Princess Cruises Marks 25 Years of Shore Power in Juneau
The 2001 installation was the cruise industry’s first hydroelectric shore-power connection, allowing ships to draw local electricity while docked.
Princess Cruises said its Juneau shore-power program has reached its 25-year anniversary, with about 1,725 ship connections to the Alaska capital’s hydroelectric grid since the first shore connection was completed in 2001. The line put cumulative shore-power use at roughly 123.7 million kilowatt-hours and avoided emissions at 84,533.6 metric tons.
The 2001 installation was the cruise industry’s first hydroelectric shore-power connection, pairing Princess ships with electricity generated locally in Juneau so vessels could shut down engines while alongside. Princess said the technology has since been adopted at 41 cruise ports worldwide.
Partnership with Juneau and AEL&P
The program has remained a three-party effort among Princess, the City and Borough of Juneau and Alaska Electric Light & Power, the utility serving the community. Gus Antorcha, president of Princess Cruises, said the collaboration has “demonstrated what’s possible when industry, government and local communities work together toward a common goal.”
“Connecting cruise ships to our small, isolated electric grid requires innovation, trust and close collaboration,” said Alec Mesdag, president and chief executive officer of Alaska Electric Light & Power. He added that the work has reduced emissions, improved air quality and benefited the community.
Shore power requires compatible equipment on both sides of the berth: onboard electrical systems on the vessel and shore-side infrastructure at the port. Once connected, a ship can draw grid power for hotel and ship-service loads such as lighting, refrigeration and HVAC while it remains docked.
Hydroelectric supply in a high-volume Alaska port
AEL&P’s system draws most of its electricity from hydro projects in the Juneau area. Its Snettisham plant, about 28 to 30 miles south of the city and accessible only by boat or seaplane, has about 78.2 MW of nameplate capacity and supplies about two-thirds of Juneau’s electricity.
Juneau is Alaska’s busiest cruise port by passenger volume. The port handled 1,700,842 cruise passengers in 2025, up from 1,677,935 in 2024 and about 1.67 million in 2023.
For 2026 planning, Juneau’s agreed daily cap is 16,000 cruise passengers from Sunday through Friday and 12,000 on Saturdays. Princess said its ships will continue to connect to shore power in Juneau whenever it is available.
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