Biomass will be the fuel of choice for nearly half of the energy produced by a Connecticut power plant. This story from Biofuel Review says NRG Energy’s Montville Generating Station in Connecticut is developing a a new biomass project that will produce 30 MW of the unit’s 82 MW generating capacity: According to John Ragan, President of NRG’s Northeast Region; …
Hemp Could Be Next Biofuel Feedstock
Farmers in the U.S could be growing hemp as a biomass crop, if a federal court rules in favor of two farmers trying to get a ban on the marijuana-related plant lifted. This story from Biomass Magazine says the new president could also have a hand in lifting that ban: The U.S. Appeals Court in St. Paul, Minn., heard arguments …
Biofuels to Provide Houston Green Power
A Texas-based renewable energy company is taking over an abandoned electrical plant with plans to run the generators on green energy sources. This press release posted on MarketWatch.com says Biofuels Power Corporation will purchase the site, infrastructure and equipment of the decommissioned H.O. Clarke Electric Generating Station in central Houston: The operational infrastructure on the H.O. Clarke site includes 65,000 …
Oklahoma Potentially Alt Energy Leader
While it might have a past deeply rooted in petroleum, attendees of the Oklahoma Biofuels Conference in Oklahoma City this week were told renewable energy has a huge future in the Sooner State. This story from Forbes says a huge wind corridor in the western part of Oklahoma, along with perennial native grasses for biofuels, gives the state a great …
Renewables Have Mixed Results at Polls
Renewable energy proposals had mixed results in yesterday’s elections, with Missouri easily passing one measure but California rejecting two others. This entry from the InformationWeek blog has details: In Missouri, Proposition C was passed, requiring investor-owned electric utilities “to generate or purchase electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower with the renewable energy sources equaling …
Using Ike’s Biomass to Produce Power
There is some actual good that will come out of the devastation of Hurricane Ike. This story from Greentech Media says Biofuels Power Corp. has announced plans to build a 4-megawatt power plant the will produce electricity from the woodchips and other debris from the storm: The Woodlands, Texas-based company, traded over the counter using the symbol “BFLS,” on Friday …
Summit Looks at Algae Biodiesel Future
More than 650 attendees and 50 speakers looked at the future of algae biodiesel at a recent conference in Seattle. The Algae Biomass Summit, hosted by firms Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Byrne and Company, brought together those exploring the scientific and commercial advances of the field of the slimy green biodiesel feedstock. Our friends at Biodiesel Magazine covered …
Transition to a Bioeconomy: Part III
In just about a week and a half, government officials, bioenergy experts and leaders in the private industry will gather in St. Louis, Mo., for the third in a series of conferences sponsored by the Farm Foundation addressing the issues facing rural areas as they move to a bioeconomy. Michael Popp, professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Arkansas, …
Updated Biomass Energy Website
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recently updated the website for its Biomass Program and is seeking feedback from those interested in biofuels. The Biomass Program works with industry, academia and national laboratory partners on a portfolio of research in biomass feedstocks and conversion technologies. Through research, development, and demonstration efforts geared at the …
Cellulosic Ethanol Close to Commercial
Doubts about commercial opportunities for cellulosic ethanol are evaporating: “It is no longer a question of if we are able to produce cellulosic ethanol, but when,” POET CEO Jeff Broin said. Jeff announced POET’s commitment to develop a commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Elmersville, Iowa at the Ethanol Conference and Trade Show in Omaha, Nebraska earlier this month. Construction on …