Item No.: 10c_Supp
Meeting Date: April 22, 2025

Pier 91/ Pier 66 Cruise Shore Power Extension Project
Watts Marine Contract Funding

Action Requested
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute a sole source
purchase contract with Watts Marine, LLC (Watts) for procurement of long-lead shore
power electrical equipment for the Terminal 91/Pier 66 Cruise Shore Power Project
(C801983) in the amount of $8,000,000, for a total estimated project cost of
$28,300,000.

2

Project Purpose
•
•

•

In July 2024, Commission Order No. 2024-08 was passed mandating that all homeport cruise ships connect to
shore power by 2027.
To meet the mandate, the existing shore power systems need to be extended at Pier 91 and Pier 66.
- Currently, the shore power cables cannot reach from the berth connection point to plug-in locations on all
shore power capable ships.
This project will provide maximum flexibility in how ships with different shore power configurations berth at the
pier so they can connect to shore power.

3

Existing Shore Power Systems
•

Pier 66 Bell Street Pier
- Commissioned in 1999
- Single berth facility and home port to Norwegian and
Oceania vessels
- Upgraded to accommodate newest NCL vessels in 2018
- Watts Marine designed shore power system;
operational in 2024

•

Pier 91 - Smith Cove Cruise Terminal
- Designed and operated by Watts Marine. In 2009 the
system was moved from Terminal 30 to Pier 91.
- Two berth facility and home port to Carnival, Princess,
Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise
lines
- Multi-industry berths: turns over to commercial fishing
fleet after cruise season

•

Pier 66 and Pier 91 together contribute to significant jobs
and economic benefits to the region: 5,500 jobs and
nearly $900M in total business revenue each typical cruise
season
4

Shore Power is a Key Environmental Strategy
Maritime Climate and Air Action Plan:
• Reduce GHG emissions 50% by 2030;
phase out seaport-related emissions by
2050
• Implement the Seattle Waterfront Clean
Energy Strategy
• Install shore power at all cruise terminals
and maximize connections by 2030 
accelerated by Commission Order No.
2024-08 to make 100% of homeport calls
shore power-capable and plug in by
2027
• Incorporate sustainability best practices
into leases and agreements
Each cruise shore power connection avoids 30 MTCO2e

equivalent to driving from Seattle to NYC and back 13 times

~4,000 MTCO2 avoided by shore power in 2024
All homeport ships plugging in can reduce cruise emissions 12% across the airshed
5

Project Details
•

•

Contract Type:
- Sole-Source purchasing contract for
Watts Marine, LLC for design and
procurement of shore power equipment
(Comp. Waiver 2024-009)
- Progressive Design Build contract for
major work
- Budget: $28.3M
WMBE Goal:
- PDB contract - 6%
- Watts Marine is a women-owned
business

6

Project Areas - Pier 91/Pier 66
New shore power connections Area
Existing Shore
power system

New shore power connections Area

Pier 91

Pier 66
Pier 66

NewBollard
shoreUpgrade
power connections
Potential Mooring

Existing shore
power system

Pier 91
7

Project Scope
•

Design and construct all necessary infrastructure
upgrades to (2) Pier 91 cruise berths and Pier 66 cruise
berth to meet project goals, including :
- Conduct a berthing and mooring study for all
known current and future ships to determine
optimal connection locations, distribution
pathways, and required mooring bollard upgrades.
- Extend the existing shore-power system to allow
all known current and future ships of different
configurations to connect to shore-power
- Ensure compatibility of the extended cruise shore
power system with existing equipment and
facilities, including the mobile cable positioning
devices (CPD).
- Procure all permits
- Replacement of existing shore power equipment
that has reached end of service life at Pier 91.
- New mooring bollards at Pier 91
- Potential limited deck panel replacements at Pier
91
8

General Considerations and Risks
•

Active terminal with multiple
stakeholders and competing needs.

•

Other Projects with potentially
overlapping schedules are areas of
impact.

•

Constrained entrances shared with
existing tenants.

•

Seasonal use by cruise and
commercial fishing that will require
ongoing coordination and
accommodation.

•

Active security plan

•

Neighborhood sensitivity to adjacent
circulation patterns and noise

9

Permitting Considerations
•

SEPA Threshold Determination - DNS

•

Substantial Shoreline Development
Permit (MUP)

•

Construction permit

•

Potential In-water Work

•

NPDES Construction Stormwater
General permit

•

Other

10

Project Schedule
Phases

Anticipated Dates

Watts Marine Sole-Source Purchasing Contract Authorization

Q2 2025

PDB Team Selected / Contract Executed

Q3 2025

Validation Period

Q3 2025

Early Design Development Authorization (target GMP, schedule, scope)

Q4 2025

Final Design & Construction Authorization (final GMP, schedule, scope)

Q2 2026

Construction

Q3 2026

In-Use

2027

11

Project Funding
Cost Estimate/Authorization Summary

Capital

Expense

Total

COST ESTIMATE
Original estimate

$4,000,0000

$0

$4,000,0000

Previous changes - Net*

$24,300,000

$0

$24,300,000

Revised estimate

$28,300,000

$0

$28,300,000

Previous authorizations
• Preliminary Design/Procurement
• Terminal 91
• Pier 66

$1,350,000

$0

$1,350,000

Current request for authorization
• Material Pre-Procurements (Watts)
• Terminal 91
• Pier 66

$8,000,0000

Remaining amount to be authorized

$18,950,000

AUTHORIZATION

$850,000
$500,000

$850,000
$500,000
$0

$7,000,000
$1,000,000

$8,000,0000
$7,000,000
$1,000,000

$0

* The original estimate for this

project assumed a single new
shore power connection point
on the west berth of Pier 91.
In July 2024, Commission
Order No. 2024-008 was
passed requiring all homeport
cruise ships to connect to
shore power by 2027. To meet
the mandate of this order,
scope for this project was
expanded to include multiple
additional connection points
on both the east and west
berths of Pier 91, as well as
adding a third connection
point to the existing shore
power system at Pier 66.

$18,950,000

12

Opportunities
OPPORTUNITY

DESCRIPTION

Sole-Source contract with Watts
Marine

Contract with Watts Marine for design and procurement of shore power
equipment allows for early procurement of long-lead shore power materials
and mitigates the risk of compatibility issues that would be introduced with
by trying to integrate a new shore power technology to the existing shore
power configuration.
This will help to accelerate the project schedule and minimize potential for
delays due to supply chain uncertainty, to meet the mandate of
Commission Order No. 2024-08.

Progressive Design Build project
delivery

Utilizing PDB project delivery allows for acceleration of the project schedule
to meet the mandate of Commission Order No. 2024-08

13

RISKS

DESCRIPTION

Constrained Schedule

Delivery required by 2027. Minimal work windows due to
cruise season, commercial fishing season, tribal
agreements, and fish window if in-water work is needed
have high potential to delay in-service date past cruise
season start in 2027.

Two contracts to manage

Two contracts to manage: Progressive Design Build (PDB)
and Watts Marine sole-source.
Scope was separated into (2) contracts to get equipment
design and procurement started early to minimize long
lead materials issues and due to proprietary shore power
technology. Potential for conflicts between contracts
causing delays

Supply chain uncertainty

Supply chain logistics could delay project delivery. Tariffs
could impact ability to procure long-lead electrical
equipment by 2027, and create uncertainty in pricing.

Ownership of the existing
cruise shore power system
at T91

Ownership is still held by Carnival Cruise. Logistics of
ownership transfer could drive up project costs.

Coordination with other
projects at Terminal 91

Permitting

PROBABILITY

IMPACT

MITIGATION

High

High

Utilize Progressive Design Build project delivery to
accelerate timeline. Pre-purchase of long-lead items.

Med

Clearly defined scope delineation between PDB and
Watts in procurement documents. Requirement of
NDAs for Watts information to be signed for any
interested contractors. Port will facilitate design
integration for Watts shore power equipment.

High

High

Adding cost contingencies to account for tariff price
impacts. Early execution of Watts contract to begin
procurement of long-lead shore power equipment in
advance.

Med

Low

Project Risks

There are many other projects scheduled on Pier 91 with
similar timelines to the cruise shore power project:
gangways, water line replacement, dock rehabilitation,
west berth dredging.
Permitting assumptions are aggressive and assume no inwater work. This could change depending on how the
contractor must construct the project. In-water work, or
any other permitting delays will delay the project.

High

Cruise Operations is in negotiation to transfer
ownership to the Port.

High

Med

Identification of all on-going and upcoming
construction work at Terminal 91. Requirement of
logistics plan by PDB to account for constraints of
other projects.

High

High

Progressive Design Build project delivery will allow for
early collaboration on design and permitting to the
extent feasible.

14

Cone of Certainty

We are here

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Next Steps
•
•
•

Progressive Design Build contract execution Q3 2025
- Validation Period Q3
Commission Authorization for Design/early work Q4 2025
- Target scope/schedule/cost with PDB
Commission Authorization Final design/Construction Q2 2026
- Final GMP, scope, schedule

16

Questions?
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