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The USA faces major challenges in meeting ever-growing demands for transportation goods and services while striving to minimize negative energy, environmental, and economic impacts. More efficient vehicles are imperative to meet these challenges that's why NREL is working to advance energy efficient vehicles and environmentally friendly fuels.

Working in partnership with public and private organizations, we research, develop, and demonstrate innovative vehicle and fuel technologies that reduce the nation's dependence on imported oil, and improve our energy security and air quality. Our goal is to help industry introduce advanced, low emission, economically competitive vehicles and fuels into the marketplace. Our work in this area supports several NREL programs and is led by the Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems.

The FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies (FCVT) Program is developing more energy efficient and environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that will enable America to use less petroleum. The long-term aim is to develop "leap frog" technologies that will provide Americans with greater freedom of mobility and energy security, while lowering costs and reducing impacts on the environment.

The goal of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership is fundamental and dramatic the development of emission- and petroleum-free cars and light trucks. The Partnership focuses on the high-risk research needed to develop the necessary technologies, such as fuel cells and advanced hybrid propulsion systems, to provide a full range of affordable cars and light trucks that are free of foreign oil and harmful emissions and that do not sacrifice freedom of mobility and freedom of vehicle choice.

To address the research and development needs of commercial vehicles, the goal of the 21st Century Truck Partnership is for our nation's trucks and buses to safely and cost-effectively move larger volumes of freight and greater numbers of passengers while emitting little or no pollution, with dramatic reduction in dependence on imported oil.

Hydrogen and fuel cells have the potential to solve several major challenges facing America today: dependence on petroleum imports, poor air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. The Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program is working with partners to accelerate the development and successful market introduction of these technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Biomass Program develops technology for conversion of bio-mass (plant-derived material) to valuable fuels, chemicals, materials and power, so as to reduce dependence on foreign oil and foster growth of bio refineries. Biomass is one of our most important energy resources. The largest U.S. renewable energy source every year since 2000, it also provides the only renewable alternative for liquid transportation fuel. Biomass use strengthens rural economies, decreases America's dependence on imported oil, avoids use of MTBE or other highly toxic fuel additives, reduces air and water pollution, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Today's biomass uses include ethanol, bio diesel, biomass power, and industrial process energy.

Tomorrow, bio refineries will use advanced technology such as hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass to sugars and lignin and thermo chemical conversion of biomass to synthesis gas for fermentation and catalysis of these platform chemicals to produce slates of bio polymers and fuels. To expand the role of biomass in America's future, the DOE Office of the Biomass Program fosters biomass technologies with a balanced portfolio of research and development.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are key to creating a clean energy future for not only the nation, but the world. If you're wondering what renewable energy and energy efficiency are all about, you've come to the right place.

The United States currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. In contrast, renewable energy resources such as wind and solar energy are constantly replenished and will never run out.

Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. Sunlight, or solar energy, can be used directly for heating and lighting homes and other buildings, for generating electricity, and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses.

The sun's heat also drives the winds, whose energy is captured with wind turbines. Then, the winds and the sun's heat cause water to evaporate. When this water vapor turns into rain or snow and flows downhill into rivers or streams, its energy can be captured using hydropower.

Along with the rain and snow, sunlight causes plants to grow. The organic matter that makes up those plants is known as biomass. Biomass can be used to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals. The use of biomass for any of these purposes is called biomass energy.

Hydrogen also can be found in many organic compounds, as well as water. It's the most abundant element on the Earth. But it doesn't occur naturally as a gas. It's always combined with other elements, such as with oxygen to make water. Once separated from another element, hydrogen can be burned as a fuel or converted into electricity.

Not all renewable energy resources come from the sun. Geothermal energy taps the Earth's internal heat for a variety of uses, including electric power production, and the heating and cooling of buildings. And the energy of the ocean's tides comes from the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun upon the Earth.

In fact, ocean energy comes from a number of sources. In addition to tidal energy, there's the energy of the ocean's waves, which are driven by both ocean tides and wind. The sun also warms the surface of the ocean more than the ocean depths, creating a temperature difference that can be used as an energy source. All these forms of ocean energy can be used to produce electricity.

Renewable energy provides many important benefits including:

• Environmental benefits
• Energy for the future
• Jobs & the economy
• Energy security
  

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