Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:February 11, 2004

*News and Events Researchers Gain Insight on How Plants Split Water PacifiCorp Seeks 1,100 Megawatts of Renewable Energy Breakthrough May Shed Light on High-Temperature Superconductivity Two Large Solar Power Systems On Order in California Audubon Center Uses Only Solar Energy, Earns Greenest Rating *Energy Connections EIA Updates Summaries of Seven Energy-Intensive Industries ———————————————————————- NEWS AND EVENTS ———————————————————————-Researchers Gain Insight on How Plants Split WaterPhotosynthesisthe process plants use to produce energy-rich carbohydrates using sunlightis the basis for all plant life on Earth, but the process remains poorly understood. At the heart of the photosynthetic process is a simple reaction that could be the key to our energy future: the technique that splits water into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen. In a plant, the oxygen is released to the atmosphere and the hydrogen is used to help produce the complex sugars that fuel the cells throughout the plant. But if people can replicate the process, the hydrogen could instead be used to fuel our vehicles and provide heat and power for our buildings.Last week, researchers at Imperial College London announced they had moved a step forward in understanding the water-splitting process, using high-resolution X-ray crystallography to study two protein complexes that […]

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