Some projects follow a familiar path. Others help define what comes next.

Crowley’s eWolf, America’s first all-electric tugboat, represents a major step forward for clean maritime transportation. Delivered to the Port of San Diego and put into service at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, the 82-foot tugboat operates on battery power instead of diesel fuel, helping reduce emissions and noise while supporting the movement of vessels in one of the region’s most important working ports.

But an electric tugboat is only as successful as the infrastructure that powers it.

That is where Baker Electric came in.

As highlighted in Electrical Contractor Magazine’s feature, “Rocking the Boat,” Baker Electric helped bring this first-of-its-kind project to fruition by delivering the custom portside charging infrastructure needed to support eWolf’s operation.

Read the full Electrical Contractor Magazine article here.

A Custom Electrical Solution for a First-of-Its-Kind Vessel

This was not a standard EV charging project.

To support eWolf, Baker Electric’s Special Projects team helped upgrade the existing pier infrastructure and build a custom electrical switchyard designed to deliver the high-capacity power needed for the vessel’s charging system.

The scope included increasing available electrical capacity, coordinating with the local utility, installing new electrical equipment, and supporting a system designed to produce 1 megawatt of output.

The charging setup included specialized equipment such as distribution infrastructure, isolation transformers, AC-to-DC converters, and a custom cable positioning device that helps connect the tugboat to shoreside power.

For Baker, the work required the same fundamentals that define our approach to complex electrical construction: detailed planning, technical coordination, field expertise, safety, and follow-through.

Built Around Coordination

First-of-its-kind projects rarely come with a complete roadmap.

The eWolf charging infrastructure required coordination across multiple project partners, manufacturers, equipment providers, and technical teams. Components were sourced from different suppliers, including international partners, and each part of the system had to align with exact specifications, schedule requirements, and field conditions.

That level of coordination is where Baker’s integrated delivery mindset matters.

Our teams are accustomed to working across complex scopes, active environments, and technically demanding infrastructure projects. On eWolf, that meant coordinating utility service, custom equipment, site work, pier conditions, conduit pathways, charging requirements, and commissioning support into one working system.

The project demanded more than installation. It required problem-solving.

Solving for the Field

One of the most challenging portions of the work involved routing power from the custom switchyard to the tugboat’s berth.

The run extended more than 500 feet and included a combination of aboveground conduit, underground conduit, trenching, and work along the side of the pier. In the final stretch, Baker crews had to install heavy-wall rigid metal conduit beneath existing pier infrastructure and bumpers.

That work required careful planning, specialized equipment, strong field leadership, and disciplined safety practices.

Crews used aerial lifts positioned below the pier, coordinated material handling from above and below, and maintained appropriate safety measures throughout the operation. The process was slow, technical, and highly coordinated, but it moved forward successfully because of the planning done before work began.

This is the kind of work that demonstrates Baker’s field strength.

When conditions are complex, space is limited, and the solution must be custom-built, execution matters.

Supporting the Future of Clean Maritime Operations

The eWolf project reflects a broader shift happening across transportation and infrastructure.

Ports, fleets, agencies, and private operators are looking for ways to reduce emissions, improve efficiency, and prepare for the next generation of electrified equipment. That transition requires more than new vehicles or vessels. It requires the electrical infrastructure to support them.

Baker Electric has spent years building expertise in EV charging, power distribution, service upgrades, medium-voltage infrastructure, renewable energy, battery storage, and complex electrical systems. The eWolf project brought those capabilities into a new environment: maritime electrification.

It is a strong example of how Baker helps customers move from idea to operation, especially when the project is new, technical, and highly specialized.

Why This Project Matters

America’s first all-electric tugboat is more than a milestone for one vessel. It is a sign of where infrastructure is heading.

The future of transportation will require stronger electrical systems, smarter charging solutions, utility coordination, energy resilience, and contractors who can deliver custom infrastructure safely and reliably.

Baker Electric is proud to have played a role in helping Crowley bring eWolf into operation at the Port of San Diego.

Projects like this show what is possible when innovation meets execution.

They also show why Baker continues to be trusted for complex electrical work across commercial, industrial, transportation, renewable energy, public works, federal, maritime, and mission-critical environments.

Powering What Comes Next

At Baker Electric, we do not just connect power. We help build the infrastructure behind progress.

From EV charging and fleet electrification to renewable energy, battery storage, service upgrades, and custom electrical systems, our teams are built to solve complex challenges in the field.

The eWolf project is a powerful example of that capability.

It required vision from Crowley, collaboration across partners, and a charging system designed and delivered for a vessel unlike any other operating in the United States.

Baker Electric was ready to help make it work.

And as more industries move toward electrification, we are ready to help power what comes next.

Planning an electrification, charging, energy, or complex electrical infrastructure project?

Connect with Baker Electric to learn how our teams can help bring your next project from concept to operation.