The main concern of legislators, farmers and families about ethanol subsidies around the world is the accompanying rise in prices. Many observers are concerned that increasingly large percentages of crop yields given to fuel instead of food production will negate savings at the pump for ethanol-enriched fuels. Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Poet Energy has recently received funding from the Department of Energy to solve this problem by using corncobs and kernel fibers for ethanol production.

Former Formula One designer Gordon Murray has thrown his considerable expertise behind a diminutive car called the T.25. This vehicle’s main feature is its smaller frame than the smart fortwo that allows a driver to park bumper first into a street parking space. Gordon Murray Design has touted the fact that three T.25 cars will be able to fit into a traditional space on a city street. The first prototype of this community vehicle will be produced in 2009 with wider distribution in Asia and Europe thereafter.

The reconstruction of New Orleans and other Louisiana cities following Hurricane Katrina was aided by Renergie Inc. This energy company was created following the 2005 disaster to create local energy solutions for storm-ravaged parishes and cities. Renergie Inc. along with 27 state legislators have taken the company’s initial push for local energy to the next level with the Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative. This initiative was signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal this week and sets Louisiana apart from the rest of the country.

Katsuaki Watanabe does not seem content to rest on the laurels of Toyota Motor Company’s successes in the burgeoning green vehicle market. Watanabe and the TMC board of directors have found winning combinations in the Toyota Prius as well as fuel-efficient vehicles like the Corolla. The recent announcement by Watanabe of additional initiatives toward greener vehicles and manufacturing processes shows Toyota’s desire to push this niche market to its limits.

Drivers throughout Minnesota will have access to ethanol-enriched gasoline and other biodiesel fuels due to legislation signed into law by Governor Tim Pawlenty. The state’s executive has signed an omnibus bill passed by the legislature that would increase Minnesota’s biodiesel requirements from 2% to 20% by 2015. Collaboration between state agencies, producers and station owners could accelerate this standard with technological advancements.

The Argonne National Laboratory has published a report that indicates increased efficiency in American corn ethanol plants over the last seven years. This report originated with data collected by the Renewable Fuels Association between 2001 and 2006 from 22 facilities throughout the United States. Researchers have found increased efficiency for each gallon of ethanol produced based on criteria like water usage and consumption of electricity.

The German Environmental Minister stated that the nation would not follow through on mandates to increase ethanol content in gasoline from 5% to 10% by 1009. Sigmar Gabriel said that the initial standard for E10 enactment in Germany was dissolved because there were more than one million legacy vehicles with incompatible fuel systems. Germany’s move away from increased ethanol highlights several debates among the nation’s oil and automobile industries about the future of green transportation.

Multiple German organizations are debating the virtues of ethanol use in the nation in context with similar trends throughout Europe. The auto quality organization VDA says that Gabriel’s figures are incorrect since there are 375,000 incompatible legacy vehicles on the road today. The auto importer’s association VDIK counters the VDA contention by saying that more than a million foreign legacy cars cannot run on ethanol blends. ADAC is a German auto club that places the number of incompatible vehicles at 3 million at the end of 2007.

The increasing subsidies and government support for biofuels has led a Texas Chevrolet dealer to establish its own biofuel station. Classic Chevrolet/HUMMER in Dallas, Texas has installed nine biodiesel and E-85 pumps in a station adjacent to its quick lube shop. The dealership spent $500,000 to outfit the station for the benefit of Chevy and HUMMER customers interested in purchasing trucks and SUVs powered by biofuels.