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A Guide to More Clean Air for Your Dollar

America needs diesel engines and cleaner air; advanced clean diesel technology offers both. Diesel power drives the economy by building our nation’s infrastructure of roads and bridges, taking crops from the fields to food on the table, and providing vital transportation of people and goods in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible. No other technology can match diesel’s unique combination of energy  efficiency, sheer power, reliability and durability across so many sectors of the economy. In all applications, diesel technology has experienced continuous improvement with increasing performance, lower fuel consumption and lower emissions, making today’s technology much cleaner and more efficient than what was available even a few years ago.

The future looks even cleaner. Industry’s continued improvements are leading to a new generation of clean diesel vehicles and equipment that will virtually eliminate regulated emissions in both on- and off-road applications. This new clean diesel technology will not only be available in new vehicles and equipment, but can be applied to existing engines, thereby multiplying its benefits. The nation’s goals for accelerated improvements in air quality have led regulators to identify the modernizing and upgrading of existing diesel engines as one of the most cost-effective options for achieving emissions reductions.

Financial resources. While the air quality benefits of diesel retrofit are strong, the economic benefits are less clear. Large operators may capture the good will and economic value of good corporate citizenship more readily than small operators that face few direct economic or market pressures related to their environmental performance.

The federal government provides a significant source of funding for diesel retrofit programs through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and depending on congressional funding, it is hoped that additional retrofit-dedicated funds will become available in under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act.

Experience in the field. Considerable experience in modernizing and upgrading diesel engines has been gained over the last 8 to 10 years in several key sectors of equipment. High profile diesel emissions reductions projects, such as the retrofit of construction equipment at Connecticut’s Q-Bridge Construction Project and Massachusetts’ Big Dig, have encouraged efforts in other states. Several large-scale diesel engine emissions reduction demonstration programs currently being completed are proving the effectiveness of these emissions control mechanisms.

This comprehensive tool kit is designed to educate transportation planners, air quality officials and other leaders about the value of diesel retrofit programs and to assist in getting started with your own program.

This toolkit provides:

• Information about various retrofit technologies
• Examples of retrofit success stories for a variety of equipment types to vehicles
• Helpful advice on how to build and fund retrofit projects
• Updates on news, events and other useful resources for those interested in retrofit programs

By providing this resource to practitioners, the Diesel Technology Forum hopes to assist environmental and transportation decision makers as they look for effective strategies to clean the air and maximize return on their investment.