EERE Network News
March 23, 2011
News and Events
U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 Participants Bring Innovation to D.C.'s Ward 7
In honor of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011—which challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive—we are profiling each of the 20 teams participating in the competition.
Mt. Wachusett Community College Makes Huge Investment in Wind Power
Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Massachusetts, with support from DOE, made a huge investment in renewable energy by installing two utility-scale wind turbines on their campus in 2011. The turbines are expected to provide an annual savings of approximately $700,000 based on the area's current utility rates.
Disneyland's Dry Cleaning Gets an Energy Efficient Upgrade
As the provider of laundry and dry cleaning services for Disneyland Resort's costumes and hospitality supply items, L&N Costume and Linen Service knows about both quantity and quality. Now, with the help of the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and DOE, this forward-looking enterprise is embracing new, clean energy technologies as well.
A Former "Most Wanted" Building Gets a Reprieve
"Most Wanted" posters identifying bandits and desperadoes are familiar images to anyone who has ever seen a Western movie. If they still made those posters, and if they offered rewards for turning in energy inefficient buildings, the Cedar Park City Hall would have been one of the meanest outlaws this side of West Texas.
Driving "Back to the Future": Flex-Fuel Vehicle Awareness
The 1908 Model-T Ford was the first vehicle designed to run on ethanol, which Henry Ford termed "the fuel of the future." Today, about 8 million flexible fuel vehicles on our roads can run on either gasoline or gasoline blended with up to 85% ethanol (E85).
Geothermal Startup Will Put Carbon Dioxide to Good Use
Geothermal power holds enormous opportunities to provide affordable, clean energy that avoids greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. One Utah-based startup is working on an innovative project that could make geothermal power even more beneficial.
Green Beer: Not Just for St. Patrick's Day
While green beer is usually limited to St. Patrick's Day, Manhattan Beer Distributors in New York City will now be able to deliver in a more sustainable way year-round. As part of an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act award through DOE's Clean Cities program, the distributor purchased its first diesel-electric hybrid delivery vehicle.
Kansas City Buses Provide Clean Ride for Kids
On March 16, the Kansas City, Kansas School District welcomed some newcomers to their community—47 natural gas school buses deployed as part of DOE's Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Vehicle Pilot Program, supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
BLM Lists 2011 Priority Renewable Energy Projects
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced its 2011 list of 19 priority projects for developing renewable energy on national public lands. The priority list includes nine solar projects, five wind projects, and five geothermal projects throughout the western United States.
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