A new Department of Energy research facility could help bring the U.S. closer to generating power from the winds and waters along America’s coasts and help alleviate a major hurdle for offshore wind and ocean power development. Will Shaw, an atmospheric scientist at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will describe plans for the facility at […]
Automotive/Transportation
World’s First Subway Marks 150 Years in Operation
LONDON (AP) — Busy, congested, stressful. This is how the world’s first subway system was depicted by London newspapers in 1863. It’s a situation that would be familiar to nail-biting passengers of the present as the Tube turned 150 years old Wednesday. “The constant cry, as the trains arrived, of ‘no room,’ appeared to have […]
Concentrated Solar Power Can Help Utilities’ Bottom Line
The storage capacity of concentrating solar power (CSP) can add significant value to a utility company’s optimal mix of energy sources, a new report by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) suggests. The report found that CSP with a six-hour storage capacity can lower peak net loads when the sun isn’t […]
Grounded Shell Oil-Drilling Ship Refloated
A Shell oil-drilling ship that ran aground near a remote Alaska island has been refloated, officials said early Monday. Royal Dutch Shell’s Kulluk was floated from the rocks late Sunday night and teams were assessing its condition, the Unified Command said. Once they’re satisfied that the vessel is seaworthy, it will be towed 30 […]
Researchers seek longer battery life for electric locomotive
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Norfolk Southern Railway No. 999 is the first all-electric, battery-powered locomotive in the United States. But when one of the thousand lead-acid batteries that power it dies, the locomotive shuts down. To combat this problem, a team of Penn State researchers is developing more cost-effective ways to prolong battery life. The […]
Volvo Truck’s New Fuel Advice
Volvo Trucks’ new Fuel Advice service helps haulage firms reduce their fuel costs. A fuel advisor assists them with both planning and follow-up of their fuel consumption. The results are long-term, with savings as high as 5 percent. Fuel costs represent between 25 and 35 percent of total haulage firm costs. At the same time, […]
Photos of the Day: Royal Dutch Shell Drilling Rig Run Aground
This image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk aground off a small island near Kodiak Island Tuesday Jan. 1, 2013. A Coast Guard C-130 plane and a helicopter were used to fly over the grounded vessel on Tuesday morning. The severe weather did not permit putting the […]
Toyota Settles Class-Action Gas-Pedal Suit
On August 28, 2009, an off-duty California highway patrolman named Mark Saylor was driving his Lexus (made by Toyota) near Santee, California with three members of his family. Suddenly the car accelerated to speeds of up to 100 MPH, and one of the occupants called 911 to report that they were in trouble and the […]
Photos of the Day: Tugging Kulluk to Safety
Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s foray into Arctic offshore drilling has suffered a serious setback after one of its two Alaska drilling rigs ran aground in shallow water off a small island. Read the full story here. Officials at a unified command center run by the Coast Guard, Shell, state responders, and others said the Kulluk, […]
Shell Drill Ship Runs Aground on Island Off Alaska
Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s foray into Arctic offshore drilling has suffered a serious setback after one of its two Alaska drilling rigs ran aground in shallow water off a small island. See the photos here. Officials at a unified command center run by the Coast Guard, Shell, state responders, and others said the Kulluk grounded […]