PANYNJ launches $45 million port electrification programmes

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and CALSTART have

launched two incentive programmes worth a combined $45 million to support the

electrification of drayage and terminal operations.

The programmes will provide funding for zero-emission drayage trucks,

terminal tractors and the charging infrastructure required to operate them at

the Port of New York and New Jersey.

CALSTART will design and administer both initiatives from autumn 2026. The

Clean Truck Incentive Programme will offer up to $39 million in point-of-sale

vouchers for zero-emission drayage trucks, yard tractors and supporting charging

equipment.

Under the separate $5 million Green Drayage Accelerator Programme, funding

will be awarded for up to five electric truck charging hubs. Eligible sites must

be within 10 miles of PANYNJ seaport or marine terminal facilities.

Alycia Gilde, CALSTART Executive Vice President of California and Regional

Market Acceleration, said: “Deploying zero-emission trucks at scale requires

pairing accessible vehicle incentives with reliable, high-capacity charging.

“By combining flexible financial support with streamlined program

administration, our partnership with the Port Authority lowers the barrier to

entry for drayage operators, modernizing the East Coast supply chain while

delivering immediate, tangible air quality improvements to local port

communities.”

CALSTART will also develop dynamic tracking dashboards for both programmes.

The systems will monitor vehicle deployment and performance, together with

charger use across port operations, before being transferred to PANYNJ in

2028.

The two organisations plan to brief the trucking community through

in-person and online presentations, supported by information materials, over the

coming weeks.

Funding comes from a $451 million grant awarded to PANYNJ through the US

Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Programme. PANYNJ described it as

the largest sustainability grant in its history.

The wider grant will also support electric cargo-handling equipment at

marine terminals and shoreside power infrastructure, allowing container ships to

connect to the electricity supply while berthed and switch off their auxiliary

engines.

A separate $3 million EPA planning grant will fund a Port Community

Advisory Council. Subrecipients of the overall award will also be able to pursue

workforce training and job creation linked to clean energy.

PANYNJ has set a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and is seeking

to help tenants, contractors and operating partners meet the same deadline.

Its 2024 air emissions inventory recorded a 98 per cent reduction in

sulphur dioxide and reductions of more than 83 per cent in nitrogen oxide and

particulate matter against 2006 levels. Cargo volumes increased by nearly 71 per

cent over the same period.