Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is equipped with shore power technology, allowing cruise ships to connect to the local power grid when docked.
Cruise ships connect New York City to the world. At Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (BCT), shore power is helping make those connections cleaner, more efficient, and better equipped for the future. Shore power allows compatible cruise ships to connect to the local power grid while docked, enabling them to shut down their diesel engines and reduce local emissions. Thanks in part to community advocacy, BCT was an early adopter of cruise shore power infrastructure, and the terminal continues to invest in improvements that make the system more flexible and compatible with a wider range of vessels.
Video Transcript
00:05 [Music.] [A large cruise ship docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with text overlay reading, Shore Power at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal: Powering a Clean Waterfront.]
00:07 Cruise ships connect New York City to the world. At Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, we're working to make those connections cleaner, more efficient, and future-ready. Located on Brooklyn's working waterfront in Red Hook, BCT is an important gateway for cruise passengers visiting and departing New York City. Thanks to community advocacy, BCT was an early adopter of cruise shore power, establishing infrastructure to allow compatible vessels to receive electricity from shore, reducing their reliance on diesel engines.
00:39 This shore power system runs on a four-step process: First, high voltage electricity from the grid flows to the shore power substation, where it is stepped down to a voltage that can be used by the ship. Power is then sent through the terminal's shore power Control room, which manages the safe transfer of electricity. From there, the shore power connection box and a cable management system (also called a mobile jib) safely deliver the power from the control room to the ship.
01:09 Finally, the ship receives the power and its diesel engines can be shut down. But as cruise technology evolves, so must the on-land infrastructure that supports it–to be made flexible for different ship sizes and designs. This evolution of BCT is well-underway. In 2024, BCT's fixed jib was replaced with a mobile jib to extend the reach of the shore power cables to a wider range of vessels.
01:36 The next year, we installed a second connection point to accommodate vessels with a mid-ship shore power hatch. Then in 2026 BCT reached another milestone when we installed permanent hardware for the second connection point, adding greater durability to the system. Together, these investments greatly expanded compatibility
01:59 [A bar chart superimposed over industrial equipment showing a Compatibility Rate increase from 17% in 2024 to 86% in 2026.] from 17% of vessels in 2024 to 86% in 2026.
02:06 From pioneering shore power to continuously improving how we connect, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is building towards a cleaner, more adaptable and more sustainable future for cruising in New York City.
02:19 [Music.] [The Statue of Liberty stands near a large cruise ship in New York Harbor, with the Cruise NYC logo and “Learn more at cruise.nyc” text overlaid.]
How Shore Power Works
At BCT, connecting a cruise ship to shore power is a four-step process:
- Electricity arrives from the grid. High-voltage electricity flows to BCT’s shore power substation, where it is stepped down to a voltage that can be used by the ship.
- Power is managed at the terminal. Electricity passes through the shore power control room, which manages its safe transfer.
- The ship is connected. A connection box and cable management system, known as a mobile jib, deliver electricity from the terminal to the vessel.
- The ship switches to shore power. Once connected, the vessel receives electricity from shore and can shut down its diesel engines.
Expanding Shore Power Compatibility
BCT has made a series of investments designed to accommodate vessels of different sizes and configurations. In 2024, BCT replaced its fixed jib with a mobile jib, extending the reach of the shore power cables to a wider range of vessels. In 2025, a second connection point was installed to accommodate vessels with a mid-ship shore power hatch. In 2026, permanent hardware was added to the second connection point, increasing the durability of the system.
Together, these investments expanded BCT's vessel compatibility from 17 percent in 2024 to 86 percent in 2026.
For more details on shore power connections, visit the Cruise NYC dashboard.
Contact
Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is managed by Ports America. Learn more about operations and how to contact Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.