EERE Network News
August 09, 2006
News and Events
DOE to Guarantee $2 Billion in Loans for Clean Energy Projects
Investments in improved energy technologies are being spurred by support from DOE, which will share some of the risk through its $2 billion in loan guarantees for projects that employ these technologies.
DOE Offers $250 Million for Two Bioenergy Research Centers
DOE will award $250 million for two new Bioenergy Research Centers, which will focus on improving the processes used in converting cellulosic materials into ethanol.
New Contract to Yield First Biomass Power Plant in New Mexico
By early 2009, New Mexico should be graced with its first biomass power plant, which will also provide heat for a neighboring greenhouse. Such projects are more common in the Pacific Northwest, as demonstrated by a project soon to be underway at a lumber company in Oregon.
Two New Geothermal Power Plants Slated for Northern Nevada
Ormat Technologies will add as much as 60 megawatts of new geothermal power generation in north-central Nevada under new contracts signed with the Nevada Power Company. The two new geothermal plants are expected to begin producing power in late 2009.
Vail Resorts Buys 100 Percent Wind Power
Wind alone isn't usually powerful enough to carry you to the top of a mountain, but that's roughly what will be happening at five ski resorts this winter. Vail Resorts is buying enough wind power to drive all of its chair lifts, plus a whole lot more, placing the company high in the list of green power buyers.
Eleven States are First to Receive Hybrid School Buses
Schools in 11 states will soon be cutting their fuel use, thanks to new hybrid-electric buses. IC Corporation will deliver its first hybrid buses to schools in Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Energy Connections
Closure of Alaskan Oil Field Likely to Impact Oil and Gasoline Prices
BP is shutting down at least a part of its Prudhoe Bay oil field to replace corroded pipelines, a move that could cause oil prices to average $76.50 per barrel in August, according to DOE's Energy Information Administration. The shutdown is most likely to affect gasoline prices on the West Coast.
