Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava celebrated the launch of shore power at PortMiami on Monday
The shore power system will allow cruise ships to turn off their engines and connect to the shore power grid while docked, reducing emissions and noise, according to a press release.
“As mayor, I made a commitment to protect our environment; onshore energy has been my personal dream and initiative. We embarked on this journey in 2021, thanks to an innovative partnership with our major cruise line partners and Florida Power & Light Company,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
“Onshore energy is a prime example of the convergence of progress in tourism and clean energy. Together, we are creating jobs, expanding our economy, and preparing to meet the dynamic needs of tomorrow.”
PortMiami, a partnership between Miami-Dade County, Carnival Corporation & plc, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Royal Caribbean Group, Virgin Voyages and Florida Power & Light Company, is the first major cruise port on the U.S. East Coast to offer onshore power capacity at five cruise ship berths.
Next year, 21 cruise ships will be equipped with shore power and connected in Miami. The seaport will have more than 350 ship calls that will connect to the shore power system.
“We are committed to being a sustainable global gateway,” said Hydi Webb, Director and CEO of PortMiami. “We thank our mayor, county commissioners, and port partners for their continued support of our resilience initiatives.”
Connecting to shore power allows cruise ship engines to be shut down, reducing emissions by up to 98%. The estimated annual emissions reduction associated with shore power at a terminal is equivalent to the emissions reduction associated with taking 7,500 cars off the road.
The mission of Miami-Dade County is to manage one of Florida's busiest seaports in a way that supports economic development and sustainability. PortMiami has a $4.2 billion capital improvement program focused on NetZero efforts.
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