Senate blocks bio-fuel

[Johnny_L.A]

Senate blocks biofuel development in draft defense bill

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee effectively banned the department from buying alternative fuels or building facilities to manufacture it.

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While committee members did strike a measure that would have absolved DOD from following certain, federally mandated alternative-fuel requirements, they took direct aim at a key Navy and Air Force initiative to begin running American fighter jets and warships on biofuels.

Specifically, it blocks DOD from spending any FY 13 dollars toward the “production or purchase of an alternative fuel if the cost of producing or purchasing the alternative fuel exceeds the cost of traditional fossil fuel,” according to the Senate draft.

The Senate mark also blocks the Pentagon planning, designing or constructing “a biofuels refinery or any other facility or infrastructure used to refine biofuels,” the Senate bill states.

The Navy and Air Force have been working on alternative fuels, and seem very interested in developing them. The President has called for more production and use of alternative fuels. Private companies from various parts of the country are working on and even delivering bio-sourced jet fuel. So what’s the Armed Forces Subcommittee’s beef?

[carnivorousplant]

Oil company lobbyists?

[Magiver]

basically the bill says the military’s function is not to develop or use bio-fuels if it’s not cost competitive. It’s a budgetary decision at a time when the budget is out of control. There has been a coordinated effort to certify such fuels for aviation use so it will be available when the technology brings the cost down.

What would hurt the cause would be cuts in research grants (independent of the military budget). It’s the development of the fuels that is important right now. That’s where the money should go.

[Enkel]

@Johnny_L.A

The Navy and Air Force have been working on alternative fuels, and seem very interested in developing them. The President has called for more production and use of alternative fuels. Private companies from various parts of the country are working on and even delivering bio-sourced jet fuel. So what’s the Armed Forces Subcommittee’s beef?

Now that they’ve gotten close using federal grant dollars, they can’t chance the US Government will develop key technology and prevent corporations from patenting it for big $$$.

I think the US Government should be all over algea fuel development. We’re screwed if someone like Shell Corp finally engineers the right algea strain.

[Magiver]

@Enkel

Now that they’ve gotten close using federal grant dollars, they can’t chance the US Government will develop key technology and prevent corporations from patenting it for big $$$.

I think the US Government should be all over algea fuel development. We’re screwed if someone like Shell Corp finally engineers the right algea strain.

why would we be screwed? and the strain of algae is not the current problem. It’s the cost of processing that needs to be reduced at this point.