Miami-Dade County has signed a joint statement with six cruise companies – Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and Virgin Voyages – and Florida Power and Light to bring shore power to PortMiami.
The letter is a crucial first step to begin the process of implementing shore power at PortMiami.
Shore power enables ships to turn off their diesel engines while in port and connect to a local source of electrical power that travels to the ship from a specifically designed transformer at a dock.
There are many details to be determined regarding the initiative including the financing, ship configurations, and timelines for making the infrastructure available.
The Mayor’s office said it would convene a working group with representatives of each company to work toward an initial installation and eventually a full rollout in the years to come.
“This is a major win for our port, the environment, the entire region, and the state of Florida, and I’m incredibly proud to deliver on my commitment to bring shore power to our community with this initiative. The goal is to make PortMiami the first seaport in the State of Florida and the southeastern United States to provide shore power hookup – not just the cruise capital of the world but a leader in sustainability, ” said Mayor Levine Cava.