Governor Gavin Newsom has removed the requirement for berthing vessels to connect to shore power at Californian ports. He made the announcement on 2 September, stating that vessels berthed between 3 and 7 September will not be required to use shore power connectivity until 11 September.
The announcement comes as the state is being rocked by an ongoing heatwave where temperatures are expected to reach 46 degrees Celsius in some areas this week. Updated projections by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) show energy demands over the weekend were expected to exceed 47,000 megawatts, the highest since the summer of 2017.
Current rules under the California Air Resources Board (CARB) require container, reefer, and cruise vessels at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland to either use shore power or a CARB-approved control technology to reduce harmful emissions.
Newsom dropped the requirement in August last year following similar energy concerns.
Source: porttechnology.org