Steven Chu, US Energy Secretary, announced at the start of the Solar Decathlon on DC’s National Mall on Friday that the Department of Energy (DOE) would be dishing out an additional $87 million in new funding for the development and rapid deployment of solar energy technologies.
This money is being given to 47 projects in a range of sub-fields and sectors.
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Universities, electric power utilities, the DOE’s National Laboratories, and local governments are being awarded the money. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is providing $50 million of the funding.
The new money is supposed to “help address technical challenges, ensure reliable connectivity with the electrical grid, and train a new generation of solar workers to install and maintain solar energy systems.”
Secretary Chu said: “Today’s awards are among the many investments made to create new jobs and a clean energy future with solar power. The projects will help accelerate the use of solar energy by residents, businesses and communities, and promote the long-term viability of solar energy by investing in the technologies of the future.”
As Green Energy News reports: “Projects focus on both technology improvements and the elimination of market barriers to help make solar electricity accessible to a wide variety of consumers.”
All of this falls within the overall goal of achieving cost-competitive solar electricity by 2015, a goal the US is heavily in favor of.
Related Articles:
1) Solar Takes Over Washington D.C.: Solar Decathlon 2009 Begins
2) Survey Says!.. 92% of Americans Want Solar Power
3) Solar Energy Breakthrough: Goal of MIT Team
4) Top 10 Solar Technologies to Watch Out For
Image Credit: Thai Jasmine via flickr under a Creative Commons license
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