EERE Network News
February 01, 2006
News and Events
President Bush Proposes Energy Initiative to Reduce Oil Imports
"America is addicted to oil," said President Bush in his annual State of the Union Address. Noting that technology is the best way to break the addiction, the President proposed an energy initiative that accelerates research in ethanol, hybrid vehicles, hydrogen, fuel cells, solar, and wind power.
New Study Confirms Energy Benefit of Ethanol Fuel
Forget what you heard on the "West Wing": as the people in the real West Wing know, ethanol fuel saves energy and reduces greenhouse gases. A report published in the January 27th issue of Science estimates that ethanol cuts petroleum use by 95 percent compared to gasoline.
Ford Unveils Hybrid that Can Run on Ethanol-Rich Fuel
A new prototype from Ford combines the fuel-saving benefits of a hybrid with the petroleum-saving benefits of ethanol. Ford is a leader in flex-fuel vehicles that can burn ethanol-rich E85, and is also introducing more new hybrids. Both Ford and GM are also helping to build more E85 fuel pumps.
U.S. Wind Industry Marks 2005 as its Most Productive Year Ever
The installed wind power capacity in the United States grew by 35 percent in 2005, reaching a total of 9,149 megawatts. Notable wind projects include one on tribal lands in California and the largest-yet wind plants built in Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma.
DOE and 15 Federal Agencies Sign Green Building Agreement
DOE and 15 other federal agencies have teamed up with the White House Council on Environmental Quality to commit to building energy efficient, sustainable buildings. The agencies intend to meet Energy Star standards while using daylighting technologies and biobased materials.
DOE Conducts Energy Saving Assessment at Fertilizer Plant
DOE is sending an Energy Saving Team to a fertilizer plant near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Terra Nitrogen Company plant in Verdigris is a major U.S. producer of nitrogen fertilizer products.
Energy Connections
Nuclear Plant Revival Advances with Approval of New Design
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved an advanced nuclear reactor design that was developed by Westinghouse. Several utilities in the Southeast are already preparing permit applications to build and operate new nuclear plants based on the Westinghouse design.
