Policy Options for Reducing Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Transportation Special Report 307 (2011) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 17-30
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From page 17... ...
The report reviews policy options to bring about desired energy consumption and GHG emissions reductions from U.S. transportation over the next half century.
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From page 18... ...
Instead, the emphasis is on assessing each policy approach with regard to its applicability across transportation modes and its ability to affect the total amount of energy-intensive transportation activity, the efficiency of transportation vehicles, and GHG emissions characteristics of the sector's energy supply. For each policy option, consideration is given to the challenges associated with implementation and with the production of large savings in energy and GHG emissions over a time span of decades.
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From page 19... ...
Policies to curb transportation energy consumption and emissions in the decades ahead will almost certainly need to focus on the cars and light trucks used for personal travel and the medium and heavy trucks used for moving freight. Cars and light trucks alone account for about two-thirds of the sector's petroleum consumption and thus for a comparable share of GHG emissions.
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From page 20... ...
For freight-carrying trucks, the opportunities are likely to include designs and technologies, energy-efficient operations and maintenance practices, and energy sources whose production and consumption both result in lower emissions of GHGs. For passenger airlines, the opportunities are likely to include craft that are more efficient in using energy and produce fewer emis sions and of improved air traffic management procedures and systems.
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From page 21... ...
The recent adoption of federal renewable fuel standards, which require that a certain percentage of the transportation fuel supply consist of fuels producing lower GHG emissions on a life-cycle basis, represents another policy approach that is largely based on the suppliers of transportation products. In comparison, policies aimed at influencing the behavior and decisions of the users of transportation vehicles and the consumers of fuel are seldom proposed, much less introduced.
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From page 22... ...
By raising fuel prices, fuel taxes can lead to increased consumer interest in more fuel-efficient vehicles and operations and a reduction in the demand for energy-intensive transportation activity (with the magnitude of the effect depending on the impact; they seek to increase the energy and emissions performance of vehicles and fuels but do not prompt vehicle operators to engage in more energy-efficient operations or to scale back their energy- and emissionsintensive activity. With the exception of fuel taxes, most policy options listed in Table S-1 have a narrow impact; they are targeted at specific modes and at only one of the factors influencing transportation energy use and emissions.
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From page 23... ...
The major well as alternatives to energy time as consumers and sup challenge to early implementa intensive transportation activ pliers of vehicles and energy tion is to find innovative ways ity. A tax structure favoring adjust their purchases, behav to engender and sustain public low-GHG fuels can also foster ior, travel activity, and prod support for higher taxes, which interest in alternative fuels ucts offered.
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From page 24... ...
reductions in energy use and effect and being tightened for dimensional in that they do They are based on energy emissions will test consumer cars and light trucks. While not cause vehicle operators to consumed or emissions per acceptance.
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From page 25... ...
If fuel prices fuel, as would be expected, the the demand for and supply of remain high as a consequence, implementation challenge will alternative fuels. If fuel prices the challenge will be in main be similar to that of raising fuel increase as a consequence, the taining public support for the taxes.
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From page 26... ...
be in measures that control traffic and allocate use of the systems more effectively. a Ability to affect the amount of energy-intensive transportation activity, the efficiency of vehicles and their operations, and the GHG profile of the energy supply.
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From page 27... ...
Although vehicle and fuel standards have demonstrated such potential, at least in recent years, they too may need to be supplemented with pricing strategies, such as the vehicle feebate schemes examined in this report, to create and sustain a demand for more efficient vehicles and fuels. Few of the policies examined in this report are likely to be adopted quickly and retained for long unless they promise to do more than reduce GHG emissions.
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From page 28... ...
A policy-making approach that is strategic will require research that goes beyond the traditional role of supporting technology advancement. It will require information and analytic techniques that are drawn from multiple fields and disciplines -- for example, economics research on the connections between transportation and productivity, political research on how policies can be coordinated across jurisdictions, and behavioral research that yields a better understanding of how consumers value future streams of energy savings.
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From page 29... ...
Climate change has added to and elevated this public interest. Although calls for a strategic alignment of public policies to meet these interests are not new, they are becoming more urgent.
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