2025 Clean Fuels Summit Highlights Port Innovation

NEW ORLEANS – At the 2025 Clean Fuels Summit, hosted by Louisiana Clean Fuels, the state’s U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities coalition, energy leaders from across the Gulf South gathered in Baton Rouge Oct. 1–2 to explore practical strategies for cutting transportation-related emissions and advancing the shift to cleaner mobility solutions. The summit combined

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Port NOLA’s Sustainability Initiatives

Emily Federer, Director of Sustainable Development at the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), participated in a panel discussion on port sustainability initiatives moderated by Tom Haysley, Principal Planner, New Orleans Regional Planning Commission.

“I discussed our upcoming project under a Federal Highway Administration Grant (FHWA) – Reducing Truck Emissions at Port Facilities – to work with our terminal operators at New Orleans Terminal and Ports America to help them purchase lower emissions yard equipment, and to purchase equipment for our Harbor Police Department,” said Federer.

New Orleans Terminal and Ports America are two major leaseholders with Port NOLA. They both participate in the Green Marine certification program, which requires high-level environmental performance on standards relating to air emissions, aquatic ecosystems, underwater noise, waste management and spill prevention.

“I also talked about our recent registration of the LIT project with Envision,” said Federer. The $1.8 billion Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) project, designed to expand the state’s capacity to handle the world’s largest ships and strengthen global trade competitiveness, is now officially registered with the Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Framework. The designation marks the first Envision project registered in Louisiana and the first new container terminal registered in the United States, reflecting Port NOLA’s commitment to infrastructure that advances environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and long-term economic resilience.

“It might not sound like such a big challenge, but infrastructure we are planning to build today will be around for 50 to 100 or more years, and if you look at where our technology and infrastructure was 50 to 100 years in the past, there is a huge leap that no one could have imagined the technologies we are using today,” said Federer. “Self-driving technologies and fuel innovations have made some big leaps in the last 10 years. I imagine these types of transportation innovations will continue to accelerate.”

Federer said the port collaborates with the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), Green Marine and the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition on innovations and the future of fuel.

“A major message for this type of work is that no one, no agency or business, can make these transitions alone. It takes an ecosystem and change of our status quo to make overarching transportation changes,” said Federer.

Federer said lasting progress in clean transportation will depend on strong policy support and collaboration across both public and private sectors. “I would also want to emphasize that these changes require support from our government in implementing policies and opportunities for public agencies, businesses and private individuals in lowering the bar for new technologies in transportation until we reach a tipping point where the low- and zero-emissions transportation technologies are equal- or lower-cost options for consumers,” she said.

2025 Clean Fuels Summit: Advancing Cleaner Fleets and Future Fuels

Because a significant feature of port operations involves land-based vehicles, cleaner trucking and fuel-diversification for land-based fleets emerged as a central focus of the summit. Discussions included progress updates on replacing conventional vehicles with more modern trucks that produce fewer emissions and expanding alternative-fuel infrastructure such as charging stations and propane or CNG pumps.

“I found the Keynote Speaker, Mike Roeth, Executive Director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, particularly enlightening regarding forecasts for medium- and heavy-duty trucking,” said Federer.

Federer said introducing clean technology results in significant maintenance cost reductions because electric motors have far fewer moving parts, as well as noticeable improvements in driver health. “Fully electric capabilities for short haul, local trucking is close to being available, and it would be great to see some pilot projects implemented in New Orleans,” said Federer.

Roeth also discussed fuel-efficiency and electrification trends in long-haul trucking, while Louisiana Clean Fuels Executive Director Ann Vail outlined statewide progress in clean transportation adoption.

“To further the heavy-duty discussion, Andre Champagne, CEO of Hollywood Trucks, talked about his journey into providing eco trucks and trailers for the movie industry that feature electric storage and rooftop solar for power generation,” said Federer.

Earlier sessions included LSU’s Dr. Greg Upton, who examined the economic challenges and opportunities of decarbonizing Louisiana’s energy sector, and a panel featuring experts from Chevron, LSU and the American Sugar Cane League discussing renewable fuels in agriculture and manufacturing. The conference also featured the “Road to Zero” Ride & Drive showcase, where attendees tested light-, medium- and heavy-duty clean vehicles and learned about state regulations for EV charging equipment.

Day two shifted toward national strategy, with sessions on electric transit, hydrogen workforce development, and the integration of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in vehicle systems. The event concluded with the Clean Fuel Leader Awards recognizing excellence in categories such as the Clean Fuel Champion and the Most Improved Fleet.