The Iowa Corn Caucus released its report card for presidential candidates today, giving grades for different policy areas related to agriculture, including energy and biofuels, and an overall grade for each candidate. The highest overall grade went to Newt Gingrich, who scored straight As on every single policy issue. Second in the class was Rick Santorum, who received straight As …
USDA Announces Biomass to Energy Project Funding
USDA has announced funding for a series of projects to convert biomass to energy through USDA’s Rural Energy for America program (REAP). The announcement this week concludes 2011 biomass project funding assistance for a total of 52 projects with just over $31 million in grant and loan note guarantees through program. Among the companies receiving funding is NC-CHP Owner I, …
Solar Adoption Highest Among Middle Class
A new study from PV Solar Report and SunRun reports that families in median zip codes make up the majority of California home owners who have installed solar energy. Nearly two-thirds of solar installations in ’09, ’10 and ’11 were completed in homes where the household median income is than $85,000 per year. In addition, the state is seeing a …
San Diego Utility Considers Increasing Solar Costs
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has proposed a General Rate Case (GRC) “network use charge” that would impose new costs on more than 14,000 solar power producers in the utility territory who are exporting solar energy to the grid. In response, the San Diego Solar Coalition has filed for intervenor status with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that …
IEA Warns of Insecure Fossil Fuels Future
The world is heading for an insecure and inefficient energy future unless there is a “bold change of policy direction” soon, warns a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The 2011 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO), released by IEA last week in London, said there is still time to act, but the window of opportunity is …
GROWMARK Watches Energy Markets
One of the benefits of membership in the GROWMARK cooperative system is daily information about the energy markets and recommendations on contracting fuel at different times of the year. Harry Cooney is manager of customer risk management for GROWMARK Energy and he is constantly keeping an eye on the energy complex, especially gasoline, propane and diesel fuel. He says the …
Ag Secretary Wants Biofuels Support in Farm Bill
Outlining his priorities for farm policy this week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stressed the need for continued support of renewable fuels in the next farm bill. “Rural America has done a great job of helping to develop the domestically-produced renewable energy and fuel. That job must continue because when we create those opportunities, we create jobs, we reduce our reliance …
Coaltion Wants Energy Title in New Farm Bill
A coalition of nearly 50 trade groups and organizations representing renewable energy, energy efficiency, farm, and forest interests is urging leaders of the House Agriculture and Senate Agriculture Committees to include an energy title in any new Farm Bill legislation. A $23 billion reduction in funding has been proposed to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction by the committees …
Navy Gets Electric Vehicle
The U.S. Navy took delivery of its first fully electric car this week, a brand new Chevy Volt. “This vehicle will save 280 gallons of fuel per year,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Tom Hicks. “This builds to our goals the Secretary of the Navy has laid out for us to reduce our petroleum consumption by …
Ethanol Leader Responds to Perry Energy Plan
Texas Governor and Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry donned a hard hat at a Pennsylvania steel plant on Friday to announce his “Energizing American Jobs and Security” plan that he says will create over a million jobs and “reduce dependence on hostile foreign oil.” “We are standing atop the next American economic boom – energy – and the quickest way …