2012 Ag Census Includes Renewable Energy

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2012 Census of Agriculture shows a doubling of on-farm renewable energy production since 2007. According to the census data released by USDA today, there were 57,299 farms that produced on-farm renewable energy in 2012, more than double the 23,451 in 2007. By far the biggest was solar panels, used on over 36,000 farms. Geoexchange systems and wind turbines each …

Audio, Biodiesel, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farming, Geothermal, Government, Hydro, Renewable Energy, Solar, Soybeans, USDA, Wind

Oregon Institute of Technology Goes All Renewable

Joanna Schroeder

According to Oregon Institute of Technology, they are the first campus in the world to produce all of its energy needs using renewable energy. The campus is now 100 percent powered by a combination of solar and geothermal sources. The achievement was noted in a ceremony that included U.S. Senators Wyden and Merkley, Oregon Senator Whitsett, and First Lady Hayes. …

Education, Geothermal, Renewable Energy, Solar

Trends & Growth in Global Geothermal Market

Joanna Schroeder

A new report reveals the international power market is booming with a sustained growth rate of 4 percent to 5 percent. The “2014 Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report,” finds, released by the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) finds that nearly 700 projects are currently under development in 76 countries. Among the key factors for growth, finds the report, …

Geothermal, International, Renewable Energy, Research

Renewable Electricity Could Reach 16% In Five Years

Joanna Schroeder

According to an early release review of the Annual Energy Outlook 2014 (the final report is slated for release on April 30th) published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), renewable energy could hit 16 percent of the net U.S. electrical generation by the year 2040. This includes biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind. But the SUN DAY Campaign challenges …

Alternative energy, bioenergy, biomass, Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind

Renewable Energy Powers Asian Development Bank

Joanna Schroeder

Renewable Energy is now powering the Asian Development Bank (ABD). It’s Manila headquarters is now getting 100 percent of its energy from renewable energy including geothermal and solar power. ABD has signed an agreement with AdventEnergy, Inc. Geothermal energy is being delivered from plants in Tiwi in Albay province and Makiling-Banahaw in Laguna province, both of which are on the …

Geothermal, International, Renewable Energy, Solar

California Geothermal Potential Largely Untapped

Joanna Schroeder

The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released a new report to coincide with the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) development of a scoping plan for implementing their climate law AB 32. The report finds that California’s geothermal resources are remain largely untapped. Geothermal power is “a viable, cost effective, and plentiful renewable energy option to meet California’s climate goals,” GEA …

Alternative energy, Geothermal, Research

DOE Awards $3M for Geothermal Development

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $3 million to spur geothermal energy development using play fairway analysis. This technique identifies prospective geothermal resources in areas with no obvious surface expression by mapping the most favorable intersections of heat, permeability, and fluid. The technique is commonly used in oil and gas exploration but has of yet, has not been …

Alternative energy, Geothermal

Ormat Completes Kenyan Oklaria III Geothermal Plant

Joanna Schroeder

Ormat Technologies has successfully completed construction and reached commercial operation of Plant 3 in the Olkaria III geothermal power plant complex located in Naivasha, Kenya. With Plant 3 online, the complex’s total generation capacity has increased to 110 MW. The power generated by the Olkaria III is sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Kenya Power and Lighting …

Alternative energy, Geothermal, International

First Magma-Enhanced Geothermal System Created

Joanna Schroeder

During the Icelandic Deep Drilling (IDDP) project that began in 2009, a borehole drilled at Krafla in northeast Iceland unexpectedly hit magma at 2100 meters with a temperature of 900-1000 Celsius. This borehole was the first of several wells being drilled in search of high-temperature geothermal resources. Fast forward four years later and the efforts of the IDDP project were …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Geothermal

Ohioans Support Clean Energy

Joanna Schroeder

Ohio is voting “yes” for clean energy according to a new poll conducted by Yes for Ohio’s Energy Future. The survey found that Ohioans support the Ohio Jobs Initiative, the Ohio Clean Energy Initiative by a margin of 35 percent (64 percent likely to vote in favor versus 29 percent unlikely). The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP), …

biomass, Clean Energy, Geothermal, Hydro, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind