INDEPENDENCE IS WORTH A BIOMASS:

New Fuel Source Grows on the Prairie: With Oil Prices Up, Biomass Looks More Feasible (Justin Gillis, June 22, 2006, Washington Post)

Farmers have pushed for years to get more people using gasoline mixed with ethanol made from corn kernels, but so far such ethanol has replaced only about 3 percent of the nation's gasoline, and by most estimates, the country would never be able to grow enough corn to replace more than 10 or 12 percent of its fuel supply.

Now many scientists -- and eager Silicon Valley venture capitalists -- are focusing on a new type of ethanol made from agricultural wastes and other plant residues, a potentially vast supply of material known as biomass.

While ethanol made from cornstalks may sound a lot like ethanol made from corn, the technology required is markedly different. The technique was long considered too expensive to compete with gasoline produced from oil, but the cost is declining rapidly just as oil prices hit record highs.

Experts say that soon, those trends will open the possibility of a vast new industry in this country producing a homegrown fuel.

Brown Goes Green: EPA and Partners to Unveil UPS Truck With 60 to 70 Percent Higher Fuel Economy (EPA, June 21, 2006)

Your normal UPS delivery truck will not be the same as EPA unveils the world's most fuel-efficient and cost-effective delivery vehicle. The first of its kind, EPA and UPS partnered to develop a UPS truck that uses EPA-patented hydraulic hybrid technology that can achieve fuel efficiency by 60-70 percent in urban driving and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent.

"EPA and our partners are not just delivering packages with this UPS truck – we are delivering environmental benefits to the American people," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "President Bush is moving technology breakthroughs from the labs to the streets. We are doing what is good for our environment, good for our economy, and good for our nation's energy security."

Laboratory tests show that this hybrid technology has the potential to dramatically improve the fuel economy for package delivery vehicles, shuttle and transit buses, and refuse pickup. More than 1,000 gallons of fuel each year could be saved per vehicle. EPA estimates that upfront costs for the hybrid components could be recouped in fewer than three years for a typical delivery vehicle.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 22, 2006 4:34 PM