In Connecticut, the New Haven Port and the New London Pier have been selected to receive nearly $40 million from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce greenhouse emissions.
The funds are from the EPA’s Clean Ports Program.
Enstructure New Haven Holdings Gateway Terminal at the New Haven Port is getting $34,043,340.
Greg Baribault, the company's president, said the money would be used to replace the port's diesel-powered cranes and cargo handling trucks.
“So, we’ll have no more diesel cranes on the dock," Baribault said. "There’ll be only electric cranes operating on the pier here,” he said. “In addition, in the yard, we use diesel material handlers for scrap metal recycling. Those diesel machines will be taken out of service and replaced.”
He said some of the money would be used to install solar power at the port.
“All this electric equipment will create a little bit of strain on the grid, so we want to be able to supplement produce and then also feed the community back with what is not being used,” Baribault said.
The New London State Pier will receive $5 million. The money will be used to acquire a mobile shore power unit to provide electricity to docked vessels, allow them to shut off their engines, and draw power from the local grid.