Statewide, Connecticut, United States
Sustainability Strategies to Minimize the Carbon Footprint for Connecticut Bus Operations
Summary Information
The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, on behalf of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), studied strategies to minimize the carbon footprint of CTDOT's bus operations. The investigation included literature review, operations analysis, and conducting interviews with transportation officials to understand overall benefits and savings of identified transition strategies. The analysis included bus operations, facilities, and equipment, though it did not address the emissions associated with supply chain operations.
CTDOT operates a total of 549 buses, with greenhouse gas emissions total estimated to be 0.07 million metric tons of Carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), with 0.05 MMTCO2e of that total coming from fleet emissions.
FINDINGS
The report concluded that the most effective strategy for minimizing the carbon footprint of CTDOT's bus operations was by replacing its existing fleet with battery electric buses over the next 12 years. Battery electric buses provide a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in an emissions reduction of 75 percent relative to current levels, as well as having the second-lowest expected life cycle cost of alternative fuel technologies. The primary scenario investigated indicated that by 2030 the total life cycle cost of a battery electric bus fleet would only be approximately 18 percent more expensive than the cost of maintaining the current diesel bus fleet.
