More Money for Plug-In Hybrid Research

  • A laboratory researcher examines a lithium-ion battery that may be put in a hybrid car in the future (Photo courtesy of the Department of Energy)

The federal government and US carmakers are spending more

money on battery research for plug-in hybrid vehicles. That’s because

existing battery technology is limited. But some of the grant winners

say success won’t come easily. Chuck Quirmbach reports:

Transcript

The federal government and US carmakers are spending more

money on battery research for plug-in hybrid vehicles. That’s because

existing battery technology is limited. But some of the grant winners

say success won’t come easily. Chuck Quirmbach reports:

The US Advanced Battery Consortium is made up of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford.
Together with money from the Department of Energy, the consortium is handing out millions of
dollars to develop batteries for Hybrid vehicles.

Johnson Controls and a partner will develop lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrids.

Michael Andrew is a spokesman for Johnson Controls. He says his company has a lot of work to
do to make a battery that will go forty miles between charges.

“You’ve got to hit volume targets, weight targets, power targets, energy targets, cost targets. For
the 40 mile range application, that’s gonna be a tremendous challenge for us.”

The battery and car makers say it might take even more government support to help the US auto
industry shift away from gasoline-powered cars.

Critics say the companies should have focused sooner on fuel efficiency.

For The Environment Report, I’m Chuck Quirmbach.

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Europe to Tighten Chemical Regulations?

U.S companies are responding to new regulations expected to go into effect in Europe soon. The European Union is considering strict new controls on chemicals. The GLRC’s Stephanie Hemphill reports:

Transcript

U.S. companies are responding to new regulations expected to go into
effect in Europe soon. The European Union is considering strict new
controls on chemicals. The GLRC’s Stephanie Hemphill reports:


The European government is considering legislation that would require
companies to provide detailed information on the chemical make-up of
all products. Not just new products, but existing products too.


Michael Wilson is a researcher at the Center for Occupational and
Environmental Health at the University of California Berkeley. He says
the new rules will prompt American companies to make healthier
products.


“Producers are not going to want to introduce a chemical into the EU that
could potentially fail to pass the authorization process. And so, already
they’re starting to think about alternatives to carcinogenic chemicals, for
example.”


The American Chemistry Council says the approach in the U.S, which
encourages voluntary actions on the part of industry, works fine.


For the GLRC, I’m Stephanie Hemphill.

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Epa Proposes Air Pollution Rule Change

A proposed change to an air pollution control rule has electric utilities applauding and environmentalists crying foul. The proposal comes from the Environmental Protection Agency and will make changes to the so-called “New Source Review” rules. The rules cover utility companies that make improvements to their coal-fired power plants. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Fred Kight has the story:

Transcript

A proposed change to an air pollution control rule has electric
utilities applauding and environmentalists crying foul. The proposal
comes from the Environmental Protection Agency and will make changes to
the so-called ‘New Source Review’ rules. The rules covers utility
companies that make improvements to their coal-fired power plants.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Fred Kight has the story:


The provision in question requires the utilities to install new and
expensive controls if the improvements result in increased air
pollution. The question is – how do you determine if there’s more
pollution?


Should it be measured as an annual total? – the current method – or by
the hour? – the proposed method.


Melissa McHenry is a spokeswoman for American Electric Power, one of
the biggest power producers in the nation…


“We support the EPA’s proposal because it provides clarity. It also
makes the rule consistent with the emissions test for other Clean Air
Act rules.”


But environmentalists claim the draft regulation would make it easier
for plants to avoid installing pollution controls.


One clean air advocate says the proposed EPA rule would lead to tens of
thousands of premature deaths by 2025.


For the GLRC, I’m Fred Kight.

Related Links

Tough Emissions Controls to Help Forest?

Environmentalists say upstate New York’s six million acre Adirondack Park is suffering the most damage from acid rain in the country. To help control that, the state could soon pass the toughest power plant emission regulations in the U.S. But as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mark Brodie reports, some critics say the new regulations will not solve the problem:

Transcript

Environmentalists say upstate New York’s six million acre Adirondack Park is suffering the most damage from acid rain in the country. To help control that, the state could soon pass the toughest power plant emission regulations in the U.S. But as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mark Brodie reports, some critics say the new regulations will not solve the problem:


The new regulations would force New York power plants to reduce emissions of the two leading causes of acid rain. The plants would have to cut sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than half of 1990 Clean Air Amendment levels. John Sheehan is the spokesman for the advocacy group, the Adirondack Council.


“We feel that New York is setting an example for the rest of the United States…this was the step that we needed to show the Midwest that we were willing to take in order to ask them to do the same thing.”


But many power plant owners in the state feel singling out New York’s facilities will put them at a competitive disadvantage. They also say reducing New York’s emissions will not prevent acid rain from reaching the Adirondacks. To do that, they say power plants across the country would have to adopt similar regulations. The New York state Department of Environmental Conservation is currently reviewing the draft proposal and public comment. The agency expects to have a final decision sometime this fall.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Mark Brodie.