Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $7.4 Million of Clean Ports Investments for Texas as Part of Investing America Agenda

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $7.4 Million of Clean Ports Investments for Texas 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 29, 2024

DALLAS, TEXAS (October 29, 2024)- As part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the Port of Houston Authority, Port Freeport and City of Wilmer have been selected to receive a total of $7,470,106 through EPA's Clean Ports Programfor the deployment of zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure, and climate and air quality planning.

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 from U.S. ports and near 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."

"Ports are a vital part of our nation's infrastructure. By reducing diesel emissions, we can also make them more sustainable, and safer and healthier for nearby communities," said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. "With this funding, the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act continues to invest in our future while improving the present for communities with environmental justice concerns."

"I'm thrilled that Port Houston has been chosen for this Environmental Protection Agency grant, which will bring real, lasting benefits for our environment, economy, and the health of all families in the region. With its ambitious PORT SHIFT program, Houston is taking a bold step toward a cleaner, more sustainable future, and I'm proud to have helped make this possible by voting for the Inflation Reduction Act. PORT SHIFT is about more than moving cargo-it's about building a port that's prepared for the future and a community that's healthier and stronger. With investments in zero-emission trucks, cleaner cargo handling, workforce training, and community engagement, Port Houston is setting the standard for what ports across America can accomplish. The Inflation Reduction Act is already paying off for the greater Houston region, and I'm excited to see Houston lead the charge toward a sustainable, greener future that benefits all," said Congresswoman SylviaGarcia (TX-29).

"We are thrilled to be selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a Climate and Air Quality Planning Grant under the Clean Ports Program. This funding will provide the Port and our partners with the vital insights and strategies needed to foster a cleaner, more sustainable future with our community, customers, and the industries we serve," said Phyllis Saathoff, Executive Director/CEO of Port Freeport.

"Port Houston is excited to be selected by EPA under the Clean Ports Program: Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition. This planning grant will help strengthen Port Houston's initiative to integrate community engagement, sustainability, workforce, and other quality of life indicators into a comprehensive plan that addresses key environmental and social issues," said Charlie Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer.

"As a community driven by collaboration, we are committed to serving the people who make this region thrive. Being a recipient of the 2024 Clean Ports Program: Climate and Air Quality Planning Grant is a reflection of that commitment. We've assembled a world-class team of city administrators, remote sensor and transportation experts, and community engagement leaders to tackle this project. By using sophisticated sensor technology, we will precisely measure vehicular emissions and assess the environmental impact of truck movement in the Inland Port region. Clean air and an enhanced quality of life are not luxuries but necessities for our community, and we are intentional in ensuring that we serve them well. This grant allows us to move forward with a climate-friendly approach that directly benefits the people we are here to support," said Laura Freeland, Executive Director of the Inland Port Transportation and Economic Development Director of the City of Wilmer.

"SMU is delighted to support this project, knowing that it will reap significant benefits for our region, supporting both good health and vital commerce," said Suku Nair, Vice Provost for Research and Chief Innovation Officer. "We're particularly excited to contribute our expertise in remote sensing and transportation analysis to this collaboration."

The Port of Houston Authority in Texas has been selected to receive a Climate and Air Quality Planning Grant for an anticipated $2,983,457 for the Port Houston's PORT SHIFT (Ports Optimizing Resilient Transportation through Sustainable, Human, Innovative, and Forward-looking Technology), a program designed to accelerate the introduction of zero-emissions technology into the Houston Port ecosystem. The project includes nine tasks: 1) greenhouse gas emissions inventory; 2) truck route analysis; 3) infrastructure cost assessment; 4) climate action plan; 5) performance measurement framework; 6) advisory council and community engagement forum; 7) trucking industry collaborative; 8) workforce planning and engagement; and 9) resiliency planning.

Port Freeport has been selected to receive a Climate and Air Quality Planning Grant for an anticipated $1,487,000 for planning activities at the Port Freeport in Texas. Expected activities include developing an emissions and equipment inventory, developing a port resiliency and implementation plan, conducting an electrical feasibility analysis, and developing a comprehensive near-port community benefits and workforce plan.

The City of Wilmer has been selected to receive a Climate and Air Quality Planning Grant for an anticipated $2,999,649 for planning activities at two intermodal terminals in Dallas and Wilmer, Texas. Expected activities include developing an inventory of mobile source emissions, developing an emission reduction strategy specific to heavy-duty vehicles, and conducting community engagement to provide updates and receive input.

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 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 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. 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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