Is it Time to Electrify the Cruise Ship Docks?

Is it time for Juneau to create it’s largest idle-free zone? Judge Holland’s recent decision appears to force Juneau to only use cruise ship passenger head tax monies for items that are directly connected to the ships. Princess Cruises and AELP teamed up nearly 17 years ago to put head tax money to work in electrifying the southern ship dock. With public air quality complaints last year nearly double that of 2017, with a 25% increase in visitation this coming summer, with more and more ships parked in Juneau’s front yard each year, and with roughly 80% of these ships coming to town ready to plug in to our clean hydro power, it seems like the time has come.

More than ever before, Juneau is showing just how strongly it stands behind its renewable energy and it’s world class, tourist-craved environment. The caption of the headline article in the Juneau Empire on February 2, sums it up nicely.

“We don’t live in Alaska to breathe air like that,” Bridget LaPenter said during a Juneau Commission on Sustainability session. “At this point it’s fairly outrageous.”

Here are a few publications, collections of research and information, and news stories that you may find informative.

• Juneau Empire story, Feb 2, 2019, detailing the present situation
• KTOO story, Jan 31, 2019, detailing violations and planned DEC monitoring
• 2019 Juneau Commission on Sustainability (JCOS) request to CBJ w/ background info
• CBJ brochure about construction of new docks, WITH ELECTRIFICATION
• 2016 CBJ-commissioned study of dock electrification. NOTE: costs outlined on page 4 are in question
• 2001 powerpoint detailing the Princess dock electrification process