Port of Oakland takes major step on clean energy project

$2 million renewable energy infrastructure design approved for Oakland Seaport

The Port of Oakland announced the approval of a $2 million contract for the design of a new, clean energy project at the Oakland Seaport. The project includes electrical infrastructure including solar generation, battery storage systems, a fuel cell, and the replacement of a substation and connecting circuitry, according to the company’s release.

The Port approved hiring Burns & McDonnell, an engineering design consulting firm with expertise in power resiliency and clean energy. The design work will result in construction drawings of electrical infrastructure components that incorporate green technology and resiliency features.

Design is the foundational work that creates the first critical step toward constructing the new substation and the accompanying infrastructure. The latter will integrate renewable power to support the Port’s goal of transitioning to all electric, heavy-duty trucks and cargo-handling equipment. It will eliminate the reliance on fossil fuels in cargo handling operations.

This new infrastructure in the maritime area will serve the former Oakland Army Base and Outer Harbor sites. The project will also improve the maritime area’s electrical grid resiliency.

In December 2021 the Port of Oakland received a federal Port Infrastructure Development Program grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The grant is for upgrading a portion of the Port’s utility system and increasing its renewable energy capacity.

In 2019, the Port approved an initiative to create a zero-emissions seaport. The Seaport Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan provides the strategy and process for the transition from a fossil fuel-based seaport to a zero-emissions seaport. Providing electrical infrastructure systems to support zero-emissions equipment and operations is essential to decarbonizing the Oakland Seaport and delivering air quality and community health benefits.