Federal and state taxes on gasoline total between 50 and 75 cents per gallon, depending on what part of the country you are in. The federal tax alone on gas is 18.4 cents per gallon. One can only imagine the total tax revenue the federal government collects on gasoline. The figures don't seem to be available anywhere.
The fact remains, the more gas you burn the more taxes the government collects. With a mounting federal deficit, what would be the motivation for the federal government to push for alternative energy, particularly in transportation?
The government's efforts have been concentrated on alternative fuel to produce electricity. The fuel used to make electricity has no federal tax. But, the electricity you consume is taxed. Go figure.