New London State Pier Shore Power Project

The New London State Pier Shore Power Project (the Project) represents the next phase of delivering shore power to vessels docking at the pier, building on enabling electrical work already completed during the renovation. With the installation of an additional power vault at the East Berth and a battery-powered Mobile Cable Positioning Device, marine vessels will be able to connect to the local electric grid to power onboard services instead of running their diesel engines. This enables the New London State Pier, and the vessels docked there to reduce their carbon footprints and optimize energy use.

Project Benefits

The Project supports the EPA FY 2022 – FY 2026 Strategic Plan and goals for reducing emissions of pollutants that cause long-term ecological trends while also benefiting the local maritime community and economy. Those benefits include:

• Transformational – The Project will utilize a shore power connection that is adaptable for numerous types of ships forecast to call at New London. And as early adopters of shore power technology for commercial use in the U.S., the Connecticut Port Authority will be able to develop best practices that can help other ports adopt successful approaches.
  
  In addition, developing shore power infrastructure gives private vessel owners incentive to retrofit their vessels to connect to shore power systems. It will also help encourage other ports in the region to install shore power technologies, further fueling an industry-wide transition.
  
  
• Economic – In addition to creating high-quality jobs for nearby populations, the Project supports new opportunities for the New London State Pier beyond offshore wind marshalling. For example, the shore-to-ship power equipment will support a wide variety of cargo vessel types and sizes, allowing for more activity along the New London waterfront area. This in turn will boost local businesses that provide goods and services in the vicinity and throughout the region.
  
  
• Environmental – The Project will serve as the foundation for the New London Port to lower emissions. The shore-to-ship power will reduce vessel air emissions, as well as lower noise pollution from docked vessels. Shore power will also help offshore wind operators decarbonize their supply chain during windfarm construction and maintenance.
  
  The Connecticut Port Authority is committed to tracking and publicly providing results of shore power on emissions at the New London State Pier. Findings should be available on this page by January of 2029.
  
  
• Coordinated – This Project is a continued effort by Connecticut Port Authority and Orsted Wind Power North America LLC which serves as a sub-awardee to the Project. Both agencies were party to the improvements made to the New London State Pier along with Eversource. As the terminal operator of the New London State Pier, Gateway New London LLC acts as a collaborating entity to the Project.

Project Timeline

The New London Shore Power Project is underway, with shore power installation expected to be completed by 2029. This will be followed by an operational performance period to review the Project’s effectiveness.

Project Contact

For inquiries regarding the New London State Pier Shore Power Project, please complete the form below:

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement 00A01478 to Connecticut Port Authority. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the Environmental Protection Agency endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document, as well as any images, video, text, or other content created by generative artificial intelligence tools, nor does any such content necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency.