U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today an additional $100 million round of funding opportunities for transformational energy research projects that will be made available through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This announcement was made along side Commerce Secretary Gary Locke in advance of the Copenhagen Climate Conference. In a statement, Chu said, “I am pleased to announce ARPA-E’s …
Fiberight to Produce Cellulosic Ethanol in Iowa
Several ethanol plants have been changing hands and one of the more recent was the purchase of Xethanol LLC, based in Blairstown, Iowa, by Fiberight LLC, based in Virgina. Fiberight purchased the plant with the intent of converting it into a cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant. The fuel will be produced through the conversion of municipal sold waste (MSW) to ethanol. …
Solazyme: Biofuels Digest’s Top Bioenergy Company
Biofuels Digest has announced its “Hottest 50 Companies in Bioenergy” for 2009/2010. The top of the list? Solazyme, a company specializing in developing renewable oils. The list is determined by a combination of a 75-member panel of international selectors and votes from Biofuels Digest subscribers, and is one of the most coveted by bioenergy companies. Last year, Solayme was ranked …
Countdown to Copenhagen
The countdown to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference is on as the talks begin in six days. The conference, December 7-18, 2009 is a meeting of the UN to hash out a successor to the Kyoto protocol that is set to expire in 2012. The aim is to prevent global warming, and similar talks date back to the 1992 Earth …
Montana Announces First Community Wind Project
Several counties in central-Montana are working together to develop, what could be, the largest wind development project of its kind in the state. National Wind, working with Billings-based Montana Wind Resources, LLC and along with area ranchers, have formed Judith Highlands Energy, LLC to develop over 500 megawatts (MW) of community-owned wind projects. “Area ranchers are realizing that National Wind’s …
An Inside View of the Brazilian Ethanol Industry
Oi from Brasil! I have spent the last three days learning about the ethanol industry in Brazil. I have been traveling with a group of 20 international journalists in the State of Sao Paulo, where 60 percent of the country’s sugarcane is grown and consequently where the majority of the ethanol is produced. I’ll be writing a series of posts …
Project LIBERTY Receives Significant Support From IOWA
Corn growers heard from Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge at POET’s Project LIBERTY Field Day. She said, “We are seeing for ourselves that cellulosic ethanol is here, that it is viable and that it will transform renewable fuel as we know it today”. It was a cold, breezy day and she talked General Wesley Clark out of his jacket. She …
Geothermal Research Gets boost with DOE Grant
Now here is an energy resource that we don’t hear or talk enough about: geothermal. Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) projects produce electricity using heat extracted through engineered fluid flow paths in hot rock. Geothermal energy has the ability to produce electricity 24 hours a day. Electricity produced by wind has been criticized for its inability to produce electricity at all …
Patrick Hessini Joins Avant Energy as VP
Patrick Hessini has joined the Minneapolis-based Avant Energy team as Vice President. Hessini’s main role will be to lead Avant’s consulting business and help to develop additional innovative energy projects and programs. According to Avant Energy president Derick Dahlen, “Patrick enhances our ability to help municipal and cooperative utilities, educational institutions and corporations achieve their energy management goals.” Hessini joins …
President Clinton Discusses Economy, Energy at NACS
President Clinton was the keynote speaker during the closing session at the 2009 National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) conference. His focus during his speech was the American economy, with a few words on the state of health care, education and energy in the mix. But the big question was: is the recession over? His answer: “Yes. No. Maybe.” If …