WITH oil prices high and US dependence on imported oil at record levels,the government is urging motorists to increase their use of alternative fuels.First,the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPA05)mandated a doubling in the use of alternative fuels,to 7.5bn gallons a year (USG/y),by 2012.Then President George Bush,in his State of the Union address in January {PE 2/07 p34),said the total should be increased to 35bn USG/y by 2017 and asked Americans to reduce gasoline consumption by 20% over the next decade by using alternative fuels.While that might be achievable over the long term,there are obstacles that will make the journey to energy independence difficult,at least at first.
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