$200 Million in DOE grants for biofuel

Hoping to reduce emissions and ultimately increase its energy supply security and wean the country off dependence on energy imports, the Department of Energy (DOE) will award as much as $200 million in grants to 5-12 projects over the next six years for advanced biofuel refineries. The new national renewable-fuels mandate requires US production of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022 - 21 billion, including advanced fuels such as cellulosic ethanols, bio-butanol, and “green gasoline.” Additional government support is expected under President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for energy secretary, Steven Chu - a strong proponent of cellulosic ethanol.

Green Racing?!

Oh yeahhhhh! Sign me up! The Petit Le Mans this weekend will feature a Green Challenge(TM) race within a race, with awards going to green racecars in overall performance, fuel efficiency and environmental impact. Scott Atherton, the President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series, intends to be the Global Leader in Green Racing.

"We want to be the leading and most recognized sports and entertainment property for relevant environment concerns, ideas and practices," said Atherton.

The American Le Mans Series is the first and only race series to meet the criteria and protocols for green racing set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy and SAE International. Those protocols are primarily focused on alternative fuel and the Series is the only motorsports body in the world that features multiple street-legal alternative fuel sources - clean diesel, E10 gasoline and E85 cellulosic (non-feedstock) ethanol.

E85 cellulosic ethanol is different from the E85 we buy at the pump, however. Pump E85 is a blend of grain ethanol and gasoline, whereas cellulosic ethanol is produced from biomass such as wood waste, switchgrass or citrus.

The American Le Mans Series features technical rules that not only allow new technology, but actually encourage auto manufacturers to introduce new innovations into the racing environment. I can't wait to see what else they come up with!