Alternative Fuels

Electric car charging station with several Chevy Bolts charging in parking lot of store in Bellingham, Washington

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.

March 16, 2023 - Route Fifty

School Buses

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.

July 21, 2022 - U.S. PIRG, the Federation of State Public Interest Research Groups

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.

December 17, 2013 - Fuels Institute

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.

March 22, 2013 - The Daily Climate

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."

March 15, 2013 - The New York Times

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.

June 4, 2012 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

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.

October 30, 2011 - Buildings

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.

June 9, 2011 - Grist

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.

September 30, 2009 - The New York Times

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.

May 11, 2009 - UC Merced

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.

March 12, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

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.

December 28, 2008 - Financial Times

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.

December 9, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

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.

November 10, 2008 - Tim Halbur

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.

June 10, 2008 - CNET News

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.

June 5, 2008 - Mother Jones

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?

March 26, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

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?

June 3, 2007 - Diana DeRubertis

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