US trade group pledges cleaner transport
A US trade group involved in the energy transition in the transport sector said August 17 it believed all natural-gas powered vehicles could rely solely on renewable sources by 2050.
NGVAmerica said it “pledged” that by 2030, 80% of motor fuel for natural gas vehicles will be derived from renewable resources, with the ultimate goal of 100% by 2050. This is “the most affordable, scalable and immediate solution” to clean up heavy-duty transportation fleets, it said.
Federal estimates show about a quarter of all the energy used in the country is used in transport, which also accounts for about 34% of the total emissions of CO2.
Renewable natural gas is usually sourced from the decomposition of organic matter in landfills, though some producers have relied on farm manure or wastewater treatment plants as a source.
As part of its pledge, the company said it would utilise cleaner natural gas options in its own fleet. Elsewhere, it would support the procurement of natural gas from companies trying to arrest fugitive methane emissions, while at the same time working with the government to improve natural gas engine technology.
“NGVAmerica recognises that climate change is real and immediate investment is needed to clean and decarbonise all transportation sectors,” its president, Dan Gage, said.