Decarbonizing U.S. transportation: Progress and opportunities

The U.S. transportation sector, responsible for nearly one third of national greenhouse gas emissions, is undergoing decarbonization through a combination of federal strategies, such as the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, and significant funding from the IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act. While progress is evident in the buildout of EV and hydrogen corridors and the growth of clean energy manufacturing jobs, the document argues that the U.S. is not yet on track to meet its goal of cutting all transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Regional efforts are concentrated in the West Coast (hydrogen and EV corridors), Midwest (battery manufacturing and freight networks), Gulf Coast (low-emissions shipping and hydrogen trucking), and East Coast (EV manufacturing and I-95 freight corridors). To accelerate progress, the document recommends a federal clean fuel standard, improved inter-agency coordination, and stronger community engagement.

• The U.S. transportation sector accounts for nearly one third of the country's greenhouse gas emissions, and the Biden administration has set a goal to eliminate all such emissions from this sector by 2050.
• Despite significant federal investments from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. is currently not on track to achieve its national decarbonization goals.
• Federal investments in clean energy manufacturing have led to substantial job creation as of February 2024, specifically 117,975 jobs in batteries, 54,385 in electric vehicles, and 8,315 in hydrogen.
• Decarbonization efforts are manifesting in distinct regional strengths: the West Coast is leading in EV and hydrogen corridors; the Midwest is expanding battery supply chains and freight networks; the Gulf Coast is focusing on low-emissions shipping and hydrogen trucking (including a $70 million grant for Texas); and the East Coast is developing EV manufacturing and the I-95 freight corridor.
• To meet future targets, the document proposes the implementation of a federal clean fuel standard for the entire transportation sector to promote low-carbon energy carriers, alongside clean fuel mandates, production subsidies, and improved federal coordination and transparency.

APA

Reuter, H., Wymer, J., & Lewis, J. (2024). Decarbonizing U.S. transportation: Progress and opportunities. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2024/08/decarbonizing-us-transportation-progress-opportunities/

Chicago

Reuter, Holly, Jess Wymer, and Jonathan Lewis. Decarbonizing U.S. transportation: Progress and opportunities. Clean Air Task Force, 2024. https://www.catf.us/2024/08/decarbonizing-us-transportation-progress-opportunities/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reuter |first1=Holly |last2=Wymer |first2=Jess |last3=Lewis |first3=Jonathan |title=Decarbonizing U.S. transportation: Progress and opportunities |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=19 August 2024 |url=https://www.catf.us/2024/08/decarbonizing-us-transportation-progress-opportunities/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reuter2024decarbonizing, author = {Reuter, Holly and Wymer, Jess and Lewis, Jonathan}, title = {{Decarbonizing U.S. transportation: Progress and opportunities}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://www.catf.us/2024/08/decarbonizing-us-transportation-progress-opportunities/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }