Kudzu for the Energy Crisis?

According to this Discovery News article the tenacious vine will likely not be able to alleviate any energy problems in the near future but it may be able to provide some benefits in the production of bio-fuel ethanol.  Personally I think the interest in Kudzu should be what is suggested at the end of the article for use in food stuff (the starches) and as an alternate fiber (like for making fabrics and clothing) source.  I don’t want to point fingers at any one industry but it seems like there are a lot of alternatives plant sources to produce things like ethanol and fibers and such, so I guess I’d like to ask why we are not investing more to checking them out?