EDC Projected Increase in Cruise Ship Visits = More Pollution

The NYC Economic Development Corporation released a report last week indicating strong growth in the cruise ship industry. The report, which summarizes the results of an economic impact study, describes a significant increase in the number of ship visits between 2009 and 2010 and predicts up to 264 ship calls in 2011 involving as many as 645,000 passengers.

Besides foretelling an increase in pollution, these figures make it abundantly clear that providing shore power for visiting ships should be well within reach financially. Based on an article presented on the C40 Cities website, for cruise ships berthed in Seattle, which provides shore power, running cost per call was approximately $5,000. Granted, electric rates are lower in the Northwest. But, using these numbers, the projected 264 calls in NY would cost a total of $1.32M. That works out to about $2.05 per projected passenger. Even if the cost was 5x higher, it would total about $10 per passenger.

This is such a small amount of money that it is clear that there can be no reasonable objection to a surcharge to enable shore power. After all, no one has to take a cruise - but the residents of NYC have to live with the pollution.

Rally for Shore Power

State Senator Daniel Squadron and Councilmember Brad Lander are organizing an event which will hopefully help end the stalemate on the shore power issue.  Below is the invitation they sent out today:

Dear Neighbors,

Please join us Monday at noon for a press conference and rally in support of bringing "shore power" to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

Along with the community we have been pushing for shore power for a long time — now we are holding this "Stop Choking Brooklyn" rally because we can't wait any longer!

Switching to shore power — so that ships can hook up to the electric grid instead of idling their engines in port — would stop tons of unnecessary and life-threatening pollution, which is equal to thousands of cars idling.

The Port Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency have obtained $15 million in funding to build the necessary infrastructure. However, for shore power to become a reality, the Economic Development Corporation, which operates the cruise terminal, Carnival Cruise Lines which uses the terminal, and New York Power Authority, which delivers electricity to the terminal, need to come to a final agreement about the price of electricity.

Join us on Monday to rally for an agreement now, so the work needed to bring shore power to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal can begin and idling cruise ships stop choking Brooklyn!

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We’re going to be holding the event on Monday. Here are the specifics:

• What: Rally to Stop Choking Brooklyn
• When: Monday, January 3rd, noon
• Where: corner of Van Brunt Street and Pioneer Street

There will be free surgical masks for everyone to wear in order to highlight just how much pollution is caused by the ships currently.

I hope you’ll join us on Monday as we rally in support of a cause that will make our community an even better place to live.

Thank you,

Councilmember Lander and Senator Squadron

Let's get out and let the powers that be know that our community really wants to see an end to pollution from idling ships.

Shore Power for Cruise Ships

Local resident Diana Schneider alerted us to this excellent posting in A View From the Hook about the effort to get shore power to cruise ships.

The topic was also addressed at last week's general meeting where Daniel Squadron and Brad Lander filled us in on their efforts to convince the PSC to set a 'standby' rate that the ship operator can live with. Word is that Carnival lines has agreed to pay a rate higher than that charged in other ports, but their offer is still lower than what was proposed.

We can let the PSC know that this is a critical issue to us. Write to them care of

Hon. Jaclyn A. Brilling
Secretary to the Commission
New York State Public Service Commission
Empire State Plaza Agency
Building 3
Albany, NY 12223-1350