Shore power use reached an all-time high of 82 percent in December.
Port of Oakland officials said more ships than ever are switching to landside electricity at the port to curb emissions.
The port said Tuesday that 75 percent of all ships visiting Oakland in 2018 used shore power. That was up from 68 percent the year before.
The port said 1,543 ships tied up in Oakland last year. Of those, 1,157 plugged into the landside grid to power onboard systems. The upshot, according to the port, is that vessels could turn off auxiliary diesel engines and eliminate tons of diesel exhaust.
Shore power use reached an all-time high of 82 percent in December, the port said, adding that it is working with ocean carriers to increase plug-ins even more. California mandates that shipping lines employ shore power at its six largest ports, including Oakland, but not all carriers have achieved the required level of usage yet.
“Shore power is the most effective way we know to reduce vessel emissions,” said Port of Oakland environmental planner Catherine Mukai.
Oakland reports more ships than ever plugging into grid
