In news this week, the Obama Administration proposed more robust fuel economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles; the EPA and USDA revealed plans to upgrade rural water systems and create more jobs; the DOE awarded grants to develop nuclear technology and train nuclear professionals and scientists found a way to produce biofuel ten times faster. In addition, two new smart grid treatises – a book and a white paper – created buzz throughout the industry.
Less than a month after proposing new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards to cover cars and light trucks, the White House rolled out new fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The tiered standards – ranging from a 20 percent reduction for big rigs to a 10 percent for transit buses – are expected to yield $50 billion in net benefits over the life of model year 2014 to 2018 vehicles, and to result in long-terms savings for vehicle owners and operators.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have partnered to protect the health of Americans by improving rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. The August 8 agreement will send federal resources to support communities that need assistance and promote job training to help put people to work.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded up to $39 million in research grants aimed at developing cutting-edge nuclear energy technologies and educating the next generation of leaders in the U.S. nuclear industry. The grants will support up to 51 projects at colleges and universities in more than 20 states.
Researchers at Houston-based Rice University have found a way to produce biofuels from glucose at a rate 10 times faster other methods. They are using a process, called reverse beta oxidation, to engineer fuel-producing E. coli bacteria at “a breakneck pace.” The bacteria were employed to produce butanol, which can be used like gasoline in vehicle engines.
Andres Carvallo, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Proximetry (News - Alert) and co-author John Cooper, president of Ecomergence, have penned a roadmap to The Advanced Smart Grid, which traces the journey of the smart grid right from its origin to its current state and comprehensively explores its potential. According to Guido Bartels, chairman of the Global Smart Grid Federation, the book offers a practical approach and candid opinions that bring clarity to the advancement of the smart grid.
North Carolina-based Duke Energy (News - Alert) has released a white paper describing its vision for a connected, end-to-end digital grid. According to the paper’s author, Duke Energy’s Manager of Technology Development, David Masters, “A digital power grid enabled by an open communications network will allow us to meet our nation’s continually growing energy needs in a sustainable way.” The company will build its smart grid architecture around local communications nodes that will “perform triage” on incoming data to prioritize and route information.
To meet global demand for solid-state lighting, LED developer and manufacturer Bridgelux has secured $60 million in a series E round of financing, led by Craton Equity Partners. Existing financial and strategic investors also participated in this round, including Vantage Point Capital Partners, DCM (News - Alert), El Dorado Ventures, Novus Energy Partners, Invus Group, VTS, Harris & Harris Group, and Passport Capital, among others. According to Bridgelux, the funding will help extend its market leadership position by accelerating R&D in key areas of strategic focus for the company – including GaN-on-Silicon development and LED Chip-on-Board technology.
A new corporate website for Wireless Age Communications will become the primary source for information for the expanding operations of Vertility Technology Corp. One section of the site will cover Investor Relations; a Company tab will include a vision statement and background on the leadership team; and a Divisions tab will help customers and shareholders to better understand Vertility's businesses.
The Lunchbox Waste Study found that a typical American family creates about 4,320 pieces of trash and spends about $400 extra on disposable lunch ware each year. Now, ECOlunchboxes is developing a smartphone-based game that will teach kids how to make their lunchtime habits ecofriendly. Company founder Sandra Ann Harris explained, “Lunchtime waste is a mounting problem. But learning to reduce waste and recycle can be a fun challenge. If kids can play our game and win – they’ll know enough to pack a no waste lunch or recycle in real life.”
JouleX, a provider of sustainable energy management systems, has forged data center technology collaboration with Triton Federal Solutions, a company formed to help sensitive and classified customers conceive, build, and run their IT systems. The agreement enables JouleX to install its JouleX Energy Manager (JEM) technology for commercial and federal customers who want to reduce their energy savings three fold. The partnership is supposed to be beneficial to customers such as the Department of Energy, which is looking for ways to reduce its economic, environmental, and social impacts.
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Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
