The Ten Essential Renewable Energy Stories This Week
Well, it's Friday, and for those of you that follow EnergyBoom you know what that means. And, for those of you who are reading EnergyBoom for the first time, you are about to find out.
Lots of news has been spit out of the renewable energy universe this week. To make it easier on everyone, EnergyBoom has sat down and compiled the best stories from this week and packaged them into a golden nugget: a single, somewhat concise post. It is our sincere hope this will benefit all the clean tech fans, followers, designers, and users out there.
It's already late, so, we won't waste your time any longer...
Here are this week's 10 Hottest Renewable Energy Stories You May Have Missed:
1. If Pennsylvania Mines Are Reclaimed, They May Be Valuable For Producing Biofuels - Dr. Rick Stehouwer from Penn State University is in the midst of a research project which seeks to determine whether or not the 180,000 acres of abandoned mine land in Pennsylvania can support the growth of cost effective biomass crops, such as swtichgrass.
2. President Obama Announces $3.4 Billion Investment to Spur Transition to Smart Energy Grid - President Obama has made history again. This week he announced the largest investment in energy grid modernization and development ever. The government's investment will be matched by industry funding, which will push the total investment in smart grid technology to $8 Billion USD.
3. Shai Agassi's Electric Car Networks Make The World A Better Place - Shai Agassi has been named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people, as well as a member of Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business". Find why Shai Agassi's electric vehicle ideas have captured the attention of millions.
4. Republicans Intent on Delaying Climate Change Bill in Senate - Several Republican Senators are planning to boycott the meetings of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee to discuss the Waxman-Markey (climate change) bill. The Republican senators are hoping to delay the bill reaching the Senate floor to be voted on.
5. Soaring Heights Communities at Air Force Base will Become America's Largest Solar-Powered Community - A coalition of companies and organizations have come together to design Soaring Heights Communities--America's largest solar powered community. The communities' solar systems will generate 10 million kilowatts worth of electricity per year--enough to satisfy the energy needs of 75% of the communities' homes.
6. One of the Largest Wind Turbines Starts Operation - In an effort to study wind power generation in more depth, the U.S. Department of Energy will design one of the country's largest wind turbines--a 2.3 megawatt wind turbine mounted on a 262-foot tower and fitted with a 331-foot-diameter rotor.
7. DOE Accelerates Geothermal Energy with $338 Million in Awards - Geothermal energy continues to receive record funding from the U.S. government. In its latest dispersal of grant money, the U.S. Department of Energy has given $338 million to support 123 projects in 39 states throughout the country.
8. LiveFuels: Using Fish to Harvest Oil From Algae - This past year, algae has arisen to princely status in the biofuel industry. And, as many companies compete to establish themselves as leaders in this nascent sector, LiveFuels has taken a distinctly unique approach to harvesting the oil from algae.
9. DOE Gives Ansari X-Prize Up To $5.5 Million - The X PRIZE Foundation, which is world renonwed for spurring technological innovation by creating incentive based competitions has received $5.5 million USD from the U.S. Department of Energy. The money will go to the X PRIZE Foundation's new competition, the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE.
10. EPA Awards First GreenChill Platinum Award for Grocery Store Refrigeration - Star Market in Newton, Massachusetts has become the first grocery store to receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill award. The GreenChill award recognizes the grocery store whose refrigerators emit the least amount of ozone-depleting substances, greenhouse gasses, and refrigerant charges.
That's it, we're done. Thanks for reading. And, stayed tuned as EnergyBoom continues to evolve and change itself to better serve you--exciting times are ahead. Also, if you did not know, you can easily keep up-to-date with EnergyBoom by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
Any opinion contained in this article is solely that of the writers, and does not necessarily shape or reflect the editorial opinions of Energy Boom. Energy Boom content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be advice regarding the investment merits of, or a recommendation regarding the purchase or sale of, any security identified on, or linked through, this site.
