USDOT Awards $140 Million to Electrify Port Cranes and Modernize Cargo Terminals

WASHINGTON, DC — Strengthening maritime trade capacity and slashing diesel emissions in harbor neighborhoods, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced the award of $140 million in competitive grants on Monday through the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), delivering capital modernization funding to six major commercial deepwater seaports.

The federal grant awards finance heavy civil wharf construction, dockside container crane electrification, and on-dock intermodal rail yard expansions. The modernization projects enable seaports to service mega-containerships carrying over 20,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) while replacing diesel-powered cargo handling equipment with zero-emission electric ship-to-shore gantry cranes and electrified yard tractors, reducing port-related diesel particulate emissions by 60%.

Deepwater Seaport Modernization Projects

The funding packages provide direct capital to regional public port authorities. Major project awards include:

• Port of Savannah Container Berth Electrification (Georgia - $45 Million): Constructing an electrified multi-ship container berth with high-voltage shore power connections, allowing docked container vessels to shut down diesel auxiliary engines and plug directly into the clean electrical grid.
• Port of Houston Bayport Terminal Expansion (Texas - $38 Million): Expanding wharf bulkheads and constructing an on-dock rail staging yard to double intermodal freight transfer capacity between ocean carriers and Class I freight rail lines.
• Port of Seattle Terminal 5 Modernization (Washington - $32 Million): Installing automated electric container straddle carriers and reinforcing seismic dock piles.
• Port of Baltimore Heavy Cargo Wharf Upgrades (Maryland - $25 Million): Upgrading roll-on/roll-off vehicle handling berths to accommodate surging automobile and farm machinery export shipments.

"America’s commercial ports are the gateways to our economy, handling trillions of dollars in global commerce every year," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated. "These PIDP grants modernize dockside infrastructure, cut shipping delays for American exporters, and clean up the air for families living near busy port corridors."

American Association of Port Authorities and Longshoremen Support

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and maritime freight logistics carriers strongly commended the grant distribution, highlighting the critical necessity of federal wharf modernization funding.

"Electrifying port berths and expanding on-dock rail infrastructure makes American seaports faster, cleaner, and more resilient to global supply chain disruptions," said Chris Connor, President of AAPA. "These investments protect our trade competitiveness and ensure American goods reach overseas buyers quickly and efficiently."

International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) labor representatives commended the investments for creating high-wage union maritime jobs and installing cleaner, safer electric terminal equipment.

Civil Wharf Construction Timeline

Civil marine engineering contracts and electrical substation fabrication will commence in autumn 2026. Heavy pile driving and gantry crane delivery across all six commercial seaports will proceed through 2028.