The company also unveiled the North American production version of the high-efficiency Chevrolet Cruze, which goes on sale later this year. The Cruze features a new Ecotec 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that delivers up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway.
Wheego Electric Cars unveiled the full-speed Wheego Whip LiFe, which runs on lithium-ion batteries and is expected to be available by mid-year. The show also featured ethanol produced from paper, the result of a partnership between enzyme maker Novozymes and Fiberight, which developed the technology and used it to power two flex-fuel vehicles. See the GM press releases on the Chevy Volt and the Chevy Cruze and the press releases from Wheego, and Novozymes.
Florida Company Donates Solar Lights to Haiti
Sol Inc., a Florida manufacturer of solar outdoor lighting, is helping relief efforts in Haiti, pledging more than $300,000 in equipment and aid. The company's product combines a small solar panel and a battery pack to provide power for a high-intensity lamp that uses LEDs.
Sol employees have been in Haiti since January 19, working to install solar-powered light systems. Workers have helped bring sun-powered illumination to hospitals, relief camps, and food distribution centers in Port-au-Prince. The company is continuing to work with U.S. officials and agencies to get more of the solar lights to Haiti.
Sol assisted with solar lighting in other disaster recoveries, including efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Rita in 2005, Peruvian earthquakes in 2007, and tornadoes in Chapman, Kansas. Sol will provide additional lights through a special ongoing Solar Lights for Haiti matching program it has established. See the latest Sol press releases, Sol's Web site for community outreach, and the "Dispatch from Haiti" on the Sol USA home page.
SEC: Businesses Should Disclose Climate Change Impacts
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued "interpretive guidance" to companies on January 27 to indicate how companies should handle the impacts of climate change in their financial disclosures.
While the SEC guidance does not create new legal requirements, it points out where companies could be liable if they fail to disclose potential climate change impacts. Specifically, the SEC directs companies to consider the impacts of existing laws and regulations regarding climate change, and in certain circumstances, the potential impact of pending legislation or regulation. Companies should also consider the impacts of international accords, the indirect consequences of climate change regulation or business trends (which might create new opportunities or risks), and the actual and potential physical impacts of climate change on their businesses. See the SEC press release.
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
