Port of Long Beach. Photo: Shutterstock/DJANA 575
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity announcing the availability of $500 million for the fiscal year 2024 through the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).
The PIDP aims to modernize coastal and inland waterway ports, strengthen supply chains and economic security, reduce shipping times and costs for carriers, and lower the price of goods for American consumers.
MARAD’s PIDP grants are designed to support eligible applicants, including port authorities, state and local governments, indigenous tribal nations, counties, and other public entities, in completing significant port and port-related infrastructure projects.
“Ports are central to our supply chains, and when ports run smoothly, it helps keep prices down, shelves stocked, and American farms and businesses selling their goods around the world,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “After helping our supply chains recover from pandemic disruptions, today President Biden is announcing $500 million to further strengthen our ports and keep shipping costs down, now and for generations of Americans.”
Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips highlighted the program’s role in supporting port and industry stakeholder efforts to modernize and expand port capacity.
“PIDP is a powerful investment tool that is uniquely geared toward improving port and related freight infrastructure to meet the Nation’s freight transportation needs—while simultaneously ensuring our port infrastructure can support future growth, and enhance the safety, efficiency and reliability of the Nation’s ports,” Phillips said.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided the PIDP program with $2.25 billion for five years (2022-2026). The annual PIDP award amounts have been increasing over the past few years, peaking at $703 million in 2022 before slightly decreasing to $653 million in 2023.
The PIDP’s 2023 funded projects range from dock replacement in Alaska to safety improvements and electric vehicle charging infrastructure in North Carolina. The program is also complemented by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program, which recently made $3 billion available for zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure.
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