The Port of Oakland approved a $2 million contract for the design of a project aimed at reducing the port's carbon emissions, port officials said Monday.
The project includes the replacement of a substation and electrical infrastructure for generating solar power, as well as storing power in batteries. Engineering design consulting firm Burns & McDonnell is designing the project.
The infrastructure will help the port transition to carbon-free, heavy-duty trucks and cargo-handling equipment.
"This is a major step toward our goal to make the Oakland Seaport a zero-emissions operation," said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes in a statement.
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The infrastructure will serve sites at the port's Outer Harbor and at the former Oakland Army Base, which is now part of the port.
Design of the project will help the port use a grant it received from the U.S. Department of Transportation in December. The money will allow it to upgrade part of its utility system and increase its capacity for using renewable energy.
Once the project is complete, the resiliency of the electrical grid for the port's maritime property will improve, port officials said. The port owns property dedicated to maritime operations as well as the Oakland International Airport, open space and other real estate.
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In 2019 the port approved an initiative called the Seaport Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan to reduce carbon emissions to zero.
