Idaho is one of the windiest states in America, but it’s wind power generating capabilities have been all but nil… but that could soon change.
This story in the Idaho Statesman says a couple of regulatory cases at the Idaho Public Utilities Commission are finally being settled, ending a two-year moratorium on most new wind energy development in the state. Experts believe this could open the door to a power source with more potential than all of Idaho’s current energy resources combined:
“This is huge,” said Gerald Fleischman, an engineer with the Energy Division of the Idaho Department of Water Resources. “This is not a small, side alternative energy source that it’s nice to talk about and it’s going to help us out a little bit. That is not what it is. It is a big, monster resource.”
Fleischman calculates that Idaho could produce twice as much energy from wind as it produces and uses from all sources. “That’s the potential from identified sites. The real potential is probably bigger than that,” he said.
Idaho has just three commercial wind farms right now. But with the nearly finalized change in the commission’s rules and with the spiraling cost of natural gas to fire more conventional power plants, that number could grow dramatically.
Tomorrow morning, Wednesday, July 18th between 8 and noon, Kum & Go gas stations in 17 locations in Iowa will hold “Biodiesel Appreciation Day”… offering B2 biodiesel for 10 cents a gallon off the regular price.
“While ethanol makes a lot of headlines, especially here in Iowa, biodiesel has become the sleeping giant of biofuels,” said Jessica Zopf, environmental health coordinator for the American Lung Association of Iowa. “Iowa produces 225 million gallons of cleaner-burning biodiesel a year, which can significantly reduce harmful tailpipe emissions when used in higher concentrations. Buying a two percent blend biodiesel may be a small step, but it is a vital beginning on a path toward cleaner air, greener fuels and less dependence on petroleum.”
Where Sweden is the leader in the Ethanol movement in Europe, Minnesota is clearly designated as the leader in the United States with over 300 stations strong and growing, totalling roughly one third of Sweden’s entire nationwide coverage. In Sweden, there are almost 900 E-85 filling stations covering the entire country according to the Swedish Ethanol Development Foundation. In Minnesota, this works out to about one E-85 pump per every 17,000 persons in Minnesota that has a population at just over 5 million people. In Sweden, there is roughly one E-85 pump per every 10,000 persons with their total country’s population totalling around 9 million people.
The report attributes the sector’s boom to a range of global concerns – climate change, increasing energy demand and energy security foremost among them.
The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville has teamed up with Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc., the Georgia-based electrical, engineering, and automation giant, to speed up the development of alternative fuel technology. 
“When it comes to renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel, it’s one thing for the government to give incentives to produce the fuel, but it’s another thing altogether to make sure the public knows what the fuel is, what it’s made from, and that it works in their car,” said Senator Klobuchar. “That’s why I support these crucial education programs.” 
Senator Crapo said, “In the face of rising gasoline prices and increasing calls for energy independence, people are looking for alternatives to conventional petroleum. The value of the Biodiesel Education Grant Program is that it helps people understand–from seed to gas tank–the benefits of biodiesel, including production practices, standards and fuel quality, and basic economics, so that they can make educated decisions about their fuel purchases.” 
“Biodiesel is in position to make a significant contribution to our nation’s energy security, but education remains one of our last great hurdles,” said Joe Jobe, NBB CEO. “While we’ve made substantial progress, we have much more work to do before biodiesel becomes a household word. We commend Senators Klobuchar and Crapo for recognizing the significance of this in ensuring a versatile, domestically supplied energy market.”
The Food Protein Research & Development Center at Texas A&M University is offering its 4th Practical Short Course on Biodiesel and Industrial Applications of Vegetable Oils, August 19-22, 2007.
Train personnel in :
Marketing and sales manager Jana Rieker with Successful Farming magazine presented the results of the survey at the recent Fuel Ethanol Workshop. 
Weather-related problems that have caused damage to refineries in the Midwest have highlighted the need to diversify our nation’s transportation fuel needs. This issue is not only important for consumers who are feeling the pinch at the gas pump, but also for our country’s overall energy security.
Ford will go for a land speed record for a vehicle powered by hydrogen at the Bonneville Salt Flats next month.