Qcells claims that a new technology could reduce the space required for solar panels
Hanwha Corp.'s Qcells announced on Wednesday that it had made a significant breakthrough in a new solar technology. This has the potential of reducing the space needed by panels to generate electricity from the sun's light. The solar industry is facing a number of pressing challenges, including the need for more space. In some areas of the United States, large-scale projects that occupy vast tracts of land are being met with opposition.
US offers PG&E a conditional loan of up to $15 billion for climate resilience
The Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that the United States had offered PG&E, a California-based utility, a conditional $15 billion loan to upgrade its electrical grid and support climate resilience. PG&E is a natural-gas and electric utility and the parent company of Pacific Gas and Electric Company. It serves about 16,000,000 people in northern and central California. The loan will be paid in cash over several years if the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office finalizes the record amount.
US Energy Department: Two LNG reviews must be waited for by regulator
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that it will not be able to finish its reviews of two proposed liquefied gas export terminals planned for Louisiana until an independent regulatory agency completes their environmental assessments of these projects. The Department of Energy said that it must wait until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has completed its work to review applications for exports…
USDoE: LNG Reviews must await EIA's
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that it will not be able to finish reviews of two projects for liquefied gas in Louisiana until a regulatory agency independent of the Department has completed its environmental assessments.The DOE stated that it must wait until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has completed its work to review export applications to countries where the U.S. doesn't have free-trade agreements.
RPT: How Trump's proposed tariffs could affect commodities and energy
Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, pledged on Monday to impose tariffs on three of its largest trading partners: Canada Mexico and China. He explained how he would implement his campaign promises which could lead to trade wars. The following commodities and energy sectors may be affected. According to government statistics, Canada will export energy products worth $177.19 billion to the United States by 2023.
What impact Trump's tariffs on commodities and energy might have
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday pledged tariffs on the United States' three largest trading partners - Canada, Mexico and China - detailing how he will implement campaign promises that could trigger trade wars. Canada exported some $177.19 billion in energy products to the United States in 2023, according to government data. Canada's crude imports make up more than a fifth of all the oil that U.S. refineries process. About 70% of imported Canadian barrels go to Midwest U.S.
ENTEK wins $1.3 billion US Loan for EV Battery Plant
The U.S. Department of Energy's loans office said on Friday it has finalized a loan of $1.3 billion to ENTEK Lithium Separators to finance a plant in Indiana for making lithium-ion battery separators used mostly in electric vehicles.WHY IT'S IMPORTANTThe Loan Programs Office is racing to finalize billions of dollars in loans to companies developing cutting-edge technologies expected to help speed an energy transition and…
US Awards up to $2.2 Billion to Speed Clean-hydrogen Development
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that it had awarded up to $2 billion to centers in the Gulf Coast and the Midwest for the development of hydrogen, a new source of energy which is costly to produce with renewable power. Hydrogen supporters, such as the administration of Joe Biden believe that low carbon hydrogen can combat climate change by fueling industries like aluminum, cement and steel, along with long-haul transport. Most hydrogen produced today is made from fossil fuels, which emit unabated gases.
Who would be the best person to run Trump's energy policy?
Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, has pledged to overhaul U.S. Energy Policy. He aims to maximize oil and gas production in this country which is already at record levels by rolling back regulations and accelerating permits. Who will he select to lead the departments and agencies that are critical to completing this task? These are some names that have been considered. Two sources with knowledge of the matter say that Trump's second Energy secretary Dan Brouillette…
US offers conditional loans guarantees of up to $3 billion for two sustainable aviation fuels projects
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that it had approved conditional loan guarantees totaling almost $3 billion for two projects involving sustainable aviation fuel. Loan Programs Office of the agency said that the funding up to $1.44billion to Calumet would support its expansion in Montana. The facility will use vegetable oils, fats and greases in order to produce SAF (renewable diesel) and renewable naphtha.
US offers conditional loan of $1.56 billion for Indiana ammonia plant
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Monday that it has granted Wabash Valley Resources a conditional guarantee of up $1,56 billion for the construction of a low-emissions production facility of ammonia in Indiana. It said that the project would use petcoke as a waste product from oil refining to produce 500,000 tons of ammonia per year and store carbon dioxide permanently underground. In a statement, DOE stated that the company must meet certain technical…
Occidental's 1PointFive receives funding up to $500 mln by US DOE
Occidental Petroleum’s carbon capture unit 1PointFive announced on Thursday that the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations had committed up to 500 million dollars to support the development of the South Texas Direct Air Capture Hub (DAC). BlackRock, one of the largest asset managers in the world, had funded this facility previously. Occidental’s first large-scale DAC plant represents a pivotal trial in terms of economics for a technology…
Rural towns in New Mexico's arid region are looking to treated oil wastewater for a drought solution.
Stephen Aldridge, a pilot of a four-seater helicopter, could see a dozen lagoons filled with toxic waste glistening in the distance between drill rigs. The mayor of Jal, a tiny town nestled in the middle of U.S. Oil Country near the Texas border, saw the scene as a chance to find water for the state that is suffering from a worsening drought. Aldridge belongs to a growing number of New Mexico politicians that want to see the state develop regulations to allow the millions of gallons per day of produced water…
US mineral projects close down government loans in fear of Trump
U.S. battery and miner recyclers have been rushing to close billions-dollar government loans before January, out of fear that the former president Donald Trump, if elected, would block funding necessary to boost American production of vital minerals for energy transition. The falling prices of lithium, nickel, and other minerals this year, along with lower than expected EV sales have scared private financiers. This has put the conservative mining industry into an unusual position…
Meta Platforms signs geothermal energy agreement with Sage Geosystems for US data centers
Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, announced on August 26 that it had struck a deal with Sage Geosystems for up to 150MW of geothermal energy to power its U.S. Data Centers. The company is racing to develop infrastructure to support massive investments in artificial intelligence, which consumes a lot of energy. According to the social media firm, the first phase of the project is expected to be operational in 2027. It will "significantly" increase the use of geothermal energy in the United States.
Halliburton investigates cyber attacks with law enforcement
Halliburton, a leading U.S. oilfield service firm, said Friday that it was working with the law enforcement agencies to determine the scope of a breach in its computer system. It had not yet determined if this incident would have an impact on the company's business. In its first disclosure of the cyber breach, the $23 billion company said that it became aware of the attack on Wednesday. The company said that it has also taken certain systems off-line to protect them.
US offers conditional loan guarantees of $1.5 billion to Qcells in Georgia for solar plant
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Thursday that it has made a conditional commitment of up $1.45 billion in loan guarantees to South Korea's Qcells for the company's Cartersville, Georgia solar manufacturing plant. The Loan Programs Office of the agency said that funding will help Qcells construct a $2.5 Billion facility to produce solar panels, as well as inputs such a cells, ingots, and wafers. The department stated that the factory could produce enough panels to cover half a million American homes per year.
Molten Salt Reactors: Maritime’s Nuclear Option
A race is being run by nuclear scientists and ship designers. The prize? “Decarbonization’s” holy grail — believed to be a “small” thorium-fueled, molten-salt rector’s unlimited power to propel sea trade. At the same time, a recently revived discussion among leading marine-nuclear thinkers revolves now around how to put an ultra-modern, as-yet non-existent marine reactor aboard a modern commercial vessel. As with nuclear power generally, shipborne reactors produce national discussion first, then discovery.
Making Waves @ OSU: Energy Secretary, Senators, Governor tour Oregon State Wave Lab
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Oregon U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visited the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University on Tuesday afternoon, with Granholm touting wave energy as “the elixir that we need” to address climate change by ending the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels.The visit was organized by OSU and the Pacific Marine Energy Center…
Geothermal Energy: Particle Gel could Solve Low Heat Production Efficiency
Geothermal energy comes from heated water or steam within the earth and provides a renewable source of energy to heat buildings and generate electricity. But many geothermal reservoirs also have an inherent problem – geological fractures that allow water to divert into other areas, cooling the water and the surrounding rock and limiting the efficiency of heat extraction from underground reservoirs. Researchers at Missouri…
