EERE Network News
July 06, 2006
News and Events
DOE Offers $170 Million for Solar Technology Research
DOE will award $170 million to industry-led groups that will work toward advancing solar energy technology while reducing the cost of solar energy systems.
Public Comments Requested for Offshore Wind Power Projects
The Minerals Management Service is holding public meetings for the Long Island Offshore Wind Project on July 10th and 11th and is accepting comments through August 21st. The agency is also accepting comments on the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound through July 14th.
Drill Problems Halt Australian Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Project
Although a number of research projects around the world have tried to extract energy from hot granites located miles below ground, an effort underway in Australia is the first attempt at a commercial power plant. Unfortunately, drilling problems have delayed the project.
"Big Three" Automakers to Produce More Renewable-Fuel Vehicles
By the end of this decade, the leading U.S. automakers will produce 2 million vehicles able to run on renewable fuels such as ethanol-rich gasoline blends or blends of biodiesel with diesel fuel. The automakers can meet their promise with flex-fuel vehicles or with biodiesel-certified diesel engines.
DaimlerChrysler to Bring Smart Cars to the United States
DaimlerChrysler plans to revamp its fuel-efficient smart fortwo and start selling it in the United States in 2008. The news could be troubling for ZAP, which has been selling a modified version of the smart fortwo, but the company is also gearing up to import new vehicles from Brazil and China.
IT Companies and Organizations Tackle Data Center Energy Use
The news you're reading right now is delivered to you with the help of data centers, rooms containing many racks of computers that serve up emails, Web pages, and other services. The leading information technology (IT) companies are now working to make data centers more energy efficient.
Energy Connections
Slumping Energy Use Holds U.S. Carbon Emissions Steady in 2005
A drop in U.S. energy use was equaled by an increased use of coal to produce electricity in 2005, causing energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to remain nearly constant. At the same time, the U.S. economy grew by 3.5 percent, indicating that the country is using its energy more efficiently.
