EPA awards $347M grant to PANYNJ for sustainability efforts

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program has awarded the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) with $347 million in grant funding to boost sustainability and community outreach efforts.

It’s the largest sustainability award PANYNJ has received to date, port authority officials said in a press release.

The funding will support the port's transition to more environmentally sustainable operations and collaborations with partners in communities around the port facilities. Most of the funding, $344 million, will support PANYNJ and port operational partners to intensify sustainability efforts.

The funding will enable container terminal operators to purchase zero-emission cargo handling equipment and provides funding for the installation of shore power capabilities, enabling a ship to shut its engine while berthed. The funding will additionally allow PANYNJ to establish a voucher program to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission drayage trucks.

The award set aside $3 million for PANYNJ to strengthen collaborations with groups that serve the port and live around it. PANYNJ plans to establish a Port Community Advisory Council consisting of stakeholders to convene for regular meetings with port leadership, officials said. The grant will enable PANYNJ to update its drayage truck movement and impact study to better understand the needs of the drayage industry as it transitions to cleaner vehicles. It will also support the creation of a community-centric air monitoring program, PANYNJ officials said.