Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: May 5, 2010

DOE: $106M for 37 ARPA-E Projects Interior Dept Approves Cape Wind, First Offshore Wind Farm EPA, USDA Promote Renewable Energy Generation from Livestock EPA Hosts First Energy Efficiency Building Competition More Customers Participate in Utility Green Power Programs A Third of Countries Make Climate Progress in 2010 DOE Awards $106 Million to 37 ARPA-E Projects DOE is awarding $106 million in Recovery Act funds to 37 research projects in 17 states under its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The awardees were selected from 540 concept papers and 180 full applications after a rigorous review. This second round of ARPA-E grants will fund three areas: making advanced biofuels from renewable electricity or hydrogen instead of sunlight; designing completely new types of batteries to make electric vehicles more efficient and affordable; and removing carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants in a more cost-effective way. One key area of focus is "electrofuels." 13 projects will start with microorganisms, such as bacteria or microbes, and then add electricity or hydrogen to produce products such as bio-oil; biodiesel; jet fuel; alcohol fuels, such as butanol; and isooctane, a component of gasoline. In one example, a bacterium would act like a reverse fuel cell: where fuel […]

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