MarketOverview: Biofuel Needs of the Department of Defense (DOD)
By Dr. Jenny C. Servo
Friday, June 17th from 1:00 – 2:00 PM Central Time

As space is limited, registration to attend the webinar is required. To register, please click on the following link http://www.vbasiliconprairie.com/webinars_register.php . There is no fee to attend this webinar which is offered by the Virtual Business Accelerator for the Silicon Prairie [VBA-SP]. A unique URL and password will be provided to you after registration.

The Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research today released its Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking innovative energy sciences research and collaboration ideas from UNL faculty. This is the sixth annual cycle in which UNL faculty can compete in this internal competition for energy research grants.  These grants are considered seed funding to help UNL faculty develop energy-related research capacity and improve their competitiveness for external funding.  Funding for this opportunity is made possible through an investment in energy sciences research by the Nebraska Public Power District.  Click here for a copy of the NCESR Cycle 6 – RFP The deadline for UNL faculty to register their intent to submit a proposal is June 22, 2011.  Proposals are due August 1, 2011.

The 2011 Graduate Student Poster Session, a celebration highlighting graduate student research and creative activity, was held on April 13, 2011 as part of the campus-wide 2011 UNL Research Fair. The purpose of this yearly event is to give students the opportunity to showcase their research or creative activity; to communicate their results to other students, faculty and staff; and to learn about other areas of research and creative activity. The event is sponsored by the Office of Research and Economic Development, Office of Graduate Studies, and the Nebraska Chapter of Sigma Xi.  2011 Energy Sciences Poster Session Continue reading →

April 05, 2011 — U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today announced $26.6 million in funding for research and development projects to advance hydropower technology, including pumped storage hydropower. This funding is focused on development of innovative technologies that can produce power more efficiently, reduce costs and increase sustainable hydropower generation at sites not previously considered practical. Continue reading →

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program will host a Webinar with the Clean Energy States Alliance and the Technology Transition Corp. titled “Fuel Cells for Supermarkets” on Monday, April 4, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern. The Webinar will focus on the use of fuel cells by supermarkets and will detail the experiences that supermarkets in four different states have had with stationary fuel cells. According to UTC Power, a 400 kW fuel cell at Price Chopper in Albany, New York meets 85% of the supermarket’s energy needs, reduces the building’s carbon footprint by 71 tons, provides reliable energy for perishable items, and saves more than 4 million gallons of water each year. Continue reading →

To support the goal announced by President Obama today to reduce America’s oil imports by one-third by 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it will be accepting applications for $12 million in funding for laboratory or small pilot-scale projects that support the development of advanced biofuels. Successful projects will develop technologies that will be able to replace refinery feedstocks or directly replace gasoline, diesel, or jet fuels without requiring modifications to vehicles or fueling infrastructure. These projects will continue to accelerate innovations in the renewable biofuels industry as part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to build a cleaner, safer, and more secure energy future for America that ultimately breaks our dependence on foreign oil and moves our nation toward a clean energy economy that creates jobs and boosts U.S. competitiveness. Continue reading →

DOE Announces Funding Opportunity for Applied Research and Development in Hydrogen Storage Technologies
March 18, 2011

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Program today announced the availability of up to $12 million to advance hydrogen storage technologies for use in fuel cell powered vehicles and other applications. The funding will be made available for applied research and development projects in two topic areas:

• Development of low-cost, novel hydrogen storage vessels and/or low-cost fibers for composite tanks to reduce the overall costs of hydrogen storage

• Development of novel, practical hydrogen storage materials for diverse applications. Continue reading →

On Wednesday, March 16, there will be two broadcasts.  At 11 AM, the topic will be “Driving to 1Million Electric Vehicles by 2015”, presented by DOE.  At 12 PM, the topic will be Challenges of Electric Vehicle Integration, presented by IBM Global Energy and Utilities.  Click here for more information and registration.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Biomass Program is hosting a series of webinars associated with its biennial Peer Review of Analysis, Sustainability, Feestocks, and Algae Platforms.  These Peer Review meetings are open to the public and will provide interested stakeholders the opportunity to learn more about federally funded research, development, and deployment activities that are focused on bioenergy technologies.  Webinars, April 4-8, 2011

1. Visit the Program’s website
2. View the Plans, Implementation, and Results page

Register for the Webinars:

• Analysis Peer Review, April 4
• Sustainability Peer Review, April 5
• Feedstocks Peer Review, April 6-8
• Algae Peer Review, April 7-8