EERE Network News
May 19, 2004
News and Events
DOE and GM Launch a Fuel Efficiency and Emissions Contest for the Chevy Equinox
Teams of engineering students from 17 North American universities have been selected to compete in "Challenge X," a three-year competition to redesign the Chevrolet Equinox sport utility vehicle, lowering its emissions and increasing its fuel efficiency while maintaining its safety and performance.
Maryland Local Governments Buy a Large Amount of Wind Power
Montgomery County, Maryland, is one of the nation's leading purchases of wind power, as a group of six county agencies and 11 local municipalities, along with nearby Prince George's County, have agreed to purchase five percent of their electricity from wind power for the next two years.
State and Utility Clean Energy Programs Chalk Up Successes
The success of state- and utility-sponsored "clean energy" programs is evidenced by recent reports from the New York's Long Island Power Authority, Pennsylvania's Energy Harvest grant program, Wisconsin's Focus on Energy, and BPA's Conservation and Renewables Discount Program.
Popular PG&E Energy Efficiency Rebates Running Low on Funds
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), which serves most of northern and central California, is already using up its funding for energy-efficiency rebates for homeowners and multifamily property managers. The utilities serving southern California are still going strong, though.
EPA Awards Energy-Efficient Businesses and Congregations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) honored energy-efficient small businesses and congregations, as well as the leaders in its Combined Heat and Power Partnership, in ceremonies in late April and on May 13th.
Site News
DOE Launches Science.gov 2.0, an Improved Portal to Science Information
The newly upgraded version of Science.gov searches not only 1,700 Web sites, but also 30 large government databases that are not accessible to popular search engines. Science.gov 2.0 makes these 30 large databases searchable with a single query. The information is free, and no registration is needed.
Energy Connections
EIA Expects Summer Gasoline Prices to Average $1.94
The "Short-Term Energy Outlook" for May projects average summer gasoline prices at about $1.94 per gallon. The latest report from DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) blames the high gasoline prices on high crude oil prices. Spot prices for crude oil exceeded $41 per barrel in early May.
