Clean Fuels Summit 2025: Building Partnerships for a Sustainable Louisiana
In October 2025, LifeCity attended the Clean Fuels Summit in Baton Rouge: a two-day event bringing together leaders from across the nation and Louisiana’s energy, transportation, and sustainability sectors. The summit offered a clear picture of both the challenges and opportunities ahead as Louisiana transitions toward cleaner fuels and reduced emissions.
The conversations at the summit made one thing clear: Louisiana is in what Mike Roeth is calling the “messy middle” of decarbonization. Across the state, innovators are experimenting with multiple pathways – electric, hydrogen, renewable diesel, biodiesel, renewable natural gas, and propane – all while confronting questions of infrastructure, policy, and equity.
The State of Clean Fuels in Louisiana
Mike Roeth from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency framed the discussion with a simple but powerful application of the Pareto principle: “20% of trucks burn 80% of fuel.” Long-haul trucking remains one of the hardest industries to decarbonize, yet progress is being made. The future, Roeth argued, is likely electric but getting there will require innovation and coordination across every sector.
Dr. Greg Upton from LSU’s Center for Energy Studies highlighted the balancing act Louisiana faces. The state’s economy has long depended on traditional energy industries, but technological improvements have reduced the number of jobs in these industries even as production has increased. This creates both tension and opportunity. As Dr. Upton noted, in 2023, one-third of the manufacturing projects in the Gulf Coast now include an energy transition related investment. The question is how to continue reducing emissions while maintaining cost efficiency and competitiveness.
Speakers from across the energy ecosystem shared similar themes. From biofuels to hydrogen to waste-to-energy, new technologies are emerging quickly. Dr. Anurag Mandalika from LSU’s Center for Energy Studies discussed Louisiana’s growing role in renewable diesel, densified biomass fuel, and renewable natural gas; in fact, Louisiana is the #1 producer of renewable diesel in the nation. However, current state policy does not incentivize the use of renewable diesel and biofuels in Louisiana – they’re sold primarily to markets in California and the western U.S. Localizing these clean fuel markets could create new economic and environmental benefits for Louisiana communities.
Innovation on the Move
Transportation, which accounts for almost half of climate change-causing emissions in New Orleans, was a key focus throughout the summit. Representatives from Hollywood Trucks and the City of New Orleans shared examples of innovation in action from solar-powered mobile fleets in the film industry to citywide goals for vehicle electrification by 2035.
Yet, nearly every presenter acknowledged the complexity of change. Transitioning to clean fleets requires not only new vehicles but also new ways of thinking. As CALSTART’s Emma Frantz emphasized, planning is everything: fleets must establish clear goals, understand available incentives, design scalable infrastructure, and coordinate early with utilities. Mistakes like ordering electric buses before planning power access can delay progress for months or years.
At the same time, smaller organizations and local governments often need help navigating this transition. Tanzee Silver of TRC Clean Transportation Solutions shared that billions in federal and state incentives remain available, but success depends on strategic planning and partnerships.
Partnerships that Power Progress
For LifeCity, the summit reinforced the critical role of partnership in achieving sustainability goals. Many of the organizations present, such as Louisiana Clean Fuels, CALSTART, Solar Alternatives, and Keep Louisiana Beautiful, are natural collaborators for LifeCity and its Love Your City network.
These connections create new opportunities to help Louisiana businesses access clean energy solutions, from electric vehicle charging infrastructure to renewable diesel supply chains. As LifeCity continues to expand the Love Your City sustainability scorecard, companies specializing in clean transportation and energy will be essential partners in helping local businesses reduce emissions, improve efficiency, and gain recognition for their efforts.
In particular, the Clean Cities & Communities coalitions stood out as valuable allies. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, these coalitions work to advance electric vehicles and alternative fuels through education, fleet analysis, emissions reduction planning, and technical assistance. For many businesses in Louisiana, they represent a bridge between ambition and action.
Lessons for the Road Ahead
The Clean Fuels Summit was more than a technical conference; it was a reflection of a state in transition. From university researchers to local governments and private companies, everyone shared a commitment to building a cleaner, more resilient future for Louisiana’s economy.
Several key lessons emerged from the experience:
Efficiency matters. Even small improvements in fuel and energy efficiency can have an outsized impact on emissions reductions.
Planning is essential. Successful clean fleets begin with clear goals, thoughtful infrastructure design, and early coordination with utilities.
Partnership drives progress. Collaboration between governments, businesses, and nonprofits will accelerate Louisiana’s clean energy transition.
Equity must remain central. Electrifying school buses – used especially by students from low-income communities and communities of color – can cut 9 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually and improve community health, shared the World Resources Institute.
As LifeCity continues to support businesses and organizations across the Gulf South, these lessons will shape how we help our partners move from intention to implementation. The path to a sustainable transportation future may be complex, but the Clean Fuels Summit made it clear that Louisiana’s stakeholders are ready to drive change together.
If you’re interested in greening your fleet and business, check out our sustainability consulting services and contact us at impact@mylifecity.com. Let’s get through the messy middle together!