While appearing at the Port of Baltimore on October 29, President Biden announced a $3 billion investment to improve the port infrastructure. The money will be part of the Environmental Protection Agency Clean Ports grants, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, to 55 selectees across 27 states and territories,
This investment will support an estimated 40,000 jobs for the infrastructure improvements.
The announcement includes $147 million in awards for the Maryland Port Administration, which will support over 2,000 jobs by enabling the purchase and installation of zero-emission port equipment, charging infrastructure, and power improvemens.
The funds announced will support the purchase of battery-electric and hydrogen-powered human-operated and human-maintained equipment, including over 1,500 units of cargo handling equipment, 1,000 drayage trucks, 10 locomotives, and 20 vessels, as well as shore power systems for ocean-going vessels, battery-electric and hydrogen vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, and solar power generation.
Each day the Port’s economic impact represents $192 million or more than $70 billion a year, representing 13% of Maryland’s gross domestic product.
Baltimore was also named an Investing in America Workforce Hub. In November 2023, Hub partners announced new efforts to train and hire local residents to support major infrastructure projects. These commitments include one from the State of Maryland to incorporate a Project Labor Agreement in the bidding process for nine projects covering $9 billion in investment and 11,000 jobs—including 7,000 construction jobs.
The Department of Commerce also awarded the Maryland Department of Labor $23 million through the Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge to create a new apprenticeship model for the growing offshore wind industry in Maryland. The Maritime Administration is further supporting the Maryland offshore wind industry through a $47 million grant to Sparrows Point Steel to retool, a former Bethlehem Steel mill in Baltimore, to establish an offshore wind logistics and manufacturing hub in partnership with the United Steelworkers.
The administration noted in its release that it's committed to holding the owners of the DALI cargo ship accountable for the disaster. Last week, the Department of Justice announced a settlement of over $100 million with the owners of the DALI to cover federal government costs incurred in responding to the collapse.
