EERE: A Boost for Solar, U.S.-China Clean Energy Research, and Better Bioenergy Crops

On 9/8/2010 2:03 AM, EERE Network News wrote:

A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The EERE Network News is also available on the Web at: www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm September 08, 2010 News and Events DOE Announces $8.5 Million for Solar Energy Grid Integration Two U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Consortia Picked by DOE Nevada Geothermal Project Gets DOE Loan Guarantee DOE, USDA to Develop Better Plants for Bioenergy New Jersey Enacts Law to Boost Offshore Wind Industry Hawaii and Nissan Agree to EV Partnership

News and Events DOE Announces $8.5 Million for Solar Energy Grid Integration DOE announced on September 7 that DOE's Sandia National Laboratories is investing $8.5 million in four projects that have reached Stage III of the Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS) program. SEGIS contractors will match these investments by more than one-to-one to support a total of more than $20 million in projects. The selections are part of DOE's ongoing work to improve electrical grid reliability as cost-competitive solar energy technologies contribute increasing amounts of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity flow into the U.S. electrical grid. The awards follow the first two SEGIS stages, and awardees were selected for having the highest likelihood of commercialization. The projects cover a range of strategies. The Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida will focus on a larger shared inverter serving multiple residential or commercial PV systems. The Florida demonstration will feature a suite of new functionalities such as smart grid power controls, continued operation in the events of voltage and frequency disturbances, and improved safety of PV systems. Petra Solar of South Plainfield, New Jersey, will partner with utilities in Florida, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. to boost system reliability and safety with low cost modular inverters. Also in New Jersey, Princeton Power will lead a project to complete a design for a 100-kilowatt demand response inverter based on Princeton's unique circuit designs and the use of new state-of-the-art components. And in Oregon, PV Powered will spearhead an effort that includes partners in South Dakota, Washington, and Oregon to further next-generation controls and advanced communications technologies that enable distributed PV systems to communicate with power utilities. See the DOE press release and the SEGIS Web site. Two U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Consortia Picked by DOE DOE announced on September 2 that two consortia—one led by the University of Michigan to advance clean vehicles and one led by the West Virginia University to study carbon capture—will receive a total of $25 million over the next five years under the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center (CERC). The funding will be matched by the grantees to provide at least $50 million in total U.S. funding, while China will provide another $50 million. The money will fund joint research and development of clean energy technologies by the United States and China. As leaders of the world's top energy consumers, energy producers and greenhouse gas emitters, President Obama and President Hu Jintao formally announced the establishment of the CERC during the President's trip to China last November. The University of Michigan will lead a consortium that will focus on vehicle electrification. It includes Ohio State University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, DOE's Sandia and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. It also includes the Joint BioEnergy Institute, which is led by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Cummins, Fraunhofer, MAGNET, A123 Systems, American Electric Power, FirstEnergy, and the Transportation Research Center. West Virginia University's team will develop and test new technologies for carbon capture and sequestration. The announcement of another $12.5 million to a third winning consortium focused on building energy efficiency will be made this fall. See the DOE press release. Nevada Geothermal Project Gets DOE Loan Guarantee DOE announced on September 7 a partial guarantee for a $98.5 million loan to the 49.5-megawatt Blue Mountain "Faulkner 1" geothermal project in northwestern Nevada. The project consists of a geothermal well field along with fluid collection and injection systems that enable energy to be extracted from rock and fluid below the Earth's surface. It uses a power plant that converts geothermal energy into electricity. The project has a 20-year power purchase agreement to sell electricity and renewable energy credits to Nevada Geothermal Power, Inc. The loan guarantee was issued under DOE's Financial Institution Partnership Program (FIPP), which is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. FIPP is designed to expedite the loan guarantee process for renewable energy generation projects that use commercial technologies. It also helps to expand credit capacity for financing of U.S. renewable energy projects. In a FIPP financing, DOE provides a partial guarantee for up to 80% of a loan provided to a renewable energy project by qualified financial institutions. DOE has now either issued loan guarantees or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees to support 14 clean energy projects. See press releases from DOE and Nevada Geothermal, as well as the Loan Guarantee Program Web site. DOE, USDA to Develop Better Plants for Bioenergy A joint DOE-USDA project will seek to improve the energy potential of biomass such as prairie cordgrass. Credit: USDA DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on September 2 announced they will award $8.9 million for research under a joint DOE-USDA genetic breeding program that will create plants better suited for bioenergy production. Scientists at eight institutions will investigate biomass genomics, with the aim of harnessing lignocellulosic materials—nonfood plant fiber—for biofuels production. Funded projects will combine DOE's genome-scale technologies with USDA's experience in crop improvement to accelerate development of specialized perennials, including trees and other nonfood plants, and to improve their effectiveness as feedstocks for biofuels production. DOE's Office of Science will provide $6.9 million for seven projects, while USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture will award $2 million to two projects. The goal is to diversify the U.S. energy portfolio and cut foreign oil use. The projects, supported for up to three years, will look to find long-range improvements. For example, Texas A&M University will host a project to identify the genetic and biochemical basis for increasing yield and to improve the composition of high-biomass cellulosic energy sorghum. Once genotypes are analyzed, scientists can create better bioenergy grasses. At the University of Illinois, researchers will examine the role of small RNA molecules in biomass production. In particular, they will study how RNA regulates cellulose and lignin, which make up most of the next-generation biofuel crops. The findings could help enrich the energy potential of crops such as miscanthus, switchgrass, and prairie cordgrass. See the DOE press release and the joint DOE-USDA Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy research program Web site. New Jersey Enacts Law to Boost Offshore Wind Industry Offshore wind turbines like these could appear off the New Jersey coast under a new state program. Credit: Siemens In a bid to boost offshore wind energy, New Jersey enacted a law on August 19 that provides a financial incentive for companies to construct turbines in the Atlantic Ocean off the state's coast. The "Offshore Wind Economic Development Act" will offer offshore wind renewable energy certificates to approved projects for the generation of 1,110 megawatts of power. The new law also seeks to attract firms that build wind turbines, their components, or water access facilities by granting up to $100 million in tax credits as well as financial assistance to qualified applicants. The Garden State used a similar approach to encourage photovoltaic installations and is now producing 57.3 megawatts DC, putting it second behind only the much-sunnier California on the list of states. Under provisions of the new law, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will determine a process for utilities to buy offshore renewable energy certificates from commercial offshore wind farms. State statutes require New Jersey get 22.5% of its electricity from renewables by 2021. See the press release from Governor Chris Christie and the full text of the bill (PDF 183 KB). Download Adobe Reader. In June, New Jersey and nine other East Coast states signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Interior to create the Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium. The goal of the consortium is to promote the development of wind resources on the Outer Continental Shelf along the East Coast, by coordinating state and federal efforts relating to permitting activities, environmental studies, technical and financial barriers, and the infrastructure needed to deploy and maintain offshore wind power plants. See the June 16 edition of EERE Network News. Hawaii and Nissan Agree to EV Partnership Hawaii and Nissan North America on August 31 announced a partnership to promote development of electric vehicles (EV) and charging networks throughout the state. The compact Nissan Leaf EV, powered by lithium-ion batteries, will be available in Hawaii beginning in January 2011. According to the carmaker, the partnership marks Nissan's first such definitive agreement in the United States. State officials noted this was part of a strategy begun in 2008, when it launched the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative in conjunction with DOE. The initiative aims to have at least 70% of Hawaii's power come from clean energy by 2030. Hawaii offers consumers a $4,500 state tax credit towards the purchase of an electric vehicle and a $500 state tax credit towards the purchase and installation of a home charging station. That means that the Leaf, with a 100-mile range and a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $32,780, could sell for as little as $20,780 after state and federal credits. Nissan isn't the only EV manufacturer targeting Hawaii. CODA Automotive announced on September 2 that it intends to distribute its CODA Sedan EV in Hawaii by the third quarter of 2011. The five-passenger car is powered by a 33.8–kWh, lithium-ion battery. It has a 120-mile range. See press releases from Nissan and CODA, as well as the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative Web site.

This newsletter is funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and is also available on the EERE Web site. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact the editor, Ernie Tucker. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE). Visit the Web site at http://www.eere.energy.gov.

 

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