Coscia unveils plan to shrink Port Authority's carbon footprint.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman Anthony R. Coscia delivered the commencement address at the New Jersey Institute of Technology's (NJIT) 2007 Commencement Ceremony.

Coscia detailed the need for graduates to be a part of a national commitment to investing in our infrastructure. He challenged graduates to push the envelope of greatness, because their ideas, commitment to success and ambition will be integral to ensuring the country's competitiveness in the 21st century.

As a part of his address, Chairman Coscia announced the Port Authority will undertake an effort with a goal to reduce the global warming impact of Port Authority ports and airports by 80% in the long term.

"I am pleased to announce that the Port Authority will develop a comprehensive strategy over the next two years for implementing alternative energy solutions at our airports and ports--a combination of efficiency, renewable energy and renewable energy credits--with the ultimate goal of reducing carbon emissions, our so-called carbon footprint," Coscia said.

Additionally, he stated the agency must think of its environmental impact in terms of "the signs out side of parks telling you to take out what you bring in."

The environmental initiative puts the agency at the forefront of meeting Governor Corzine's statewide greenhouse gas reduction target set in a February 2007 Executive Order, and stems from the Governor's speech at NJIT last year in which he called for environmentally sustainable practices at ports and airports in his economic development plan.

Coscia noted that it would be impossible to bring critical facilities like the airports and ports to zero carbon emissions, but a greatly reduced net impact could achieved though a number of measures including: geothermal heating and cooling of buildings; on-site power generation through the use of fuel cells; use of renewable energy from wind and solar projects; having planes use docking stations to power up at airports rather than idling their engines; using electrified tugs and other alternative fuel rampside equipment; using planes like the A380 to carry more passengers on flights that also are more environmentally efficient, and; offsetting greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing renewable energy credits.

Coscia said the agency's efforts would help bolster the renewable energy market.

"Our strategy would also seek to offset emissions by tapping into the market of large-scale clean energy generation in our region. In this way the Port Authority would not only be helping to avert global warming, it would also be contributing to a promising sector of our regional economy."