November 21, 2007

Dozens of cities and school districts are getting good marks for implementing hybrid buses that run on both diesel and electricity. In doing so, they are helping to commercialize a technology that proponents say will save fuel costs and prevent the release of harmful emissions.

Utilities are making a contribution to the cause. Duke Energy, Progress Energy, Dominion North Carolina Power and North Carolina electric cooperatives are participating with school districts nationally -- all part of a broader business and government consortium interested in seeing electric vehicles take off. The endeavor is well-timed given the attention paid to oil security and climate change along with the technical improvements in battery technology. While commercialization is the ultimate goal market support is still largely absent.

Officials from the U.S. Army's Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and executives from Chevron Technology Ventures and Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center today dedicated a hydrogen energy station evaluation and demonstration program at the Selfridge Air National Guard base in Harrison Township.

This inter-agency project between the United States Departments of Defense and Energy will provide participants with a better understanding of hydrogen's potential because it tests the technology in a real-world setting.

DTE Energy and Ann Arbor's music venue The Ark Thursday announced a  partnership to promote renewable energy in Michigan.

November will be Green Energy month at The Ark. During the month, all electricity used at the concert venue will be offset by renewable power provided under DTE Energy's GreenCurrents renewable energy program.

Additionally, anyone who enrolls in GreenCurrents at The Ark in November will receive a free music CD or a ticket to an upcoming Ark performance.

Investor confidence in clean technologies is on the rise, according to the latest quarterly venture capital investment report from the Ann Arbor-based Cleantech Network.

Investment in cleantech reached an all-time high as venture capitalists in North America and Europe invested a record $1.74 billion in the third quarter.

This brings the year-to-date level of investment in cleantech to $3.64 billion, a 13 percent increase over the same period in 2006. Cleantech Network will discuss more details at Cleantech Forum XIV now under way in Toronto.

DTE Energy has signed a long-term agreement with Michigan-based renewable energy company North American Biofuels LLC to provide power for the company's GreenCurrents renewable energy program.

Introduced earlier this year, GreenCurrents provides DTE Energy's 2.2 million electric customers the option of choosing environmentally friendly renewable energy for their homes and businesses.