Several races have been taking place in Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and last week Hajek Motorsports broke two land-speed records for biodiesel and diesel trucks. The team competed with a Ford F250 Super Duty truck and set the first record on August 16 using biodiesel made from soybeans. The team, owned by Brent Hajek, also broke the diesel speed …
Free Event Launched: Solar Exchange East
On September 21, 2011, Siemens Industry and North Carolina Solar Center will host Solar Exchange East, a free conference for manufacturers and developers of solar power. The event will be held on the North Carolina State University’s campus in Raleigh and will include topics such as the future of solar energy policy, economic development in the South East, trends in …
350Green Orders 900 EV Chargers
350Green has placed an order for 900 Plug-In Electric Vehicle (EV) Level 3 QC50 DC Fast Chargers with Efacec USA to meet growing demand for EV charging stations across the country. This is the largest order 350Green has placed to date, and the units will be manufactured in Norcross, Georgia, signalling the first time the fast chargers will be built …
Biofuels Truth Express
I finally made it to the Iowa State Fair last weekend and while I was walking around getting my eat on I spotted this biofuels truck. It was the “Biofuels Truth Express,” and was parked along the road across from the main grand stand, where I was headed to go hear the Maroon Five and Train concert (and yes they …
Biofuel Offering to Expand in Western U.S.
The network of biofuels stations in the west will be expanding with a new partnership between Propel Fuels and Pacific Convenience and Fuels (PC&F). The program will co-locate Propel “Clean Fuel Points” with PC&F gas stations and convenience stores throughout the west. So far, 80 potential locations for the program have been identified in California, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. The …
Book Review – Climate Capitalism
Can we clean up the environment and make money at the same time? The answer is yes according to L. Hunter Lovins and Boyd Cohen, the authors of “Climate Capitalism.” They write, “Two words define the current era: ‘climate’ and ‘capitalism.’ ” The authors begin by talking about America’s economic collapse and then reframe the argument around the environment from …
Speeding Up Butanol Production
Last week, several researchers from Rice University unveiled a new method for converting simple glucose (sugar) into biofuels and petrochemicals 10 times faster than any method previously reported. The research was published in Nature online and details how the team reversed one of the most efficient of all metabolic pathway, the beta oxidation cycle, to engineer bacteria that quickly produce …
Genovation Cars Receives Product Development Grant
While the big U.S. auto makers have struggled for several years, it has opened up the doors for smaller, independent car companies to compete. One emerging company is Maryland-based Genovation Cars, a designer and builder of plug-in electric vehicles. (PHEV). The company has been awarded a $135,110 product development grant from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program (MIPS). The monies will …
Nicholas Theisen Wins Biodiesel Essay Contest
Nicholas Theisen is the winner of a $1,000 scholarship for his entry in the Clean Air Choice Biodiesel Essay Contest. The 2011 graduate of Apollo High School wrote, “Biodiesel is clearly a beneficial alternative fuel that benefits Minnesotans directly and indirectly. It offers environmental benefits in that in cuts down greenhouse gases and carbon emissions, it’s a more efficient energy …
Ford & SunPower Want You to ‘Drive Green for Life’
U.S. automakers are making the move to produce more environmentally friendly vehicles. They are also making the move to producing them in a more environmentally friendly way, and Ford has even gone a step further to partner with SunPower Corp. to help consumers who purchase plug-in electric vehicles to charge up with renewable energy. According to Mike Tinskey, Ford director …