The article discusses the ongoing electrification efforts at the Port of Los Angeles, the U.S.'s largest port, as part of a broader strategy to reduce pollution in surrounding communities. Electric top-handlers and container ships that plug into electricity help facilitate this change, backed by $3 billion from the landmark climate law passed under President Biden's administration. Local residents express concern about potential funding cuts under the Trump administration. The planned investments aim to cut down significant carbon emissions across multiple ports with cleaner technologies and infrastructure improvements.
"Our area is disproportionately affected by pollution directly related to the ports activity," said Theral Golden, who’s lived in the West Long Beach area for more than 50 years. He pointed to the rivers of trucks moving back and forth on nearby highways and overpasses.
The Biden money aims to slash three million metric tons of carbon pollution across 55 ports in more than two dozen states, through cleaner equipment and vehicles, plus infrastructure and community engagement resources.
Some ports say they have already spent hundreds of millions to replace older, dirtier equipment. Members of the American Association of Port Authorities, representing more than 130 public port authorities in the U.S. and beyond, are planning at least $50 billion more of decarbonization projects.
Many are easy: for example, drayage trucks-which drive short distances between ports and nearby warehouses-are good candidates for electrification since they don’t have to go far between charges.
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