Posted on 05/02/2024 1:07:55 PM PDT by karpov
American federalism is struggling. Federal rules are an overwhelming presence in every state government, and some states, due to their size or other leverage, can impose their own policies on much or all of the country. The problem has been made clearer by an under-the-radar plan to phase out diesel locomotives in California. If the federal government provides the state with a helping hand, it would bring nationwide repercussions for a vital, overlooked industry.
Various industry and advocacy groups are lining up against California's costly measure, calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deny a waiver needed to fully implement it. In the past month, more than 30 leading conservative organizations and individuals, hundreds of state and local chambers of commerce, and the U.S. agricultural sector have pleaded with the EPA to help stop this piece of extremism from escaping one coastal state.
Railroads may not be something most Americans, whose attention is on their own cars and roads, think about often. But rail is the most basic infrastructure of interstate commerce, accounting for around 40 percent of long-distance ton-miles. It's also fairly clean, accounting for less than 1 percent of total U.S. emissions. Private companies, like Union Pacific in the West or CSX in the East, pay for their infrastructure and equipment. These facts haven't stopped the regulatory power grab.
Most importantly, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulation would have all freight trains operate in zero-emission configuration by 2035. At the end of the decade, the state is mandating the retirement of diesel locomotives 23 years or older, despite typically useful lives of over 40 years. Starting in 2030, new passenger locomotives must operate with zero emissions, with new engines for long-haul freight trains following by 2035. It limits locomotive idling and increases reporting requirements.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
Didn’t someone drive one of those off the track a couple of years ago?
Railroad co’s should just rename their diesel locomotives as “EV locomotives with a diesel generator”. It’s an accurate description of what they are anyway.
The people of California must be insane.................
Nope... it’s even easier..
electric locomotive with a coal car like car behind it with the generator and a really thick extension cord between them.
There, my locomotive is 100% electric.
or just stop at the state line and tell CA to figure the rest out.
Since escaping the Communist state of California, I go out of my way to avoid buying products from that Communist state.
It’s not easy sometimes, but I’d guess out of every 10 online purchases 8 are not from CA.
My little payback for those rotten SOBs.
Come on, you guys. This will be great. The California High Speed Rail will be up and running by then and freight can get to San Francisco in less than an hour with NO EMISSIONS. It has been legislated so it will happen!
Switch to coal.
Considering the state of Commerce Clause jurisprudence, I am interested in how this is okay (it doesn’t matter if they leave CA or not). Could it be that we are a lawless nation?
I wonder what it would take to repeal the Enabling Act that made California a State.
A more perfect union, would be a union without California in it... It’s time for America to dump California as a state, or maybe just sell it to Mexico.
If it wasn’t so sad it be comical.
stop at the state line, kick there crap out an make Kalifornia come get it.
Bring back the Big Boys!
Just say they identify as an EV...seems to work for everything else.
I would think the Interstate Commerce Clause would limit a state’s authority in this.
The irony is that California is the first state to receive all of China polluted air.
perhaps california’s angle is to force interstate adoption of overhead electrified rail lines (a la much of the rest of the world).
san mateo peninsula already has overhead electrified rail in progress, running from san francisco to gilroy, scheduled for completion in september 2024:
https://www.caltrain.com/projects/electrification
https://www.caltrain.com/projects/electrification/project-benefits/caltrain-electrified-service-plan
presumably, the caltrain project will be targeted for passenger rail traffic only at this stage of implementation.
I seriously doubt that the people in California have the capacity to understand that they are Diesel Electric. Just Hybrids without the Battery.
Tell CA they’ve all been replaced with Prius-like hybrids and it will all be OK.
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