Funding Alternative Fuel Research And Development - How The Government Helps

The alternative fuel industry has grown in popularityconvert engines.
over the years, and the Federal as well as StateSome people don’t agree with the thought of
goverments are getting involved like never before.their tax dollars paying for something like paying for
Legislation is being introduced every day offeringcompanies to convert vehicles to alternative fuel
goverment grants for using alternative fuels. Thatvehicles. However, if they really thought about the
means that research and technology can continue toadvantages, they might actually change their mind
progress as it has for several years now as scientistsand begin supporting the goverment grant program
and researchers find new ways to provide us withfor alternative fuel use.
power other than standard fossil fuels.For example, allowing the goverment to provide
What types of goverment grants are available whengrant money for those who want to use alternative
it comes to the use of alternative fuels? Well, mostfuels, we are decreasing our dependence on foreign
of them involve businesses who are interested inoil and thus becoming much more self-sufficient. This
converting their gas-powered vehicle fleets over towill also help with the alarming phenomenon of global
alternative fuel fleets that are environmentally friendlywarming, which is a reality, and has been brought to
and will meet with the Energy Policy Act thatthe forefront through ex-Vice President Al
President Bush signed in 2005.Gore’s Oscar winning documentary “An
Businesses such as trucking companies use a largeInconvenient Truth”.
amount of fossil fuels. The increasing cost of gasolineAll of us in the United States should really be
makes their operating costs rise and, in turn, passedconcerned about both of these problems:
on to the consumer – that’s us! When thesedependence on foreign oil and global warming. By
companies begin to convert their trucks over togetting involved with grant programs, the goverment
alternative fuel and get a goverment grant to payis doing what it can to insure that we can find
for the cost, they’re saving money, and so aresolutions to the problems instead of just sitting back
we!and doing nothing. Alternative fuels are the wave of
Of course, these goverment grants won’t coverthe future and having the support of the goverment
the cost of switching to alternative fuel sourcesthrough grant money can help make us a totally
entirely. However, many grants can amount to millionsindependent country when it comes to our energy
of dollars of free money with the companies onlysources.
having to pay about half of what is required to