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As of July 10, 2026, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is moving forward with a $45 million push to accelerate zero-emission trucking at the Port of New York and New Jersey. The agency is partnering with CALSTART, a national clean-transportation nonprofit, to run two new incentive programs that target drayage trucks, terminal tractors, and the charging infrastructure those vehicles need.
The first effort, the Clean Truck Incentive (CTI) Program, will dedicate up to $39 million in point-of-sale vouchers. Fleets can use the vouchers to reduce the purchase price of zero-emission drayage trucks and yard tractors, as well as charging equipment. The second, the Green Drayage Accelerator (GDA), is a $5 million grant program for up to five electric truck charging hubs located within 10 miles of Port Authority seaport facilities. CALSTART will design and administer both programs, and the rollout is slated to begin this fall.
The money flows from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Ports Program, which awarded the Port Authority $451 million — the largest sustainability grant in the agency's history. That grant is backed by Inflation Reduction Act funding, giving the initiative a direct line to federal climate investment. Beyond the CALSTART-managed programs, the broader award will pay for electric cargo handling equipment at marine terminals and shore power so container ships can plug in at berth instead of running auxiliary engines. A separate $3 million EPA planning grant will support a new Port Community Advisory Council.
The push is a major step toward the Port Authority's net-zero emissions goal for 2050. The target covers not only agency operations but also tenants, contractors, and supply-chain partners. Port officials have made clear that the transition has to be practical for the trucking companies that move freight through the port day and night.
Chairman Kevin O'Toole said the money puts clean equipment within reach of operators who serve the port every day, while extending cleaner air to communities along the truck routes. Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said the incentives make it financially realistic for drayage companies to switch to electric trucks and yard equipment, and Port Director Bethann Rooney stressed that the effort is built on support and partnership, not top-down mandates. CALSTART Executive Vice President Alycia Gilde added that pairing vehicle incentives with reliable charging lowers the barrier to entry and modernizes the East Coast supply chain.
CALSTART is an especially well-suited administrator for this kind of work. The nonprofit has helped run California's Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, the country's most established voucher program for clean commercial vehicles. The Port Authority's CTI program follows a similar point-of-sale model, meaning dealers and sellers can apply the voucher directly at the time of a purchase rather than making fleets wait for a rebate. That structure is widely seen as one of the most effective ways to reduce friction for small operators.
Charging infrastructure is the other key piece. Drayage trucks typically run short, repetitive routes between marine terminals and nearby warehouses, so charging hubs sited within 10 miles of the port can serve multiple fleets. The GDA program aims to build five such hubs, with CALSTART managing the application and selection process. Together, the CTI and GDA programs are designed to prevent the problem of trucks going electric before charging is available, or charging being built before enough trucks can use it.
To keep the process transparent, CALSTART will develop dynamic tracking dashboards for both programs. The dashboards will monitor truck deployments, vehicle performance, and charger utilization across port operations, and the Port Authority will take full control of the data tools in 2028. In the coming weeks, Port Authority and CALSTART staff will hold in-person and online briefings and distribute informational materials so drayage operators know how to take part.
The new funding is part of a broader sustainability agenda at the port. The existing Truck Replacement Program already pays trucking companies to swap older, higher-emission engines for cleaner ones. The Clean Vessel Incentive rewards ocean carriers that voluntarily reduce speed near the port, and marine terminal rules require a shift to zero-emission cargo handling equipment as it becomes commercially available. On-dock ExpressRail service also moves more freight by rail to the Midwest, New England, and eastern Canada.
The port has also begun building the physical infrastructure to support electric trucks. Last year it opened a charging station at Port Newark with four fast chargers near the truck welcome center at Marlin and Kellogg streets. Port tenants are investing as well: Port Newark Container Terminal recently completed a solar installation. The Port Street Corridor Improvement Project is reshaping one of the port complex's busiest interchanges, while improvements to public restrooms, road paving, signage, and driver feedback channels aim to make daily operations smoother for truckers.
The measurable results so far show significant progress. According to the seaport's 2024 Air Emissions Inventory and Efficiency report, sulfur dioxide emissions are down 98 percent from 2006 levels, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter have fallen more than 83 percent, and cargo volume is up nearly 71 percent. With the $45 million truck incentive package, the Port Authority is betting that zero-emission trucks can drive those numbers down even further while keeping freight moving.
For the independent owner-operators and small fleets that power the port, the message is clear: the path to zero-emission equipment now has a financial on-ramp. The combination of upfront vouchers, charging hub grants, and a streamlined application process gives the trucking community a reason to plan for electric vehicles.
