Biden administration announces new National Zero-Emission Freight Strategy

Trucks, railroads and ships used to transport freight will be set on a path to zero emissions, under an ambitious new plan the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

As part of President Biden’s goal of reaching net-zero transportation emissions by 2050, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation and Department of Energy announced nearly $1.5 billion in funding for various programs to transition freight from diesel to zero-emission electrics.

Using a whole-of-government approach, the new National Zero-Emission Freight Strategy is focused on addressing hot spots for air pollution. Every day, trucks, ships, trains and planes move about 55 million tons of goods, according to a White House fact sheet. Trucks and buses make up almost a quarter of emissions from the transportation sector, which is the largest source of polluting emissions in the U.S.

To help replace diesel-powered school buses, trash trucks and delivery trucks, the Environmental Protection Agency announced almost $1 billion for cities, states and tribes to replace such vehicles with zero-emissions models and to create fueling infrastructure and workforce development to help build it.

To help reduce truck pollution at the nation’s ports, the Department of Transportation announced $400 million in grants, while the Department of Energy announced a $72 million investment to create a program for integrating electric heavy-duty trucks with the power grid to increase resiliency.