Microbes could provide a clean, renewable energy source and use up carbon dioxide in the process, suggested Dr James Chong at a Science Media Centre press briefing.

Fuel cells can be expensive and they typically don’t last as long as their internal combustion counterparts.

Researchers have been studying fuels from biomass for years. Now, with growing dependency on foreign oils and an energy-conscious society emerging, biofuels are fast becoming part of a fuel revolution that could reach pumps all across America.

Oklahoma State University’s sorghum-related biofuels research is taking a localized approach, with the aim of making possible the effective production of ethanol in the farmer’s own field.

The Kroger Co., VeraSun Energy Corp. and Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced several moves Tuesday to make VeraSun-branded VE85TM ethanol an easier choice for rental customers.

General Motors Corp. will introduce 14 new or significantly revised powertrains in the 2008 model year – including five 1.0L to 2.0L small-displacement engine variants – with a focus on saving fuel and improving performance in GM’s cars and trucks.

Platinum is the most efficient metal electrocatalyst for accelerating chemical reactions in fuel cells. However, the reactions caused by the expensive metal are slow, and undesired side reactions often degrade the electrode.

Brookhaven chemist James Muckerman works with a team of researchers to design catalysts inspired by photosynthesis, the natural process by which green plants convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbohydrates.

A variety of end products including jet fuel, gasoline, carbon anodes and heating oil may be possible using existing refineries and combinations of coal and refinery by-products, according to a team of Penn State researchers.

As oil becomes scarce, the world needs new transportation fuels. As new fuel options develop we need means of assessing which are most effective at replacing petroleum. So far many scientists have used a measure called ‘net energy’.

University of California experts released their much-anticipated blueprint for fighting global warming by reducing the amount of carbon emitted when transportation fuels are used in California.

The future of biofuels is not in corn, says a new report released today by Food & Water Watch, the Network for New Energy Choices, and the Vermont Law School Institute for Energy and the Environment.