National Academies of Science Panel Calls for Review of Truck GHG Rules

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A National Academies of Science panel on Friday called for EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct an "interim evaluation" of federal fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas regulations for medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2022 "to ensure and improve their effectiveness and value." The 439-page report is an extensive overview of the technological advancements in truck technologies the agencies should address, including biodiesel and strategies like more efficient freight movements.

Truck engines could attain 12 to 19 percent fuel reductions compared to today's engines by 2030, and using "aggressive" assumptions on engine efficiency improvements showed "ambitious" 30 percent gains after 2027, according to the report. But that may prove to be a ceiling. "Substantial reductions greater than 30 percent in CO2 compared to a 2019 baseline may necessitate approaches beyond the vehicle such as efficiency gains from fuels, operations, and so forth," it says. READ MORE