EERE Network News
May 21, 2008
News and Events
Former Texas Oilman Pursues the World's Largest Wind Power Plant
T. Boone Pickens amassed his billions through oil and gas developments, but the former Texas oilman is now a firm believer in wind power. Pickens' Mesa Power LLP has bought 1,000 megawatts of wind turbines from GE for the first phase of a 4,000-megawatt wind plant on the Texas Panhandle.
Interior Department Allows Offshore Wind and Ocean Energy Testing
The Minerals Management Service of the U.S. Department of Interior will allow tests of wind and ocean energy technologies in five designated areas on the Outer Continental Shelf. The areas are located off the coasts of California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey.
Report Calls Energy Efficiency an "Invisible" Energy Boom
If you've installed insulation in your home, upgraded your heating system, bought Energy Star appliances, or purchased a hybrid car, you know you're saving energy, but how much? A new report says the benefits of energy efficiency are often overlooked as we focus on energy supplies.
Alliance to Save Energy Launches a New Fuel Economy Campaign
The "Drive $marter Challenge" is a new fuel efficiency campaign that aims to help U.S. consumers lower their gasoline costs. The campaign was launched by teh Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), the Wal-Mart Foundation, and 16 public and private partners.
Global Sales of the Toyota Prius Hybrid Top 1 Million
Toyota has sold 1 million Toyota Prius hybrids throughout the world, and the vehicle is now Toyota's third-best seller in the United States. While Toyota is profiting most from the hybrid vehicle market, Nissan plans to sell the lithium-ion batteries to power the next generation of advanced vehicles.
U.S. Experts Say Biofuels Have a Minimal Impact on Food Prices
The President's Council of Economic Advisers estimates that corn ethanol production has only caused 3% of the increase in global food prices over the past year, with a negligible impact in the United States. Biofuels are also lowering crude oil use, helping to relieve the stress on global oil supplies.
Energy Connections
DOE Stops Filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
DOE has canceled plans to add up to 13 million barrels of crude oil to the nation's strategic petroleum reserve in anticipation of a new law that suspends additions to the reserve through the end of this year. But any anticipated benefit in oil prices has yet to materialize.
