DOE's Loan Guarantee Program paves the way for federal support of clean energy projects that use innovative technologies, and is aimed at spurring further investment in these advanced technologies. The department incorporated feedback from industry and other interested parties to maximize the reach and success of the program. See the DOE press release, the final rule (PDF 108 KB), and the Loan Guarantee Program Web site.
Anaerobic Digesters to Help Cut Dairy Emissions by 25% by 2020
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on December 15 an agreement with U.S. dairy producers to cut their GHG emissions 25% by 2020 by turning manure into electricity using anaerobic digesters.
Under a MOU signed by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy , the USDA, and dairy producers, the groups agreed to work together to reach the target. USDA will contribute by undertaking research initiatives, allowing implementation flexibility, and enhancing efforts to market anaerobic digesters to dairy producers.
Anaerobic digester technology is a proven method of converting waste products, such as manure, into electricity. Currently, only about 2% of U.S. dairies that are candidates for a profitable digester are using the technology, even though dairy operations with anaerobic digesters routinely generate enough electricity to power 200 homes.
The agreement will also encourage R&D of new technologies to help dairies reduce greenhouse gas emissions. See the USDA press release and the description of anaerobic digesters on DOE's Energy Savers Web site.
Electric Cars are Coming in 2010 from GM, Toyota, and Fisker
Automakers are intensifying the pace to roll out electric vehicles (EVs), with GM, Toyota, and Fisker Automotive announcing their production schedules at the Los Angeles Auto Show in California in early December.
GM's Chevy Volt, an extended-range EV, will be available late next year in California only, and in additional markets later. GM is investing $336 million in its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to begin Volt production in late 2010. GM is also partnering with three California utilities and the Electric Power Research Institute in a real-world demonstration to establish vehicle charging stations and to introduce the Volt to consumers. GM is drawing on more than $30 million in ARRA funds from DOE for the project. See the GM press releases on the Volt sales and the Detroit plant, as well as the Volt Web site.
Meanwhile, the 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHV) made its North American debut at the Los Angeles show. Based on the third-generation Prius, the latest version adds a lithium-ion battery that enables all-electric operation at higher speeds and longer distances than the conventional Prius hybrid.
The new Prius PHV is designed to use the all-electric mode for trips of about 13 miles. After that, it reverts to the hybrid mode like a regular Prius. Toyota plans to deliver 150 vehicles to the US early in 2010, placing them in regional clusters for consumer tests and technical demonstrations.
For instance, Toyota will place 10 Prius PHVs with residents of Boulder, Colorado, under a regional partnership with Xcel Energy's SmartGridCity program. The residents will participate in an interdisciplinary research project coordinated by the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, a new joint venture between DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Colorado at Boulder. See the Toyota press release and the Prius PHV Web site.
Fisker, a start-up founded in August 2007, says it will begin delivering its Karma plug-in hybrids in the third quarter of 2010. Fisker is backed by a $528.7 million conditional loan from DOE and operates from its global headquarters in Irvine, California, with an engineering facility in Pontiac, Michigan.
The Fisker Karma was displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show along with a wide array of fuel-efficient and electrified concept and production cars, including the tiny Honda Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT for short) concept and the CMT-380 concept, an extended-range EV that draws on a 30-kilowatt microturbine from Capstone Turbine Corp. once its battery pack runs low on power. In essence, the CMT-380 is an EV with a quiet jet engine under its hood. See the Fisker press release (
PDF 173 KB) and
Web site, the press releases from
Honda and
Capstone, and the
LA Auto Show Web site.
