EPRINC held a virtual workshop on The Transport Climate Initiative (TCI): Challenges and Opportunities on June 16, 2021. 
 
EPRINC staff, policymakers, and regional experts explored the effectiveness of the program to meet its goals of lowering greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions. Among the topics discussed were how the program fits in with U.S. and international efforts to accelerate the energy transition, an assessment of the program’s impact on consumers, implementation challenges, and opportunities for green investments.   
 
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a regional collaboration of potentially 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia seeking to reduce consumption of petroleum-based fossil fuels in the transportation sector and introduce cleaner fuels and more effective transportation systems.  The list of potentially participating jurisdictions are: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

The agenda for the event can be found here, the presentations that were given are here, and the full video recording of the event is here.

A report on the event was written by Ashutosh Shastri, Senior Advisor, Global Gas Centre & Distinguished Fellow, EPRINC, and can be accessed here.

On July 27, 2020, the Energy Policy Research Foundation and the Institute for Energy Research jointly hosted a virtual workshop on the recently adopted regulation setting fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars and light trucks. 

Current and former officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), representatives from the auto industry, EPRINC and IER staff, and a cross section of stakeholders discussed the new rule  and its broader implications for energy markets and the future of the U.S. auto industry. 

The video recording of the workshop can be accessed here, and the presentation from Heidi King is here and the one from Max Pyziur is here.

Max Pyziur and Lucian Pugliaresi on Technical Constraints and Cost Risks from the Renewable Fuel Standard

Under US law, increased volumes of biofuels must be blended into gasoline and diesel fuels. A variety of factors, including future demand for transportation fuels, falling crude oil prices and technological constraints, are all providing new challenges to successfully implementing the biofuel mandate.

This EPRINC assessment demonstrates that the RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard) requirements create considerable long-term costs, risks, and uncertainties to fuel producers, and are likely to raise transportation fuel costs substantially.

“Pipelines, Trains and Trucks: Moving Rising North American Oil Production to Market” can be downloaded below.  The report covers the midstream sector’s adaptation to rising North American crude oil production, the impact on the upstream and midstream, as well the opportunities and challenges facing both industry and regulators.