SEATTLE — The Port of Seattle is teaming up with other ports and cruise lines to try to form a "green corridor" where the massive ships that carry passengers through the coastal waters of British Columbia and Alaska would eventually operate without fossil fuels.
The announcement comes at a time when the carbon footprint of the cruise ship industry is under increasing scrutiny, and the companies that operate these ships are investing in new engine technology and taking other steps to reduce pollution.
The corridor, if launched, would require coordinated, long-range planning to figure out what fuels most likely will be used to power these vessels, and what shore-side support would be needed in ports along the way in an expanding Alaska cruise ship industry that now includes nearly 300 departures during a six-month cruise season.
