Port of San Diego advances clean energy and shoreline resilience

Sustainability is taking centre stage at the Port of San Diego with two new projects aimed at improving air quality and coastal resilience. During its March meeting, the Board of Port Commissioners awarded the contracts to establish cleaner energy infrastructure and habitat-centred shoreline improvements.

The shore-power expansion at Fish Harbor Pier is a key component of the port’s clean air efforts. Three new connection points capable of operating simultaneously will be installed along the Embarcadero adjacent to Seaport Village. They will facilitate commercial harbour craft relying on landside electricity instead of diesel power while at berth. The project will reduce greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.

Work on the estimated $1.8-million project begins this April and is scheduled for completion by October 2027. During the construction phase, port staff will collaborate with the San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group to maintain fishing access as well as curb emissions by managing equipment idling and other pier activity.

Expanding habitat-friendly shorelines

Nature‑based shoreline systems will be introduced at two locations along San Diego Bay as part of the port’s continuing efforts to enhance marine habitat while maintaining shoreline stability. The projects along Harbor Island Park in San Diego and along the Chula Vista side of the Sweetwater Channel will replace sections of conventional rock shoreline with habitat‑enhancing units designed to support marine life.

The installations follow the success of a 2021 pilot project completed along a 160-foot (approximately 49-metre) stretch of Harbor Island shoreline. Green Marine partner ECOncrete, which installed its COASTALOCK system to provide structurally sound native habitat in a riprap scheme, will collaborate again with the port on the new installations. Several years of monitoring showed that the pilot structures remained resilient while supporting more than 60 marine species. The units also helped to improve water quality by attracting filter‑feeding organisms.

_{Photos: Port of San Diego}