July 1, 2009
Labor Department Offers $500 Million for Clean Energy Job Training
The U.S. Department of Labor has released five solicitations for grants that will improve and expand the training opportunities for people seeking work in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The application due dates for the grants run from August through October. More
June 30, 2009
Scientists Pass Solid Particles Through Rock in DOE-Sponsored Research at Stanford University
Advances in nanotechnology research & development hold potential for characterization of fracture systems in enhanced geothermal systems. More
June 22, 2009
DOE-Funded Research at Stanford Sees Results in Reservoir Characterization
The Stanford Geothermal Program had a noteworthy result this week, having achieved a proof of concept in the use of tiny particles called nanoparticles as tracers to characterize fractured rocks. The result comes from research funded by DOE in 2008 to accelerate technology development for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). This research will help developers learn more about the fracture systems in geothermal reservoirs, so that they may better predict the results of reservoir stimulation. Positive results from DOE- funded research will lead to further development of EGS, a clean energy technology capable of producing baseload electricity across the United States. The ultimate goal of the Stanford project is to utilize the nanoparticles as sensors to characterize subsurface fractures. The initial experimentation with nanoparticle injection served as a basic milestone of this vision. It was essential to verify the possibility of recovering the nanoparticles following their injection, and to demonstrate that they were not trapped in the pore spaces by hydraulic, chemical or electrostatic effects. To investigate these issues, a nanofluid was created by suspending SiO2 nanoparticles in a liquid solution, and then injecting into a Berea sandstone core. The injected nanoparticles were transported through the pore space of the rock and were detected and recovered in the effluent. For more information on DOE's Geothermal Technologies Program, visit the Geothermal Technologies Program Web site. More
June 17, 2009
Federal Agencies to Assist with Clean Energy Development in the West
DOE and the Western Governor's Association released a report on June 15 that identifies 37 "hubs" for renewable energy in the western United States, plus 17 in western Canada and in Baja California. The hubs could yield nearly 200,000 megawatts of renewable power, and DOE and other federal agencies will strive to help make that happen. More
June 2, 2009
Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $50 Million of Recovery Act Funding to Accelerate Deployment of Geothermal Heat Pumps
Following a tour of a geothermal heat pump (GHP) manufacturing facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced nearly $50 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to advance commercial deployment of the renewable heating and cooling systems, which use energy from below the Earth’s surface to move heat either into or away from the home or building. More
May 27, 2009
President Obama Announces Over $467 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Geothermal and Solar Energy Projects
President Obama today announced over $467 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to expand and accelerate the development, deployment, and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the United States. More
May 21, 2009
Geothermal, the 'undervalued' renewable resource, sees surging interest
While the United States remains the world's leader in geothermal energy production, the industry's current generation capacity of 3,000 megawatts is a pittance compared with the 28,200 megawatts of capacity for wind- generated power, or the 9,183 megawatts of capacity for solar power. However, efforts by Congress and the Obama administration to fast-track renewables development nationwide has the geothermal industry on the verge of an unprecedented expansion. More
May 6, 2009
BLM to Invest Recovery Act Funds on Renewable Energy Permitting
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, will invest $41 million in Recovery Act funds to reduce its backlog of applications for renewable energy projects. The Interior Department is also establishing four new Renewable Energy Coordination Offices to help cut through the red tape. More
April 29, 2009
DOE Launches the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E
DOE released a $150 million Funding Opportunity Notice on April 27 to launch the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The new agency will pursue high-risk, cutting-edge research and development of clean energy technologies that hold the potential to change the world's energy future. More
April 29, 2009
President Obama Touts Clean Energy on Earth Day
The development of renewable energy and energy efficiency marks "a new era of energy exploration" in the United States, according to President Barack Obama. The president delivered his Earth Day speech on clean energy at a manufacturing plant for wind turbine towers in Newton, Iowa. More
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