EERE Network News
September 12, 2007
News and Events
Asia-Pacific Climate Declaration Emphasizes Energy Efficiency
President Bush and the leaders of 20 other nations along the Pacific Rim have agreed to pursue a climate change agreement for the post-2012 period. The group aspires to achieve a goal to reduce the energy intensity of all the nations to 25% below 2005 levels by 2030.
Nordic Financial Group Plans to Invest in U.S. Geothermal Power
A financial group with experience developing geothermal power plants in Iceland is bringing its expertise and financial prowess to the United States. Glitner, a Nordic company, estimates that geothermal power projects in the United States will require $39.4 billion in investments by 2025.
Company Deploys Wave Energy Device off Oregon Coast
Finavera Renewables has deployed a prototype wave energy converter off the coast of Oregon and will be testing over the next several weeks. The device is the first large wave energy device deployed on the West Coast.
Solar-Powered Airplane Achieves Record Unmanned Flight Duration
An unmanned aerial vehicle has flown for 54 consecutive hours over New Mexico, setting an unofficial record. The craft is powered entirely with thin-film solar cells, storing excess energy in a rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery pack to power it through the night.
EPA Unveils New Fuel Economy Sticker for Model Year 2008
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled the fuel economy window sticker that will be displayed on all new cars and light trucks. While the sticker mainly involves a cleaner design, the numbers used in the sticker reflect new changes to the way that EPA estimates fuel economy.
Automakers Offer 31 Models of Flex-Fuel Vehicles for 2008
Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan are all offering flex-fuel vehicles for the 2008 model year. The vehicles can run on either gasoline or E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. An estimated 750,000 flex-fuel vehicles will be produced this year.
Energy Connections
Report: Gulf Hurricane Could Cause $65 Billion in Energy Damages
A company that specialized in modeling extreme-risk events has determined that a strike by a major hurricane to the heart of offshore energy production in the Gulf of Mexico could cause $35 billion in material damage and $30 billion in operating losses.
