While necessary to meet the 2009 Renewable Fuel Standard, now set at 10.21% or 11 billion gallons - imports may prove to be a problem later on. The 2008 RFS was set at 7.76% and demanded less imported fuel. As of September 2008 the FTC reports 160 U.S. companies in ethanol business - an increase of 57 new businesses from a year ago. This is the effect of building a domestic-based new energy economy.

We'd like to see more incentive for new domestic operators to replace the imports. The more fuel we make at home - the more jobs, security and economic strength we grow.

NOTE: ethanol is a transitional liquid fuel used to bridge the change from foreign oil to electrification of transport.

NOTE: ethanol is a transitional liquid fuel used to bridge the change from foreign oil to electrification of transport.

Not really as long as batteries are expensive, electrification will remain sub choice for transportation

zard:

With tooling of every industrial nation toward building PHEV/EVs why should battery costs not follow every other commodity in known history? Scale lowers cost. And in this case the primary driving force is consumer electronic devices (cell phones, MP*3, laptops, etc.) that use rechargeable batteries and have INCREASED sales by 13% globally in the last quarter.

yaeh that's what i'm saying even though mass production of batteries for electronics, the cost is still high...which means battery supply price is at equilibrium with demand therefore it is highly unlikely that battery will be cheaper than now

and remember that before internal combustion engine was invented, there were all electric cars on streets but they banished quickly after ICE came into market largely due to cost. After 100 years, now, they still couldn't manage to bring the cost down...it's been 100 years!!!

Batteries have gotten cheaper over time because of the increased demand; the greater the production volume, the more automation is applied and the lower the per-unit cost.

Traction batteries will eventually get cheaper per kWh than electronics batteries because fewer, larger cells need to be fabricated and the number of steps is reduced.

True. Thanks EP!