Michigan Maritime Strategy Charts a Course to Leadership, Innovation, Success, and Sustainability Public Comment DEADLINE February 27, 2026

February 12, 2026

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(Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Enegy) Michigan sits at the heart of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem and the vital Great Lakes-St. Lawrence maritime system. Now, with the release of the first-ever Michigan Maritime Strategy, state leaders and partners are planning a future of healthy growth that respects and protects our waters and ways of life.

Announced by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the strategy is a 10-year roadmap for strengthening, sustaining, and modernizing the state’s multibillion-dollar maritime sector. It aims to unlock new investment, foster innovation, and create good-paying jobs while safeguarding an ecosystem that contains about 21% of the world’s fresh surface water. It’s designed as a living document for sustained collaboration, investment, and shared commitment across public, private, academic, tribal, business, and local partners.

Michigan’s 33 active ports support about 17,000 jobs and contribute $3.3 billion a year to the state’s economy. Add in water-based tourism – boating, fishing, and coastal recreation – and the numbers swell to nearly $12 billion a year and 45,000 jobs. From iron ore shipping to agricultural production to ferries and marinas and more, maritime activity touches nearly every corner of the state.

“Michigan is prepared to lead the future of maritime innovation while protecting the waters that define us,” the Governor said in her announcement. She called the strategy a reflection of both opportunity and responsibility.

Phil Roos, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), touts the strategy’s marriage of sustainability and growth.

“Environmental stewardship and economic progress go hand in hand as we chart a course for the future,” he said.

“The Michigan Maritime Strategy shows what’s possible when diverse individuals, groups, and sectors collaborate,” said Emily Finnell, Great Lakes senior advisor and strategist in EGLE’s Office of the Great Lakes. “The outcome is a far-reaching plan that aligns policy, partnerships, investments, and innovation across the entire maritime sector from commercial shipping and ferries to recreational boating to ensure a robust maritime economy and healthy Great Lakes ecosystem.”

The strategic vision is for Michigan to lead the nation in sustainable, innovative, equitable, and collaborative maritime solutions, ensuring a robust maritime economy and healthy Great Lakes ecosystem. Four core objectives point the way:

Supporting economic development and supply chain resilience.
Accelerating the clean energy transition in the maritime sector.
Investing in research, innovation, education, and workforce development.
Enhancing the sustainability, resilience, and revitalization of ports, harbors, and waterfronts.

Reinforcing the objectives are six narrower goals:

Modernizing ports and intermodal infrastructure.
Growing Michigan’s maritime manufacturing base.
Supporting low- and zero-emission vessel technologies and fuels.
Leading the nation in maritime workforce recruitment and training.
Cultivating maritime innovation.
Improving sustainability and resilience of recreational harbors and marinas.

By aligning state agencies, industry, academia, and communities, the strategy connects maritime development with broader transportation, environmental, clean energy, and workforce goals while protecting Michigan waterways.

The strategy focuses on expanding global export markets, diversifying cargo through containerization, and modernizing port and intermodal infrastructure to improve resilience and accommodate alternative marine fuels. It emphasizes career training in port operations, shipbuilding, marine manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy tech through leading maritime institutions.

Meanwhile, it advances the MI Healthy Climate Plan (MHCP) goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 through clean fuel adoption, vessel electrification, advanced propulsion systems, and modernization of shipbuilding and manufacturing, including autonomous vessel technologies.

A broad coalition of state agencies came together to align priorities. Together, EGLE and the departments of Transportation (MDOT); Agriculture and Rural Development; Natural Resources; Labor and Economic Opportunity; and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and its Office of Future Mobility and Electrification will coordinate investments in infrastructure, clean energy, manufacturing, workforce development, and environmental stewardship.

Building on existing state plans – including the MHCP, MDOT’s Michigan Mobility 2045 Plan, and statewide workforce strategies – the strategy unifies ongoing initiatives including maritime manufacturing programs, port grants, research centers, and workforce training.

Engagement paved the way. Led by EGLE’s Office of the Great Lakes and facilitated by the University of Michigan’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, the year-long effort drew input from more than 200 participants across government, industry, academia, and communities. Site visits, interviews, workshops, and draft reviews helped ensure the plan reflects on-the-ground needs and opportunities.

That vision now moves into its next phase. The Governor’s Jan. 27 announcement opened a 30-day window for public review and comment before the strategy is formally adopted. Michiganders are invited to read the draft strategy at Michigan.gov/Maritime and send feedback to Simon Belisle, BelisleS@Michigan.gov, by Feb. 27.

The strategy reinforces the idea that Michigan waters, long a source of pride, will continue to be a wellspring of prosperity, resilience, and opportunity for generations to come. READ MORE

Michigan Maritime Strategy Draft - January 27, 2026

Table of Contents

4 A Message From Governor Whitmer

6 Executive Summary

11 The Great Lakes State

16 Michigan’s Maritime Strategy

21 Michigan’s Maritime Opportunities

25 Goals and Recommendations

26 Goal 1: Modernize Ports and Invest in Intermodal Infrastructure

30 Goal 2: Grow Michigan’s Maritime Manufacturing Economy

34 Goal 3: Accelerate Adoption of Advanced Vessel Technologies and Fuels

40 Goal 4: Lead the Nation in Recruitment, Training, and Retention of the Maritime Workforce

44 Goal 5: Cultivate a Thriving Maritime Innovation Ecosystem

49 Goal 6: Increase Sustainability, Resilience, and Revitalization of Waterfronts, Recreational Harbors, and Marinas

53 References

Excerpts:

3.1. Identify and Invest in Opportunities to Advance Marine Fuel Alternatives

The state should leverage its innovation strengths across maritime, trucking, and rail to advance sustainable and alternative marine fuels — such as methane, methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen — while expanding the use of readily available and sustainable biofuels with near-term emission reduction potential. Biofuels can potentially offer an immediate reduction in emissions, utilizing existing engine technology and fueling infrastructure.25 Michigan can also leverage fuel innovation and production development related to other industries, such as automotive and trucking to accelerate maritime adoption.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Assess the feasibility and scalability of using biofuels in ships, considering limitations, existing value chain, supply chain efficiency, engine impacts, fuel storage, and sustainability.

2. Identify areas where Michigan can lead in developing and adopting alternative marine fuels for commercial and recreational uses.

3. Provide incentives and support for marine fuel innovation, strengthen collaboration across the fuel value chain, and enhance programs that grow fuel infrastructure to promote local use.

Michigan lawmakers are considering legislation to support biodiesel production and retail sales through a statewide incentive program that provides tax credits based on gallons produced or blended. The bill aims to increase job opportunities, retain the biodiesel supply chain within Michigan, stabilize local soybean prices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance energy security by promoting the use of homegrown renewable fuel. Biodiesel is a feasible lowcarbon drop-in fuel that can be used today in cargo vessels, commercial boats, and ferries.

3.2. Support a Clean Energy Transition for Freighters and Oceangoing Vessels

Improving energy efficiency and adopting alternative marine fuels are the main pathways for clean energy transition for freighters and oceangoing vessels. While electrification and hybridization have limited applicability for larger, long-distance vessels, there are significant opportunities to support energy-efficient operational practices, advance vessel designs, and the adoption of sustainable fuels. Targeted support and incentives can help drive deployment of these solutions and reduce emissions.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Deploy advanced data tools to support operational planning and integration between vessels and shore-side facilities to improve efficiency.

2. Invest in and expand local alternative marine fuel bunkering infrastructure to support cleaner shipping.

3.3 Support a Clean Energy Transition for Ferries

Michigan ferries provide essential connections to the mainland to island communities for food, supplies, and medical services, among others. Ferries also face seasonal harsh conditions in Great Lakes waters in remote parts of the state. They also provide access to island communities for tourists, which is important for island communities’ economies. With high utilization and fixed routes, ferries present a unique use case for customized cleaner energy solutions. Electrification and hybridization solutions suitable for ferries are also more widely applicable for other types of harbor craft such as tugboats that push cargo barges and can benefit from complementary support efforts.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Evaluate and leverage findings from previous ferry electrification studies and explore hybridization technologies to identify new opportunities and guide next steps.

2. Create funding programs and/or policies to help public and private ferry owners adopt hybrid and electric technologies and demonstrate viable business models while building on past Michigan ferry electrification studies.

3. Pursue federal Ferry Boat Program funding and expand the Michigan Comprehensive Transportation Fund to support new ferry construction and conversions.

4. Support and accelerate the clean energy transition for harbor craft and other vessels that align with ferry-related technology and infrastructure development.

3.4 Support a Clean Energy Transition for Recreational Boating

Michigan’s strengths in recreational boating and advanced mobility can drive the transition to clean marine propulsion. This will require pursuing multiple pathways, including the development of affordable, efficient electric boats while also advancing alternative fuels (including different types of liquid or drop-in fuels) for the existing fleet.26 The most effective approaches will balance cost, performance, sustainability, and noise reduction across new and existing vessels.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Attract and support electric boat manufacturers to establish and grow operations in Michigan through workforce development and business attraction.

2. Collaborate with research and innovation hubs to develop, commercialize, and advance clean energy transitions for recreational boats though technological advancement, manufacturing, and innovative design.

3. Expand electric charging and alternative marine fuel infrastructure at marinas and ensure grid readiness.

4. Establish funding programs that support the retrofitting of existing fleets of boats to cleaner energy alternatives and offer incentives for companies and startups to support clean energy transitions in recreational boating.

5. Market and promote recreational boating opportunities that use renewable energy or other new technologies, such as boat rentals and clubs moving towards electric boats and alternative marine fuels in their fleets and partner with Michigan towns to promote marina EV charging infrastructure.

GOAL 3 In 2023, Michigan launched the inaugural Fresh Coast Challenge awarding $506,000 in grants to six companies aiming to decarbonize the state’s waterways by supporting electric boating infrastructure. The initiative includes deploying e-boats, installing fast marine chargers, and conducting technology demonstrations at marinas across Northwest Michigan, with the goal of establishing a sustainable and interconnected water transportation network. READ MORE