Zero Emissions Infrastructure and Energy Resilient Operations at the Port of Long Beach

Summary of the Discussion Session Content and Duration: In 2023, the Port of Long Beach Harbor Commissioners adopted the ZEERO Policy – or the Zero Emissions Energy Resilience Operations Policy, which will build upon existing commitments set forth by the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan in the Southern California San Pedro Bay Port Complex. The intent of this policy is to guide partnerships and investments to transition to zero emissions operations in pursuit of decarbonization and in the fight against climate change in alignment with state and federal goals.

There are 6 key elements to ZEERO:
1. Establish Zero Emissions Infrastructure Master Plans through the Port’s Capital Improvement Program.
2. Ensure continuity of critical existing operations and meet power demand.
3. Accelerate deployment using incentives, metrics and measurements.
4. Support development of renewable energy, including wind and hydrogen.
5. Achieve Carbon Neutral Port administrative operations by 2040.
6. Provide opportunities to the community through technology, education, innovation and workforce development.

This session will touch on the ongoing project phases and planning efforts of the Port of Long Beach zero emissions infrastructure projects, and how this relates to state and federal legislation. Learning objectives include understanding how to implement a zero emissions project/program from a terminal scale to a Port-wide effort, best practices of power demand planning with utility providers, and an overview of renewable energy efforts at the Port of Long Beach.

The ZEERO Policy at the Port of Long Beach is a landmark framework that will have a lasting effect on sustainable and zero emissions policies for the future, on a national scale. The accomplishments under this policy will not only have a local regional impact, but will provide opportunities on a state and federal scale through technology advancements and education, and how to navigate the zero-emissions project delivery process. Ever changing zero-emissions technologies, such as advancements in off shore wind and hydrogen, will pose challenges to project designs, schedules and traditional delivery methods. These identified risks will require port agencies to take a deep dive into operations with their partners to determine how this transition will take place without interrupting current activities; to reexamine terminal master plans to determine feasibility of alternative energy solutions and layout of state-of-the-art equipment; and to work along side with utility providers to provide the required infrastructure needed to provide adequate power demand for this equipment.

Target Audience for the Discussion Session: Target audience for this presentation/discussion session would be port agencies, port and electrical engineers, port operations representatives and vendors of zero emissions equipment.

Description of the Benefit of the Discussion Session to Conference Attendees: This session will provide insight in to how California's regulations and the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan goals have driven the project delivery of zero emissions projects at the Port of Long Beach. It can provide framework to ports around the nation how to develop and advance zero emissions project portfolios based on our shared experience of completed demonstration projects and current available technologies.