Central Perk: July Energy Review: Advanced Fuels Move U.S. Ahead

marți, 31 iulie 2012

July Energy Review: Advanced Fuels Move U.S. Ahead

July Energy Review: Advanced Fuels Move U.S. Ahead

The Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser delivers a 50-50 blend of advanced biofuels and traditional petroleum-based fuel to the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton.

The Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187), left, delivers a 50-50 blend of advanced biofuels and traditional petroleum-based fuel to the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) during the Great Green Fleet demonstration portion of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 exercise.

Earlier this month, during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) – the largest maritime exercise in the world – the U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated the "Great Green Fleet," a Carrier Strike Group powered by advanced biofuel. The demonstration, which tested the performance of advanced biofuels in an operational setting, included fueling helicopters and jets from the deck of a nuclear-powered carrier; completing arrested landings of aircraft onto a carrier, the first ever using biofuels; refueling a destroyer while underway; and air-to-air refueling. This demonstration confirmed that advanced biofuels can be integrated seamlessly and marked an important milestone in the U.S. Military’s ongoing efforts to reduce its reliance on foreign oil and enhance energy security.

This represents just a snapshot of the Administration’s efforts to promote American-made energy. For more information, check out the highlights below and read the White House blogs on solar energy on our public lands, the Great Green Fleet, and Apps for Clean Energy.

Events

RIMPAC and the Great Green Fleet
During the July 2012 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the largest maritime exercise in the world, the U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated the Great Green Fleet, a Carrier Strike Group that powered its aircraft and surface ships on an advanced biofuel blend. The RIMPAC demonstration builds on President Obama’s April 2011 announcement that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy would invest up to $510 million during the next three years in partnership with the private sector to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power military and commercial transportation.

Maine Deploys First U.S. Commercial, Grid-Connected Tidal Energy Project
On July 24, Energy Secretary Steven Chu recognized the nation’s first commercial, grid-connected tidal energy project off the coast of Eastport, Maine. Leveraging a $10 million investment from the Energy Department, Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) will deploy its first commercial tidal energy device into Cobscook Bay. The project injected $14 million into the local economy, supported more than 100 local and supply chain jobs, and represents the first tidal energy project in the United States with long-term contracts to sell electricity – driving American leadership in this innovative clean energy technology.

Greening Up the Sports World
At a recent White House event, the Obama Administration celebrated the sports industry's successes in saving energy, reducing waste, and adopting sustainable practices at sports facilities through the Energy Department’s Better Buildings Challenge. President Obama established the Better Buildings Challenge to encourage major corporations, universities, and state and local governments to lead the way in saving energy and money and to showcase the best energy-saving strategies, and reduce the energy use of its member facilities by at least 20 percent by 2020. Read more about what the sports industry is doing to go green here.

Promoting Sustainable Health Care
On July 24, the White House hosted an event on Sustainability and the Health Care Industry. Leaders in the health care industry gathered around the vision of a health care system in which energy efficient hospitals save money on energy bills to use for critical patient care, and promote renewable energy as a community health and resilience strategy. Read more about the forum here.

News

A Long-Term Game Plan for Solar Energy Development on our Public Lands
The announcement of the final Solar PEIS represents a major step forward in the permitting of utility-scale solar energy, and builds on the historic progress made in fostering renewable energy development on public lands. When President Obama took office, there were no solar projects permitted on public lands; since 2009, the Department of Interior has approved 17 utility-scale solar energy projects and more than 30 major renewable energy projects with the capacity to generate nearly 7,000 megawatts and meet the power needs of about two million homes.

Responsibly Expanding America's Offshore Energy Development
On July 18, the Department of the Interior announced an integral piece of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy: a five-year program for offshore oil and gas leasing. The five year program, developed with extensive input from the public, states, tribes, and others, makes more than 75% of recoverable energy resources in our oceans available for exploration and development. Overall, America’s dependence on foreign oil has gone down every single year since President Obama took office, and we have cut net imports by ten percent – a million barrels a day – in the last year alone. At the same time, we have implemented comprehensive reforms in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to make offshore energy development safer and more secure.

Interior Department Helps Indian Country Go Green
As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above strategy for American energy, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar approved a 350-megawatt solar energy project on tribal trust land of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians (Tribe) in Clark County, Nevada. The project marks a milestone as the first-ever, utility-scale solar project approved for development on tribal lands.

Get Updates

To learn more about the President’s vision for a more secure energy future and sign up to get updates, please visit: WhiteHouse.gov/energy.

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