Sustaining Resilient Inland Waterways via Renewable Energy

摘要

Inland waterways play an important role in the nationfs sustainability effort. Water transportation has environmental and economic benefits, existing capacity, and low energy consumption. The inland waterway system of the United States includes more than 25,000 miles of navigable rivers and canals, with approximately 12,000 of these miles being utilized for commercial purposes. These inland and intracoastal waterways directly serve 38 states and carry approximately 16% of the total domestic intercity freight, as measured by tonnage shipped. The Department of Homeland Security, Borders and Maritime Security Division of the Science and Technology Directorate, recognizes that power management and renewable energy sources can help achieve system efficiency, effectiveness, and resiliency. Inline with BMDfs interest in this area, this report explores how renewable energy sources can be utilized to support inland waterway security and operations. The Mack-Blackwell Rural Transportation Center was partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to explore the feasibility of renewable energy usage within the nationfs inland waterway system. The project objectives include identifying the most critical system components with potential renewable energy applications.