New estimate for shore-power use to start at Terminal 5 in West Seattle: Early next year. We’ve been reporting on the problems getting the modernized terminal’s new feature activated, so that many of the cargo ships using T-5 won’t have to burn fuel running their generators while in port. First, it was a subject of labor negotiations. Then once those were worked out, the Northwest Seaport Alliance – which oversees cargo terminals in Seattle and Tacoma – said a technical problem surfaced. They were still figuring out how to solve that problem at the time of our most recent report earlier this month. We followed up again this week; NWSA spokesperson Melanie Stambaugh told WSB that they’ve made progress: “The project team, alongside the terminal operator and ocean carrier, has identified a solution for the shore power plug-in configuration and will be installing and testing the shore power capability in December.” But, she says, that’s not expected to lead to operational use before January: “It is anticipated that the use of the shore power system is expected to begin in Q1 2023.” By that time T-1 will have been open a year.