United States (Federal) Alternative Fuel or AFV Researcher

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Signed Into Law

President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 (House Resolution 6), designed to improve vehicle fuel economy and help reduce U.S. dependence on oil. EISA aims to increase the supply of alternative fuel sources by setting a mandatory Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requiring transportation fuel sold in the U.S. to contain a minimum of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022, including advanced and cellulosic biofuels and biomass-based diesel. In addition, the law requires the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard to reach 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. The EISA is projected to reduce energy consumption by 7% and greenhouse gas emissions by 9% by 2030. For a summary of the major provisions set forth by the legislation, visit the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 page of the Federal Incentives & Laws Web site. The complete legislation can be viewed on the Library of Congress Web site.

National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program is requesting applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 to support high priority fundamental and mission-linked research addressing key issues of national and regional importance to agriculture, forestry, and related topics. Eligible projects for 2008 may include areas such as air quality, sustainable alternative energy resources, and bioenergy production. For more information on this grant opportunity, refer to the Grant Notice or contact the NRI's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service via email at electronic@csrees.usda.gov.

Biobased Transportation Research Funding

The Surface Transportation Research, Development, and Deployment (STRDD) program funds activities to promote innovation in transportation infrastructure, services, and operations. A portion of the funding made available to the STRDD program is set aside for the Biobased Transportation Research program to carry out biobased research of national importance at research centers and through the National Biodiesel Board. For more information, see the STRDD Program fact sheet. (Reference 23 U.S. Code 502 and 7 U.S. Code 8109)

Point of Contact

Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/index.html