Energy Department Announces More Than $59 Million Investment in Solar Funding to Drive Solar Technology Innovation, Help Communities Boost Deployment WASHINGTON– In support of the Administration’s effort to double renewable energy generation for a second time by 2020, the Energy Department announced more than $59 million in funding to support solar energy innovation today. The Department is making $45 million in funding available to quickly move innovative solar manufacturing technologies to market, and is also awarding more than $14 million for 15 new projects to help communities develop multi-year solar deployment plans to install solar electricity in homes, businesses, and communities. As more communities look to solar energy as a source of clean, renewable electricity, the funding announced today will help lower the cost of going solar and enable businesses to develop solutions for overcoming technical, regulatory, and financial challenges, further unleashing cost-competitive solar energy. “As President Obama noted in his...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Jan. 12, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Altec Inc. announced today a strategic alliance agreement with ZeroRPM Inc. to provide high-efficiency work truck solutions to the electric utility, telecommunications and construction industries. Altec and ZeroRPM will provide enhanced idle mitigation and hybrid systems on work trucks to provide customers with improved fuel consumption and reduced tailpipe emissions. ZeroRPM has been recognized as an innovative leader in developing idle mitigation systems and hybrid technology products for the public safety, fire, ambulance, security and utility markets. "Our customers look to Altec to create solutions that help them meet their fleet electrification and sustainability requirements," said Lee Styslinger III, Altec Chairman and CEO. "Partnering with an innovative company like ZeroRPM will allow us to enhance our existing Green Fleet offerings and expand the range of work truck solutions we provide to the industry." Altec currently provides custom-built work trucks with alternative energy and...

Energy Department Recognizes City of Roanoke, VA for Leadership in Better Buildings Challenge ROANOKE, Va. – As part of the Obama Administration’s effort to cut energy waste in the nation’s buildings, the Energy Department today recognized the city of Roanoke, Virginia for its leadership. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, Roanoke has committed to 20 percent savings by 2020 across more than 25 buildings, covering one million square feet. Roanoke has already achieved 16 percent energy savings since 2009, and its Better Buildings Challenge showcase project, a retrofit of the Berglund Center, is expected to result in 30 percent energy savings, totaling $180,000 annually.                        “Better Buildings Challenge partners are demonstrating that cutting energy waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions improve communities,” said Dr. David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Through their leadership and ingenuity, these partners are moving...

January 27, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 and EIA-826 Note: Average residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system size calculated by dividing total installed capacity by number of meters. HECO , MECO , and HELCO are subsidiaries of Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.; KIUC is an independent electric cooperative. In December, NextEra Energy Inc. announced an agreement to acquire Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. , owner of three electric utilities that together supply power to 95% of Hawaii's population. NextEra is one of the largest developers of renewable energy in the United States through its subsidiary NextEra Energy Resources and is also the owner of Florida Power & Light (FPL). While FPL does not rely heavily on solar photovoltaics (PV) and other forms of renewable energy to serve its Florida customers, solar PV already plays a large role in Hawaii, and that role is expected to grow significantly over time. The Hawaiian Electric...

January 26, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, January Short-Term Energy Outlook Note: Graph does not include production from Alaska and the Federal Gulf of Mexico. The sharp decline in oil prices over the last quarter of 2014, which has continued in January, is already having a significant effect on drilling activity in the United States, as shown by the 16% decline in the number of active onshore drilling rigs in the Lower 48 states between the weeks ending on October 31, 2014 and January 23, 2015, according to data from Baker-Hughes. Moving from what has happened to forecasting the future is challenging, in part because market expectations of uncertainty in the price outlook have increased as reflected in the current values of futures and options contracts. When the latest edition of EIA's monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) was issued on January 13, the 95% confidence interval for market...

January 23, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on Bloomberg Widely traded futures contracts for North Sea Brent crude oil in global financial markets are typically priced in U.S. dollars (USD). The appreciation , or increase in value, of USD against most other currencies since last summer can either mitigate or exacerbate the effects of the recent sharp decline in USD-denominated crude oil prices, depending on whether a particular country is a net importer or a net exporter of crude oil. For example, the price of Brent crude since July 1, 2014, declined by 56% through January 21 in USD. However, given the depreciation of the Indian rupee and Turkish lira against the U.S. dollar over the same period, Brent crude prices in terms of those currencies fell by only 55% and 52%, respectively. Turkish and Indian consumers are therefore experiencing a lesser decline in the cost of...

Energy Secretary Moniz Unveils More Than $55 Million to Advance Fuel Efficient Vehicle Technologies WASHINGTON – Following the State of the Union Address on Tuesday, January 20 in which President Obama highlighted the surge in U.S. manufacturing and the strong growth in the auto industry, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz today announced more than $55 million to develop and deploy cutting-edge vehicle technologies that strengthen the clean energy economy. These technologies will play a key role in increasing fuel efficiency and reducing petroleum consumption, and support the Energy Department’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable to own and operate as today's gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022.      “Energy Department investments in advanced vehicle technologies have had a major impact on the industry, driving down costs for consumers and reducing carbon emissions,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “These projects will continue America’s leadership in building safe, reliable, and efficient vehicles to...

EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, to training for the clean energy workforce. Webinars are free; however, advanced registration is typically required. You can also watch archived webinars and browse previously aired videos, slides, and transcripts. Upcoming Webinars January 22: Marine and Hydrokinetic Systems Performance Advancement Funding Opportunity Announcement Webinar Sponsor: Water Power Program The Energy Department will present a live webinar titled "Marine and Hydrokinetic Systems Performance Advancement II: Component Metric Validation" on Thursday, January 22, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Representatives of the Energy Department will discuss a new $8 million funding opportunity to spur innovation in next-generation marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) control and component technologies. The Energy Department plans to select up to five projects to improve the performance and reduce the technical risk of MHK technologies by advancing...

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, DrillingInfo, Inc., Texas Natural Resources Information, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology Recent updates to the Energy Information Administration's maps and geologic information for the Eagle Ford tight oil and shale gas play in Texas help to characterize the formation's structure, thickness, and surface area, as well as the gas-to-oil ratio of its producing wells from January 2000 to June 2014. This information provides a better understanding of recent production within the context of key geologic parameters. The updates can be seen in the following four tabs. The first tab provides additional information on the mix of oil and natural gas hydrocarbons produced by well location. Tabs 2 through 4 provide updated geological information. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration and Drillinginfo Inc., September 2014 Note: EIA calculates the initial gas-to-oil ratio for each well using the second through...

Happy New Year! It's 2015 folks, and that means it's time to get your New Year's resolutions in order. You may have already resolved to go to the gym or eat heathier, and that's great, but I challenge you to also create an #EnergyResolution that will save money while saving energy all year long. The Energy Saver bloggers were up to the challenge and have developed some great energy-saving resolutions you can try yourself. More Efficient Heating and Cooling Allison Casey:  "I resolve to install (and use!) a new programmable thermostat that allows me to better manage my heating and cooling with scheduled settings and a smartphone app." Programmable thermostats can store and repeat six or more daily settings that will automatically increase or decrease the temperature to maximize savings without sacrificing comfort. For example, by turning your thermostat back 10° to 15° for 8 hours, you can save 5% to...