Stockholm, September 22 -- The U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, Michael M. Wood, announced today that the U.S. Embassy's highest priority will be to enable cooperation between the U.S. and Sweden that will result in a technology breakthrough in alternative energy. "The U.S. and Sweden are natural partners for cleaner energy," he said.

"I've been struck by the Swedish commitment to the environment and to the use of alternative energy," said Ambassador Wood. "You can get Ethanol 85 fuel at every large gas station in Sweden. In the U.S., less than one-half of one percent of stations have E 85 available. Because Sweden makes it easy to use alternative fuel, I'm making my own personal commitment to this particular technology. My wife and I have bought an E 85, ethanol powered car to use in Sweden. We're taking delivery in November."

In his State of the Union speech delivered in January 2006, President George W. Bush laid out his Advanced Energy Initiative, which focuses the U.S. Government's efforts on reducing emissions and developing alternative fuels. The President's "30/30" plan calls for a 30% reduction in fossil fuel use in the U.S. by the year 2030. The efforts of the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm will support the President's objectives.

The four human activities that globally produce the most carbon emissions are power generation, transportation, buildings, and agriculture. Accordingly, the Embassy will focus on increased research and collaboration on technology breakthroughs in these areas. Among the possible technology breakthroughs that the Embassy hopes to facilitate in the area of transportation are advanced genomics for cellulosic ethanol, lower conversion costs for delivering ethanol to the market, dimethyl ether (DME), and vehicle and battery technology. In the area of power generation, areas of focus include improvements in using biomass for power generation and heat, and carbon sequestration. In buildings, zero energy homes and district heating and cooling are the areas where potential breakthroughs could occur.

The Embassy is involved in several upcoming activities that will advance cooperation on alternative fuels. The Embassy will, working with the U.S. Department of Commerce, sponsor a seminar on alternative fuels at the PowerGen International trade show in Orlando, Florida, in November. In January, at the annual Detroit Auto Show, the Embassy will be leading a discussion of future fuels. The Embassy is also creating a master list of U.S. funding sources which it will make available for matches with researchers and entrepreneurs in Sweden.