Google has made a $80 million equity investment in six solar-power plants – five located in California and one in Arizona. All six of the solar projects are expected to begin operations in January 2014 and provide enough electricity to power 17,000 homes. Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP represented Google who partnered with leading private equity investor KKR & …
ABFA Launches Stories of Clean Energy Companies Videos
The Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) is playing a key role in fighting for the sanctity of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to Michael McAdams, president, despite misinformation being thrown about during the recent debate over the RFS, drop-in and cellulosic biofuel technology is moving from the laboratory to reality – and ABFA members are designing, purchasing and building the …
Pressure Cooking to Improve Electric Car Batteries
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering have redesigned the component materials of the battery found in electric vehicles in an environmentally friendly way. The goal was to solve several problems with the technology including they take a long time to charge; the charge doesn’t hold long enough to drive long distances; they don’t allow drivers …
Cadillac ELR Leaves Detroit Smart Grid Ready
The LA Auto Show is taking place this week and the new Cadillac ELR will have some unique new features. The vehicle will leave Detroit, Michigan smart grid ready by using the extended range electric vehicle (EV) technology. Combined with OnStar’s could-based connection, the ELR will be able to communicate with the electric grid and potentially save energy. ELR owners …
Tri-State, LARD Buy, Upgrading Bridgeport Biodiesel
Tri-State Biodiesel and Lard-NABF LLC (LARD), both based in the New York-New Jersey area have purchased and are upgrading Connecticut-based Bridgeport Biodiesel. Biodiesel Magazine reports the venture brings together a major cooking oil-to-biodiesel recyclers with one of few biodiesel production facilities in the area. Through this deal, Bridgeport Biodiesel also leverages [parent company The Sustainable Biodiesel Company (TSBC)’s] extensive biodiesel …
Biodiesel Backers Make Case on RFS to Congress
Biodiesel backers are not quite ready to throw in the towel when it comes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Backed by the National Biodiesel Board, they took to Washington, D.C. to voice their disappointment with the Obama Administration’s recent proposal for next year’s renewable fuels volumes. “If the EPA freezes the biomass-based diesel target, it would put our company …
World Energy Scenarios Report: More Must Be Done
COP-19 is taking place in Warsaw, Poland and today the World Energy Council (WEC) released a new report, “World Energy Scenarios: Composing energy futures in 2050.” The world is set to face several significant challenges in balancing global energy needs in addressing the triple challenge of the energy trilemma. The WEC study assesses two policy scenarios: the more consumer-driven Jazz …
Veterans Enter Fight for RFS
Two new organizations have entered the fight for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) today as concerns about the future of the RFS deepen with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed 2014 renewable fuels volumes going south. VoteVets.org and Americans United for Change held a press teleconference to announce their participation in the counteroffensive against what they are calling, “Big Oil’s …
BioEnergy Bytes
BioPower Operations Corporation, announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Global Energy Crops Corporation has entered into a 50-50 joint venture agreement with Alternative Green Today, LLC to license the Joint Venture’s Intellectual Property for the production of cellulosic biofuels. Targeted companies will include oil companies, sugar companies and all other producers of ethanol and transportation fuels. Global Energy will manage …
Report: EV Charging Won’t Overload Grid
According to a recent PSR Analytics report that measured Summer 2013 vehicle charging in the nation’s highest residential concentration of electric cars, electric vehicle (EV) owners are charging their cars much less during hot summer afternoons than most behavioral models predict. The analysis, conduced by Pecan Street Research Institute, found that not only is charging behavior is much more diverse …