[Brilliant]

I don't think the oil lobby is holding up Bush's energy bill, which contains the funding for this. It's the Democrats.

The bottom line, though, is that none of these technologies are going to be marketed until the price of oil is so high that they become economically feasible.

[Nate1984]

Economically feasible how? On a micro level, the faster they're on the market the faster the prices will go down. If you're talking about the big picture, oil is already pretty high and the hybrid cars are already doing really well.

[oceanview]

if we had a sane energy policy in the US, part of it would include a floor on the price of oil. no lower then $40 a barrel, if the market prices for it goes below that, a tax is imposed to bring it to $40. this way, any alternative sources of energy would have some floor to work with - no one will invest billions into new technology, if they know that OPEC and the oil majors can run the price back down to $20 to make their inventions economically un-viable.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

That's why we need more individuals with private funding on a entrepreneurial level to bring this into a reality.
We who want this new technology and a lower cost of fueling our homes and cars can't depend and reply on the government anymore, we need to take this idea and invest it, and bring it to the market place.
Competition and more products being produce will bring the price down on this technology.
Isn't that what America great ?? Individuals taking the bull by the horns, invented something, and became a entrepreneurial.