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Pitch

The Interstate Highways account for 25% of traffic but are only 1% of road mileage. Electrifying the IS Highways will save fuel emissions.


Description

Summary

Electric Railways Locomotives are more fuel efficient and are lower carbon emitters compared to Diesel powered Locomotives.

This principle could be applied to the Interstate Highways of USA.

Since the route mileage of the IS Highways is just a little more than the railway route miles of US, it would be feasible to string power lines over the highways and at least all goods transport vehicles could switch to electric motors from petrol / diesel. 

 

 


Which proposals are included in your plan and how do they fit together?

 
Electric motors are far more efficient compared to Petrol or Diesel engines.
 
The case for electrification of railways is as follows
http://www.solutionaryrail.org/electrify/
 
"ELECTRIFIED RAIL SAVES ENERGY AND CUTS CARBON POLLUTION. Railroads use between one-quarter to one-third and as much fuel to move a ton of freight as trucks and less than one twentieth as much as airplanes. When railroads are powered by electricity, the energy-efficiency advantages are further amplified because electric locomotives are far more efficient than diesels. A ton of freight hauled by electrified rail will use around one-tenth the energy per mile of a ton moved by truck. By electrifying rail and raising speeds, additional shippers will be drawn to lower-cost rail, further reducing energy use and slashing carbon pollution."
 
The same logic would apply to electrification of roadways.

 


Explanation of the emissions scenario calculated in the Impact tab


What are the plan’s key benefits?

Petroleum fuel consumption for hauling freight would decline substantially, it could decline by upto 50%.


What are the plan’s costs?

The cost of laying electric line along all Highways would be quite high.


What are the key challenges to enacting this plan?

There would be tremendous opposition from people who are used to the current way of life. 

Only the fact that we would run out of petroleum in a few decades can convince them,


Timeline

A stretch of say 100 kms should be electrified to demonstrate the benefits.

The electrification can then be expanded slowly and steadily.


Related plans


References