PETRO

Americans spend a lot of time – and energy – driving and flying. The average U.S. driver logs about 13,000 miles every year. To fuel our commutes and summer road trips, Americans last year consumed more than 136 billion gallons of gasoline, which accounts for 60% of U.S. oil demand and is responsible for a quarter of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. On the commercial side, more than 10.3 billion gallons of jet fuel were consumed in 2014 by U.S. airlines alone.

The workshop brought together thought leaders from distinct science and engineering communities to develop new ideas and identify practical approaches toward increasing the efficiency of light collection by biological systems and the conversion of that energy into liquid forms of chemical energy that can be used for transportation.

This video highlights the role that ARPA-E has played in connecting traditionally distinct research areas to inform the research and development efforts of project teams looking to engineer plants to replace petroleum.