The Secretary of Transportation unveiled a plan to “refocus, reform and renew” the federal government’s approach to federal highways and transit. Secretary Mary Peters spoke to a crowd at the Georgia Tech Research Institute about program consolidation and flexible funding for state highway programs. The underlying theme of Peters’ speech was that the federal government would improve safety and efficiency in the nation’s interstate highways without enforcing draconian policies on state governments.

The Congestion Relief Index was released this past week amidst news of oil exceeding $145 per barrel. This study shows that a shift of 25 percent of the nation’s freight from trucks to trains by 2026 would remedy several transportation issues. The essential benefit for the typical commuter in this hypothetical scenario is improved commuting time. The average driver would save 41 hours of travel per year by the time trains take over freight deliveries in 2026.

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.

San Diego is following the example of its glitzy neighbor to the north when it comes to subsidizing green commercial vehicles. The Port of San Diego approved a new program for financing retrofitting kits and parts replacement to help participating truck drivers that conduct regular business with the district. The district’s members approved this program on June 10th with additional information available to interested truck drivers on June 16th.

The Port of San Diego gauged interest in this new program by sending out notices to 364 operators in the region. These operators conduct daily business at the Tenth Avenue and the National City marine ports. It seems that enough truck drivers and operators showed interest in the financing program to justify approval by the port’s board members.

The European Parliament is devoting its fifth Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) to the subject of hydrogen and alternative fuel cells. This continental legislature has addressed diverse issues like nanotechnology, medicine, aeronautic transportation and computing through these funded initiatives. The fifth JTI supports the European Union’s Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Initiative with an initial budget of one billion euros.

The intended goals of the EU’s initiative are to development and implement alternative technologies that can be implemented within the next decade. The one billion euros will be distributed to companies and agencies promoting the creation of affordable hydrogen fuel cells and other power sources. These fuel sources will be directed to public transit bodies, military organizations and consumers with the hope that additional innovations will be born because of initial funding.

The Energy Information Admininstration has stoked the debates over gas prices, oil supply and the development of alternative fuels once again. The agency’s “Analysis of Crude Oil Production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” projects that the cultivation of ANWR by oil and gas companies would result in a peak supply of 780,000 barrels a day by 2027. This projection is a diminished version of the EIA’s 2004 report on ANWR that stated the nature refuge could produce up to 870,000 barrels per day by 2024.

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.

A new partnership has developed in Quebec City to determine the efficacy of plug-in hybrids for city vehicles and taxis. This collaboration includes the Universite Laval, the Desjardins Group, Enersys and the Quebec City Council. The terms of the initial agreement between the four parties includes test operation of a hybrid electric car model on the streets of Quebec City. There is potential for the collaborators to advance to a second stage where 50 plug-in hybrid vehicles will be deployed for extended research.