As Seattle’s 2024 cruise season concludes, the Port of Seattle (Washington, USA) and city officials celebrated the completion of a landmark project: full electrification of all 3 cruise terminals. The season finale was marked by the departure of Norwegian Jewel from Pier 66 on October 28th, concluding a season that included 276 cruise calls and 1.75 million passengers. Port officials forecast an increase to ~2 million passengers for the 2025 season.
The US$44 million shore power initiative enables docked vessels to connect to the city’s electrical grid, substantially reducing emissions while ships are in port. Originally slated for completion by 2030, this advancement places Seattle 7 years ahead of schedule in emission reduction technology. According to Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman, Seattle now stands as a leader in minimizing cruise-related emissions at the dock.
Estimates indicate that if all cruise ships utilized shore power during the previous season, it would have cut 11,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases and 300 metric tons of particulate matter. Recognizing the environmentally conscious demographic of Alaska-bound travelers, the Port is promoting shore power as part of Seattle’s broader commitment to sustainable tourism.
Though not all cruise vessels are currently equipped to utilize shore power, Seattle has set a compliance deadline for 2027, after which ships calling at the port will be required to connect, setting a new standard for sustainable cruising in the region.