Alternative Fuels

Alternative Fuels Topic Guide

Alternative Fuels

Transit agencies are increasingly looking to alternatives to traditional fuels to lower emissions and improve the air quality and environment. The resources in this topic guide will assist them with planning, decisionmaking and funding.

National RTAP Resources

FTA Resources

Additional Resources

American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Guidelines for Climate Action Planning, 2011, and Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transit, 2018


Bureau of Indian Affairs/Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Webinar for the National Electric Vehicle Initiative for Tribal Nations, 2023


Carnegie Mellon University's
Which Alternative Fuel Technology is Best for Transit Buses, 2017


Commodity's Renewable Energy Resources by State, 2022


Congressional Research Services (CSR) A Low Carbon Fuel Standard: In Brief, 2021, and Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs, 2021


Drive to Zero's Zero-Emission Technology Inventory is an interactive online resource for commercially available offerings of zero-emission vehicles


EBP US, Inc.'s Supporting Rural Communities Through Clean Transportation Investments, 2020


Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) State and Local Transportation Resources webpage contains regulations, guidance and calculators.


Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) CMAQ Emissions Calculator Toolkit, 2024


FHWA and Oregon DOT. Alternative Fuel Toolkit, 2018


ICF International's Small System Alternative Fuel Strategies Guidance Document, 2017


International Council on Clean Transportation's Update on electric vehicle costs in the United States through 2030, 2019


Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Technical Assistance and Resources for Communities


National Association of Fleet Administrators' (NAFA) The Changing Fuels Market: What Alternative Fuel Vehicles Mean for Fleets, 2019


National Center for Applied Transit Technology's (N-CATT) Planning for Fleet Transitions to Low/No-Emission Vehicles, 2022


National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) On-Road Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Evaluation, Technology Maintenance Readiness Guide for Zero-Emission Buses, and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Driving and Fueling Behavior, 2019, Financial Analysis of Battery Electric Transit Buses, 2020, and bus evaluation publications


National Transportation Knowledge Network's (NTKN) Transportation Sustainability Guide provides a number of resources on fuels and emissions


National Transportation Library's Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse, 2024


N-CATT/CTE's Hydrogen as a Transportation Fuel in Rural Communities, 2020


NCHRP's Zero Emission Vehicles: Forecasting Fleet Scenarios and their Emissions Implications, 2019, and Electric Vehicle Charging: Strategies and Programs, 2023


North Carolina DOT/NC First Commission's Revenue Impact from Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, 2020.


Propane Education & Research Council's article in Busride: Considering Refueling with Propane Autogas or Recharging with Electric? Here’s What to Know, 2019


TCRP's Battery Electric Buses—State of the Practice, 2018


US Department of Energy's (DOE) Alternative Fuels Data Center Public Transit Vehicles webpage provides statistics, case studies, reports, videos and presentations 


US PIRG's Paying for Electric Buses, 2018, provides case studies of how agencies have been funded


DISCLAIMER: The resources provided in each topic guide are not an exhaustive survey of every available resource on each topic. If you would like to add a resource to a Topic Guide, please email info@nationalrtap.org.


Updated February 23, 2024

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