article thumbnail

USBR cuts 613,000 acre-feet of water from Colorado River users; Lake Mead to operate in Shortage Condition 1 for 1st time

Green Car Congress

The US Bureau of Reclamation released the Colorado River Basin August 2021 24-Month Study. Most of the flow of the Colorado River originates in the upper portions of the Colorado River Basin in the Rocky Mountains. Total Colorado River system storage today is 40% of capacity, down from 49% at this time last year.

Colorado 221
article thumbnail

Researchers use IPCC AR5 models to forecast 10% drop in Colorado River flow in next few decades

Green Car Congress

The Colorado River Basin encompasses much of the American West, covering parts of seven US states and two states in Mexico. It may not sound like a phenomenally large amount except the water and the river is already over-allocated. Population growth in the Southwest is putting added pressure on regional water resources.

Colorado 247
article thumbnail

GM and US Army to demonstrate extreme off-road hydrogen fuel cell Chevrolet Colorado

Green Car Congress

Engineering Center (TARDEC) are modifying a Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup truck to run on a commercial hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system and will expose the truck to the extremes of daily military use for 12 months. What’s more, fuel cells generate water as a by-product, something extremely valuable in austere environments.

Colorado 150
article thumbnail

Study Finds Regional Variations in Irrigation Practices Can Push Corn Ethanol Water Requirements 3x Higher Than Earlier Estimates; Need to Account for Regional Specifics in Mandates

Green Car Congress

Top: County-level corn production and ethanol facilities in 2007. Bottom: EWe and TCW of each state as of 2007. The foreground bar height indicates the EWe of each state, with the portion of ground and surface water indicated by color. Each state illustrates a significantly different degree of water dependence year by year.

Water 170
article thumbnail

Small modular reactor company Gen4 Energy will not pursue DOE SMR Licensing funding

Green Car Congress

Gen4 Energy, based in Denver, Colorado, was founded in 2007, and is working in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory, under the DOE Technology Transfer program, to develop an advanced design nuclear reactor referred to as the Gen4 Module (G4M). Earlier post.).

Companies 225
article thumbnail

Researchers Find That Unusual Arctic Warmth and Tropical Wetness Likely Cause for Methane Increase

Green Car Congress

Unusually high temperatures in the Arctic and heavy rains in the tropics likely drove a global increase in atmospheric methane in 2007 and 2008 after a decade of near-zero growth, according to a new study. Starting in mid-2007, scientists noticed La Niña conditions beginning, waning and then intensifying in early 2008. Earlier post.)

2007 230
article thumbnail

US Department of the Interior Offering Second Round of Oil Shale Research and Development Leases; Cuts Potential Commercialization Acreage 87.5%

Green Car Congress

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) is offering additional opportunities for energy companies to conduct oil shale research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects on public lands in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Earlier post.) The allotted acreage for commercial development represents an 87.5% Earlier post.) Secretary Salazar.

Oil 170