Port Electrification Grant

Port Electrification Program

This is a competitive grant program that is available to all public port districts in the state of Washington. It is intended to fund either smaller projects or a small part of a larger project, where state funds would enable the project to be completed.

This grant program is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.

Grant details

For the 2023-2025 biennium, the Legislature has allocated a total of $26.5 million for Port Electrification grants from the state’s Carbon Emissions Reductions Account. In the event your project is selected, you may be awarded the full amount you requested in your application or a portion of the amount you requested.

Who is eligible?

All public port districts are eligible to apply. However, those ports seeking to use grant funds to install shore power must first adopt a policy that requires vessels that dock at the port facility to use shore power, if the vessel is capable of using such power and when such power is available. 

Eligible project types include truck and locomotive replacement with electric vehicles, electric power upgrades and zero emission charging, shore power, and other similar projects that will reduce emissions at ports.

How to apply

The application packet below includes all the information needed to apply for a grant. You can choose to download the packet in either its PDF or Word version. Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on July 8, 2024. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.

If you have questions about the grant application process, please submit them by May 6, 2024, during the Q&A period. Answers will be posted on this webpage within two weeks of receipt. Submit your questions to  RFPgrants@wsdot.wa.gov. 

Port Electrification Grant Application Packet (PDF 625KB)

Port Electrification Grant Application Packet (WORD 818KB)

Involving the community

We met with the Washington Public Ports Association to inform ports about the program and to encourage potential applicants to conduct local community engagement activities as they develop their projects. Community engagement is included in the scoring criteria that will be used when applications are evaluated.

The Climate Commitment Act (CCA) sets investment goals for the allocation of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Account: 40% of total investments are to provide direct and meaningful benefits to vulnerable populations within the boundaries of overburdened communities (as defined within the CCA), and at least 10% of total investments are to be used for projects formally supported by a tribal resolution. The scoring criteria used for evaluating applications will consider whether the project provides benefits to vulnerable populations within overburdened communities, as well as whether it is supported by a tribal resolution.

How these projects will benefit Washington residents

Projects will be evaluated based on demonstration that they will benefit the state’s interests. Examples of desired benefits include:

• Enhancing environmental protection and reducing emissions
• Supporting Washington state’s Environmental Justice and Climate Commitment Act objectives
• Increasing economic development opportunities
• Increasing domestic and international trade
• Preserving or adding jobs
• Enhancing safety

Other similar projects funded by the Legislature

The projects identified below were funded by the Legislature in the 2023-2025 state transportation budget. They are separate from the competitive grant program outlined above, but provide examples of the types of projects that might qualify for the competitive grant program.

• Northwest Seaport Alliance - $6.3 million to fund a zero-emission drayage truck demonstration project
• Northwest Seaport Alliance - $28 million to fund a zero-emission shore power infrastructure project
• Port of Bremerton - $2 million for port electrification
• Port of Anacortes – $2 million for port electrification
• Puyallup Tribe port properties - $20 million for port electrification
• Tacoma Rail - $5 million to fund the replacement of two diesel-electric switcher locomotives with zero emission battery-electric switcher locomotives and to install on-site charging equipment