Mayor Bloomberg Announces NYC Green Hackathon
On April 9th, Mayor Bloomberg announced the City’s first-ever green hackathon. The two-day event, which will take place this summer, invites developers and designers to use the City’s environmental open data sets to create digital tools and apps that empower New Yorkers to engage in more sustainable practices, according to the website.
In January, Spring Ventures hosted their own Clean Web Hackathon in New York City that drew over 200 developers, doubling the attendance at their previous Hackathon in San Francisco. Econofy, which enables users to compare appliances by their energy efficiency ratings, took first place at that NYC event. Click here for the press release.
New DOE Grants for Small Businesses, Bio-Oil and EV Wireless Charging Tech Development
$9 Million for Small Renewable Energy Businesses
The U.S. DOE announced that it will make up to $9 million available this year to fund approximately 50 small businesses to advance innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. According to the DOE, this initiative will help small businesses that have promising ideas that could improve manufacturing processes, boost the efficiency of buildings, reduce reliance on oil, and generate electricity from renewable sources to bring new clean energy solutions to market faster. Click here for the press release.
$15 Million for Bio-Oil Research
The Energy Department will offer up to $15 million available to demonstrate biomass-based oil supplements that can be blended with petroleum, helping the United States to reduce foreign oil use, diversify the nation’s energy portfolio, and create jobs for American workers. Click here for the press release.
$4 Million for Electric Vehicle Wireless Charging Station Research
The Energy Department believes that EV wireless charging has the potential to accelerate the adoption of EVs, announcing that it is offering up to $4 million to develop wireless chargers for electric vehicles (EVs)through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy ‘s Vehicle Technologies Program. Click here for the press release.
Environmental Groups Legally Challenge California’s Cap-And-Trade Program
Two environmentalist groups filed suit challenging the compliance eligibility of emission reduction offset credits issued to certified offset projects in California under California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The suit challenges whether reductions achieved through the ARB protocols will produce reductions “additional” to those that would otherwise occur. Click here for more information from McGuireWoods.