On August 8, 2014 MAFC program manager Ernie Perry spoke on a panel at the US Department of Energy Quadrennial Energy Review Public Stakeholder Meeting, which included USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy, and John Holdren, Director of the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.
“The DOE energy review was an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about the multimodal freight systems in the MAFC region, the issues facing freight development in our region, and how state DOTs are responding to the increasing demands on our freight systems,” said Perry. “To see the Secretaries of Transportation and Energy, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), and the Director of the President’s Office of  Science and Technology Policy opening the listening session certainly is a tribute to the significance of the changes occurring now and in the immediate future with these new fuel supplies.”
Perry joined experts from state DOTs (including Kevin Schoeben from the Illinois DOT), professional organizations, power cooperatives, and others to comment on rail, truck, and barge transportation and its importance to the energy transportation system.
“The new energy economy is a game changer and is absorbing capacity from all freight modes,” said Perry. “Our region’s ability to keep up with the demand for fuels, ensure safety in these moves, and ensure continued service for other commodities and goods will largely dictate our ability to leverage this new market for economic and transportation development in the MAASTO region.”
For more information about this listening session (including participant statements and presentations), visit Energy.gov.