General Motors (GM) awarded a total of $84,000 to 56 Clean Cities Coalitions throughout the country. This funding was based on: E85 vehicle sales and infrastructure installation, participation in GM-sponsored functions, and involvement in GM-certified alternative fuel vehicle dealers.
The top award honors went to Clean Fuels Ohio with a $10,000 award. Chicago Area Clean Cities received $5,000 for the second year in a row and New York City and Lower Hudson Valley, Pittsburgh Region, and Central Indiana Clean Cities each were funded $3,000.
To view a complete listing of all 56 GM awardees, click here.
Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program. With almost 90 local coalitions and more than 5,400 stakeholders, Clean Cities’ mission is to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector.
The world’s superpowers… the current reigning one and the up-and-comer… are also super when it comes to wind power.
A planned biodiesel refinery in Louisiana that will make the green fuel from low-grade, inedible fats and greases is on schedule to open at the end of next year.
There seems to be no end to the rhetoric bouncing around between agricultural experts, critics and media about what’s driving food costs. Biofuels are still one of the most common scapegoats for why we’re paying more for our food than ever before. But the 
U.S. government officials are following up on the success of last March’s Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008) with a report of that three-day conference.
The summit brings together hundreds of industry leaders in agriculture, petroleum, academia, financial institutions and the government who want to make Florida a leader in the production of renewable energy. Participants will hear about where Florida currently stands with biofuels infrastructure, the latest renewable energy technologies and the growing market for carbon credits. 
Economist Wally Tyner says between 2004 and the beginning of 2008, oil went from $40 per barrel to $120 per barrel at the same time corn prices increased from $2.00 a bushel to $6.00. “Of that $4 increase, about $1 is due to the US subsidy and about $3 is due to the higher crude oil price,” Tyner told a 
University of Nebraska policy specialist Brad Lubben, who gave his analysis of the study at the forum in terms of public policy, said this is an important point to consider when attempting to change the Renewable Fuels Standard in an effort to lower food prices because it is the “easiest” to manipulate. “It’s an important consequence to realize that the easiest policy to attack may have relatively little significance and little impact on the current supply and demand balance for these ag commodities and for energy,” Lubben said.
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