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| A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The EERE Network News is also available on the Web at: www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm November 18, 2009News and Events
Energy Connections
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News and EventsUnited States and China to Cooperate on Clean Energy
President Barack Obama and China's President Hu Jintao announced on November 17 a far-reaching package of measures to strengthen cooperation between the United States and China on clean and renewable energy. The presidents began by establishing a U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center to facilitate joint research and development of clean energy technologies by scientists from both countries. The center will be supported by $150 million in public and private funds over the next five years, split evenly between the partners. Initial research priorities will be building energy efficiency, clean vehicles, and carbon capture and storage. Also, building on the first-ever U.S.-China Electric Vehicle Forum in September 2009, the two leaders unveiled a U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative, which will include developing joint standards, building demonstration projects in more than a dozen cities, creating technical roadmaps, and carrying out public education projects. Both nations said they share an interest in accelerating the deployment of electric vehicles in order to reduce oil dependence, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and promote economic growth. The countries will also leverage private sector resources to develop clean energy projects in China through the U.S.-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP). More than 22 companies are founding members of the program. The ECP will include collaborative projects involving renewable energy, smart grids, clean transportation, green buildings, combined heat and power, energy efficiency, and clean coal. As part of their joint efforts, the two powers will hold an ongoing series of forums. For example, a new U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Forum will be held annually, rotating between the two countries. This will be part of the new U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Action Plan, launched by President Obama and President Hu Jintao. The action plan commits the two countries to work together and with the private sector to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, industrial facilities, and consumer appliances. Similarly, the new U.S.-China Renewable Energy Partnership will feature an annual rotating forum. Under the partnership, the two countries will develop roadmaps for widespread renewable energy deployment in both countries. In addition, the countries will encourage state-to-state and region-to-region partnerships in order to share experiences and best practices. Also included in this undertaking will be a new Advanced Grid Working Group, which will bring together U.S. and Chinese policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and civil society to develop strategies for grid modernization in both countries. See the DOE press release and the DOE fact sheets on the Clean Energy Research Center (PDF 66 KB), Electric Vehicles Initiative (PDF 91 KB), Energy Efficiency Plan (PDF 72 KB), and Renewable Energy Partnership (PDF 72 KB). Download Adobe Reader. Ex-Im Bank to Boost Renewable Exports with $250 Million in FinancingThe Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has launched a $250 million facility to finance exports of renewable energy products, including solar, wind, and geothermal energy techologies. The bank's actions on November 3 were part of its overall strategy as the first Export Credit Agency to adopt a comprehensive Carbon Policy. The new financing will support U.S. exports of clean energy technologies to will help other nations address climate change concerns. To further boost renewable energy exports, the Ex-Im Bank will consider the introduction of a full range of incentives and other measures to facilitate the purchase of U.S. renewable energy exports by foreign buyers. The bank will also make more energy efficiency products eligible for its Environmental Exports Program, and it will actively market and promote energy efficiency exports. At the same time, the bank will encourage export credit agencies, multilateral development banks, and other lending institutions to adopt similar policies to promote clean energy exports. See the Ex-Im press release and Carbon Policy. DOE and USDA Award $24 Million in Biomass GrantsDOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on November 12 more than $24 million in grants for the research and development (R&D) of biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value biobased products. The grants will support a dozen projects aimed at increasing the availability of biofuels and other products produced from biomass. DOE is contributing $4.9 million in grants and the USDA is contributing $19.5 million, with awardees adding at least 20% matching funds for R&D projects and at least 50% matching funds for demonstration projects. Six projects involve R&D in biomass conversion technologies, including an effort by GE Global Research to develop kinetic models of biomass gasification, which will help engineers design better gasifiers. In the realm of fermentation, Gevo, Inc. will develop a yeast fermentation organism that can cost-effectively convert cellulosic-derived sugars into isobutanol, a second-generation biofuel that balances high octane content and low vapor pressure, while Yenkin-Majestic Paint Corporation will demonstrate a dry fermentation system that converts food wastes into biogas, heat, and electrical power. Itaconix will develop an integrated system to extract sugars from Northeast hardwoods, ferment them, and polymerize them to form polyitaconic acid, a water-soluble polymer that can be used in dispersants, detergents, and super-absorbents. And Velocys, Inc. will use microchannels—parallel arrays of channels that are a fifth of an inch wide, or smaller—to convert biomass to biofuels more efficiently, using smaller process equipment. Finally, Exelus, Inc. will seek to bypass fermentation and other processing steps by using engineered catalysts to convert biomass directly into gasoline. Three grants will support biomass feedstock development. Agrivida will develop a form of switchgrass with new traits that eliminate the need for both expensive pretreatment equipment and enzymes; Oklahoma State University will study best practices and technologies necessary to ensure sustainable production of cellulosic ethanol feedstocks; and the University of Tennessee will compare three varieties of switchgrass using various management practices, harvesting equipment, and harvesting timelines. The final three awards will support analyses of future biofuels production. Purdue University will analyze the global impacts of second-generation biofuels within the context of other energy technologies, as well as alternative economic and climate change policy options; the University of Minnesota will assess the environmental sustainability and capacity of forest-based biofuel feedstocks within the Lake States region, which includes Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin; and the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials will compare environmental and economic impacts of collecting biomass from various sources for conversion to fuels via several pathways, using the analysis to estimate the national potential for biofuels production. See the DOE press release. DOE and USDA Offer $4 Million for Biomass Genomics ResearchDOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on October 12 that they will offer $4 million for genomics research projects to develop new plant feedstocks for biofuels. The new funding continues a commitment, begun in 2006, to conduct a joint fundamental research program in biomass genomics, aimed at improving biomass characteristics and yield. The genomic research project also intends to facilitate the release of sugars from woody plant tissue, including trees, bushes, and other non-edible plant matter. Once the sugars are released from woody plant tissue, they can be converted into biofuels and other products. The research will support the goal of replacing 30% of transportation fuels with biofuels by 2030. The new solicitation intends to build upon the existing knowledge base of plant biology and take advantage of significant advances in breeding, molecular genetics, and genomic technologies, enabling researchers to confidently predict and manipulate plants' biological functions for bioenergy resources. Improved crops for energy fuels could use less intensive production techniques and poorer quality land, thereby avoiding competition with food production on better quality land. The new solicitation has not yet been posted on grants.gov. See the USDA press release and DOE's Genomic Science Program Web site. DOE Delivers $40 Million to Florida and Maine for Clean EnergyDOE delivered more than $40 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds on November 17 to Florida and Maine in support of energy efficiency and conservation activities. Under DOE's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, the recipients will implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally. The awards to the states' energy offices will be used to support their energy efficiency priorities, along with funding local conservation projects in smaller cities and counties. At least 60% of each award will be passed through to local cities and counties not eligible for direct EECBG awards from DOE. The EECBG Program was funded for the first time by the Recovery Act and provides formula grants to states, cities, counties, territories, and federally-recognized Indian tribes nationwide to implement local energy efficiency projects. Projects eligible for support include the development of an energy efficiency and conservation strategy, energy efficiency audits and retrofits, transportation programs, the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the installation of renewable energy technologies on municipal buildings. For example, Florida will use the EECBG funds to support the Sunshine State Building Initiative, which will fund the installation of a variety of energy-saving measures at existing state buildings. This will reduce the state's energy bills, while helping the state meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2012. Meanwhile, Maine will direct a portion of its funds toward energy efficiency upgrades at large-scale commercial facilities. See the DOE press release and the EECBG Program Web site. AIA Report Notes Surge in Green Building Programs
The number of U.S. cities with green building programs has increased 50% in two years, according to a survey by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Green buildings generally include energy-efficient designs and other sustainable features. Among the findings from AIA, 138 cities have green building programs, compared with 92 cities in 2007, and 24 of the 25 most populated metropolitan regions are built around cities with a green building policy. The new report, "Green Building Policy in a Changing Economic Environment," is an inventory of policies and best practices intended to help policymakers advance a more sustainable legislative agenda for growth and development. The report also notes that DOE's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is providing "an unprecedented opportunity for the advancement of green building and sustainability efforts in our nation's cities." The AIA has stated a goal of making all building designs carbon neutral by 2030. See the AIA press release and report. The rise in green building programs is also reflected in the continued construction of Energy Star qualified homes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on November 11 that the program had surpassed one million Energy Star-qualified homes since EPA and DOE began labeling new homes in 1995 under their joint effort. Topping the list with the most Energy Star homes are Houston, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and the greater Los Angeles area in California. There are more than 6,500 builders across the nation constructing homes that earn the Energy Star label, and qualified new homes can be found in every state in the country. To earn the Energy Star label, a home must meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by DOE and EPA. Those include effective insulation systems, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and high-efficiency lighting and appliances. In addition, an independent home energy rater conducts onsite testing and inspections to verify that the home's performance meets Energy Star requirements. This year alone, families living in Energy Star-qualified homes will save more than $270 million on their utility bills, while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from about 370,000 vehicles. See the EPA press release and the Energy Star Web site. | ||||
Energy ConnectionsStudy Says Climate Change Could Displace 150 Million People by 2050Recent reports are tallying the anticipated human cost of climate change, including the displacement of 150 million people throughout the world by 2050. A new report from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) finds that climate change is already attributable for the deaths of more than 300,000 people per year, while seriously affecting another 325 million people each year. Most people on the planet are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and about 10% of the population is at extreme risk, according to the report. The report also finds that by 2050, as many as 150 million people could be forced from their homes due to climate change impacts. The report calls for a new legal framework for such "climate refugees," who are not recognized under the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees. See the report, "No Place Like Home: Where Next for Climate Refugees?" on the EJF Web site. While the EJF report highlights severe impacts on mostly developing countries, including Bangladesh, island nations, and most of the African continent, a new report from Oxfam America finds significant vulnerabilities right here in the United States, particularly in the Southeast. The report looks at places where climate-change hazards overlap with social vulnerabilities, including poverty, old age, and areas with high percentages of populations with special needs. It found about 60 counties with both high social vulnerabilities and exposure to multiple hazards due to climate change. Most of those counties are located in the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas, although all 13 states had some level of vulnerability. See the Oxfam America press release, report, and interactive Web site. | ||||
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