TRANSPORTATION ENERGY ALTERNATIVES: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

The approaches examined in this report as means of displacing natural petroleum differ substantially in their potential savings. Because U.S. transportation depends almost completely on liquid fuels derived from crude oils, three promising methods are examined for saving of petroleum-based fuels: (1) Manufacture of synthetic liquid fuels from abundant U.S. coal and oil shale; (2) Revitalization of electric vehicle technology because electricity could be derived from coal- or nuclear-fueled generating plants; (3) Electrification of mainline railroads, following the common practice of many other nations. This final report integrates research findings of previous studies and estimates to what extent synfuel, electric vehicles and railroad electrification might displace petroleum-based fuels by the year 2000. Although synfuels are most likely to displace significant quantities of imported petroleum during this century, over the long term electric vehicles and railroad electrification could also displace meaningful quantities at comparable costs. None of the technologies seems likely to be widely deployed soon without government involvement.

• Corporate Authors:

  SRI International

  333 Ravenswood Avenue
  Menlo Park, CA  United States  94025-3493

  Department of Energy

  Office of Transportation Programs, 1000 Independence Ave, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20585
• Authors:
  • Dickson, E M
  • Freeman, T A
  • Conley, D E
  • Scott-Walton, B L
• Publication Date: 1980-6

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Tables;
• Pagination: 284 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternate fuels; Alternatives analysis; Coal; Costs; Diesel fuels; Electric vehicles; Energy resources; Fuels; Government funding; Implementation; Oil shales; Petroleum; Railroad electrification; Synthetic fuels; Technology; Transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Energy crisis
• Old TRIS Terms: Diesel fuel costs; Strategy
• Subject Areas: Energy; Transportation (General); Vehicles and Equipment; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00325472
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: No. 117 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 18 1981 12:00AM