Energy Department Announces Dates and New Contests for Solar Decathlon 2017 in Denver, Colorado
WASHINGTON, DC —The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 student design competition, which challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive, will take place October 5 – 15, 2017, in Denver, Colorado, Energy Department and Denver officials announced today. The 14 collegiate teams competing in 2017 will focus on creating high-performance houses that reflect current market conditions, innovative build...
EPA and DOT Finalize Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Heavy-Duty Trucks
WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) jointly finalized standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles that will improve fuel efficiency and cut carbon pollution, while bolstering energy security and spurring manufacturing innovation. The final phase two standards were called for by President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, and respond to the President’s directive in early 2...
Black & Veatch: Technology Brings Risk, Reward, Uncertainty to Electric Industry
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – Distributed generation, the low price of natural gas and modern customer information systems (CIS) represent growth opportunities for the electric industry even as security concerns are on the rise and legacy power generation sources cede their prominence to new technology. Those are the top findings in Black & Veatch’s 2016 Strategic Directions: Electric Industry Report, the company’s annual review of the issues affecting the industry. A decade ago, security ranked 1...
AECOM Unveils Target for Reducing Carbon Footprint
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 10, 2016 — AECOM, a premier, fully integrated global infrastructure firm, announced today a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20 percent, normalized by revenue, across its global operations by 2020, starting from a baseline year in 2015. To achieve this goal, the company will focus on its largest sources of emissions: fleet vehicle fuel, purchased electricity and heating/cooling for offices. The established target follows AECOM’s commitment along with ot...
Breakthrough Research to Produce Sustainable Food and Fuel Sources in UAE Desert Ecosystem
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 9, 2016 - A biofuel research facility in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is tackling the dual challenges of food and water security, while simultaneously providing a sustainable source of aviation fuel. CH2M, along with its clients - Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Masdar Institute) and the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), is working together with industry, academia and government on the world's first res...
Black & Veatch Takes on Innovative South African Waste-to-Energy Project
Johannesburg, South Africa/Overland Park, Kansas – Black & Veatch was selected by MBHE African Power (PTY) Ltd, a local renewable energy developer, to provide technical assistance for the country’s first waste-to-energy (WTE) plant. The energy plant will be located in the Drakenstein Municipality, near Wellington in the Western Cape. The energy plant will contribute 10 megawatts to the nation's power grid – enough to power more than 10,000 South African homes. “This landmark project will p...
Expansion of Ultra-Low Sulfur Product Slate Anticipated to be Complete in 2018
Bechtel has been awarded a contract to upgrade the ExxonMobil refinery in Beaumont, Texas, where the company will apply ExxonMobil's proprietary SCANfining technology to increase the production of motor fuels. "The Bechtel team will apply extensive technical knowledge and global experience to efficiently and safely deliver an enhanced refining facility at Beaumont," said Jack Futcher, president of Bechtel's Oil, Gas and Chemicals business unit. "We look forward to continued collaboration with...
Successful Pilot for Amec Foster Wheeler’s VESTA Once-Through Methanation Technology
Amec Foster Wheeler announces that the pilot plant of its new VESTA once-through methanation technology, with wide H2/CO flexibility, has been successfully tested and is ready for commercial application. The pilot plant in China was developed with the support of partners Wison Engineering (Wison) and Clariant. Test results confirm a number of advantages for VESTA over existing technologies including: The VESTA technology is a once-through operation with no need for expensive compressors...
U.S., Enbridge Reach $177 Million Settlement after 2010 Oil Spills in Michigan and Illinois
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice today announced a settlement with Enbridge Energy Limited Partnership and several related Enbridge companies to resolve claims stemming from its 2010 oil spills in Marshall, Mich. and Romeoville, Ill. Enbridge has agreed to spend at least $110 million on a series of measures to prevent spills and improve operations across nearly 2,000 miles of its pipeline system in the Great Lakes region. Enbridge will als...
Government Subsidies Keeping Wind Energy Afloat: NCPA
Dallas, TX –State subsidies to renewable energy give an unfair advantage to more expensive and inefficient sources of energy, while requiring taxpayers and ratepayers to pick up the tab, warns a new report from the National Center for Policy Analysis. In Texas, the wind energy industry is thriving – largely due to government influence. A mandated Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires Texas retail electricity markets to obtain 10,000 MW of energy from renewable sources in 2025, a g...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
