The Port of Oakland will be awarded a $36.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support green infrastructure development for added cargo transport capacity and operational efficiencies at its Outer Harbor. The grant is part of a $94 million federal investment in California ports.

The grant award is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, investing $40 billion in infrastructure projects over the next five years. The grant to the Oakland Seaport will deliver projects that address electrification, emissions reductions and port congestion. It allows the Port of Oakland to make investments to accommodate near-term supply chain uncertainties, surges in imports, exports, and refrigerated cargo and install green energy infrastructure.

“We thank the Department of Transportation and the support of Representative Barbara Lee, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Bay Area Congressional delegation, including Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, for this generous infrastructure award,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan. “This grant is of vital importance to help us modernize and transform the Port of Oakland’s operations to zero-emissions. It is a down-payment on the next generation of goods movement technology at the Port of Oakland.”

The transformation from fossil fuels to clean energy is at the heart of the Port of Oakland’s efforts to improve seaport capacity with zero-emissions operations. A cornerstone of the plan is to use clean electricity to power battery electric mobile equipment and provide green power to refrigerated containers.

Projects will include:

- New, electric-powered, refrigerated container storage racks;

- New high-mast LED lighting;

- Densified container storage and staging capability for great efficiency;

- Battery storage and other power substation improvements; and

- Electric charging infrastructure for zero emissions vehicles and cargo handling equipment.

Ninety-nine percent of Northern California’s containerized goods are handled by the Oakland Seaport. Agricultural exporters rely heavily on the Port of Oakland to transport their goods and have been adversely affected by transportation and storage challenges presented by supply chain disruptions triggered by the pandemic.

The Port of Oakland's Outer Harbor is an approximately 120-acre container shipping wharf and marine terminal that became inactive due in part to aging infrastructure and outdated equipment. The grant will provide the initial investment to reactivate the terminal capacity by installing green energy infrastructure and using zero-emissions technology.