The U.S.’s transportation systems move $49 billion worth of goods each year and represents critical infrastructure for the U.S. economy and well-being of its citizens. However, it is also responsible for approximately one-third of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants that reduce human and ecological health outcomes. Our transportation infrastructure needs to continuously adapt and improve which protecting human health and the environment. Towards this goal, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) partnered with federal agencies and industry to develop seven action plans for energy innovation and emissions reduction across all U.S. Transportation sectors.
The action plans cover key modes of the transportation sector, including maritime, rail, trucking, aviation, and off-road vehicles, and were developed in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) along with key industry and private sector stakeholders. Each action plan identifies strategies to accelerate innovation, expand affordable options for consumers, unlock private sector action, and ultimately improve transportation for the U.S.
Key findings from each of the seven action plans are summarized below. These action plans represent future potential funding initiatives from the DOE, DOT, EPA, and HUD along with state-level initiatives.
An Action Plan for Maritime Energy and Emissions Innovation
- Deploy low-carbon vessels
- Increase vessel operational efficiencies
- Reduce at-berth emissions, including shore power
- Perform vessel retrofits, rebuilds, and replacements with cleaner and zero-emission technologies including electrification and hydrogen fuel cell technologies
- Deploy low-carbon and zero-emission fuels and energy solutions
- Transition to low-greenhouse gas fuels including green ammonia and methanol
- Produce sustainable drop-in fuels to replace heavy fuel oil
- Produce marine green gasoline to replace gas equivalent
- Strengthen and Expand the Maritime Workforce
- Prepare current and future workforce for decarbonization
- Promote a more diverse maritime workforce
- Build Partnerships and Collaboration Through Strategic Planning
- Collaborate with port-adjacent communities and stakeholders to inform policies
- Expand tools and models to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime sector
An Action Plan for Rail Energy and Emissions Innovation
- Deploy Low- and Net-Zero-Emission Technologies
- Develop battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell locomotives
- Deploy transitional technologies to reduce emissions for mid-lifespan locomotives
- Cut Pollution from Rail Yard Operations
- Identify all rail yards for deployment of zero-emission locomotive and idling-reduction measures
- Support Feasibility and Economic Studies for Rail Electrification
- Study the feasibility of catenary and discontinuous catenary electrification on high-potential routes with accompanying electric grid planning
- Expand Access and Opportunities for Passenger Rail Service
- Expand intercity and intracity passenger service and develop new, high-speed options
- Improve Freight Rail System Efficiency
- Increase locomotive energy efficiency, reduce bottlenecks in the rail system, and identify locations for potential freight rail expansion
A Report on Actions for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Energy and Emissions Innovation
- Deploy Fueling Infrastructure
- Conduct a phased and coordinated deployment of high-speed charging/zero-emission refueling infrastructure
- Scale production of hydrogen as a transportation fuel
- Conduct Stakeholder Engagement and Build Partnerships
- Host net-zero-emission medium/heavy duty vehicle infrastructure stakeholder workshops to coordinate local, state, regional, and federal actions for charging and refueling stations
- Support Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment
- Continue to expand activities for net-zero-emission vehicles and accompanying technologies to lower costs, improve performance, and expand vehicle offerings
- Designate a National Multimodal Freight Network
A Market and Technology Assessment for Off-Road Vehicle & Equipment Energy and Emissions Innovation
- Improve accounting for the off-road equipment sector population, energy consumption, and emissions inventory
- Build partnerships and collaborations with the off-road industry and communities to support their movement towards low-carbon solutions
- Support off-road equipment research, development, and deployment efforts to enhance efficiency, operation on sustainable fuels and energy, and technology integration
- Support the off-road sector by advancing sustainable liquid fuel and clean energy infrastructure development
- Strengthen and expand the off-road workforce by prioritizing safety, job security, and training
Convenient Transportation: An Action Plan for Energy and Emissions Innovation
- Active Transportation and Micromobility
- Provide infrastructure for walking, biking, and rolling
- Provide shared and electric micromobility
- Provide incentives for active transportation
- Land-Use Planning
- Create transit-oriented development
- Perform zoning reform to enable compact, mixed-use development
- Coordinate planning across sectors and levels of government
- Parking Demand Management
- Reduce parking requirements
- Repurpose curb space
- Unbundle parking and housing costs
- Goods Movement Management
- Improve warehouse and distribution siting
- Focus on last-mile delivery solutions
- Manage curb space
- Fiscally Responsible Investments
- Prioritize alternatives or maintenance over highway capacity expansion
- Reconnect communities divided by highways
- Provide congestion pricing
- Convert fixed costs to variable costs to encourage more efficient choices
Efficient Transportation: An Action Plan for Energy and Emissions Innovation
- Public transportation
- Increase funding
- Expand and improve service
- Provide first-mile/last-mile connections
- Efficient Freight Transportation
- Invest in rail and marine transport
- Provide intermodal freight facilities
- Calculate emissions impacts of shipping options
- Operational Improvement
- Use data and technology to optimize operations
- Reduce idling
- Vehicle Efficiency
- Improve vehicle and infrastructure parts, materials, and performance
- Determine fuel economy and GHG emissions standards
- Provide incentives to reduce vehicle size
- Intercity Passenger Rail
- Increase funding
- Expand and improve service
United States Aviation Climate Action Plan
- Develop sustainable aviation fuels to replace current heavy oil fuels
- Improve aircraft operational efficiency
- Report actual carbon dioxide measurements achieved through relevant recent actions
- Update projections of carbon dioxide measurements based on the latest forecasts and accounting for the updated policy landscape
- Develop a more detailed model plan for aviation that encompasses actions needed from aircraft to airports to fuels and new air mobility technology