25 Years Plugged In: Princess Celebrates a Shore Power Milestone in Alaska
Twenty-five years ago, Princess Cruises became the first cruise line to connect a ship to Juneau’s hydroelectric shore power system, helping pioneer the world’s first cruise shore power system and proving that large ships could plug into local shoreside electricity while in port. Working with the City and Borough of Juneau and Alaska Electric Light & Power, Princess helped turn an ambitious idea into a groundbreaking public-private partnership that required vision, investment and close collaboration.
That first connection in 2001 did more than reduce emissions in one port. It helped create a playbook for the cruise industry. What started in Juneau has since become a model for ports around the world, with shore power now available at 41 cruise ports globally.
The results reflect the scale of that leadership: 1,725 shore power connections, more than 123.6 million kilowatt-hours of local hydroelectric power used, more than 84,500 metric tons of emissions avoided and more than $11.2 million in Community Partnership credits benefiting Juneau.
The milestone is also a reminder of Princess’ nearly 60-year connection to Alaska and Carnival Corporation’s continued work with port partners to expand shore power infrastructure and other innovations that support more efficient cruise operations across its fleet.
Fast Facts
- 🎉 Princess became the first cruise line to connect to shore power in Juneau in 2001
- ⚡ 1,725 shore power connections since then
- 🔌 123.7 million kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power used
- 🌎 84,533 metric tons of emissions avoided
- 🤝 More than $11.2 million in community partnership credits generated for Juneau
