US backs PRPA’s clean energy upgrades and emissions reduction projects with fresh funding

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $1.8 million grant to the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) to drive climate resilience and air quality improvements across the port operations.

The EPA has selected the Puerto Rico Ports Authority to receive a Climate and Air Quality Planning Grant to develop a baseline air emissions inventory and two projected “business as usual” emissions inventories for 2030/2050, development of emissions reduction strategies, and stakeholder engagement.

Reduction strategies will prioritize technologically and operationally feasible vehicles and equipment that can be integrated to reduce criteria, greenhouse gas, and toxic air emissions. The project also includes the development of a resiliency plan to protect infrastructure from climate related vulnerabilities, such as hurricanes.

The funds are expected to 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 EPA.

“Ports are essential to moving and bringing us goods that we depend on, but they are also sources of air and climate pollution impacting the surrounding communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia.

“With this funding, we’re taking steps to protect community health, improve air quality, and promote climate resilience. This investment underscores EPA’s commitment to advancing environmental and climate justice while ensuring that Puerto Rico’s port communities benefit from cleaner air and sustainable economic growth.”

 As the main gateway for essential goods like food, fuel, and materials, the port sustains our island’s communities in everyday life and in times of crisis. This funding will enable us to advance emission reduction strategies and enhance the port’s long-term resilience, ensuring we remain a cornerstone of Puerto Rico’s prosperity and sustainability,” stated Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority Joel A. Pizá Batiz.

In February 2024, the EPA announced two funding opportunities for U.S. ports. The first was a Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition to help fund zero-emission equipment and infrastructure to cut emissions from mobile sources.

The second was a Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition to support planning activities for improving climate and air quality. By May 2024, applicants from across the country submitted over $8 billion in requests to advance clean technologies at U.S. ports.

In October 2024, the EPA revealed that 55 applicants across 27 states and territories will receive nearly $3 billion through its Clean Ports Program. The aim was to advance “environmental justice” by reducing diesel air pollution in U.S. ports and surrounding communities while promoting good-paying and union jobs.

Selected projects cover a wide range of human-operated and human-maintained equipment used at and around ports, with funds supporting the purchase of battery-electric and hydrogen-powered 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, according to the officials.

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, the EPA said.

US President Joe Biden has earlier secured $17 billion in investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve the country’s ports and waterways. Last year, the Biden-Harris administration also decided to invest $4 billion as part of the Investing in America agenda to boost electrification of the US ports.