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PortMiami will provide electric power to cruise ships docked in an effort to make the county more environmentally sustainable, becoming the first seaport in the southeast to do so, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Wednesday.
The county issued a joint statement with six leading cruise companies and energy provider Florida Power and Light (FPL) to carry out the project.
“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,” Levine Cava said in a press release.
The cruise lines signing on to the project are Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and Virgin Voyages.
According to Mayor’s office, the letter is a “crucial first step” in the process of implementing shore power supply to ships docking at PortMiami, the country’s leading port.
For its execution, the Mayor’s office will meet with representatives from each company to work on “an initial installation,” hoping for a full rollout in upcoming years.
The project’s coordinator and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine called the initiative “historic” for county.
“I’m looking forward to working with the County to build a more resilient future for our cruising industry and springboard our economic recovery, as we look to the safe return of cruising in coming months,” Levine said.
Mayor Levine Cava said the goal is to make PortMiami the first seaport in the region to provide shore power connection and to lead the nation in sustainability.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), government-ordered shutdowns related to the pandemic have resulted in the loss of $77 billion in economic activity globally, over half a million jobs and $23 billion in wages in 2019 alone.
