U.S. Ports Push Nuclear Power, Faster Dredging at Record AAPA Convention

By Tom Ewing (gCaptain) – The American Association of Port Authorities wrapped up its annual convention in New Orleans on Wednesday after drawing its largest attendance ever, with more than 900 participants representing over 90 ports.

Across three days of discussions, one theme repeatedly surfaced: the federal government wants maritime infrastructure projects to move faster.

AAPA President and CEO Sang Yi opened the convention by highlighting the record turnout, which brought together port executives, federal officials and maritime industry leaders at a time when Washington is putting renewed emphasis on U.S. shipbuilding, port infrastructure and the maritime industrial base.

Speakers included Maritime Administrator Capt. Stephen Carmel, Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba, Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security Aris Kourkoumelis and officials from across the Departments of Transportation and Commerce.

The agenda ranged from federal infrastructure grants and workforce development to shipbuilding investment, nuclear power and dredging.

One of the most closely watched sessions examined the Maritime Administration’s push to explore small modular nuclear reactors as a potential source of power for ports and future commercial vessels.

The Port of Long Beach is working with MARAD and Bluecore Energy to study the technology as the port prepares for sharply higher electricity demand.

Hacegaba said the port currently consumes roughly as much electricity as 79,000 homes. By 2050, that could rise to the equivalent of about 150,000 homes.

“We’re tapping every source we can,” Hacegaba said.

The Port of Corpus Christi is pursuing a similar effort with MARAD and CORE POWER, examining potential applications for floating nuclear power plants and future nuclear-powered commercial vessels.

The discussions come as ports face growing power requirements from terminal electrification, shore power, cargo-handling equipment and other infrastructure.

Speed was another recurring topic.

During a session on federal grants, Sydney Plante of MARAD’s strategic engagement team summed up the sense of urgency among federal officials.

“We don’t want to miss our chance,” she said.

Commerce Department official Andrew Farquharson pointed to planned foreign investment from South Korea and Japan, including capital aimed at U.S. maritime and manufacturing projects. He also highlighted workforce development and federal research funding targeting technologies such as artificial intelligence and automated welding for shipbuilding.

That push for faster project delivery carried into the convention’s final day, when senior federal officials discussed efforts to overhaul how dredging projects are reviewed and scheduled.

Lee Forsgren, Senior Official Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, said the Army Corps of Engineers is developing a new “national dredging framework” aimed at reducing delays and making better use of the U.S. dredging fleet.

“We want to build infrastructure, not paperwork,” Forsgren told attendees.

One significant change would be moving away from sequential agency reviews toward concurrent evaluations.

“The days of linear evaluation are over,” Forsgren said.

The Army Corps is also looking at whether dredging projects can be planned more effectively on a regional basis.

Forsgren pointed to situations in which a dredge might work in South Carolina, travel north for a project in Rhode Island and then return south to Florida. Better regional coordination, he said, could reduce unnecessary vessel movements and make better use of available dredging capacity.

Questions about U.S. dredging capacity have become increasingly important as ports deepen and widen channels to accommodate larger vessels and compete for cargo.

Forsgren said the apparent shortage of dredging capacity may partly reflect inefficiencies in how projects are scheduled rather than simply a lack of equipment.

NOAA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere Erik Noble said his agency is also working more closely with the Army Corps as part of what officials described as a “whole of government” approach.

“We’re picking up the phone and calling each other,” Noble said.

Forsgren cited dredging ahead of July 4 Tall Ships events in New York as an example. With only a narrow window available to complete work, NOAA provided a required review within roughly 30 hours, allowing the project to move forward.

“That’s the kind of cooperation we want,” Forsgren said. “That’s how this is supposed to work.”

The Army Corps is also developing a mapping tool for Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, designed to give project developers a clearer picture of federal jurisdiction around waterways. Forsgren said an initial version is expected in roughly 18 months, with later versions providing greater precision.

Taken together, the discussions in New Orleans showed how broadly the current U.S. maritime push is expanding.

Shipbuilding remains a major focus, but port officials are increasingly being asked to consider the infrastructure surrounding the ships as well — deeper channels, greater electrical capacity, new energy sources, expanded industrial facilities and a workforce capable of supporting them.

And if the message from federal officials at AAPA was consistent on anything, it was that they do not want those projects to take as long as they have in the past.