MARAD Announces Over $660 Million for Port Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced the availability of more than $662 million in 2023 funding for MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).

The DOT said the investment will help “modernize our nation’s ports and help strengthen our supply chains for generations to come, helping to reduce shipping time, costs, and ultimately the costs of goods for the American people.”

President Biden’s infrastructure package provides $450 million annually in funding for the program.

“America’s ports play a central role in our supply chains,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With today’s announcement, we are helping make our ports safer, more efficient, and more reliable—strengthening supply chains, reducing costs for the American people, and positioning us for economic success.”

MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program provides discretionary grants to help eligible applicants critical port and port-related infrastructure projects. Applicants can include port authorities, states, local governments, indigenous Tribal nations, counties, and other eligible entities.

Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to support projects that “improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods through ports and intermodal connections to ports.” MARAD will also consider how projects address climate change and sustainability, equity, and workforce development objectives.

“This funding will support efforts by ports and industry stakeholders to improve port and related freight infrastructure to meet the Nation’s freight transportation needs and ensure our port infrastructure can support future growth,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips.“The program also includes a statutory set-aside for small ports to continue to improve and expand their capacity to move freight reliably and efficiently, support local and regional economies, and support supply chain improvement.”   

In 2022 the Biden Administration awarded $703 million in PIDP funds to 41 projects in 22 states and one territory. More than 60 percent of those awards are benefiting ports in historically disadvantaged communities and several of the projects will help reduce emissions at the ports through electrification. Also, more than $150 million in awards include a focus on electrification of port equipment to reduce emissions and improve air quality and nearly $100 million was awarded to projects advancing offshore wind deployment.

In the coming weeks, the Federal Highway Administration will open FY 2022-20223 grant applications for the Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities program, which will make $160 million available to test, evaluate, and deploy projects that reduce port-related emissions from idling trucks, including through the advancement of port electrification and improvements in efficiency.

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