White House threatens to put brakes on alternative fuels

As biotech masterminds and venture capitalists scramble to hatch a new generation of environmentally friendly fuels that can help power the average gasoline-burning car, they are confronting an unexpected obstacle: the White House.

The Obama administration is proposing to roll back the 7-year-old green energy mandate known as the renewable fuel standard, a move that's alarming investors, according to the Los Angeles Times.

California Gov. Jerry Brown is among several prominent politicians in the West who have personally appealed to the administration to drop the rollback plan championed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times.