EERE Network News
July 06, 2005
News and Events
Oil Companies, U.K. Utility to Fuel Power Plant with Hydrogen
By 2009, northeast Scotland could be the site of the first industrial-scale power plant fueled with hydrogen. BP, ConocoPhillips, Shell, and the largest U.K. utility are planning to generate hydrogen from natural gas and inject the carbon dioxide byproduct into an aging North Sea oil field.
Hydrogen-Fueled Vehicle Achieves 12,665 MPG on Test Track
A vehicle from the Federal Polytechnical School of Zurich could theoretically travel around the world using the equivalent of only 2 gallons of gasoline—if, of course, the world were as flat and smooth as a race track and completely lacking in traffic lights and other obstacles.
Honda is First to Lease Fuel-Cell Vehicle to Private Family
While most of today's fuel cell vehicles are carried from location to location on trailers and zealously protected from the groping hands of the public, folks in Redondo Beach, California, might now see a 2005 Honda FCX pulling up to the school and swinging by the local grocery.
U.S. Automakers and EPA to Cut Energy Use in Assembly Plants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled a new benchmarking system that allows automakers to compare the energy efficiency of their assembly plants with the rest of the industry. The tool could be the first step toward energy-saving improvements to U.S. assembly plants.
Maine Governor Approves Rebates for Solar Energy Systems
Mainers have new incentives to buy solar energy systems, thanks to a bill signed in late June by Governor John Baldacci. The bill provides rebates of up to $7,000 for solar photovoltaic power systems and up to $1,250 for solar thermal systems used to heat water or air.
New University Centers Focus on Energy Challenges
The leaders at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology should be a pretty smart lot, which might explain why they're launching new efforts to address the world's energy challenges. And a lucky school in northern California will soon be following their lead.
Site News
"Our Wind Co-Op" Brings Small Wind Turbines to the Northwest
Farmers, ranchers, and public and private facility managers throughout the Northwest have a new ally in their efforts to use wind power: Our Wind Co-Op is a cooperative that invests in small-scale wind turbines in the region.
Energy Connections
France to Host International Fusion Research Reactor
A project meant to be the mid-way step between fusion research experiments and the first prototype fusion reactor will soon be built in Cadarache, France. The international project is meant to achieve a sustained fusion reaction for periods of at least 400 seconds.
