Auto Industry is Aided by Dual Fuel Program, Ethanol Incentives

Washington DC August 12, 2005; The AIADA newsletter reported that the Energy Bill signed Monday by President Bush gives incentives to automakers to produce â?~dual fuel’ vehicles for at least a decade, reports The Detroit News. The vehicles were intended to provide consumers with an backup in case the couldn’t find an alternative fuel. The incentives from this Energy Bill also squash a lawsuit that claimed dual fuel vehicles increased oil consumption and is a shortcut for Automakers around the CAFÃ? standards. Industry experts estimate that over 5 million dual fuel vehicles have been sold to date.

Meanwhile, the energy bill’s incentives on ethanol production corresponded with Northwest Indiana starting work to open up their first ever ethanol production plant. The Northwest Indiana Times reports the $66 million Iroquois Bio-Energy plant will have capacity to process about 14.3 million bushels of corn a year into 40 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol. It is expected to open in the fall of next year.