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WILMINGTON, DE - On October 30, 2024, Delaware Governor John Carney, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced $127.5 million for Port Wilmington as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Ports Program, a $3 billion investment by the Biden-Harris Administration in zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure.
The Clean Ports Program was created by the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that Senators Carper, Coons, and Representative Blunt Rochester championed in Congress. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, Senator Carper was the primary author of the final environmental provisions in the IRA, including the Clean Ports Program at EPA. Senator Coons was a key negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, he has long fought to ensure critical infrastructure programs have the necessary resources to fund projects up and down our state, including at Port Wilmington. Representative Blunt Rochester’s legislation, H.R. 862, the Climate Action Planning for Ports Act, served as the framework for the Clean Ports program in the House version of the IRA.
“The Port has been a critical part of Delaware’s economy for decades,” said Governor Carney. “The investment announced today will ensure the Port continues to support good jobs and enhance environmental safety for years to come.”
“Our ports are vital to Delaware’s economic well-being, but for too long, pollution from diesel emissions have disproportionately impacted the vulnerable communities closest to them,” said Senator Carper, Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “Port electrification is one solution that will clean up the air that nearby communities breathe while also addressing the climate crisis and creating new jobs. This is why I fought for the final Clean Ports Program in the Inflation Reduction Act. Investing in clean ports will put Delaware – and our nation – on the path to a brighter future with healthier communities, cleaner air, and a stronger economy.”
“Investing in our infrastructure strengthens our national security and builds a stronger economy where everyone can thrive,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “As Delaware’s member of the Appropriations Committee, I’m proud to have secured this funding for the Port Wilmington that will support good-paying, union jobs for First State workers. As we increase economic growth and competitiveness through investments in Delaware’s infrastructure, we should look for more investments like this one that advance climate resilience, reduce inflation, and further equip Delaware to meet the needs of the 21st century.”
“The resiliency of Port Wilmington is crucial to the strength of our economy, our workers, and our supply chains,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester, member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “I’m proud to have delivered this significant investment in Port Wilmington through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Clean Ports Program, which is based on my Climate Action Planning for Ports Act. The goal of my bill was to reduce carbon emissions to improve public health and lower the environmental impact of our ports. Today’s investment meets that goal with urgency and equity, while advancing the Port’s clean energy future and benefiting our environmental justice communities.”
“It’s one thing to talk about environmental justice, it’s another thing to do something about it,” said Delaware Secretary of State and Chairman of Diamond State Port Corporation, Jeffrey Bullock. “For years, people have been talking about the importance of cleaning up our ports and using “green” technology to better protect our workers and the people living in surrounding communities, but the money has never been available. This grant is going to make a huge difference by giving the existing port of Wilmington, and the new facility we are building the resources needed to improve environmental safety and make Delaware’s ports better for everyone living in our state.”
“Our nation’s ports are critical to creating opportunity here in America, offering good-paying jobs, moving goods, and powering our economy,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today’s historic $3 billion investment builds on President Biden’s vision of growing our economy while ensuring America leads in globally competitive solutions in the future. Delivering cleaner technologies and resources to U.S. ports will slash harmful air and climate pollution while protecting people who work in and live nearby ports communities.”
The Clean Ports Program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act, is designed to help ports across the country transition to fully zero-emissions operations. The program consists of two competitions: the Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition and the Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition. Port Wilmington is an awardee for the latter, which will allow it to attain electric cargo handling equipment and charging infrastructure. EPA’s Clean Ports Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Disadvantaged communities will benefit from cleaner air and access to high quality jobs that will be created to operate zero emissions technologies at ports.