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Title: Trading of locomotive NO{sub x} emissions : a potential success story.

Abstract

New US Environmental Protection Agency regulations are forcing locomotive manufacturers and railroads to reduce pollutant emissions from locomotive operation. All new locomotives must meet strict standards when they are built, and existing locomotives must comply when they are rebuilt. Emissions can be reduced either by adjusting combustion parameters, which incurs a fuel penalty, or by turning the diesel engine off when the train is not moving and would otherwise be idling. The latter reduces fuel consumption, but requires installation of a device--such as an auxiliary power unit (APU)--to ensure that the engine can be restarted in cold weather and to supply hotel loads for the crew. Without a financial incentive, capital-short railroads will opt to achieve compliance in the least costly way. However, if they have the option of selling emission credits from reducing emissions below regulated levels, it would be in their best interest to install additional equipment to minimize emissions. These credits could be purchased by businesses with compliance costs greater than either the cost of the credits or the fines they would have had to pay for non-compliance. The result is a financial benefit for both parties, and a net reduction in emissions, because the seller ismore » emitting below regulated levels, and the buyer is no longer non-compliant. This paper describes a railroad as the potential seller, unable to consummate trades because of uncertainty in the regulatory environment, and estimates financial benefits and reductions in emissions and energy use that could be achieved if the barrier could be removed.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI Identifier:
795886
Report Number(s):
ANL/ES/CP-107519
TRN: US200213%%124
DOE Contract Number:  
W-31-109-ENG-38
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Air and Waste Management Association 95th Annual Conference and Exposition, Baltimore, MD (US), 06/23/2002--06/27/2002; Other Information: PBD: 26 Apr 2002
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS; COMBUSTION; COMPLIANCE; DIESEL ENGINES; ENGINES; FINANCIAL INCENTIVES; FUEL CONSUMPTION; LOCOMOTIVES; MANUFACTURERS; MARKETERS; POLLUTANTS; REGULATIONS; US EPA; WASTE MANAGEMENT

Citation Formats

Gaines, L L, Biess, L J, and Diedrich, G K. Trading of locomotive NO{sub x} emissions : a potential success story.. United States: N. p., 2002. Web.
Gaines, L L, Biess, L J, & Diedrich, G K. Trading of locomotive NO{sub x} emissions : a potential success story.. United States.
Gaines, L L, Biess, L J, and Diedrich, G K. 2002. "Trading of locomotive NO{sub x} emissions : a potential success story.". United States.
@article{osti_795886,
title = {Trading of locomotive NO{sub x} emissions : a potential success story.},
author = {Gaines, L L and Biess, L J and Diedrich, G K},
abstractNote = {New US Environmental Protection Agency regulations are forcing locomotive manufacturers and railroads to reduce pollutant emissions from locomotive operation. All new locomotives must meet strict standards when they are built, and existing locomotives must comply when they are rebuilt. Emissions can be reduced either by adjusting combustion parameters, which incurs a fuel penalty, or by turning the diesel engine off when the train is not moving and would otherwise be idling. The latter reduces fuel consumption, but requires installation of a device--such as an auxiliary power unit (APU)--to ensure that the engine can be restarted in cold weather and to supply hotel loads for the crew. Without a financial incentive, capital-short railroads will opt to achieve compliance in the least costly way. However, if they have the option of selling emission credits from reducing emissions below regulated levels, it would be in their best interest to install additional equipment to minimize emissions. These credits could be purchased by businesses with compliance costs greater than either the cost of the credits or the fines they would have had to pay for non-compliance. The result is a financial benefit for both parties, and a net reduction in emissions, because the seller is emitting below regulated levels, and the buyer is no longer non-compliant. This paper describes a railroad as the potential seller, unable to consummate trades because of uncertainty in the regulatory environment, and estimates financial benefits and reductions in emissions and energy use that could be achieved if the barrier could be removed.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/795886}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 2002},
month = {Fri Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 2002}
}

Conference:
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