Jayapal Announces $16 Million in Funding for the Northwest Seaport Alliance
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) is today announcing that she helped to secure $16 million for the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) from the Federal Highway Administration to deploy 36-58 zero-emission drayage trucks through vehicle purchases and development of charging/fueling infrastructure in the Seattle-Tacoma region.
“Washington’s ports are vital to our economy, our supply chains, and our way of life here in Seattle. Ensuring these charging hubs are fully funded and given the resources needed to build and maintain clean energy infrastructure will protect our environment, our communities, and our economy,” said Jayapal. “This project will ensure that our cargo hauling services are modernized and will also drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions which disproportionately damage the air quality of communities near our seaports and along major freight corridors.”
“The Northwest Seaport Alliance is deeply grateful to Congresswoman Jayapal for her leadership in helping secure $16 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities Grant Program,” said Kristin Ang, Port of Tacoma Commission President and The Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair. “These funds will be instrumental in advancing our Zero-Emission Drayage Truck Incentive Program and accelerating the transition to zero-emission drayage trucks in the Puget Sound.”
“The Managing Members of The Northwest Seaport Alliance have introduced bold policies aimed at eliminating seaport-related Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040, and Scope 3 emissions by 2050 or sooner,” said Hamdi Mohamed, Port of Seattle Commission President and The Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair. “Securing grant funding from programs like the Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities is critical to the successful transition to zero emissions operations for truck drivers. These funds will also support the network of charging infrastructure needed by truck drivers across the region.”
This grant is a further step toward the transition to clean energy at the Port of Seattle. The effort to create the charging infrastructure for a zero-emission drayage fleet will help to reduce diesel particulate emissions in near-port communities experiencing significant health disparities and support the vitality of regional manufacturing and industrial centers and many small and medium-sized businesses.
This project will benefit near-port communities such as the Duwamish Valley, South Park, and Georgetown and port workers by reducing the health impacts associated with diesel exhaust. Children who live in the Duwamish Valley have among the highest rates of hospitalization due to asthma compared with any other neighborhood in Seattle and life expectancy in Georgetown and South Park is eight years shorter than the city’s average.
This funding is in addition to the $850,000 Jayapal secured for the program in the 2024 federal budget. Jayapal also supporteda $12 million investment to support this project from the newly established Federal Zero-Emission Charging and Infrastructure Grant Program.