The Environmental Defense Fund and Citi teamed up to host an energy conference, “Innovations in Energy Efficiency and Distributed Generation Finance II,” earlier this week. The event will bring together experts from around the country to explore innovative ways to fund energy efficiency projects in California. “California continues to take bold steps toward clean energy and provide the private sector …
Clean Diesel Technology, 20 Years in the Making
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the National Biodiesel Board and much of the focus on their 10th annual NBB Conference and Expo held in Las Vegas was spent on reminiscing over the past 20 years and looking forward to the next 20 years. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come in 20 years,” said Steve Howell, NBB’s Technical Director …
Solar Takes Lead in Renewable Energy Growth
According to the latest issue of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) “Electric Power Monthly,” renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal, solar, wind) increased by 12.8 percent last year compared to 2011 and provided 5.4 percent of net U.S. electrical generation. Solar increased by 138.9 percent while wind grew 16.6 pecent, geothermal by 9.6 percent, and biomass (i.e., wood, wood-derived fuels, …
Auwahi Wind Project Dedicated In Maui
Maui has a new wind farm: Auwahi Wind facility on Ulupalakua Rand. On hand for the dedication ceremony were U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, Hawaii Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui and Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa. There were joined by officials from Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, BP Wind Energy and community leaders. The wind farm consists of eight wind turbines that …
D.C. Fly-in Just Around the Corner
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is gearing up to meet with nearly 100 of our country’s legislators during its annual Biofuels Beltway Fly-in being held in Washington, D.C. March 13-14, 2013. To date, ACE has requested meetings with 100 Senate offices and key House members. As ACE Executive Director Brian Jennings noted to DF early this month, a signification …
History of Renewable Fuels in Iowa
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has released an online version of an industry scrapbook that illustrates how far the renewable fuels industry has come and how profound its impact on Iowa has been over the past decade. “Progress and Prosperity: A Look Into Iowa’s Renewable Fuels Industry,” provides anecdotes and fact-based information on the vast accomplishments and benefits of …
Gas Prices Up, Up and Away
As gas prices have been on the rise for more than 32 days, Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) says that AAA might want to reconsider its recent attacks on ethanol. He writes in a post titled, “As Prices at the Pump Go Up, Up, Up American Ethanol is the Motorist’s Friend,” that through Memorial …
Solar Energy to Get Boost from New Forecasting
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is spearheading a three-year, nationwide project to create an unprecedented, 36-hour forecasts of incoming energy from the Sun for solar energy power plants. The research team is designing a prototype system to forecast sunlight and resulting power every 15 minutes over specific solar facilities. This should enable utilities to forecast the amount of …
Bioenergy Bytes
A new report has been released “Global Markets and Technologies for Biofuel Enzymes,” that includes an overview of the global market for biofuels enzymes, including amylases, lipases, cellulases, and proteases; and fuels, which include biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol, and biogas. The report also includes an analysis of global market trends, identification of markets by industrial end users, such as the aviation …
State-by-State Ethanol Update
The Renewable Fuels Association has released a state-by-state update to the “Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States,” an economic impact analysis performed by Cardno ENTRIX. The original report, released earlier this month at RFA’s National Ethanol Conference, found that the industry has supported over 383,000 direct and indirect and induced jobs across all sectors …