Heliae, a developer of advanced algae production technologies, commenced operations at its first commercial facility in Arizona. Using its Volaris-brand platform, the commercial facility will initially operate at 33% of its capacity to produce high-value algae products for nutraceutical and personal care products but biofuels represents another business avenue for consideration. The start-up, which aims to be at full capacity …
Dynamometer Test Facility Sets Wind on New Course
Days before the holiday season, the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) set the wind industry on a new course with the addition of a new 5MW Dynamometer Test Facility at its National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). The new facility will better enable NWTC engineers and their industry partners to verify the performance and reliability of wind turbine drivetrain …
UCR Harnesses the Sun to Power Education
University of California Riverside (UCR), who just announced they are hosting a solar summit on February 6, 2014, has unveiled plans for a large-scale 10.92 acre solar farm to be located on the West Campus. UCR is partnering with SunPower Corporation for the project that when completed sometime in July of this year, will generate nearly three megawatts of electricity. …
Texas Town to Get Biodiesel Plant
A 9-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant will soon be coming to Temple, Texas. This article from the Killeen (TX) Daily Herald says Thomas Biodiesel LLC will build the the $30 million refinery that will employ 30 full-time workers. Thomas will manufacture biodiesel from waste cooking oils and other sources at the Temple plant. It is projected to generate 9 million gallons of …
EPA Biodiesel Proposal to Impact RINs
The proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to cut the amount of biodiesel to be blended into the Nation’s fuel supply could have some pretty big impact on the Renewable Identification Number (RIN) situation in the coming year. In this piece in Biodiesel Magazine, the author looks at an analysis from the University of Illinois that shows how biomass-based …
AEC Criticizes “60 Minutes” Piece
Sunday nights in America are famous for families sitting down and watching 60 Minutes. And while many people today may consider the news program “old school” millions of people still get their news from the show. This past Sunday night, 60 Minutes aired a piece, “The Cleantech Crash,” criticizing the Department of Energy’s investments in clean energy and the lack …
Iowa Gov Branstad to Speak at IRFA Summit
Biofuel advocate Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will address the 8th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and Trade Show on January 28, 2014. Branstad has been a vocal supporter of the Renewable Fuel Standard, has participated in an RFS rally held last November and created a Protect the RFS Petition in support of the biofuel legislation …
Fast-Eating Enzymes Lunch on Cellulose
A microorganism first found in the Valley of Geysers on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia in 1990 may be a key to more efficient cellulosic biofuel production. The microoorganism can digest cellulose almost twice as fast as the current leading component cellulase enzyme on the market according to researchers at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The researches …
Calling All Ethanol Advocates!
With the new year well underway, there are only 23 days for ethanol and biofuel advocates to submit comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the 2014 proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Today Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), is urging ethanol supporters to voice their concerns. “We have just 23 days to …
Ohioans Support Clean Energy
Ohio is voting “yes” for clean energy according to a new poll conducted by Yes for Ohio’s Energy Future. The survey found that Ohioans support the Ohio Jobs Initiative, the Ohio Clean Energy Initiative by a margin of 35 percent (64 percent likely to vote in favor versus 29 percent unlikely). The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP), …