April 28, 2013National Science Bowl Update: Middle School Teams from Maryland and Indiana to Compete for National Championship on Monday

The field of middle school finalists in the Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl has narrowed once more, and now only two middle school teams remain in the competition.

April 26, 2013EPA Furlough Day on May 24 Will Affect EIS Filing

EISs must be filed with EPA by Thursday, May 23rd for publication of a Notice of Availability on May 31, 2013.

April 26, 2013EPA announces Agency-wide Furlough Day on Friday, May 24, 2013

EPA’s agency-wide furlough day on Friday, May 24th

Enzymes could break down cell walls faster – leading to less expensive biofuels for transportation – if two enzyme systems are brought together in an industrial setting, new research by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory suggests.

April 25, 2013Economic Impact of Recovery Act Investments in the Smart Grid Report Now Available

A report on the Economic Impact of Recovery Act Investments in the Smart Grid is now available. This study analyzes the economy-wide impacts of the Recovery Act funding for smart grid project deployment in the United States, administered by Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. Key findings include:

April 24, 2013DOE Office of Indian Energy Announces New Indian Country Energy and Infrastructure Working Group Members

The Indian Country Energy and Infrastructure Working Group is pleased to welcome seven newly appointed members.

April 24, 2013New Battery Design Could Help Solar and Wind Power the Grid

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have designed a low-cost, long-life “flow” battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.

The Energy Department announced nearly $18 million in four innovative pilot-scale biorefineries that will test renewable biofuels as a domestic alternative to power cars, trucks, and planes, and that also meet military specifications for jet fuel and shipboard diesel.

The Energy Department recognized Nissan’s participation in the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge and its showcase project at the company’s new energy-efficient paint plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, which is expected to cut energy use by almost a third compared to its predecessor.

U.S. consumers spent 2.7% of their household income on home energy bills last year, the lowest percentage in 10 years, according to a U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysis.

Walmart announced the company’s next step on the path to achieving its goal of being 100% supplied by renewable energy.

Last fall, scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) successfully demonstrated the technical advances needed to produce cellulosic ethanol cost competitively at $2.15 per gallon—a process that was modeled at $9 per gallon just a decade ago.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have calibrated the significant value that concentrating solar power (CSP) plants can add to an electric grid.

April 23, 2013Interagency Collaboration to Address Environmental Impacts of Shale Gas Drilling

A memorandum of understanding to perform collaborative research related to airborne emissions and air quality at natural gas drilling sites has been signed by the Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

April 22, 2013Energy Department Announces New Innovative Projects to Develop Advanced Drop-in Biofuels for Military Jets and Ships

The Energy Department announced $18 million in four innovative pilot-scale biorefineries in California, Iowa and Washington.

Berkeley Lab researchers discovered that nicotine in third-hand smoke reacts with the common indoor air pollutant nitrous acid to produce dangerous carcinogens.

Researchers found that airborne black carbon aerosols from India is a major contributor to the decline in snow and ice cover on the Himalayan glaciers.

The Sustainability Pioneer Award has been awarded to Ashok Gadgil, Acting Division Director of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division

The world owes Dr. Art Rosenfeld more than just a "Job well done!" as he concludes his ten-year tenure as a member of the California Energy Commission.

Mark Bolinger, a scientist in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division, analyzed the impact of two new incentives for wind power that were included in the Recovery Act.