Ports are essential to global trade—but also among the world’s top carbon emitters. Electrification efforts are growing, but many ports remain overwhelmed by the complexity, cost, and fragmentation of sustainability initiatives. With siloed systems, manual data collection, and limited tech adoption, even well-funded green efforts often fall short of their full potential.

To address this, we began with extensive primary research—interviewing environmental experts, marine biologists, and federal port employees across the country. From the Port of Savannah to the Port of Seattle, we heard about the real-world barriers to energy transformation: lack of integration, fear of downtime, skepticism about ROI, and a clear demand for smarter, more actionable tools.

We built personas and pain point maps around key roles—like Steven, a sustainability director managing power across an entire port system. Our team validated concepts through user testing, assessing how operators interpreted AI suggestions, engaged with the sheer influx of information and control, and handled simulated alerts. We took every insight and used it to evolve the platform—prioritizing clarity, trust, and seamless control.

All of this culminated in our three core How Might We questions:

How might we… create an innovative power solution that allows seaports to control their energy, leading to higher productivity, lower costs, and zero emissions?

How might we… consolidate existing data streams (smart meters, fuel logs, GPS traffic) into a single, intuitive interface for port operators?

How might we… utilize AI to deliver actionable alerts and recommendations to maximize ROI on their current sustainability investments?