Port of Oakland approves $2 million contract to design electric infrastructure
Deal advances 2019 initiative to eliminate use of fossil fuels in cargo handling operations
The Port of Oakland is moving ahead with plans to transition from fossil fuel-based vehicles to all-electric trucks and cargo-handling equipment, as part of its effort to move toward zero-emissions operations, the port said Monday.
The California site approved a $2 million bid from engineering firm Burns & McDonnell to design electrical infrastructure including solar generation, battery storage systems, a fuel cell, and the replacement of a substation and connecting circuitry.
Under the contract, the Kansas City, Missouri-based firm will create construction drawings of a project that will serve the former Oakland Army Base and Outer Harbor sites, while also improving the maritime area’s electrical grid resiliency.
Once complete, the new infrastructure will integrate renewable power to support the Port’s goal of transitioning to all electric, heavy-duty trucks and cargo-handling equipment, helping to eliminate its reliance on fossil fuels in cargo handling operations.
The project is the latest step in the port’s 2019 initiative to move toward zero emissions, known as “The Seaport Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan.” That project gained funding in 2021 through a federal Port Infrastructure Development Program grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation.