New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced earlier in February that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, several Port of New York of New Jersey tenants, and other agencies and organizations across the state would receive more than $100 million for clean, equitable transportation projects. The funds were allocated from the state’s participation in the Regional Green House Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, a legal settlement from the carmaker over emissions cheating claims.  

The Port and other organizations will use its share of the funds for electrification programs, helping the Port Authority and the seaport with its goals of reducing carbon emissions in its operations, improving air quality and reducing the effects of climate change.  

Approximately $36 million was allocated to reducing diesel and carbon emissions in New Jersey communities historically affected most by pollution through the electrification of  cargo handling and other medium-duty and heavy-duty equipment in port and industrial areas. The Port Authority’s project that was funded is the repowering of a mobile harbor crane from diesel fueled to electric powered.  Several Port tenants will be receiving funding for electric port equipment, including one electric straddle carrier at Maher Terminals, two hybrid electric straddle carriers at Port Newark Container Terminal, two electric yard tractors and an electric forklift for Harbor Freight Transportation Corp., and eighteen electric trucks and yard tractors for International Motor Freight. 

This latest round of  funding for electric port-related equipment was the second allocation from the VW Environmental Mitigation Trust. Previously in February 2019, several Port tenants received more than $3.9 million in grants for electric equipment. Those funds contributed to several improvements at Port Newark, including ten electric yard tractors at Red Hook Terminals, four electric yard tractors for Best Transportation, and one electric drayage truck for International Motor Freight.  

These ongoing improvements bring the Port Authority closer to its interim sustainability goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) by 35 percent by 2025 for Port Authority operations and reaffirm the agency’s commitment to an 80 percent reduction by 2050 across all facilities as part of its commitment to the Paris Climate Accord.