Tag: Department of Energy

DOE to invest $15.8 million in support for projects focused on fuel cells

John Max
Fuel Cells Investment

Federal agency aims to support 30 new projects that seek to improve fuel cells The U.S. Department of Energy has announced some $15.8 million in investments for 30 new projects throughout the country. These projects will be focused on fuel cell technology, hydrogen production, and storage. The federal agency is still in the process of selecting projects that will receive funding. Selected projects will be able to take advantage of a coalition of the country’s national laboratory, which was brought together through the agency’s Energy Materials Network. Projects will take…

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FuelCell Energy to develop reversible fuel cells

Alicia Moore
Reversible Fuel Cells - project development

Reversible fuel cells to be developed through new project with ARPA-E support FuelCell Energy, a leading developer of hydrogen fuel cells, has announced that it has been awarded a promising new contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The agency is a division of the United States Department of Energy that is focused on the renewable energy field as well as the application of various types of technologies. The contract awarded to FuelCell Energy is valued at $3 million. New fuel cells can produce hydrogen and generate electricity The…

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UPS to begin testing new truck equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell system

Alicia Moore
Hydrogen Fuel Cell - UPS truck in parking lot

Company will begin test of its new fuel cell truck later this year UPS is preparing to begin testing a new delivery truck that is equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell system. The test will take place in California, where an expansive hydrogen infrastructure is beginning to take form. In September of this year, UPS plans to begin testing its new fuel cell truck in Sacramento. Eventually, the company may opt to power more of its fleet with hydrogen fuel cell systems in order to cut down on emissions production.…

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Solar energy industry employs more people than the coal industry in the US

Alicia Moore
Solar Energy Industry - Solar panels being installed on rooftops

Report shows that the solar energy industry is having a major economic impact The solar energy industry employs more people in the United States than the coal industry, according to a recent report from the Department of Energy. Currently, the federal government is planning to show strong support for fossil-fuels. President Trump intends to relax regulations on the oil and coal industries in order to generate economic growth and create new jobs. The issue, however, is that job creation may lie within the renewable energy sector, largely due to the…

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New flow battery could bring about a brighter future for renewable energy

Stephen Vagus
Flow Battery - Renewable Energy

SEAS researchers have developed a new flow battery Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a flow battery that can operate for a decade. The new battery could be a major breakthrough in energy storage and the use of clean power. With an extensive lifespan, the battery could have a major impact on the residential sector, where renewable energy is becoming much more popular. The battery could also be used for other purposes, such as storing electricity for industrial purposes or…

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Utilities are showing strong support for renewable energy in the US

Angie Bergenson
Renewable Energy - Support

A growing number of major utilities are entering into the renewable energy space More utilities in the United States are beginning to scramble to embrace renewable energy, despite incoming changes to federal energy policy. The Trump Administration is poised to show more support for fossil-fuels, particularly coal and oil. The federal government is expected to ease regulations on the fossil-fuel sector in an effort to promote the expansion of conventional forms of power. Utilities, however, see significant opportunity in renewable energy, especially where solar and wind are involved. Wind and…

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SimpleFuel builds new appliance to allow drivers to power their fuel cell vehicles at home

Stephen Vagus
Fuel Cell Vehicles - Home Garage and Vechile

SimpleFuel wins prize from Department of Energy SimpleFuel, a collaboration of three separate companies, has been awarded a $1 million prize from the Department of Energy for a new appliance that could make fuel cell vehicles much more attractive to consumers. The appliance is a hydrogen home-fueling station. The purpose of the appliance is to allow those with fuel cell vehicles to generate hydrogen at home rather than force them to travel to a standalone hydrogen station, of which there are few. Home refueling could make fuel cell vehicles more…

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Department of Energy pulls funding from offshore wind energy project

Tami Hood
Offshore Wind Energy Funding - Building Wind Turbine

Department of Energy will no longer be supporting Fishermen’s Energy project Offshore wind energy has encountered yet another problem in the United States. The country is home to one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, but support for this sector has begun to drop off. The Department of Energy is set to pull funds from one of the offshore wind energy projects it was supporting; a project located in New Jersey. Fishermen’s Energy was slated to develop the project, but the company failed to submit power offtake contracts by…

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Hawaii becomes home to many fuel cell projects

John Max

State establishes itself as an active market for promising fuel cell projects The United States has quickly established itself as a favorable market for hydrogen fuel cells, but fuel cell projects are finding particular success in one state: Hawaii. In a short period of time, Hawaii has become one of the most active states in the country in terms of fuel cell projects, according to a new report from the Department of Energy. Hawaii was the second state to receive fuel cell vehicles from Toyota and several companies are working…

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Accio Energy aims to revolutionize the offshore wind energy space

Alicia Moore

Start-up develops promising new solution to offshore wind turbines Accio Energy, a start-up based in Michigan, is testing out new offshore wind energy technology that could eventually replace offshore turbines. Offshore wind has been gaining more attention in recent years, largely to the massive energy potential that can be found at sea. One issue with offshore systems, however, is their use of large turbines, which are both difficult and expensive to install. These turbines have shown themselves to be capable of generating large quantities of electrical power, but the logistics…

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Three states lead the development of hydrogen fuel cells

Angie Bergenson

Department of Energy releases new report showing the three states where hydrogen fuel cells are thriving The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office has announced that three states rank highest in terms of fuel cell industry activity. The agency is now seeking stakeholder feedback concerning this activity and how to best facilitate further growth. The Fuel Cell Technologies Office has released a new report showing that California, Connecticut, and New York. Of these, California is home to the largest number of stationary fuel cells in operation. Report highlights…

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Solar energy market poised for growth in 2017

Stephen Vagus

Department of Energy has a favorable forecast for the US solar energy market The solar energy market in the United States may experience strong growth in 2017, according to the Department of Energy. While the recent election may have caused some concerns for clean power due to potential changes in energy policy, the solar energy market may not suffer as much as some had predicted. The Department of Energy expects solar capacity in the U.S. will grow alongside other forms of clean power, especially as new projects come online throughout…

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Pennsylvania has a new plan for solar energy

Bret Williams

Governor announces new initiative to support solar energy in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has plans to boost solar energy production in his state, hoping to increase sales and generate additional revenue. The Governor plans to launch a new initiative at the beginning of 2017, but will be meeting with other government officials, businesses, and environmental experts before it can be fully enacted. Through the new initiative, several renewable energy groups and government organizations will meet throughout 2017 in an effort to find the most efficient and effective way to…

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DOE to fund the launch of HydroGEN initiative

Tami Hood

HydroGEN could benefit from $10 million support from DOE The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a new initiative designed to launch the HydroGEN Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium (HydroGEN). The consortium is meant to utilize the expertise and capabilities of the country’s national laboratories, which haven focusing more heavily on hydrogen fuel cells in recent years. HydroGEN may be able to take advantage of some $10 million in financial support, based on whether or not the Department of Energy can gain approval for this level of funding. New initiative…

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MIT researchers seek to understand price reductions in solar energy

Stephen Vagus

MIT research team awarded $1.3 million grant through SunShot Initiative Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been awarded a $1.3 million grant from the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative. The grant will be used to fund the study of why the cost of solar energy has been going down so rapidly. The study will also determine how costs will continue to fall in the future. The solar sector has been experiencing tremendous growth in recent years, and this is partly due to the falling cost of photovoltaic…

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DOE supports ambitious new energy storage system from FuelCell Energy

Stephen Vagus

FuelCell Energy develops new storage solution based on solid oxide electrolysis cells FuelCell Energy, a leading developer of fuel cells and hydrogen solutions, has announced a new energy storage project that has received support from the U.S. Department of Energy. The federal agency is supporting the energy storage project with a $3 million cost-share contract. The project itself is focused on the use of solid oxide electrolysis cells, which may be suitable for to meet energy demand among those using fuel cells as primary or secondary energy systems. Demand for…

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