EERE Network News
February 15, 2006
News and Events
Solargenix Breaks Ground on Large Solar Power Plant in Nevada
Ground has been broken for the construction of a 64-megawatt solar thermal power plant in Nevada. Called Nevada Solar One, the plant is the largest of its kind to be built since 1992. It uses trough-shaped mirrors to collect and concentrate sunlight.
Nevada to Host the World's Largest Photovoltaic Power Plant
SunEdison and Powered by Renewables are teaming up to build the world's largest solar photovoltaic power plant in Nevada. While Nevada may take the lead, large solar power projects have also been built recently in California, New Jersey, and New York.
BP and Edison Plan a 500-Megawatt Hydrogen Project in California
You can't fault BP for not thinking big. Just last year, the company announced plans to build a 350-megawatt hydrogen power plant in Scotland, and now it plans to top that with a larger hydrogen power plant in California. The proposed billion-dollar plant will convert petroleum coke into hydrogen.
Ford and GM to Help Install E85 Pumps in Missouri and Illinois
The Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation (GM) have made firm commitments to increase the availability of ethanol-rich E85 in the Midwest. Combined, the two companies' efforts should result in 66 new E85 pumps in Missouri and Illinois, including many in the Chicago area.
Nanotech Proposal Holds Promise for Clean Energy Technologies
President Bush's proposed budget for fiscal year 2007 includes $1.2 billion for the National Nanotechnology Initiative, including $258 million for DOE. In recent years, researchers have been using nanotech to boost the performance of solar cells, batteries, and supercapacitors.
DOE Conducts Energy Assessments at Four Industrial Facilities
DOE has been carrying out Energy Saving Assessments at industrial facilities in Illinoi, Texas, Minnesota, and Arkansas. DOE plans to send Energy Saving Teams to a total of 200 industrial facilities across the United States.
Energy Connections
Platts: Natural Gas Wholesale Prices Down 24 Percent
The wholesale price for natural gas is dropping, according to an energy information business, but it's still higher than a year ago. A DOE report says that any further weakening of natural gas demand could cause prices to fall, but the recent snowstorm in the Northeast probably precludes that.
