The U.S. solar industry is more than 60 percent of the way to achieving cost-competitive utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity – only three years into the Department’s decade-long SunShot Initiative, reports the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). To help continue this progress, the DOE announced $25 million in new funding to strengthen U.S. solar manufacturing for photovoltaic and concentrating solar …
Clean Energy for Resilient Communities
“Resilient communities need resilient power. Without dependable power, a community can be brought to its knees, and the most vulnerable will suffer the most,” was written in a new report, Clean Energy for Resilient Communities. Based on the success of Baltimore, the report is a blueprint for how a city could become more “power resilient” and details how cities use …
Rep. Loebsack Introduces Infrastructure Re-FUEL Act
Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) has introduced the Renewable Fuel Utilization, Expansion, and Leadership (Re-FUEL) Act. The goal of the legislation is to create a competitive grant program to assist fuel retailers with investments in renewable and alternative fuel/energy sources. The program would be administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and will help create new and retrofit existing infrastructure, …
Biodiesel Giant Gets Into Petroleum Distribution
The country’s biggest biodiesel maker is getting into the petroleum distribution business. This news release from Renewable Energy Group (REG) says it has launched a new division that will sell petroleum-based heating oil and diesel fuel, which will also give the company a chance to offer more biofuel blends. REG Energy Services, LLC will sell heating oil and ultra-low sulfur …
Heliae Algae Techology Headed to ASU
Heliae’s algae production technology is heading to Arizona State University’s (ASU) algae testbed facility. The company is partnering with SCHOTT North America to install a Helix photobioreactor at ASU’s Department of Energy (DOE)-funded algae testbed facility. Over the next several years, algae research staff at ASU will leverage the Helix photobioreactor, built by Heliae, for pioneering research that will forward …
BioEnergy Bytes
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Power Infrastructure Tracker in East Africa, finds that the demand for electricity in East Africa is expected to grow at approximately 5.3 percent per year till 2020. To meet these requirements, generation capacity would have to increase by 37.7 percent in Uganda, 96.4 percent in Kenya, 75.3 percent in Tanzania and 115 percent in …
Albion Community Power Invests in Wind
Albion Community Power (ACP) has invested £1.5m in partnership with Welsh developer Infinite Renewables to fund the development of a 500kw single wind turbine in Blaencilgoed, in South Wales. The wind turbine, which is the first investment made by ACP, will supply electricity to a local quarry. It is expected to begin producing power in September 2014 and is estimated …
Keep Our Tax Breaks: We Only Make $93B in Profit
Dear Congress, Please keep our millions of dollars in tax breaks in place. We only make $93 billion in collective profit per year. This is not enough money to operate our businesses and overcharge our customers. We’re sure you will make the right decision. Yours truly, Big Oil This is what a letter to Congress might look like from Big …
DuPont: “Future Fuel” Cellulosic Ethanol Here Today
Cellulosic ethanol is not just a fuel of the future; it’s here today. And at the recent 8th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit held in Altoona, Iowa, Steve Mirshak from DuPont’s cellulosic division talked with Joanna about what this fuel will soon bring. “This is a real fuel,” Steve said, pointing out that DuPont is on track to commercializing the …
Biodiesel Subsidiary Gets Credit Line for Hemp
A biodiesel subsidiary has just received a line of credit to buy land to grow hemp … just as the company completed its first mobile hemp-to-biodiesel production unit. This article in Biodiesel Magazine says Extreme Biodiesel Inc.’s subsidiary XTRM Cannabis Ventures received the $5 million line of credit. XTRM plans to use the credit line for purchasing real estate for …