Thread: Reducing Emissions at the Ports

The World Cruise Terminal at the Port of Los Angeles is setting some new trends in the form of on shore power for cruise ships, derived from sustainable sources including solar power.

The NY Times Green Blog just ran a very compelling piece and mentions Princess Cruises, as one of the first cruise lines to start using solar powered onshore power for its Alaska cruise terminal in 2001.

Here's a snippet:

"The Port of Los Angeles, which in 2004 became the first in the world to provide Alternative Maritime Power for container ships, is expanding that effort.

By the end of January, the port’s World Cruise Center, which is used by Princess Cruise Lines as well as others, will begin providing alternate power for cruise ships. The port is also spending $10.8 million to install 71,500 square feet of solar panels on the center’s roof, which will generate one megawatt of electricity.

The alternate power technology allows ships to literally plug into on-shore generators while docked, instead of having to rely on onboard engines."

Let's encourage our favorite cruise lines to consider this strong sources of alternative energy and help keep out ports smog free. Next step, solar panels on the Cruise Ships!

Solar power in Alaska during the summer is not a bad idea. Wonder how the panels survive the winter cold, though? I could definitely see solar power being very useful in the Caribbean.