Clean Diesel Technology Highlights Its Role in Emissions Reductions to U.S. Senate

Clean Diesel Technology, a non-profit national organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel, and technology, detailed to the U.S. Senate panel the need for conutinued federal support for programs that provide emissions solutions for existing engines and equipment, which will be increasingly important in meeting national air quality standards.

Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum, testified during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety entitled “Black Carbon—A Global Health Problem with Low-Cost Solutions.”

According to the 2012 EPA Black Carbon Report to Congress, the U.S. as a nation accounts for about eight percent of all global black carbon emissions. As of 2005, 52 percent came from mobile sources and 93 percent of that was attributed to diesel engines. The EPA projects this percentage will decline 86 percent by 2030 “largely due to controls on new diesel engines,” Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer noted that “because of its unmatched combination of power, performance, and energy efficiency, diesel technology is the workhorse of the U.S. and global economy, powering over 90 percent of commercial trucks, more than three-fourths of all transit buses, 100 percent of freight locomotives and marine work boats, and two-thirds of all farm and construction equipment.”

Schaeffer also outlined data highlighting the significance of diesel power to the U.S. economy, noting:

• The diesel industry contributes $480 billion annually to the economy in the forms of engines, equipment, and fuels with a significant influence on 16 sectors of the economy from agriculture to wholesale trade.
• Diesel is a job facilitator in every state, accounting for about 1.25 million U.S. jobs, ranging from engineering, manufacturing, and servicing in every state of the U.S.
• The diesel industry is a productivity multiplier because for every $1 earned by the diesel industry, another $4.50 of added value is earned elsewhere in the economy.
• Diesel is an export powerhouse with diesel engines, fuel, and equipment being high-value U.S. exports, equaling five times the average export value and accounting for 4.4 percent of all exports ($46.2 billion).