Waste Management flipped the switch this week on Southwestern Ontario’s first-ever private landfill-gas-to-energy (LFGTE) facility. Located at Waste Management’s Petrolia Landfill, the facility will use methane gas – created from the natural decomposition of waste – to power up to 2,500 homes in the surrounding area. The gas is collected through wells that are strategically placed throughout the site, which …
USDA Releases Updated Biofuels Report
Today, the USDA has released an updated version of its report, “Effects of Increased Biofuels on the U.S. Economy in 2022,” The report examines how meeting the RFS2 would affect various key components of the U.S. economy. What is not debated is that the rise in biofuel production using cost-savings technologies, along with petroleum price increases, will bring about benefits …
TradeWind Energy to Provide Oklahoma Wind Power
According to an article on BrighterEnergy.org, TradeWind Energy, based in Lenexa, Kansas, has negotiated a contract to provide wind power to Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC). Customers in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and New Mexico will be the first recipients of the wind power that will be generated from a 125-megawatt wind farm in Oklahoma and should generate enough electricity to …
Salazar Approves 5th Solar Project On Public Lands
The fifth solar project to occur on public lands has been approved by Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. The Calico Solar Project, located in San Bernardino County, California was proposed by Tessera Solar of Texas, and when completed could produce over 663.5 megawatts of renewable energy or enough to annually power between 200,000 – 500,000 homes. The solar project …
Take A Ride On A Solar Tram
Tourists who visit Pelican Bay, one of Florida’s premier beachfront communities, will now be transported via solar trams. The Pelican Bay Foundation, which owns 43 acres of parks, recreation areas, beachfront facilities and boardwalks, has officially converted their resident transportation trams system to solar/electric vehicles provided by Eco Trans Alliance of Sarasota, Florida. Per year, an annual tram logs 25,000 …
USDA Speaks, Ethanol Industry Reacts
The ethanol industry praised USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack today and expressed gratitude for his department’s commitment to fulfill the administration’s goal of transitioning to renewable energy. This morning at the Press Club in DC, Vilsack announced a series of measures aimed at supporting the rural economy and reducing dependence on foreign oil that include support for corn-based ethanol. “The …
North Dakota A Leading State for Ethanol Blends
While many retailers across the country will look at offering consumers mid-level blends of ethanol now that the EPA has approved the use of E15 for cars and light duty trucks manufactured after 2007, North Dakota already has a competitive edge. Since May of this year, 60 blender pumps have been installed in the state with the help of the …
ILUC From Corn Ethanol “Minimal to Zero”
In a report that will be published soon,”Decomposition Analysis of U.S. Corn Use for Ethanol Production from 2001-2008,”the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory concludes that the indirect land use change (ILUC) as a result from the expansion of corn ethanol production over the past decade has likely been “minimal to zero.” The study was requested by the California …
Navy to Fuel Boats with Biofuels
There will be a Wrigtht Brothers reenactment on Friday as the U.S. Navy prepares to fuel a boat with biofuels. Okay, so I fibbed a bit in the lead….it’s a boat, not a plane, and the boat will be fueled by biofuels and not jet fuel, but you get the point. The full power demonstration of a Riverine Command Boat …
Flux Capicitor Travels in Time to Return With Algal Fuels
Just in time for the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future, the flux capacitor is back in action. Only this time, it’s not taking us back in time – it’s bringing us fuel. Last week, a bubble-maker that mimics the flux capacitor in looks alone, was awarded the Royal Society’s Brian Mercer award for innovation, a £250,000 prize. The …