[originally published in RealClear Energy]
Rail journey is again on observe. With Amtrak reporting an 18% annual enhance in passengers, trains are as soon as once more gaining steam as a dependable choice for commuters. As bus stations are shuttering nationwide and automobile site visitors surges previous pre-pandemic ranges, trains are rising as a reliable transportation choice for a lot of commuters. As we search for sustainable methods to fulfill this rising demand for transportation, there’s a chance proper earlier than us: harnessing superior biofuels to scale back emissions from our rail methods.
Regardless of trains’ fame as an eco-friendly different to automobiles and planes, the truth may be fairly totally different. Lengthy-distance prepare rides may be extra dangerous to the setting than air journey. For instance, a single passenger touring from New York to San Francisco by prepare generates between 950 to 1,133 kilos of CO2, in comparison with 840 kilos from an equal airplane journey. The foundation of the issue? Most American trains nonetheless burn diesel.
Some have argued that full electrification of America’s rail system, like within the Northeast hall, would remedy this downside. However, attaining that within the close to time period is unrealistic. Electrification requires vital infrastructure investments, together with putting in overhead catenary wires throughout huge distances. Even when this had been achieved, a lot of the electrical energy feeding the grid remains to be generated by fossil fuels, decreasing the potential environmental advantages.
To scale back the carbon footprint of prepare journey, we want rapid options that scale back emissions now – and superior biofuels provide precisely that.
Superior biofuels are a class of low-carbon liquid fuels derived from sources like lignocellulosic biomass, non-food crop feedstocks, and recycled industrial waste. These fuels aren’t simply theoretical – they’re already mandated by Congress to scale back carbon emissions by at the very least 50% in comparison with conventional fossil fuels. Amongst them, renewable diesel is especially promising. Produced from recycled fat and oils, it’s chemically equivalent to petroleum diesel, that means it may possibly energy present prepare engines with none modifications.
With home manufacturing of superior biofuels, together with renewable diesel, ramping up, the U.S. has a rising provide of sustainable fuels that would energy our trains as we speak.
This isn’t a pie-in-the-sky concept. Rail firms are already proving the viability of superior biofuels. In 2022, Union Pacific, in collaboration with Chevron Renewable Vitality Group, launched a pilot program to check whether or not engines may run on 100% renewable fuels—they usually may. Final yr alone, Amtrak used two million gallons of renewable diesel, and in June 2024, the Catskill Mountain Railroad grew to become the first heritage railway to function solely on biodiesel.
These success tales present that superior biofuels aren’t only a future answer; they’re already decreasing emissions in rail as we speak.
To speed up this progress, policymakers should act. One crucial step is amending renewable quantity obligations (RVOs), which dictate the quantity of low-carbon gas that should change fossil fuels underneath the Renewable Gasoline Commonplace (RFS). At present, RVOs underestimate the potential of renewable diesel, slowing its adoption. As these requirements come up for revision subsequent yr, it’s important that superior biofuels and renewable diesel are prioritized.
With the fitting coverage framework, we are able to scale the manufacturing and use of superior biofuels, permitting rail to fulfill rising demand whereas considerably chopping emissions.
Whereas all applied sciences ought to be leveraged to scale back transportation emissions, superior biofuels provide a sensible, rapid answer to the environmental challenges going through rail journey. They’re obtainable now, they work with our present infrastructure, they usually considerably scale back greenhouse gasoline emissions.
Typically, the perfect options are those already inside attain. It’s time to make superior biofuels a much bigger a part of the way forward for American rail journey. Let’s seize this second to put money into a cleaner, greener rail system – one powered by sustainable fuels.
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Michael McAdams is the president of the Superior Biofuels Affiliation (ABFA). For extra data on ABFA click on right here.
