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January 6, 2004
Secretary Abraham begins a ten day trip to Asia and the Pacific to advance energy security and promote DOE initiatives.

January 9, 2004
In Tokyo, Secretary Abraham and Japanese Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Goji Sakamoto sign a joint statement of intent to pursue pre-competitive research and development in the field of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies.

January 12, 2004
The Department dedicates the nation’s newest isotope production facility located at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) in New Mexico. The $23 million state-of-the-art facility, built over the last five years, houses a new beam line and equipment needed to direct part of the 100 million electron volt proton beam from the existing LANSCE accelerator to a new target station designed exclusively for the production of isotopes. “The short lived isotopes produced by this facility and other accelerators in the DOE complex,” notes Secretary Abraham, “provide vital isotopes required to diagnose, treat and research serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.”

The Secretary also joins China’s Science and Technology Minister Xu and Beijing’s Vice Mayor Fan in signing the Green Olympic Protocol for Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Games. Participating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first energy efficient building demonstration project in Beijing that will lead to more widespread use of clean energy technologies, particularly for the 2008 Olympic Games, the Secretary notes that “this energy efficient building in Beijing demonstrates how the U.S. and China can work together to promote clean energy solutions. I hope that the Green Olympic Protocol for Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Games we are signing today will further deepen our joint efforts to improve Beijing’s air quality and environment.” The U.S. and China have established 11 teams to move forward on Green Olympics cooperation since a Statement of Intent was signed between DOE and China in September 2002.

January 13, 2004
In Manila, Secretary Abraham meets with Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Secretary of Energy Vincente Perez to strengthen the Sustainable Energy Development Program between the two countries and to promote the use of cleaner-burning fuels in vehicles. Secretary Abraham also participates in a "Lights On" ceremony for the Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) Program, which aims to bring electricity to more than 5,000 homes of former rebel soldiers in 160 remote, conflicted communities. Through the Sustainable Energy Development Program—a $5 million project sponsored by DOE, the Philippines Department of Energy, and the U.S. Agency for International Development—the U.S. provides advisors to strengthen and support Philippines energy efforts.

January 15, 2004
The Department of Defense awards DOE’s Los Alamos National Laboratory a three-year, $4.2 million grant to try to predict how the supercomputers of the future will perform. The research will be conducted in partnership with IBM Corp.

January 16, 2004
The Department opens its new Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office in Lexington, Kentucky, that will oversee cleanup activities at DOE’s gaseous diffusion plants in Ohio and Kentucky.

January 20, 2004
In his State of the Union address, President Bush urges Congress “to pass legislation to modernize our electricity system, promote conservation, and make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy.”

January 21, 2004
The Department reaches an agreement with the New Mexico Environment Department on the terms of a Consent Order that will facilitate accelerated environmental cleanup at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The agreement means that an additional $2.4 million will be provided by DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) from its accelerated cleanup account, approved by Congress to fund targeted cleanup projects at facilities around the DOE complex, including work on drains and septic systems, landfills, and groundwater areas at Sandia, bringing the total EM funding commitment to $20.3 million for FY 2004.

January 23, 2004
Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy John Marburger says that “there is not controversy” over the issue that growing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are altering the Earth’s climate. “Climate change is occurring,” Marburger says. “This administration is reacting to this known fact by investing in technologies” to mitigate carbon dioxide releases and by fostering energy sources that do not emit carbon, such as hydrogen fuel. “I’m satisfied we’re investing in the right things.”

January 27, 2004
The Department announces that pursuant to provisions of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 2004 it will compete management and operating contracts for the Ames, Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos national laboratories.

January 28, 2004
The Board of Directors of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) endorses DOE’s EnergySmart Schools (ESS) program. NSBA President, Carol Brown, praised the program for “using a holistic approach to improving the teaching and learning environment by providing resources to encourage healthy high-performance schools and energy education for the consumers of tomorrow.” ESS focuses on saving money for the country’s schools through reduced energy consumption and creating a healthier and more learner-friendly classroom environment.

January 29, 2004
The Department ranks among cabinet-level agencies in the most recent scorecard to assess implementation of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA). The scorecard, which evaluates agency performance in the areas of human capital, competitive sourcing, financial management, e-government, and budget/performance integration, is issued today by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB recognizes DOE as "leading the pack with regard to management improvement."

January 30, 2004
Secretary Abraham announces funding for 13 projects selected under the innovative State Technologies Advancement Collaborative (STAC) to support research, development and demonstration of energy efficiency technologies. Total value of the projects will be nearly $17 million with $7 million coming from DOE and the remainder from state governments. "These projects are an exciting and novel joint approach to energy-efficiency research involving both federal and state dollars and expertise to develop energy smart technologies that save energy and save money," the Secretary says. "This new business model paves the way for redefining how the federal government and the states share the responsibility of bringing energy savings to the American people."

February 2, 2004
Secretary Abraham unveils DOE’s $24.3 billion budget request for FY 2005. “Upon taking office,” the Secretary says, “President Bush made a commitment to accelerate environmental cleanup, promote energy security and reduce the nation’s dependence on imported energy, maintain the strength and viability of the nuclear weapons stockpile, and double the commitment to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. After three years of progress this work is at a critical juncture which requires financial commitment.” At $24.3 billion, the request is an increase from the FY 2003 request of $23.4 billion. Of DOE’s four “business lines,” the National Nuclear Security Administration is $9.0 billion, a $383 million or 4.4 percent increase above last year. For energy activities, the FY 2005 budget request remains at $2.5 billion compared to the FY 2004 request. Funding for the Office of Science is $3.4 billion, an increase of roughly 2 percent over FY 2004 when excluding Congressional additions in the Omnibus and Energy and Water Appropriations bills. Environment programs are $8.6 billion. This amount includes large increases to accelerate environmental cleanup (increase of $426 million) and establish a permanent nuclear waste repository (increase of $303 million).

February 3, 2004
The Department’s Richland Operations Office releases its Final Hanford Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS analyzes alternatives for 1) disposing of immobilized low-activity waste from the Hanford tanks, low-level waste, and mixed low-level waste; 2) treating mixed low-level waste; and 3) processing and certifying transuranic waste prior to its shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico for disposal. DOE’s preferred alternatives include 1) building a large, lined facility on the Central Plateau for disposal of low-level waste, mixed low-level waste, and immobilized low-activity waste; 2) modifying existing Hanford facilities and using offsite facilities for treatment of mixed low-level waste; and 3) modifying existing Hanford facilities, using the Waste Receiving and Processing Facility, and also using mobile processing units to get transuranic waste ready for shipment to New Mexico for disposal.

February 4, 2004
A new National Research Council (NRC) report, The Hydrogen Economy: Opportunities, Costs, Barriers and R&D Needs, produced at the request of the Department, states that President Bush’s vision of a hydrogen energy economy would have fundamental and dramatic benefits for the nation’s energy security and the environment. “A transition to hydrogen as a major fuel in the next 50 years,” the report notes, “could fundamentally transform the U.S. energy system, creating opportunities to increase energy security through the use of a variety of domestic energy sources for hydrogen production while reducing environmental impacts, including atmospheric CO2 emissions and criteria pollutants.” Secretary Abraham says that the report “confirms that the President’s Hydrogen Initiative has the long-term potential to deliver greater energy independence for America and tremendous environmental benefits for the world.” The report also indicates that DOE’s broad approach to produce hydrogen from abundant, domestic coal resources as well as from renewable energy sources is important for the emergence of a viable transportation system. The NRC report recommends that the Department more fully coordinate its hydrogen programs in its renewable energy, fossil energy, science, and nuclear energy offices. The report also notes that, “in the best-case scenario, the transition to a hydrogen economy would take many decades, and any reductions in oil imports and carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be minor during the next 25 years.”

February 5, 2004
The Department releases two draft Requests for Proposals (RFP) for missions related to the new Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Idaho Falls. The first draft RFP focuses on DOE’s establishment of the nation’s premier laboratory for nuclear energy research, development, demonstration, and education within a decade. The second draft RFP, termed the Idaho Clean-up Project (ICP), establishes a scope of work for accelerating the environmental remediation activities at the Idaho site.

February 10, 2004
Secretary Abraham, joined by Texas Governor Rick Perry and other dignitaries, officially opens a new General Motors hydrogen fuel cell test facility that will convert hydrogen into electricity for the Dow Chemical Company's manufacturing facility site in Freeport. The new facility will conduct field tests to transfer hydrogen into electricity and will demonstrate the viability of fuel cell power generation for chemical manufacturing. “The Dow-GM transaction typifies the type of creative arrangements that will arise from the new hydrogen economy,” the Secretary says. “Not only is this test a first for evaluating the broad industrial use of fuel cell technology, it is the first time a carmaker has used its fuel cell technology to provide electricity and heat for buildings and manufacturing.”

February 11, 2004
President Bush, in a speech at the National Defense University, states that the greatest risk to the U.S. or anywhere else in the world is the possibility of a nuclear, radiological, chemical or biological terrorist attack. "There is a consensus among nations that proliferation cannot be tolerated,” the President notes. “Yet this consensus means little unless it is translated into action. Every civilized nation has a stake in preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction."

February 12, 2004
The Department awards five new contracts to deliver crude oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve this spring under the Royalty-In-Kind (RIK) exchange program. Atlantic Trading and Marketing Inc; Exxon Mobil Oil Corporation; Glencore, Ltd; Koch Supply and Trading, LP; and Shell Trading (US) Company, submitted the best offers and were awarded six-month contracts to begin delivering approximately 104,000 barrels per day of crude oil to the reserve, beginning this April.

February 13, 2004
Secretary Abraham releases a statement on the Bush Administration’s global climate change initiatives. “The Bush Administration is committed to a comprehensive, innovative program of domestic and international initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” the Secretary says. “Those who question the Administration's commitment to addressing global climate change do not fully appreciate the global benefit of the scientific and technological investments the U.S. has made and is making through a variety of programs. The U.S. takes the issue of global climate change very seriously and is leading the world in investments, several billions of dollars each year, to understand and address it.” The statement is issued following comments by David King, chief scientific adviser to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, at a an American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Seattle, that the U.S. is not doing enough on the issue of global warming.

February 14, 2004
A Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite is launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Station. As a secondary payload, the satellite includes sophisticated nuclear test detection sensors from DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The space-based sensors, developed by NNSA's Office of Nonproliferation Research and Engineering, are used to monitor the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963 and to deter proliferant nations from conducting nuclear tests in the upper atmosphere and space. The U.S. Air Force launched the first DSP satellite in 1970. The constellation of DSP satellites operates in geosynchronous orbit to provide early warning of missile launches, space launches and nuclear explosions. The last DSP satellite, scheduled for launch in 2005, will mark the end of the present nuclear detection sensor package design but will also carry the demonstration experiment for the next generation of high altitude sensors—the Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System (SABRS)—that NNSA is currently developing. Continuing research and development programs have made the sensor packages both smaller and more robust, while greatly increasing the ability to detect clandestine nuclear tests.

February 18, 2004
The Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sign an agreement to expand collaboration on research and computing resources, including the linking of two national supercomputers. The agreement builds on prior research and computing collaboration between the two agencies. The EPA and DOE will link supercomputers in EPA’s North Carolina facility and DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories. High performance computing allows better and faster runs of environmental models such as the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality model, an important tool for states to meet upcoming deadlines for their air quality attainment plans. “Today’s agreement allows us to further our collaborative efforts and leverage the expertise of both agencies,” Secretary Abraham says. “I am particularly happy that EPA will benefit from the tremendous store of scientific knowledge and expertise in the Department of Energy's national laboratories.”

February 19, 2004
Secretary Abraham announces a new effort to educate state and local government officials about the vision of a hydrogen economy. A six-city national tour, dubbed “Hydrogen Power: The Promise, The Challenge,” will commence in Lansing, Michigan. Working with regional, state, and local partners, DOE in a series of workshops will offer “Hydrogen 101” to state and local officials who do not have a technical background but are interested in learning more about hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, hydrogen safety, and the challenges to achieving the hydrogen vision. “Achieving the vision of a hydrogen economy requires a revolution in the way we produce, use and store energy,” the Secretary says. “This revolution will succeed only through cooperation among federal, state and local partners. It’s important that we share an understanding of how hydrogen fuel cell technology works, as well as challenges we face in realizing the vision.”

February 20, 2004
The Department announces that the last of approximately 18 metric tons of plutonium-bearing material at the Hanford Site in eastern Washington has been safely stabilized and packaged for shipment off site. It is the first of three “urgent risks” at the site to be eliminated.

February 23, 2004
Following warnings from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board that a proposed rule on safety at DOE’s defense facilities would undermine protection for workers, Secretary Abraham announces the suspension of rulemaking on proposed changes to the Department’s worker safety rules and requirements.

February 24, 2004
The Department announces that DOE’s Office of Independent Oversight and Safety Assurance has joined Washington State officials in an investigation into allegations of supervisor misconduct, fraud, and medical records mismanagement by officials with the Hanford Environmental Health Foundation (HEHF). In addition, Secretary Abraham has sent a letter to DOE’s Office of Inspector General asking for an investigation of allegations related to HEHF. “Ensuring the safety and health of our workers is paramount and I will not tolerate any action by any contractor that will undermine worker safety,” the Secretary says in his letter to the Inspector General. HEHF, a contractor, provides medical services to DOE and contract employees at the Department’s Hanford site.

February 25, 2004
The Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces a new program to provide employment opportunities to Iraqi scientists, technicians, and engineers. The program will complement other Bush Administration initiatives that seek to support reconstruction efforts and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) expertise to terrorists or proliferant states. The new effort is in cooperation with the Arab Science and Technology Foundation and the Cooperative Monitoring Center at DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories. The unique partnership also will help rebuild key elements of Iraq's critical infrastructure and develop new Iraqi business opportunities that provide sustainability to Iraqi science and technology. "This program addresses the critical need to provide significant and meaningful employment opportunities for all scientists in Iraq," NNSA Administrator Linton Brooks says. "Moreover, it is helping them rebuild Iraqi science and technology infrastructure and reintegrate Iraq into the international science community."

March 2, 2004
As part of DOE’s ongoing effort to meet its commitments to the State of Idaho, workers at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory successfully complete the Glovebox Excavator Method project. Workers removed 454 drums of waste from the one-acre Pit 9 site more than eight months ahead of the schedule agreed upon in 2002 by DOE, the State of Idaho, and the Environmental Protection Agency. “Information gained from this retrieval,” Secretary Abraham says, “is one of many tools that our scientists and engineers will use to implement options for safely performing cleanup of buried waste in the rest of the Subsurface Disposal Area that are prudent, effective and environmentally sound.”

March 4, 2004
The Department announces that DOE-funded researchers at the Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA) have discovered at least 1,800 new species and more than 1.2 million new genes in Sargasso Sea microbes. “What excites the Department and our Office of Science about this project is its range of potential benefits,” Secretary Abraham says. “Scientists have used DOE funds to determine the genetic sequences of all the microorganisms occurring in a natural microbial community, which may lead to the development of new methods for carbon sequestration or alternative energy production. This will offer a direct and early test of one of the central tenets of DOE’s Genomics: GTL program—that microbes can be used to develop innovative solutions to address national energy needs.”

March 5, 2004
The Department is recognized at the 2004 Government Performance Summit for its accomplishments in making significant management improvements over the past three years. The "Excellence in Management" award for exemplary performance on the implementation of the President’s Management Agenda is presented to Deputy Secretary of Energy Kyle McSlarrow, who delivers the keynote address on the second day of the summit.

March 9, 2004
Secretary Abraham launches a national public service advertising campaign designed to make children and their parents aware of energy efficient behavior through a new spokes-villain, the Energy Hog, an energy waster. “The Energy Efficiency Campaign will raise public awareness of the benefits of making smart energy choices at home,” the Secretary says. “By developing an appreciation for energy efficiency at an early age, children are able to make smart energy choices and encourage their parents to do the same.”

March 10, 2004
The Department releases its Hydrogen Posture Plan, which outlines the activities, milestones, and deliverables that DOE plans to pursue to support the nation’s shift to a hydrogen-based transportation energy system. The plan identifies milestones for technology development over the next decade, leading up to a commercialization decision by industry in 2015. “This plan supports President Bush’s vision of a hydrogen economy and includes timelines that provide clear and scientific measures to track and demonstrate progress,” Secretary Abraham says. “If we achieve our technical objectives, the automotive and energy industries will be in a position to begin to mass market availability of both vehicles and refueling infrastructure by 2020.

March 12, 2004
Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Garman answers question on the future of energy and transportation on an “Ask the White House” online interactive forum.

March 15, 2004
At the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Secretary Abraham gives a press briefing and displays some of the unclassified nuclear materials and equipment removed from Libya on January 27. “By any objective measure,” the Secretary notes, “the United States and the nations of the world are safer as a result of these efforts to secure and remove Libya’s nuclear materials.”

March 23, 2004
The Department holds, in Lansing, Michigan, the first of six hydrogen education workshops for state and local government officials.

March 24, 2004
Secretary Abraham and Ford Motor Company host seven student-designed, energy efficient sport utility vehicles (SUVs) at DOE Headquarters as part of FutureTruck 2004, an engineering competition that challenges 15 teams of university engineering students to build cleaner, more efficient sport utility vehicles. The student teams reengineered Ford Explorers to achieve lower-emissions and at least 25 percent higher fuel economy, without sacrificing performance, utility, and safety.

March 29, 2004
At the wind industry’s Global WINDPOWER 2004 Conference in Chicago, Deputy Secretary of Energy Kyle McSlarrow announces that DOE will open negotiations for 21 public-private partnerships to greatly expand potential U.S. wind development through advances in cost effective low wind speed technology. The value of the cost-shared projects is expected to total $60 million over the next four years. “The nation’s vast wind energy resources can play a much larger role in our energy supply portfolio,” McSlarrow says. “These industry and university partnerships will help develop next generation wind technology and open the door to wind power at many locations around the country that otherwise would not be cost-competitive.”

March 31, 2004
The Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) reaffirms the February 10 decision to reduce oil output by 1 million barrels to a level of 23.5 million barrels per day effective April 1, 2004. “We are disappointed with OPEC’s decision today,” Secretary Abraham notes in a statement. “Producers should not take actions that will hurt consumers. This Administration is working actively on behalf of the American people and stressing to big producers that high energy prices are unacceptable. We do not comment on the substance of these discussions, but they will continue. However, today’s action illustrates why we must enact a national energy policy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil by increasing domestic supply. As we have been saying for the last three years, we need to develop ANWR’s significant resources.”

April 1, 2004
Secretary Abraham announces the award of $128.2 million to 30 states and the Navajo Nation to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families. “These weatherization assistance grants will save energy, lower energy costs and increase the health and comfort of thousands of families,” the Secretary says.

April 2, 2004
Secretary Abraham announces the resignation of Under Secretary Robert Card effective April 18. President Bush announces his intent to designate Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Garman to serve as Acting Under Secretary of Energy.

April 5, 2004
Secretary Abraham and R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, release the Final Report of the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force concerning the investigation of the August 14, 2003, power blackout that affected large parts of the U.S. and Canada. In a formal statement Secretary Abraham says, “The Final Report is the product of months of investigation and analysis by technical experts to determine what went wrong on August 14 and how to strengthen North America’s electric transmission system to minimize the likelihood and magnitude of future blackouts. The report makes clear that this blackout could have been prevented and that immediate actions must be taken in both the United States and Canada to ensure that our electric system is more reliable. First and foremost, compliance with reliability rules must be made mandatory with substantial penalties for non-compliance. In addition, a number of technical and organizational improvements are urgently needed to assure efficient and well-coordinated operations across the North American power grid. Failure to implement the Final Report’s recommendations could threaten the reliability of the electricity supply that is critical to the economic, energy and national security of our countries. It is vital that the U.S. Congress pass comprehensive energy legislation that includes mandatory reliability standards.”

As to the cause of the blackout, the investigation team found that the ability to supply reactive power within the area had been inadequate for several years, and that the regional reliability council had not previously identified this vulnerability. As a result, there are now four groups of causes of the blackout: inadequate system understanding; inadequate situational awareness; inadequate tree trimming; and inadequate reliability coordinator diagnostic support. The Report also identifies seven violations of the voluntary reliability standards administered by the North American Electric Reliability Council.

April 6, 2004
In its newly released report, Wind Power Today and Tomorrow, the Department states that in 2003 the U.S. wind generating capacity increased by more than 30 percent. Wind power plants of various sizes now operate in 32 states with a total generating capacity of 6,374 MW of power, enough to meet the energy needs of more than 3 million homes.

April 8, 2004
Assistant Secretary of Energy David Garman dedicates the nation’s first joint hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen curriculum project at North Port High School in Florida. The school’s hydrogen fuel cell, installed through a partnership between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Power and Light and Sarasota County, gives students the opportunity to see this new technology in operation. DOE designed the hydrogen energy curriculum to provide a hands-on educational experience for students interested in energy science. Waste heat will be used to heat water in the school’s kitchen, while water created by the fuel cell’s recombining of hydrogen and oxygen may be used for landscaping. The fuel cell provides five kilowatts of power to the school, enough for a classroom.

April 14, 2004
Secretary Abraham directs the Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to consolidate the U.S. Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel (FRR SNF) Acceptance Program within its nonproliferation mission. This decision is intended to accelerate and strengthen the Department’s efforts to return weapons-usable nuclear materials of U.S.-origin back to the U.S. “This effort will bring together, under one organization with a proven track record in nonproliferation, the Department of Energy’s U.S. and Russian fuel return efforts,” says the Secretary. “This consolidation will refocus and strengthen our international campaign to deny terrorists opportunities to seize nuclear materials and will also increase our effectiveness in achieving the reduction and eventual elimination of the use of weapons-usable materials in civil commerce worldwide.”

April 19, 2004
Secretary Abraham and Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister Rousseff, following a series of meetings in Brasilia, Brazil, announce a collaborative effort to advance hydrogen sector research, development and deployment activities, both bilaterally and multilaterally. A joint team of U.S. and Brazilian officials and experts will develop a hydrogen energy technology roadmap for Brazil. The roadmap will consider possible pathways for future hydrogen production, storage, transfer, end-use technologies, safety codes and standards, and outreach/communication efforts. “We look forward to working closely with our Brazilian partners as we leverage our efforts to pursue the promise of hydrogen energy,” the Secretary says. “I have every confidence that, through such collaboration, we will indeed transform this world from one overly dependent on fossil fuels to one powered in large part by clean and abundant hydrogen.”

April 22, 2004
The Department and We Energies initiate a joint venture to demonstrate technology that, if successful, could eventually remove up to 90 percent of mercury emissions from certain coal-based power plants. Part of President Bush's Clean Coal Power Initiative, the technology research and development effort will support the goals of the President's Clear Skies Initiative to reduce mercury emissions by 70%. Under the agreement, We Energies of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will design, install, operate and evaluate the process, called TOXECON™, as an integrated system to control emissions of mercury, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides during the operations of its Presque Isle plant at Marquette, Michigan. DOE’s share of the cost of the five-year project is $24.8 million, and We Energies’ share is $28.1 million.

April 26, 2004
President Bush, in a speech in Minneapolis, declares that “we need a different energy strategy than the one we have today, a strategy that uses technology and innovation to diversify our supplies, to make us less dependent on foreign sources of energy, and to improve the environment.” Noting that the U.S. cannot “be the world leader if we're constantly dependent of foreign sources of oil,” the President states that “research and development is necessary to change the energy policy of the country.” He singles out biomass and ethanol, nuclear energy, coal, and, most prominently, the hydrogen fuel cell as the “new supplies” for the American economy.

April 27, 2004
Secretary Abraham, in a speech at Wayne State University in Detroit, announces $350 million in nationwide funding for science and research projects to establish a hydrogen economy. The $350 million represents nearly one-third of President Bush’s $1.2 billion commitment in research funding to bring hydrogen and fuel cell technology from the laboratory to the showroom. Selected through a merit-reviewed, competitive process, the projects involve 30 lead organizations and include over 100 partners. Recipients include academia, industry, and DOE national laboratories.

The Secretary also announces that DOE has selected over $150 million in hydrogen storage research projects to support the President’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. The projects include the formation of three “Centers of Excellence,” at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories, integrating the expertise of the DOE National Laboratories in partnership with industry and academia. The centers will address the major technical barrier to on-board hydrogen storage—storing enough hydrogen to enable greater than 300 mile driving range without impacting cargo or passenger space.

April 28, 2004
Secretary Abraham dedicates Sandia National Laboratories’ Joint Computational Engineering Laboratory (JCEL) during a visit to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The primary mission of JCEL is to develop advanced science-based Stockpile Stewardship tools.

April 29, 2004
Demolition crews bring down the Pilot Plant at DOE’s Fernald Closure Site in Ohio. The plant was the last to be torn down of ten former uranium production complexes that produced high purity uranium metal from 1951 to 1989 to support the nation’s weapons production needs. Environmental cleanup work at the site is projected to be completed in 2006.

May 1, 2004
Six teams take their place in the winner’s circle at the second annual Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge, part of the DOE’s National Science Bowl®. University High School of Morgantown, West Virginia, takes first place in the Grand Prix speed race, and Chaska High School of Chaska, Minnesota, conquers a 48 degree incline with their hydrogen powered model car to become the “King of the Hill”. With model car kit components provided by General Motors, the teams designed and built the small hydrogen vehicles with technical assistance from DOE engineers. Each model car measures a maximum of one foot wide and two feet long.

May 3, 2004
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology team from Alexandria, Virginia, wins the National Science Bowl® championship for the third consecutive year.

May 4, 2004
Seven researchers funded by DOE are honored at a White House ceremony for their work ranging from understanding stellar explosions to the mechanics of biological tissues. They are among 57 researchers supported by eight federal departments and agencies who received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The Presidential award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent careers.

May 5, 2004
Secretary Abraham announces the formation of a new interagency group that, in the interest of energy security and consumer affordability will focus on identifying specific near- and long-term actions that could expand domestic natural gas supplies. The new Interagency Working Group (IWG) will also examine the findings of the National Petroleum Council’s (NPC) September 2003 Natural Gas Study and determine the study's consistency with the President’s National Energy Policy. IWG representatives will come from the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, and Interior; the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and the Environmental Protection Agency.

May 6, 2004
In an hour-long meeting with Algerian Oil Minister Chakib Khelil, Secretary Abraham asks that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) increase production to help bring down high prices, which are close to $40 per barrel. Current average U.S. retail gasoline prices, according to DOE’s Energy Information Administration, are at a record high $1.844 per gallon. An International Energy Agency report released this week on the impact of high oil prices on the global economy notes that “fears of OPEC supply cuts, political tensions in Venezuela and tight stocks have driven up international crude oil and product prices” in recent weeks, which threatens the global economic recovery.

May 7, 2004
Secretary Abraham designates the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC), located at DOE’s Savannah River Site, as the Savannah River National Laboratory. Secretary Abraham is joined by Governor Mark Sanford, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), and Congressmen Gresham Barrett (R-South Carolina) and Max Burns (R-Georgia) at the event at the site. “President Bush and I are proud of the scientific and technical work ongoing at the Department of Energy’s national laboratories,” the Secretary says. “And today, we are even more proud to designate this new laboratory and make it a full partner in the critical missions performed by DOE facilities.” The SRTC began operations in 1951 to provide research and development support for the nation’s nuclear facilities complex and national defense. The Savannah River National Laboratory’s work will continue on waste processing, environmental remediation, non-proliferation technologies, and national security projects.

May 11, 2004
Secretary Abraham launches Science.gov 2.0 as the next major step in government science information retrieval. Science.gov is the gateway to information about science and technology from across federal government organizations. Science.gov 2.0 provides user-friendly technology enhancements to the interagency science portal. The new technology sorts through the government’s vast reservoirs of research and rapidly returns information in an order more likely to meet patrons’ needs. Science.gov is made possible through a collaboration of 12 major science agencies.

May 12, 2004
Spencer Abraham announces that DOE has selected Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and its development partners, Cray Inc., IBM Corp., and Silicon Graphics Inc., to receive $25 million in funding to begin building a 50 teraflop (50 trillion calculations   per second) science research supercomputer.  ORNL was selected in a peer-review competition with three other DOE Office of Science national laboratories. “The new facility will enable the Office of Science to deliver world leadership-class computing for science,” the Secretary says. “It will serve to revitalize the U.S. effort in high-end computing. It is no exaggeration to say that this machine will give both the U.S. scientific community and industrial sector a significant competitive advantage over the rest of the world.”

May 17, 2004
The Department announces that successful tests with a new technology funded by DOE have allowed geologists to “see” through thousands of feet of rock to find and tap pockets of oil. Known as “cross-well electromagnetic imaging,” the technology penetrates the rocks between oil wells with very long and slow electromagnetic waves. “This technology will increase oil production from existing reservoirs and could be a valuable tool in locating new reservoirs,” Secretary Abraham says.

May 18, 2004
The Department announces that DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration has surpassed a congressional target of recovering and securing 5,000 radioactive sources domestically within an 18-month time period. These radioactive materials could be used in a radiological dispersal device, also known as a “dirty bomb.” “We are continuing to work overtime to secure and recover radioactive materials that can be used for dangerous purposes,” Secretary Abraham says.

May 19, 2004
Researchers at six DOE national laboratories are honored for their outstanding work in the process of transferring federally developed technology to the marketplace. Research teams at Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories have received the Federal Laboratory Consortium Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for 2004, one of the most prestigious honors in the field.

May 20, 2004
Secretary Abraham meets with British officials in London, and the two countries announce two partnerships to promote sustainable, affordable energy in the developed and developing world—the United Kingdom joins the Efficient Energy for Sustainable Development Partnership of the U.S. Clean Energy Initiative, the U.S. signs on to, as of April 28, the U.K. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership. The partners will work together and leverage human and financial resources to maximize their impact in building markets for renewable energy and energy efficiency. “These mutually supporting agreements, entered into enthusiastically by both our nations, will strengthen efforts to increase access to modern, cleaner and more affordable energy services,” the Secretary says. “This will, in the long term, help to alleviate global poverty, reduce environmental impacts and further sustainable development.”

May 21, 2004
In a U.S. Court of Federal Claims case brought by the Indiana-Michigan Power Co., the judge rules that DOE is not liable for failing in its contractual obligation to begin accepting civilian high-level nuclear waste in 1998.

May 22, 2004
In Amsterdam, Secretary Abraham participates in the International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial Meeting, a high level biennial informal gathering of energy-producing and energy-consuming nations. The Secretary addresses the IEF Opening Session and, while at the forum, holds bilateral meetings with energy officials of several countries. The Secretary signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Einar Steensnaes that will enhance research in a number of areas of mutual benefit, including carbon sequestration, hydrogen, and clean fuels.

May 23, 2004
Secretary Abraham signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Minister Zhang Guobao, Vice Chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, to launch the U.S.—China Energy Policy Dialogue. The Dialogue will strengthen energy-related interactions between China and the United States, the world's two largest energy consumers.

May 25, 2004
Secretary Abraham, in a stop at Athens, meets with Greek officials and transfers hand-held radiological detection equipment to support increased security for the upcoming Olympic Games. “The Department of Energy is proud to cooperate with the Greek government and the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve security for the Olympic Games,” the Secretary says. “It is in our interest to protect the athletes and citizens who will attend this historic event.” DOE support was requested because of its expertise in the area of physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive materials, the detection of illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive material, and its capability to provide relevant equipment with short-lead time.

May 26, 2004
Secretary Abraham, in a speech to delegates at the International Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, launches the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), a comprehensive effort to secure and remove high-risk nuclear and radiological materials that continue to pose a threat to the U.S. and the international community. The GTRI will be carried out in close cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and global partners in order to ensure that such nuclear and radiological materials do not fall into the hands of terrorists or other rogue actors. Under the new initiative, DOE will develop a threat-based, prioritized approach to systematically address facilities that possess high-risk fissile and other nuclear materials. The GTRI will accelerate ongoing efforts to repatriate Russian-origin highly enriched uranium (HEU) and spent fuel and U.S.-origin research reactor spent fuel, work to convert the cores of civilian research reactors throughout the world that use HEU to low enriched uranium fuel, and identify other nuclear and radiological materials and related equipment not yet covered by existing threat reduction efforts. The U.S. plans to dedicate more than $450 million to the GTRI.

May 27, 2004
Secretary Abraham, on a stop in Moscow, and Director Alexander Rumyantsev of the Russian Federal Agency for Atomic Energy sign a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Russian Federation governments concerning the repatriation of Russian-origin high-enriched uranium (HEU) research reactor fuel to Russia. Under the agreement, more than a dozen countries are eligible to receive financial and technical assistance from the U.S. and others to ship their fresh and spent research reactor fuel to Russia for safe and secure management. The agreement reaffirms the U.S. and Russian Federation's shared commitment to reduce global stockpiles of weapons-usable nuclear materials, to reduce the threat of international terrorism, and to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

May 28, 2004
Secretary Abraham, after touring the "ELCHO" power plant, which is powered with clean coal technology developed under DOE’s Clean Coal program and is located in the Silesia region of southern Poland, invites Poland to become the 17th member of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, an international climate change initiative that focuses on the development of carbon capture and storage technologies.

June 3, 2004
The Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) decides to increase the crude oil production ceiling (excluding Iraq) to 25.5 million barrels per day (mb/d), effective July 1, and to 26 mb/d, effective August 1, in order to ensure adequate supply and give a clear signal of OPEC’s commitment to market stability and to maintaining prices at acceptable levels to both producers and consumers. "OPEC’s announcement today is welcome news and, when implemented, will result in new supplies to the market,” Secretary Abraham states. “This action demonstrates that producers are taking concrete and immediate actions to address global oil supply needs. We look to producers to fulfill their commitment to increase supplies.”

June 7, 2004
The Department’s Energy Information Administration announces that the average price of gasoline across the nation has decreased for the second week in a row to $2.075 per gallon. "OPEC’s announcement last week promising new supplies to the oil market, along with recent inventory and import data, are all positive developments in the oil markets,” notes Secretary Abraham. “We have seen a modest increase in gasoline stock levels and a decrease in crude oil prices, which indicate that the situation may have entered a phase that will lead to more sustainable supply levels and prices.”

June 9, 2004
The Department announced that it will conduct separate competitions for the management of Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, both now managed by the University of California. DOE also announces that it will extend the current contract for the Livermore lab beyond its current September 30, 2005, expiration date in order to separate the two competitions.

June 10, 2004
The DOE announces that seven new states and 13 organizations have joined the Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnership Program, the centerpiece of national efforts to validate and deploy carbon sequestration technologies.

June 15, 2004
The Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration announces that its project to engage Iraqi scientists has completed a survey of Iraq’s science and technology priorities. The survey identified health, water resources, environment, energy, and basic science as critical areas in which to employ Iraqi scientists, technicians, and engineers.

June 16, 2004
The House of Representatives passes a comprehensive energy bill identical to the bill approved by a House-Senate conference committee in fall 2003. Secretary Abraham urges Congress to complete the job and pass the energy legislation. "Congress has had three years to pass a comprehensive energy policy that would further advance our policy of energy independence to help consumers and American businesses,” the Secretary states. “For three years, some in Congress have balked at addressing America's energy challenges. They should put political differences aside and pass an energy bill that lessens our dependency on foreign oil and secures America's energy needs into the future.”