April 28, 2009

Drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques achieved 1,445 miles on a single tank of gas in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid from Saturday through Tuesday, averaging 81.5 mpg in the Washington D.C. area, setting a world record for a gasoline-powered, midsize sedan.

Ford Motor Co. officials said the results prove that fuel-efficient driving techniques can nearly double a vehicle's EPA-rated fuel economy

The event also raised more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

The challenge team, which included NASCAR star Carl Edwards, high mileage trailblazer Wayne Gerdes and several Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) engineers, raised more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation by exceeding the goal of 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas. The Fusion Hybrid's official estimated range is approximately 700 miles per tank.

April 27, 2009

Imagine the look of surprise on the faces of thieves who break into a substation facility in search of highly valuable copper to steal, only to find that the building contains hardly any copper at all.

Although deterring theft is not the main driver behind the move to substation automation projects, it certainly relates to one of the many advantages -- using less copper wiring and other expensive devices. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which unveiled its highly automated substation in Bradley, Tenn., last summer, estimates that it used 50 percent less copper than in a traditional substation.

February 27, 2009

Transmission wires have always been the transportation workhorses of the electric grid. Directing electrical current from generation to substation, these aging electricity highways have traditionally lacked intelligence.

But faced with the daunting task of increasing power delivery across the grid in a reliable and secure fashion -- not one wrought with congestion and inefficiency -- today's transmission wire manufacturers are looking at new solutions to transmission issues.

A smart grid solution that focuses only on information and communications infrastructure and smart metering activities, said Jack McCall, director of transmission and distribution systems for American Superconductor Corporation, is "looking only at the brain, and not at the brawn."

Summary:
Email claims that a car being developed in India runs on compressed air and can travel up to 125 miles for only 2 dollars (Full commentary below).

Status:
Prototypes of such vehicles do exist but it is unclear when or if such cars will be available to consumers

February 25, 2009

Xcel Energy is rolling out sophisticated new technologies to enhance grid reliability and improve energy conservation. It says that the efforts will transform not just the utility but also the entire industry, which has seen little change during its long history. As such, the power company is installing "intelligent utility" technologies in Boulder, Colo. that can remotely monitor the system and will communicate with consumers to control energy usage.

An intelligent grid can screen power outages and manage supply and demand so as to maintain dependability. Operators are able to see the system in its entirety and to act in such a way so as to avert trouble spots and re-route power before there might ever be a blackout. And if the network were to become overburdened, the means would exist to send signals to grid operators and subsequently to end users to curtail consumption.