EERE Network News
September 05, 2007
News and Events
Illinois Requires 25 Percent Renewable Power by 2025
A new Illinois law requires the state's large electric utilities to draw on renewable energy for 25% of their power supply by 2025. The law also creates the Illinois Power Agency, which has broad powers to develop electricity procurement plans and to build renewable energy power plants.
Kentucky Sets Incentives for Biofuels and Renewable Energy
A new law in Kentucky creates significant tax credits and rebates for companies that build and operate new large biofuel and renewable power facilities. It also creates tax credits of $1 per gallon for renewable diesel, grain-derived ethanol, and cellulosic ethanol.
Federal Renewable Fuels Standard Takes Effect
A new federal Renewable Fuels Standard went into effect on September 1st and requires 4.2% of U.S. fuel to come from renewable resources in 2007. The standard involves new reporting, registration, and compliance requirements for major refiners, fuel blenders, and fuel importers.
EPA Recognizes 48 Companies for Promoting Renewable Fuels in Trucks
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) arrived at the Great American Trucking Show in late August with its first SmartWay-certified fuel-efficient trucks. The EPA is already encouraging truckers to take the next step and start filling their tanks with renewable fuels.
Tax Credit for Honda Hybrids to be Halved on January 1st
Honda has sold more than 60,000 hybrid vehicles that have qualified for federal tax credits, so hybrid buyers have less than four months to earn the full federal tax credit on a Honda. Meanwhile, buyers of Toyota and Lexus hybrids will see their federal tax credit go to zero on October 1st.
Energy Connections
Kyoto Parties Agree Loosely on Long-Term Emissions Goals
An international climate change meeting in Vienna, Austria, concluded that industrialized nations need to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 25% to 40% below 1990 levels, but didn't get much farther than that. Negotiators hope to hammer out the details at a December meeting in Bali.
