Apr 10 2019
In pursuit of ambitious climate, renewable energy and clean air goals, state environmental leaders should leverage the central role of advanced diesel technology and its new capability to deliver lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, cleaner air, and reliable and essential services in both the public and private sectors.
This is the message state environmental agency leaders heard today from Diesel Technology Forum Executive Director Allen Schaeffer at the spring meeting of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), speaking on a panel alongside Maryland Secretary of Environment Ben Grumbles, Utah Department of Environmental Quality Director Alan Matheson and Dominion Energy Senior Director of External Affairs & Public Policy Katharine Bond.
“The pace of the energy conversation is such that it’s easy to be confused about which fuels are technologies are working today, and those that may hold promise and might be coming in the future,” said Schaeffer. “When it comes to diesel, there are no ‘mays’ or ‘mights’ or ‘maybes’. There’s only a proven track record, ever-increasing efficiency and a new generation of near-zero emissions technology. The newest diesel engines can be found in applications such as public transit and school buses, first-responder vehicles, commuter and freight rail, snow removal trucks, waste and refuse service vehicles, commercial trucks, emergency backup power generators, ferry and tug boats, construction equipment, microgrids, and more.
“Almost everything about diesel technology has changed in the last decade, ensuring its place in the future. Today’s diesel engines deliver more proven benefits to both customers and society at large by using less energy, achieving near-zero emissions performance, and increasingly using use low-carbon renewable biofuels. What hasn’t changed is diesel’s fundamental durability, reliability, efficiency, economical ownership and operation, expansive service and fueling networks and performance. These key factors ensure diesel remains a proven asset, delivering the level of public and private services our growing economy demands.
“Today you might say we are straddling the worlds of energy abundance and the clean energy future in both the public and private sectors. The unique prospect for diesel is that it has a foothold in each:
- The newest generation of diesel engines, deployed in conjunction with ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, offer a proven, cost-effective, energy-efficient, near-zero-emission power choice. Today, nearly 40 percent of all new commercial trucks on the road nationwide are powered by the newest advanced engines.
- When paired with advanced renewable biodiesel fuels, new and existing diesel engines in commercial vehicles, farm and construction equipment and other vehicles deliver immediate GHG emissions reductions across the entire fleet, without any investments in new fueling infrastructure or vehicles. Today, cities in California such as Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, San Benito County and others now exclusively use renewable diesel fuel in city-owned heavy-duty trucks, buses and equipment, reaping the benefits of cost savings and emission reductions. For example: the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency uses renewable diesel fuel in 632 transit buses, reducing emissions by more than 10,000 tons in a single year.
“State environmental leaders are faced with delivering day-to-day environmental and public health compliance and protection, as well as accommodating shifting political and other external influences. While we should all embrace innovation and explore opportunity, we should not at the same time lose sight of technologies like diesel engines that deliver climate progress today on a wide scale. In many sectors, no other fuel or technology is expected to be capable of delivering substantial, cost-effective benefits on the same scale for the foreseeable future.
“Many would be surprised to know that in California, it is the use of biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel – not electrification or natural gas – which is the primary means by which the state is achieving its low carbon transportation fuel mandates, as well as its progress toward the global climate action plan. By 2030, black carbon emissions attributable to diesel engines in California – a short lived climate pollutant – will be almost eliminated, thanks to the introduction of the newest generation of diesel technologies, not due to fuel switching or diesel replacement.
“The work of the Diesel Technology Forum over the last year has highlighted new findings that illustrate the progress between older generations and newer generations of diesel technology. Research evaluating the cost-effectivity of replacing older generations of marine and locomotive engines with the latest-generation clean diesel models showed us the overwhelming clean air benefits – in real tons of NOX reduced – that can be achieved. Research also showed such upgrades are often the cheapest option. That same research also identified that in some ports, the service lives of these large marine engines far exceeds that of the present models, presenting new insights and opportunities for state leaders seeking immediate clean air and GHG benefits.
“In many state and local governments, the existing fleets of diesel-powered vehicles and equipment have been in continuous service for decades. Most of these older engines do not incorporate the most effective emissions control technologies. Prioritizing a step-change upgrade for such equipment to the newest-generation diesel engines represents the fastest, most cost-effective way to deliver cleaner air and emissions reductions. These benefits become even more striking when new engines are paired with clean advanced biofuels, which cut greenhouse gasses and other emissions even further.”
Learn about the importance of diesel technology in your state and how cities can gain substantial emissions performance improvements, greenhouse gas reductions and cost savings by using the latest-generation diesel powertrains combined with renewable diesel fuel.
Source: https://www.dieselforum.org/