Electrifying Everything is Failing America’s Ports

The Port of Los Angeles’ commitment to the bold sustainability goal of phasing out diesel equipment by 2030 is both necessary and achievable. Replacing diesel equipment with electric alternatives, however, has resulted in costly power surges and interruptions that damage expensive, battery-powered equipment and ultimately halt commerce as LADWP officials have learned.

None of this should be surprising given the tremendous energy demand of port operations from an aged, fragile, and vulnerable overhead powerline system struggling to serve it. The Port of Los Angeles and its customers are just another casualty of the short-sighted mandate to electrify everything.

Their solution? Invest $500 million “to bring extra power to the port using underground lines, which should improve reliability. The project is expected to be complete by 2029.” Why not save taxpayers from funding a project that should improve reliability five years from now and focus instead on clean, reliable solutions that are available today, like propane and renewable propane? Switching to propane-powered equipment for mission-critical operations reduces ports’ reliance on the electric grid and ensures both reliable, uninterrupted energy and healthier air for their employees and surrounding communities.

Ports all over America, including Long Beach, have a long history of using propane for material handling equipment, vehicles, and power generation because it’s clean and reliable. The equipment consists of forklifts, port tractors, container moving straddle carriers, microgrids, and generators. Propane is significantly cleaner than diesel and there’s plenty of it in the U.S. While electrification and hydrogen sound attractive, these energies can’t always replace diesel due to range and infrastructure needs, so port operators also turn to clean alternative fuels to improve air quality and reduce emissions. In the future, ports will be able to reach net zero emissions with the use of renewable propane.

The Port of Long Beach has already taken steps to decarbonize their operations by investing in propane yard tractors. Compared to diesel, the propane vehicles reduce smog-producing emissions like nitrogen oxides (NOx) by more than 90%, virtually eliminate particulate matter 2.5 and lower CO2 emissions. In addition to being a clean fuel, propane is stored on-site and does not require a connection to the electric grid. This means propane provides consistently reliable power when the grid isn’t available.

Other ports are proving the point. Just last week, the Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT) announced a major step to significantly reduce its emissions profile and improve regional air quality. In addition to electric and solar energy solutions at the port, PNCT has invested in 20 propane-powered port tractors to displace diesel equipment, with plans to purchase 20 more later this year, and an additional 15 next year. Improving air quality without sacrificing reliability is the winning combination.

For mission-critical operations like ports, hospitals, nursing homes, and emergency responders who can’t afford to lose power for even a minute, distributed generation powered by clean liquid fuels, like propane, provides even greater advantages because it is on-demand energy at an affordable cost.

It’s time for ports and other businesses to act now to protect their operations and to ensure a healthier environment for their employees and surrounding communities by choosing clean energy solutions available today. The technology is ready. Clean energy is ready. We have everything we need to make this future possible today.

Port Decarbonization
Port decarbonization is a critical component of the energy transition. According to the Department of Energy, global emissions from vessels and seaports account for about 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions each year. In the U.S., there are approximately 40,000 commercial vessels and 360 commercial seaports.

— By Tucker Perkins, author of Path to Zero: 12 Climate Conversations that Changed the World, host of the Path to Zero podcast and President and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council