Directs the New York City Economic Development Corporation to immediately commence any proceedings, processes, stakeholder engagement, or capital projects necessary for the installation of shore power capability at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2277
SPONSOR: Rosenthal TITLE OF BILL:
An act in relation to the electrification of the Manhattan Cruise Termi-
nal; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration
thereof
PURPOSE:;
To authorize and direct relevant New York agencies, authorities, and
corporations to study and implement the electrification of the Manhattan
Cruise Terminal for the purposes of providing shore power to all vessels
docking in the terminal by the year 2030
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 authorizes and directs relevant agencies, authorities, and
corporations to study competitive options to facilitate the electrifica-
tion of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal for the purposes of providing
shore power to all vessels docking in the terminal by the year 2030 and
to deliver that study to certain government officials
Section 2 directs the relevant agencies, authorities, and corporations
to commence proceedings and stakeholder processes to carry out the
provisions described in the results of the study within 60 days of the
delivery of the study to certain government officials
Section 3 directs the state energy research and development authority to
begin implementation of electrification processes outlined in the study
within 90 days of the study's delivery and to order the New York City
Economic Development Corporation and New York Power Authority to begin a
competitive award process for the electrification of the Manhattan
Cruise Terminal.
Section 4 directs the department of environmental conservation to, upon
installation of shore power capabilities, issue requirements to ensure
full use of shore power at the Terminal, and regulations and penalties
for violation of regulations.
Section 4 is the effective and expiration date.
JUSTIFICATION:
A single cruise ship docked at port and burning heavy fuel oil can emit
as much pollution as 34,400 idling long-haul trucks. When burned, this
toxic oil described by the NOAA as "the most significant threat from
ships to the Arctic Marine environment." Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen
oxide, another byproduct of heavy fuel oil combustion, damage the
respiratory system and are known to cause and worsen asthma, especially
in children and elderly adults. Both can interact with chemicals in the
atmosphere to form acid rain.
In response to the public health and environmental threats cruise ships
pose to the coastal ports at which they dock, many jurisdictions are
shifting to shore power, allowing cruise ships to plug into the power
grid on shore instead of burning fuel while idling. California, for
example, has required 70% of all visiting ships, not just cruise ships,
to plug in to shore power since 2007, and China adopted a measure in
2018 requiring all cruises to use shore power by 2021. Thirty percent of
the global fleet of cruise ships are already capable of using shore
power, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, and
another 30% are being retrofitted, paving the way for global electrifi-
cation.
Brooklyn Cruise Terminal began the process of electrification in 2011
and finished the process in 2016. Though technical, compatibility, and
enforcement issues have delayed the full use of electric power, a third
of cruises docking at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal each year use available
shore power, and funding has been allocated by the city to raise the
number of electric calls.
Manhattan Cruise Terminal is expected to receive more than double the
cruise ships that Brooklyn Terminal receives in 2023. This legislation
directs the relevant agencies and authorities to begin investigating
options for electrification of the Manhattan terminal, and commands that
implementation of such options begin in a timely manner, with relevant
public input and coordination to ensure cost-efficient and coordinated
implementation. This will ensure that as New York's major cruise termi-
nals grow to accommodate a flouring tourism industry, its environment,
air quality, and health remain protected.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.9319 - Referred to Energy
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the later
of January 1, 2031 or the date upon which the electrification of the
Manhattan Cruise Terminal is complete, when upon this act shall be
deemed repealed.
