Authors: Ashya Kaderabek-Vela, AEG Fellow, New York City, Chicago & Jack Jordan, AEG Lead Fellow, Chicago
While coal consumption once accounted for the largest source of emissions in Illinois, vehicle exhaust- namely, commuter cars and trucking, is now the state’s greatest contributor of GHG emissions.
Yes, Chicago’s position as the nation’s freight hub has had huge economic benefits for Chicago and its residents – but this has not come without its price. In addition to GHG emissions, harmful air pollution from the diesel engines that power Chicago’s trucks and trains have detrimental health and financial impacts in both the short- and long-term for the city’s residents, especially in neighborhoods like Little Village and the far Southeast Side. That is why if Illinois wants to improve the health of its people and simultaneously meet its carbon emission reduction goals, we must electrify our trucking fleets.
Last year, Advanced Energy Group Chicago formed the 20Q4 Trucking Task Force to tackle this exact issue, charging key stakeholders with creating a clean trucking roadmap for the city. Engaging with experts from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) as well Ozinga, Martin-Brower and other local fleets, the Trucking Task Force has identified key barriers to electrification. With a stakeholder-led plan to electrify Chicago’s trucking industry, local fleets could not only benefit long term from reduced fuel costs, but electrification would also aid Chicago’s environmental and equity goals as well, especially with a focus on intra city drayage routes.
The AEG Chicago 20Q4 Trucking Task Force is pleased to announce an upcoming state-wide Fleet Forum on September 30th to discuss pathways forward in accelerating the transition to cleaner trucking. While local fleets will be the primary attendees, we look forward to hosting Stakeholders from NACFE, the Illinois Commerce Commission , Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition, and ComEd to weigh in on this important issue. It is imperative for all key Stakeholders – from trucking fleets and logistics companies to regulators and utilities – to work together in creating a realistic, sustainable pathway forward to address the challenge that traditional diesel-fueled vehicles pose. We hope for this Fleet Forum to be just that.
Click here to register for the September 30th Illinois Fleet Forum
