Good for Easley for having some foresight to setup this whole project. Granted, I still don’t get the whole plug-in concept fully. To me, it seems like another form of changing dependancies from one pollutant and problem, to another. Switching a bunch of cars away from gas stations, and instead plugging them will mean higher home and business power bills and will mean the power plants (many still coal-based) output more. Sure, I’ve read about how the collective batteries of a bunch of hybrids and electric cars will work as an off-peak holding ground for electrical grids, which is nice, but still doesn’t seem like a flawless solution.

State Launches Center for Plug-in Hybrid Cars

Nice write up on the technology behind the Chevy Volt concept. It’s pretty cool, but at the same time, they’re using technology available during the freakin’ first world war. Imagine where cars tech would be had they been doing R&D on greener technologies and alternatives to petroleum-based fuels.

Futuristic Car Runs Like WWI Submarine

I wonder how many of these type of projects are going to get renewed interest (and funding) as our gas prices continue to ascend.

A couple of different alternatives would really help us out. So we start supplementing with a couple of different alternative fuels and reduce/remove foreign independence. Why hasn’t this already been done? Big oil money.

MSU Researcher Finds Renewed Interest In Turning Algae Into Fuel

I saw a video on this on CNN.com yesterday. This company used a Saturn VUE and patented off-the-shelf components to get a car that could get about 40 miles to the charge and ended up with the equivalent of 150 miles to the gallon. So if the little guy is doing stuff like this, how are the big companies not kicking some butt in the MPG category? Is it lack of motivation?

Hybrid Gets 150 Miles Per Gallon Using Ultracapacitors

This is a nice move and will end up making American homes and businesses more efficient. But, at the same time, it’s a pussy move on Bush’s part. This should have already been done and the same energy efficiency goals should be on the auto industry as well.

U.S. To Phase Out Incandescent Light Bulbs

I’m not a big fan of Neil Young’s music, but this is a pretty cool endeavor. He’s taking an old American gas guzzling behemoth and converting it to a hybrid electric/biodiesel vehicle. I hope he releases the movie. I’ll check it out.

Anyway, the whole article begs the all too common question of if a little guy with no high school education can do this, why can’t the auto industry match or surpass the results and reduce our dependancy on petroleum. While there may be more complicated answers, I’m thinking it’s because they don’t want to, and lobbyists keep the regulations from passing that would force the auto industry’s hands.

Gas Guzzlers Get New Lives – as Tire-Smoking Hybrid

This doesn’t really surprise me. In the 21st century though, all our utilities should be demand based — water, electricity, gas, etc.

Why Your Electricity Meter Sucks