EERE Network News
May 30, 2007
News and Events
DOE Awards $22.7 Million for Basic Solar Energy Research
DOE has announced $22.7 million in awards for projects that will improve the capture, conversion, and use of solar energy. Fourteen projects will focus on the conversion of solar energy to electricty, and 13 will involve research on converting solar energy to chemical fuels.
DOE Invests $19 Million in Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research
DOE has announced that it will provide up to $19 million for research on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. The cost-shared projects will total $33.8 million and focus on reducing cost and increasing vehicle efficiency.
New York City to Shift Taxi Fleet to Hybrids by 2012
Less than two years after New York City approved the use of hybrid vehicles for its taxicabs, Mayor Bloomberg has committed the city to shifting its entire taxi fleet to hybrid technology within the next five years.
GE Unveils Hybrid Locomotive for Freight Trains
A prototype hybrid locomotive for use in hauling freight over long distances was unveiled by the General Electric Company (GE) on May 24th. The hybrid locomotive is designed to cut fuel consumption and emissions by as much as 10 percent relative to most freight locomotives on the track today.
Iowa Establishes a $100 Million Clean Energy Fund
The state of Iowa has appropriated $25 million per year for the next four years to support the Iowa Power Fund, which will encourage the development and deployment of biofuels, renewable energy technologies, and energy efficiency technologies.
Minnesota Act Sets Efficiency and GHG Goals while Boosting Renewables
Minnesota's Next Generation Energy Act of 2007 requires utilities to set an annual energy-savings goal equal to 1.5 percent of their retail energy sales and sets a number of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals, including a long-term goal of cutting GHG emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
Energy Connections
Forecasters Predict an Active Atlantic Hurricane Season
During the extremely active Atlantic hurricane season of 2005, oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico was severely disrupted, causing energy supply problems for the United States. Now, as gasoline prices hover at record levels, forecasters say another active hurricane season is looming.
