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[quote user="erikem"]   <blockquote> <div><img src="/TRCCS/Themes/trc/images/icon-quote.gif" /> Paul Milenkovic:</div> <div>   Last I checked, the California HSR Web site was claiming 100 percent of the fuel use of a car trip as the CO2 savings.   </div> </blockquote>   It is pretty safe to assume that the Cal HSR, if built, will be electrified. It is possible that the electricity used is generated by means that do not result in CO2 emissions (at least for operation, neglecting the CO2 needed to build the generating capacity or the HSR lines, etc). Having said that, I like to emphasize the word possible as opposed to practical or that it is even likely that California will have carbon free electricity by 2033. HSR in France, for example, involves very low CO2 output for operations as 70% of France's electrical energy comes from nuclear generating stations. One of the more subtle advantages of railroad electrification is the greater number of options for the initial source of energy, where diesel locomotives, cars, truck and planes are pretty much limited to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. It would be much easier to capture carbon from a stationary generating plant than from a diesel locomotive, car, truck or plane. - Erik [/quote] I understand that California has not built any significant generation capacity for more than 30 years.  To make up the generation shortfall, California's electric utilities buy a significant amount of power from generators in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, etc.  Some of this power is generated by coal fired power plants. Accordingly, the energy for California's HSR project may not foul California's air, but it will increase air pollution in the aforementioned states to the extent that they produce the juice with coal and gas fired generators.
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