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Converting Coal Power Plants to Nuclear Gains Steam

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Department of Energy (DOE) released a report suggesting that, in theory, over 300 former and present coal power plants could be converted to nuclear. Such a conversion has never been done, but the report is another sign that the idea is gaining momentum—if with the slow steps of a baby needing decades to learn to walk. “A

Coal 145
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Researchers develop dual cellular-heterogeneous catalyst technology to produce olefins from plant sugar

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A team of researchers from the US NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers based at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities has demonstrated the use of a dual cellular–heterogeneous catalytic strategy to produce olefins from glucose. Wang et al. —Paul Dauenhauer, co-author.

Minnesota 221
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CenterPoint adding natural gas vehicles to fleet, more fueling stations

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CenterPoint Energy, a US energy delivery company, is adding 35 natural gas vehicles to its fleet across Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Additionally, the company expects to provide natural gas service to at least 17 new compressed natural gas fueling stations built in the company’s service territory.

Fleet 199
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U Minn seeking to license new process to produce isoprene from biomass at high yield; green tires

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Researchers from the University of Minnesota, with colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, have developed a new high-yield process—a hybrid of fermentation followed by thermochemical catalysis—to produce renewable isoprene from biomass. Joseph McAuliffe ( earlier post ).

Minnesota 150
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DOE awarding up to $13.4M for 5 projects for advanced biofuels and bioproducts

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Two of these selections will address research efforts on the efficient conversion of biogas (a mixture of gases generated from the biological breakdown of organic material) to valuable products other than power. million to develop a conversion process demonstrating the production of muconic acid from biogas. Earlier post.).

Wisconsin 225
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UW Madison, U. Minn and Argonne focusing on high value commodity chemicals from biomass

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Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Minnesota and Argonne National Laboratory will explore ways to produce renewable plastic precursors and other substances from biomass with a recently announced $3.3-million million grant from the United States Department of Energy. Part of a $13.4-million

Minnesota 150
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Consortium Win $2.2M ARPA-E Award for Direct Solar Bio-Hydrocarbon Fuel Research; Biocatalytic Coatings Using Bacteria Embedded in Latex

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A consortium comprising researchers from the University of Minnesota and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, with BioCee , a University of Minnesota start-up company as the commercialization partner, has been awarded $2.2 The goal is to build an integrated reactor system that very efficiently converts CO 2 into biofuel.

Minnesota 210