Grabbing your shore power cord and plugging into an electrical pedestal at the dock is a routine practice for "small" boat owners. Shore power let's you recharge your batteries and run systems without relying on an engine or generators.

For cruise and container ships, it's not as routine, so they keep their engines running which adds to the noise and emissions in port. To reduce those emissions, ports around the world are adding shore power systems in their terminals.

This year is the first where the Port of Seattle has shore power at all three cruise berths. The systems were developed by Kingston, Wash.-based Watts Marine.

If a ship has the ability to use shore power, they are required to plug in. In 2024, 66% of cruise ship calls plugged into shore power.

In Tacoma, a new shore power system was completed in June at Husky Terminal, where many international container ships call.

Across both ports, which are partners through the Northwest Seaport Alliance, there are now shore power systems across six terminals (three container terminals, plus the three cruise terminals) with plans for more. The alliance has a target of shore power systems at all international terminals by 2030.

Another potential alternative to these shore power systems, as profiled by The Liquid Grid, is an emissions capture barge. Several of these are operating at California ports.