*News and Events
Toyota, Lexus Unveil New Hybrid SUVs at Detroit Auto Show
Department of Transportation Proposes Fuel Economy Reforms
DOE Develops Hydrogen-Fueled Three-Wheel Vehicles for India
Proposed Rule to Encourage Federal Purchasing of Bioproducts
California Grants License for Largest U.S. Geothermal Plant
World Trade Center’s Freedom Tower to Feature Wind Turbines
*Site News
Mark the New Year With a Free Calendar from EERE!
*Energy Connections
LNG Ministerial Summit Points to the Future of Natural Gas
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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Toyota, Lexus Unveil New Hybrid SUVs at Detroit Auto Show
Toyota Motor Sales unveiled the 2005 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV (sport utility vehicle) on Sunday at the 2004 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), now underway in Detroit. Toyota’s first hybrid electric SUV will feature a 3.3-liter V6 engine coupled with a motor, offering a combined peak power of about 270 horsepower. The Highlander Hybrid will use a new version of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system that powers the Toyota Prius, with nearly double the battery power and more than twice the motor power. Although a front-
wheel-drive version is standard, an optional four-wheel-drive package will use front and rear motors to deliver balanced power to all four wheels. According to Toyota, the Highlander Hybrid will achieve “the fuel economy of a four-cylinder compact sedan” and will be available in early 2005. See the Toyota “Future Vehicles” Web page at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Lexus, Toyota’s luxury division, introduced its own hybrid electric SUV on Tuesday. The RX 400h appears to feature the same drivetrain as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, but in a luxury package. Both vehicles are expected to achieve SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) emissions ratings. The 2005 RX 400h is expected to go on sale this fall. See the Lexus Hybrid Web page at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
While Toyota and its luxury Lexus division are rolling out new hybrid models, the current Toyota Prius continues to earn accolades, as the car was named the 2004 North American Car of the Year at the NAIAS.
But Toyota is not the lone hybrid vehicle exhibitor at the NAIAS:Mercedes-Benz is displaying a concept version of its Vision Grand Sports Tourer powered by a diesel-electric hybrid system. The system uses a V8 diesel engine and a 67-horsepower motor to achieve a total power of 314 horsepower. See the January 4th press releases from Toyota and the North American Car and Truck of the Year, the January 5th press release from Mercedes-Benz, and the January 6th press release from Lexus, all on the NAIAS Web site at:
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Department of Transportation Proposes Fuel Economy Reforms
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing to revamp its fuel efficiency standards for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, which the DOT classifies as “light trucks.” On December 22nd, DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued an advance notice of a proposed rulemaking to reform the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The notice includes several reforms that the NHTSA is considering, including redefining what constitutes a light truck, creating two or more categories of light trucks, and increasing the scope of the standards to include vehicles weighing between 8,500 and 10,000 pounds. Such heavyweight vehicles — including the Hummer H2, Ford Excursion, Lincoln Navigator, GMC Yukon XL K2500, Chevrolet Suburban K2500, GMC Sierra, and Chevrolet Silverado — are currently exempt from fuel-economy standards. The current proposal addresses only rule changes and does
not include proposed fuel efficiency standards. The NHTSA is accepting public comments on the proposed changes until late March. See the December 22nd press release from NHTSA and the NHTSA’s CAFE Rulemaking Actions Web page at:
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Meanwhile, new emissions standards for motorcycles promise to eventually save about 12 million gallons of gasoline each year. Although aimed chiefly at reducing emissions, the new standards — established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 23rd — will reduce evaporative emissions from motorcycles by preventing gasoline fumes from escaping from fuel hoses and tanks. While helping to avoid ozone, those changes will also help to avoid wasting gasoline. The emissions standards will be phased in starting in 2006; the evaporative emissions standards will take effect in 2008. See the EPA press release under the “News Highlights” heading: http://www.epa.gov/newsroom
DOE Develops Hydrogen-Fueled Three-Wheel Vehicles for India
DOE is implementing a project that will introduce hydrogen-fueled three-wheeled vehicles into India. With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), one of India’s largest automobile manufacturers — Mahindra and Mahindra Limited — will select two of its popular lightweight vehicles for conversion to hydrogen fuel. Michigan-based Energy Conversion Devices Inc. will convert the vehicles’ engines to run on hydrogen and will add hydrogenstorage systems that use its proprietary metal hydrides, which store the hydrogen in a solid chemical form. One of the vehicles will then be returned to India, and one will remain in the United States for testing.
DOE is interested in the project because it will test an alternative fuel system under congested traffic conditions where transportation pollution is severe. It could encourage the use of hydrogen fuels in developing countries, introduce key U.S. technologies to the Asian market, and hasten the development of hydr
ogen-fueled transportation
ogen-fueled transportation
in the United States. USAID’s U.S.-Asia Environmental Partnership program and its Global Development Alliance program brought the U.S. and Indian partners together and provided $500,000 to initiate the project. See the December 22nd press release from DOE at:
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Proposed Rule to Encourage Federal Purchasing of Bioproducts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a proposed rule that will require federal agencies to purchase biobased products when available. Biobased products displace products produced from petroleum, and could help reduce our nation’s dependence on oil imports. To that end, Section 9002 of the 2002 Farm Bill authorized the Federal Biobased Procurement Program, which will require federal agencies to greatly increase their use of biobased industrial products, thereby contributing to the development of a broad range of new biobased products. When the program is fully implemented, agencies will be required to purchase biobased industrial products if their cost is not substantially higher than fossil-energy-based alternatives and if they meet the performance requirements of the federal user.
Under the new proposed rule, the USDA will designate generic groupings of similar bioproducts and will provide federal agencies with information about product availability, price, performance, and environmental and public health benefits. The rule also requires third-party verification of the biobased content of products. See the
USDA press release and the program Web site at:
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The USDA has also awarded a total of $4.3 million in grants to 29 new biomass and renewable energy projects. The grants were part of a $28.7 million grant package announced by USDA on December 11th. See the USDA press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
California Grants License for Largest U.S. Geothermal Plant
The California Energy Commission (CEC) voted on December 17th to approve a license for the 185-megawatt Salton Sea Unit 6 Geothermal Project. Proposed by CE Obsidian Energy, LLC, the project will be the largest geothermal power plant in the country. The facility will be located on 80 acres of land at the southern end of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, approximately six miles north of Calipatria in Imperial County. See the December 17th press release from the California Energy Commission at:
World Trade Center’s Freedom Tower to Feature Wind Turbines
New York officials unveiled plans for the Freedom Tower — the centerpiece of new construction at the World Trade Center site — on December 19th, including plans to incorporate wind turbines that will generate 20 percent of the building’s electrical power needs. The Freedom Tower will be the world’s tallest building and will incorporate state-of-the-art safety systems, far exceeding New York City’s building code requirements. Topping a 60-story base that will include office space and other amenities, a lacy structure of tension cables will rise to 1,500 feet and will include the wind turbines. Atop the open truss area will be a spire that will rise to 1,776 feet. Groundbreaking for the tower is expected in mid-year. See Governor George E. Pataki’s press release at:
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If built as planned, the Freedom Tower’s use of wind turbines would be t he world’s first large-scale integration of wind turbines into a building. Wind turbines are generally not suited for urban environments because of the turbulence created by nearby buildings, but the height of the Freedom Tower may overcome that difficulty.
According to the architect — Skidmore, Owens, and Merrill LLP (SOM) — the building’s location at the confluence of the Hudson and East Rivers is expected to allow the turbines to generate electricity at least 40 percent of the time, enough to cover the building’s base power demand. See the SOM press release at:
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SOM has also posted images of the Freedom Tower design at:
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The wind turbine concept for the Freedom Tower was developed with the help of Battle McCarthy Consulting Engineers & Landscape Artists. Images of the proposed wind turbine installation are available on the
Battle McCarthy Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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SITE NEWS
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Mark the New Year With a Free Calendar from EERE!
Happy New Year! To help celebrate, DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is offering a 2004 calendar that’s chock-full of energy-saving suggestions. With month-by-month facts about energy-efficient lighting, windows, new home construction, transportation, appliances, and heating and cooling, the free calendar
will keep you thinking about ways to save on your energy bills all year long. Information about green power and solar power will help you use more renewable energy, and helpful winter and summer energy tips help you take season-specific actions to save energy at home. The calendar features a smart design and loads of full-color photos. To
download a copy of the calendar or to order a free copy (within the United States only), see the EERE Web site at:
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ENERGY CONNECTIONS
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LNG Ministerial Summit Points to the Future of Natural Gas
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham hosted the LNG (liquefied natural gas) Ministerial Summit on December 17th and 18th, where energy ministers from 24 countries shared their thoughts about the future of a global market for natural gas. LNG is the only practical way to import natural gas from overseas, a fact that led Secretary Abraham to
state that “LNG is clearly going to be a large factor in the world’s future energy equation.” See Abraham’s speech:
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Other speakers at the conference agreed with Secretary Abraham, and their presentations at the summit suggest that a significant effort is looming to develop the LNG market.
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The momentum in the LNG market is apparent on the Web sites of nearly every international energy company. ChevronTexaco, for instance, has received approval to build an LNG terminal in the Gulf of Mexico, 40 miles off the Louisiana coast, and is planning another terminal off the coast of Baja California. ExxonMobil has announced plans to build a $600-million LNG terminal near Sabine Pass, Texas, and BP has applied to build an LNG terminal, called “Crown Landing,” by the Delaware River in southern New Jersey. BP has also signed an agreement to bring 3.7 million tons of LNG per year from Indonesia to North America over a 20-year period. The LNG will go to Sempra Energy, which is planning to build a receiving terminal in Baja California in cooperation with Shell. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy is planning LNG terminals in Sabine Pass, Louisiana, and Corpus Christi, Texas, and
ConocoPhillips is investing in an LNG terminal in Quintana, Texas. ConocoPhilips has also joined with TransCanada Corporation to propose an LNG terminal called “Fairwinds” near Harpswell, Maine. See the
press releases from ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, BP, Sempra Energy, Cheniere, and ConocoPhillips at:
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See also the Crown Landing and Fairwinds Web sites at:
Need to learn more about LNG? Visit the new LNG Web site, provided by the California Energy Commission, at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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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). |
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