Earmarks: Energy & Water Development

Name of Recipient: City of Lincoln
Location of Recipient: Lincoln, Nebraska
Purpose: for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct at feasibility study to assess the flood threat in the Deadmans Run Watershed in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Amount Requested: $1 million
Taxpayer Interest: in addition to being a public safety issue, controlling flood is directly within the mission of the Army Corps of Engineers

Project: Alternative Energy:  Training and Research in Solar Power
Name of Recipient: Creighton University
Location of Recipient: Omaha, Nebraska
Purpose: For the establishment of the Research Center for Solar Energy, and expansion of its energy technology training program and solar panel project.
Amount Requested: $2.535 million
Taxpayer Interest: The training and research programs will develop the educational and research resources to support the development of renewable energy in Nebraska. Students would gain useful experience in developing our nation's sustainable energy resources and providing our community partners with opportunities for shared knowledge and professional training and development opportunities for their employees.  Expansion of the installation of solar panels will reduce the University's reliance on traditional sources of power and increase the use of solar power energy providing electricity for its campus. 

Project: Switchgrass Biofuel Research: Carbon sequestration and life‑cycle analysis
Name of Recipient: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Location of Recipient: Lincoln, Nebraska
Purpose: To establish a production-scale switchgrass carbon sequestration and life-cycle analysis research program.
Amount Requested: $2 million
Taxpayer Interest: Renewable fuels, such as ethanol from switchgrass, are a key element of a national strategy for addressing U.S. energy security and the challenge of global climate change.

Project: Vision Restoration Using Wireless Retinal Implants
Name of Recipient: University of Nebraska-Medical Center
Location of Recipient: Omaha, Nebraska
Purpose: To develop a wireless, high-resolution prosthetic retinal implant that will restore vision in individuals blinded by trauma, macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.
Amount Requested: $2.8 million
Taxpayer Interest: The U.S. Department of Energy currently administers the Artificial Retina Project to develop an implantable microelectronic retinal device that restores useful vision to people blinded by retinal diseases.  This project proposal would fit within those goals as established by the Department of Energy.

Project: Material Science Smart Coatings
Name of Recipient: University of Nebraska-Medical Center
Location of Recipient: Omaha, Nebraska
Purpose: To further develop "smart"-coating nanomaterials that can improve the efficiency, economy, and durability of commercial, medical and industrial components.
Amount Requested: $2.75 million
Taxpayer Interest: The "smart nanocrystaline coatings" being developed have properties that can be applied to virtually any surface to extend the life of critical mechanical components in aircraft, watercraft and ground vehicles, and will increase fuel efficiency and prevent corrosion.  The coating can be used to improve durability and function of surgical tools and implant devices, to increase the reliability of equipment and machinery, and aid in environmental remediation. This project will explore additional chemical and physical properties of the "smart nanocrystaline coatings" and optimize their performance in medical, commercial, and industrial applications.  These versatile coatings are showing benefits for a wide range of industrial applications, commercial products, and mission areas of federal agencies, particularly in the energy sector.

Project: Novel Photocatalytic Metal Oxides
Name of Recipient: University of Nebraska-Omaha
Location of Recipient: Omaha, Nebraska
Purpose: To develop hydrogen gas production from water by photocatalysis of transition metal oxides. 
Amount Requested: $815,000
Taxpayer Interest: Providing research that could ultimately produce a significant alternative energy source for households and small business operations by developing hydrogen gas production from water by photocatalysis of transition metal oxides. The goal of this project is to generate hydrogen gas for fuel cells using sunlight to photocatalyze water into hydrogen and oxygen gas, thus producing a renewable, non-fossil fuel source.

Updated 6.11.09