Blogs
Obama Administration Awards First Advanced-Vehicle Loans
June 29, 2009 10:23 am | CommentsToday, the Obama Administration announced $8 billion in conditional loan commitments for the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies that will create thousands of green jobs while helping reduce the nation’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil. The loan commitments announced today by the President include $5.9 billion for Ford Motor Company to transform factories across Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio to produce 13 more fuel efficient models
Cap and Trade Looms on the Horizon
June 24, 2009 8:25 pm | by by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe AP reports that “climate bill” proponents had agreed to concessions in an attempt to sway wary Democrats. In this case, “climate bill” refers to the “Cap and Trade” proposal sought by Barack Obama and activists for years. Along with universal healthcare, Cap and Trade has been a major priority of the Obama administration. Will these concessions finally enable passage of Cap and Trade legislation?
The Solar Industry Shines in Saginaw
June 12, 2009 5:36 am | by Steve Hargreaves | CommentsOutside Saginaw, Mich., an old auto town of 56,000 people about 100 miles northwest of Detroit, a company making silicon for solar panels is doing the exact opposite of the Big Three. It's hiring.
Study: Jobs in fledgling green sector growing
June 10, 2009 5:35 pm | by CHRIS KAHN and SANDY SHORE | CommentsThe fledgling renewable energy industry has grown steadily over much of the past decade, adding jobs at more than twice the national rate, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts study released Wednesday. Solar and wind-power companies, energy-efficient light bulb makers, environmental engineering firms and others expanded their work force by 9.1 percent from 1998 to 2007, the latest year available, according to Pew. The average job growth in all industries was 3.7 percent during the same period.
Report says climate change is adding to migration
June 10, 2009 5:24 pm | by ARTHUR MAX, Associated Press Writer | CommentsGlobal warming is uprooting people from their homes and, left unchecked, could lead to the greatest human migration in history, said a report released Wednesday. Estimates vary on how many people are on the move because of climate change, but the report cites predictions from the International Organization for Migration that 200 million people will be displaced by environmental pressures by 2050.
House GOP offers nuclear-loaded energy bill
June 10, 2009 5:15 pm | by DINA CAPPIELLO, Associated Press Writer | CommentsHouse Republicans are calling for a hundred new nuclear power plants to be built in the next two decades as part of an energy plan they say is a better alternative than one championed by Democrats. The legislation unveiled by the GOP Wednesday would also increase production of oil and gas offshore, open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling and spur refinery construction.
Climate Change Odds Much Worse Than Thought
June 8, 2009 7:54 am | CommentsThe most comprehensive modeling yet carried out on the likelihood of how much hotter the Earth's climate will get in this century shows that without rapid and massive action, the problem will be about twice as severe as previously estimated six years ago - and could be even worse than that.
Obama 'optimistic' US can lead on climate change
June 6, 2009 10:00 am | CommentsPresident Barack Obama said Friday he was increasingly hopeful that the United States can lead the way on climate change, six months before crunch global talks in Copenhagen. "I'm actually more optimistic than I was about America being able to take leadership on this issue, joining Europe, which over the last several years has been ahead of us on this issue," Obama said after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany.
Toyota to start plug-in hybrid leasing
June 3, 2009 5:44 am | by YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama, Ap Business Writer | CommentsToyota said Wednesday it will start leasing plug-in hybrid cars, that are even greener than its hit Prius, by the end of this year in the U.S., Japan and Europe.Toyota Motor Corp., the world's top automaker, will start leasing 200 plug-ins in Japan, 150 in the U.S. and 150 in Europe, mostly for rental, such as through special government-backed programs, it said in a release. Toyota will for the first time use lithium-ion batteries in the plug-ins. The batteries are already used in some cars but more common in laptops and other gadgets. Toyota hybrids now use nickel-metal hydride batteries. Using a lithium-ion battery will produce more energy, allowing the car to run more as an electric vehicle, but there have been some technological hurdles.
ECN Eye On Efficiency
June 1, 2009 1:16 pm | CommentsHere are a couple of articles on efficiency in flywheel and electro-optical systems from Douglas Electrical Components and Wavelength Electronics.
Sweden Helps South Korea Convert Food Waste Into Biogas
May 21, 2009 7:20 am | by KELLY OLSEN, AP Business Writer | CommentsThe South Korean city of Ulsan lets water generated from processing food waste run off into the ocean, which can generate methane gas harmful to the environment. Now, with the help of a Swedish company, it is going to start converting that waste water into biogas, a type of clean fuel that can be used as power to heat buildings and even power vehicles.
Obama to Implement Increased Automotive Regulation
May 19, 2009 4:10 am | by KEN THOMAS and PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press | CommentsPresident Barack Obama wants drivers to go farther on a gallon of gas and cause less damage to the environment — and be willing to pick up the tab.
GE Partners with NY State to Create Next-Generation Batteries
May 13, 2009 6:07 am | CommentsGE announced today that it will open a new, state-of-the-art battery manufacturing plant in Upstate New York that will serve as the main manufacturing facility for GE’s newly formed battery business. The initial investment in the factory will be $100 million. It will be located in the Capital Region and will create 350 new manufacturing jobs at GE and thousands more in the supply chain.
Bioelectricity May Outperform Ethanol
May 8, 2009 6:16 am | CommentsCompared to ethanol used for internal combustion engines, researcher say that bioelectricity used for battery-powered vehicles would deliver an average of 80% more miles of transportation per acre of crops, while also providing double the greenhouse gas offsets to mitigate climate change.
Solid State Lighting Could Learn From Betamax
May 1, 2009 6:59 am | by by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsConventional wisdom says that “early adopters” eventually bring new technologies into the mainstream. Thus, the effort to promote solid state lighting (SSL) has ample historical precedence. Back in the late 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s an epic battle was waged between Video Home System (VHS) and Betamax (Beta). One can draw lessons from the eponymous “videotape format war”—specifically, why technologies catch on (while others fade away)
