| The Energy Department on September 4 recognized the University of Utah for its leadership in energy efficiency and for reducing energy use by 40% in a historic campus building, saving the university $57,000 a year. Through the Department's Better Buildings Challenge, the university upgraded the 42-year-old Dumke Health Professions Education Building and is on track to meet an energy reduction goal of 20% by 2020 across 13 million square feet of building space. The University of Utah identified the building as a Better Buildings showcase project because of its unreliable heating and cooling systems. The building underwent comprehensive heating and air conditioning system improvements to update the cooling system, including replacing antiquated and faulty controls, two boilers, and related equipment. As a multi-use building, it houses classroom, office, laboratory, and clinic space for the departments of physical therapy, occupational therapy, neurobiology, and anatomy. The Better Buildings Challenge supports the goal of doubling U.S. energy productivity by 2030, while motivating corporate and public sector leaders across the country to save energy through commitments and investments. To date, more than 200 organizations are partnering with the Energy Department to achieve 20% portfolio-wide energy savings and share successful strategies that maximize efficiency over the next decade. See the Energy Department news release and the Better Buildings Challenge website.   The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on September 9 announced their investment of more than $23 million for smart grid improvements, as part of its $518 million in loan guarantees for rural electric cooperatives to improve the delivery of electric power to communities in 15 states. Projects are supported in rural communities in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. Smart grid technologies, such as automated meter reading and load management automation, allow for more efficient control over the use of electricity. Kentucky's Shelby Energy Cooperative is receiving nearly $500,000 for smart grid projects. Minnesota's Crow Wing Cooperative Power and Light Company will receive about $900,000 for its smart grid projects. See the USDA news release. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on September 12 announced that it would provide $600 million for 72 transportation projects in 46 states and the District of Columbia. The funding comes from its Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2014 program. Among the TIGER projects, nearly $25 million will help create a 7.6-mile bus rapid transit corridor connecting Richmond, Virginia, with growth areas in Henrico County. And a nearly $15 million grant will help construct an eight-mile bus rapid transit system in central Omaha, Nebraska. Projects funded through this round of TIGER support key transportation goals, including improving access to jobs, improving infrastructure, and supporting public transportation. See the DOT news release and the complete list of awards  . Tesla Motors on September 4 announced that it has selected Nevada as the official site for the Tesla Gigafactory, the world's largest and most advanced battery factory. When planned construction is complete in 2020, the facility will produce enough batteries each year to power 500,000 Tesla electric vehicles (EV), according to the automaker. The building itself is designed to be net-zero energy, using renewable energy sources to provide electricity for operations. The company said building the innovative factory will enable the mass production of EVs for decades. In January 2010, the Energy Department issued a $465 million loan arrangement with Tesla Motors, to produce EVs and to develop a manufacturing facility to produce battery packs, electric motors, and other powertrain components to power the specially designed EVs. In May 2013, Tesla Motors elected to repay the entire remaining balance on its $465 million loan nine years before the loan’s maturity date. See the Tesla news release. |
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