Hybrid vehicles are great for the environment, but like any car, they do break down. A training program at the West Virginia University is teaching mechanics how to keep those green vehicles on the road. WBOY-TV has this story about how 14 automotive instructors have come to Morgantown from schools all over the country to learn at the National Alternative …
Alt Fuels Being Added to Jet Fuel Specs
Earlier this month, I told you about how the airlines have been more and more accepting of biofuels (see my posts from June 1 and June 19). Now, it looks like the organization that sets standards for fuels, including jet fuels, is also approving of biofuels for the friendly skies. This press release from the Air Transport Association of America …
Network to Connect Wind Power to Power Needs
A network of power lines is being built that will connect the areas in the Upper Midwest… especially Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas… to the areas of the Eastern U.S. that need the power produced. This press release posted on TradingMarkets.com says that ITC Holdings, Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Electric Power Products are expanding their efforts to get the network …
Tough Times for Soy-based Biodiesel
In the past couple of years, soybean growers have seen prices for their feedstock skyrocket as oil prices rose as well and motorists looked for alternatives to petroleum-based fuels. But those rising prices for soybeans put a lot of refineries in jeopardy, despite the growing demand for biodiesel. Add to those issues, a new proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency …
FF Bioeconomy Conference to Look at Biofuels
The final in a series of Farm Foundation conferences looking at agricultural issues in the modern economy will be held next week in Little Rock, Arkansas and will focus on extension services and renewable energy. The Transition to a Bioeconomy: The Role of Extension in Energy conference will be June 30-July 1 at Little Rock’s Doubletree Hotel: The program features …
Oil Company Launches Battery-Powered Car
In what could be considered a paradox, an oil company has a car that won’t need any non-renewable petroleum. This article from the Gas2.0.org Web site says ExxonMobil is introducing the Maya 300, a lithium-ion battery powered car that can drive up to 120 miles on one charge… but looks and feels like a gasoline-powered car: The Maya 300 was …
USDA Loan Helps Minnesota Biodiesel Plant Expand
A Minnesota biodiesel facility is getting a $25 million USDA Rural Development loan that will help the refinery expand the number of feedstocks it is able to turn into the green fuel… including the by-product of another green fuel: USDA Rural Development is providing SoyMor Biodiesel a $25 million guaranteed loan to purchase equipment that will enable SoyMor to convert …
Toyota Promises New Hydrogen Car By 2015
The world’s biggest car maker is promising to launch a new fuel-cell car by the year 2015. This Wall Street Journal article says Toyota made the pledge during today’s annual shareholders meeting: Other investors asked about the company’s strategy for low-emission, fuel-economic vehicles, a core growth area for many car makers in the current tough environment. Executive Vice President Masatami …
Oklahoma Wind Farm Completed
A wind farm capable of generating power for 40,000 homes has been completed near the Western Oklahoma town of Elk City. PennEnergy.com reports that Acciona Energy North America has completed its 123 megawatt Red Hills Wind Farm… the company’s first renewable energy project in the state: Using 82 Acciona Windpower 1.5 MW wind turbines, Red Hills Wind Farm will generate …
America’s Biggest Biodiesel Plant For Sale
A year after opening on the Houston Ship Channel, the nation’s biggest biodiesel plant has a “for sale” sign out on its lawn. The Houston Chronicle reports that GreenHunter Energy is trying to find a buyer while it rearranges some financial obligations on the refinery: GreenHunter hired an investment banking firm to look for a potential buyer for the 105 …