A multimillion-dollar California Energy Commission Grant will help the Port of Long Beach transition to zero-emissions operations by developing infrastructure plans to support electric vehicles at the nation’s second busiest seaport.
The $2.5 million award aids the second phase of the Port Community Electric Vehicle Blueprint, which the Port created to identify a strategic approach to electric vehicle planning and implementation, and identify opportunities to ensure the local workforce has the skills and abilities required to support and maintain an electric vehicle-ready community.
Projects covered by the grant include developing a master plan for SSA Marine's Pier J facility to convert to zero-emissions operations.
A similar master plan will be developed to evaluate the infrastructure required to support a fully zero-emissions Port-owned fleet of vehicles and vessels. Other projects include installing chargers at the Port’s Maintenance Facility as well as the infrastructure needed to power future chargers at the Port’s Joint Command and Control Center. Lastly, funds will be used to develop a report in partnership with Long Beach City College to identify workforce skills needed to maintain zero-emissions trucks and infrastructure.
The Port of Long Beach will contribute $847,072 matching funds toward the total $3.4 million cost.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. As the second-busiest container seaport in the United States, the Port handles trade valued at more than $200 billion annually and supports 2.6 million trade-related jobs across the nation, including 575,000 in Southern California.