Concerns Over the Department of Energy's Program and Organization for Developing and Promoting the Use of Alcohol Fuels
Gao ID: EMD-80-88 July 22, 1980A recent review of the potential of alcohol for use as fuel for motor vehicles resulted in concern over the Federal efforts at exploiting this potential.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has yet to develop a comprehensive program for alcohol fuels, including appropriate plans, goals, and strategies. The effectiveness of the recently created DOE Office of Alcohol Fuels may be impaired due to limitations on its span of authority and responsibility and, relatedly, on the level to which the Office reports. While ethanol is currently being produced, the potential of methane from coal is not being considered by this Office. The technology to produce both fuels is available. Both fuels can have a significant role in resolving the Nation's liquid fuels shortage.
RecommendationsOur recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.
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