NORFOLK, Va. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Tuesday that they would be giving the Port of Virginia $380 million to replace diesel and gasoline-powered machinery with electric-powered machinery.
The grant is part of an EPA initiative to reduce emissions from the nation's ports. The Clean Ports program will help the Port of Virginia reach its goal of eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, port authority officials said.
"This grant is truly transformative for our port and our community," said Stephen A. Edwards, CEO of the Virginia Port Authority. "It will make our operations more efficient and sustainable, enhance our capabilities and allow us to continue making strides toward becoming the US East Coast’s first net-zero port."
The EPA awarded nearly $3 billion toward ports all across the country for environmentally-friendly upgrades. The Port of Virginia's award was the second-largest, behind only the Port of Los Angeles.
The EPA also said these upgrades will prevent an estimated 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere over the first ten years. The project implementation will occur over the next three to four years.
Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with Representative Bobby Scott, put out a joint statement after the announcement Tuesday.
"The Port of Virginia is one of the largest and busiest ports on the eastern seaboard, and it’s critical to Virginia’s economy and offshore wind industry. As the Port of Virginia continues to grow thanks to investments we’re making, we must also ensure we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which result in negative health and environmental impacts for our communities,” they said. “That’s why we’re thrilled that this federal funding, which was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act we supported, will accelerate the Port’s efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and further cement Virginia’s place as a leader in clean energy.”