EERE Network News
May 03, 2006
News and Events
U.S. Geothermal Prepares to Build a 10-Megawatt Plant in Idaho
The first geothermal power plant in Idaho will probably start producing power in 2007, since Ormat Nevada has been given the green light for construction from the plant's owner, U.S. Geothermal, Inc. Ormat Nevada is also expanding a geothermal plant in Utah.
Florida Pursues Power from Grass, While Others Pitch Manure
The first large biomass power plant in the United States to be fueled with a dedicated energy crop passed a crucial milestone on May 1st, as Progress Energy Florida agreed to buy the plant's power. Meanwhile, manure-to-energy projects are advancing in Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, and Vermont.
California Sets Goals to Boost In-State Biofuels Production
California produces only about 5 percent of the ethanol fuel it uses, but aims to change. A new executive order sets a goal to produce three-quarters of California's biofuels within the state by 2025. Ethanol plants are diffusing out from the Corn Belt, as witnessed by new plans for a plant in Mississippi.
New Near-Zero Energy Homes Open in California and New Jersey
Energy-efficient solar homes that use nearly zero net energy over the course of a year could enter the mainstream U.S. home market by 2012, according to a DOE-funded report. New "Near-Zero Energy Homes" in California and New Jersey are prime examples of this future housing trend.
President Bush Honors Energy Efficiency Leaders Young and Old
President Bush honored the old guard and the new vanguard of energy efficiency in late April. The esteemed Fermi Award went to Arthur Rosenfeld, a 79-year-old physicist who has advanced energy efficiency since the 1970s, while Brent Singleton, 17, won honors for his clean transportation work.
Energy Connections
Forecasters Predict an Active and Dangerous Hurricane Season
When the Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1st, forecasters are expecting it to be active and dangerous, with a higher-than-normal probability of a major hurricane landfall in the United States. Meanwhile, oil and gas producers in the Gulf are still assessing damage and recovering from last year.
