Georgia ports secure $48 million in federal sustainability grants By EPN Staff In its waning days, the Biden Administration quickly awarded an estimated $2.9 billion in grants via the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program – a creation of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Over $48 million of those grants was awarded to the Georgia Ports Authority for electrification of traditionally fossil-fuel-powered equipment and electric charging infrastructure, primarily for the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick. The EPA announced 53 of the 55 awards had been completed (including to the GPA), just four days before Donald Trump was inaugurated. It is unclear if the last two were awarded before the transition. Why it matters The projects funded by the Clean Ports Program are expected to start in 2026. The $48 million award to the Georgia Ports Authority will fund: Vessel shore power systems, which allow ships to bypass their diesel-powered engines while at port, reducing emissions for the surrounding area. 16 electric terminal tractors and charging infrastructure to support them. An unspecified number of “good-paying and union jobs.” These infrastructure investments are in addition to a $15 million grant the GPA received earlier in 2024 from the U.S. Department of Transportation that focused on retiring and transitioning port vehicles to electric. The bigger picture Fourteen other port authorities were granted funds for shore power systems, alongside investments in solar power, workforce planning and development, battery storage, emissions testing, and fully-fledged electric vessels. Hailed by former President Joe Biden as the “most significant investment ever in climate change” by environmental organizations like EarthJustice as the “biggest climate spending bill ever,” the Inflation Reduction Act’s primary focus was to reduce emissions in the United States by 40% by 2030. According to the GPA, the investment in Georgia’s ports means a reduction of 13,000 tons of carbon dioxide yearly, alongside reducing other environmental hazards. Ports across the United States are heavily reliant on hydrocarbons to power critical operations.
