Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: December 3, 2008
Automakers Commit to Fuel Economy, Electrification in Long-Term Plans USDA Offers Guaranteed Loans for Commercial-Scale Biorefineries Los Angeles Pursues 1,300 Megawatts of Solar Power by 2020 California Gains its First Large LNG Fuel Production Plant Scotland Offers $15 Million for Viable Wave or Tidal Technologies Automakers Commit to Fuel Economy, Electrification in Long-Term Plans Detroit’s "Big Three" automakers came to Washington, D.C., yesterday to present their long-term viability plans to Congress, and those plans included significant commitments to fuel-saving and electric vehicle technologies. Ford Motor Company unveiled an aggressive plan to electrify its fleet of vehicles, including plans to offer an all-electric van-type vehicle in 2010 for use in commercial fleets, complemented by a battery-powered sedan in 2011. By 2012, the company will bring a family of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery electric vehicles to market. Ford intends to invest about $14 billion on fuel-efficient technologies over the next seven years and aims to achieve a 36% improvement in fuel economy for its entire fleet by the 2015 model year. The company has applied to DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program for $5 billion to support these efforts, but the company is also asking for access to up to […]