Dive Brief:
- The Biden Administration on Wednesday announced a national goal to transition to a zero-emissions freight sector covering the trucking, railroad, maritime and aviation sectors.
- The strategy engages business and community leaders to strategize how to direct a range of government resources to prioritize actions that address air pollution hot spots and the climate crisis, according to a fact sheet from the administration.
- The goal is to develop a zero-emissions freight strategy that aligns with the president’s existing pollution reduction efforts in the energy and transportation sectors.
Dive Insight:
A step toward a zero-emissions freight sector includes adoption of zero-emissions vehicles. The initiative is allocating nearly $1.5 billion to increase use of these vehicles to transport freight as part of an overall effort to improve air quality.
The largest piece of the president’s plan provides $1 billion through the Environmental Protection Agency to cities, states and tribes to replace Class 6 and Class 7 heavy duty vehicles including delivery trucks.
The EPA funding also is meant to support development of charging and fueling infrastructure for zero-emissions vehicles. About $400 million of the $1 billion in EPA funds are earmarked for projects to aid communities with air and noise pollution mitigation.
The Department of Transportation will provide $400 million to improve air quality and reduce pollution for truck drivers, port workers and people who live in communities surrounding ports.
“When truckers spend hours idling at ports, it’s bad for drivers, bad for supply chains, and bad for nearby communities that feel the brunt of more polluted air,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the DOT’s announcement. Several states, including California and Texas, will receive funds for port improvements and resources to acquire as well as rapidly deploy EVs.
About $72 million will be made available through the Department of Energy to establish a SuperTruck: Charged program aimed at demonstrating how vehicle-grid integration enables depots and truck stops to provide affordable, reliable charging while increasing grid resiliency.
Though the trucking industry has pushed back on tougher emissions standards, it also has made strides to comply with new rules. Schneider National has invested heavily in EVs and charging infrastructure to comply with California’s stringent emissions laws, while a joint effort by Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources and BlackRock aims to establish a 280-mile charging corridor along Interstate 15.
Maritime shipping executives also have pledged to accelerate their companies’ transition to green fuels as have the International Air Transport Association’s members though its Fly Net Zero by 2050 initiative. Railroads including CPKC and CSX are collaborating to deploy technology to convert diesel-fueled locomotives to hydrogen.
