EERE Network News
February 24, 2010
News and Events
DOE Awards Nearly $1.4 Billion in Loan Guarantees to BrightSource Energy
DOE has awarded a conditional loan guarantee for nearly $1.4 billion to BrightSource Energy for three utility-scale concentrated solar power plants in southeastern California. Pending regulatory approval, the Ivanpah Solar Complex will generate about 400 megawatts of energy.
Environmental Assessment Issued for 750-Megawatt Solar Two Project
A project to deploy 42,000 solar dishes in the Southern California desert has passed a key hurdle with the issuance of a draft environmental impact statement. Stirling Energy Systems and Tessera Solar recently deployed a much smaller system, featuring 60 solar dishes, in Arizona.
Biofuel Options Expand as Science Taps New Sources
Scientists are using a variety of research tools to develop a range of biofuel alternatives, including an algae photo-reactor to produce biofuel from wastewater, an oilier tobacco leaf for biofuel crops, and enzymes and microbes that turn biomass to fuel.
U.S. Utilities Spent $5.3 Billion on Energy Efficiency Programs in 2009
U.S. utilities increased their spending on energy efficiency programs by 43% in 2009, reaching $5.3 billion, according to a new report from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency. Spending increased the most in the Southeast and South Central states, most notably in Kentucky, Maryland, and Tennessee.
Vancouver Winter Olympics Sets Public Transit Records
Vancouver appears headed for a mass transit gold medal during the 2010 Winter Olympics, as preliminary figures show record usage of bus, rail, and ferry transit. On average, 1.6 million riders used some form of transit daily during the first week of competition.
Energy Connections
Report: Copenhagen Accord Pledges Fall Short of Climate Goals
If the world is going to avoid catastrophic levels of climate change, world leaders will need to commit to more aggressive cuts in greenhouse gas emissions than currently pledged under the Copenhagen Accord, according to a new study by the United Nations Environment Programme.
