Port Houston to purchase renewable electricity

A ship is unloaded at the Bayport Container Terminal, which is one of two Port Houston container terminals in LaPorte, Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Houston. (Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) A ship is unloaded at the Bayport Container Terminal, which is one of two Port Houston container terminals in LaPorte, Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Houston. (Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: Karen Warren, Staff Photo: Karen Warren, Staff Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Port Houston to purchase renewable electricity 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Port Houston is set to purchase renewable electricity, entering a 10-year contract that is expected to save the port about $240,000 a year compared with its current three-year contract.

Executive Director Roger Guenther was given authorization by the Port Commission on Tuesday to enter into final negotiations with three retail electric providers: Constellation New Energy, MP2 Energy Texas and NRG Business Solutions. The 10-year contract with the selected provider can cost up to $35 million, according to a news release.

From last month: Port Houston continues growth in cargo

Renewable energy could be collected from sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves or geothermal heat. This will eliminate about 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year from Port Houston’s carbon footprint, or a quarter of a million tons over 10 years.

Port Houston also reported its operational performance this week, seeing an 11 percent increase in 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, a common industry measurement for containers, to 2.2 million TEUs during the first nine months of this year.

Steel was down slightly, its tonnage dipping 1 percent through September of this year compared with last year. Total tonnage at the port was up 5 percent for the same period.