AC Propulsion, a company that specializes in electric drive development, has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) to integrate its electric drive system technology into commercial vans operating in Southern California. The company will launch the conversion program by developing the electric propulsion system and conversion process for full-size vans that are …
South Dakota Road Trip Set to Drive Off in 2011
When nearly 5,000 South Dakota fourth graders return to school after the holidays, they will be getting some new lesson plans. They will be learning about alternative energy including ethanol, wind and hydroelectricity as well as conservation and other green practices. The lessons have been added to the 2011 “South Dakota Road Trip,” a 13-week virtual tour of the state …
Wind Industry Forecast Looks Good as Year Ends
The wind industry has gained some momentum as the year comes to a close. Last Friday, President Obama signed into law the tax bill that includes a one-year extension of the 1603 investment tax credit for developing renewable energy sources including wind. Denise Bode, the CEO of the American Wind Energy Association said of the event, “This is a great …
Ask the Fuel Answerman
This fall, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the use of E15 (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline) in conventional vehicles manufactured in 2007 or later. As a result, many questions have been raised as to the effect the increased level of ethanol will have on vehicles on other small engine equipment. (It should be noted that at this time, …
Reindeer Navigation Tips
Santa and his reindeer have a lot to navigate on Christmas Eve. But with the growth of solar panels on roof tops, Guelph Hydro Inc. has thought it best to send a brief note to Santa and his reindeer to advise them about how best to navigate the solar photovoltaic panels that are being installed on their roof. Once the …
Book Review – The Burning Wire
Ecoterror has made it into mainstream fiction. OK, so its been there for a while but it made it into the latest book by one of my favorite authors, Jeffrey Deaver. (I know it’s a shocker, but I actually read for fun too). His latest book, the Burning Wire, focuses around an ecoterrorist who uses electricity from an East Coast …
TetraVitae Announces n-Butanol Production Milestone
Butanol is not just for fuel. Today, TetraVitae Bioscience announced that it has successfully demonstrated its process to produce renewable n-butanol in a corn dry-mill pilot plant. The company says this is a major milestone for them in creating economically competitive renewable n-butanol for the coatings, plastics, personal care, and packaging industries. “With this achievement, TetraVitae has shown that producing …
What Do Oil Spills, Education & The Volt Have in Common?
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is far from over and but when it is, just what do you do with all that waste? In the case of the oil-soaked, plastic absorbent booms that floated in the Gulf of Mexico, they are ending up as parts for the Chevy Volt. This according to General Motors who is telling …
IPF Releases Economic Report of 31 Energy Projects
The Iowa Power Fund released a report today that details the economic impact of 31 projects from 2008 through September 2010. Each of the projects has received monetary funds from the program. One project that has received funding from the Iowa Power Fund is Project LIBERTY, POET’s project to develop cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs and light corn stover. The …
Victory on the Hill
The solar energy industry has a reason to smile this morning as the Congress passed the tax bill with amazing speed late last night. Today, the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch said of the passage of the one-year extension of the Treasury Section 1603 program, “After a year’s worth of effort, we are now close …