QUESTION
Council Member Alexa Aviles Asks EDC About Loopholes in Shore Power Plug-in Criteria
1:37:31
·
6 min
Council Member Alexa Aviles probes the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) for clarifications on potential loopholes within shore power plug-in criteria, highlighting concerns over the distinction between cruise liners and individual ships, and the potential for companies to bypass operational requirements. The discussion emphasizes the need for precise language to ensure all compatible ships connect to shore power, aiming to close identified gaps and avoid exploitation by the cruise industry.
Speaker 2
1:37:31
So so while while my bill, I believe, is is written relatively generously and allowing for plug in to happen when feasible.
1:37:40
EDC argues that the language of their agreement is similar and therefore regulation not needed.
1:37:47
However, in the EDC language, as it's been presented to us, we see that only vessels considered to be regular to be regularly calling will be required to plug in when feasible.
1:38:02
So in in our estimation, the EDC's language further limits the number of ships that would even be considered eligible for plug in as its confined to the particular vessel rather than to the cruise company itself.
1:38:19
So in essence, Norwegian, the operating company could run 20 individual ships into the terminal and never be required to plug in.
1:38:29
Because they instead did not run for separate ships.
1:38:33
I know this is really technical, and we want clarification on this reason inning to understand because it seems like a very large loophole.
Speaker 8
1:38:46
Yeah.
1:38:46
Thank you for the question council member.
1:38:48
And I also would like to go a little bit backwards to a question that you had asked that I I misunderstood when you were you were talking about the language undue financial hardship and I I thought that you were referring to conversations about the bill rather than the specific language that we had shared from the long term agreements.
1:39:13
So I I apologize for that confusion.
1:39:16
And and do want to be clear before I hand it over to Sabrina that the absolute intention and where I think we are aligned with the Bill language is ensuring that ships are connecting when operationally feasible.
1:39:33
And we understand that that we might have work to do in negotiation about what the definition of operationally feasible is, but the intent of our work here is to ensure that we are doing our part both at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and Manhattan Cruise Terminal to ensure that flex ability so that ships can and will connect.
1:39:56
And I won't, you know, sort of go back over the the language about the the different pieces of that, but it's not the intention to allow for I I wanna use the word cop out, but to create sort of wiggle room for the industry to be able to get out of connecting.
1:40:19
Right?
1:40:20
The intention is to ensure that we have the infrastructure in place.
1:40:24
To be able to do so, but that we're also ensuring that the ship captain and the electrical engineer who are really at the the point of connection.
1:40:34
Are the ones who are ultimately making the decision based on operational feasibility, safety, and so on.
1:40:41
So I just want to sort of clarify my earlier comment.
1:40:45
I apologize for that again, and then can hand it over to Sabrina to talk more about the the specific lines and why having these agreements governing 80 to 85% of our cruise traffic is important.
Speaker 7
1:41:00
Yeah.
1:41:00
And I think that's a perfect place to jump off.
1:41:03
But that that is the purpose of how important these long term agreements is because then we have long term understanding and stability as to what ships are coming in.
1:41:12
Again, MSC is a ship that we that is temporarily docked, and we're looking to have that ship moved.
1:41:19
But the Cunard and Princess lines under Carnival, that our shore power capable.
1:41:24
Those are the ones we really need to make sure are connected, and those are the ones using the terminal.
1:41:29
So the the spirit and the goal, and and we I know we are more than happy to get together with you councilwoman to make sure that if if there was something that seems like a loophole that we're we're closing that up, is that if if that ship is compatible to the system at BCT, they are connecting full stop.
1:41:50
The only exception to that is when it is not feasible for it to connect.
1:41:55
And that's really If that is the spirit, we need to make sure that the language can mirror that to avoid any confusion or uncertainty that that it is creating a loophole.
Speaker 2
1:42:07
So just for clarity's sake, this is based on the cruise liner, not the actual ships because it's a very it I think the language was 5 connecting I think if connected 5 or more times, then they don't have to report.
1:42:27
So I guess we need we need clarity on on what this threshold is and how it could navigate.
1:42:33
And, you know, I'm certainly not sitting here with with the understanding that sees intention is to be nefarious and do terrible things.
1:42:45
I'm concerned about the impact.
1:42:47
And the fact that the cruise industry, like many other corporate industries, find every loophole in the book to lower you know, to lower their risk and certainly their risk to profit.
1:42:58
So this is not a matter of, like, intentionality.
1:43:02
It's a matter of recognizing where there are problems and loopholes to be closed.
1:43:07
So I guess we'd like to really understand this this particular issue on the number related to the cruise line or the number of vessels, individual vessels, because it could create a very wide gap of actual plugin.
1:43:28
So I guess I guess we'll we'll follow-up some more on this on this issue.