Professors Sebastien Pouliot and Bruce A. Babcock with Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) have released a new paper, “Impact of Ethanol Mandates on Fuel Prices When Ethanol and Gasoline are Imperfect Substitutes“. The authors note papers that consider the two transportation fuels “equal” have been of limited use in informing current policy debates because the …
Drought, Fires Hurting Sugarcane Harvest in Brazil
A severe drought has hit São Paulo, Brazil and has severely affected the production of sugarcane in the state. Estimates of the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) show the lose around 15 percent or almost 40 million tons of sugarcane. Another factor in crop loss has been accidental fires due to the dry conditions. This comes at a time when …
BioEnergy Bytes
Canadian Solar Inc. has completed the 1.2 MW (DC) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant at Shibushichocho, Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan. Powered by Canadian Solar CS6P-255P modules, the plant will generate approximately 1,533 MWh of clean, emission-less solar electricity per year. The electricity generated from the project will be purchased by Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. under a 20 year feed-in-tariff …
West African Solar Project Gets Funding
A large photovoltaic solar farm to be located at Zagtouli on the outskirts of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso in sub-Saharan Africa is moving ahead. The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide EUR 23 million to support the project. When completed the 30 MW solar plant is expected to act as a reference for future solar investment across …
Bridge to Clean Energy Future Act Unveiled
Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Dave Loebsack (IA-02), along with 16 other members of Congress, have introduced HR 5559, the Bridge to a Clean Energy Future Act of 2014. If passed, the bill would extend incentives to provide market certainty and to strengthen investment in clean energy such as extending the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy through 2016, …
Southland Transportation Buses Go Propane
Southland Transportation recently added 101 Blue Bird Propane Vision buses to its propane autogas school bus fleet. The company is a subsidiary of the largest family-owned pupil transportation provider in Canada with operations in school, motor coach and public transportation. The new Propane Vision buses will transport students from the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Medicine Hat School District …
Is Obama is Own Worst Enemy on Climate?
“The People’s Climate March” has received worldwide attention to kick off Climate Week in New York and an ad in the New York Times is asking if President Obama is his own worst enemy when it comes to climate. The ad tells the president that if his administration accepts the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to alter the Renewable Fuel Standard …
BioEnergy Bytes
EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp. (formerly MCM Capital One Inc.) has completed the installation of the 108 Kilowatt St. Etienne Project under the Ontario Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program. The Project includes approximately 520 Jinko solar panels, Schletter racking and Santerno Inverters. The Project is 25% owned and operated by EHT over the 20 year PPA and produces approximately 130,000 Kilowatt hours …
Maryland Gets New E85 Station
Three Brothers/A1 Auto Repair and Protec Fuel joined forces to launch a new E85 station in Baltimore, Maryland. The public can now fuel with E85 at 3041 Frederick Avenue thanks to partners Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) and the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, Clean Cities Coalitions. This is the first E85 station for owner Paul Goeller whose stationhttp://www.a1autothreebroscarrepair.com/ …
DNV GL Releases Offshore Wind Transmission Guide
DNV GL, together with the Swedish Transmission Research Institute (STRI) and 10 wind industry companies have developed a methodology for technology qualification of offshore High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technologies through a joint industry project. With the development of wind farms further offshore there is an increasing need for long-distance underwater power transmission. The use of HDVC transmission allows power …