Alternative Fuels

Federal Alternative Fuel Charging Grant Funding Announced
The grant program is part of the 2021 infrastructure act, which promised to invest in charging and fueling stations for electric cars and other vehicles powered by alternative energy.

EPA Launches School Bus Electrification Program
The agency will distribute $5 billion over the next five years to help school districts purchase electric and low-emissions buses.
What Will Fuel Your Motor Vehicle in 10 Years?
Alternative fueled vehicles are increasing and will continue to gain in the next decade, according to a new report by the Fuels Institute, but light duty vehicles powered by gasoline will dominate. Diesel fuel will power 94% of heavier vehicles.
Strong Government Regulations Key to Kicking Oil Habit, Reducing Vehicle Emissions
What will it take to greatly reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles? Efficiency, alternative fuels, and strong governmental policies reports the National Research Council. And it will be highly unlikely.
Obama Pushes to Fund Advanced Autos with Fossil Fuel Revenues
At a visit to the Argonne National Laboratory today, President Obama was expected to unveil his plan to spend $2 billion in oil and gas revenues "to find ways to replace hydrocarbons as the primary fuel for the nation’s cars, trucks and buses."
Propelling Change at the Pump
Karen E. Klein profiles Propel Fuels, and their ambitious plan to lead the nation in providing alternative fuels to would-be consumers at their "gas station of the future," the first of which opened last month.
Your Next Car May Run on Alligator Fat
Wedged into a report about the merits of various alternative fuels for port activities is a recent report from the American Chemical Society stating that alligator fat may be a great alternative to soy-based biogas.
New Electric Fuel Behaves Like Gasoline
Researchers at MIT have developed a radical new approach to electric vehicles: a liquid fuel carrying electrically-charged particles that could refuel cars just like gasoline.
Stockholm's Congestion Pricing Cuts Traffic, Boosts Clean Vehicle Sales
Stockholm's congestion charge is not only reducing traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, it's also increasing sales of alternative fuel vehicles.
Electricity from Biomass More Efficient than Ethanol
A new study by researchers at the University of California, Merced suggests that using biomass to create electricity to power cars could be more efficient than using the same biomass to create ethanol to power cars.
Understanding Algae
Treehugger recently heralded fuel-producing algae the hottest green technology going. GOOD Magazine takes a clear-eyed look at the promise and the pitfalls.
Plunging Oil Prices May Do More Harm Than Good
The Financial Times analyzes the effects of the falling price of oil on energy markets and concludes that the short term economic gain for oil consumers will come back to bite them as investments in alternative fuels will cease as will conservation.
Gas From Ice
Methane gas hydrates are flammable ice crystals packed with hydrocarbons. Until recently, it was too expensive to recover the fuel trapped in the ice, but new technology and demand are opening up possibilities.
Unbridled Fun in an Electric Car
This weekend, I had the pleasure of taking a ride up the Pacific Coast Highway in a hot-off-the-assembly-line Tesla sportscar. While I normally fall in with the camp that thinks the focus on alternative fuel cars is distracting from the need to move people out of cars and into transit, walking and biking, I have to say, the Tesla Roadster is a beautiful piece of machinery.
Propane: Cheaper and Cleaner Than Gasoline?
The California Air Resources board is expected to approve a new propane-fueled engine this week, opening the door for an alternative fuel source for cars and trucks. Supporters say its also convenient because distribution channels already exist.
Weird Energy Sources Debunked
One of the hosts of Mythbusters turns his eye on new ideas for energy sources, from grape juice to used tires.
Is Green Energy Wilting?
The alternative energy sector has been booming in recent years, but is now slowing down. Could this be the end of green energy?
Beyond CO2
It’s great that global warming is finally getting its day in the media spotlight. But with all the buzz about carbon footprints and carbon offsets, I wonder whether the average American now believes that carbon dioxide is the only pollutant that we need to worry about?
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research