Port Electrification Series, Part 1

Before the ink dried, the Port of Los Angeles was under pressure to live up to the goals of its newly minted Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). The year was 2006, long before there were superchargers in every parking lot, let alone any trace of an EV on the road. But one of the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere was creating its own emissions standards to address the ethical, operational, and financial risks of not taking action.

The Origin of CAAP, a Decades-Long Plan

Twenty years ago, Los Angeles’ smog was as infamous as San Francisco’s fog was charming. Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of cargo operations at the ports of Los Angeles and neighboring Long Beach coincided with increased air quality challenges in the area.

In 2000, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) formally classified diesel particulate matter (DPM) as a toxic air contaminant. Shortly after, the EPA concluded that diesel emissions were likely to be carcinogenic to humans. This realization of the health risks, worsening local air, and pressure from neighboring communities created the climate in which port policy was shaped for decades to come.

Moving to Zero Emissions: From Early Wins to Diminished Returns

Since CAAP’s adoption, broader environmental indicators have trended in a positive direction. Port inventories show dramatically reduced emissions of DPM, sulfur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) since 2005. The port’s Clean Trucks Program achieved dramatic reductions in air pollution in its first three years. Programs targeting ship pollution, the largest source of port emissions, were adopted, including shore power for docked ships powering lights, refrigeration, and ventilation.

American Lung Association data shows that Los Angeles has reduced the number of unhealthy ozone days by nearly 40% since the years CAAP was adopted.

However, it started to become clear by the 2010s that the most accessible reductions had been achieved. A 2010 update to CAAP set more aggressive, longer-term targets. Existing diesel technologies were no longer sufficient to meet future air-quality and operational goals. With California codifying goals for total carbon-neutrality by 2045 and CARB increasing its emphasis on zero-emission freight, the port moved with greater urgency.

The port shifted its attention toward the electrification of equipment and systems that had historically been considered too complex, too distributed, or too operationally sensitive to change.

Embracing Electrification From Concept to Reality

The Port of Los Angeles formally embraced zero-emissions technology in its 2017 CAAP update. It recognized that “zero-emission technologies that once existed only in concept were becoming a reality.”

Regulatory timelines were hardened and electrification of complex operations came into focus. Today marine service providers such as Curtin Maritime are investigating new ways to achieve significant emissions efficiencies.

Coming soon, the next piece of the decarbonization story: tugboats.