EPA Announces Nearly $28 Million of Clean Ports Investments in Michigan as Part of Investing America Agenda

EPA's Clean Ports Program to fund 55 zero-emission port equipment, infrastructure, and planning projects across the nation to tackle climate change, reduce air pollution, promote good jobs, and advance environmental justice

October 30, 2024

CHICAGO (Oct. 30, 2024)- Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy have been selected to receive a total of $27,905,782 through EPA's Clean Ports Programfor the deployment of zero-emission equipment at the Port of Detroit and climate and air quality planning projects at multiple ports in Michigan.

The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority has been selected to receive a Zero-Emission Technology Deployment grant for an anticipated $21,905,782 for electric cargo handling equipment, vessels, railcar movers, charging infrastructure and solar generation. The Port Authority has also been selected to receive a Climate and Air Quality Planning grant for an anticipated $3 million to develop a roadmap for emissions reductions with shore power, zero emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and port equipment, and electric vehicle and hydrogen fueling infrastructure. The project will also develop a plan for ensuring local workers and small businesses are included in the transition to zero emissions through community and stakeholder engagement.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has been selected to receive a Climate and Air Quality Planning grant for an anticipated $3 million to create a competitive grant program for Michigan water ports to fund eligible activities such as resiliency planning, stakeholder engagement, workforce planning, emissions inventories, analyses and accounting practices, and development of emissions reductions goals. The grant will also support capacity building, workforce development and engagement with near-port communities.

The grants are funded by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act - the largest investment in combating climate change and promoting clean energy in history- and will advance environmental justice by reducing diesel air pollution in U.S. ports and surrounding communities while promoting good-paying and union jobs that help America's ports thrive.

"Our nation's ports are critical to creating opportunity here in America, offering good-paying jobs, moving goods, and powering our economy," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Today's historic $3 billion investment builds on President Biden's vision of growing our economy while ensuring America leads in globally competitive solutions of the future. Delivering cleaner technologies and resources to U.S. ports will slash harmful air and climate pollution while protecting people who work in and live nearby ports communities."

"This funding will make our ports cleaner and more energy efficient, and ensure workers are included and prioritized in the transition," said Rep. Debbie Dingell. "I look forward to continue working with state and local leaders to make sure the clean energy investments we secured in the Inflation Reduction Act reach our communities and make a difference."

"I am grateful for this critical investment for the Port of Detroit from the Inflation Reduction Act," said Rep. Rashida Tlaib. "This is an important step towards reducing emissions in Detroit's frontline communities and building green jobs in Southeast Michigan. We know that our families have the right to breathe clean air."

"The Port of Detroit, a key economic engine in my district, received almost $25 million from the EPA to modernize port equipment and infrastructure," said Rep. Shri Thanedar. "By bringing zero-emission equipment to Detroit, the Biden-Harris administration has made our port, the largest in Michigan, competitive in the global shipping market for years to come, and recommitted to our nation's battle against climate change. As the top Democrat of the Transportation and Maritime Subcommittee, I am devoted to modernizing our transportation system to help all Americans, and federal policies like these are critical steps to making these goals a reality."

"Thank you, Administrator Michael Regan, for two EPA Clean Ports award," saidDetroit/Wayne County Port Authority Executive Director Mark Schrupp. "The Zero Emission Equipment funding will accelerate our plans to replace diesel powered heavy-duty fork trucks, rail car movers and other port equipment and vessels and improve air quality for our residents and workers within the port. The planning grant will help us chart a course for the roll-out of green hydrogen and other zero-emission fuels to power ships and move cargo throughout the port. It will also help ensure that our residents are ready and trained for the new technology and jobs."

"Thanks to the EPA and the Biden-Harris administration for helping improve air quality, stave off catastrophic climate change, create job good-paying clean energy jobs for our residents," said Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Chairman Jonathan C. Kinloch. "With your support, we are creating Green Port Detroit."

"The Michigan Clean Ports Program will help Michigan's ports and port communities become more sustainable," said Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Director Phil Roos. "Michigan's unmatched water resources literally define our state, giving all Michiganders a unique responsibility to steward them. Today's investment from the Biden-Harris Administration will protect these resources, reduce local air pollution, and implement local climate solutions while growing Michigan's thriving maritime economy."

Ports are vital to the U.S. economy and are responsible for moving goods and people throughout the country. At the same time, the port and freight equipment responsible for moving goods including trucks, locomotives, marine vessels, and cargo-handling equipment contribute to significant levels of diesel air pollution at and near port facilities. This pollution is especially harmful to nearby communities' health and contributes to climate change. The funds announced today will 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.

In February 2024, EPA announced two separate funding opportunities for U.S. ports - a Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition to directly fund zero-emission equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions and a Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition to fund climate and air quality planning activities. The competitions closed in May 2024 with over $8 billion in requests from applicants across the country seeking to advance next-generation, clean technologies at U.S. ports.

After a thorough and rigorous grant application review process, EPA selected 55 applications in total to receive this historic investment. Applications to the Clean Ports Program were evaluated in part on their workforce development efforts, to ensure that projects will expand access to high-quality jobs. Grant selections also align with the Administration's national goal for a zero-emission freight sector, the National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, and the 'all-of government' National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy.

Selected projects cover a wide range of human-operated and human-maintained equipment used at and around ports, with funds supporting the purchase of zero-emission 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, 12,000 short tons of NOx, and 200 short tons of PM2.5 in the first 10 years of operation. 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.

In addition to protecting human health and the environment, the program will protect and grow good-paying and union port jobs, create new good-paying and union jobs in the domestic clean energy sector, and enhance U.S. economic competitiveness through the innovation, installation, maintenance, and operation of zero-emissions equipment and infrastructure. The program's historic investment in zero-emission port technology will also help promote and ensure the U.S. position as a global leader in clean technologies.

EPA's Clean Ports Program advances President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Disadvantaged communities will benefit from cleaner air and access to high quality jobs that will be created to operate zero emissions technologies at ports.

EPA ensured that near-port community engagement and equity considerations were at the forefront of the Clean Ports Program's design, including by evaluating applications on the extent and quality of their projects' community engagement efforts. The program will also help to ensure that meaningful community engagement and emissions reduction planning become a part of port industry standard practices by building on the successes of EPA's Ports Initiative and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act programs. These programs have previously invested over $196 million to implement 207 diesel emissions reduction projects at ports with an additional $88 million to multi-sector projects that involve ports and have encouraged strong community-port collaboration.

The agency anticipates making awards once all legal, statutory, and administrative requirements are satisfied. Selectees will work with EPA over the coming months to finalize project plans before receiving final awards and moving into the implementation phase. Project implementation will occur over the next three to four years depending on the scope of each project.

To learn more about the Clean Ports Program tentatively selected applications, please visit the Clean Ports Program Selections webpage.

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