Global · Case study

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, US EPA Clean Ports Program Grants

Port of New York and New Jersey, United States2024 to present

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provided the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with USD 3 billion for the Clean Ports Program, which aims to reduce air pollution at US ports by funding zero emission port equipment and infrastructure, and related planning (US EPA, 2026a).

In February 2024, EPA opened two competitions to reduce air pollution from mobile sources such as cargo handling equipment, trucks and vessels. The Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition funds equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions. The Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition funds planning activities, including emissions inventories, strategy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and identification of resilience measures (US EPA, 2026a). EPA notified selected applicants in October 2024 and finalized awards between December 2024 and January 2025 (US EPA, 2026a). The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey received a grant under each competition (US EPA, 2026b).

Approach

Grant for zero emission equipment. The Port Authority received a technology grant of USD 451,635,800 for cargo handling equipment, drayage trucks, a vessel, and vessel shore power (US EPA, 2026b).

Grant for planning. A separate planning grant of USD 3,000,000 funds an emissions inventory and community centered air monitoring, formal engagement with the community and independent truck owners, and an emissions reduction strategy. The strategy includes identifying the best locations for future alternative fueling infrastructure for drayage trucks (US EPA, 2026b).

Pairing capital and planning. Holding both grants lets the port fund equipment now while building the air quality data, community engagement and strategy needed for later emissions reductions (US EPA, 2026b).

Support from the grant agency. EPA gives grantees a resources page with key documents, trainings, questions and answers, and technical resources. It also runs webinars, including on quality assurance plans for the data used to build emissions inventories (US EPA, 2026c).

Results

In August 2026, EPA listed both Port Authority grants among the currently active awards. The program funds 51 projects totaling nearly USD 3 billion in 24 states and territories: 25 technology awards totaling USD 2.8 billion and 26 planning awards totaling USD 53 million, with implementation over three to four years (US EPA, 2026a; US EPA, 2026b). No published emissions outcomes for the Port Authority projects were identified. Award values are not expenditure or completion.

Transferability

DMC port authorities can seek grants for two linked needs at once: capital for zero emission equipment and shore power, and planning funds for emissions inventories, community engagement, and strategy work. The focus on air quality and community monitoring makes the model a good fit for DMC ports close to residential areas, where diesel exhaust is a direct health concern. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are a co-benefit.

The planning grant builds the baseline and plan that later capital requests need. DMC ports can ask development partners for the same mix of implementation grants and technical assistance and should expect reporting duties such as progress reports and data quality plans. The US program itself is not open to DMC ports; it is an analogous model.

Sources

All information used for this case study was based on publicly available resources.