POWERS Policy Platform Overview
- Author: AAPA Government Relations
Ports are the gateways for the American economy, moving 90 percent of everything around us, including the energy that powers our homes, our businesses, and our everyday lives.
To meet the twin challenges of energy security and climate change, our country must invest in port infrastructure, with no ‘red tape’ delays. The AAPA POWERS program advocates for federal policies to support American energy prowess, pragmatic decarbonization, technology for renewables, and environmental sustainability.
To meet the nation’s energy supply and sustainability objectives, the port industry will work with the federal government to:
- Bolster global energy availability through liquified natural gas (LNG) and other ‘bridge fuel’ export capacity for ethanol and biodiesel, for example. Demand for American energy exports is growing because of American innovation, energy’s geostrategic importance, and advances in carbon capture. Working with policymakers, AAPA will lead the way toward:
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- Recognizing a Made in America success story – that U.S. energy export terminals are operating at capacity for the first time.
- Planning and funding construction projects to expand U.S. energy export capacity.
- Increase alt-fuel domestic use and production. Ports can reduce emissions and increase energy security by utilizing LNG, propane, hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia in both land-side vehicles and marine vessels. The renewable fuels future is on the horizon, and we will get there by:
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- Investing in technology and infrastructure for next-gen shipping fuels. Ports will play a key role in the development of national hydrogen and other alt-fuel hubs.
- Making data-driven decisions about how we can most quickly get to net-zero through industry coordination and government support.
- Enhance electric infrastructure at ports, including installation of microgrid technology, local power generation, and electric vehicles. To replace gas-powered vehicles, ports will need infrastructure upgrades and financial incentives. Cleaner air and cleaner communities will follow. Working with policymakers, AAPA will encourage the federal government to:
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- Provide grants for electrification of port operations including planning, vehicle-to-grid, rail-to-grid, ship-to-grid power, and microgrids.
- Ensure fair dealing with legacy utilities, including the ability to ‘net meter’ or sell energy back into the grid.
- Include ports in the transformative National Electric Vehicle Charging Plan.
- Increase port resilience. In energy-producing regions, Ports are on the front lines of extreme weather and cybersecurity impacts to the global supply chain. Heat waves, hurricanes, rising seas, ice storms, and cyber events have have impacted port operations in recent years. AAPA will work with policymakers to:
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- Ensure ports receive substantial funding from the Government for supply chain resilience through the Department of Energy and through FEMA’s ‘BRIC’ program.
- Build physical and human infrastructure for offshore wind energy. Wind energy-related leases, investments, and job creation are underway off American shores. Ports are the manufacturing and marshalling space for wind turbines and related equipment. Wind energy has the potential to not only power large swaths of our country but also to make power-to-gas fuels for decarbonizing ship transportation. AAPA will work with policymakers to:
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- Continue funding for offshore wind marshalling infrastructure.
- Support current and future wind energy job creation through initiatives such as AAPA’s ACCELerate Program.