Research Idea Details

Research Idea Scope

Scope: 

Transitioning to use of cleaner energy in transportation has the potential to address multiple needs including energy security, energy cost certainty, local air quality, and climate.  Many of these benefits will occur over the long term.  Enhancing current methodologies to quantify long-term co-benefits of clean energy strategies will assist governments in developing and deploying strategies that address multiple needs with single investments.

Proposal:  

The project would seek to enhance current methodologies to quantify long-term (30 years plus) co-benefits of electrified and other clean energy freight and passenger transportation, so that current decision makers can make effective decisions regarding infrastructure and technology accounting for long-term benefits.  

Urgency and Payoff

Co-benefits include, but are not limited to—

• energy cost certainty, total energy cost, and energy supply security
• retaining funds now spent for oil from foreign sources
• reduced operation and maintenance costs
• local toxic and criteria pollutant emissions reductions
• greenhouse gas emissions reductions
• energy efficiency
• economic and job benefits (in clean energy sector and generally)