Oregon is beginning testing wave energy as a potential renewable energy resource. Northwest Energy Innovations has installed a wave energy device off the coast of Newport, Oregon known as Wave Energy Technology-New Zealand (WET-NZ). The technology has been deployed at the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center’s (NNMREC) open ocean test facility. “This is a huge milestone for the WET-NZ …
Book Review – Climategate
For those of you who believe in climate change, you will criticize me for not only reading but reviewing “Climategate,” by Brian Sussman as the last book in my 2012 La Nina Reading List. For those of you who don’t buy in to climate change, you’ll applaud me for bringing you this review. Sussman is best known as a TV …
PlugShare Surpasses 100,000 EV Users
Drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) have several options for finding public and private locations to charge up. PlugShare, a mobile and web application developed by Xatori, has grown its nationwide charging network to more than 100,000 users and 11,000 charging stations across the U.S. When the application was first launched, there were only 500 charging stations included. The mobile app …
Ferrellgas Acquires Capitol City Propane
One of the nation’s largest propane retailers, Ferrellgas Partners, has acquired Capitol City Propane of Sacramento, California. The transaction will add to Ferrellgas’s customer base within California as well as strengthen its presence throughout the state. “Capitol City Propane has a more than 20-year tradition of providing safe, reliable service to industrial and residential propane users in and around Sacramento,” …
Top 10 Efficiency & Technology Innovations
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has released a Top 10 list of efficiency and technology innovations of the past decade. IRFA Vice President and Absolute Energy CEO Rick Schwarck noted that while a lot has been written about the ethanol and biodiesel industry since the passing of the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005, not enough focus has been on …
Book Review – Eaarth
What is happening to the “Eaarth”? A question many are asking, including author Bill McKibben, as the summer brought us the worst drought in decades along with extreme heat. Many people would blame this on global climate change while others would argue that “global warming” and “weather” are actually two separate things. Well it is time we delve back into …
Getting to Know POET’s New CEO
During the Farm Progress Show, Cindy Zimmerman had the opportunity to sit down with new POET Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jeff Lautt. Although he has been with the company for nearly eight years, he took the helm as president two years ago and several months ago was tapped as CEO. Lautt has taken over in a tough year for the ethanol …
Tom Slunecka Joins Minnesota Soybean Growers
Tom Slunecka has been named the new executive director for the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) and Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council. Prior to taking the helm of the soybean team on August 27, 2012, Slunecka was the vice president of marketing for PhibroChem where he focused on ethanol and animal agriculture. He also served as the executive director of the organization …
Thanks a Million Ohio
Ohioans who sign up to secure a low electric generation price for four to seven years have a chance to reduce their energy bills with FirstEnergy Solutions‘ Thanks a Million giveaway. Eight residential winners will each receive $25,000 and $50,000 will also go to the winner’s corresponding local school district to use for an under-funded program, supplies or however they …
South African Mine Goes Off-Grid with Solar
JinkoSolar is partnering with Solea Renewables to deliver a Limpopo province chrome mine in South Africa the first off-grid utility scale photovoltaic system in the country. When completed, the 1 megawatt plant will produce an estimated 1.8 gigawatts of electricity per year and be comprised of 4,179 polycrystalline PV panels supplied by JinkoSolar. It will also reduce the mine’s daytime …