Sponsors (17)
The bill promises large local air‑quality and national climate benefits by forcing maritime emissions cuts, but does so at the cost of substantial compliance and infrastructure expenses, administrative burdens, and the risk that EPA feasibility waivers or tight timelines could weaken or disrupt outcomes.
Residents in port and nearby urban communities (including seniors, children, and port workers) will see lower air pollution exposure as in‑port vessel greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions must be eliminated or maximally reduced by 2035.
All Americans benefit from reduced maritime greenhouse gas emissions over time because lifecycle fuel carbon intensity standards and port rules will cut shipping-sector emissions, helping meet national climate mitigation goals.
Ports, utilities, and clean‑tech investors gain regulatory certainty from clear statutory deadlines (rulemaking by 2029, compliance by 2035), which can spur investment in zero‑emission port technologies and infrastructure.
Shippers, small businesses, and consumers will face higher shipping costs because vessel owners/operators must pay for cleaner fuels, retrofits, replacements, or shore power—costs that are likely to be passed down.
Local governments, utilities, and ratepayers will incur substantial upfront costs to upgrade port infrastructure (shore power, hydrogen, charging), shifting financial burden to public budgets and utility customers.
Communities, taxpayers, and climate goals could see weaker outcomes if EPA invokes 'technologically or economically infeasible' or 'maximum feasible' findings, allowing relaxed standards or incomplete elimination of pollution.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Directs EPA to require lifecycle fuel carbon-intensity reductions for large vessels with phased targets to reach zero by 2050 and to eliminate or maximally reduce at-berth/anchorage emissions by 2035.
Official title: To amend the Clean Air Act to provide for the establishment of standards to limit the carbon intensity of the fuel used by certain vessels, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 10, 2025 by Robert Garcia · Last progress July 10, 2025
Directs the EPA to set and enforce lifecycle carbon-intensity standards for fuel used to propel or operate vessels 400 gross tons or larger on covered voyages, with phased reduction targets that ramp to 100% carbon-intensity reduction by 2050. Requires annual vessel-level reporting of fuel carbon intensity and emissions and allows some flexibility (crediting, averaging, exemptions for very infrequent voyages). Also directs EPA to issue standards to eliminate greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions from vessels at berth or at anchorage in the U.S. contiguous zone by January 1, 2035, or to require the maximum feasible reductions if full elimination is not feasible.