$25 Billion in US budget savings from switching federal freight shipments to carriers using alternative fuels

A new report from a Washington, DC, energy policy group urges the federal government to begin allocating its US$150 billion budget for transport services to carriers that fuel their fleets on domestically produced natural gas, electricity, biofuels and other alternatives to diesel and gasoline.
August 3, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A new report from a Washington, DC, energy policy group urges the federal government to begin allocating its US$150 billion budget for transport services to carriers that fuel their fleets on domestically produced natural gas, electricity, biofuels and other alternatives to diesel and gasoline.

The report, by the non-profit 6310 American Clean Skies Foundation (ACSF), says a switch of just 20 per cent of the US government’s business to freight and package carriers using alternative fuels would lead to taxpayer savings of up to $7 billion annually and approximately $25 billion by 2025 (assuming a gradual fuel shift, beginning in 2015). Much of the savings is attributable to reduced fuel costs because major alternatives, such as compressed natural gas (CNG), cost less per gallon than petroleum-based fuels.

The 55-page ACSF report -- Oil Shift: The Case for Switching Federal Transportation Spending to Alternative Fuel Vehicles -- finds that shifting federal transportation contracts to vans and trucks running on alternative fuels could reduce oil imports by billions of gallons annually; cut greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by over 20 million metric tons a year; and stimulate the nationwide introduction of tens of thousands of new alternative fuel vehicles.

A copy of the 61-page report in pdf format is available at this link.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • C40 mayors make global ‘clean air’ pledge
    October 11, 2019
    In a move that will have significant implications for urban transit, 35 mayors at this week’s C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen have pledged to “implement substantive clean air policies by 2025”. Among other developments, this is likely to mean further increases in low- or zero-carbon public transport and zero-emissions zones, along with enhanced incentives and infrastructure to support walking and cycling, in cities worldwide. Signing the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration, the mayors signalled their
    Read More
  • Prospects for intercity transport technology
    February 1, 2012
    Magnetic levitation has been dismissed as unproven, too costly, or pie in the sky. It's time to reappraise it. With the unveiling by China (see News section, page 10) of its own, home-grown magnetic levitation train, it would be odd if politicians, policy-makers and the ITS industry did not want to take a closer look at the 'unproven' technology that is magnetic levitation. Fortunately, doing so is easy. The non-profit International Society for Maglev Transportation (The International Maglev Board) has an e
    Read More
  • Prospects for intercity transport technology
    February 6, 2012
    Magnetic levitation has been dismissed as unproven, too costly, or pie in the sky. It's time to reappraise it
    Read More
  • VW scandal prompts emissions testing debate
    December 1, 2015
    In the wake of the VW scandal John Kendall looks at emissions testing on both sides of the Atlantic. Since the VW emissions story broke in September, emissions testing has come under greater scrutiny, and none more so than in Europe, where critics have long been highlighting the weaknesses of the testing system. Ironically, changes to the emissions testing process were already under review but the story has pushed it up the agenda.
    Read More

Highlighted Content