EERE Network News
March 28, 2007
News and Events
DOE Awards $23 Million for Cellulosic Ethanol Conversion Projects
DOE announced yesterday that five projects will receive $23 million over the next four years to develop highly efficient fermentative organisms that convert cellulosic biomass into ethanol.
DOE and EPA Honor Outstanding Energy Star Partners
DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) honored 85 businesses, groups, and government entities last week for outstanding commitment to the Energy Star program.
USDA Offers Clean Energy Grants and Loan Guarantees
Agricultural producers and small businesses have an opportunity to apply for loan guarantees of up to $10 million and grants of up to $500,000 for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the funds on March 22nd.
Colorado Doubles its Renewable Requirement and Aids Transmission
A Colorado bill approved on March 27th will double the requirement for investor-owned utilities to draw on renewable energy and add a new requirement for rural electric cooperatives. A separate bill encourages the construction of new transmission lines to serve renewable power plants.
Report: U.S. Solar Cell Market Increased 33 Percent in 2006
In terms of the amount of solar photovoltaic capacity installed each year, the United States is solidly in third place, but with a 33 percent growth between 2005 and 2006, the U.S. solar market is growing much faster than the larger solar markets in Japan and Germany.
Indiana Town Takes Major Step to Becoming "BioTown, USA"
Reynolds, Indiana, is on the path to meeting all of its energy needs with biomass energy resources. The latest step in its effort to become "BioTown, USA" is the groundbreaking for a suite of technologies that will produce electricity from local biomass resources.
Energy Connections
MIT Says Lack of Fuel Could Limit Nuclear Power Expansion
A lack of global investment in uranium mines and nuclear fuel facilities has created a gap between the potential increase in demand for nuclear power and the supply of nuclear fuel, according to a research affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
