From cruise ships plugging into new shore power at the Port of Seattle to container ships plugging into electricity in the Port of Tacoma, the region’s ports are charging ahead with investments that will deliver cleaner air and healthier communities. These investments show what’s possible when ports commit to cleaner operations — and our communities deserve nothing less. Seattle and Tacoma are proving that strong economic ports can also be clean ports.
Shore power reduces air pollution by allowing ships to turn off their auxiliary engines and connect to the electrical grid while docked in port. According to the Northwest Seaport Alliance, or NWSA, a ship docked for 40 hours using shore power can avoid emitting about 32 tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to about seven Olympic swimming pools. In addition to climate pollution, communities near the ports have shorter life expectancies. In Seattle’s Duwamish Valley and Tacoma Tideflats, life expectancy is anywhere from a whopping 19 to 28 years shorter than other parts of the region.
In July, the Port of Seattle approved additional funding for the Cruise Shore Power Extension project at Pier 91 and Pier 66 cruise terminals. This extension project will enable the port to implement its shore power mandate requiring all homeport cruise ships to connect to shore power by 2027, three years before the port’s previous goal of 2030. The Port of Seattle is the first port in the nation to independently require that 100% of all cruise vessels homeported (registered) in Seattle be shore power-capable and utilize shore power.
Each time a cruise ship docks in Seattle, it takes an average of 10 hours to offload guests and their luggage, load provisions, welcome new guests and prepare for its next departure. While ships are at berth (docked), they still need energy to run lights, chill food, operate equipment and power a myriad of other onboard services. A shore power connection allows cruise ships to plug into cleaner, landside electrical power and turn off diesel engines while at berth. As a result, each cruise ship that plugs in can reduce diesel emissions by 80% and carbon dioxide emissions by 66% on average.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance has announced the completion of shore power at the Husky Terminal in Tacoma, marking a major milestone for one of the busiest container terminals in the port. On Aug. 5, port leaders and stakeholders gathered to celebrate the inaugural plug-in by Hapag-Lloyd’s Kuala Lumpur Express, a nearly 9,000 TEU vessel operating as part of the new Gemini Cooperation in partnership with Maersk. The Kuala Lumpur Express became the first ship to plug in after completion of the commissioning phase, making Husky Terminal the second international cargo terminal in Washington State to be shore power-capable, following Terminal 5 in Seattle in 2023.
When at berth, vessels produce diesel particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions that impact air quality and community health. Shore power allows ships to turn off their diesel engines and connect to the local electrical grid, eliminating these emissions while cargo is loaded and unloaded. The Husky Terminal project was made possible with more than $3 million in state and federal funding from the Volkswagen Settlement Agreement Funds, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act and the Trans-Alta Coal Transition program. The next terminals to be equipped will be Terminal 18 in Seattle and Washington United Terminal in Tacoma, further expanding the region’s clean energy network.
With Husky Terminal now fully shore power-capable — the second international cargo terminal in Washington State to achieve this — the Northwest Seaport Alliance is building on that momentum with a $34 million investment to expand the technology across the gateway.
Shore power remains one of the most effective tools for eliminating vessel emissions at berth — cutting diesel particulate matter and greenhouse gases that harm near-port communities — making these upgrades a critical step toward the NWSA’s goal of phasing out all maritime emissions by 2050 or sooner.
Expanding port electrification also supports high-quality union jobs. For instance, construction of shore power at the TOTE Maritime Terminal alone created dozens of manufacturing and installation jobs. A 2020 study by the Maritime Administration estimates that 100% shore power at Port of Seattle could create more than 300 jobs. Reducing port pollution further benefits all port workers who face daily exposure to harmful diesel exhaust while on the job.
From cruise ships in Seattle to container ships in Tacoma, the region’s ports are proving that bold investments in shore power deliver results. Every connection means cleaner air, healthier neighborhoods and reduced climate pollution. With more ships plugging in each year, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma are showing that clean, modern ports are not just possible — they are already here.
Check out Pacific Environment’s campaign on shore power in Washington to learn more.
