National Energy Policy News

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July- December 2010

Please click here to read about the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Call to Action for sustainability curriculum in higher education.

Summary: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced today that the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) will serve as the National Administrator for the Solar Instructor Training Network (SITN) to help ensure the development of a robust national solar training infrastructure which can meet the employment needs of a rapidly growing domestic solar industry. IREC will receive up to $4.5 million of funding over five years to administer the program. Through the work of the Training Network, DOE expects over 1,400 instructors will be trained across the nation, creating the capacity to train thousands of workers for the solar installation industry.

Date Released: August 25, 2010 EERE

To View Full Report: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=390

Department of Energy Announces $15 Million to Promote Innovative Geothermal Heat Recovery Methods and Technologies

Summary: The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Program today announced a $15 million funding opportunity to research and develop innovative methods to extract heat from geothermal resources from the Earth's crust to produce clean, renewable energy. DOE's objective through this funding is to promote the advancement and commercialization of technologies for heat recovery with potentially lower environmental, technical, and financial risks than currently available methods.

Date Released: August 20, 2010 EERE

To View Full Report: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=385 
 

WASHINGTON – Vice President Joe Biden today unveiled a new report, “The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation,” which finds that the Recovery Act’s $100 billion investment in innovation is not only transforming the economy and creating new jobs, but helping accelerate significant advances in science and technology that cut costs for consumers, save lives and help keep America competitive in the 21st century economy.  The report can be viewed in full HERE. 

To read the full press release: http://www.energy.gov/news/9383.htm

Source: August 24, DOE Press Release

Public Perceptions of Energy Consumption and Savings

Abstract:

In a national online survey, 505 participants reported their perceptions of energy consumption and savings for a variety of household, transportation, and recycling activities. When asked for the most effective strategy they could implement to conserve energy, most participants mentioned curtailment (e.g., turning off lights, driving less) rather than efficiency improvements (e.g., installing more efficient light bulbs and appliances), in contrast to experts’ recommendations. For a sample of 15 activities, participants underesti- mated energy use and savings by a factor of 2.8 on average, with small overestimates for low-energy activities and large underestimates for high-energy activities. Additional estimation and ranking tasks also yielded relatively flat functions for perceived energy use and savings. Across several tasks, participants with higher numeracy scores and stronger proenvironmental attitudes had more accurate perceptions. The serious deficiencies highlighted by these results suggest that well-designed efforts to improve the public’s understanding of energy use and savings could pay large dividends.

Discussion Key points

"Research has demonstrated that successful risk communication requires an understanding of people’s knowledge gaps and mis- conceptions (30), and the same is likely to be true for communications about energy. The results of this study imply that well- designed efforts to increase the public’s knowledge of energy use and savings could be quite beneficial, although we hasten to add that providing appropriate information is only one component of a successful intervention strategy (4, 31, 32) and that other barriers to individual emissions reductions must also be addressed (33, 34). Recent research indicates that investments in non–price-based behavioral interventions can be effective in decreasing energy use (27). However, many campaigns have focused on behaviors that save relatively small amounts of energy, such as unplugging one’s cell phone charger, whereas other more effective behaviors have been neglected. So long as people lack easy access to accurate information about relative effectiveness, they may continue to believe they are doing their part to reduce energy use when they engage in low-effort, low-impact actions instead of focusing on changes that would make a bigger difference. If people are uninformed, the substantial potential of behavioral interventions to reduce energy consumption (5–8) may go unrealized. It is therefore vital that public communications about climate change also address misconceptions about energy consumption and savings, so that people can make better decisions for their pocketbooks and the planet."

Key points!

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/08/06/1001509107.full.pdf

NSF Leadership Changes

On 5 August 2010, the White House announced the nomination of Dr. Cora Marrett to be the next deputy director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Marrett, a sociologist by training, is currently serving as acting director of NSF. From January 2009 until June 2010 she held the post of acting deputy director, the number two spot in the science agency. Prior to that, Dr. Marrett was the assistant director for Education and Human Resources, where she led the agency's work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Marrett's nomination is subject to approval by the Senate. The chamber has yet to act upon President Obama's June nomination of Subra Suresh to be the next director of NSF. Suresh is currently dean of the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Source: August 16,  2010 AIBS Public Policy Report

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has announced that the Senate will not pursue comprehensive climate legislation this fall. Instead, the Senate may take up a narrower bill (S. 3663) that would address offshore drilling regulations, remove the limits on liability for damages from oil spills, invest in oil spill response research and development, promote the use of plug-in vehicles, and create a residential energy efficiency program. The bill would not include a national renewable energy standard for utilities, as some Senators had hoped.

Reid hopes the new strategy of pursuing a less controversial energy bill in September will win 60 votes with little debate or use of floor time. "To be clear, we are not putting forth this bill in place of a comprehensive [climate] bill. But we will not pass up the opportunity to hold BP accountable, lessen our dependence on oil, create good-paying American jobs and protect the environment," said Reid.

Reid's decision to defer action on cap-and-trade may have been motivated by the slim prospects for Senate passage in the dwindling number of days left on the legislative calendar. Despite the top Democrat's plans, Senator John Kerry (D-MA), sponsor of the Clean Jobs and American Power Act, still plans to pursue a carbon-pricing bill this year. Although the final form of the legislation is still being worked out, Kerry envisions a scaled-back version of his original bill (S. 1733), which would have capped greenhouse gases for sectors across the economy. Some political insiders are saying that the best chances for the Senate to pass such a bill may be during a lame duck session after the November elections.

Source: August 16,  2010 AIBS Public Policy Report

Federal Task Force Sends Recommendations to President on Fostering Clean Coal Technology

WASHINGTON – President Obama’s Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), co-chaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), delivered a series of recommendations to the president today on overcoming the barriers to the widespread, cost-effective deployment of CCS within 10 years. CCS is a group of technologies for capturing, compressing, transporting and permanently storing power plant and industrial source emissions of carbon dioxide. Rapid development and deployment of clean coal technologies, particularly carbon capture and storage (CCS), will help position the United States as a leader in the global clean energy race. The report concludes that CCS can play an important role in domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions while preserving the option of using coal and other abundant domestic fossil energy resources.

In February 2010, the president charged the task force with proposing a plan to overcome the barriers to the widespread, cost-effective deployment of carbon capture and storage within 10 years, with a goal of bringing five to 10 commercial demonstration projects online by 2016.

Charting the path toward clean coal is essential to achieving the administration’s clean energy goals, supporting American jobs and reducing emissions of carbon pollution.  Already, the United States has made the largest government investment in carbon capture and storage of any nation in history, and these investments are being matched by private capital.  DOE is currently pursuing multiple demonstration projects using close to $4 billion in federal funds, matched by more than $7 billion in private investments, which will begin to pave the way for widespread deployment of advanced CCS technologies within a decade. Ongoing EPA efforts will clarify the existing regulatory framework by developing requirements tailored for CCS, which will reduce uncertainty for early projects and help to ensure safe and effective deployment.

Click here to view the full press release and to read about the report’s main findings and recommendations.

The full report and the presidential memorandum establishing the task force are available here:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/policy/ccs_task_force.html 
http://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/sequestration/ccs_task_force.html

Source: August 12, DOE Press Release

DOE Announces 15 Projects Aimed at Secure CO2 Underground Storage

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on August 11 the selection of 15 projects to develop technologies aimed at safely and economically storing carbon dioxide in geologic formations.  Funded with $21.3 million over three years, these selections will complement existing DOE initiatives to help develop the technology and infrastructure to implement large-scale CO2 storage in different geologic formations across the Nation. The projects selected will support the goals of helping reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, developing and deploying near-zero-emission coal technologies and making the U.S. a leader in mitigating climate change.
 
“The projects announced today are part of this Administration’s commitment to leading the world in carbon capture and storage technology,” said Secretary Chu. “These projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop clean energy innovation and help produce jobs for Americans across the Nation.”

Efforts are underway to demonstrate safety and permanence of geologic sequestration through initiatives such as the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships. The 15 selected projects will complement ongoing efforts by developing and testing technologies that address critical challenges for geologic storage including injectivity of CO2 into the reservoir, storage capacity, plume migration, and containment by caprock and other trapping mechanisms.

Geologic storage is currently focused on five types of formations: (1) depleted oil and gas reservoirs, (2) deep saline formations, (3) unmineable coal seams, (4) oil- and gas-rich organic shales, and (5) basalts. Carbon storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs can also increase oil or gas production, while storage of CO2 in deep saline formations holds the promise of enormous worldwide capacity, with estimates of thousands of gigatonnes of storage.

Click here to view the full press release, and to read more about the selected projects.

Source: August 11, DOE Press Release

Administration Update on Clean Energy Efforts

1. White House Blog Updates
2. Department of Energy and Beacon Power Finalize $43 Million Loan Guarantee for Innovative Energy Storage Project in New York State
3. Department of Energy Announces $188 Million for Small Business Technology Commercialization
4. Department of Energy Offers $17 Million Conditional Commitment to Improve Reliability of New York State’s Electrical Grid 


 WHITE HOUSE BLOG UPDATES

West Wing Week: “Dispatches from the Gulf”
“Welcome to a special Gulf Coast episode of West Wing Week. We spent this week traveling through communities on America’s Gulf Coast to give you a special behind the scenes look at the federal government’s historic and unprecedented effort to contain and clean up after the BP oil spill.”  http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/06/west-wing-week-dispatches-gulf

New Report: 74% of Oil in BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill has been Contained or Mitigated
Posted by Heather Zichal on August 04, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/04/new-report-74-oil-bp-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-has-been-contained-or-mitigated

How the Recovery Act is Affecting Small Business Innovation
Posted by Undersecretary Kristina Johnson on August 02, 2010
Cross posted from the Energy Blog.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/02/how-recovery-act-affecting-small-business-innovation

The Recovery Act: Laying the Foundation for America’s 21st Century Clean Energy Economy
Posted by Secretary Shaun Donovan on August 02, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/02/recovery-act-laying-foundation-america-s-21st-century-clean-energy-economy

A Discussion on Environmental Justice
Posted by CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley on July 30, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/30/a-discussion-environmental-justice

Students Go FOR Sun-Day Drive
Posted by Phil Larson on July 30, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/30/students-go-sun-day-drive

Biennial of the Americas Seeks Answers to Tough Energy, Climate Challenges
Posted by Secretary Ray LaHood on July 29, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/29/biennial-americas-seeks-answers-tough-energy-climate-challenges


DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND BEACON POWER FINALIZE $43 MILLION LOAN GUARANTEE FOR INNOVATIVE ENERGY STORAGE PROJECT IN NEW YORK STATE

Washington D.C. --- Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that a $43 million loan guarantee has been finalized for Beacon Power Corporation’s 20 megawatt innovative flywheel energy storage plant in Stephentown, NY.  The plant will help improve the stability and reliability of the state’s electric grid and Beacon estimates it will create 20 construction jobs in New York and 40 permanent jobs in Massachusetts. Beacon Power is an energy storage company headquartered in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.

“This project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to helping bring clean technologies to market,” said Secretary Chu.  “We will continue to support the development and deployment of innovative energy systems like this energy storage project that support our goal of expanding renewable energy generation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

“This is truly exciting news for the Rensselaer County and for New York State,” said Senator Kristen Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee.  “It is the continued development of new energy technologies, like the fly-wheel system designed by Beacon Power, that will move our nation forward towards a clean energy economy.  This significant investment will create green jobs, spur economic development, and help bring increased energy reliability for New Yorkers.”

“As our country seeks to move toward a 21st century clean energy economy, this flywheel energy storage plant in Stephentown is exactly the type of innovative new project to get us there.  I am pleased to join Secretary Chu in making this announcement and look forward to continuing to work to make our nation energy independent,” said Congressman Scott Murphy.

Beacon’s Gen 4 flywheel system is specifically designed to perform frequency regulation on utility grids by absorbing and discharging energy to balance power generation and consumption on the electric grid.  The technology operates by using flywheels to quickly store and release from the grid in order to follow rapid changes in grid demand.  Flywheel-based regulation is fast and efficient, ramping up or down 10 times faster than ramp rates for conventional fossil fuel generators that typically perform this service. 

Beacon estimates that a 20 megawatt flywheel-based frequency regulation plant will reduce carbon dioxide emissions up to 82 percent over its 20-year life compared to a coal, gas or pumped hydro plant.  The flywheel plant also does not emit air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide or sulfur dioxide.

This is the second loan guarantee announced that will provide significant improvements to New York state’s electrical grid. Last week the Department offered a $17.1 million conditional commitment to AES Storage for a project based in Johnson City.

The Department of Energy has closed or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees to support 14 clean energy projects, including today’s announcement.  For more information, please visit www.lgprogram.energy.gov. 

 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ANNOUNCES $188 MILLLION FOR SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION

Includes $73 million in Recovery Act Investments to Help Small Businesses Bring Clean Energy Ideas to the Marketplace

Washington, DC – U.S Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that the Department of Energy will award a total of $188 million to small businesses in 34 states to develop technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and job creation.

“Small businesses are a major engine of innovation and job creation in our economy,” said Secretary Chu.  “Bringing these innovative technologies to market will help spur economic growth and reduce the country's energy use.”

Funded through DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR), today’s selections are for Phase II work, which means that the 201 awards will support the development of prototype or pilot operations for innovative technologies that have successfully passed the proof of concept stage. 

The 201 awards fall in 76 targeted technology topics, in areas such as the smart grid, energy efficient buildings, industrial energy use, advanced renewables, cleaner fossil power, carbon cycle measurement, and high performance computing.  A sample of the Phase II SBIR/STTR topic areas and awards is highlighted below:

1) Smart Grid Controllers - The development of a smart grid will reduce energy use, mitigate the need for new power plants, and prevent outages. However, an effective smart grid requires communication among a variety of devices, from utility control systems to household appliances.  One project, led by Infotility in Boulder, CO, will develop a “Smart Controller” that enables communication among distributed energy systems—such as roof-top solar panels, a plug-in electric vehicle, and demand response devices in the home. (DOE award: $999,655)

2) Advanced Solar Technologies - Solar energy is our largest energy resource and can provide clean, sustainable energy, but innovations are needed to bring down the cost. This topic seeks to develop novel, previously untried but commercially feasible solar concepts and devices.    One project, led by Luminit, LLC, in Torrance, CA, will develop a unique sun-tracking holographic concentrator that separately uses both visible light for photovoltaic power and infra-red light to provide heat and hot water for a building.  (DOE award: $999,986)

3) Carbon Cycle Measurements - Eighty-five percent of our nation's energy comes from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.  These processes add carbon to the atmosphere, principally in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2).  A project led by Aerodyne Research, Inc, in Billerica, MA, will develop an extremely accurate CO2 monitor, which will assist in understanding global climate change and will help companies measure carbon capture and sequestration projects.  (DOE award:  $749,787)

The small businesses being announced today will join the ranks of past SBIR and STTR recipients, many of which have successfully brought their innovations to market. For example, past SBIR recipient A123 Systems has grown into a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge lithium ion batteries and is now expanding its manufacturing base in Michigan, and another past SBIR winner, Amonix, is growing its concentrating PV manufacturing capacity in Nevada, which is expected to employ hundreds of workers. 

Small businesses play a major role in spurring innovation and creating jobs in the U.S. economy. Between 1993 and 2008, small business created 64% of all net new jobs, totaling 14.5 million new jobs. Small businesses employ nearly 40% of the U.S. science and engineering workforce. The goal of DOE’s SBIR program is to help innovative small businesses succeed. In keeping with the goals of the Recovery Act, the Department’s SBIR efforts have incorporated a fast-track process for applications, increased emphasis on job creation and commercialization potential in the review and selection process, and provided business incubator funding.

Additional information on the SBIR program and today's funding announcement is available at SBIR/STTR Programs Office.
For more information about the companies announced today visit Phase II funding.

 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFERS $17 MILLION CONDITIONAL COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY OF NEW YORK STATES'S ELECTRICAL GRID 

First Battery-Based Energy Storage System Project to Be Selected by DOE for a Conditional Loan Guarantee Commitment

Washington D.C. --- Energy Secretary Steven Chu today offered AES Energy Storage, LLC a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee for $17.1 million to support the construction of a 20 megawatt (MW) energy storage system using advanced lithium-ion batteries.  The AES project, located in Johnson City, New York, will help provide a more stable and efficient electrical grid for the state’s high-voltage transmission network.

“Effective energy storage systems are crucial to harnessing the power of renewable energy and getting it onto the grid,” said Secretary Chu.  “Projects like these are helping us to meet the President’s goal of doubling our renewable energy generating capacity by 2012.”

"This loan guarantee will allow for renewable energy sources like solar and wind to play a greater role in the Southern Tier," said Hinchey. "It will also make the area's electrical grid more efficient and reliable, helping to cut energy costs over the long run.  It represents another step forward in our efforts to take control of our energy future."

Traditionally, grid frequency regulation, which is needed to balance power generation and consumption on the grid, is maintained by burning additional fossil fuels at power plants.  The AES project eliminates the need to burn fossil fuels and instead uses battery technology and new software that will provide the same regulation at a lower price.  This advanced frequency regulation capability will allow renewable electricity generation to play a larger role in New York’s transmission network.  The AES technology can help reduce carbon emissions by 70 percent compared to frequency regulation provided by fossil energy suppliers. 

The AES project will include advanced lithium-ion battery cells from A123System, Inc., a leading supplier of lithium-ion batteries that provide grid stabilization more efficiently and with less environmental impact than existing resources. The contained battery and related electrical systems are assembled, tested and validated in an A123 manufacturing facility in Hopkinton, MA. 

Including today’s announcement, the Department of Energy has offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees to support 14 clean energy projects. This conditional commitment is another step toward making the United States a global leader in the generation and manufacturing of clean energy technology.  For more information on this program, please visit www.lgprogram.energy.gov. 

12-Member Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Named

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the members of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB). Eliminated during the last administration, SEAB is being reestablished under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The twelve member board comprised of scientists, business executives, academics and former government officials will serve as an independent advisory committee to Secretary Chu.

“I am honored that this talented group of individuals has agreed to offer their service to the Department and to the Nation,” said Secretary Chu. “They will be providing their expertise and experience at a critical time for our country as we chart a new course toward a clean energy future.”

The Board will provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary on the Department's basic and applied research, economic and national security policy, educational issues, operational issues and other activities as directed by the Secretary.

SEAB reports directly to the Secretary of Energy. It was chartered in 1990 to provide the Secretary with timely, balanced, external advice on issues concerning the Department. The board is expected to meet twice a year and at other times  as needed. Subcommittees are also expected to be organized under SEAB.

Below is the list of SEAB Members:
• Norman Augustine, Former Chairman and CEO, Lockheed Martin, Former Under Secretary for the Army
• Ralph Cicerone, President of National Academy of Sciences
• John Deutch,  MIT Chemist, Former Under Secretary of Energy
• Nicholas Donofrio, Former EVP of Innovation and Technology, IBM
• Alexis Herman, Former Secretary of Labor
• Chad Holliday, Jr., Former CEO of Dupont
• Michael McQuade, Senior VP, United Technologies Corporation
• William Perry, Former Secretary of Defense, Stanford University Professor
• Arthur Rosenfeld, Former Commissioner, California Energy Commission
• Susan Tierney,  Managing Principle, Analysis Group
• Steven Westly, Managing Partner, Westly Group
• Daniel Yergin, President, Cambridge Energy Research Associates

Source: August 10, DOE Press Release

150 Students to Receive DOE Graduate Fellowships in Science, Mathematics and Engineering

New Department of Energy Graduate Fellowship Program Aimed at Empowering Students to Choose Careers in Science

August 5, 2010, Washington, D.C. – Underscoring the Obama Administration’s commitment to bolstering science education, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on August 5th that 150 students have been selected to receive graduate fellowship awards as part of a new Department of Energy Graduate Fellowship program.  Each graduate fellow will be provided with tuition, living expenses, and research support for three years to academic institutions across the country.  The new fellowship program is designed to strengthen the nation’s scientific workforce by providing support to young students during the formative years of their research.
 
“The exceptionally talented students selected as graduate fellows are part of our nation’s next generation of scientific and technical leaders,” said Secretary Chu.  “This investment in the training of scientists and engineers is part of the Administration’s continued effort to ensure that America has the scientific and engineering workforce we need to secure our energy future and our continued economic competitiveness.”

The goal of the fellowship program is to encourage students to pursue graduate degrees in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, engineering, and environmental and computer sciences—fields that will prepare students for careers that can make significant contributions in discovery-driven science and science for national needs in energy and the environment.
 
Each fellow will be provided $50,500 per year for up to three years to support tuition, living expenses, research materials and travel to research conferences or to Department of Energy scientific user facilities.  Support comes in part from $12.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

For a complete list of awardees and eligibility requirements visit the Office of Science Graduate Fellowship program. 

Source: August 5, 2010 DOE Press Release

[Top]

Secretary Chu Announces FutureGen 2.0
 
August 5, 2010, Washington, D.C. – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin announced the awarding of $1 billion in Recovery Act funding to the FutureGen Alliance, Ameren Energy Resources, Babcock & Wilcox, and Air Liquide Process & Construction, Inc. to build FutureGen 2.0, a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage network.  The project partners estimate the program will bring 900 jobs to downstate Illinois and another 1,000 to suppliers across the state.

“Today’s announcement will help ensure the US remains competitive in a carbon constrained economy, creating jobs while reducing greenhouse gas pollution,” said Secretary Chu.  “This investment in the world’s first, commercial-scale, oxy-combustion power plant will help to open up the over $300 billion market for coal unit repowering and position the country as a leader in an important part of the global clean energy economy.”

“As with the original FutureGen, Mattoon and the state of Illinois are positioned as leaders in innovative technology that can serve as a model for the nation,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “The new project stays true to the original goal of dramatically reducing pollution and providing thousands of good paying jobs in our state.”

With the funds announced today, the partner recipients will repower Ameren’s 200 megawatt Unit 4 in Meredosia, Illinois with advanced oxy-combustion technology.  The plant’s new boiler, air separation unit, CO2 purification and compression unit will deliver 90 percent CO2 capture and eliminate most SOx, NOx, mercury, and particulate emissions.  Ameren Energy Resources estimates that the retrofitting of the plant is expected to create approximately 500 construction jobs and allow Ameren to recall 50 permanent workers who were laid off last year.

This project will also provide performance and emissions data for future commercial guarantees, and establish operating and maintenance experience for future large-scale commercial projects.  The FutureGen Alliance will help design the test program for the new facility to incorporate a broad range of coals and operating conditions to expand the market for this repowering approach.
 
In addition, the project partners, working with the State of Illinois, will establish a regional CO2 storage site in Mattoon, Illinois and a CO2 pipeline network from Meredosia to Mattoon that will transport and store more than 1 million tons of captured CO2 per year.  The project partners estimate the new pipeline network is expected to create 275 contraction jobs and 75 permanent jobs.  The pipeline network, along with the repository in Mattoon, helps to lay the foundation for a regional CO2 network.  The Mattoon site will be used to conduct research on site characterization, injection and storage, and monitoring and measurement.  

Oxy-combustion burns coal with a mixture of oxygen and CO2 instead of air to produce a concentrated CO2 stream for safe, permanent, storage.  In addition, oxy-combustion technology creates a near-zero emissions plant by eliminating almost all of the mercury, SOx, NOx, and particulate pollutants from plant emissions.  The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory studies have identified oxy-combustion as potentially the least cost approach to clean-up existing coal-fired facilities and capture CO2 for geologic storage. 

FutureGen 2.0 stays true to the original spirit of the FutureGen project by advancing technology that can make the United States a world leader in carbon capture and storage.  Secretary Chu and Senator Durbin intend to visit the Illinois sites for this project in the coming weeks.

Source: August 5, 2010 DOE Press Release

[Top]

 Administation Update on Clean Energy Efforts

1.      The President’s Bipartisan meeting on Small Business and Energy Reform
2.      Clean Energy Forum on Energy Security
3.      Clean Energy Forum on Federal Leadership and Sustainable Buildings
4.      Final Recommendations of the Ocean Policy Task Force Announced
5.      President Obama expands Greenhouse Gas reduction target for Federal Operations
6.      Vice President Biden visits National Parks to survey Recovery Act Projects
7.      Announcements from the Department of Energy
8.      New White House Energy and Climate Newsletter 

THE PRESIDENT’S BIPARTISAN MEETING ON SMALL BUSINESS AND ENERGY REFORM

In his latest meeting with Congressional leaders of both parties – a new tradition promised by the President in his State of the Union Address – the conversation was focused primarily on two topics.  The first was help for small businesses, one of the most straightforward things government can do to spur job creation; the second was the need for energy reform.   Below is an excerpt on energy and climate, and the full remarks and video can be found on the White House Blog.

“The Senate is now poised to act before the August recess, advancing legislation to respond to the BP oil spill and create new clean energy  jobs. That legislation is an important step in the right direction.  But I want to emphasize it’s only the first step.  And I intend to keep pushing for broader reform, including climate legislation, because if we’ve learned anything from the tragedy in the Gulf, it’s that our current energy policy is unsustainable. And we can’t afford to stand by as our dependence on foreign oil deepens, as we keep on pumping out the deadly pollutants that threaten our air and our water and the lives and livelihoods of our people.  And we can’t stand by as we let China race ahead to create the clean energy jobs and industries of the future.  We should be developing those renewable energy sources, and creating those high-wage, high-skill jobs right here in the United States of America.”

-          President Barack Obama, July 27th, 2010

CLEAN ENERGY FORUM ON ENERGY SECURITY

This week, the White House offices of Public Engagement and Energy and Climate Change worked with the Department of Defense to host a lively forum at the White House, which brought more than 130 stakeholders– civilian and uniformed officials from the Department of Defense (DOD) and our armed services, policy makers from the Department of Energy (DOE), think tanks, and business entrepreneurs – together for a discussion on the importance of clean energy for our national security.

For more information and background on the event, please click here.

CLEAN ENERGY FORUM ON FEDERAL LEADERSHIP AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

Last week, more than 120 leaders in the commercial building community came together with Federal officials at a White House Clean Energy Economy Forum to discuss the role of Federal leadership in sustainable building. White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, General Services Administration Administrator Martha Johnson, and Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims got a conversation started that focused on three key topics: leveraging the scale, financing, and innovation.  As the single largest energy consumer in the US economy, the Federal Government had a $24.5 billion utility and fuel bill in 2008, and owns and manages nearly 500,000 buildings. So not only is the Federal Government accountable to the taxpayer to improve our energy efficiency, it also has a unique opportunity to leverage its scale to help create new market opportunities for energy efficient, sustainable building products and services. Leading by example is our responsibility!

For the video recordings, please refer to the opening remarks from CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley, panel discussion on leveraging scale, financing, and the call for innovation in sustainable buildings.

For more information and background on the event, please click here.

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OCEAN POLICY TASK FORCE ANNOUNCED

Last week, Obama Administration officials released the Final Recommendations of the Ocean Policy Task Force, which proposes the establishment of a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes (National Policy) and create a National Ocean Council (NOC) to strengthen ocean governance and coordination.  The Final Recommendations prioritize actions for the NOC to pursue, and call for a flexible framework for coastal and marine spatial planning to address conservation, economic activity, user conflict, and sustainable use of the ocean, our coasts and the Great Lakes.

For the full press release from the Council of Environmental Quality click here  

PRESIDENT OBAMA EXPANDS GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION TARGET FOR FEDERAL OPERATIONS

President Obama announced that the Federal Government will reduce greenhouse gas pollution from indirect sources, such as employee travel and commuting, by 13% by 2020.  This commitment expands beyond the Administration’s greenhouse gas reduction target from direct sources set in January, 2010, such as Federal fleets and buildings, by 2020.  Cumulatively, greenhouse gas pollution reductions from Federal government operations will total 101 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the emissions from 235 million barrels of oil.

For more information, please click here.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN VISITS NATIONAL PARKS TO SURVEY RECOVERY ACT PROJECTS

As part of Recovery Summer, this week Vice President Biden visited Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks, where $25 million in Recovery Act funding is creating jobs and jump-starting previously-deferred construction and maintenance projects. More than 1,000 workers have already been part of the seventeen Recovery Act projects at Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Overall, there are 800 Recovery Act projects underway at National Parks across the country this summer – eight times as many as there were last summer. Today, the Vice President will visit Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, where Recovery Act projects are generating economic activity and preserving the life of the park.

For more information, please click here.</p>

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Helping Small Businesses Bring Their Clean Energy Ideas to the Marketplace, Under Secretary Kristina M. Johnson

Under Secretary Kristina Johnson discusses the announcement regarding approximately $30 million of funds available to qualified small businesses to support the commercialization of promising new technologies. She explains how “building off the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR), the new SBIR Phase III Xlerator Program will help provide small innovative companies the staying power they need to develop the manufacturing processes necessary to make their products at scale and low cost, a key hurdle to bringing their ideas to the marketplace.” 

For more details, please click here

Energy Innovation Hubs and the Quest to Turn Sunlight Into Fuel, Deputy Secretary Daniel B. Poneman

Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman announces an award of up to $122 million over five years to establish an Energy Innovation Hub aimed at developing revolutionary methods to generate fuels directly from sunlight.  The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP, for short), will be led by the California Institute of Technology in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and other California institutions, and will bring together leading researchers in an ambitious effort aimed at simulating nature's photosynthetic apparatus for practical energy production.

For more details, please click here for the blog and refer to this article 

New Projects to Convert Captured CO2 Emissions from Industrial Sources into Useful Products

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today the selections of six projects that aim to find ways of converting captured carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources into useful products such as fuel, plastics, cement, and fertilizers.  Funded with $106 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -matched with $156 million in private cost-share -today's selections demonstrate the potential opportunity to use CO2 as an inexpensive raw material that can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions while producing useful by-products that Americans can use. "These innovative projects convert carbon pollution from a climate threat to an economic resource," said Secretary Chu. "This is part of our broad commitment to unleash the American innovation machine and build the thriving, clean energy economy of the future."

For more details, please click here 

Secretary Chu announces closing of a $117 million Loan Guarantee for Kahuku Wind Power Project

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that the Department of Energy has finalized a $117 million loan guarantee for Kahuku Wind Power, LLC, the owner and operator of the Kahuku Wind Power project.  The project includes the development of an innovative 30 megawatt (MW) wind power plant that will supply electricity to approximately 7,700 households per year.  According to company estimates, the project, located in Kahuku, Hawaii, will create over 200 jobs on the island of Oahu.

For more details, please click here 

NEW WHITE HOUSE ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE NEWSLETTER

Recently, the White House launched the Energy and Climate Agenda - a weekly newsletter that highlights the great work happening around the Administration on energy, climate and environment issues.  If you are interested in receiving this information, please sign up to get the weekly White House Energy and Climate Agenda. 

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Reid Introduces Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Spill Accountability Plan

July 27, 2010 - Nevada Senator Harry Reid introduced the clean energy jobs and oil spill response plan that Senate Democrats announced last week.

Sen. Reid stated that "Our plan will lower energy costs for homeowners and create at least 150,000 jobs by investing $5 billion in Home Star, a bipartisan energy efficiency program. Our plan will lessen our dependence on oil by promoting the manufacturing and deployment of clean vehicles that use natural gas and electricity.  Our plan will help protect environmentally important and vulnerable areas by fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the next 5 years for the first time.  And our plan will hold BP and all the oil companies involved in the Gulf Coast oil spill fully accountable for the true costs of the damages they caused."

Click here to download the draft summary of the legislation (PDF).

Source: Energy, Environment and Technology News

FY11 Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill, S. 3635, Summary and Report Language

The full Senate Appropriations Committee marked up its version of the FY2011 Energy and Water Development Bill on Thursday, July 22, 2010.  The bill (S. 3635) and Senate committee report (S. Rept. 111-228) are now available here.

Click here for a brief summary of key science and other funding levels provided for in the Senate bill. Below that is the specific report language pertaining to the DOE Office of Science and ARPA-E.

Source: Tobin L. Smith

California Institute of Technology to lead team in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and other California institutions

July 22, 2010, Washington, D.C. – As part of a broad effort to achieve breakthrough innovations in energy production, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman announced an award of up to $122 million over five years to a multidisciplinary team of top scientists to establish an Energy Innovation Hub aimed at developing revolutionary methods to generate fuels directly from sunlight.

The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), to be led by the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), will bring together leading researchers in an ambitious effort aimed at simulating nature’s photosynthetic apparatus for practical energy production.  The goal of the Hub is to develop an integrated solar energy-to-chemical fuel conversion system and move this system from the bench-top discovery phase to a scale where it can be commercialized.

“The Energy Innovation Hubs have enormous potential to advance transformative breakthroughs,” said Deputy Secretary Poneman. “Finding a cost-effective way to produce fuels as plants do -- combining sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide -- would be a game changer,  reducing our dependence on oil and enhancing energy security.  This Energy Innovation Hub will enable our scientists to combine their talents to tackle this bold and highly promising challenge.”

Senator Feinstein said, “I’m very proud that California has been on the cutting-edge of the clean energy movement. With this award, some of California’s top scientists will continue to lead the way forward by working together to create ‘artificial photosynthesis,’ a process that can emulate the inner workings of plant life to produce a useful transportation fuel we can put right into our cars without further processing.  If successful, this concept – to combine sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to produce a clean fuel – would revolutionize the energy sector. It would help scrub the atmosphere of excessive carbon dioxide, help eliminate our dependence on oil, and generate an innovative industry in the heart of California. This is very exciting.”

Senator Boxer said, “I am so pleased that this California consortium will receive this investment in clean fuels research, which has the potential to reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, increase our national security and create jobs in California.”

The Fuels from Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub is one of three Hubs that will receive funding in FY10.  In May, the Department announced that a team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory will establish a Hub on modeling and simulation for nuclear reactors.  The selection for the remaining Hub will be announced over the coming months. The Hubs are large, multidisciplinary, highly-collaborative teams of scientists and engineers working over a longer time frame to achieve a specific high-priority goal.  They will be managed by top teams of scientists and engineers with enough resources and authority to move quickly in response to new developments.

JCAP research will be directed at the discovery of the functional components necessary to assemble a complete artificial photosynthetic system:  light absorbers, catalysts, molecular linkers, and separation membranes.  The Hub will then integrate those components into an operational solar fuel system and develop scale-up strategies to move from the laboratory toward commercial viability.  The ultimate objective is to drive the field of solar fuels from fundamental research, where it has resided for decades, into applied research and technology development, thereby setting the stage for the creation of a direct solar fuels industry.  

The Hub will be directed by Nathan S. Lewis, George L. Argyros Professor and Professor of Chemistry, Cal Tech.  Other members of the Hub leadership team include:  Bruce Brunschwig (Cal Tech), Peidong Yang (UC Berkeley/Berkeley Lab), and Harry Atwater (Cal Tech).  In addition to the major partners, Cal Tech and Berkeley Lab, other participating institutions include SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford, California; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Santa Barbara; the University of California, Irvine; and the University of California, San Diego.

Selection is based on a competitive process using scientific peer review.  The selection process for the Fuels from Sunlight Hub was managed by the Department of Energy Office of Science, which will have federal oversight responsibilities for the artificial photosynthesis Hub.

The Hub will be funded at up to $22 million this fiscal year.  The Hub will then be funded at an estimated $25 million per year for the next four years, subject to Congressional appropriations.  More information on the Hubs can be found at: http://www.energy.gov/hubs/

Source: Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs

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Six Projects to Convert Captured CO2 Emissions from Industrial Sources into Useful Products

Summary: On July 22, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the selection of six projects that aim to find ways of converting captured carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources into useful products such as fuel, plastics, cement, and fertilizers.  Funded with $106 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -matched with $156 million in private cost-share -today's selections demonstrate the potential opportunity to use CO2 as an inexpensive raw material that can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions while producing useful by-products that Americans can use.

Source: July 22, 2010 DOE Press Release

More Information: The full press release is at http://energy.gov/news/9247.htm 

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DOE Announces New Energy Blog and Social Media Tools

Earlier this week the Department of Energy launched The Energy Blog, along with new accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Secretary Chu provided the vision for these new social media tools in his inaugural blog post: "Our goal is to use the Energy Blog and our other social media outlets to show you who we are, what we do, and why it matters to you, while allowing you to connect with us in new and creative ways. That's not a promise for the future; that's a commitment we're putting into action today..." You can read the full entry, along with regular updates from other contributors, at http://blog.energy.gov.

Source: Toby Smith, AAU and Energy Sciences Coalition

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OSTP-OMB FY12 Science & Technology Priorities Memo

Click here for the memorandum signed today by the OMB and OSTP directors on science and technology priorities for the FY 2012 budget.  This memorandum is one of a number of key tools the Administration uses to provide important guidance to the heads of all of the executive departments and agencies regarding the President’s priorities in science and technology and the ways in which the budgets that departments and agencies with S&T components submit to OMB should relate to those priorities.  The memo further provides direction for S&T program implementation, including interagency collaboration, data-sharing policies and practices, and scientific integrity.

Source: Toby Smith, AAU and Energy Sciences Coalition

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Summary: At the world's first Clean Energy Ministerial, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the United States is helping launch more than 10 international clean energy initiatives.  These initiatives will cut energy waste; help deploy smart grid, electric vehicle, and carbon capture technologies; support renewable energy markets; expand access to clean energy resources and jobs; and support women pursuing careers in clean energy.  The new programs offer partners concrete, technical actions to promote economic growth while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.  The initiatives will eliminate the need to build more than 500 mid-sized power plants world-wide in the next 20 years.

Source: July 20, 2010 Press Release DOE

To View Full Press Release: http://www.energy.gov/news/9233.htm 

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Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee Markup 

The Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its bill on July 20. Click here to view the press release from the markup provided by Paul Doucette.  According to the release, the Senate bill provides $5.012 billion for the Office of Science, $108.3 million more than FY10 but $109.4 million less than the President’s budget request. The bill also provides $200 million for the ARPA-E. The full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the bill on Thursday. Additional details will be provided as they become available.

Source: Energy Sciences Coalition

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DOE Announces $30 Million for Energy-Efficient Housing Partnerships

July 20, 2010, Washington - The U.S. Department of Energy today announced 15 research and deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes. These highly-qualified, multidisciplinary teams will receive a total of up to $30 million for the initial eighteen months of the projects to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to the residential market and address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach for all Americans.  A total of up to $20 million per year will also be made available for the partnerships for three potential one-year extensions. These research and deployment partnerships will provide technical assistance to retrofit projects and will leverage industry expertise and funding to support DOE’s energy efficiency retrofit programs.  This effort will support the Department’s Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative, announced by Vice President Joe Biden in April, which brings communities, governments, private sector companies and non-profit organizations together to deliver energy-efficiency upgrades – or retrofits – to whole neighborhoods and cities.

To view full press release: http://www.energy.gov/9237.htm 

Source: Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs

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Department of Energy Awards $92 Million for Groundbreaking Energy Research Projects

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced 43 cutting-edge research projects that aim to dramatically improve how the U.S. uses and produces energy.  Funded with $92 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), today's selections focus on accelerating innovation in green technology while increasing America's competitiveness in grid scale energy storage, power electronics and building efficiency.

The projects announced today are based in 18 states, with 36% of projects led by universities, 33% by small businesses, 24% by large businesses, 5% by national labs, and 2% by non-profits. These awards complete ARPA-E's grants under its Recovery Act funding: in three rounds of awards since last year, the agency has selected a total of 117 projects for $349 million in funding, supporting research that can deliver breakthrough changes in how the U.S. generates, stores, and utilizes energy.

To View Full Press Release:  http://www.energy.gov/news/9205.htm 

Source: Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs

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Reddy compiles Coalbed Natural Gas Expertise in Book

A book edited by Professor K.J. Reddy compiling coalbed natural gas (CBNG) expertise from UW and from around the world is now available.

This 511-page book titled Coalbed Natural Gas: Energy and Environment, published by Nova Science Publishers Inc., has 19 chapters written by authors invited by Reddy, who is in the Department of Renewable Resources.

Nova officials invited Reddy to write the book based on his own research group’s work with the energy industry including coal, CBNG, uranium, oil shale and coal-fired power plants. A comprehensive book which includes scientific and engineering knowledge on CBNG was needed. Also, technical information on CBNG is scattered between disciplines and sources, Reddy said.

“Wyoming has been at the research forefront of coalbed natural gas development for the last 10 to 12 years,” said Reddy, but the CBNG research is so interdisciplinary, he invited others for their expertise, not only from the U.S. but other countries where CBNG production is occurring.  

Reddy acknowledged the numerous contributors to the book and to Robin Long in the Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Center for her work coordinating the project.

 “This book represents the state-of-the-art on knowledge about CBNG and its affect on the environment,” said John Tanaka, professor and head of the Department of Renewable Resources.

 “CBNG is very important to the state’s economy and as a source of energy for the world. Understanding how it is produced and the effects that production has on the environment is furthered by this important work. Produced water is a concern of the state and finding ways to beneficially use that water is important to all those affected.”

 Energy and environment are interconnected and an integral part of human society, Reddy noted.

 “The need for exploring different energy resources (coal, natural gas, oil, uranium, oil shale, solar and wind) to meet skyrocketing global energy demands while protecting our environment has become obvious,” he said.

 Methane, the major component of natural gas, is commonly extracted from coal deposits by pumping large quantities of aquifer groundwater, also known as produced water. This water can contain high concentrations of salts and trace elements depending on the geology of the coalbed aquifer.

 “There was a need for a source where anyone can access information for ideas about the processes they can use to manage water and the environment responsibly,” he noted.

 Reddy said the amount of water produced over the 15-20 years of the life of the CBNG production in Wyoming is estimated at 3 billion cubic meters. 

 A review of global energy supplies over a period of about 30 years indicate a steady increase (more than 30 percent) in the use of natural gas. It is economical to extract, and “CBNG has become prominent because it is a cleanburning fossil fuel,” he noted.

Source: Agademics, University of Wyoming

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Global Trends in Green Energy 2009: New Power Capacity from Renewable Sources Tops Fossil Fuels

In 2009, for the second year in a row, both the US and Europe generated more power capacity from renewable sources such as wind and solar than from conventional sources like coal, gas and nuclear, according to twin reports launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21).

Renewables accounted for 60 per cent of newly installed capacity in Europe and more than 50 per cent in the USA in 2009. This year or next, experts predict, the world as a whole will add more capacity to the electricity supply from renewable than non-renewable sources.

The reports detail trends in the global green energy sector, including which sources attracted the greatest attention from investors and governments in different world regions.

To View Full Release: http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=630&ArticleID=6647&l=en&t=long 

Source: July 15, 2010 Press Release UNEP

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The House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY2011 bill earlier today. Click here for a statement from Congressman Ed Pastor (D-AZ) and here for a one page summary of the bill.

While specific details of the bill have not yet been released, we know that the DOE Office of Science is funded at $4.9 billion, a $4 million decrease from the FY2010 appropriations funding level, and $221 million below the presidential budget request. 

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) is funded at $220 million, $80 million below the budget request. You will recall that while ARPA-E received considerable funding as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), it received no funding in the FY 2010 appropriations bill.

In his statement, Congressman Pastor says that funding is continued for the three energy innovation hubs started in FY2010.  He mentions nothing about funding for the new batteries hub for which funding was included in the budget request.

Overall, DOE funding is approximately $1 billion over its FY2010 funding level, but $1.5 billion below the budget request. The greatest reductions from the budget request come in loan guarantees ($660 million below the request), Defense Environmental Management ($463 million below request) and the Office of Science ($221 million below the request).  Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability is funded at $172 million, $14 million below the budget request, while the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Nuclear Energy and Fossil Energy programs are all funded at the budget request levels.

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TAKING INITIATIVE ON CLEAN ENERGY LEGISLATION

Taking Initiative on clean energy – Carol Browner, Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy 

Ms. Browner notes the Administration’s efforts to lay a new foundation for America’s clean energy future through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the President’s leadership.  She outlines the need for passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation this year and details the Administration’s efforts, “We are working with senators to achieve the strongest possible legislation during this Congress to provide the necessary incentives and certainty in the marketplace for a chance to a clean energy economy.” 
For more details, please refer to the attached document from Ms. Browner.

AWARDS FOR GROUNDBREAKING ENERGY RESEARCH PROJECTS

Department of Energy Awards $92 Million for Groundbreaking Energy Research Projects – Secretary Steven Chu, Department of Energy

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced 43 cutting edge research projects that aim to dramatically improve how the U.S. uses and produces energy. Funded with $92 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), today’s selections focus on accelerating innovation in green technology while increasing America's competitiveness in grid scale energy storage, power electronics and building efficiency.  He notes that “These innovative ideas will play a critical role in our energy security and economic growth. It is now more important than ever to invest in a new, clean energy economy.”
For more details, please refer to the attached document from Secretary Steven Chu.

 CLEAN ENERGY AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN MAINE 

Maine Voices: Small businesses using clean energy – Administrator Karen Mills, Small Business Administration

In her opinion piece, Ms. Karen Mills notes that jobs in Maine’s clean energy grew more than 20 percent from 1998 to 2007 -- nearly seven times the overall growth rate of jobs in the state. The Recovery Act has also created hundreds of jobs to weatherize about 4,000 low-income homes.  Wind energy companies have joined with the University of Maine to help design, test and develop floating wind turbine platforms over the next 10 years.  SBA’s recovery loans in particular have helped entrepreneurs who are working to install solar panels, wind turbines, and more in support of clean energy.
For more details, please refer to the attached document from Ms. Mills.

USDA AND NAVY JOIN HANDS FOR CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

Unlikely partnership for our clean energy future – Secretary Tom Vilsack, Department of Agriculture 

Secretary Vilsack of the Department of Agriculture reviews the benefits of the newly formed partnership between the USDA and the Department of the Navy.  The relationship will channel research and development efforts of renewable energy solutions – especially advanced biofuels – to meet the Navy’s needs.  Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has mandated that by 2020, the Navy and Marine Corps meet 50 percent of all their energy needs using alternative fuels, including biofuels.  The overall goal is for the Navy to be less dependent on foreign fossil fuel supplies while supporting American agricultural producers.
For more details, please refer to the attached document from Secretary Vilsack.

WHITE HOUSE BLOG POSTS ON CLEAN ENERGY 

Going Green in Denver- Secretary Hilda Solis, Department of Labor

On a recent visit to Denver, CO, Secretary Hilda Solis visited the Denver Green Jobs Initiative, a program that provides free green jobs training to the unemployed, women, and minorities.  In her blog she notes that “Denver and Colorado as a whole are really taking an interest in green industries. Several employers have already reached out to the Denver Green Jobs Initiative as a pipeline for several planned transportation, retrofitting, and green construction projects…I’m proud that the Department of Labor is [supporting this effort] though our investment in the Denver Green Jobs Initiative. This program received over $3.6 million from the Department of Labor as part of the Pathways out of Poverty Initiative.” 
For more details, please visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/08/going-green-denver 

From Sand to Solar – Secretary Steven Chu, Department of Energy

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu were just in Nevada and announced a venture to help promising solar technologies go to market.  “The Dept of Energy and the Dept of Interior recently signed an agreement to dedicate more than 25 square miles to solar energy research – an area larger than Manhattan.  There will be a particular focus on the future of Concentrating Solar Power, or CSP.”
For more details, please visit:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/08/sand-solar 

Smith Electric Just One Example of Innovation in Kansas City - Matt Rogers, Senior Advisor at the Department of Energy

Earlier this week, President Obama met with workers at Smith Electric’s new factory in Kansas City, Missouri.  Matt Rogers notes that “with a $32 million grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act coupled with $36 million in private capital, the electric vehicle company is building up to 500 all-electric trucks.  Along with creating new jobs and breathing life back into this facility, this project is helping demonstrate that electric-drive cars and trucks are real.”  While visiting Smith Electric, the President said “[T]he reason I’m here today is because, at this plant, you’re doing more than just building new vehicles.  You are helping to fight our way through a vicious recession and you are building the economy of America’s future.”  At the project’s peak, Smith is projecting to support over 220 direct and indirect jobs. 
For more details, please visit:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/08/smith-electric-just-one-example-innovation-kansas-city 

Weatherizing 82,000 Homes This Summer – Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary for Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy

Cathy Zoi writes about the importance of ‘weatherization’ – the process of installing insulation, caulking, weatherstripping, windows, better furnaces or water heaters – to help families save energy.  As part of the Recovery Summer, over 82,000 low-income families will have their homes retrofitted and ultimately benefit from lower energy bills. 
For more details, please visit:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/07/weatherizing-82000-homes-summer 

Solar and Smart Grid: Powering a Clean Energy Future- Nancy Sutley, Chair of White House Council on Environmental Quality

Nancy Sutley’s visit to the clean tech hub in Silicon Valley included tours of Nanosolar, Cisco Systems, and SunPower.  All of these companies are on the forefront of solar and smart-grid technology, engaged in products ranging from thin film solar cells to smart-grid technology. 
For more details, please visit:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/07/solar-and-smart-grid-powering-a-clean-energy-future 

CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE LEGISLATION

Secretary Shaun Donovan, Department of Housing and Urban Development

“The worst environmental disaster in our nation's history threatens the Gulf Coast and the families who live there. Stopping the oil spill and containing its damage is the top priority of the Obama administration and the country alike. But of all the lessons to be drawn from this tragedy, perhaps the most important is that we can't afford to let the next generation be held hostage to energy sources from the last century.” 
Please refer to the attached document to learn more about Secretary Donovan’s ideas on reducing America’s carbon footprint. 

IMPROVING ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS RURAL AMERICA

Secretary Tom Vilsack, Department of Agriculture

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that more than 54,000 customers in 20 states will benefit from electric infrastructure improvement projects funded with loan guarantees provided through USDA. Vilsack said "The Obama Administration believes that modernized infrastructure is a necessary part of the foundation for long term economic stability and prosperity and that includes a modernized electrical grid.  These loans will improve electric service for thousands of Americans, creating jobs, and expanding business and economic opportunity in America's small towns and communities."  
Please refer to the attached document to learn more about the benefits of electricity distribution lines across the rural countryside.

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Department of Energy Announces more than $18 Million to Strengthen Nuclear Education at U.S. Universities and Colleges

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced approximately $18.2 million to help educate the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers, and to strengthen nuclear research and education capabilities at U.S. universities and colleges.

Through its Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), the Department is providing $5 million in scholarships and fellowships to 117 U.S. nuclear science and engineering students, and nearly $13.2 million to 39 U.S. universities and colleges to purchase new equipment or to upgrade their research reactors.

“Restarting the U.S. nuclear industry is a critical part of our efforts to build a clean energy economy and create new clean energy jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.  “To ensure American leadership in the global nuclear energy industry, we need a skilled workforce for years to come.  This investment will give our students the support and resources they need to advance nuclear energy and keep America at the forefront of the nuclear industry.”

The Department is awarding 85 scholarships to undergraduate students and 32 fellowships to graduate students in engineering and science programs related to nuclear energy.  Each scholarship student will receive $5,000 to help cover the cost of his or her education for the next year. Fellowship winners will receive $50,000 a year over the next three years to help pay for their graduate studies and research.
In addition, 39 universities and colleges in 27 states will receive approximately $13.2 million in grants to upgrade their research reactors and also purchase new equipment, such as instrumentation or new computers, which will bolster their ability to conduct cutting-edge nuclear energy research.
Since 2008, the Department has provided more than $80 million in funding to U.S. universities and students through NEUP.

A list of awardees can be found at:  http://nuclear.gov/pdfFiles/FY2010_NEUP_Awards.pdf. Additional information on the Nuclear Energy University Program is available at www.ne-up.org.

Source: Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs

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Department of Energy Announces $67 Million Investment for Carbon Capture Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US Department of Energy announced today the selection of ten projects aimed at developing advanced technologies for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal combustion.  The projects, valued at up to $67 million over three years, focus on reducing the energy and efficiency penalties associated with applying currently available carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to existing and new power plants.  

The selections announced today will focus on improving efficiency and reducing the added costs to electricity at power plants with carbon capture systems to less than 30 percent for a new pulverized coal plant and 10 percent for a new advanced gasification plant. The Obama Administration has made a goal of developing cost-effective deployment of CCS technologies within 10 years, with an objective of bringing 5 to 10 commercial demonstration projects online by 2016.

“Charting a path toward clean coal is essential to achieving our goals of providing clean energy, creating American jobs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It will also help position the United States as a leader in the global clean energy race,” said Secretary Steven Chu.
 
Carbon dioxide power plant capture systems currently require large amounts of energy for their operation, resulting in decreased efficiency and reduced net power output when compared to plants without CCS technology.  The goal of this research is to reduce the energy “penalty” with carbon capture and sequestration technologies, thereby reducing costs and helping to move the technology closer to widespread use.

Post-combustion CO2 capture technology offers great near-term potential for reducing power sector CO2 emissions because it can be retrofitted to existing plants. Today’s selections will focus on bench-scale and slipstream-scale development (0.5 to 5 MWe) and testing of advanced post-combustion CO2 capture technologies that include membranes, solvents, and solid sorbents. 

For more information about the selected projects, please click here.

Source: Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs

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U.S. Departments of Energy and Interior Announce Site for Solar Energy Demonstration Projects in the Nevada Desert

Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced today the site of the new Solar Demonstration Zone to demonstrate cutting-edge solar energy technologies. The Solar Demonstration Zone will be located in the southwest corner of the Nevada Test Site, a former nuclear site, on lands owned by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and administered by DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Secretaries Chu and Salazar signed an interagency Memorandum of Understanding that will enable the Department of Energy to develop innovative solar energy projects at the Nevada Test Site.  These projects will serve as proving grounds for new solar technologies, providing a critical link between DOE’s advanced technology development and full-scale commercialization efforts. 

“The Nevada Test Site is about to play a new role in securing America’s future – but instead of testing nuclear weapons, we will test new solar technologies that will help put America on a sustainable energy path,” said Secretary Chu.  “Working closely with the Department of Interior, and with the critical leadership of Senator Reid, we will demonstrate technologies that will lower the cost of solar energy, accelerate the pace of innovation, and help build a clean energy economy.”

 “President Obama is committed to developing our nation’s new energy frontier, including the promising area of advanced solar energy,” Secretary Salazar said. “Our Bureau of Land Management, which oversees 23 million acres of Southwestern lands with solar potential, plays an important role in supporting the President’s renewable energy goals.  These projects on BLM land in Nevada can significantly reduce the costs and environmental impacts of utility-scale solar power facilities and demonstrate the commercial viability of these facilities.  Thanks to Senator Reid’s leadership, Nevada is ready to jump-start these projects, put people to work, and create more clean power.”

 “I am very pleased, but not surprised, that Nevada has been chosen as the site for this cutting-edge project,” said Reid. “Nevada stands to be the leader in solar power production and technology development, especially with this kind of positive support from our federal partners.  I am working on additional policies in the Senate to enhance Nevada's economy and create jobs through the production and export of clean renewable energy.  The Nevada Test Site can and should be a proving ground for new ideas and for attracting new clean energy industries that will help our state and country compete globally.”

Under the agreement, the federal government is dedicating more than 25 square miles to solar energy research - an area larger than Manhattan.  DOE will use the site to demonstrate innovative Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technologies.  CSP systems concentrate the sun's energy and capture that energy as heat, which then drives an engine or turbine to produce electrical power.  The Solar Demonstration Zone will complement BLM’s establishment of 24 Solar Energy Study Areas (SESAs) on public lands across the U.S. Southwest by helping to ensure that the most advanced CSP technologies are ready for commercial deployment.  Plans are underway to create a new DOE funding opportunity for demonstration projects at the Nevada Test Site that will include matching investments from the private sector.

 DOE selected this site after reviewing 26 possible locations, evaluating factors including solar conditions, suitable terrain, and existing infrastructure to support solar projects.  In addition to collaborating with each other, BLM and DOE are working in close coordination with the U.S. Air Force to identify and address potential problems with locating and operating the Solar Demonstration Zone at the Nevada Test Site.  DOI and DOE will continue to collaborate with the Air Force and the Department of Defense.  The site will serve as a test bed for other solar projects proposed near military installations throughout the desert southwest.

Before selecting the site for the Solar Demonstration Zone, the federal government consulted with relevant stakeholders, including state, tribal, and local governments, as well as local utilities.  Under the interagency agreement, DOE and DOI will continue collaborating to effectively implement the project, including working together to conduct environmental reviews, make any land status adjustments, and coordinate necessary infrastructure planning on the site.  

A version of the complete Memorandum of Understanding is available at www.solar.energy.gov/pdfs/solar_demonstration_mou.pdf.

 For more information on the Solar Energy Technologies Program and solar funding opportunities, please visit www.eere.energy.gov/solar.

 More information on the BLM’s renewable energy program is available at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/energy/renewable_energy.html

Source: Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs

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IEA Report: Energy Technology Revolution is Now Underway

Summary: A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) finds early indications that an energy technology revolution is now underway. Released on July 1, Energy Technology Perspectives 2010, reports that global investment in renewable power generation reached an all-time high of $112 billion in 2008, then remained broadly stable in 2009 despite the economic downturn. The report also notes that many major automakers are adding electrified vehicles to their fleets, and that with the purchase incentives available in many countries, more than 5 million electrified vehicles could be on the road in the next decade. Developed countries have also accelerated their energy efficiency gains, while funding for low-carbon energy research increased by one-third between 2005 and 2008.

Date Released: July 7, 2010 EERE News
To View Full Report: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=16143

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