The Chevys bumped the Ford Focus from the list, denying Ford Motor Company a spot in the top 12. But GM also has the unwelcome distinction of producing the "meanest" vehicle, as even a flex-fuel designation couldn't save the Hummer H2 from earning the lowest "green score" from the ACEEE. See the ACEEE press release and the lists of "greenest" and "meanest" cars of the year on the ACEEE's greenercars.org Web site.
Educational Web Site Launched for Progressive Automotive X Prize
DOE, the X Prize Foundation, and Discovery Education launched a new Web site yesterday to engage students about the science of alternative fuels and the engineering of energy-efficient vehicles. Inspired by the Progressive Automotive X Prize Competition, the new Web site, called "Fuel Our Future Now," serves as an interactive online portal offering stimulating science, technology, engineering, and math lessons and resources for teachers, students, and parents. The Progressive Automotive X Prize Competition aims to inspire a new generation of viable, super fuel-efficient vehicles, and the new Web site offers puzzles, interactive features, and videos that will encourage elementary, middle school, and high school students to follow the competition and to learn about the technologies employed by the competing teams. The Web site will soon feature lesson plans for teachers, as well. "Fuel Our Future Now" is just one component of a national education program to encourage students to pursue careers in sciences and technologies related to energy efficiency. DOE is supporting that effort through a $3.5 million grant. See the Fuel Our Future Now Web site and the press release on the Progressive Automotive X Prize Web site.
U.S. Petroleum Demand Dropped 6% in 2008, Says Oil Industry
In 2008, the U.S. demand for petroleum dropped to its lowest level since 2003, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API). Using U.S. petroleum deliveries as a measure of oil demand, API found that demand dropped by 1.2 million barrels per day, a 6% drop, to 19.4 million barrels per day.
Oil demand fell because the demand for fuels dropped, with gasoline deliveries sliding by 3.3%; distillate fuel oil deliveries, which includes diesel fuel, decreasing by 5.8%; jet fuel deliveries dropping by 6.1%, and residual fuel oil deliveries falling by 14%.
Coincidentally, U.S. crude oil production was also down, as lower oil production in Alaska and hurricane-related shut-ins in the Gulf of Mexico pushed production below 5 million barrels per day for the first time since 1946. Despite the drop in production, the imports of crude oil and petroleum products also decreased by more than 5% to 12.9 million barrels per day, the lowest level in five years. U.S. production of one petroleum product increased, however: the refinery output of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel increased by more than 10%, to 3.1 million barrels per day. See the API press release.
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Kevin Eber is the Editor of EREE Network News, a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
