PHOTOS: Hirono Tours Honolulu Harbor to Highlight Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act
HONOLULU, HI – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), toured the Honolulu Harbor and Kapalama Container Terminal (KCT) site, and met with officials from the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and shipping companies to discuss the progress of the KCT expansion project and the importance of the $3 billion included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for port electrification across the country. Last month, Senator Hirono voted to pass the IRA, landmark legislation that lowered costs for families by investing billions in renewable energy.
“Honolulu Harbor is critical to Hawaii’s economy, handling more than 11 million tons of cargo every year,” said Senator Hirono. “As efforts continue to expand the Harbor’s capacity and its ability to serve our state, we also have an opportunity to reduce its impact on our environment. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, we’re investing billions of dollars to upgrade and electrify ports in Hawaii and across the country. I’m proud to help secure federal funding to support modernizing Honolulu Harbor, and I’ll continue working to support infrastructure modernization projects across Hawaii.”
The purpose of the KCT project is to improve cargo handling capabilities at Honolulu Harbor, the hub of Hawaii’s commercial harbor system. KCT, when complete, will add about 40% container capacity at the Harbor at a cost of about $555 million. The project includes the construction of a 65-acre container yard, support buildings, entry and exit gates, security fencing, parking, gantry cranes and container handling equipment, and outdoor energy-efficient lighting, as well as building 1,800 linear feet of additional berthing capacity, dredging of the waterfront and harbor channel, widening and reconstructing several piers, and elevating the piers by nine feet to mitigate the impacts of rising sea levels.
“Much of what we consume in Hawaii is imported, and more than ninety percent moves through our harbors,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Jade Butay. “In addition to Kapalama Container Terminal and our partnership with the Army Corps, we are grateful for the discretionary grant opportunities in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Invest. We appreciate Senator Hirono’s support as we work to maintain our state’s critical infrastructure.”
Earlier this year, Senator Hirono urged the U.S. Maritime Administration to approve a $47 million grant for KCT to supplement efforts to improve efficiency, safety, and resiliency at the harbor. Last year, Senator Hirono also helped secure $800,000 in federal funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to do a feasibility study on navigation improvements in Honolulu Harbor and features that would make the harbor more resilient to natural disasters and sea level rise resulting from climate change, consistent with the HDOT’s 2050 Master Plan for the harbor.
In August, Senator Hirono helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which established a new Grants to Reduce Air Pollution at Ports program at EPA, appropriating $3 billion available through 2026. The competitive grants will be available to purchase and install zero-emission port equipment and technology, as well as to help state agencies like HDOT develop ?climate action plans and carry out any planning or permitting associated with adopting zero-emissions technology. Last year, she helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which invests more than $17 billion in port infrastructure and waterways.
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