Port of Long Beach accelerates green future

The Port of Long Beach is picking up the pace of progress toward cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gases by investing $102 million to purchase and sustain zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment, fund cleaner marine engines and plan for a zero-carbon future at terminals.

The equipment funding is part of the System-Wide Investment in Freight Transport (SWIFT), a pioneering initiative funded by the California State Transportation Agency’s Port and Freight Infrastructure Program. SWIFT is a Port initiative designed to support goods movement efficiency and reduce environmental impacts on neighboring communities.

The bulk of the funding blitz, $93.4 million, will allow tenants to acquire 65 fully zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment units along with associated charging infrastructure, as well as for harbor craft operators to replace 37 marine engines with cleaner engines or zero-emission options. Additionally, the Port will invest $8.3 million in total to design zero-emissions infrastructure at SSA Terminals at Pier A and Pacific Container Terminal at Pier J.

“The Port of Long Beach is on the road to zero emissions, leveraging demonstration projects, investments and grants to reach a greener future,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “I’d like to thank Gov. Gavin Newsom, Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin and the state Legislature for their commitment to investing in the future of the supply chain.”

“A core value of the Port of Long Beach is to support good-paying jobs while also making strides to protect the environment,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “This helps our industry partners invest in new, cleaner equipment so they can continue their work to efficiently move cargo at the nation’s busiest port complex, while also laying out a path to zero emissions at two of our terminals.”

All cargo handling equipment funded will be manually operated. Recipients will match at least 20% of the total project costs under the passthrough agreement for the grants approved by the Long Beach Harbor Commission on Monday.

The Port of Long Beach is a global leader in green port initiatives and top-notch customer service, moving cargo with reliability, speed and efficiency. As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at more than $300 billion annually and supports 2.7 million jobs across the United States, including 691,000 in Southern California. It is one of 18 commercial strategic seaports in the United States, with a duty to support force deployment during contingencies and other national defense emergencies. In 2025, the Port is celebrating “20 Years of Leading Green,” marking two decades of its landmark Green Port Policy that has dramatically reduced environmental impacts from operations. Industry leaders named Long Beach "The Best West Coast Seaport in North America" for a seventh consecutive year and "The Best Green Seaport" in 2025. During the next 10 years, the Port is planning $3.2 billion in capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness and sustainability.