Stimulus measures implemented by the Chinese government and autumn harvest activity in the farming sector continued to buoy domestic oil demand going into the fourth quarter. China’s apparent oil demand in October rose 2.9% year over year to 42.65 million metric tons (mt), or an average 10.09 million barrels per day (b/d), according to a just-released Platts analysis of Chinese government data. MORE

The automotive industry is living proof that private companies will rarely change their behaviors without a significant stimulus to that change, and furthermore one that needs to be mandated. Perspective by The Townsend Company. RPS policies as of March 2011. Source: DSIRE. Click to enlarge. MORE

From Plug In America: Last year, Plug In America, along with electric vehicle and EV infrastructure manufacturers from coast to coast, worked with members of the House and Senate to get a critical plug-in vehicle infrastructure tax credit into the stimulus bill. This credit should be extended at the same level as in the stimulus for at least another three years. MORE

Enova Systems confirmed today that they, along with Navistar International Corporation and its subsidiary IC Bus, will deploy 16 hybrid school buses ( earlier post ) used for a number of school districts. This deployment represents the initial large scale utilization of US Department of Energy grants for clean school buses. MORE

The government revived the stimulus in a fourth supplementary budget for fiscal 2011 as many carmakers suffered disruptions to production and exports following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and flooding in Thailand. Nikkei. Japan has decided to end a government subsidy program to encourage purchases of environmentally friendly cars as funds dwindle. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the government only has ¥2.5 billion (US$32 million) left of the ¥274.7 MORE

Eaton Corporation’s truck and electrical businesses will support a $45.4 million grant to develop a fully integrated, production plug-in hybrid system for Class 2 – 5 vehicles (8,501 – 19,500 lbs gross vehicle weight), and the accompanying demonstration of a fleet of 378 plug-in hybrid trucks and shuttle buses. The funding is part of the recently announced $2.4 billion in grants by the US Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Earlier post.) MORE

The announcement of the new awards comes a day after high-profile solar company Solyndra, which had received a $535-million Federal loan guarantee under the Obama Administration’s stimulus program, ceased operations, laid off its 1,110 workers and filed for bankruptcy. And is President Obama using stimulus funds to reward his political contributors? MORE

Bright Automotive has applied for $35 million in government grants to accelerate the production of its plug-in hybrid the IDEA ( earlier post ), and to deliver battery solutions to the industry through its engineering services arm. The IDEA is a multi-purpose, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in the light truck classification aimed at commercial and government fleets. MORE

Federal stimulus funds channeled toward domestic development of electric vehicle technology has created an opportunity to strengthen the energy storage industry in the US, which is currently based in Japan and Korea. The combination of unmet technical needs, stimulus for rapid growth in vehicle electrification, and geographic shift creates unique opportunities for Dow. MORE

The international Science Award for Electrochemistry supports outstanding work in natural and engineering science and aims to provide a stimulus for the development of high-capacity energy storage systems. The application process for the fourth (2015) BASF/VW “ Science Award for Electrochemistry ” ( earlier post ) is now open. Researchers have until 24 July 2015 to apply. The International Science Award offers total prize money of €100,000, including €50,000 for the first rank. MORE

The FOA modifies a much smaller and earlier-issued FOA by incorporating a supplemental $300 million appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (the stimulus bill) for the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) of 2005 Section 721 to fund a competitive grant pilot program to be administered through the Clean Cities Program. MORE

jobs for each million dollars of program costs) than other fiscal stimulus programs, such as increasing unemployment aid, reducing employers’ and employees'' payroll taxes, or allowing the expensing of investment costs. MORE

IRENA’s macroeconomic analysis suggests that such investment creates a stimulus that, together with other pro-growth policies, will: boost global GDP by 0.8% MORE

Dayton RTA used two-thirds of the stimulus money it received in spring, 2009, to buy buses, offsetting the cost of fleet replacement and reducing the agency’s budget deficit. The Dayton, Ohio RTA is adding 10 hybrid buses to its fleet, which also includes electric trolley buses. The hybrids, manufactured by Gillig, use the GM-Allison parallel hybrid drive system. MORE

— a project nearly half-funded by federal stimulus money.The news comes at a tenuous time for electric car makers and electric grid operators. Coulomb Technologies unveiled ambitious plans today to install 4,600 new charging stations for plug-in vehicles in homes and commercial spaces across the U.S. On one side of the equation, companies like MORE

The President may be currently abroad experiencing the horror of European ramps, but his government has been busy at home ordering the very cars its stimulus program has helped to fund. The General Services Administration responsible for the upkeep of the federal government’s 600,000 strong vehicle fleet has announced it will be buying 116 MORE

million in federal grant funding under the stimulus package. Li-ion manufacturer Ener1, Inc. has initiated a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy case to implement a restructuring plan agreed on by its primary investors and lenders. Ener1 says the plan will significantly reduce its debt and provide up to $81 million to recapitalize itself to support its long-term business objectives and strategic plan. In 2009, Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel received $118.5 MORE

Moreover, the contract seeks to match and qualify contract users with federal grant and/or stimulus funds. Battery-electric bus manufacturer Proterra has introduced a new 35-foot vehicle based on the same technology platform as its current 40-foot Catalyst vehicle. Earlier post.). MORE

Additionally, through its stimulus programs and local industrial policies, the Chinese government is providing a range of grants, low-interest loans and related financial and tax incentives. Boston-Power, Inc., a provider of lithium-ion battery cells, modules and systems ( earlier post ), announced $125 million in new funding from a combination of private equity investment and support from China. MORE

“Contributing to the short-term over-capacity issue is that manufacturers rushed to build out capacity ahead of demand to (a) capture stimulus funding and (b) try to drive scale to reduce cost. Installed revenue by ESG technology, worldwide. Click to enlarge. In its new report Energy Storage on the Grid (ESG), Pike Research forecasts that global spending in the ESG market will reach a little over $22 billion over the next 10 years. MORE

Enova Systems confirmed that it will be the supplier to Navistar’s IC Bus Division for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Technology Acceleration and Deployment Activity program. Earlier post.). Navistar, with Enova, will develop and deploy 60 plug-in electric hybrid buses to fleets across the nation during the program. Using Enova’s electric drive system, IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer that currently offers a plug-in production hybrid school bus. MORE

The eStar all-electric truck transitioned from concept to reality in August 2009 when President Barack Obama visited the Navistar manufacturing plant and announced a $39.2million federal stimulus grant. [.]. FedEx is about to take a very special delivery of its own – as Navistar Inc supplies the first full production eStar all-electric commercial truck to the company. MORE

A few other contributors to higher oil prices came in the form of a stronger-than-expected economic performance in Europe, as well as monetary stimulus in China. by James Stafford of Oilprice.com. Saudi Arabia continues to ratchet up production, taking market share away from US shale producers. According to OPEC's latest monthly oil report , Saudi Arabia boosted its oil output to 10.31 million barrels per day in April, a slight increase over the previous month’s total of 10.29 MORE

Although the stimulus package from the Chinese government in 2008 was said to have a green focus, even construction of windmills is a relatively emission intensive activity, at least in the short run Peters said. Due to large exports, China doesn’t only benefit from its own stimulus package, but also from stimulus packages in other countries ”, said Peters. Global CO 2 emissions decreased 1.3% MORE

A consortium is seeking US stimulus funding available through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program to convert 20 hybrid diesel-electric buses to hybrid dimethyl-ether (DME)-electric propulsion. MORE

The announcement coincides with GE’s submission this week for federal stimulus dollars from the US Department of Energy. GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt shows a sodium-metal halide battery cell at the press conference announcing the battery plant. Click to enlarge. MORE

Its efficiency was such that gas bubbles emerged as soon as it was under a light stimulus. Hydrogen bubbles as they appear in a photoelectrochemical cell. © LPI / EPFL. Click to enlarge. MORE

Additionally, through its stimulus programs and local industrial policies, the Chinese government is providing a range of grants, low-interest loans and related financial and tax incentives. Boston-Power, Inc., MORE

says it will pursue funding opportunities arising from the $2 billion allocated for advanced battery technology in the new economic stimulus package. mPhase Technologies , Inc., mPhase is developing a “smart” reserve battery, the Smart NanoBattery, which is a primary battery typically designed for a special purpose such as emergency or military use. The electrolyte is kept separate from the solid electrodes by a nanostructured membrane, preventing battery activation until power is needed. MORE

The demonstration project is funded by SCE and federal stimulus money awarded by the Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Southern California Edison (SCE) opened the largest battery energy storage project in North America—the Tehachapi Energy Storage Project—to modernize the grid to integrate more clean energy. MORE

The $787-billion stimulus bill (HR 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) that emerged from the joint House-Senate conference committee this week provides funds for a large range of transportation-related projects. It also made significant changes in the current plug-in vehicle tax credit program, including increasing the limit from a program total of 250,000 vehicles to a maximum of 200,000 plug-ins per manufacturer. MORE

billion in federal stimulus funding for engineering, design and construction on the state’s high-speed train system (earlier post) —generating an investment of $9.1 The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board unanimously approved an application for more than $4.5 billion when state matching funds are added. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to formally submit California’s bid by the federal government’s 2 Oct. MORE

This has been prompted by the government’s stimulus plan for the auto industry which has boosted domestic demand and ensured industry growth. If you’re still not taking China’s push to become a major automotive power seriously, then this statistic is sure to give you food for thought: according to an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country is on track to produce a record 12million vehicles this year. MORE

As a part of the new government economic stimulus plan, Norway will be getting a "forest" of charging stations for electric vehicles. The Scandinavian nation, which is home to Th!nk, nk, today has about 2500 EVs on the road. MORE

The company’s CEO Dave Shemmans described the Recovery Act funding as a “welcome stimulus&# and said it should provide some much needed and far-sighted direction that other countries may wish to emulate. “If the history of previous downturns holds any lessons for us, it is that as an industry we must not lose sight of the importance of research, development and product innovation,&# he said. MORE

Government stimulus policies, improved sense of environmental protection among the public as well as the increasing maturity of EV and charging technologies greatly contribute to the ge market potential in China. MORE

The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) Board has selected Ryder System, Inc. as its fleet partner in a groundbreaking heavy-duty natural gas truck rental and leasing project in Southern California. Ryder will use $19.3 million in state and federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding secured by SANBAG to implement the project. This is the first time that natural gas trucks will be deployed into a large commercial truck rental and leasing operation. MORE

Here’s another example: the WSJ reports that oil prices are entering a “sweet spot,” a range between $50 and $60 per barrel that could finally be good for the global economy—low enough to provide consumers with a bit of a stimulus, but high enough to keep the industry and capital spending afloat. by Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com. Total global oil production could decline for the next several years in a row as scarce new sources of supply come online. MORE

Governments are expected to retreat from stimulus investment highs, shifting financing. Pike Research forecasts that the global market for biofuels will more than double over the coming decade, increasing from $82.7 billion in 2011 to $185.3 billion by 2021. At least 38 national governments have enacted blending mandates or targets to accelerate the expansion of biofuels production and consumption in the transportation sector. However, despite strong. MORE

The two promotional initiatives are part of the German federal government’s second economic stimulus package. Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL. Click to enlarge. MORE

Minneapolis will be getting 18 electric cars from Ford, and stimulus funding will be used to install charging points, as reported in the Twin Cities downtownjournal.com. MORE

In 2009, for example, the US Stimulus Plan helped finance research into energy storage with [.]. August 22, 2011. The Green Piece Column. With electric cars inching ever closer to a mainstream reality, questions are raised as to how the grid will cope with increased demand. One of the potential answers appears to be energy storage. Electric cars The Green Piece demand electricity energy storage supply MORE

However, two-thirds of the sticker registrants had hybrid cars already on the road, the authors noted; in other words, the stimulus effect was lower than expected. MORE