Greening Garbage Trucks: 2007 Update
Trends in Alternative Fuel Use
James S. Cannon, Sr. Research Associate at Energy Vision is preparing his third major report on the refuse truck sector and trends in its use of alternative fuels, due for completion by yearend.
Greening Garbage Trucks: 2007, is taking a fresh look at this sector at a time when the industry is operating on new terrain. It has become the beneficiary of major new federal economic incentives to promote use of alternative fuels, which now cover most of the higher costs of alternative fuel trucks, and which keep the cost of natural gas fuel lower than that of diesel.This study will report on:
- changes in the size of alternative fuel fleets in the last two years
- truck performance and safety
- emissions of particulates and nitrogen oxides based on the assumptions made in engine certification data
- estimates that have been developed regarding greenhouse gas emissions
- program costs: trucks, refueling stations, fleet maintenance etc. compared to diesel
- new fleets using alternative fuels: natural gas, biodiesel, hybrid electric technology, biomethane, and “hythane” (a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen)
- the reaction of fleet operators and communities
- new federal and state policies encouraging or impeding expanded alternative fuels use
Background: Almost 140,000 refuse trucks travel the streets of virtually every US city and town, and these vehicles have become a prime target of public concern. They perform one of the most important services for communities. But they are also amongst the most concentrated sources of pollution, threatening the health of families – especially the young, the elderly and those with respiratory ailments, and when these trucks operate at night, their high noise levels keep residents awake. The costs of refuse collection has been rising because of this sector’s heavy use of petroleum-based diesel fuel. Refuse trucks, with their stop and start operating cycle, get less than 3 miles per gallon of fuel.
Jim Cannon’s 2003 report, Greening Garbage Trucks, first put a national spotlight on refuse truck practices. While it found this sector facing major environmental challenges, one alternative fuel, natural gas, was beginning to be used, and natural gas trucks were both cleaner and quieter. 692 natural gas trucks were in operation in 26 communities in 2002. By early 2006, when the second report emerged, that number had more than doubled. Almost 1,500 natural gas refuse trucks were operating in 57 communities. The refuse truck market had become the second leading market for heavy duty natural gas vehicles in the U.S., after transit buses. And this trend was visible elsewhere in the world: in the Netherlands, Japan, France, Spain and Belgium.
In 2006, the refuse collection industry was increasingly embracing alternative fuels as it sought to offset rising diesel prices, to meet stricter engine emissions standards, to address public health concerns and to allay national security concerns. While a few fleets were using biodiesel fuel and trying hybrid electric technology, most had opted to switch from diesel to natural gas. Yet, this step ahead in reducing emissions and achieving energy security gains still involved barely 1% of the US fleet. What will the picture be in 2007?
Study Contact Information:
James Cannon, project lead
POB 4367, Boulder, CO 80304
Phone 1 303 541 0185
Email: jscannon@energy-futures.com