News Release
FOR RELEASE - August 5, 2026
Contact: Shawn Balcomb, press@aapa-ports.org

American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org

Industry Optimistic About Future of Nuclear Energy at Ports

Washington, D.C. — Today, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) in response to a Request for Information on the commercial development of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology in the maritime transportation system, including ports.

At the outset of the letter to MARAD, AAPA President & CEO, Sang Yi, said that, “Expanded infrastructure inevitably requires more energy. Electricity demand at ports is expected to increase substantially as ports add new cargo-handling equipment and other energy-intensive operations such as cold storage. As electricity demand from data centers, manufacturing, and new housing development continues to grow, SMRs can provide ports with firm baseload power that supports the uninterrupted movement of goods without diverting electricity from other critical sectors of the economy.”

In the comment, AAPA emphasized that SMRs could provide reliable baseload power, strengthen port resilience, support growing cargo and industrial energy needs, and provide new energy sources for vessel propulsion.

After extensive feedback and input from member ports, AAPA shared 13 specific recommendations encouraging the federal government to:

1. Adopt a technology-inclusive federal framework for SMR rulemaking and policy;
2. Give land-based and floating SMRs at ports equal priority with SMRs used for vessel propulsion;
3. Incentivize SMR use at ports through federal grants and loans;
4. Provide additional annual funding for DOE’s Generation III+ SMR Pathway to Deployment program;
5. Use DOE’s Title 17 financing authorities, including Sections 1703 and 1706, to support maritime SMR projects and attract private capital;
6. Establish SMR safety standards and emergency-response procedures based on existing port frameworks in consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard;
7. Launch a public education and stakeholder-engagement initiative on SMR safety;
8. Incentivize utilities to expedite transmission and grid connections for ports, especially SMR projects;
9. Identify lawful mechanisms that allow ports to sell excess locally generated electricity back to the grid;
10. Make grid interconnection, microgrids, energy storage, and transmission improvements eligible for federal maritime SMR support;
11. Develop formal interagency guidance defining permitting and regulatory responsibilities for maritime SMRs;
12. Designate a clear lead federal permitting authority and specify each participating agency’s review responsibilities; and
13. Require multiagency permitting studies to proceed concurrently rather than sequentially.

The port industry comments build on existing collaboration to speed the deployment of SMR technology after AAPA joined the Port of Long Beach in Washington, D.C., for a ceremony formalizing a partnership with MARAD on this topic.

This important conversation will continue during a keynote panel on Tuesday, September 29 at AAPA's Annual Convention in New Orleans. The discussion, titled "Anchoring the Nuclear Renaissance: How SMRs and Floating Nuclear Power Plants Will Energize U.S. Ports and Beyond," will explore how ports can serve as launchpads for small modular reactors, securing a new reliable power source for ports while giving the U.S. a competitive edge in shipbuilding and port development.

Read AAPA’s comments in full here.

About AAPA:

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is the unified voice of port leaders and maritime industry partners across the Western Hemisphere which serve a vital role in job-creation, international competitiveness, and economic prosperity. Connecting small business owners, retailers, and manufacturers to the global marketplace, AAPA member organizations advocate for national policies and infrastructure investments in support of a resilient global supply chain and a positive impact on the way people live, work, travel, and engage in commerce.