A Boston-based wind company is breaking ground on a series of solar projects in Massachusetts. First Wind announced the beginning of the 17-megawatt total projects in Warren and Millbury, the first renewable energy projects in its home state and its first solar development. “It is exciting that we are able to develop and build our very first solar projects in …
Wisconsin Wind Farm Gets Commission Green Light
A Wisconsin wind farm gets the approval to move forward after the developer convinces regulators it can reduce noise levels. This article from reNews.com says the 44-turbine, 102.5MW Highland Wind Farm in St. Croix, being developed by Emerging Energies, got a 2-to-1 vote in its favor from the state’s Public Utilities Commission. The Hubertus-based developer fine-tuned operating plans to comply …
Research to Look into Food Waste-to-Ethanol
Researchers are going to be looking into the feasibility of fermenting food waste and sweet potato into ethanol. Greenbelt Resources Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Diversified Ethanol Corp. will have California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo look into the fermentation testing at a commercial level. The study seeks to optimize three factors in biomass-based ethanol production that are …
Iowa, Nebraska Phase Out Non-Ethanol Regular Gas
When you fill up with the lowest cost unleaded gasoline in Iowa and Nebraska, rest assured you’ll be using ethanol. The Omaha World Herald reports both of the states are replacing 87 octane fuel without ethanol with an ethanol blend. Rose White of AAA Nebraska said most consumers already use ethanol fuel blends and won’t be affected by the change. …
Surplus US Sugar Sold to Ethanol Makers
In an effort to get rid of surplus sugar and produce green fuel, the US Department of Agriculture has sold a large block of the sweetener to ethanol makers. This article from Ethanol Producer Magazine says the government sold the sugar rather than just forfeiting it under the Feedstock Flexibility Program for Bioenergy Producers. The program requires the USDA to …
Biodiesel Industry Biggest Victim of RIN Fraud
While taxpayers and investors are often talked about as the victims of the recent Renewable Identification Numbers (RIN) fraud cases, this opinion piece from Biodiesel Magazine writer Ron Kotrba makes the case that the biodiesel industry and those who play by the rules are the biggest victim of this crime. It is those fine people, you, who make up a …
Environmental Impacts of Biofuel Feedstocks Studied
A two-year study has examined the environmental impacts of feedstocks used for biofuels. Minnesota Daily reports researchers from the University of Minnesota found that there are some fundamental differences between how the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture, look at biofuel production. All three agencies differed in crop location, which Hill said is an …