Future Gen Alliance Awarded $1 Billion in Recovery Act Funding for Carbon Capture and Storage Network in Illinois

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin announced the awarding of $1 billion in Recovery Act funding to the FutureGen Alliance, Ameren Energy Resources, Babcock & Wilcox, and Air Liquide Process & Construction, Inc. to build FutureGen 2.0, a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage network.  The project partners estimate the program will bring 900 jobs to downstate Illinois and another 1,000 to suppliers across the state. 

The announcement will help ensure the US remains competitive in a carbon constrained economy, creating jobs while reducing greenhouse gas pollution,” said Secretary Chu.  “This investment in the world’s first, commercial-scale, oxy-combustion power plant will help to open up the over $300 billion market for coal unit repowering and position the country as a leader in an important part of the global clean energy economy.”

“As with the original FutureGen, Mattoon and the state of Illinois are positioned as leaders in innovative technology that can serve as a model for the nation,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “The new project stays true to the original goal of dramatically reducing pollution and providing thousands of good paying jobs in our state.”

Related video: Recent projects for carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration and coal gasifiication

With the funds announced today, the partner recipients will repower Ameren’s 200 megawatt Unit 4 in Meredosia, Illinois with advanced oxy-combustion technology.  The plant’s new boiler, air separation unit, CO2 purification and compression unit will deliver 90 percent CO2 capture and eliminate most SOx, NOx, mercury, and particulate emissions.  Ameren Energy Resources estimates that the retrofitting of the plant is expected to create approximately 500 construction jobs and allow Ameren to recall 50 permanent workers who were laid off last year.

This project will also provide performance and emissions data for future commercial guarantees, and establish operating and maintenance experience for future large-scale commercial projects.  The FutureGen Alliance will help design the test program for the new facility to incorporate a broad range of coals and operating conditions to expand the market for this repowering approach.

In addition, the project partners, working with the State of Illinois, will establish a regional CO2 storage site in Mattoon, Illinois and a CO2 pipeline network from Meredosia to Mattoon that will transport and store more than 1 million tons of captured CO2 per year.  The project partners estimate the new pipeline network is expected to create 275 contruction jobs and 75 permanent jobs.  The pipeline network, along with the repository in Mattoon, helps to lay the foundation for a regional CO2 network.  The Mattoon site will be used to conduct research on site characterization, injection and storage, and monitoring and measurement.   

Oxy-combustion burns coal with a mixture of oxygen and CO2 instead of air to produce a concentrated CO2 stream for safe, permanent, storage.  In addition, oxy-combustion technology creates a near-zero emissions plant by eliminating almost all of the mercury, SOx, NOx, and particulate pollutants from plant emissions.  The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory studies have identified oxy-combustion as potentially the least cost approach to clean-up existing coal-fired facilities and capture CO2 for geologic storage.  

FutureGen 2.0 stays true to the original spirit of the FutureGen project by advancing technology that can make the United States a world leader in carbon capture and storage.  Secretary Chu and Senator Durbin intend to visit the Illinois sites for this project in the coming weeks.

Secretary Chu Announces Six Projects to Convert Captured CO2 Emissions from Industrial Sources into Useful Products

$106 Million Recovery Act Investment Will Reduce CO2 Emissions and Mitigate Climate Change

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today the selections of six projects that aim to find ways of converting captured carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources into useful products such as fuel, plastics, cement, and fertilizers. Funded with $106 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act –matched with $156 million in private cost-share –today’s selections demonstrate the potential opportunity to use CO2 as an inexpensive raw material that can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions while producing useful by-products that Americans can use.

Related video converting CO2 into raw material

“These innovative projects convert carbon pollution from a climate threat to an economic resource,” said Secretary Chu. “This is part of our broad commitment to unleash the American innovation machine and build the thriving, clean energy economy of the future.”

Converting captured CO2 into products such as chemicals, carbonates, plastics, fuels, building materials, and other commodities is an important aspect of carbon capture and storage technology. Converting CO2 into other useful forms can help reduce carbon emissions in areas where long-term storage of CO2 is not practical. It is anticipated that large volumes of CO2 will be available as fossil fuel–based power plants and other CO2-emitting industries are equipped with CO2 emissions control technologies to comply with regulatory requirements.

The projects announced today were initially selected for a first phase funding in October 2009 as part of a $1.4 billion effort to capture CO2 from industrial sources for storage or beneficial use. Over the succeeding months, the project teams have performed experiments on innovative concepts and produced preliminary designs for pilot plants to study the feasibility of capturing and using CO2 exhausted from industrial processes. The selected projects now enter a second phase in which researchers design, construct, and operate their innovations at pilot-scale and evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of applying them commercially.

The projects selected to demonstrate the beneficial use of CO2 include:

• Alcoa, Inc. (Alcoa Center, Pa.)—Alcoa’s pilot-scale process will demonstrate the high efficiency conversion of flue gas CO2 into soluble bicarbonate and carbonate using an in-duct scrubber system featuring an enzyme catalyst. The bicarbonate/carbonate scrubber blow down can be sequestered as solid mineral carbonates after reacting with alkaline clay, a by-product of aluminum refining. The carbonate product can be utilized as construction fill material, soil amendments, and green fertilizer. Alcoa will demonstrate and optimize the process at their Point Comfort, Texas aluminum refining plant. (DOE Share: $11,999,359)
• Novomer Inc. (Ithaca, N.Y.)—Teaming with Albemarle Corporation and the Eastman Kodak Co., Novomer will develop a process for converting waste CO2 into a number of polycarbonate products (plastics) for use in the packaging industry. Novomer’s novel catalyst technology enables CO2 to react with petrochemical epoxides to create a family of thermoplastic polymers that are up to 50 percent by weight CO2. The project has the potential to convert CO2 from an industrial waste stream into a lasting material that can be used in the manufacture of bottles, films, laminates, coatings on food and beverage cans, and in other wood and metal surface applications. Novomer has secured site commitments in Rochester, NY, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Orangeburg, SC where Phase 2 work will be performed. (DOE Share: $18,417,989)
• Touchstone Research Laboratory Ltd. (Triadelphia, W. Va.)—This project will pilot-test an open-pond algae production technology that can capture at least 60 percent of flue gas CO2 from an industrial coal-fired source to produce biofuel and other high value co-products. A novel phase change material incorporated in Touchstone’s technology will cover the algae pond surface to regulate daily temperature, reduce evaporation, and control the infiltration of invasive species. Lipids extracted from harvested algae will be converted to a bio-fuel, and an anaerobic digestion process will be developed and tested for converting residual biomass into methane. The host site for the pilot project is Cedar Lane Farms in Wooster, Ohio. (DOE Share: $6,239,542)
• Phycal, LLC (Highland Heights, Ohio)—Phycal will complete development of an integrated system designed to produce liquid biocrude fuel from microalgae cultivated with captured CO2. The algal biocrude can be blended with other fuels for power generation or processed into a variety of renewable drop-in replacement fuels such as jet fuel and biodiesel. Phycal will design, build, and operate a CO2-to-algae-to-biofuels facility at a nominal thirty acre site in Central O’ahu (near Wahiawa and Kapolei), Hawaii. Hawaii Electric Company will qualify the biocrude for boiler use, and Tesoro will supply CO2 and evaluate fuel products. (DOE Share: $24,243,509)
• Skyonic Corporation (Austin, Texas)—Skyonic Corporation will continue the development of SkyMine® mineralization technology—a potential replacement for existing scrubber technology. The SkyMine process transforms CO2 into solid carbonate and/or bicarbonate materials while also removing sulfur oxides, nitrogen dioxide, mercury and other heavy metals from flue gas streams of industrial processes. Solid carbonates are ideal for long-term, safe aboveground storage without pipelines, subterranean injection, or concern about CO2 re-release to the atmosphere. The project team plans to process CO2-laden flue gas from a Capital Aggregates, Ltd. cement manufacturing plant in San Antonio, Texas. (DOE Share: $25,000,000)
• Calera Corporation (Los Gatos, Calif.)—Calera Corporation is developing a process that directly mineralizes CO2 in flue gas to carbonates that can be converted into useful construction materials. An existing CO2 absorption facility for the project is operational at Moss Landing, Calif., for capture and mineralization. The project team will complete the detailed design, construction, and operation of a building material production system that at smaller scales has produced carbonate-containing aggregates suitable as construction fill or partial feedstock for use at cement production facilities. The building material production system will ultimately be integrated with the absorption facility to demonstrate viable process operation at a significant scale. (DOE Share: $19,895,553).

Obama Promotes Clean Energy Economy, while republicans continue with no plan of their own

Obama says, “republican leadership just don’t get it.”

U.S. President Barack Obama says he is speeding up the U.S. transition to a clean energy economy.

In his weekly address Saturday, President Obama said the move is part of efforts to make sure the jobs and industries of the future take root in the United States.

He said the Department of Energy is awarding $2 billion in funds from the economic recovery act to two solar companies.  One of them is building one of the largest solar plants in the world in Arizona.  Mr. Obama says that plant will be able to store energy even at night.
The president says the projects will create thousands of jobs and generate enough clean energy for tens of thousands of homes.

He also said after 22 uninterrupted months of job loss, the U.S. economy has created jobs in the private sector for six months in a row.

But the U.S. Labor Department announced Friday the total number of people asking for unemployment assistance rose to 472,000 in the last week of June.

In the Republican weekly address, U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss from the southern state of Georgia criticized Democrats for what he called out-of-control spending.  He said the U.S. debt of $13 trillion is a national security issue.

DOE Announces More Than $76 Million for Advanced Energy-Efficient Building Technologies and Commercial Building Training Programs

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced awards totaling more than $76 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support advanced energy-efficient building technology projects and the development of training programs for commercial building equipment technicians, building operators, and energy auditors.

The 58 projects selected today will help make the nation’s buildings more energy efficient and cost-effective. They will also support programs to train workers to service and operate new and existing buildings, to develop and deploy best practices resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and to establish a green workforce with technical expertise to reduce energy costs for consumers.

“These projects will help the United States lead the world in advancing energy-efficient technologies,” Secretary Chu said. “Energy-efficient commercial buildings will help our country cut its carbon emissions and energy costs while the training programs will upgrade the skills of the current workforce and attract the next generation to careers in the emerging clean-energy economy.”

The Department of Energy also released today a new video that showcases the story of Greensburg, Kan., a town devastated by a tornado in 2007, which came back to be one of the Nation’s most energy-efficient, sustainable communities. Many of the town’s government buildings use cutting-edge energy-saving technologies, such as high-efficiency windows, lighting, and heating and ventilation systems, saving local taxpayer money. Greensburg has shown that any city can reach its energy efficiency and renewable energy goals today using widely available technologies.

 The nation’s 114 million households and more than 74 million square feet of commercial floor space account for approximately 40 percent of U.S. primary energy consumption, as well as 39 percent of carbon dioxide, 18 percent of nitrogen oxides, and 55 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions. These projects will help lower the energy demands and emissions of commercial buildings and promote a specialized, energy-efficient buildings workforce.

Advanced Energy-Efficient Building Technology Projects:

These 45 awards for advanced energy-efficient building technology projects will receive over $68.4 million and will be leveraged with more than $31.4 million in funding from private industry, for a total project value of nearly $100 million. Projects have been selected in the following five areas:
Advanced Building Control Strategies, Communications, and Information Technologies for Net-Zero Energy Buildings ($22,497,833 total Federal share) -Twelve projects will focus on transforming the design, operation, and maintenance of both new and existing buildings.

• Analysis, Design, and Technical Tools ($5,969,682 total Federal share) – Five projects will focus on improving the capability to simulate complex interactions between building elements, including climate, envelope heat and moisture transfer, internal heat gains, lighting power, HVAC equipment, controls, thermal and visual comfort, and energy costs.
• Building Envelope and Windows ($22,807,255 total Federal share) – Fourteen projects will focus on improving the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings through technology advances in windows and envelope components, which are necessary to achieve significant energy savings and performance.
• Residential and Commercial Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Crosscutting Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Research ($11,144,592 total Federal share) – Ten projects will focus on dramatically increasing the efficiency of HVAC systems and pursuing technologies that apply to both air conditioning and refrigeration.
• Water Heating, Residential, and Commercial Appliances and Miscellaneous Electric Loads ($6,033,246 total Federal share) – Four projects will focus on increasing the efficiency of water heating equipment and reducing miscellaneous electric loads.

The energy-efficient building technology projects selected include: 

Advanced Building Control Strategies, Communications and Information Technologies for Net-Zero Energy Buildings: 12 selections
Organization	City, State	DOE Funding	Total Project Value
University of California	Berkeley, CA	$1,987,674	$2,363,148
University of Southern California	Los Angeles, CA	$1,987,025	TBD
United Technologies Research Center	East Hartford, CT	$1,866,627	$2,333,284
United Technologies Research Center	East Hartford, CT	$1,998,766	$2,498,457
Emerson Electric Company	St. Louis, MO	$1,650,838	$2,110,965
National Semiconductor Corporation	Annapolis Junction, MD 20710-1118	$1,998,125	$4,297,045
Honeywell International, Inc.	Golden Valley, MN	$1,828,261	$2,285,326
Siemens Corporate Research	Princeton, NJ	$1,418,847	$1,773,574
Philips Electronics North America Corporation	Briarcliff Manor, NY	$2,192,713	$2,740,892
Verified Energy, LLC	Rochester, NY	$1,568,957	$2,562,781
Johnson Controls, Inc.	Milwaukee, WI	$2,000,000	$3,211,800
Johnson Controls, Inc.	Milwaukee, WI	$2,000,000	$3,317,734

 

Analysis, Design and Technical Tools: 5 selections
University of Central Florida	Orlando, FL	$552,338	$690,428
Cornell University	Ithaca, NY	$1,660,468	TBD
Syracuse University	Syracuse, NY	$560,296	$702,354
University of Washington	Seattle, WA	$1,196,580	$1,317,616
Eaton Corporation	Milwaukee, WI	$2,000,000	$2,500,000

 

Building Envelope and Windows: 14 selections
Soladigm, Inc.	Milpitas, CA	$3,467,541	$5,779,236
Southwall Technologies, Inc.	Palo Alto, CA	$1,429,326	$1,786,656
Applied Materials, Inc.	Santa Clara, CA	$1,999,515	$3,999,330
EverSealed Windows, Inc.	Evergreen, CO	$2,169,327	$2,521,257
Dow Chemical Company	Midland, MI	$2,955,156	$5,910,312
Dow Corning Corporation	Midland, MI	$1,241,120	$1,551,399
Pleotint, LLC	West Olive, MI	$402,547	$805,095
SAGE Electrochromics, Inc.	Faribault, MN	$1,633,301	$2,041,627
3M Company	St. Paul, MN	$1,966,611	$3,575,657
Syntroleum Corporation	Tulsa, OK	$1,009,300	$1,261,600
Traco Delaware, Inc.	Cranberry Township, PA	$1,317,819	$2,635,638
Quanta Technologies, Inc.	Malvern, PA	$853,962	$1,912,537
Industrial Science & Technology Network, Inc.	York, PA	$2,005,139	$2,709,647
CPFilms, Inc.	Fieldale, VA	$356,591	$564,982

  

Residential and Commercial HVAC, and Crosscutting Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Research: 10 selections
University of Alaska	Fairbanks, AK	$617,583	$771,988
PAX Streamline, Inc.	Novato, CA	$2,000,000	$3,689,397
United Technologies Research Center	East Hartford, CT	$1,998,439	$2,498,049
Chemtura Corporation	Middlebury, CT	$1,452,140	$1,930,540
University of Central Florida	Orlando, FL	$256,461	$320,576
Creative Thermal Solutions, Inc.	Urbana, IL	$1,010,611	$1,263,268
Purdue University	West Lafayette, IN	$1,331,435	$1,606,435
TIAX, LLC	Cambridge, MA	$760,383	$950,478
General Electric	Niskayuna, NY	$1,471,291	$1,961,723
University of Wisconsin	Madison, WI	$246,249	$326,927

 

Water Heating, Residential and Commercial Appliances and Miscellaneous Electric Loads: 4 selections
TIAX, LLC	Cambridge, MA	$954,931	$1,193,662
Whirlpool Corporation	Benton Harbor, MI	$2,042,700	$3,963,600
Porticos, Inc.	Morrisville, NC	$1,682,532	$2,118,427
Stone Mountain Technologies, Inc.	Unicoi, TN	$1,353,083	$1,756,184

 Training Program Development for Commercial Buildings Efficiency Experts:
To achieve the full potential of energy-efficient – and eventually net-zero energy – buildings, the United States needs commercial building experts who know how to properly run and tune building heating and cooling systems. The combination of efficient operations and advanced design will improve the internal building environment, including energy use, comfort, safety, and environmental impact.

The 13 projects selected today to receive up to $7.6 million to develop training programs for commercial building equipment technicians, building operators, and energy commissioning agents and auditors will leverage nearly $1.5 million in private industry cost share, for a total project value of nearly $9.1 million.

The training projects selected include: 

Organization	City, State	DOE Funding	Total Project Value
Building Equipment Technicians: 4 Selections
International Union of Operating Engineers	Washington, DC	$748,744	$748,744
Gas Technology Institute	Des Plaines, IL	$448,405	$473,405
Texas A&M University	College Station, TX	$749,037	$749,037
Northwest Energy Efficiency Council	Seattle, WA	$549,169	$927,300

 

Building Operators: 4 Selections
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	$589,843	$589,843
The Research Foundation of the City College of New York	New York, NY	$422,528	$472,528
University of Turabo	Gurabo, PR	$335,745	$335,745
University of Wisconsin	Madison, WI	$934,712	$934,712

  

Building Energy Commissioning Agents/Auditors: 5 Selections
Association of Energy Engineers	Atlanta, GA	$462,000	$462,000
University of Nebraska	Lincoln, NE	$405,741	$405,741
New Jersey Institute of Technology	Newark, NJ	$468,495	$468,495
Portland Energy Conservation, Inc.	Portland, OR	$749,153	$1,573,189
Milwaukee Area Technical College	Milwaukee, WI	$740,364	$960,364

 View the detailed project descriptions of award winners (PDF – 116 kb).

To learn more about advanced energy-efficient building technologies efforts at DOE, please visit the Building Technologies Program website.

DOE Announces More Than $76 Million for Advanced Energy-Efficient Building Technologies and Commercial Building Training Programs

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced awards totaling more than $76 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support advanced energy-efficient building technology projects and the development of training programs for commercial building equipment technicians, building operators, and energy auditors.

The 58 projects selected today will help make the nation’s buildings more energy efficient and cost-effective. They will also support programs to train workers to service and operate new and existing buildings, to develop and deploy best practices resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and to establish a green workforce with technical expertise to reduce energy costs for consumers.

“These projects will help the United States lead the world in advancing energy-efficient technologies,” Secretary Chu said. “Energy-efficient commercial buildings will help our country cut its carbon emissions and energy costs while the training programs will upgrade the skills of the current workforce and attract the next generation to careers in the emerging clean-energy economy.”

The Department of Energy also released today a new video that showcases the story of Greensburg, Kansas, a town devastated by a tornado in 2007, which came back to be one of the nation’s most energy-efficient, sustainable communities. Many of the town’s government buildings use cutting-edge energy-saving technologies, such as high-efficiency windows, lighting, and heating and ventilation systems, saving local taxpayer money. Greensburg has shown that any city can reach its energy efficiency and renewable energy goals today using widely available technologies. View the video to see how Greensburg was able to “build green.”

The nation’s 114 million households and more than 74 million square feet of commercial floor space account for approximately 40% of U.S. primary energy consumption, as well as 39% of carbon dioxide, 18% of nitrogen oxides, and 55% of sulfur dioxide emissions. These projects will help lower the energy demands and emissions of commercial buildings and promote a specialized, energy-efficient buildings workforce.

Advanced Energy-Efficient Building Technology Projects

These 45 awards for advanced energy-efficient building technology projects will receive over $68.4 million and will be leveraged with more than $31.4 million in funding from private industry, for a total project value of nearly $100 million. Projects have been selected in the following five areas:

• Advanced Building Control Strategies, Communications, and Information Technologies for Net-Zero Energy Buildings ($22,497,833 total federal share): Twelve projects will focus on transforming the design, operation, and maintenance of both new and existing buildings.
• Analysis, Design, and Technical Tools ($5,969,682 total federal share): Five projects will focus on improving the capability to simulate complex interactions between building elements, including climate, envelope heat and moisture transfer, internal heat gains, lighting power, HVAC equipment, controls, thermal and visual comfort, and energy costs.
• Building Envelope and Windows ($22,807,255 total federal share): Fourteen projects will focus on improving the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings through technology advances in windows and envelope components, which are necessary to achieve significant energy savings and performance.
• Residential and Commercial Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Crosscutting Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Research ($11,144,592 total federal share): Ten projects will focus on dramatically increasing the efficiency of HVAC systems and pursuing technologies that apply to both air conditioning and refrigeration.
• Water Heating, Residential, and Commercial Appliances and Miscellaneous Electric Loads ($6,033,246 total federal share): Four projects will focus on increasing the efficiency of water heating equipment and reducing miscellaneous electric loads.

The energy-efficient building technology projects selected include:

Advanced Building Control Strategies, Communications and Information Technologies for Net-Zero Energy Buildings: 12 selections
Organization	City, State	DOE Funding	Total Project Value
University of California	Berkeley, California	$1,987,674	$2,363,148
University of Southern California	Los Angeles, California	$1,987,025	TBD
United Technologies Research Center	East Hartford, Connecticut	$1,866,627	$2,333,284
United Technologies Research Center	East Hartford, Connecticut	$1,998,766	$2,498,457
Emerson Electric Company	St. Louis, Missouri	$1,650,838	$2,110,965
National Semiconductor Corporation	Annapolis Junction, Maryland 20710-1118	$1,998,125	$4,297,045
Honeywell International, Inc.	Golden Valley, Minnesota	$1,828,261	$2,285,326
Siemens Corporate Research	Princeton, New Jersey	$1,418,847	$1,773,574
Philips Electronics North America Corporation	Briarcliff Manor, New York	$2,192,713	$2,740,892
Verified Energy, LLC	Rochester, New York	$1,568,957	$2,562,781
Johnson Controls, Inc.	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	$2,000,000	$3,211,800
Johnson Controls, Inc.	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	$2,000,000	$3,317,734

Analysis, Design and Technical Tools: 5 selections
University of Central Florida	Orlando, Florida	$552,338	$690,428
Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	$1,660,468	TBD
Syracuse University	Syracuse, New York	$560,296	$702,354
University of Washington	Seattle, Washington	$1,196,580	$1,317,616
Eaton Corporation	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	$2,000,000	$2,500,000

Building Envelope and Windows: 14 selections
Soladigm, Inc.	Milpitas, California	$3,467,541	$5,779,236
Southwall Technologies, Inc.	Palo Alto, California	$1,429,326	$1,786,656
Applied Materials, Inc.	Santa Clara, California	$1,999,515	$3,999,330
EverSealed Windows, Inc.	Evergreen, Colorado	$2,169,327	$2,521,257
Dow Chemical Company	Midland, Michigan	$2,955,156	$5,910,312
Dow Corning Corporation	Midland, Michigan	$1,241,120	$1,551,399
Pleotint, LLC	West Olive, Michigan	$402,547	$805,095
SAGE Electrochromics, Inc.	Faribault, Minnesota	$1,633,301	$2,041,627
3M Company	St. Paul, Minnesota	$1,966,611	$3,575,657
Syntroleum Corporation	Tulsa, Oklahoma	$1,009,300	$1,261,600
Traco Delaware, Inc.	Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania	$1,317,819	$2,635,638
Quanta Technologies, Inc.	Malvern, Pennsylvania	$853,962	$1,912,537
Industrial Science & Technology Network, Inc.	York, Pennsylvania	$2,005,139	$2,709,647
CPFilms, Inc.	Fieldale, Virginia	$356,591	$564,982

Residential and Commercial HVAC, and Crosscutting Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Research: 10 selections
University of Alaska	Fairbanks, Arkansas	$617,583	$771,988
PAX Streamline, Inc.	Novato, California	$2,000,000	$3,689,397
United Technologies Research Center	East Hartford, Connecticut	$1,998,439	$2,498,049
Chemtura Corporation	Middlebury, Connecticut	$1,452,140	$1,930,540
University of Central Florida	Orlando, Florida	$256,461	$320,576
Creative Thermal Solutions, Inc.	Urbana, Illinois	$1,010,611	$1,263,268
Purdue University	West Lafayette, Indiana	$1,331,435	$1,606,435
TIAX, LLC	Cambridge, Massachusetts	$760,383	$950,478
General Electric	Niskayuna, New York	$1,471,291	$1,961,723
University of Wisconsin	Madison, Wisconsin	$246,249	$326,927

Water Heating, Residential and Commercial Appliances and Miscellaneous Electric Loads: 4 selections
TIAX, LLC	Cambridge, Massachusetts	$954,931	$1,193,662
Whirlpool Corporation	Benton Harbor, Michigan	$2,042,700	$3,963,600
Porticos, Inc.	Morrisville, North Carolina	$1,682,532	$2,118,427
Stone Mountain Technologies, Inc.	Unicoi, Tennessee	$1,353,083	$1,756,184

Training Program Development for Commercial Buildings Efficiency Experts

To achieve the full potential of energy-efficient—and eventually net-zero energy—buildings, the United States needs commercial building experts who know how to properly run and tune building heating and cooling systems. The combination of efficient operations and advanced design will improve the internal building environment, including energy use, comfort, safety, and environmental impact.

The 13 projects selected today to receive up to $7.6 million to develop training programs for commercial building equipment technicians, building operators, and energy commissioning agents and auditors will leverage nearly $1.5 million in private industry cost share, for a total project value of nearly $9.1 million.

The training projects selected include:

Organization	City, State	DOE Funding	Total Project Value
Building Equipment Technicians: 4 Selections
International Union of Operating Engineers	Washington, D.C.	$748,744	$748,744
Gas Technology Institute	Des Plaines, Illinois	$448,405	$473,405
Texas A&M University	College Station, Texas	$749,037	$749,037
Northwest Energy Efficiency Council	Seattle, Washington	$549,169	$927,300

Building Operators: 4 Selections
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	Charlotte, North Carolina	$589,843	$589,843
The Research Foundation of the City College of New York	New York, New York	$422,528	$472,528
University of Turabo	Gurabo, Puerto Rico	$335,745	$335,745
University of Wisconsin	Madison, Wisconsin	$934,712	$934,712

Building Energy Commissioning Agents/Auditors: 5 Selections
Association of Energy Engineers	Atlanta, Georgia	$462,000	$462,000
University of Nebraska	Lincoln, Nebraska	$405,741	$405,741
New Jersey Institute of Technology	Newark, New Jersey	$468,495	$468,495
Portland Energy Conservation, Inc.	Portland, Oregon	$749,153	$1,573,189
Milwaukee Area Technical College	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	$740,364	$960,364

See the detailed project descriptions of award winners (PDF115 KB)

To learn more about advanced energy-efficient building technologies efforts at DOE, please visit the Building Technologies Program Web site.

Source: DOE

Obama Urges Congress to Enact New Climate Law

Gulf oil spill may be fueling US efforts to finish work on a stalled energy and climate change bill

The environmental and economic disasters caused by the continuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may be fueling efforts in the U.S. Congress to finish work on a stalled energy and climate change bill.

Though the House of Representatives passed its version a year ago, the national debates over health care and the economy delayed action in the U.S. Senate. Heightened concerns about America’s dependence on fossil fuels may be propelling renewed action on the energy and climate legislation.  

American Power Act

Democrat John Kerry and independent Joe Lieberman introduced the American Power Act in the U.S. Senate. The bill’s sponsors say that by putting a price on carbon released into the atmosphere, the measure would help reduce America’s reliance on fossil fuels and cut its greenhouse gas emissions.

Debate is expected sometime in the coming months. A Republican-sponsored measure is also in the works.

In a speech at Carnegie Mellon University, President Obama referred to the Gulf oil spill in making the case that it is time, as he put it, to “aggressively accelerate the nation’s transition to a clean energy economy. ”

In crafting the U.S. response to global climate change, the president said congressional lawmakers must take into account the real price of America’s heavy reliance on petroleum-based energy.

“If we refuse to take into account the full costs of our fossil fuel addiction – if we don’t factor in the environmental costs and the national security costs and the true economic costs – we will have missed our best chance to seize a clean energy future.”

High costs

A new report by the PEW Center on Global Climate Change, an independent policy research group, echoes the president’s view. But it adds that, even if aggressive policies are put in place to reduce future carbon emissions, steps must be taken now to adapt to greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere; emissions that will continue to pollute the air and affect the earth’s climate.

And who should lead that effort?

PEW Vice President for Policy Analysis and the report’s co-author, Stephen Seidel, says the federal government should lead, as the nation’s largest landowner and the guardian of its natural resources, national parks and highways, bridges and dams.  

“What the federal government does, has a huge impact on where we build in coastal zones, how we farm, what our infrastructure looks like,” says Seidel. “And so decisions that federal agencies are making will have an enormous impact in our ability to wisely adapt to climate change.”

Thinking ahead

The report recommends that all federal agencies begin long-term strategic planning on climate impacts.

It also recommends a coordinated climate adaptation research program and a national climate service to better inform all levels of government, the private sector, and the general public, about what climate change will mean for them.

Seidel says, “The first question anyone, when they are told that they have to adapt to climate change, they are going to ask, ‘What is that change I have to adapt to?  How much sea level rise?  How much temperature change?  How much change in precipitation are we really talking about?  Seidel says providing that information is a critical element to understanding climate change”.  

The report identifies models for adaptation strategies from other countries.  Seidel says many cities – including New York -  also already have aggressive adaptation plans in place.  

“[New York] looked at things like where should they locate waste water treatment facilities because of the impacts of climate change, what risks are likely to occur to their subway system because it’s underground and already requires enormous pumping of water during certain large rainfall events.”

Seidel says adaption to climate change is no longer an option. It is a necessity.

He believes that the first priority of any climate bill enacted by Congress must be to put a cap on global warming gases. Unless carbon emissions are brought under control, he says, the challenge of adapting to global climate change will become ever more difficult.

Source: VOA

Obama’s Weatherization Program Gets a $27 Million Boost from Recovery Act, 27 States Benefit

With this training, skilled workers can help expand the use of energy efficient practices in America’s homes and businesses.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that 34 projects in 27 states have been selected to receive $29 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to develop and expand weatherization training centers across the country. These projects will provide green job training for local workers in energy efficiency retrofitting and weatherization services. With this training, skilled workers can help expand the use of energy efficient practices in America’s homes and businesses.

“A well-trained workforce will be a crucial part of America’s clean energy economy in the years ahead,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman. “These investments in efficiency training programs will help build a foundation for long-term growth in America. Energy efficiency improves the competitiveness of our economy, benefits the environment, and puts Americans back to work.”

Using innovative approaches to weatherization training and standardized training curricula, these projects will help prepare weatherization workers, supervisors, and inspectors to maintain a high degree of quality in weatherization projects and to work in the growing field of energy efficiency retrofits. The centers and programs will offer training using a combination of classroom, online, and hands-on learning tools.
This funding will support the expansion of 8 existing weatherization training centers and the establishment of 26 new training centers, more than tripling the number of DOE-funded weatherization training centers nationally. The 34 programs announced today will significantly expand access to weatherization training, while improving the quality and consistency of training nationwide. These investments will continue to build on the Administration’s efforts to expand the green workforce and build a self-sustaining energy retrofit industry that creates high-quality jobs, while improving the environment and saving energy.

Under the Recovery Act, the Obama Administration is making unprecedented investments that are helping to build America’s clean energy future, including $5 billion to significantly ramp up the pace of weatherization in the United States. The training programs announced today will support a range of public and private energy efficiency efforts, including the Department’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which has already funded the weatherization of nearly 200,000 homes since last February, using both Recovery Act and annual program funds.

These weatherization training centers are part of the Department’s broader Training and Technical Assistance program for weatherization, including a variety of online tools, a national training platform, certification and accreditation standards, program evaluations, quality assurance reviews, and peer mentoring.

The following organizations have been selected for funding:

Applicant	Recovery Act Funding	Total Project Value*	City	State
Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska	$961,692	$1,159,212	Juneau	Alaska
Pulaski Technical College	$1,000,000	$1,244,507	North Little Rock	Arkansas
FSL Home Improvements	$525,692	$657,137	Phoenix	Arizona
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College	$725,976	$907,470	Los Angeles	California
Century Center for Economic Opportunity, Inc.	$1,000,000	$1,310,000	Gardena	California
Colorado Governor’s Energy Office	$963,130	$1,219,149	Denver	Colorado
The WorkPlace, Inc.	$442,951	$562,951	Bridgeport	Connecticut
University of Central Florida	$486,000	$607,500	Cocoa	Florida
University of Florida	$979,421	$1,224,674	Gainesville	Florida
WorkNet Pinellas, Inc.	$1,000,000	$1,726,000	St. Petersburg	Florida
Southface Energy Institute	$949,078	$1,422,903	Atlanta	Georgia
The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois	$959,635	$1,199,544	Champaign	Illinois
Wilbur Wright College	$1,000,000	$1,200,000	Chicago	Illinois
Indiana Community Action Association, Inc.	$1,000,000	$1,250,000	Indianapolis	Indiana
Kentucky Housing Corporation	$995,756	$1,259,051	Frankfort	Kentucky
Louisiana Association of Community Action Partnerships, Inc.	$797,250	$956,700	Baton Rouge	Louisiana
South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc.	$705,225	$1,049,515	Framingham	Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth	$964,215	$1,268,644	Dartmouth	Massachusetts
Baltimore City Community College	$1,000,000	$1,254,664	Baltimore	Maryland
Maine State Housing Authority (MaineHousing)	$880,010	$1,086,720	Augusta	Maine
Focus: HOPE	$848,172	$1,061,565	Detroit	Michigan
State of Montana	$970,099	$1,215,426	Helena	Montana
Bergen County Community Action Partnership, Inc.	$999,567	$1,275,103	Hackensack	New Jersey
New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority	$919,579	$919,579	Santa Fe	New Mexico
Association for Energy Affordability, Inc.	$873,617	$1,102,398	New York	New York
Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development Inc.	$999,846	$1,249,846	Athens	Ohio
Oregon Energy Coordinators Association	$1,000,000	$2,923,000	Salem	Oregon
Pennsylvania College of Technology	$916,981	$1,163,972	Williamsport	Pennsylvania
Bucks County Community College	$631,260	$757,512	Newtown	Pennsylvania
Governor’s Office of Economic Development	$323,700	$438,700	Clearfield	Utah
Green Jobs Alliance	$981,260	$1,511,260	Hampton	Virginia
Community Housing Partners Corporation	$1,000,000	$1,300,000	Christiansburg	Virginia
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation	$255,198	$318,998	Madison	Wisconsin
West Virginia Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity	$1,000,000	$1,250,000	Charleston	West Virginia

*Includes applicant cost share

For project descriptions, visit HERE. For more information on the weatherization program, visit http://weatherization.energy.gov.

Pierre’s prototype for wind and solar – Capitol Lake Plaza

Capitol Lake Plaza sits centrally on Pierre, S.D.’s government plaza. Originally built in 1974, the building has been undergoing major energy renovations since being purchased by the state two years ago. Two major components of the renovation are about to appear at the building’s highest point: solar panels and wind turbines are being installed on the roof.

The 80 photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system and two vertical wind turbines will produce up to 40 percent of the building’s total energy usage, says Rich Ivey, project engineer at South Dakota’s office of the state engineer.

“The combination of vertical wind turbines and solar panels will maximize the on-site generation and meet structural and space limitations,” says Ivey.”The decision to use both solar and wind was to diversify the on-site generation opportunities.”

Preliminary estimates show that by producing a portion of its own power, Capitol Lake Plaza will save nearly $37,000 a year on energy costs—an amount that will pay back the investment in only 15 years.

“It’s going to serve as a prototype building,” says Ivey. “It’s the first commercial building in the city that has on-site power generation. It’s really a showcase project for other buildings looking to do projects like this.”

Putting the pieces together

While the renovation itself is coming from South Dakota’s state budget, all of the energy components of the project are being funded by a grant from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act’s State Energy Program.

More info

The Department of Energy’s State Energy Program (SEP) provides grants for states to design and carry out innovative energy plans to meet long-term clean energy economy goals. SEP provides states with the flexibility to implement projects using commercially available renewable energy technologies to meet state’s unique energy needs.

Two years ago, South Dakota passed legislation that all new and major renovations to government owned buildings had to meet the “silver” standard set forth by the United States Green Building Council (USCBG)’s LEED certification system.

As a result of the LEED certification, the building will not only receive solar panels and wind turbines; it will install many environmentally-friendly measures in the new building including high-efficiency lighting and low-flow bathroom fixtures.

Real-time monitoring

Another one of the building’s new features will be a real-time monitor in the building’s entry way displaying how much energy is being produced on site.

Ivey hopes this kiosk—which will also show information about LEED certification—will serve as an observation point for anyone coming into the building.

When the building is complete, it will house 120 employees from two offices: the South Dakota Lottery Office and the Department of Tourism and State Development.

“The building occupants are excited about being a part of this project, knowing that the improvements will favorably impact the energy use while provide a much healthier working environment. The community is watching with anticipation,” says Ivey.

Time to Get “Smart” on Biofuels

Sierra Club, Worldwatch Institute Outline “Smart Choices for Biofuels” in New Report

Washington, D.C.-The Sierra Club and Worldwatch Institute today released a report, Smart Choices for Biofuels, highlighting the need for important policy reforms at this critical juncture in America’s effort to increase the use of biofuels. The report outlines the economic and environmental impacts of first-generation biofuels such as corn ethanol, proposes strategies to make the biofuels industry more sustainable, and offers specific policy recommendations in four broad categories:

•·         Developing sustainability standards

•·         Advancing biofuels production and new technologies

•·         Creating green jobs through biofuels

•·         Promoting policy coherence across energy sectors

“At a time of volatile gas prices and rising concern about global warming, it has become clear that biofuels can play a role in reducing dependence on oil and curbing climate change,” said Christopher Flavin, President of Worldwatch Institute. “However, the large and growing scale of the industry make it critical that Congress now make smart choices that promote sustainable biofuels-rather than just more biofuels-as part of a clean energy economy.”

U.S. biofuels production in 2008 topped 9 billion gallons-the vast majority of which was corn ethanol-and successive Congressional mandates call for the use of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by the year 2022. Domestic biofuels output has more than doubled since 2005, and the report explores the many issues associated with this dramatic increase in the production of renewable fuels, including: the global warming emissions profile of corn ethanol; the effect on the Conservation Reserve Program; other effects on the nation’s air, water, and land; and the lower-than-expected economic benefits for rural communities.

“The headlong rush toward biofuels-corn ethanol in particular-has had many consequences, some foreseen and others not,” said Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. “The downside risks to our land, air, water, and economy have become readily apparent, but the good news is that with smart choices we can make biofuels work for the environment, economy, and climate, while enhancing our energy security.”

Smart Choices for Biofuels maps a future path for biofuels to ensure that they are more environmentally and socially sustainable and that the use of renewable fuels for transportation contributes to the global effort to reduce global warming pollution. The steps proposed in the report include an accelerated transition to cellulosic feedstocks such as switchgrass and the use of more effective agricultural practices to decrease erosion and soil nutrient depletion. The report also recommends complementary steps beyond improvements in biofuels production, such as the promotion of plug-in hybrid vehicles and increased investments in public transportation, which could also help achieve crucial energy and climate goals.

Finally, the report concludes that if a renewable fuels mandate is to contribute effectively to reducing foreign oil dependence and curbing global warming, it must be reevaluated in light of changing circumstances. Changes in four broad policy categories-sustainability standards, advancing biofuels production and new technologies, creating green jobs, and promoting policy coherence across energy sectors-are detailed in the report.