Improving energy efficiency in the transportation sector
A primary characteristic of transportation in the United States is its high per capita energy consumption. The average US citizen consumes nearly five times as much energy for transportation as the average Japanese and nearly three times as much as the average citizen of France, Britain, or West Germany. The energy efficiency of US transportation has improved substantially over the past two decades (both absolutely and in comparison to Europe), and US travel volume has grown more slowly than in most of the developed world. However, the United States still consumes more than one-third of the world`s transport energy. Also, 96 percent of US transport energy is in the form of oil products. This is more oil than the United States produces, despite its position as one of the world`s largest oil producers. With current problems and expectation of continued growth in travel and energy use, Congress has increasingly turned to transportation energy conservation - in the form of improvements in the technical efficiency of travel, increases in load factors, reductions in travel demand, shifting to alternative fuels, and shifts to more efficient travel modes - as an important policy goal. For example, the Clean Air Amendments of 1990 incorporate transportation demand management as a critical tool in reducing urban air pollution. Legislation proposed in the 102d Congress sought rigorous new automobile and light truck fuel economy standards. With continued increases in U.S. oil imports, urban traffic congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions, and the failure of many urban areas to meet air quality standards, strong congressional interest in new energy conservation initiates is likely to continue.
- Research Organization:
- Illinois Univ., Chicago, IL (United States). Energy Resources Center
- OSTI ID:
- 426199
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/CH/10623-1; CONF-9411261-; ON: DE96001827; TRN: 96:006562-0011
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 22. annual Illinois energy conference: energy in the urban environment, Chicago, IL (United States), 16-17 Nov 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Energy in the urban environment. Proceedings of the 22. annual Illinois energy conference; PB: 283 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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