Ship to shore

A local group that’s pushing cruise ships to turn off their engines and switch to shoreside power while they’re tied up in downtown Charleston is looking for a surge of support over the next few weeks.

Charleston Communities for Cruise Control has designated February as “Shore Power Now” month.

The group says there’s mounting evidence that the use of shoreside power would reduce pollution from cruise ships.

The move comes as state Reps. Jim Merrill and Leon Stavrinakis plan to authorize up to $5 million to install the necessary equipment at the State Ports Authority’s Union Pier Terminal.

The SPA has not endorsed the kind of shorepower the lawmakers are proposing to fund, but it has said there are other technologies that could be used at a new passenger facility it plans to build to the north of its existing structure.