EERE Network News
June 28, 2006
News and Events
Nanosolar to Build the World's Largest Solar Cell Plant
A California company plans to build a solar cell plant in the San Francisco Bay area that will produce enough solar cells each year to generate 430 megawatts of power. The new plant will combine nanotechnology with printing processes to deposit thin films of solar material onto spools of metal foil.
Florida Offers Clean Energy Rebates, Grants, and Tax Incentives
Under a new law, Florida will soon offer rebates for solar energy systems, grants for renewable energy technologies, and tax incentives for hydrogen fuel cells and alternative fuels. The energy act also creates a tax holiday for efficient products and establishes the Florida Energy Commission.
Hawaii's New Energy Bills to Boost Efficiency, Renewable Energy
She stretched it out over two months, but Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has finally approved the final energy bill in her "Energy for Tomorrow" package. The bill package offers a wide range of tax credits, financing options, special funds, and state policies to advance the state's use of clean enegy.
National Renewable Energy Conference Slated for October
DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will co-host a national renewable energy conference to create partnerships and discuss strategies for renewable energy commercialization and distribution. A number of other energy conferences are also coming up later this year.
EPA Introduces the World's First Hydraulic Hybrid Delivery Truck
While today's hybrid vehicles generate electricity and store it in a battery, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its partners have built a delivery vehicle that generates hydraulic pressure and stores it in a tank. UPS will test the vehicle, which is expected to cut fuel use by up to 70 percent.
Toyota to Double its Number of Hybrid Models to 20 by 2015
Toyota plans to double the number of hybrid vehicles that it is selling by early in the next decade and is also working on plug-in hybrid technology. The company recently reached of milestone by selling more than 500,000 Prius hybrids worldwide, and more than 600,000 hybrids in total.
Energy Connections
FERC Approves a Tripling of Capacity for U.S. LNG Importers
Three new import terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG), plus the expansion of two others, would triple the United States' ability to import natural gas from overseas. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the plans for the new LNG terminals in mid-June.
