Technology

Nov. 3, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today congratulated four winning teams in the 2009 Rocky Mountain Cleantech Open in Denver, an event designed to find promising early-stage start-up companies that address today's most urgent energy and environmental challenges.

The winners moving to the next round of competition are: New Sky Energy (Boulder), Rivertop Renewables (Missoula, Mont.) and SunTrac Solar (Golden). A fourth company, Cool Energy of Boulder, won the regional sustainability award.    » read more »

November 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that the Department of Energy is providing up to $5.5 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support the X PRIZE Foundation’s work to inspire a new generation of energy efficient vehicles. As part of the Automotive X PRIZE competition, teams design innovative, commercially-viable, high-efficiency vehicles that will help break our dependence on oil and stem the effects of climate change.    » read more »

Nov. 3, 2009 -- The eyes may be the mirror to the soul, but the iris reveals a person’s true identity—its intricate structure constitutes a powerful biometric. A new report by computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) demonstrates that iris recognition algorithms can maintain their accuracy and interoperability with compact images, affirming their potential for large-scale identity management applications such as the federal Personal Identity Verification program, cyber security and counterterrorism.    » read more »

New Industry and Advocate Agreement to Boost Streetlight Efficiency; Save Electricity and Money

WASHINGTON (November 3, 2009) -- A breakthrough agreement between electrical manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, will create the first national standards for street lights, parking lot lights and other outdoor lighting. The standard will save electricity and money for consumers, taxpayers and local governments.    » read more »

October 29, 2009 -- Berkeley, CA -- As the world’s energy needs grow ever greater, scientists are charged with finding new ways to expand clean-energy resources and tap new ones. One such resource is geothermal energy, or heat mining, in which the heat acquired by fluid circulation deep in the Earth’s crust is tapped for conversion to electricity.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been awarded $7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for four projects that seek to advance Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), which is capable of harnessing the Earth’s heat where conventional geothermal technologies cannot. The funding is part of a $400 million investment that the Department of Energy has made in geothermal energy thanks to the Recovery Act.    » read more »

Funds also create jobs at the Lab, at small businesses and down the chain.

October 28, 2009 -- As funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act start to flow into Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, much of that funding is flowing out to small businesses.

To date, Berkeley Lab has been awarded more than $220 million in Recovery Act funds, a large part of which will go toward infrastructure projects and buying and upgrading computers and scientific equipment, such as microscopes, lasers and gene sequencers. So far, $38.2 million in Recovery Act subcontracts have been awarded, of which 58 percent went to small businesses. That far exceeds the federal government’s goal for the Recovery Act of giving 23 percent of prime contracts to small firms.    » read more »

October 21, 2009 -- Members of the Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC) and supporters convened in Aurora, Colo., today, to mark a milestone in “Powering Up” one of the world’s largest solar test and demonstration facilities. Since announcing the initial launch of SolarTAC one year ago, the site infrastructure development has progressed to the point where members can now break ground for their planned solar technology implementation and testing.    » read more »

Nov. 03, 09 -- Total announces the signing of a research agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop new stationary batteries that are designed to enable the storage of solar power.

This agreement valued at $4 million over five years is part of the MIT Energy Initiative, which Total joined as a member in November 2008.

The Total-MIT research project is primarily focused on development of a low-cost, long-life battery suited to store the power generated by solar panels. The ability to store power is a major challenge and an essential ingredient for the scale up and widespread deployment of affordable solar power.    » read more »

Program will create jobs, increase energy independence, and strengthen economy

22 October 2009 -- Washington, DC - Congressman John Adler today voted to pass the Solar Technology Roadmap Act to strengthen the American solar technology industry. The bipartisan bill creates a coordinated research and development program and public-private partnerships. New Jersey is a leader in solar technology, with more solar power installed per capita than any other state.    » read more »

October 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., announced that Tenneco Inc. will receive a $24 million conditional loan from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Incentive Program. The ATVM program is intended to help the automotive industry meet or exceed the Administration’s new fuel economy standards and help America regain its competitive edge in world markets.

The loan will support the development of fuel efficient emission control components for advanced technology vehicles. Sen. Stabenow authored the language that created this program, and was included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 .    » read more »

Partnership Aimed at Bolstering Ohio's Aerospace Industry through More Contracts with Airbus

October 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Airbus Americas Chairman Allan McArtor announced the formalization of a partnership between Airbus and Ohio suppliers aimed at growing Ohio’s aerospace industry. They were joined by leaders from Ohio’s aerospace and technology communities, including the Ohio Aerospace Institute and Ohio’s Edison Technology Centers. These partners will co-host a set of procurement conferences to help facilitate more business between Ohio companies and Airbus.    » read more »

October 27, 2009 -- Wilmington, DE -- As part of the of the Administration’s commitment to jumpstarting the production of fuel efficient vehicles in America, Vice President Joe Biden today announced Fisker Automotive is re-opening a shuttered former GM factory in Wilmington, Delaware, to produce long-range, plug-in, electric hybrid vehicles. The Wilmington assembly plant was selected by Fisker Automotive for its primary global production facility based on its size, production capacity; and access to shipping ports, rail lines and skilled workforce.    » read more »

Tenneco is Fifth Company to Receive Conditional Loan Commitment from DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program

October 27, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has entered into a $24 million conditional loan commitment with Tenneco Inc. to develop fuel efficient emission control components for advanced technology vehicles.

The loan is part of the Department’s commitment to helping the auto industry meet or exceed President Obama’s tough new fuel economy standards, while helping America regain its competitive edge in world markets.    » read more »

Department of Energy’s ARPA-E selects 37 projects to pursue breakthroughs that could fundamentally change the way we use and produce energy

October 26, 2009 -- San Francisco, Calif. - The Department of Energy today announced major funding for 37 ambitious research projects – including some that could allow intermittent energy sources like wind and solar to provide a steady flow of power, or use bacteria to produce automotive fuel from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.    » read more »

October 26, 2009 -- (San Francisco, Calif.) - Today, DOE Secretary Chu announced the first $151 million in grant funding through the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy. Secretary Chu made the announcement at the headquarters of Google Inc. in Mountain View, California. Below are his remarks:

Sometimes a great idea can change the world.

The transistor made possible modern computers, the internet, and Silicon Valley. The hybrid strains of wheat and the Green Revolution helped us feed a growing planet. Linking our computers together through the Internet unleashed an Information Age – in no small part because of the great ideas that have come out of Google.    » read more »