| Oct 1, 2008 | Vol. 2. No. 16 |
IN THIS ISSUE: MMPEI IN THE NEWS, U-M IN THE NEWS, ENERGY NEWS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES and UPCOMING EVENTS
MMPEI IN THE NEWS
'Clean' energy getting a more critical appraisal
The University of Michigan's Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute commits about half of its spending to discussing societal issues, analyzing environmental issues associated with energy projects and developing policy recommendations. "With the magnitude of energy that is used in the world today, you can't hope to do it on such enormous scales without affecting the environment," said Gary Was, director of the U-M's MMPEI. "It's not going to happen. You're always going to have an effect on it."
MMPEI Fellows participate as panelists at TechKnow Forum 2008
Gary Was and Anne Marie Sastry will participate as panelists in this year's TechKnow Forum 2008 - Recharging Michigan: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and the Smart Grid. The Oct 23rd event is open to the public but tickets are required.
U-M IN THE NEWS
Granholm speaks at campus conference
If you can't lure them with wind turbines, you can always point to the extra jobs. That was one of the points Gov. Jennifer Granholm made on Sept. 25th when she gave an environmental talk at the University of Michigan's inaugural environmental law conference on campus.
State begins alternative-energy grants
An Ann Arbor technology startup company is among three companies to receive the first round of grants under a new state program to spur alternative-energy technology development. Sakti3 will receive $3 million under the state’s Centers of Energy Excellence program, to establish a center focused on next-generation lithium battery technologies and processes. The University of Michigan will contribute research on battery lifecycles.
Turning the "Freight Trains of the Ocean" into hybrids
As the fuel crisis continues, container ships look to innovation to clean up their act. One of these innovations is an ecological ballast designed by Michael Parsons, recently retired from the University of Michigan’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Parsons’s system could save as much as $2 per ton of cargo—a saving that would quickly add up.
ENERGY NEWS
Carbon dioxide auction launches U.S. effort to combat climate change
Six northeastern states auction off the right to emit global warming pollution. For auction results ...
The element that could change the world
Making green energy work may depend on three unlikely heroes: an Australian engineer, a battery, and the element vanadium. ....“Without storage, renewables will find it hard to make it big,” says Imre Gyuk, manager of energy systems research at the U.S. Department of Energy. Fortunately, there is a promising solution on the horizon: an obscure piece of technology known as the vanadium redox flow battery.
The king of green architecture
William McDonough aims to create buildings that produce oxygen, sequester carbon, and produce more power than they use.
Global warming fix? Carbon dioxide captured directly from air with simple machine
In research conducted at the University of Calagary, a team of researchers showed it is possible to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) – the main greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming – using a relatively simple machine that can capture the trace amount of CO2 present in the air at any place on the planet.
High-flying windmills blow away their ground-based cousins
Next-generation turbines may catch all the energy we need, thousands of feet up.
Michigan lawmakers approve sweeping energy plan
Lawmakers on Sept 18th approved a plan that requires more electricity to come from renewable sources, raises residential rates, restricts competition among power companies and aims to make homes and businesses more energy-efficient. The result: Residential electric bills will go up by 8 percent to 20 percent over five years - but not by as much if the Legislature had done nothing, according to backers who said Michigan now is assured of reliable, cleaner power and not needing to build as many coal-fired plants.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Coal To Liquids (CTL)
DARPA is soliciting innovative research proposals (DARPA-BAA-08-58) in the area of coal utilization as an energy resource. In particular DARPA is interested in processes that will ultimately enable the United States to economically extract energy from its coal resources in the form of liquid fuels using coal to liquid conversion technologies that are environmentally friendly and cost competitive with petroleum based fuels.
Visit http://www.energy.umich.edu/info/funding.html for additional funding opportunities.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Pickens Plan
When: Wednesday, Oct 1, 5:00 p.m.
Where: Power Center
Speaker: T. Boone Pickens
Sponsored By: Michigan Student Assemby -"Go Blue, Live Green" Homecoming Week Activities
Corporate Social Responsibility and the Environment: A Theoretical Perspective
When: Monday, Oct 6, 12 - 1:30
Where: University of Michigan, Dana 1028
Speaker: Tom Lyon
Sponsored By: Erb Colloquium
Global Urban Symposium
When: Friday, Oct 10, 8 - 5:30
Where: Michigan Union
Sponsored by: Ross School of Business
What: Conference explores the role that the private, public and non-profit sectors play in addressing the challenges facing cities around the globe.
Dr. Russel Jones, founding president of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) in Abu Dhabi will be one of the keynote speakers. MIST is a new university established as part of Abu Dhabi's multi-billion-dollar initiative in alternative energy and sustainability. The initiative includes the development of Masdar City, a sustainable zero-carbon, zero-waste project.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) & The Smart Grid
When: Thursday, Oct 23, 3 - 7:00 p.m.
Where: University of Michigan, Power Center
For Tickets : Register online or purchase tickets at the event
Sponsors Include: U-M, DTE, Google, Ann Arbor Business Review, Washtenaw Economic Club, Ann Arbor Spark and MEDC
Providing the latest information from nationally recognized experts, TechKnow Forum 2008 will unite leaders in industry, research and policy with key Michigan stakeholders. TechKnow Forum 2008 is a unique opportunity to discuss the impact of the coming PLUG-IN HYBRIDS and the SMART GRID required to power them in Michigan.