EERE Network News
January 24, 2007
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News and Events
President Bush Aims to Cut Gasoline Use with Alternative Fuels
The combination of improved fuel economy standards and an aggressive requirement to use alternative fuels could cut U.S. gasoline use by 20 percent over the next 10 year, according to President Bush. The President unveiled his "Twenty in Ten" initiative during the January 23rd State of the Union Address.
Clean Energy Investments More Than Double in 2006
Venture capital and private equity investments in clean energy companies increased from $2.7 billion in 2005 to $7.1 billion in 2006. The key drivers in the surge were a quadrupling in biofuels investments, a tripling in solar energy investments, and a doubling in wind power investments.
California to Set a Carbon Limit for Transportation Fuels
An executive order signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on January 18th will require a 10 percent decrease in the carbon intensity of the state's transportation fuels by 2020. The state expects the standard to more than triple the size of the state's renewable fuels market.
New Report Finds Huge Power Potential in Geothermal Resources
New technologies to tap the heat trapped deep in the Earth's crust could yield 100,000 megawatts of new geothermal power plants within 50 years, acccording to a new report. The DOE-sponsored report was prepared by an 18-member expert panel, led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
EPA Aims to Standardize Evaluations of Manure Digesters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a new protocol that describes proper data collection and uniform evaluation methods to assess the performance of anaerobic digesters. Digesters convert livestock manure into methane for use as a heat source or to generate electricity.
Wal-Mart Opens Energy-Efficient Supercenter in Kansas City
Wal-Mart is building more efficient stores throughout the country, starting with a store in Kansas City, Missouri. The new store opened in mid-December and is expected to use 20 percent less energy than a typical Wal-Mart Supercenter. The next efficient store is slated for Illinois in the spring.
Energy Connections
U.S. Petroleum Demand Decreased in 2006, Says API
According to the American Petroleum Institute (API), U.S. petroleum deliveries dropped by 1.1 percent in 2006 due to less fuel use by airlines and utilities. Gasoline deliveries increased only 0.8 percent, an increase "met entirely by a substantial jump in the blending of ethanol into gasoline."