Chu Announces $193 Million For Renewable Energy Research

Senior Scientist Miguel Contreras shows U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, center, a solar battery charger that was developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory during a tour of the center near Golden, Colo., on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. Chu announced that more than $100 million for the Recovery Act would be used to support wind energy projects at NREL. Others looking on are Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, left, NREL Director Dan Arvizu, second from left, and research fellow Art Nozik, right. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

GOLDEN, Colo. — The primary U.S. lab for renewable energy will receive $110 million in federal stimulus funds and another $83 million will go toward wind energy and other alternative power and efficiency projects, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Wednesday.

"Wind energy will be one of the most important contributors to meeting President Obama's target of generating 10 percent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2012," Chu said.

Also on the administration's priorty list is making buildings more energy efficient.

NREL, in Golden, will get $68 million for an energy-efficient office building, with the goal of creating a design process for use on other construction projects. NREL will also receive $19.2 million for solar, geothermal and fuel cell equipment to produce electricity for its labs and $13.5 million for upgrades to its biorefinery research facility.

NREL will get another $10 million for testing and evaluation of wind technology at the Energy Department's Wind Technology Center in Colorado.

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