Earth Day Draws Attention to 'Power Cities' Fueling Green Technologies & Alternative Energy Initiatives
DATELINE: ORLANDO, Fla.
While Congress continues to wrestle with a comprehensive energy policy and direction, states and regions across the U.S. are fueling major and meaningful solutions. In fact, the current issue ofNewsweekshowcases several of these regions - but they forgot one major player. Perhaps surprisingly, Metro Orlando - best known as an iconic tourist destination -- is a region leading the green brigade.
With increased urgency to reduce reliance on foreign oil, hydrogen technologies and ethanol production are key areas of research being conducted in Metro Orlando. The region is one of three sites in the country for testing hydrogen-powered vehicles and is the site of the state's first hydrogen energy station -- now being built adjacent to the Orlando International Airport. Through this collaboration, the station will provide a test platform for the safe and cost-effective production, storage and dispensing of hydrogen as a transportation fuel. It will fuel buses that transport travelers from the airport to local hotels and attractions. Because hydrogen fuel cells emit only water, this technology can help dramatically reduce air pollution while providing sustainable, renewable energy to increase fuel independence.
Ethanol or biofuel production is another leading initiative happening here.Xenerga, a locally based biodiesel plant manufacturer, has opened Orlando's first biodiesel production plant and will expand a network of biodiesel facilities in key markets throughout the U.S. Xenerga's approach is unique to the nation's existing 65 biodiesel plants. Instead of focusing on building huge biodiesel production facilities, Xenerga has created a replicable 5 million gallon per year facility that can be set up wherever the feedstock exists, thereby reducing many of the distribution costs and associated problems.
The region is also home to the renowned Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) at the University of Central Florida, where millions of dollars in federal grants fund research on the production and storage of alternative fuels to power vehicles, homes and businesses. The Center, housed in one of the most energy efficient buildings in the world, focuses on three technologies: solar-thermal, the use of sun power to produce hot water; photovoltaic (PV) cells, where solar energy is converted into electricity via silicon panels; and hydrogen fuel cells, where hydrogen is split into protons and electrons to form an electrical current. The PV technology concept, which many experts predict is the wave of the future, has been installed in nearly 30 Florida public schools - transforming them into "SunSmart Schools."
In addition, some of Florida's first green building design projects are taking off in Orlando. The Conservatory, a new office condominium being built in the Central Florida town of Celebration, will be the first office condo in the world to receive Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification -- the highest certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Upon completion, the building will use 35% less energy than a conventional building and feature the largest accessible green roof in Florida.
Metro Orlando's growing green and alternative fuels sector is gaining ground. The region comprises nearly 300 companies engaged in various aspects of the industry, including U.S. division headquarters for Siemens Westinghouse and Mitsubishi Power Systems. In addition, NASA, the world's chief end user of liquid hydrogen, and the federal Department of Energy have awarded millions of dollars in grant money toward hydrogen research in the region. For more information, visit www.OrlandoEDC.com.
CONTACT: Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, Orlando
Jackie Kelvington, 407-898-8489