EERE Network News
June 01, 2005
News and Events
DOE Announces $64 Million in Hydrogen Research Projects
Seventy new hydrogen research and development projects that will help fuel-cell vehicles become a practical and affordable reality have been selected by DOE for $64 million in funding over the next three years. More than 50 research organizations in 25 states are participating in the projects.
DOE and USDA to Cooperate on Producing Hydrogen from Biomass
A new agreement between DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will further the goal of producing cost-effective hydrogen fuel from biomass resources. Ethanol, crop and forest residues, and dedicated energy crops are all potential sources of hydrogen.
DOE and USCAR Launch $70 Million Project for Lightweight Vehicles
DOE and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) have embarked on a $70 million, five-year effort to develop materials that will reduce vehicle weight without compromising safety. USCAR is a cooperative research organization formed by the "Big Three" U.S. automakers.
DOE Initiates Six Projects to Boost Vehicle Fuel Efficiency
Five new partnerships between DOE and industrial and academic organizations will develop fuel-efficient technologies, such as advanced engines and idle-reduction devices. In addition, one partnership will evaluate the field performance of advanced technology vehicles.
Seven Teams Qualify for the North American Solar Challenge
At the sixth annual Formula Sun Grand Prix in Topeka, Kansas, in May, seven university teams racing solar-powered cars managed to qualify for July's North American Solar Challenge. So far, teams from Alabama, California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri have made the cut.
Offshore Wind Power Plant Slated for Georgia's Coast
The Southeast's first major wind power plant may be a 10-megawatt installation off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. Southern Company and the Georgia Institute of Technology will soon start engineering the project, which might be built before larger offshore projects planned for the Northeast.
Energy Connections
DOE to Offer Loan Guarantees for Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline
DOE is launching a program to guarantee loans of up to $18 billion for the building a pipeline to bring Alaskan natural gas to the lower 48 states. The loan guarantees could help developers move ahead on a pipeline project, which would allow access to Alaska's 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
