Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How important is it to know about farming in other countries?” This might be the most one-sided poll we have every had. It seems, and I definitely don’t disagree, that having a global understanding of agriculture is crucial. We may not all be able to learn about them first-hand, but thats where we come …
Northern Power Launches Distributed Wind Turbines
Northern Power Systems has unveiled its next generation permanent magnet/direct drive distributed wind turbines. The 100 kilowatt NPS 100C and the 60 KW NPS 60C are now commercially available for use around the world. According to the company, new 24.4 meter rotor features state-of-the-art hub and blade technology with superior aerodynamics providing a larger swept area compared to the outgoing …
National EV Sales Exceed Quarter Million Mark
Electric vehicle (EVs) sales have reached the quarter-million mark in the U.S. this week, just ahead of the fourth annual National Drive Electric Week taking place September 15-21, 2014. “Clean energy prosperity is on the way and there’s no turning back,” said Sierra Club director Michael Brune. “National Drive Electric Week and the dramatic increase in the number of plug-in …
BioEnergy Bytes
GTM Research is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 2:00 pm ET. The focus of the webinar is increasing non-residential solar project return and decreasing risk. One of the most frequent questions solar companies hear from prospective clients is “what’s my payback?” The webinar will discuss several financial metrics that businesses must analyze and understand when …
RFA: Rail Congestion Must Get Resolved
Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is speaking out again on the problems of rail congestion that is slowing down the delivery of ethanol and ethanol byproducts across the country. He submitted written testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that held a hearing yesterday to examine rail congestion and the …
Wave Energy Research Progressing
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the funding of up to $4 million for continued wave energy technological research and monitoring efforts. Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) faculty will also share in another $3.25 million grant to improve “water power” technologies that convert the energy of waves, tides, rivers and ocean currents into electricity. The project …
New Report on Biodiesel Success Roadmap Released
A new report from a market research firm is designed to give potential biodiesel producers a possible roadmap for success in setting up a production plant. Research and Markets has released the “Prefeasibility Report on a Biodiesel Production Plant,” a study the purports to cover all the requisite aspects of the biodiesel production plant, ranging from a macro overview of …
Iowa E85 Sales Strong
Iowa motorists purchased over 2.9 million gallons of E85 in the second quarter of 2014, the second most sales in any second quarter on record, and a more than 200,000 gallon increase over the first quarter of 2014, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). “Two strong quarters of E85 sales are now in the books, and Iowa is …
Methes Hits Biodiesel Production Records
Las Vegas-based Methes Energies has hit record numbers for biodiesel production at a refinery in Ontario, Canada. The company says it produced more than 412,000 gallons of ASTM quality biodiesel at its Sombra, Ontario facility in August 2014 and hit 800,000 gallons of ASTM quality biodiesel at the Sombra facility during its third quarter ending August 31, 2014… both records …
EIA: Nat Gas, Biofuel to be More of World Fuel by 2040
Natural gas and biofuels will make up the biggest share of the increase in what are known as “other liquid resources” in the world liquid fuel supply. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) International Energy Outlook for 2014 (IEO2014) says those fuels that include natural gas plant liquids (NGPL), biofuels, coal-to-liquids (CTL), gas-to-liquids (GTL), kerogen (oil shale), and refinery gain, …