Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC Council may force cruise ships to cut diesel engines when docking in city waters
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Feb 15, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Feb 15, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The pleasure cruise industry may have to shore up its greenhouse gas emissions when ships dock in New York City.
City Councilmembers debated a bill on Thursday that explicitly requires cruise terminal operators to use shore power, rather than their onboard diesel engines, while ships are docking in city waters. The regulation is part of New York’s ongoing attempts to cut carbon emissions citywide.
“We can not rest on past environmental achievements if we want New York to remain competitive in the cruise market,” Councilmember Amanda Farias said during a committee hearing on the bill on Thursday. “Expanding shore power represents a vital step towards cementing New York’s position as the greenest – and most equitable – major cruise hub on the East Coast.”
Cruise ships burn through a considerable amount of fuel carting travelers. and their own crew members, across oceans. And even when docked, these same vessels still need energy to keep lights on and electricity going – which can contribute to air pollution in neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen and Red Hook. And while certain cruise lines – like Norwegian and Carnival – already vowed to commit to shore power by 2028, the new bill would legally mandate the pledge.
If the bill passes, cruise ships would also need to come up with a “community traffic mitigation plan” to reduce traffic, noise and air pollution caused by the hubbub at cruise terminals. The bill’s sponsor, Councilmember Alexa Avilés, said residents in Red Hook feel “fear and dread” ahead of this summer's cruise season.
“This is a community that feels like it is being dumped on and is ready to take on collective action,” she said during the hearing.
Officials with the city’s Economic Development Corporation, which oversees business on the waterfront – including the Manhattan and Brooklyn cruise terminals – said that the city is “fully aligned” with the bill’s motives.
“We want to thank the Council for your leadership on sustainability and traffic planning,” Sabrina Lippman, the agency’s senior vice president of asset management, said at the hearing.
A typical cruise ship will emit more than 421 kilograms of carbon dioxide per passenger, according to Friends of the Earth, an environmental organization. That’s roughly five times the amount a single vacationer will use on a land-based vacation — even while using carbon-heavy transportation.
Los Angeles, Seattle and Miami already have shore power requirements at their ports.
Tagged
Politics
new york city
environment
City Council
transportation
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
DOC negligence factored in death at Rikers' Bellevue hospital outpost, jail officials say
The oversight board’s report documents a deadly pattern of neglect at a facility meant to keep inmates safe.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 2, 2026 at 2:55 p.m. ET
Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says
The MTA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating how Yaw Boahene was fatally dragged by a subway train in Brooklyn on Monday.
By
Stephen Nessen
News
Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says
The MTA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating how Yaw Boahene was fatally dragged by a subway train in Brooklyn on Monday.
By
Stephen Nessen
NYPD still searching for man who threw burning substance on victim in East Harlem
By
Ryan Kost
Intoxication not a 'license' to rape: Hochul pushes to tighten law amid Cornell scandal
By
Walter Wuthmann
NYC Parks police told a yoga teacher to leash her dog. It got ugly.
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .