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A 'green power' mechanism is motivated in the city of Shanghai, as residents are paying extra money voluntarily to buy electricity generated in environmentally friendly methods. These people are paying 6 cents more for each kilowatt-hour of electricity, to show their love of the nature.
The price of green power is 1.14 yuan per kilowatt hour, nearly double the price of conventional price. According to Shanghai power authority, the cost of wind and solar power generation of electricity was extremely high, approximately 2 and 10 times of the conventional method respectively. With regards to that, Shanghai municipal government inaugurated the movement. Residents can subscribe for green power as a commonweal behavior. The minimum amount is 10 units, with 12-kilowatt hours for one unit, and the maximum amount is 120 units. The extra money collected will be used to develop more green power stations, as currently such supplies only constitute a small proportion of the city's total power supply. So far the city government has persuaded 15 local enterprises to buy all the supply of green power. And yesterday was the first day of individual subscription. Source: CCTV.com, 3/8/2006.
Silicon Valley Power announced that Applied Materials has agreed to purchase more than 2,000 megawatts annually from the utility's renewable energy program. The purchase is the largest commitment to date to the Santa Clara Green Power program and will prevent the annual release of more than 2.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, according to SVP, the city of Santa Clara's municipally owned electric utility.
The purchase will qualify the Santa Clara-based company for membership in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power partnership. "Applied Materials recognizes the need to protect the environment and to conserve natural resources,'' company Corporate Vice President Norm Armour said. "The SVP-EPA Green Power Partnership provides a logical way for us to participate with others in pursuing the goals of good environmental stewardship.''
The Applied Materials Green Power purchase will also support the installation of new solar energy facilities in Santa Clara public buildings, including at Haman Elementary School. "Applied Materials is among the leading Santa Clara businesses committed to a clean energy future for our community,'' SVP Public Benefit Program Manager Joyce Kinnear said. "Business participation in Santa Clara Green Power significantly increases the overall environmental benefit of the program and raises community awareness.'' Source: Bay City News Wire, 3/7/2006.
Global annual sales of renewable energies such as wind, solar and biofuels could more than quadruple in a decade to nearly $170 billion if oil prices remain high and technology costs fall, according to a study. Global sales of green sources of energy more than doubled in 2005 to $39.9 billion, according to California research and publishing firm Clean Edge.
Sales could grow to a $167.2 billion by 2015, according to Clean Edge, whose forecasts on renewable energy have been met or exceeded by the market for the past four years. If green sales grew to that size, it would still be tiny compared to the conventional energy market. But green energy is the fastest growing energy sector, especially after oil prices hit a record of nearly $71 a barrel in August as a wave of hurricanes hit the Gulf of Mexico.
The biggest green energy sector is biofuels -ethanol and diesel from renewable resources – particularly on rising numbers of flex-fuel vehicles, cars that run on both conventional and alternative cars. A few million flex-fuel cars are rolling on U.S. roads today, but building a widespread biofuel distribution system for them is one obstacle the industry faces, the report said. Other clean fuel obstacles include a lack of processed polysilcon, the main feedstock in the solar power industry and rising steel prices for the wind power sector.
Shares in clean energy companies are doing well this year. The PowerShares clean energy portfolio was trading slightly down at $20.45 per share on Monday. But it's up nearly 25 percent on the year and near a 52-week high of $21.05 hit last month. Clean Edge's study was sponsored by energy venture capital firm Nth Power, private equity firm the Global Environment Fund, law firm Heller Ehrman, public relations company Antenna group, investment bank Pacific Growth Equities LLC, and green group Environmental Entrepreneurs. Source: By Timothy Gardner, SignonSanDiego.com, 3/6/2006
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, together with the Green-e program of the Center for Resource Solutions announced today that recording artist Kelley Stoltz's newest album, titled Below the Branches, is the first album to incorporate the Green-e label on its product packaging. The logo explains to consumers that the album was recorded using 100-percent renewable energy. While Stoltz hopes the album will have a positive impact on listeners, he is proud to know that the energy used in its creation had no impact on the environment.
Green-e is the leading voluntary certification program for green power products in the U.S. Similar in concept to the "organic" label informing consumers that certain types of products meet stringent guidelines as set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), products bearing the Green-e logo and "Made With Renewable Energy" label immediately informs consumers that the product was manufactured using an environmentally friendly source of energy. This labeling concept is applicable to any product or service that meets the Green-e Renewable Energy Certification Program guidelines.
"It's fair to say that most of us don't consider the impact we have on future generations in our day-to-day activities. Flipping on a light switch draws electricity from the grid that in all likelihood is generated by a finite, non-renewable source," added Sarah Krasley, communications and marketing coordinator at CRS. "The same was true for the energy powering Kelley's microphones, eight track recorder and amplifiers, except that for this project, Kelley tracked his energy use and offset all of it through the purchase of CoolerFuture(tm) Green Tags from BEF. This ensures that every kilowatt-hour of electricity drawn from the grid to power Kelley's equipment is replaced with an equal amount of non-polluting renewable energy."
Imagine wiping 1,500 cars—and all their fossil fuel emissions—right off the road. That's equivalent to what UB has accomplished as a major green power purchaser, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which just named UB one of its Top 10 College and University Green Power Partners. The ranking honors UB's annual wind-power purchase of 12,000 megawatt hours of electricity, equaling 6 percent of the university's annual electricity consumption.
The EPA list is its first to recognize the nation's Top 10 college and university green power purchasers. UB, ranked number 10 in the nation, is the only SUNY campus on the list. Other schools on the list include Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University and Penn State University.
The UB wind-energy purchase was facilitated greatly by Executive Order No. 111, which Gov. George Pataki issued in June 2001, directing state agencies, authorities, SUNY and other state entities to be more energy-efficient and environmentally aware. The order mandates that 10 percent of the electricity consumed by state agencies be from "green" renewable sources by 2005 and 20 percent by 2010. In 2003, Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue visited UB to praise the university for its commitment to becoming the leading purchaser of wind-generated electricity in the state.
According to Michael Dupre, associate vice president for university facilities, UB's decision to purchase wind energy was natural, since the university has been applying the principles of energy conservation to campus operations since the late 1970s and has been recognized consistently as a leader in conserving energy. Other energy-conserving accomplishments at UB include:
A new Manitoba wind power company will announce today it’s developing eight wind farms across the province, a mammoth project expected to cost $1.5 billion. “This is an industry that has taken off worldwide. It will be a major industry and we want Manitoba to be front and centre, not just in Canada but in the world,” Paul Edwards, a principal in Westman Wind Power Company and a partner in local law firm, Duboff Edwards Haight & Schachter, said in an interview yesterday.
The eight sites are Dominion City, St. Ambroise, Oak Point, MacDonald, Reykjavik, Long Point, Fort Alexander and Churchill. Assuming everything goes according to plan, the windmills at the first of its farms will be turning in 2008, with completion of the eighth farm three years later. The initial capacity of the project is 700 megawatts, with potential capacity of 1,400 megawatts, enough energy to power between 500,000 and 700,000 homes.
Each farm would have between 50 and 100 turbine towers, measuring 80 metres in height with 50-metre long blades.
The company has filed applications to use a further 20,000 acres of Crown land for two projects and negotiations have begun for the final one, which will be located in the Churchill area. The use of rural land will be good news to many farmers around the province, as it will enable them to diversify their income through the agreements, Edwards said.
There is already one wind farm up and running in the province. Located in St. Leon, about 150 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, it’s been operating at partial capacity for some months now, but will be up to full speed by the spring with 63 windmills. AirSource Power Fund, a limited partnership established to invest in wind energy, is spending more than $200 million to build it. Upon completion, it will generate 99 megawatts of power, enough to run 35,000 homes.
Greg Coleman, president and CEO at Gale Force Energy, a Toronto-based wind power developer, is one of Westman’s partners. With more than 30 wind projects in various stages of development across the country, Coleman said he’s confident Westman will play a significant role in the development of wind power in the province. He said ultimately Westman’s goal is to sign a power purchase agreement with Manitoba Hydro for the output from each of its projects. He said the company wasn’t jumping the gun by proceeding with its investment and research prior to signing any contract. Source: By: Geoff Kirbyson, Brandonsun.com, 3/8/2006.
Ernie Rogers drives from Utah to Fresno on less than a tank of gas. The retired physicist, inventor and fuel-efficiency advocate drives a modified diesel Volkswagen beetle that gets 65 miles per gallon in the summertime. He also designed an engine that gets more than 100 mpg.
Alternative fuels and innovators like Rogers are becoming more mainstream, especially as the central San Joaquin Valley becomes a home for ethanol producers and President Bush calls for more spending on research on ethanol and increased production of renewable fuels to rid the country of its "addiction" to oil.
But biodiesel doesn't have much of a chance in the Valley and producing it here may face an uphill battle, experts say. But Rogers, 69, isn't deterred. He hopes to persuade a Utah company to open a plant here, and others in the agriculture industry are quietly experimenting with the fuel's potential. "We have to use less energy," Rogers said. "Just by improving efficiency and thoughtfulness, we can get by on half the energy in California.
But solving the nation's reliance on oil isn't as simple as buying a car like Rogers'. New diesel cars can't be sold in California because they don't meet emissions standards. Rogers bought his in Utah.
Diesel emissions standards for cars are different than those for trucks, and no diesel cars have been certified to be sold in the state since the 2003 model year, said Gennet Paauwe, spokeswoman for the California Air Resources Board. However, changing engine technology and modifications to diesel fuel mean diesel cars are expected to be sold in the next few years, she said. There are no biodiesel pumps in the Central Valley, and just 25 retailers in the state sell the fuel. Rogers is helping a Utah biodiesel company, Domestic Energy Partners, look for a place to build a plant in the central San Joaquin Valley.
Although crops can be grown to produce biodiesel, the ideal varieties, like soybeans, don't thrive in the Valley and might not be profitable if they did, said Dan Sperling, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California at Davis. Fresno State's International Center for Water Technology is experimenting with canola crops on farmland sitting empty because the soil is saturated with selenium, a naturally occurring chemical element linked to deformities in waterfowl. The canola draws selenium out of the soil and is processed and fed to cattle that need the mineral in their diet.
Canola oil is a byproduct of the process and though it's not profitable to produce it for biodiesel on its own, it could be used to make the fuel, said Jim Tischer, the center's regional program manager. "If it's part of a larger process then it may have real value to the Central Valley," Tischer said. A study released last year also suggested gas from dairy manure, known as biomethane, could be used to power motor vehicles and generate electricity. Source: The Fresno Bee, 3/7/2006.
The North West’s first offshore wind farm has begun generation from its first row of turbines, 7km off Walney Island near Barrow, off the Cumbrian coast. The 30 turbine Barrow Offshore Wind Farm is a joint venture between UK energy company Centrica and Danish energy group DONG. It will provide clean, green electricity to the equivalent of 65,000 British Gas homes when it is completed.
Depending on offshore weather conditions, construction work is expected to be completed during the second quarter. Testing and commissioning of all the equipment will follow with full commercial generation anticipated by the end of second quarter. Generation of the first green electricity from the 90MW wind farm has been made possible by completion of the first eight turbines, and the commissioning of the UK’s first offshore substation. This trans-forms the power generated from the wind turbines up to 132kV for transmission to the mainland.
The power is then exported to the national grid connection point at Heysham on the Lancashire coast. Commissioning work on the 27km subsea transmission cable and the new substation at Heysham was also recently completed. The rectangular wind farm site covers an area of approximately ten square kilometres of the East Irish Sea, consisting of four rows of turbines, two with seven turbines and two with eight. The turbines are spaced 500 metres apart with the rows 750 metres apart. All thirty foundations were completed in November in readiness for the erection of the turbines.
BOW Chairman and DONG Executive Vice President Hans Jørgen Rasmusen said: “We are pleased that we can begin delivering power from BOW. First power is an important milestone for DONG’s activities in the UK and the company’s strategy to become a major wind power player in Northern Europe. It gives me great pleasure to recognise the tremendous efforts of the entire project team. Source: OilOnline.com, 3/8/2006.
The Grant County Public Utility District's Board of Commissioners agreed Monday that Energy Northwest should proceed with phase three of its Nine Canyon Wind Project. To proceed, Energy Northwest is required by law to obtain approval from a majority of its member public utilities in Washington, including Grant County PUD.
The Richland-based agency owns and operates the wind project, supplying renewable energy to public utility districts. Right now, the project consists of 49 wind-driven turbines, each capable of producing 1.3 megawatts of power. The project, located eight miles southeast of Kennewick, was completed in two phases. Commercial operation began after phase one was complete in September 2002. During phase two, Energy Northwest erected 12 more turbines by December 2003.
The project sits on wheat farmland where tubular steel towers reach 200 feet in height and hold 100-foot adjustable blades. The turbines are placed in three rows along the windiest ridges within the 5,120 acre site. The project, however, uses only 49 acres of the site for access roads, turbines and a maintenance building. Landowners are able to farm up to the base of each turbine, where the steel towers measure 15 feet in diameter.
Though agreeing Energy Northwest should develop a third phase, Grant County PUD is neither obligated to participate in the new phase nor to financially support it. The district participated in phase one of the project, purchasing 25 percent of the first 48.1 megawatts of capacity. The district did not participate in the second phase. The third phase would add 14 wind turbines to the project and boost generating capacity from 63.7 megawatts of power to 95.7.
At 49 turbines, Nine Canyon already holds the distinction of the largest public power wind project in the nation. For states, Washington ranks fifth in wind energy production. In addition to diversifying power resources with Nine Canyon, the district itself is currently testing likely wind power sites in Grant County. Presently, the test sites are near Wanapum Dam, Hartline, Monument, the Frenchman Hills and the Port of Mattawa. District officials are planning three additional test sites. Source: By David Cole, Herald staff writer, 3/7/2006.
Plans are underway in northern California for a project that would combine three renewable energy resources — one wind power, one biomass and one ocean energy project — all into one interconnected project.
The public was given an opportunity to identify issues to be addressed as the project develops in a public forum hosted last month by the Redwood Coast Energy Authority on the proposed Fairhaven Tri-Renewable Energy Park project, recently announced by the CEO of DG Energy Solutions CEO Steve Mueller.
This project, which Mueller said is the first in the world to combine three renewable energy technologies in one location, is hoped to augment an existing 18 megawatts of biomass-fueled electrical generating capacity at the DG Fairhaven biomass plant on the Samoa Peninsula by adding 20 MW of wind-generated energy and 20 MW of wave generated energy. DG Energy is the parent company of the DG Fairhaven biomass plant, which has been producing local renewable energy since 1986.
According to DG Energy Solutions, this project will include a field of Ocean Power Technology power buoys tethered to the ocean floor approximately 4,500 feet offshore from its Fairhaven facility. Each power buoy will produce up to 500 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in average ocean conditions. The project will also include ten 2 MW wind turbines located on the Fairhaven property and adjacent parcels. The energy produced by this project will interconnect with PG&E transmission lines using existing substations on the peninsula.
The Draft Energy Element recently prepared for the County by RCEA identified the need for Humboldt County to increase its local renewable energy capacity in order to meet future energy demand. According to Boyd, peak electricity demand in Humboldt County is about 158 MW, so this project could meet more than one third of Humboldt's present power needs.
To further dialogue on this project, RCEA invited key stakeholders from public agencies, community groups, and environmental organizations to the forum. Source: Renewable Energy Access, 3/7/2006.
Barnabus Energy, Inc. recently announced it will collaborate with Chicago-based developer Greenpack Construction to develop affordable residential housing in the city incorporating the company's solar electric tiles.
According to Barnabus, Greenpack is currently developing Energy Efficient Lifestyle Green Options Optimally Developed Condominiums (FEEL GOOD Condos) that feature rooftop solar photovoltaic systems. "[Barnabus'] CE Tiles provide high-power output, great aesthetics, quick installation and low maintenance," said Greenpack associate Frank Kam. "We look forward to producing hundreds of homes and condominiums incorporating their product." Contact: Brad Long, Barnabus, phone 800-250-2610. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 3/6/2006.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Owens announced that ADEQ has issued an air quality permit to Snowflake White Mountain Power LLC for a wood-fired generating station at the company's Snowflake facility in Navajo County. The generating station will be fueled by paper fiber from the Abitibi paper recycling mill and waste wood and bark from nearby forest salvage operations. The station would have a capacity of 22 megawatts. Under Arizona law, the permit is issued for a term of five years. Source: Renewable Energy Access.com, 3/7/2006.
A hotel with a revolutionary heating system is planned for Edinburgh Park. The 170-bedroom Novotel – earmarked for approval by city planners at a meeting tomorrow – is designed using Scandinavian geothermal technology to control the temperature inside guests' bedrooms.
It is believed to be the first hotel in Edinburgh to pioneer the system, which uses the earth's constant temperature to heat and cool rooms. Rainwater will also be collected in an underground tank used to flush toilets and water plants at the six-storey hotel on Cultins Road, near the Hermiston Gait roundabout.
The geothermal system, which has been used in countries such as Sweden and Denmark for decades, will see boreholes drilled 100m into the earth. A total of 107 car parking spaces will be created to cater for the building – along with space for 26 bikes. The hotel would be the second Novotel in the Capital, following the brand's branch on Lauriston Place, Tollcross. Source: News.Scotsman.com, 3/7/2006.
By the end of 2007, Luther College property may be the home of a power generating $3.5 million wind turbine. The wind turbine site is located on a knoll at the northeast intersection of Pole Line Road and Highway 52. Luther has received a firm bid on a wind turbine that is currently being built by Clipper Windpower, a wind energy technology company located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The final price tag of the wind turbine is $3.5 million. The 2.5 megawatt turbine and tower will cost about $2.7 million. Additional costs include transportation, the groundwork to accommodate the device and installation. In 2004, a study conducted by Wind Logics found that wind speeds at the height of 80 meters are adequate for a commercial-scale turbine. A 50 meter tower installed in June 2005 is measuring winds to confirm the computer model data.
There are several matters, however, that will have to be resolved before this project can be successful. These include negotiations with Alliant about the sale price of the electricity, confirming the amount of wind resource at the site, qualifying for the state tax credit and securing a wind turbine purchase contract. With a 15 month lead time for acquiring a wind turbine, it is important that the first three aspects are resolved by this summer.
Luther has made considerable progress in becoming more environmentally responsible. Due to energy efficiency initiatives undertaken in partnership with Alliant, Luther reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent between 2003 and 2005. The wind turbine would produce an amount of electricity equivalent to 40 percent of Luther’s annual consumption and would emit no greenhouse gases in the process.
Other private liberal arts colleges have become interested in wind energy. Carleton College has a wind turbine near its campus and St. Olaf is in the process of installing one with a grant from the state of Minnesota. Luther’s wind turbine project has received widespread support from the Luther community. In 2003, a campus-wide survey was conducted by Jon Jensen’s environmental studies class. It revealed that 92 percent of respondents were supportive of Luther having a wind turbine.
Luther administration at the highest levels is also behind the wind turbine project. The Board of Regents, President Torgerson and Diane Tacke, vice president for finance and administration have been supportive and involved. Source: By Kassie Petermann, Chips Student Newspaper of Luther College, 3/9/2006.
Power plants and wind farms, move over – tree power has arrived. A Massachusetts firm has developed a power-generating system that draws electricity from an abundant, eminently renewable and virtually free source: trees. MagCap Engineering, of Canton, Mass. – a custom designer and manufacturer of magnetics for the broadcast, telecommunications, microwave, defense and energy industries – has filed for a patent for the "alternative electric-power generating system," in collaboration with its inventor, Gordon Wadle.
The electrical energy generated by trees is not of the magnitude to supply the electrical grids that power cities and towns, but sufficient for a wide variety of uses, such as charging batteries for any type of vehicle (including hybrids and electric cars) and producing household power through an alternate-current converter. While Wadle came up with the concept of harnessing trees for electrical energy – using a tree as a positive terminal and the earth as a negative terminal – Chris Lagadinos, MagCap's president, developed the circuitry that converts the energy into usable power.
Wadle asserts that the system has the potential to provide "an unlimited supply of constant clean energy, without relying on fossil fuels, a power-generating plant complex, or an elaborate transmission network." Lagadinos said that his company has been successful in producing about two volts of electricity – enough to charge a nickel-cadmium battery powering a light-emitting diode – but he is hoping to "achieve 12 volts, with up to one amp of power, sometime this year. This will take about six taps into a tree."
Lagadinos said that some other uses of his system include LED signs, landscape lighting, security lighting, park and hiking-trail lighting, surveillance or sensor equipment, traffic lights, street lights, and – because the system could draw power from the environment in remote areas – military applications. The system would be of special use in any location that lies beyond the hard-wired grid.
With America's appalling shortage of clean, renewable energy, and much of our imported oil going to powering our automobiles, perhaps we can look forward to the day when our hybrid and electrical automobiles are fueled at the end of our driveway – plugged into a tree. "Fill 'er up, and keep the sap off the windshield, please." Source: By Solon Economou, The Providence Journal, 3/7/2006.
The Geothermal Resources Council has announced a call for papers for their premier 2006 GRC Annual Meeting to be held in San Diego, CA September 10 – 13, 2006, at the Town & Country Resort. The proposed 2006 technical program includes:
The GRC invites you to submit a paper related to one of the above session themes or a technical paper in geothermal research, exploration, development and utilization. Deadline for draft technical papers is April 28, 2006. Additionally, the GRC 2006 National Conference will focus on university student participation, with its new “Year of the Student” program. The GRC is encouraging students in the fields of geology, engineering, and environmental sciences to submit draft papers for consideration by it Technical Program Review Committee. With U.S. Department of Energy assistance, the GRC will offer attendance scholarships to any student whose paper is accepted for presentation, and cash prizes for Best Student Oral and Poster Presentations.
Register now for the three-part geothermal webcast series sponsored by Western Area Power Administration and the Utility Geothermal Working Group. The free teleconferences will cover economics, financing, permitting, transmission, environmental impacts, marketing, case histories, program development and project development for geothermal technologies.
Webcast sponsors include the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CRN Program and the American Public Power Association DEED Program among others. The topics and dates for the three webcasts are:
Each webcast begins at Noon EST (11 a.m. CST, 10 a.m. MST, 9 a.m. PST) and lasts for 2 ½ hours, including at least 30 minutes of questions and answers.
Participation is limited to the first 40 utilities that register. To register, email Debbie Rock. There is no charge for participation. About a week before each webcast, registrants will receive via email the dial-in instructions and the presentation file to follow during the webcast. Questions? Contact Guy Nelson, UGWG Team Leader.
Tucked away in the woods near Tahoe City, Calif., more than 150 decision makers from electric and gas utilities and ancillary organizations will gather for the May 3 to 5 for the 26th Utility Energy Forum. Annually since 1981, the forum focuses on how utilities can help customers meet their energy needs with the emphasis on reducing energy consumption and developing renewable energy resources.
This year’s theme is “Best Practices . . . Running Utility Programs more Efficiently, Economically, and Effectively”. Workshops, panels, and breakout sessions will address ways Electric, Gas, and Water Utilities can cut costs and increase productivity AND help their business customers do the same. In keeping with core concept of providing better service to customers, the forum now also includes sessions on how to run utilities better. Register online. Source: Guy Nelson, 2/6/2006.
Clean Edge, Inc. recently announced the release of a new report which projects that the markets for photovoltaics, wind energy, fuel cells and biofuels will expand four-fold in the next decade, growing from $40 billion in global revenues in 2005 to $167 billion by 2015.
According to the research and publishing firm, the 2006 edition of its annual "Clean Energy Trends" report projects that the market for solar photovoltaics will grow from $11.2 billion in 2005 to $51.1 billion by 2015, wind power installations will expand from $11.8 billion last year to $48.5 billion in 2015, and fuel cells and distributed hydrogen will grow from $1.2 billion in 2005 to $15.1 billion by 2015. Clean Edge noted that biofuels revenues for 2005 were up more than 15 percent from 2004, exceeding both wind and solar power in annual global revenues. Contact: Ron Pernick, Clean Edge, phone 503-493-8681. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 3/7/2006.
A day-long program entitled "The New World of Biomass" will be held March 15 at the Hagerty Center at Northwestern Michigan College's Great Lakes Campus. The event features Anders Evald, a biomass energy expert from Denmark. He is project manager for the Centre for Biomass Technology that's developed more than 120 biomass-fired heating systems in Denmark. The technology involves combustion of organic products such as wood chips and yard clippings to create steam and hot water for residential and commercial use. The event is sponsored by Traverse City Light and Power and begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes around 5 p.m. Registration is needed by March 9 and available by contacting Jim Cooper at the utility at 932-4560. Source: Record Eagle, 3/7/2006.
The 11th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference has issued its call for papers (linkto:http://www.renewableenergymarketing.net/pdf/call_for_papers.pdf). The conference will be held December 3-6, 2006 in San Francisco, California. The goal of the National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference is to provide a valuable learning and networking experience for a diverse industry audience of power marketers, renewable energy developers, industry advocates, policy makers and large energy users. The focus of the 2006 Conference is on capitalizing on the momentum in the marketplace and understanding effective strategies in marketing, product design, and program implementation. The Conference will also highlight important developments in renewable energy technology and policy.
Evolution Markets has recently published its monthly market update report online. The report covers:
All above reports are hosted on the Evolution Markets web site, in Resources » Monthly Market Updates section. Please note that past issues of the Monthly Market Reports are available only to registered users of our evo. ID market data Web services. Registration is free. Source: Evolution Markets, 3/7/2006.
The California Energy Commission's contractor conducted 165 on-site verifications of small scale renewable energy systems in 2004-2005. These were done to evaluate system performance and to verify installed system equipment. The Emerging Renewables Program (ERP) has provided incentive funds for the installation of over 15,000 eligible systems (97 percent PV) with roughly 70 percent installed in 2002-2004. Verification was supported by a mail survey that measured customer experience in applying to the ERP, receiving utility interconnection approval, and helpfulness and knowledge of the retailer and/or installer.
This report concludes that instantaneous measurements showed most PV systems were operating in-line with expectations with modest performance losses due to shading, soiling and other system issues. Overall, applicants were satisfied with the ERP. The Emerging Renewables Program Systems Verification Report 2004-2005 (linkto:http://www.energy.ca.gov/renewables/emerging_renewables.html) is available free of charge. Source: CEC Release, 3/7/2006.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will team up with Columbia Water and Light and the University of Missouri Department of Atmospheric Sciences to host a one-day conference on renewable energy March 29.
Jefferson City, Mo. – infoZine – The conference, "Advancing Renewables in the Midwest," will be held at the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building on the MU campus in Columbia. The goal of the event is to promote both the development and use of renewable energy technologies throughout the state and the Midwest. The daylong conference will offer insights into wind, biomass and solar energy potentials, as well as energy efficiency, biodiesel, and energy-related tax incentives.
Event sponsors have invited a host of speakers and panelists from across the country, including keynote speaker Dr. Stanley Bull, the associate director for science and technology at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. Funded by the Department of Energy, NREL is the nation's leading center for renewable energy research. Also speaking at the event will be Tom Carnahan, president of Wind Capital Group, which recently announced plans to build Missouri's first significant commercial wind energy project. Solar pioneer Art Boyt of Crowder College, Neosho, Mo., will speak about positive net energy buildings that produce more energy than they consume. Nationally recognized solar engineering expert Bill Brooks, Vacaville, Calif., will talk about net metering. Gail Hendrickson from the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington D.C. will cover federal tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewables.
The public is welcome to attend. Space is limited. There is a $25 registration fee, which covers access to the event, lunch, and refreshments throughout the day. Registration deadline is Wednesday, March 15. Details and a downloadable registration form are available online. Call 573-874-7325 to have a registration form mailed to you. Source: Kansas City Info Zine, 3/7/2006.
The U.S. Department of Energy today announced that Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative will receive the 2005 Wind Cooperative of the Year Award. The utility was cited for its leadership, demonstrated success, and innovation in its wind power program.
IREC, a member-owned utility in Winchester, IL, is the first co-op in the state to install a wind power projects and serves more than 10,000 consumer/owners throughout 10 western-central IL counties. The 1.65-megawatt project was partially financed through federal and state funds, and was completed in May 2005. Highlighting the project's potential, a recent wind resource assessment indicates that Pike County, IL could support as many as 100 projects of this size, which could add as much as $7 million to the local tax base.
This award, sponsored by DOE's Wind Powering America effort in conjunction with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Cooperative Research Network, was presented at the opening session of NRECA's TechAdvantage 2006 Conference and Expo in Orlando, Florida. The IL cooperative was one of six rural member-owned utilities nominated this year. Also supporting the award was the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, whom financed part of the wind project.
President Bush's Fiscal Year 2007 budget request calls for increased funding of 12.8 percent to diversify wind energy programs and research. Wind Powering America (linkto:http://ww.windpoweringamerica.gov) is a DOE activity committed to dramatically increasing the use of wind energy in the United States.
Previous Wind Cooperative of the Year awardees are Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (Oklahoma), Holy Cross Energy (Colorado), Basin Electric Power Cooperative (North Dakota), and Great River Energy (Minnesota). Source: Kevon Storie, WAPA, 3/8/2006.
Agriculture and forestry interests meeting in Washington today are trying to capitalize on high oil prices to increase investments in renewable energy sources. The second annual National Agriculture and Forestry Renewable Energy Summit is seeking to secure pledges from Congress and states to raise the percent tage of the nation's energy from ethanol, wind and solar from 7 percent to 25 percent by 2025. Members of the "25x'25 Coalition" include the American Farm Bureau Federation, Environmental Defense and National Association of Counties.
The coalition is beginning by attempting to rally support for its goal before determining how it will accomplish it and is targeting Congress, states and influential parties such as labor and religious groups. Renewable supporters will be on Capitol Hill tomorrow to lobby members. "This vision is both economically and politically doable," said Read Smith, the 25x'25 Coalition co-chair and former president of the National Association of Conservation Districts, citing projected technological improvements in the transportation fuels sector, such as cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel. "That will probably be the champion that carries us," Smith said, adding that solar and wind power also have potential as well.
A poll released by the coalition shows broad public support for the initiative. According to the conducted by the Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, 98 percent of voters agree with the goal of having 25 percent of America's energy use be from renewable sources.
"This survey underscores a major shift in public opinion," Smith said. "Americans want to invest in renewable energy right here at home so that we are less dependent on countries in unfriendly and unstable parts of the world." Renewable energy supporters would do well by playing the national security card. The poll showed that 50 percent of voters believe the country is headed for a future energy crisis and 35 believe the country is already facing a crisis. Source: E&E News PM, 3/8/2006.
Plans to build hundreds of electricity-generating wind turbines have stirred a storm of controversy across several Southern Tier counties. Clipper Windpower Inc. has proposed building about 30 turbines in the town of Hornby in Steuben County and about 10 turbines in the town of Orange in Schuyler County. Steuben Wind Power wants to build about 40 turbines in the Steuben County towns of Hartsville and Hornellsville. EverPower Renewables has proposed 25 to 30 turbines in the Steuben County town of Howard.
UPC Wind wants to build an as-yet-unspecified number of turbines in the Steuben County town of Cohocton. And a partnership between Global Winds Harvest Inc. and UPC Wind, plus another project proposed by Ecogen, could result in more than 100 turbines in the towns of Prattsburgh in Steuben County and Italy in Yates County.
"There are wind resources here that are very positive toward wind development," said James Sherron, executive director of the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency in Bath. Wind farms can generate additional income for municipalities in the form of annual payments in lieu of taxes, as well as for farmers, who can lease portions of their land for the placement of turbines, Sherron said.
"It's going to wreak some havoc on the town, and these things don't really belong there," said opponent Robert Kern, 62, of Hornby. His Chambers Road property would be within 1,200 feet of the proposed turbines, he said. The Hornby Town Board reviewed proposed zoning changes Monday that would regulate the wind turbines, said Donald Borden, town supervisor.
The committee could make a presentation at the next regular meeting of the Town Board at 7 p.m. Monday at the Town Hall, Borden said. However, the committee may not have enough time to make the proposed changes by then, he said.
Hornby Town Supervisor Donald Borden sees a correlation between residents' support for a wind farm and how close it would be to their property. Support grows stronger the farther people are from it, he said. Source: Star-Gazette.com, 3/8/2006.
An Oregon-based company has bought the right to develop one of New England's largest and most advanced wind-power projects here, plus another large project nearby in southern Vermont. Selling those rights is a Danish-owned company, enXco, with representatives in Burlington, Vt. The buyer is PPM Power Inc. of Portland, Ore., itself a subsidiary of ScottishPower of Glasgow. The sale was finalized on Feb. 14 for an undisclosed price, PPM Energy spokeswoman Jan Johnson said yesterday.
Although enXco is not a small company, Johnson said small wind-power developers such as enXco's representatives working in New England often do the legwork to develop a project and then sell the rights. Local staff for enXco could not be reached for comment. The enXco representatives from Burlington have been pushing for the so-called Hoosac project in the tiny towns of Monroe and Florida since 2002.
The Hoosac project proposes 20 340-foot turbines with a generating capacity of about 30 megawatts, or enough power for about 10,500 homes, by 2007. The Vermont project includes 22 to 32 turbines generating about 33 to 45 megawatts, powering at least 11,550 homes, by 2008. These projects are the first in New England for PPM, which is also working on a project in New York State north of Syracuse, Johnson said. PPM currently has wind farms up and running producing 1,600 megawatts in California, Kansas, Colorado and Minnesota. It has more megawatts in the pipeline, she said, with a goal of producing 2,300 megawatts by 2010.
The state Department of Environmental Protection had granted its approval for enXco to build roads up the slopes of a ridge that runs through Monroe and Florida. A group of citizens in Florida, led by out-of-town environmental organizers, filed an appeal of the state's permit granting in December of 2004. This forced the state and enXco to take their case to an administrative judge. PPM decided to buy the development rights anyway, Johnson said. Legal decisions are expected this summer, she said. Source: Betsy Calvert, The Republican, 3/8/2006.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has announced that the Louis Dreyfus Agriculture Industries LLC plans to build the world’s largest biodiesel plant near Claypool, Indiana. With this facility, two other biodiesel and six ethanol plants currently under construction, Indiana will become a leading producer in the biofuels industry.
Indiana is the fifth largest corn state and the fourth largest soybean state and with the facilities under construction, the state will produce an additional 400 million gallons of ethanol annually and 95 million gallons of biodiesel (including Louis Dreyfus). Indiana’s goal is to produce a combined 1 billion gallons of ethanol and biodiesel annually.
Through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, the state has reached an agreement with Louis Dreyfus to build the project in two phases. The first will be a 50-million bushel per year soybean processing plant, and the second phase will be the biodiesel production facility. The facilities will be located near Claypool in Kosciusko County in northeastern Indiana. The plant will utilize Indiana soybeans. Indiana attracts world’s largest biodiesel plant
Indiana’s pace of rapid growth in bioenergy and energy self-sufficiency took another step forward today as Governor Mitch Daniels announced that Louis Dreyfus Agriculture Industries LLC plans to build the world’s largest biodiesel plant near Claypool, Indiana. With this facility, two other biodiesel and six ethanol plants currently under construction, Indiana will become a leading producer in the biofuels industry.
Upon completion, the Louis Dreyfus facility will be one of the world’s first biodiesel production plants to be fully integrated with a soybean processing plant. About 260,000 metric tons of soybean oil from the plant will be used each year for biodiesel production. In addition, 1 million tons of protein rich soybean meal produced each year will be used by the livestock and poultry industry. The biodiesel plant will produce up to 250,000 gallons of biodiesel per day, or more than 80 million gallons per year. Eighty-five ongoing jobs will be created at the plant, and it is estimated that 300 people will be employed during the 12 to 18 month construction phase of the facility.
The IEDC offered economic development incentives, including up to $95,000 in training grants, $137,500 in infrastructure assistance to the local community, and up to $5.295 million in tax credits based on anticipated employment and capital investment levels. The governor was in Washington, D.C., to speak at the 2nd National Agriculture/Forestry Renewable Energy Summit. The summit, organized by the 25 x ’25 Working Group, brought together more than 70 organizations which support a vision of providing 25 percent of the country’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2025. Source: By Gary Truitt, Brownfield, 3/8/2006.
Arizona Public Service Co., National Grid USA and the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority this week signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of new transmission lines linking energy sources in Wyoming with the growing number of electricity consumers in Arizona.
The agreement comes as the Energy Department this week accepted public comments on its plans to designate "national interest" infrastructure corridors for transmission and pipeline projects. It expands on earlier separate announcements by APS, and by WIA and National Grid, to study transmission line projects that link wind and coal projects in Wyoming to consumer markets in the West.
APS, based in Phoenix, recently announced it plans to develop the TransWest Express project, a 500 kilovolt line connecting northern Arizona to Wyoming through Utah. WIA and National Grid announced in December their plans to study a Wyoming-West transmission line that would link wind and coal projects to markets in the West. Recognizing there is significant overlap between the initiatives, the three groups are now working together to advance them.
WIA executive director Steve Waddington said the first phase of the study on both projects should be completed by the end of this year. David Graves of National Grid said the study will determine, among other things, to whether the best approach would be a single long-line project or smaller projects that interconnect with existing lines.
APS is Arizona's largest electric utility, serving more than 1 million customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties, and will be challenged to meet the growing needs of the state's expanding population. Source: E&ENews, 3/9/2006.
In 2000 the solar photovoltaic industry was a $2.5 billion business; wind power was $4 billion. In five years both have grown worldwide to in excess of $11 billion each. While still dwarfed by Exxon Mobil's $36 billion net profits in 2005, renewable energy is no longer an "alternative" energy source, but as the president of Fuel Cell Canada put it, a "preferred" energy source.
For the fifth year in a row, San Francisco-based Clean Edge, in partnership with venture capital fund, Nth Power, issued its annual report on the economic state of the renewable energy industry. This year they have included, for the first time, the biofuels industry, which reported revenues to $15.7 billion last year on 9 billion gallons of fuel, the bulk of it from the United States and Brazil. They project the industry will grow to $52 billion by 2015.
Solar PV is forecast to reach almost the same level of more than $51 billion by 2015, reported Clean Edge principle Ron Pernick, who along with his partner Joel Makow and Nth Power's Rodrigo Prudencio and Tim Woodward gave a upbeat assessment of the industry, as a whole. In the case of solar PV, more than 1.5 gigawatts of panels were installed in 2005 alone, which represents more than a 50 percent increase over the previous year.
Wind power is on a similar growth curve with revenues at nearly $12 billion in 2005 and forecast to grow to $48.5 billion in ten years. Clean Edge's Pernick stated that fuel cell technology will continue to enjoy steady growth, mainly in research and demonstration projects focused on portable and stationary applications, reaching $15 billion by 2015. Transportation fuel cells, he said would take a decade or more to reach commercialization.
Aggregated, the four major "preferred" energy industries will grow from last year's $40 billion to $167 billion by 2015. "For the first time in modern history, a number of clean energy technologies are becoming cost competitive with their dirtier counterparts," Pernick observed. "Wind power in certain regions is now one of the least expensive and most easily deployed of new generating capacity. Ethanol is now cheaper in Brazil than petrol gasoline; and solar, relatively expensive without subsidies, is often the cheapest source of power in remove applications." Source: By EV World, 3/8/2006
The California Energy Commission has issued a Request For Proposals #500-05-503 entitled: Quantifying the Performance of Dairy Biogas Power Systems. The RFP was released on January 30, 2006 with deadline to submit Proposals: March 27, 2006. Other Deadlines Apply. Visit the CEC Web site to see the Question & Answer Delay Notice, Addendum #1 and documents for RFP in MS Word, Excel and Acrobat PDF formats. Source: CEC Release, 3/8/2006.
The US Department of Energy, Solar America Initiative Technology Pathway Partnership has issued a solicitation for a Phase 1, FY 2007 Grant. Source: Grants.gov, 3/4/2006.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on February 1st that the president's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2007 provides for at least $345 million in loans, grants, and other support for energy projects. The budget will help producers manage the impacts of high energy costs while employing renewable energy resources and energy efficient technologies, in support of a comprehensive energy strategy announced by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns in December 2005.
[**Editor's Note: Howard Barnes, General Field Representative, USDA - Rural Utility Service will be presenting at the Capital Project Financing for Utilities Workshop.] Source: RMEL: March e-Newsletter, 3/2/2006.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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