The Port of Oakland established a new record for shore power usage in the first half of the year with the rate of ships plugged into the Oakland Seaport electric grid averaging 94% in the first half of 2024.
By comparison, the shore power plug-in rate for all of 2023 was 85%.
“Shore power is the single most effective way to reduce vessel emissions when a ship is in port,” said Port of Oakland Environmental Programs and Planning Director Colleen Liang. “We appreciate the ship owners retrofitting their vessels for shore power. We also thank the terminal operators for coordinating and providing labor to physically plug in the ships that call Oakland.”
Shore power is when a ship docks and plugs into an electric grid at the wharf, explains Port of Oakland, and this allows the ship to turn off its diesel engines, resulting in near-zero vessel emissions while at berth.
In May, the Californian port achieved a record 99% ship plug-in rate. Shore power usage has been above 91% since November of 2023. The Port of Oakland continually maintains and improves its shore power system, so it is ready to deliver power when ships call.
The Port of Oakland continues to invest in shore power improvements and plans to install mobile shore power outlets in the future. This new technology will allow vessels greater flexibility to plug in at dock.
