Energy.gov

Imagine being able to charge an electric vehicle without ever having to plug-in. A new funding opportunity from the Energy Department seeks to accomplish just that.

Watch here: Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Microsoft Founder and Chairman Bill Gates hold a fireside chat at the 2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, where the two exchanged ideas about how small businesses and innovators can get off the ground successfully.

For most people, the notion that the green gunk coating various pond and river bottoms is a potential fuel source sounds like science fiction. But the fact is, several projects sponsored by the Energy Department are actively developing various ways to turn that “green gunk”, called algae, into a renewable and sustainable transportation fuel that will help reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

Serving approximately 9,000 homes with clean renewable energy, the Paloma and Cotton Center solar plants highlight the rapidly rising solar corridor in Gila Bend, Arizona. | Photo courtesy of the town of Gila Bend, Arizona.

The SunShot initiative announces a $60 million funding opportunity (FOA) to advance concentrating solar power in the United States.

Today the President issued guidance on accelerating technology transfer and commercialization from federally-funded research. In line with the President's call, the Energy Department will be taking a leading role in answering this call, including taking a comprehensive look at the metrics we utilize to assess our Tech Transfer activities.

For many, a barrel of oil is almost synonymous with its most prominent product, gasoline. While almost 40% of a barrel of oil is used to produce gasoline, the rest is used to produce a host of products including jet fuel and plastics and many industrial chemicals. As the United States works to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, we must recognize the complexity of that dependence and work to replace the whole barrel.

To create jobs and lead in the global clean energy economy, the Obama Administration has made a point of supporting game-changing innovations – including the Energy Department’s Advance Research Programs Agency for Energy (ARPA-E).

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is participating in its first Solar Decathlon 2011 competition, featuring its home, “Living Light.” Named for its very brightly sunlit double facade glass system, the home’s blueprint was inspired by the cantilever barns of Southern Appalachia, which feature giant eves to provide shade and a two-core design.



The world is offering possibly the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century. The question is: Can we grab it? Dr. Arun Majumdar gives us his take.

President Obama announced a landmark agreement with automakers that sets aggressive new fuel-economy standards for cars and light-duty trucks. Find out how the Energy Department is unleashing innovation that will create jobs and make sure that the fuel-efficient vehicles of the future are made in America.

Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office issued a new report that highlights the important role a clean energy standard could have in creating the clean energy jobs of the future at minimal cost to consumers.
 
The report evaluates several proposed clean and renewable energy standards, running them through a variety of models to deter