In the United States (US), the Department of Energy (DOE) has announced seven transportation plans to build a more resilient, affordable, and globally competitive transportation system. The action plans—covering key modes of the transportation sector including maritime, rail, trucking, aviation, and off-road—were developed in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), along with industry and other stakeholders.
The US transportation system’s trucks, ships, trains, and planes move US$49 billion worth of goods annually, critical to the national economic ecosystem and key to global competition.
However, the transportation sector also accounts for 33 percent of total US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as other pollutants that increase the risk for asthma, heart disease, and other health issues, especially in communities near highways, ports, railyards, and warehouses.
Vehicles move us and our economy, transporting people and goods across 3 trillion vehicle miles annually. But transportation remains the second highest expense for consumers and is a significant source of emissions, said Michael Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Sustainable Transportation and Fuels.
Each action plan identifies strategies to accelerate innovation, expand affordable options for consumers, unlock private sector action, and ultimately deliver a better transportation system for all Americans.
The action plans were showcased at the recently held 2025 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., where more than 10,000 policymakers, government and industry leaders, and members of academia convened to discuss all transportation modes.
Representatives from DOE’s Office of Sustainable Transportation and Fuels (STF) participated in multiple panels, meetings, and conversations at TRB to discuss the action plans, next steps, frameworks for successful implementation, and how these actions can benefit businesses and consumers.
These Energy and Innovation Action Plans provide strategies to increase innovation and US global competitiveness while also reducing emissions and cost. TRB is the ideal venue to roll out these plans for discussion among transportation-sector leaders with shared goals to provide better, more reliable, and affordable choices to consumers, Michael Berube said.
In 2023, DOE, DOT, EPA, and HUD partnered with transportation industry stakeholders to release the US National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization (Blueprint).
The Blueprint provides a roadmap for innovative transportation fueling and vehicle technologies across every mode of transportation to expand affordable and accessible transportation options.
It takes a systems approach to address overall efficiency and convenience across the sector and focuses on realistic, cost-effective approaches, considering viewpoints from industry and stakeholders.
