A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy says that America could get 20 percent of its power from wind energy in about the next 20 years.
This agency press release says it will mean increasing the amount of wind power by nearly 20 times current production levels… a doable number according to the DOE:
Entitled “20 Percent Wind Energy by 2030”, the report identifies requirements to achieve this goal including reducing the cost of wind technologies, citing new transmission infrastructure, and enhancing domestic manufacturing capability. Most notably, the report identifies opportunities for 7.6 cumulative gigatons of CO2 to be avoided by 2030, saving 825 million metric tons in 2030 and every year thereafter if wind energy achieves 20 percent of the nation’s electricity mix.
DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the U.S. Department of Energy Andy Karsner said, “To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security, clean power generation at the gigawatt-scale will be necessary, and will require us to take a comprehensive approach to scaling renewable wind power, streamlining siting and permitting processes, and expanding the domestic wind manufacturing base.”
Prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy and a broad cross section of stakeholders across industry, government, and three of DOE’s national laboratories – the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA; and Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, NM, the report presents an in-depth analysis of the potential for wind in the U.S. and outlines a potential scenario to boost wind electric generation from its current production of 16.8 gigawatts (GW) to 304 GW by 2030.
The report goes on to say that infrastructure will need to be improved, as well as streamlining the siting and permitting processes to meet that goal.
Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is blasting those opposing a proposed mandate for biofuels in the country.
Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, who is also running for the Republican nomination in the state’s gubernatorial race, has labeled Missouri lawmakers “cowards” for changing a law that kept those same lawmakers and their family members from investing their own money in ethanol and biodiesel plants in the state.
DuPont and Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, have formed 
DuPont CEO Chad Holliday says the venture is a critical step toward cellulosic technology commercialization. “There is a compelling opportunity here for truly sustainable alternative energy,” he said. “I am extremely pleased with the partnership between Danisco and DuPont, two leaders in the biofuels industry.” Both companies have been working on cellulosic technologies for over five years. 
Danisco CEO Tom Knutzen says the timing is perfect for the partnership to deliver a low-cost solution for advance biofuels production. “Danisco through its Genecor division is a pioneer in cellulosic ethanol,” he said. “In fact, we paved the way for commercializing enzymes which convert biomass into fermentable sugars for ethanol.”
This week was the 14th annual Alternative Fuels and Vehicles conference and expo, featuring alternative fuels and advanced transportation technologies.
In about a week, I’ll be heading to Indianapolis for the 
“The Indianapolis 500 is one of the great sports traditions in our country,” said Marc Morgenstern, executive director of Declare Yourself. “Millions of young people are fans of the IndyCar Series, and we couldn’t have a bigger platform than this exciting race to get our message out. The recent presidential primary in Indiana brought out an unprecedented number of young voters, and we believe our Indy PSAs will keep young fans engaged as we race toward the election.”
Biodiesel production is going from large-scale to small-scale. 
Back in March John posted info that the shipping giant 
FCCC is the first manufacturer in the industry to introduce hybrid commercial vehicles into fleet operations, with over 160 HEVs in service since 2004, in addition to over 1,000 CNG-fueled chassis in service since 2000.
In a move to expand its renewable wind energy development, while reducing carbon emissions, Minnesota Power has announced a plan to buy a North Dakota power line and use that infrastructure to move wind-generated electricity.