Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:January 12, 2005

News and Events

• Ford Commits to Four New Hybrid Vehicles in Next Three Years
• Ford Escape Hybrid Named 2005 Truck of the Year
• General Motors Unveils the Fuel-Cell-Powered “Sequel”
• Energy Star Sets New Guidelines for External Power Supplies
• USDA Publishes Rules for Federal Purchasing of Bioproducts
• Student’s Wave Energy Invention Wins National Award
• Editor’s Note on New Jersey Clean Energy Funds

Site News

National Fuel Cell Education Program

Energy Connections

Groups Push Competing Proposals for the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline

News and Events

Ford Commits to Four New Hybrid Vehicles in Next Three Years

Ford Motor Company announced Monday that it will launch four new hybrid electric vehicles over the next three years, starting with the Mercury Mariner Hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV), which will go on sale later this year. That vehicle will be followed by the Mazda Tribute Hybrid SUV in 2007 and the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid mid-size sedans in 2008. All four will be “full” hybrids, which operate in electric-only mode at low speeds. See the Ford press release.

Ford made the announcement at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, where Ford also unveiled its Mercury Meta One concept car, a hybrid vehicle that uses a twin-turbocharged V-6 diesel engine to produce as much torque as a V-10 gasoline engine, but with much lower fuel consumption. Ford claims the vehicle can also meet strict emission standards. See the Ford press release.

General Motors Corporation (GM) also announced during the auto show that it will make 12 different hybrid models in the future, based on its highest-volume global car and truck platforms and using three distinct hybrid propulsion systems. GM unveiled two hybrid-electric concept vehicles: the Opel Astra Diesel Hybrid, which combines Opel’s 1.7-liter diesel engine with one 30-kilowatt and one 40-kilowatt motor, achieving 25 percent better fuel economy in the two-door sedan; and the GMC Graphyte SUV, which combines two electric motors with a V-8 engine featuring GM’s Displacement on Demand technology. Both vehicles use GM’s two-mode full hybrid system, which will be incorporated into the GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe in 2007. GM announced in December that it would work with DaimlerChrysler AG to further develop the two-mode hybrid system for a variety of vehicles. See the GM press releases for the Opel Astra Diesel Hybrid and the GMC Graphyte. For additional information on the two concept vehicles, including photos, select “Concepts” on the GM 2005 NAIAS Web page, or you can view the Webcast or peruse the text of GM’s press conference at the NAIAS.

Ford Escape Hybrid Named 2005 Truck of the Year

While the North American International Auto Show is partly dedicated to looking toward the future of automobiles, participants also take time to recognize the best vehicles of the present, and this year, the Ford Escape Hybrid has been named the 2005 North American Truck of the Year. The North American Truck of the Year award is designed to recognize the most outstanding truck of the year based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value for the dollar. A panel of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada determines the award winner. Ford has sold 4,000 Escape Hybrids to date. See the Ford press release.

Last year’s North American Car of the Year, the Toyota Prius, remained a big seller throughout the year. Toyota announced in early January that Prius sales reached 53,991, an increase of 118.5 percent over sales in 2003. North America’s third hybrid-vehicle seller, Honda, continues to achieve brisk sales as well, selling 27,215 hybrid vehicles in 2004, of which 25,571 were Civic Hybrids, 583 were Insights, and 1,061 were Accord Hybrids, which went on sale late in the year. Honda has sold 74,608 hybrid vehicles since the Insight went on sale in December 1999. See the press releases from Toyota and Honda.

General Motors Unveils the Fuel-Cell-Powered “Sequel”

General Motors Corporation (GM) unveiled its latest fuel-cell-powered concept car, the Sequel, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on Sunday. Named because it’s “a sequel to the first 100 years of the automobile,” the Sequel achieves a 300-mile range and can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in less than 10 seconds, according to GM. The company aims to design and validate a competitive fuel cell propulsion system by 2010.

The Sequel draws on GM’s latest fuel cell stack – 25 percent more powerful than its previou
s model – to deliver 73 kilowatts of power. A 60-kilowatt motor drives the front wheels, while a 25-kilowatt motor is mounted in each of the rear wheel hubs. A high-voltage lithium-ion battery system, supplied by Saft, provides 65 kilowatts of power, boosting power to the three electric motors during acceleration while storing power regenerated during braking. Sequel’s 300-mile range is made possible by advances in high-pressure storage that enable the vehicle to carry 8 kilograms of hydrogen. Developed in conjunction with Quantum Technologies, three lightweight, carbon-composite tanks store hydrogen at 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi), compared to 5,000 psi in Hywire, Sequel’s predecessor.

Following the design principle used in the Hywire, nearly everything needed to power and control the car, including the fuel cell and hydrogen storage tanks, are packaged into the Sequel’s 11-inch-thick chassis structure. Like the Hywire, the GM Sequel achieves enhanced braking, accelerating, and handling characteristics by replacing traditional mechanical systems with electronically controlled “by-wire” systems. See the GM press release and for additional information, select “Concepts” on the GM 2005 NAIAS Web page. You can also view the Webcast or read the text of GM’s press conference at the NAIAS.

Energy Star Sets New Guidelines for External Power Supplies

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week that the Energy Star label is now available for external power supplies, which are used to power electronic products such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, routers, and other electronics and appliances. The EPA is working with manufacturing and retail partners such as Phihong, Lite On, Bias Power, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung Telecommunications America, and Panasonic. On average, Energy-Star-qualified power supplies will be 35 percent more efficient than today’s typical models.

The EPA estimates that as many as 1.5 billion external power supplies are in use in the United States, about five for every person. According to the EPA, more efficient power supplies have the potential to save more than 5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoiding the release of more than 4 million tons of greenhouse gases. See the EPA press release.

The new Energy Star specification is equal to California’s “Tier 1” efficiency standards, which take effect in July 2006, and is also equal to the international efficiency marking protocol of “III.” Power supplies bearing a “III” within a circle will meet this standard. For more information the Energy Star specification and the international efficiency marking protocol, see the Energy Star Web site.

The EPA also announced last week that it has tightened the energy efficiency requirements for Energy Star-labeled computer monitors. While the old standard only addressed energy use in the “sleep” mode, the new standard also addresses energy consumption while the monitors are in use. See the EPA press release.

USDA Publishes Rules for Federal Purchasing of Bioproducts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Sunday the publication of a final rule to implement the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program, which requires all federal agencies to preferentially purchase biobased products. The program, authorized by section 9002 of the 2002 Farm Bill, gives the USDA the authority to decide which products are eligible as biobased products. The rule was published in yesterday’s Federal Register, and federal agencies have one year to comply with it.

“This rule promotes energy independence and the use of environmentally sustainable energy from biological sources, while at the same time creating new demand for agricultural commodities and new business investment and job growth in rural America,” said Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman.

USDA plans to soon begin issuing a series of proposed rules that will designate specific items for program eligibility. After considering public comments, final rules will be promulgated. This process of designating items by rulemaking is expected to extend over the next three years. See the USDA press release, the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program Web site, and the full text of the final rule as published in the Federal Register.

Student’s Wave Energy Invention Wins National Award

Researchers and companies have been trying for decades to capture the energy of waves to produce electric power, but the latest wave energy invention comes from an unlikely source: Aaron Goldin, a senior at San Dieguito High School Academy in Encinitas, California. In December, Goldin won the $100,000 Grand Prize scholarship from the 2004-2005 Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology, the nation’s premiere high school science competition, for his invention of the “Gyro-Gen,” a gyroscope that converts ocean wave energy into electricity. The spinning gyroscope, mounted in a buoy, resists the movement of the waves by exerting torque on a crank, which turns an electric generator. Goldin created his gyroscope prototypes in his garage, scavenging an old tape recorder, answering machine, and other household appliances for parts. The invention also won the prestigious California Sea Grant John D. Isaacs Scholarship for outstanding ocean engineering research in 2004. See the announcements from the Siemens Foundation (PDF 141 KB) and the California Sea Grant College Program.

Editor’s Note on New Jersey Clean Energy Funds

Last week’s EERE Network News included a story on $745 million that New Jersey will dedicate to its Clean Energy Program over the next four years. That story incorrectly stated that three-quarters of the funds would go toward energy efficiency; in fact, although that is currently true, the state will devote an increasing percentage of funds to renewable energy, more than tripling its funding for renewable energy programs. See the corrected story.

Site News

National Fuel Cell Education Program

The National Fuel Cell Education Program educates the public about hydrogen fuel and fuel cells through curriculum, a speaker’s bureau, and more. The highlight of the program is its fuel cell kit, which includes a small reversible fuel cell, a solar electric panel, and a small electric motor. The program was founded in 1993 by Eco Soul Inc., a non-profit organization that focuses on education, energy, and the environment. See the National Fuel Cell Education Program Web site.

Energy Connections

Groups Push Competing Proposals for the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline

After years of inaction on a proposed natural gas pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope to market, a number of competing proposals are now in the works. In December, Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski announced that the state had received a proposal from BP, ConocoPhillips, and Exxon, while it continues to negotiate with TransCanada on a separate proposal. Although those are the only applicants who have signed an agreement under the state’s Stranded Gas Act, the state is also talking with MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, the Alaska Gasline Port Authority, Embridge, and Calpine outside the framework of the Stranded Gas Act. See the governor’s press release.

One of the competing plans is the Mackenzie Gas Project, which aims to develop a 760-mile pipeline from the North Slope into Alberta via the Mackenzie Valley in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The developers of that project, a number of oil companies, submitted regulatory application in October. In contrast, the All-Alaska Gas Pipeline Project aims to build an 800-mile pipeline from the North Slope to Valdez, where the natural gas would be converted to liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export. In December, the Alaska Gasline Port Authority (AGPA), which is spearheading the All-Alaska Gas Pipeline Project, announced that it had entered into a development agreement with Sempra LNG to assist in the project and market the LNG. The AGPA also announced it has been granted the option to purchase rights of way and associated permits from Yukon Pacific for building the gas pipeline, which will run parallel to the existing Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. See the Mackenzie Gas Project Web site and the AGPA press release (PDF 68 KB).

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