HomePort of Los Angeles Approves Clean Ship Incentive Expansion Tied to ESI 2.0

Port of Los Angeles Approves Clean Ship Incentive Expansion Tied to ESI 2.0

August 14, 2026

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission has approved an expansion of the Port of Los Angeles' clean-ship incentive framework that will increase financial rewards for lower-emission ocean-going vessels calling at the port. The August 13 action adds an Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive Program to the binding cooperative agreement between the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The expanded program will be redesigned around the incoming Environmental Ship Index 2.0 system, with new incentive amounts, qualifying ESI score levels and potential additional environmental bonuses still to be developed. The same agreement establishes a separate zero-emission truck utilization incentive and commits the Port of Los Angeles to provide $20 million for regional zero-emission truck charging and fueling infrastructure.

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Port of Los Angeles · Clean Ship Incentives

Clean Ship Program Expansion Snapshot

Los Angeles has approved the framework for a larger vessel incentive program tied to the next generation of the Environmental Ship Index. Existing payments remain in place while the enhanced structure, new score thresholds and additional environmental bonuses are developed.

Current ESI Level $750
per qualifying ship call

Current payment for vessels with an ESI score between 40 and 49.

Top Current ESI Level $2,500
per qualifying ship call

Existing ESI payment for vessels achieving a score of 50 or greater.

IMO Tier III $5,000
current OGV5 incentive

Ships with qualifying IMO Tier III main engines can receive this separate clean-engine incentive.

New Incentive Amounts TBD
not yet established

The August approval starts the program-development process rather than establishing a new payment schedule immediately.

ESI Core 2027
new framework begins

The next-generation ESI scoring system is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2027.

Five Changes Built Into the Expansion

The approved addendum establishes the structure that Los Angeles must use when designing the next version of its clean-ship incentive program.

Higher Rewards
Increase incentives for cleaner vessels
The new program must be designed to increase the percentage of port calls made by ships meeting more stringent air-emission standards.
ESI 2.0
New score thresholds are coming
Los Angeles will align its incentive levels with the next-generation Environmental Ship Index rather than simply carrying today's thresholds forward.
Environmental Plus-Ups
Bonuses may extend beyond the core ESI score
The program must consider additional environmental incentives that could reward specific technologies or performance above the normal ESI calculation.
Published Budget
Funding will become part of the program design
The final proposal must specify its annual budget and identify the funding mechanism supporting the vessel incentives.
Measurable Results
Participation and emissions benefits must be tracked
Los Angeles must establish participation targets, program metrics, annual reporting and an evaluation process for the expanded incentives.
!
The $20 Million Figure Is Not the Ship Incentive Budget

The Port of Los Angeles' separate $20 million commitment under the same agreement is earmarked for regional charging and fueling infrastructure serving zero-emission drayage trucks. The annual budget for the enhanced clean-ship incentive program has not yet been established.

From Approval to New Ship Payments
1 August 13, 2026
Los Angeles Harbor Commission approves the cooperative agreement addendum.
2 Program Development
New incentive amounts, ESI thresholds, plus-ups, participation goals and funding are developed.
3 Public Review
Draft program receives public review, a public meeting and formal responses to submitted comments.
4 Harbor Commission Vote
The completed clean-ship program returns for formal approval within the timetable tied to ESI 2.0.
Ship Universe Port Incentive Tool

Port of Los Angeles Clean Ship Incentive Calculator

Compare the current Port of Los Angeles ESI payment structure with a hypothetical enhanced program. Future ESI 2.0 incentive amounts remain adjustable because the Port has not yet established the new payment schedule.

ESI 40–49 $750 / Call
ESI 50+ $2,500 / Call
IMO Tier III $5,000 / Call
Future ESI 2.0 TBD
Build a Vessel-Call Scenario
calls
%
%
%
Enter the portion of annual calls made by vessels qualifying for the current OGV5 Tier III payment.
$/call
User-entered scenario. The Port has not announced this amount.
$/call
$/call
Hypothetical future bonus for qualifying environmental performance.
%
Current ESI Payments $49.5K current ESI 40–49 and 50+ payments
Current Tier III Payments $60K based on entered qualifying share
Total Current Scenario $109.5K ESI plus modeled Tier III payments
Hypothetical Enhanced ESI $81K based on user-entered future payment levels
Hypothetical Plus-Ups $9.6K entered bonus × eligible calls
Enhanced Scenario Uplift +$41.1K versus the current modeled payment structure
Annual Incentive Comparison
Current figures use the Port's existing published payment levels. Enhanced figures use your hypothetical ESI 2.0 inputs.
Current Program
$109.5K
Enhanced Scenario
$150.6K
Important: The $750, $2,500 and $5,000 figures are based on the Port of Los Angeles' currently published ESI and IMO Tier III incentives. The Enhanced Clean Ship Incentive Program approved in August 2026 has not yet established new payment levels, ESI 2.0 thresholds or environmental plus-up amounts. All enhanced-program values in this calculator are hypothetical user inputs. Actual eligibility may also depend on registration, program rules and whether incentive categories can be combined for the same call.
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