Li-Bridge leading the USA across lithium battery chasm
Li-Bridge alliance hopes to solve supply problem where China manufactures over 75% of lithium batteries worldwide.
Tag: Department of Energy
USA increasing domestic lithium battery research and manufacturing
Avoiding a dependency on foreign batteries requires the USA to manufacture its own lithium batteries.
US Dept of Energy funding electric vehicle and battery research
The Trump Administration has been taking all kinds of actions to undermine environmental regulations, coddle polluters, and support fossil fuels, but at the same time the Administration continues to fund research into clean energy technologies. In January, the Dept of Energy announced a funding opportunity for up to $133 million…
California defies Trump Administration on lightbulb efficiency standards
Another front of the battle between California and the Trump Administration is the lowly light bulb. Incandescent and Halogen bulbs cannot meet a standard laid out in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), and under that law if the Federal Government fails to take action by January 1, 2020, then…
Dept of Energy aims for high speed EV charging network in new Grant program
Last week the US Department of Energy announced a $68 million package of “available funding for early-stage research of advanced vehicle technologies that will enable more affordable mobility, strengthen domestic energy security, and enhance U.S. economic growth.” The advanced technologies in this case are about low-cobalt battery designs, and more importantly…
Orange Button data taxonomy for solar financial reporting launches with developer meeting
Today SunSpec held a developers meeting for the Orange Button data taxonomy. This is a Department of Energy project, led by the SunSpec Alliance, aiming to reduce some of the “soft costs” in solar power – specifically, the processing of financial and investment documents related to solar power systems. The…
Dept of Energy moving forward with energy storage research projects, doubling down on renewable energy
Solar power isn’t dead in the Trump Administration. Instead, the Dept of Energy announced last week that the 2020 SunShot cost reduction goals were met, and therefore the focus of the Solar Energy Technologies Office would shift to longer-term goals such as Grid Reliability and Energy Storage. “With the impressive…
DOE Secretary Perry orders review of whether renewable energy erodes energy grid stability: Coal Versus Solar
In a letter to the Department of Energy, Secretary Perry describes having attended the G7 Energy Ministerial, and his reaction to discussion of “the need for an energy transition utilizing greater efficiency and fuel diversity.” That transition is necessary because the prevailing electric energy paradigm is based in fossil…
Department of Energy grants $7.4 million funding to develop ocean energy systems
On Thursday, the US Energy Department announced $7.4 million in funding to four companies developing wave and tidal energy systems. This sort of technology uses objects placed in the ocean to capture energy from wave motion or the ebb-and-flow of tides, converting that energy to electricity. According to the Energy…
Bill O’Reilly sings praises of electric cars, will it rub off on Fox News?
I’m accustomed to seeing Fox News as the enemy of electric cars, with Bill O’Reilly leading the anti-everything-sensible crusade. For some reason he’s beginning to sound sensible about electric vehicles, and is even making arguments similar to ones I’d make when “debating” with one of his fellow Fox “News” show…
Dept. of Energy awards over $30 million in battery research grants
A $45 million package of Department of Energy grants supporting advanced vehicle technologies included $22.5 million for advanced battery research, and another $8 million for power electronics research. The grants aim to cut battery size and weight in half, allow semiconductors to operate more efficiently and at higher temperature, give greater durability, reliability, and lower…
Dept of Energy’s eGallon metric is interesting, useful, but flawed presentation on DOE website
On Tuesday the US Dept. of Energy unveiled the eGallon, in an attempt to dispel some confusion about the cost of operating an electric or gasoline powered car. Many are reacting to the high price of gasoline by looking for alternatives, but then get lost in the question whether the…
US Dept. of Energy exploring Methane Hydrate resources in Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and elsewhere
The U.S. Government is supporting research into developing Methane Hydrate “resources”. A month ago I reported on a joint project between the Dept. of Energy and the State of Alaska to develop methane hydrate resources in Alaska’s North Slope, as well as tar sands deposits in that area. Today there…
Why is Fisker dying when Tesla is soaring? Focus on style and not enough on reliability?
Why is Fisker Automotive on the brink of collapse? (reportedly) The news is full of stories today saying that Fisker Automotive is unable to pay its bills, has laid off 75% of its workforce, is being sued by the landlord and the webmaster for lack of payment, that the negotiations…
Bright Automotive goes dark citing onerous Dept of Energy loan terms
Bright Automotive, would-be manufacturer of a plug-in hybrid delivery van, shut down today while CEO Reuben Munger and COO Mike Donoughe delivered a blistering letter to Energy Secretary Stephen Chu calling the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program a debacle. Indiana based Bright Automotive, a start-up company which hoped to sell hybrid-electric delivery trucks, has closed its…
USA increasing domestic lithium battery research and manufacturing
Avoiding a dependency on foreign batteries requires the USA to manufacture its own lithium batteries.
US Dept of Energy funding electric vehicle and battery research
The Trump Administration has been taking all kinds of actions to undermine environmental regulations, coddle polluters, and support fossil fuels, but at the same time the Administration continues to fund research into clean energy technologies. In January, the Dept of Energy announced a funding opportunity for up to $133 million…
California defies Trump Administration on lightbulb efficiency standards
Another front of the battle between California and the Trump Administration is the lowly light bulb. Incandescent and Halogen bulbs cannot meet a standard laid out in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), and under that law if the Federal Government fails to take action by January 1, 2020, then…
Dept of Energy aims for high speed EV charging network in new Grant program
Last week the US Department of Energy announced a $68 million package of “available funding for early-stage research of advanced vehicle technologies that will enable more affordable mobility, strengthen domestic energy security, and enhance U.S. economic growth.” The advanced technologies in this case are about low-cobalt battery designs, and more importantly…
Orange Button data taxonomy for solar financial reporting launches with developer meeting
Today SunSpec held a developers meeting for the Orange Button data taxonomy. This is a Department of Energy project, led by the SunSpec Alliance, aiming to reduce some of the “soft costs” in solar power – specifically, the processing of financial and investment documents related to solar power systems. The…
Dept of Energy moving forward with energy storage research projects, doubling down on renewable energy
Solar power isn’t dead in the Trump Administration. Instead, the Dept of Energy announced last week that the 2020 SunShot cost reduction goals were met, and therefore the focus of the Solar Energy Technologies Office would shift to longer-term goals such as Grid Reliability and Energy Storage. “With the impressive…
DOE Secretary Perry orders review of whether renewable energy erodes energy grid stability: Coal Versus Solar
In a letter to the Department of Energy, Secretary Perry describes having attended the G7 Energy Ministerial, and his reaction to discussion of “the need for an energy transition utilizing greater efficiency and fuel diversity.” That transition is necessary because the prevailing electric energy paradigm is based in fossil…
Department of Energy grants $7.4 million funding to develop ocean energy systems
On Thursday, the US Energy Department announced $7.4 million in funding to four companies developing wave and tidal energy systems. This sort of technology uses objects placed in the ocean to capture energy from wave motion or the ebb-and-flow of tides, converting that energy to electricity. According to the Energy…
Bill O’Reilly sings praises of electric cars, will it rub off on Fox News?
I’m accustomed to seeing Fox News as the enemy of electric cars, with Bill O’Reilly leading the anti-everything-sensible crusade. For some reason he’s beginning to sound sensible about electric vehicles, and is even making arguments similar to ones I’d make when “debating” with one of his fellow Fox “News” show…
Dept. of Energy awards over $30 million in battery research grants
A $45 million package of Department of Energy grants supporting advanced vehicle technologies included $22.5 million for advanced battery research, and another $8 million for power electronics research. The grants aim to cut battery size and weight in half, allow semiconductors to operate more efficiently and at higher temperature, give greater durability, reliability, and lower…
Dept of Energy’s eGallon metric is interesting, useful, but flawed presentation on DOE website
On Tuesday the US Dept. of Energy unveiled the eGallon, in an attempt to dispel some confusion about the cost of operating an electric or gasoline powered car. Many are reacting to the high price of gasoline by looking for alternatives, but then get lost in the question whether the…
US Dept. of Energy exploring Methane Hydrate resources in Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and elsewhere
The U.S. Government is supporting research into developing Methane Hydrate “resources”. A month ago I reported on a joint project between the Dept. of Energy and the State of Alaska to develop methane hydrate resources in Alaska’s North Slope, as well as tar sands deposits in that area. Today there…
Why is Fisker dying when Tesla is soaring? Focus on style and not enough on reliability?
Why is Fisker Automotive on the brink of collapse? (reportedly) The news is full of stories today saying that Fisker Automotive is unable to pay its bills, has laid off 75% of its workforce, is being sued by the landlord and the webmaster for lack of payment, that the negotiations…
Bright Automotive goes dark citing onerous Dept of Energy loan terms
Bright Automotive, would-be manufacturer of a plug-in hybrid delivery van, shut down today while CEO Reuben Munger and COO Mike Donoughe delivered a blistering letter to Energy Secretary Stephen Chu calling the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program a debacle. Indiana based Bright Automotive, a start-up company which hoped to sell hybrid-electric delivery trucks, has closed its…
