Seattle Mandates Shore Power for All Cruise Ships by 2027

The Port of Seattle is now mandating that all docked cruise ships must switch to shore power by 2027, three years earlier than the originally planned 2030 deadline. This regulation will make the Port of Seattle the first in the United States to enforce mandatory shore power usage for vessels.

Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman, who sponsored the order, announced that the modification balances economic gain with environmental interests.

“Ensuring all homeported cruise ships utilize shore power by incorporating a requirement in our commercial agreements, the Port continues to demonstrate how we can generate economic opportunities while minimizing our impact on communities and the climate,” said Felleman in a press release.

According to the Seattle port, shore power, on average, eliminates 80% of cruise ships’ diesel emissions. Last year, cruise ships that relied on shore power allowed the port to minimize greenhouse gases by 2,700 metric tons while avoiding 0.75 metric tons of diesel particulate matter. It compared the vast avoidable emissions to nearly 650 cars running for a year.

Thanks to investments from Carnival Corporation, two out of three cruise berths are already capable of supplying shore power. The last berth for electrification, Pier 66, will be shore power-ready this summer. This will make the Port of Seattle one of the first ports to offer shoreside electricity across its cruise berths. 

66% of cruise ships that call on Seattle use shore power.

Green Corridor and Cruise Dashboard

Seattle has other environmental projects in the pipeline. The local port works with other cruise ports in Alaska, Vancouver, and Victoria, British Columbia, to establish a cruise-focused green corridor from Seattle to Alaska. The goal is to accelerate the adoption of technology that enables low and zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Approximately 80% of the power in Washington state is generated from hydroelectricity.

It also launched a cruise dashboard that monitors metrics involving passengers, the environment, and the economy. 

Last year, the Port of Seattle registered a record-breaking volume of cruise ship passengers, and the trend is expected to continue in 2024.