Port of Houston Emission Reduction Strategy and Business Case Analysis

This paper discusses the case study goals, approach, and outcomes of the study commissioned by Port Houston in support of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) emission reduction efforts in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria region. The five opportunities evaluated in this study included (1) shift cargo from road to rail, (2) shift cargo from road to no emission electric shuttle, (3) shift cargo from road to water, (4) shift cargo to low/no emission road trucks, and (5) use of cleaner cargo handling equipment. For these opportunities, several scenarios were identified and examined for a relative comparison to identify and propose the most promising scenarios for Port Houston to consider in future strategic planning and implementation. The paper concludes with providing a relative ranking of all evaluated scenarios and opportunities.