innovation

November 16, 2009 -- Washington, DC – House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairwoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) congratulated National Administration of Space and Aeronautics (NASA) on making TIME’s List of 50 Best Inventions of 2009. NASA’s Ares rockets placed number one among the best inventions of the year.

The Ares rockets placed before several remarkable inventions – the Smart Thermostat (#4), the AIDS vaccine (#8), and Tweeting by Thinking (#9), among others.    » read more »

Nov. 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded $900,000 in prize money to a Seattle company that successfully demonstrated new wireless energy beaming technology which could one day be used to help power a "space elevator."

LaserMotive of Seattle was awarded the money after its performance in the Power Beaming Challenge competition, which was a demonstration of wireless power transmission that enabled a robotic device to climb a vertical cable. The competition was held Nov. 4-6 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. The Spaceward Foundation of Mountain View, Calif., manages the competition for NASA's Centennial Challenges program.    » read more »

(June 12, 2009 - Newark, NJ) - PSE&G has been recognized by the solar industry for its game-changing innovations to expand the solar market that are models for replication around the country. The national award was presented at this week’s PV America conference in Philadelphia.

The company received an Industry Innovation award from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) to honor a company that is at the forefront of efforts to expand renewable generation and reduce carbon emissions. SEIA is the national trade group that represents the U.S. solar energy industry.    » read more »

China moves up the global innovation rankings but innovation techniques still lag global best practice, says Economist Intelligence Unit

09 Jun 2009 -- From workshop to the world to a budding test bed for global innovation, China is on the move. To increase productivity, China’s government is investing in research and development (R&D) and education, the foundations of innovation.    » read more »

In radio address, governor says we can no longer depend on industries that once were our bedrock

May 29, 2009 -- LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said that Michigan's ongoing efforts in fostering the alternative energy sector and a green economy are more imperative than ever, given this week's particularly gloomy economic news.

"Michigan is going to lead a green industrial revolution in our nation," Granholm said. "We'll be a beacon that guides this country along the path to energy independence."    » read more »

Six Winners Chosen for March and April

May 29, 2009 -- HONOLULU – Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle today recognized six recipients of the Governor’s Innovation Awards for their ingenuity and commitment to developing creative ways for Hawaii to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The recipients, three each for March and April, include private sector organizations, government entities and private citizens. The winners have developed innovative solutions to address pressing issues facing Hawaii, invented and implemented new technologies with worldwide applications, and contributed to the creation of a stronger economic future for the state.    » read more »

Students Recognized for Creativity and Talent in Energy Education Event

May 16, 2009 -- Seventy-eight teams from 29 Colorado middle schools participated in today’s Junior Solar Sprint and Hydrogen Fuel Cell car competitions hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The student teams raced solar or hydrogen powered vehicles that they designed and built themselves.

The fastest solar-powered model car was #4 from Bell Middle School (Golden) with a time of 5.12 seconds on a 20-meter track. Second place and third place trophies were awarded to car #18 and car #20 from Drake Middle School (Arvada.)    » read more »

May 8, 2009 -- GAITHERSBURG, Md. – The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has received Congressional approval on its recovery plan to create jobs, strengthen the economy and encourage innovation.

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), NIST was granted $580 million in direct appropriations, along with an additional $30 million transferred to NIST from other federal agencies, to invest in construction projects, grants, scientific equipment and research fellowships.    » read more »

April 9, 2009 -- (Salem) - Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski today announced a new partnership with Mitsubishi to work with the state and Portland General Electric toward the development of an electric vehicle charging network to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles.

“Oregon welcomes the partnership with Mitsubishi as we transition to the next generation of vehicles. Together, we can build a consistent and reliable infrastructure so Oregonians can make the switch seamlessly to electric vehicles,” Governor Kulongoski said. “The partnership shows that a state can create opportunity for its commitment to a greener future – wins for our economy and our environment.”    » read more »

Advancement has applications in many areas involving remote sensing

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 24, 2009) — Radio frequency identification (RFID) devices have been widely used for tracking for years; recently, scientists from U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a unique tracking technology that also monitors the environmental and physical conditions of containers of nuclear materials in storage and transportation.    » read more »

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., March 24, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has successfully demonstrated its Re-Deployable High-Energy Laser System (RHELS) by quickly relocating the prototype weapon system from its Albuquerque development site to a test range, where it tracked ground and airborne targets and fired at a ground target.

RHELS integrates a solid-state, thin-disk laser; an acquisition, pointing and tracking capability; beam control, fire control and thermal management systems; and a weapons operator console into a modified 40-foot-long shipping container transportable on a semitrailer.    » read more »

Sensor Technology Reduces Automaker's Goods Receiving Process to a Single Step

STUTTGART, GERMANY and ARMONK, NY - 24 Mar 2009: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it is working with Volkswagen Group, Europe's leading vehicle manufacturer, to improve the automaker's material logistics operations through the use of sensor technology.

The new system will significantly enhance the carmaker's efficiencies in day-to-day operations, for instance at the goods-receiving stage. As a result, Volkswagen is preparing to introduce this technology at its central logistics hall, located at its major plant in Germany.    » read more »

Investment Could Lead to Thousands of New Jobs

March 20, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Energy Secretary Steven Chu today offered a $535 million loan guarantee for Solyndra, Inc. to support the company’s construction of a commercial-scale manufacturing plant for its proprietary cylindrical solar photovoltaic panels. The company expects to create thousands of new jobs in the U.S. while deploying its solar panels across the U.S. and around the world.    » read more »

DOE Support for Advanced Battery Manufacturing and Electric Vehicle Deployment to Create Tens of Thousands of U.S. Jobs

March 19, 2009 -- POMONA, CA - Today, President Barack Obama announced the availability of $2.4 billion in funding to put American ingenuity and America's manufacturers to work producing next generation Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and the advanced battery components that will make these vehicles run. The initiative will create tens of thousands of U.S. jobs and help us end our addiction to foreign oil. Americans who decide to purchase these Plug-in Hybrid vehicles can claim a tax credit of up to $7,500.    » read more »

Remarks of President Barack Obama - As Prepared for Delivery

March 19, 2009 -- Pomona, California -- It is good to be back in California. It's always nice to get out of Washington for a little while and recharge your batteries. You know a little bit about that here. And I want to thank the folks here at the Electric Vehicle Technical Center for the tour we just had.    » read more »