Alternative-fuels research to get lift

Thursday, May 28, 1998 | 10:20 a.m.

A public/private partnership signed today in Las Vegas could bring more jobs, a potential for developing alternative fuels and lower energy costs to Southern Nevada.

The environmental watchdog group Citizen Alert applauded the change occurring in Southern Nevada from testing nuclear weapons to researching renewable fuels.

"My hope is it would help expedite alternative fuels from research and development to practical applications for the population," Rick Nielsen, Citizen Alert executive director, said.

Research and development of cleaner fuels ranging from today's natural gas to tomorrow's hydrogen will help promote Nevada as a center for science and technology-based industrial initiatives, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.

Since underground nuclear weapons testing ended at the Nevada Test Site in 1992, employment has plummeted from 10,000 workers to fewer than 3,000. The senator has been searching for ways to boost employment at the site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

"Nevada's participation in the early stages of energy technology developments give us the opportunity to become a global player in the future of energy supply and use," said Reid, who sponsored the funding for the project in the Senate.

The bill calls for $4.9 million for hydrogen research along with $10.2 million for natural gas cooling. The funds will be requested from Congress next year. Ways to use natural gas for cooling have been funded at $8 million annually for the past two years.

The agreement between the Nevada Test Site Development Corp. and the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee will serve as a model for future activities between NTS Development and other DOE national labs, NTSDC President Tim Carlson said.

The corporation's mission is to promote the growth of science and technology in Nevada, Carlson said.

The corporation is already a partner with the DOE in several alternative fuel initiatives using or planning underutilized equipment and facilities at the Test Site, Carlson said.

These initiatives include hydrogen and natural gas blended fuel conversion kits for standard internal combustion engines, using hydrogen enriched fuel to power large generators and product research into refrigeration and chiller science.