U.S. Must Find Alternative Vehicle Fuel

What’s the Latest Development?

In a new report, the Department of Energy says more of the nation’s resources should be devoted to finding an alternative to the foreign oil that powers the nation’s vehicles. While developing renewable sources for electricity is important, such as wind and solar, the biggest threat to national security and America’s largest contribution to climate change is the gasoline in our cars. And in the quest to replace oil, work on electric vehicles should be prioritized over alternative fuels, the study said.

What’s the Big Idea?

That the United States continues to lack a coherent national energy strategy will hopefully be offset by unexpected advances in the private sector. Already 90 percent of the energy industry is owned privately, so the government sees its role as “convening the various interested parties to encourage agreements and provide technical information.” And while the Congress continues to invest in fuel cell technologies, the President’s energy adviser, Steven Chu, says hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles are better bets.