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Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Transportation Sources in Minnesota

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To reach greenhouse gas reduction goals, researchers say action must start now

A team of University of Minnesota transportation and public policy researchers says that if Minnesota is to reach its Next Generation Energy Act goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, action must start now.

Video about the study

About the Study

In 2007, CTS received an appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature to assess public policy and technology options for reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted from the transportation sector in Minnesota.

The researchers investigated a number of possibilities:

  • Increasing efficiency by improving vehicle fuel economy (e.g., CAFE or carbon emission standards, incentives for more efficient vehicles) and by switching toward other modes (walk, bike, bus, light rail).
  • Reducing GHG by substituting alternative fuels for gasoline and by increasing use of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles while encouraging low-GHG electricity generation.
  • Shifting land use and transportation infrastructure to reduce transportation energy consumption by increasing urban density and mass transit, encouraging non-vehicle transportation options, and reducing vehicle idling (e.g., trucks at truck stops, ships in port).

The researchers evaluated these options within a larger framework that attempts to identify potential externalities and risks as well as potential policy drivers.

Their report identifies short-term (up to 2015), medium-term (2015-2025), and long-term (>2025) technologies, strategies, and policies.