Administration Finalizes Higher Fuel Efficiency Standards

New higher fuel efficiency standards are already being reflected in cars like the 2013 Ford Fusion plug-in hybrid that Ford says gets more than the equivalent of 100 MPG.
Credit: Ford Motor Company

The Obama Administration on August 28 finalized standards that will increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025. When combined with previous standards set by this administration, this action will nearly double the fuel efficiency of those vehicles compared to new vehicles currently on the road. The move to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions will save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the gas pump and reduce U.S. oil consumption by 12 billion barrels.

The program also includes targeted incentives to encourage early adoption and introduction of advanced technologies to dramatically improve vehicle performance. The program includes incentives for electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cells vehicles, as well as incentives for hybrid and other technologies that can improve the fuel economy of large pickups. The new standards issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) build on the success of the administration's standards for cars and light trucks for model years 2011-2016. Those standards, which raised average fuel efficiency by 2016 to the equivalent of 35.5 mpg, are already saving families money at the pump.

Achieving the new fuel efficiency standards will encourage innovation and investment in advanced technologies that increase our economic competitiveness and support high-quality domestic jobs in the auto industry. The final standards were developed by DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the EPA, following extensive engagement with automakers, the United Auto Workers, consumer groups, environmental and energy experts, states, and the public. Last year, 13 major automakers, which together account for more than 90% of all vehicles sold in the United States, announced their support for the new standards. See the White House press release and the NHTSA CAFE fuel standards website.

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Administration Maps Solar Energy Development on Public Lands

The solar PEIS planning effort has focused on identifying locations on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands that are most suitable for solar energy development. The solar PEIS will serve as a roadmap for solar energy development by establishing solar energy zones, which have access to existing or planned transmission and minimal resource conflicts, and incentives for development within those zones. The blueprint’s comprehensive analysis will make for faster, better permitting of large-scale solar projects on public lands.

These areas are characterized by excellent solar resources, good energy transmission potential, and relatively low conflict with biological, cultural, and historic resources. The final PEIS identifies 17 Solar Energy Zones (SEZs), totaling about 285,000 acres of public lands, as priority areas for utility-scale solar development, with the potential for creating additional zones through ongoing and future regional planning processes. The blueprint also allows for utility-scale solar development on approximately 19 million acres in "variance" areas lying outside of identified SEZs. It also excludes 78 million acres from solar energy development to protect cultural or natural resources. In total, the final PEIS estimates that 23,700 megawatts could be developed from the 17 zones and the variance areas, enough renewable energy to power 7 million U.S. homes.

The July 27 Federal Register Notice of Availability for the Final PEIS will begin a 30-day protest period, after which DOI may consider adopting the document through a Record of Decision. The BLM released the draft solar PEIS in December 2010, and in response to the over 80,000 comments received from cooperating agencies and key stakeholders, issued a supplement to the draft solar PEIS in October 2011. See the Energy Department press release and the solar PEIS.

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Obama administration announces investment in biofuels

The Energy Department is increasing support for biofuels. The biorefinery pilot makes such cellulosic ethanol from corn on the cob.
Credit card: Poet

$30 Announced the Department of energy, the U.S. Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Navy on July 2 millions in promoting private investment in commercial advanced drop-in bio-fuels adapted. Drop-in biofuels are fuels, direct serve can substitute or supplement to existing gasoline, diesel and Jet fuels, without changes and existing distribution networks or engine fuel pump - and have the potential to us significantly to reduce dependence on oil imports. DOE offers $32 million in new investments also for earlier research, continue to drive for technological breakthroughs and other costs in the industry.

In his design for a secure energy future in March 2011 President Obama published objective of reducing oil imports by a third by the year energy efficiency and accelerate the development of biofuels and other alternatives set by 2025. As part of this effort led the blueprint DOE work Navy and the USDA to support commercialization of drop in biofuel substitutes for diesel and jet fuel, that the current funding announcement (FOA) lead opportunity. This FOA has a two-phased approach to share with Government and industry in the cost. In phase 1 applicants will submit a package of design and comprehensive business plan for a commercial biorefinery, identify and project sites to secure and further necessary steps set out in the notice. Selected winners still in phase 2 will present additional information for the construction or the upgrading of a biorefinery. Applications are due by August 13, 2012. The funding opportunity announcement and the blueprint for a secure energy future, see.

In addition, research that complement the commercial efforts of the Navy and USDA announced bot DOE new investments in earlier stage of biofuels. The last steps in the Obama Government are this early, pre-commercial systems to reduce efforts for the further development of biofuel technologies, improve performance, and to identify new effective and non-food feedstocks and technologies. Find the full funding request. Applications are due to the 13 August 2012.

DOE funding innovative pilot-scale and demo-scale biorefineries that could produce renewable bio-fuels, announced $20 million to support today covers to meet the military specifications for kerosene and ship diesel with a variety of non-food biomass raw materials, waste-based materials and algae. These projects support may be new plant construction, retrofit on existing U.S. bio-refineries or operations plant to begin production on the pilot or pre commercial scale. This investment will help made collect also federal and local governments, private developers and accurate data on the costs of the production of fuels from biomass and waste raw materials industry.

In addition, DOE announced $12 million to up to eight projects focused fuels on the exploration of possibilities for the development of organic transport and products with synthetic biological processing support. Synthetic biological processing provides innovative technology to efficiently, to enable low-cost conversion of nonfood biomass to biofuels. These projects will develop novel biological systems, which improve the breakdown of raw biomass raw materials and in the conversion of raw materials into transportation fuels.

Projects - carried by small businesses, universities, national laboratories and industry - will endeavour to overcome barriers to scientific maritime trade competitive advanced biofuels and bioproducts. Applications are due to the 10 July 2012. See the full funding opportunity announcement and the DOE press release.

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Obama Administration Announces Great Lakes Wind Projects Agreement

The Obama Administration joined the governors of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania on March 30 to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) streamlining offshore wind development in the Great Lakes. DOE, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Energy Consortium are among the signatories.

The MOU will enhance collaboration between federal and state agencies to speed review of proposed offshore wind projects. Specifically, the agencies will develop an action plan that sets priorities and recommends steps for achieving efficient and responsible evaluation of proposed offshore wind power projects in the Great Lakes region. The area has the potential to produce more than 700 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind, about one fifth of the total U.S. offshore wind potential. DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that each gigawatt of offshore wind installed could produce enough electricity to power 300,000 homes.

To safely and responsibly develop offshore wind resources, federal and state agencies—which share jurisdiction in the Great Lakes—must fully evaluate the potential social, environmental, safety, and security impacts of projects. See the DOE press release, a fact sheet, and the complete MOU.

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Obama administration provides $ 35 million for biomass research

The biomass research and development initiative will help, economically and environmentally sustainable sources of energy develop renewable biomass.
Credit card: Todd Johnson

The White House on 22 March announced an offer of up to $35 million products over three years to support research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy and high-value Biobased. The projects are financed by the biomass research and development initiative (BRDI), a joint programme of DOE and the U.S. Agriculture (USDA). The programs help economically and ecologically sustainable energy sources develop renewable biomass. Increasing the availability of renewable fuels and bio-based products that will help the need for petrol and diesel to replace can.

For the fiscal year 2012, applicant BRDI must propose funding, projects, the integration of science and research in three areas of technical engineering: feedstock, bio-fuels and organic products development, and biofuels development analysis. These technical areas are crucial to the continued success of the alternative bio-fuel production. Grants Awards and national program leadership for the BRDI program are managed by the USDA National Institute of food and Agriculture and the DOE Office of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Applications are by 24 April 2012, and must be submitted electronically. You will find on the DOE press release and the funding opportunity announcement FedConnect.

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