Improvements to the Infrastructure Carbon Estimator (ICE)

Some state departments of transportation (DOTs) and many Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) have begun to estimate vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation systems. However, only a few have started to evaluate infrastructure-related energy consumption and GHG emissions, which can make significant contribution to the environmental footprint of the transportation system. The goal of this project is to update the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Infrastructure Carbon Estimator (ICE) tool used to estimate GHG from construction of transportation projects. The project was organized to gather stakeholder input and implement the following ICE improvements: (1) Incorporate new research on infrastructure embodied energy and lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions; (2) Add analysis of new/additional project types; (3) Address GHG reductions and energy conservation potential of additional reduction strategies; (4) Tailor outputs to better address the energy and GHG emissions from transportation project alternatives and transportation plans; (5) Make the interface more intuitive and easier to use; and (6) Allow for states to input emissions factors most relevant to them as opposed to national averages.

• Record URL:
  http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/614
• Supplemental Notes:
  • The FHWA ICE tool can be found at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sustainability/energy/tools/carbon_estimator/. The User Guide and other information is available via MnDOT at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/sustainability/ghg-analysis.html

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $455000
• Contract Numbers:

  1029172

  TPF-5(362)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Colorado Department of Transportation

  2829 W. Howard Place
  Denver, CO  United States  80204

  California Department of Transportation

  1227 O Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95814

  Iowa Department of Transportation

  800 Lincoln Way
  Ames, IA  United States  50010

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building
  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155

  Texas Department of Transportation

  125 E. 11th Street
  Austin, TX  United States  78701-2483

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504

  New York State Department of Transportation

  50 Wolf Road
  Albany, NY  United States  12232
• Managing Organizations:

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155
• Project Managers:

  Sexton, Timothy

• Performing Organizations:

  ICF Incorporated LLC

  9300 Lee Highway
  Fairfax, VA  United States  22031
• Principal Investigators:

  Ang-Olson, Jeff

• Start Date: 20180101
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20240424

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Energy conservation; Energy consumption; Estimating; Exhaust gases; Greenhouse gases; Infrastructure; Life cycle analysis; Pollutants
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01669370
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 1029172, TPF-5(362)
• Files: RIP, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 18 2018 10:59AM