AAPA Seaports Advisory
 

Environmental Sustainability: Oakland, Port Everglades, San Diego

Print Print this Article | Send to Colleague

Port of Oakland Approves 5-Year Renewable Energy Purchase

The Port of Oakland approved an existing renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement with East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) for an additional five years.

The port purchases renewable energy from an EBMUD biogas facility at the foot of the Bay Bridge to serve electric customers at its airport and seaport. The energy purchased from EBMUD is both renewable and greenhouse gas-free and will help the port meet state renewable energy goals.

The port entered into a 5-year contract for the output from this facility in 2012 and the facility has been a reliable source of renewable power. Port and EBMUD staff proposed several modifications to the agreement that will continue the partnership, including a price reduction of approximately 20 percent.

The waste that goes into EBMUD’s wastewater treatment plant provides the Port of Oakland with electricity for purchase. The port purchases renewable energy and resells it to 125 customers. Those customers are tenants of the port’s Oakland’s seaport and international airport properties who use the energy to power their operations.

Port Everglades Last Above-Water Call for Lady Luck

Port Everglades was the last port of call for the Lady Luck before the 324-foot tanker was submerged off Pompano Beach (FL) to become the area's newest artificial reef. The former New York-based vessel arrived at Port Everglades on July 20 and was sunk on July 23.

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners voted to waive dockage fees at Port Everglades to help support the Lady Luck reef, which is sponsored in part by the City of Pompano Beach, Isle Casino Racing and Shipwreck Park, Inc.

Lady Luck will be the centerpiece of Broward's fertile artificial reef program and is expected to attract 35,000 visitors annually.

Pompano Beach artist Dennis MacDonald created a mock underwater casino, complete with poker tables, roulette tables and slot machines on the main deck. This underwater casino will offer diver photo opportunities that feature a rotating gallery display of locally produced underwater artwork.

The tanker ship, which was built in 1967, was sold by the City of New York to The Shipwreck Park, Inc., a private 501 (C)(3) corporation.  It was towed from New York to a facility on the Miami River for cleanup and installation of artwork and then to Port Everglades for the sinking.

For more information, visit www.shipwreckparkpompano.org.

San Diego Port Tenants Association Awarded $5.9M Grant by California Energy Commission

The California Energy Commission this month awarded the San Diego Port Tenants Association (SDPTA) a $5.9 million grant to fund the development of 10 all-electric freight vehicles outfitted with zero-emission technologies for operation at the Port of San Diego.

The grant award will be matched with $2.3 million in cash and in-kind contributions from seven SDPTA member port tenants CEMEX, Continental Maritime, Dole Food Company, Harborside Refrigerated Services and Cold Storage, Marine Group Boatworks, Pasha Group and TerminaLift. Total project budget is $8.2 million.

The SDPTA was one of two recipients of the "Freight Transportation Projects at California Seaports" grant program of the California Energy Commission under the state’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. The grant funds demonstration projects for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle technologies, intelligent transportation systems and technologies, and deployment of natural gas vehicles. The vehicles include industrial forklifts, cargo trucks and equipment. The intelligent transportation system will help move and monitor the vehicles. The grant also will pay for outreach to communities whose neighborhoods are adjacent to port operations.

SDPTA, its industrial tenant partners and several subcontractors will develop and demonstrate 10 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles used in port operations. The vehicles will employ zero-emissions technologies and will improve air quality at the port and in surrounding communities. The project ties into the Port of San Diego’s 2013 Climate Action Plan.

Formed in 1989, the SDPTA is a non-profit organization made up of member businesses and industries that lease land from the Port of San Diego.

 

 

Back to AAPA Seaports Advisory

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn