stormwater treatment infrastructure to reduce pollutants entering the Columbia River, improve energy consumption, reduce light pollution and support a port goal of moving ward zero-emission operations. The announcement came with kudos from U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Roy Wyden, both D-Ore. Merkley said the funds will provide crucial support…

Port officials from around the U.S. and overseas gathered virtually in November to discuss the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan delivered the welcoming remarks at the Storms, Flooding and Sea Level Defense Conference, which was hosted by the Propeller Club of Northern California in collaboration with the Society of American Military Engineers. The conference, now in its fifth year, is the product of collaboration between California ports, including those in Oakland, San Francisco, Long Beach and Los Angeles. “The Port of Oakland as well as all California ports are literally on…

On Thursday, Dec. 1, federal, Washington state and local officials participated in a ribbon-cutting event at the Port of Everett to celebrate the completion of the new 40-acre Norton Terminal. The $40 million terminal is the centerpiece of the port’s more than $100 million “Mills to Maritime” initiative aimed at bolstering cargo flow and jobs in the region. The event also celebrated the completion of the MTCA (Model Toxics Control Act) Third Interim Action Cleanup Project. “This work transformed the former Kimberly-Clark mill site into a new 40-acre maritime hub to enhance the movement of commerce, restore jobs and keep…

A total of $71,488,445 in federal grants have been awarded to five Washington state ports, with the grants offered through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD). The five recipients are the Port of Grays Harbor, Northwest Seaport Alliance Port of Seattle, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Port of Olympia and the Port of Port Angeles. The Port of Seattle will receive a $17,035,900 federal grant for an ongoing expansion and emissions reduction project. “Terminal 5 expansion is central to our strategy to reduce port congestion, strengthen the supply chain, and create more good-paying maritime jobs in Seattle,” Sen. Maria…

To further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality and public health on and around the San Diego Bay, Navy Region Southwest and the Port of San Diego have formed a partnership that gives the U.S. Navy access to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) market. The federal/state initiative is expected to provide millions of dollars for further electrification efforts for both Naval Base San Diego and the Port of San Diego. The LCFS is a cap-and-trade-like program where the producers of fossil fuels must either increase the use of plant-based carbon (e.g., ethanol and soybean oil) or buy…

The Port of Long Beach in October revealed that it has joined the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), a public-private partnership formed to help capture newly available federal funding to assist in developing a robust renewable hydrogen market in California. The partnership was commemorated Oct. 6 during a launch event at the port’s Administration Building, and was attended by officials from the port, City of Long Beach, the governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the University of California Office of the President, labor organizations, and state and local officials. ARCHES is expected to serve as the lead…

Swedish onshore wave energy technology company Eco Wave Power Global AB revealed Aug. 2 that its energy conversion unit, formerly deployed in Gibraltar, is now on its way to AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, with a September arrival expected. Eco Wave Power is an onshore wave energy technology company that has developed a technology for turning ocean and sea waves into green electricity. Eco Wave Power has said that its mission is to assist in the fight against climate change by enabling commercial power production from the ocean and sea waves. AltaSea is a nonprofit public-private ocean institute…

For the sixth consecutive year, the Northwest Seaport Alliance has earned the distinction of being an Inbound Logistics Green Supply Chain Partner. The recognition highlights NWSA’s commitment to protecting the environment through proactive and collaborative partnerships with supply chain stakeholders and communities across the Puget Sound. The 75 organizations selected by the publication Inbound Logistics represent various trade sectors, including trucking companies, railroads, shipping lines, freight forwarders and air cargo carriers. These companies are recognized for their commitment to supply chain sustainability and ensuring that their operations are environmentally friendly. The NWSA, which is a maritime operations partnership between the…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the Commodity Container Assistance Program (CCAP), which includes a partnership with the Port of Oakland and the Northwest Seaport Alliance—the marine cargo operating partnership between the Seattle and Tacoma seaports. Ongoing market disruptions have created logistical challenges associated with the availability and flow of shipping containers to transport agricultural commodities, which has prevented or delayed American-grown agricultural commodities from reaching their markets. “Both the Port of Oakland and the NWSA in Seattle have been identified as key gateways for American-grown agricultural commodities, and each has experienced significant challenges with the…