ARRA(2）

アメリカ政府

ARRA(American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009)のなかで、エネルギーは重要な位置を占めます。エネルギー関係のプロジェクトを統括するのは、米エネルギー省（DOE）の関連機関であるAdvanced Research Projects Agency-Energy(ARPA-E：エネルギー先端研究計画局）ですが、エネルギー関連の重点プロジェクトをさらに下記のカテゴリーに分けています。

  • Grid-Scale Rampable Intermittent Dispatchable Storage (GRIDS)
  • Building Energy Efficiency Through Innovative Thermodevices (BEET-IT)
    • ビルの省エネ化と、ビル冷房時の温暖化ガスの低減で更に下記のカテゴリーあり
      1. cooling systems that use refrigerants with low global warming potential;
      2. energy efficient air conditioning (AC) systems for warm and humid climates with an increased coefficient of performance (COP);
      3. vapor compression AC systems for hot climates for re-circulating air loads with an increased COP.
  • Agile Delivery of Electrical Power Technology (ADEPT).

このうち、上記のGRIDSのカテゴリーで、昨年から今年にかけて選ばれたプロジェクトには下記の様な物があります。

  • biofuels from electricity
  • batteries electrical energy storage in transportation
  • zero-carbon coal
  • liquid metal grid-scale batteries
  • bacteria for producing direct solar hydrocarbon biofuels
  • CO2 capture using artificial enzymes
  • low cost crystals for LED lighting.

実際の再生可能エネルギーを用いた発電プラントの建設とかには、数千億円規模の政府による債務保証(Loan Guarantee)と数億円規模の補助金(Grant)によって支援されます。
たとえば、アリゾナ州にconcentrating solar power (CSP)発電所を作ろうとしている「Abengoa Solar Inc.社」に下記の様な支援が決定されました。この発電所は７万世帯に電力供給可能で、４時間分の電力を溜めることもできます。なお、７００Ｆは３７１Ｃです．

Of that, a $1.45 billion loan guarantee has been extended to Abengoa Solar Inc. to finance the construction and start-up of a concentrating solar power (CSP) generating facility in Solana, Arizona. The technology will use parabolic shaped glass mirrors that direct sunlight onto receiver tubes that heat the fluid inside to over 700 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat is then used to turn steam turbines. The project also includes a thermal energy storage system that will allow for the production of electricity after the sun has set.
The first of its kind in the country and one of the largest CSP plants in the world, the project will supply clean electric power to approximately 70,000 homes and will add 250 megawatts of capacity to the electrical grid using the parabolic trough solar collectors and a six-hour thermal energy storage system. Electricity from the project will be sold through a long-term power purchase agreement with Arizona Public Service Company.