June 23, 2025
In 2004, Mike Watts took a meeting with Princess Cruises to explore the possibility of adapting an existing shore power system for broader use. He had no idea that the project would launch a career-defining journey — one that would help pave the way for lowering emissions throughout the cruise industry.
More than two decades later, Watts is recognized as a pioneer in shore power; his team has installed systems across North America that allow cruise ships to plug into the electrical grid while docked, reducing air emissions and fuel use. His company, Watts Marine, based in Kingston, Washington, has become a national leader in this space, supporting ports from Seattle to Nova Scotia — and beyond, including all three Port of Seattle cruise berths at Pier 66 and Pier 91.
As of September 2024, the Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 was the final Seattle facility to be equipped with shore power. Thanks to a $44 million investment, all three of the Port’s cruise berths are able to use shore power. The technology allows cruise ships to plug into the Seattle City Light grid to use green energy; about 94% of the power generated by City Light comes from clean and carbon-free resources. Connecting to shore power allows cruise ships to shut down their fuel-based engines, resulting in a significant reduction in air emissions. Seattle is one of the first cruise ports to offer shore power for simultaneous use at all berths.
Learn more about the Port's groundbreaking shore power project at Pier 66.
The electrifying call
Princess Cruises launched the world’s first cruise ship shore power system in 2001 in Juneau, Alaska. The next step was to adapt this concept to other ports in the lower 48 states. The team reached out to Watts in his role at Cochran Electric to see if he could deliver a more scalable, efficient solution. At the time, shore power was new to him. He had experience with high voltage commercial projects and had heard about shore power as a concept but had never worked on a system firsthand. Watts took the plunge and never looked back.
The new design was first implemented at the Port of Seattle’s former Terminal 30 cruise facility in Seattle. Watts and his team found partners to build the equipment and completed the design, engineering, manufacturing, installation, and commissioning in under six months. The city facilitated the process. The short timeline was unheard of for that type of project. Watts credits the collaboration and engagement with stakeholders including the Port to speed the project timeline. “A project like that would typically take two to three years. And they made it happen in six months. It was pretty amazing,” Watts said.
Watts initially thought the Princess project was a single opportunity to work with shore power, but it turned out to be just the beginning of the cruise industry’s green transformation. He caught the wave and continued to ride it as industry regulations sought to lower emissions through the use of shore power. The Port of Seattle has set a goal to have 100% of home port cruise ships in Seattle connect by 2027.
Roots in the electrical industry
Watts has spent over 30 years working in the electrical industry, focusing on general marine electrical projects, before narrowing his focus to shore power projects. He founded Cochran Marine in 2005 to lead the company’s growing shore power division.
Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cochran Electric decided to focus on its core business. Watts seized an opportunity to acquire Cochran Marine and launched Watts Marine in 2021 with his wife Brenda. “It was a huge leap of faith,” Watts said. “The cruise industry had taken a major hit from COVID. We didn’t know how things would recover.”
Under Cochran Marine, Watts and his team installed 10 systems at ports across North America in Vancouver, San Francisco, San Diego, Long Beach, Halifax, and Brooklyn. In 2024 Watts installed the 11th system at Pier 66 in Seattle.
During COVID the International Maritime Organization (IMO) had been working on guidance that would ultimately lead to fleetwide retrofitting for shore power compatibility. The industry’s green pivot was underway. Between 2021 and 2022 shore power connections surged from 480 shore power connections in one season to 850 the next. “We were just hoping to break even,” Watts said. “But wow, we were surprised.”
Innovation at the docks
Installing shore power at Pier 66 meant working through some unique challenges. Space was restricted due to a tight footprint and there was a lack of nearby electrical infrastructure.
A Port engineer came up with a creative solution to work within these constraints implemented by Watts, the Port, and Seattle City Light ─ installing a submersible cable at Pier 46 that connected with Pier 66, drawing power from a more accessible substation.
At nearby Pier 91, existing nearby substations made the process easier, but the work still required coordination and innovation to fit shore power infrastructure into existing marine terminals.
Green industry leader
Despite being at the forefront of cruise electrification, Watts didn’t predict his role as a green industry leader
“I just was focused on building something different, something that others hadn't done. With our automation, our data reporting, and environmental validation, we offer a pretty complete package. I think the byproduct of being in that space for all these years is you pick up a lot along the way. There are a lot of angles to get from point A to point B.”
He credits Princess Cruises for taking the first step back in Juneau and investing in the future of clean port operations. “They had the vision early and brought in the right agencies to make it happen.” The Port has been a key partner throughout the process, supporting the development of shore power infrastructure to protect air quality and reduce harmful emissions.
Today, Watts Marine, delivers shore power systems to large marine vessels, including cruise ships, tugs, and ferries. “We weren't going after the biggest in the beginning, but we wound up starting with the biggest. So from there, the sky's the limit. With the growth that we're expecting, I think there's still a lot of opportunities out there for us to do some other pretty cool and big things.”
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