In this VX interview, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners Bonnie Lowenthal shares insights on the opportunities underway at the Port of Long Beach to drive innovation as the city of Long Beach moves to realign its economy away from fossil fuels. Lowenthal elaborates on the Port’s aim to balance environmental responsibility with economic development, including a $2.3 billion investment in capital improvements over the next 10 years including expansion of on-dock rail. She highlights how the Pier Wind project will propel California’s ambitious offshore wind goals and the opportunity it, and the Goods Movement Workforce Training Facility under development with the Port of Los Angeles, present for Long Beach’s ‘opportunity’ economy.
Bonnie, this summer, you were elected again to serve as President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. Let's begin by asking you to elaborate on the goals and priorities you set for yourself and the board.
For me, the second time around, I wanted to get to know every employee in every division at the Port of Long Beach. We have approximately 550 employees, give or take, and I never have a chance to see them all. That was one of my goals—to visit every division. Today is my last division, so it's wonderful to understand the depth of knowledge and commitment from all of these employees who work for us and with us on our goal of promoting international trade while reducing emissions. That was one big goal, and I have almost accomplished it.
I also have a goal of working toward integrating our various education programs. We have education at several different levels— high school, college, community colleges and Cal State Long Beach—and I want to have a more integrated path for those students who choose to go in that direction.
Pivoting to LB’s Port, it's been another record-breaking month as cargo volumes grow in the nation's second-largest port complex. With continued growth forecast, what policy challenges does the Harbor Commission face?
You’ll remember that almost three years ago, we had 109 ships out there waiting. Today, I think this past month, we had over 900,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo containers, and everything was moving fluidly, which did not happen in the past. You remember all of those articles and challenges we had about congestion, when things weren't moving, and people were waiting for their goods from other parts of the world. Well, today we have as much, if not more, the amount of ships coming in, unloading, and no problem—they're just moving along.
The Port, it’s reported, plans to spend, $2.3 billion over the next 10 years in capital improvements. Elaborate on this investment in infrastructure–why?
Yes, we plan to spend $2.3 billion over the next 10 years on capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness, and sustainability. We specifically are investing in on-dock rail capacity, which will also help the Port of Los Angeles. With the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility project, we’re adding 36 rail tracks to the existing 12, expanding the daily train capacity from 7 to 17. Each on-dock train added will take 750 trucks off the freeway.
And, all of this investment – we have started construction earlier this year on Pier B -- will contribute to meeting our goal of moving 35% of containers by on-dock rail and hopefully one day 50%. All of this is good for the environment; it's better for traffic. So, that’s pretty exciting!
In the meantime, record cargo volumes mean truck traffic on the 710 freeway. Is that going to continue?
I agree with you– I avoid the 710 North in the afternoons or late mornings. I’ve spoken to Mario Cordero about revisiting off-hours truck gates at our terminals. You may remember when PierPass was first developed—it was designed to get trucks off the freeway during the day, with an extra charge for daytime use. I agree with Mario Cordero who is in favor of 24-7 operations, which would be one way to boost capacity of our terminals and freeways. Plus, with the 2028 Olympics coming up, we need to be ready. There are several important events in Long Beach, and I’m sure both mayors are working on a traffic plan for that.
VX News recently interviewed Long Beach Mayor Richardson, who spoke about the opportunities underway at the port to drive innovation as the city moves to realign its economy away from fossil fuels. Elaborate on your alignment with the Mayor's agenda: to catalyze growth and diversify the Long Beach economy.
We, at the Port, have a close relationship with Mayor Richardson. We have agreed to commit up to $14 million in matching funds for a state grant aimed at covering the cost of design, environmental review, and community outreach for Pier Wind. You may be aware that there was a bill signed by the governor—AB 2235, authored by Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal— that’s going to allow us to provide for a design-build system.
Mayor Richardson was very supportive of that. That system is the same one we used for the new International Gateway Bridge, which, hopefully, you've driven over on your way to Long Beach. It will allow us to have the same contractor who designs the project will also construct it, making for an easier transition.
Mayor Richardson, as you stated, is also very interested in workforce development and investments in a Long Beach innovation hub. Share more re: the alignment of POLB with the Mayor's agenda on workforce and innovation?
POLB’s goal has been for years to develop a Workforce Training Facility along with the Port of Los Angeles—we collaborate on many important issues, including clean air action plans, fire prevention, and other environmental initiatives. This training center has been in discussion for a long time in conjunction with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and we finally have an agreement in place.
We’ve secured $110 million in funding from the state of California to develop the Workforce Training Facility, which will serve both ports and provide critical training, starting with safety for dockworkers. This is a huge need. I visited a similar training center in Vancouver, and I envision community college classes—and even university courses—focusing on environmental issues, air quality, new technologies, and other aspects of international trade and logistics.
The workforce training facility will also address supply chain challenges and train workers at different levels, including classrooms and specialized areas where dockworkers can learn techniques like lashing. Lashing involves securing containers together, which is a dangerous task, hence the center’s focus on safety.
VX News recently spoke with John Keisler, who’s working to assure Pier Wind federal project funding. Elaborate on the significance for the Port of the Pier Wind project—how does it contribute to advancing California's energy goals & independence?
Yes, as John Keisler probably shared, California has set an ambitious goal of generating 25 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2045. One of our engineers had the innovative idea to develop a 400-acre site for staging and integration of wind energy projects. This could involve the transport of wind turbine blades, light manufacturing, and other activities. The turbines would be assembled here and then towed up the coast to locations like Morro Bay or Humboldt Bay, where there is more wind. We’re already working with Humboldt Bay on this, which is very exciting. Beyond providing more energy to California, I hope that this project could serve as a resource for neighboring western states. There are already leases in place for offshore wind development off California’s coast. My personal goal is to move more energy beyond just California.
We need this energy— there are times when the governor has had to declare emergencies due to a shortage of power on the state’s grid. In these cases, ships at berth were permitted to unplug from shore power. This requires ships to use diesel, which is a step backward in emissions goals. Wind energy will be crucial for our future, and I believe there will be significant investment in this project.
Let’s turn now to the Los Angeles/Long Beach–Shanghai Green Shipping Corridor, which recently released its 2024 Annual Progress Report. How does this subnational collaboration align with the port’s ambitious climate agenda?
It is a priority— without a doubt. And I believe it’s also a priority for both China and Singapore, given that they’ve signed on to green shipping corridor agreements with us and the Port of Los Angeles. With what we learn from these efforts on two of the world’s busiest corridors, we expect other trade routes to follow. In addition, both the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles hope methanol in ships will be beneficial. For example, the Maersk Alette dual-fueled container ship that recently visited the Port of Los Angeles has the capability to run on low-carbon methanol and petroleum fuel. The mayor of Long Beach has been a strong advocate for new fuels.
Before concluding our interview— and to give context to the pressing policy challenges you and POLB must address—did your colleagues, when you were in the California Assembly, fully appreciate the importance and significance of the San Pedro Bay ports to California’s economy and environment when legislating? Or, was it a tough sell?
Well, as I’ve said, we do need to go out and educate members—without a doubt. We open our doors to all members and their staffs to engage in port tours as part of the learning process.
Many people don’t realize how involved the port is in developing new technologies that work not just here but in other places too. It’s not necessarily a tough sell; it’s more a matter of education. Ports Day happens every year in mid-February and CAPA (California Association of Port Authorities) takes the lead on connecting with state leaders through that event.
This interview ought not to close without asking about your views on this November’s national election. Specifically, regarding your work in education— have you noticed in recent years any decline in civic awareness and engagement?
I think California is an outlier in this regard—and in a good way. Our population has always been committed to jobs, the working class, new developments, and technology, from Silicon Valley to our beaches. A lot of that is tied to our schools, which is why it’s so important that we ensure high school students, and even younger, understand international trade and the opportunities that come with it. And in my mind, we’ve done pretty well.
People along the California coast understand the need for clean energy. It’s in the newspapers unless someone isn’t reading them. For those who do, they’re aware of it.
There’s been a substantial improvement in air quality since the introduction of the Green Port Policy (2005) and the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (2006). The reduction in NOx, SOx, and diesel particulates is significant, but we are not finished. Greenhouse gases are a major factor in climate change and must be reduced.
At all levels, I think people understand the issues. When it comes to electoral politics, California is an outlier, just like New York and the Northeast. We need to focus on understanding people in the middle of the country, who often have very different views. That’s where our work needs to focus.