Advances In Hybrid Electric
An advancement in hybrid electric vehicle technology is providing powerful benefits beyond transportation.
Researchers at DOE’s’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have designed, fabricated and demonstrated a PHEV traction drive power electronics system that provides significant mobile power generation and vehicle-to-grid support capabilities.
“The new technology eliminates the separate charging mechanism typically used in PHEVs, reducing both cost [...]
Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program
WASHINGTON–In his State of the Union address, the President called on Congress to pass a program of incentives for homeowners who make energy efficiency investments in their homes. Today, while touring a training facility at Savannah Technical College, the President outlined more details of a new “HOMESTAR” program that would help create jobs by encouraging [...]
Coal
What is the role of coal in the United States?
Due to its relatively low cost and abundance, coal is used to generate about half of the electricity consumed in the United States. Coal is the largest domestically-produced source of energy. Coal use, however, results in higher amounts of carbon dioxide per unit of energy than [...]
$1.4 Billion in Loan Guarantees to BrightSource Energy
DOE announced on February 22 its conditional commitments for more than $1.37 billion in loan guarantees to BrightSource Energy, Inc. in support of the construction and start-up of three utility-scale concentrated solar power plants (CSP) in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California. The loan guarantee is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and [...]
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Climate Change News
- U.S. Departments of Commerce and the Interior to Cooperate on Climate-Related ActivitiesU.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar formalized an agreement between the two departments to coordinate and cooperate on climate related activities involving science, services, mitigation, adaptation, education and communication. […]
- NOAA: Past Decade Warmest on Record According to Scientists in 48 CountriesThe 2009 State of the Climate report released Wednesday draws on data for 10 key climate indicators that all point to the same finding: the scientific evidence that our world is warming is unmistakable. […]
Earth FAQ
- Where is the detailed report concerning the Bakken Formation?All currently available USGS material on the Bakken Assessment can be found on our website at http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/oilgas/noga/ (choose Bakken/Williston Basin on the map to see available documents), including a summary of the geology, geologic model, and methodology in poster format on our website at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1353/. The more detail […]
- Did you feel an earthquake?To view a map or report a felt earthquake, select your region from this Community Earthquake Intensity Map. The website has a ('Did you feel it?') questionnaire for recording your earthquake experiences. An intensity map is made and updated based on your answers and those of others who fill out the questionnaire. Would you like to sign up for the E […]
- What are seismograms? How do you read them?Seismograms are the records (paper copy) produced by seismographs used to calculate the location and magnitude of an earthquake. They show how the ground moves with the passage of time. On a seismogram, the HORIZONTAL axis = time (measured in seconds) and the VERTICAL axis= ground displacement (usually measured in millimeters). When there is NO EQ reading th […]
U.S. Geological Survey
- Climate Change Implicated in Decline of Horseshoe CrabsLEETOWN, W. Va. — A distinct decline in horseshoe crab numbers has occurred that parallels climate change associated with the end of the last Ice Age, according to a study that used genomics to assess historical trends in population sizes. The new research also indicates that horseshoe crabs numbers may continue to decline in the future because of predi […]
- An island's rebirth: Life emerges after a catastrophic volcanic eruptionAnchorage, Alaska — A secluded island in the Aleutian chain is revealing secrets of how land and marine ecosystems react to and recover from a catastrophic volcanic eruption that appeared at first glance to destroy all life on the island. Yet little by little – a wingless beetle here, a tuft of grass there, Kasatochi, an island in the Alaska Maritime Nat […]
- Glaciers Retreating in AsiaMany of Asia’s glaciers are retreating as a result of climate change. This retreat impacts water supplies to millions of people, increases the likelihood of outburst floods that threaten life and property in nearby areas, and contributes to sea-level rise. The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with 39 international scientists, published a report on […]