A new report says Missouri could become a real center for wind power, biomass, biogas and other sources of renewable energy, while creating thousands of jobs and more tax revenues, especially in rural areas of the state.
This story in the St. Louis Business Journal says the Natural Resources Defense Council report points out that Missourians spend more than $18 billion a year on energy for their homes, vehicles and businesses:
That comes to $3,000 in energy costs for each person in Missouri, and most of those dollars leave the state because 84 percent of Missouri’s electricity is generated using coal, almost all of which is shipped in from Wyoming, according to the report.
Among the report’s findings:
* Wind power — 25 moderate-scale wind farms would provide thousands of construction jobs, 550 permanent construction jobs, $15 million in property tax revenue and $75 million in ongoing positive local economic impact in Missouri.
* Biofuels — Cellulosic ethanol, which is made from crop waste and nonfood plants, could create thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars of economic activity and $13,000 in annual gross income for the average Missouri corn farmer.
* Solid biomass — Replacing 20 percent of Missouri’s coal usage with locally grown biomass would create an estimated 11,000 jobs.
* Biogas — Biogas production from cattle waste would be profitable at more than 200 large-scale livestock operations in 60 Missouri counties.
“Within Missouri’s borders are vast resources of wind, land and water — all the ingredients needed for Missouri to become a national leader in new energy development, creating tens of thousands of good jobs and substantial new sources of income for farmers,” said Martin Cohen, the energy policy analyst who authored the report.
You can read the entire report here.
“We’re going to talk about all forms of energy and we’re going to focus primarily on the business side of alternatives and renewables in the energy sector,” said O’Hanlon. “Most people focus on clean, green and sustainable but overlook the economic side of it – job creation, cost savings, cost competitiveness and the opportunity to invest in various technologies and companies in renewables.” The program will include all aspects of energy, from policy and petroleum concerns to wind, solar, hydro-electric, geothermal, and biofuels.
The new website features a section dedicated exclusively to E85, plus a news center and quick facts, as well as links to follow RFA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.
Lt. Governor John Bohlinger addressed the conference, and posed for pictures with three of the flexible fuel vehicles (shown left) that were on display. Pictured are from right, Shirley Ball, Bohlinger and Alex Conger, who drove the Hummer that has been converted to E85 fuel to the EPAC conference. 
“EPAC was formed to educate, and this was another great opportunity for learning and networking,” said Shirley Ball, President of EPAC. “I appreciated the audience remarks in the evaluations, as they scored the conference very high in regards to content and to how smooth the conference ran. I want to thank all the speakers and venders who helped make the EPAC conference a success.” 
There has been speculation as to when some of the funds dedicated to developing renewable energy will come to fruition. It looks like this is finally happening. Farmers, ranchers and rural business owners have until July 31, 2009 to apply for the 
A power company that serves portions of Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming has inked a 20-year deal to sell power from a 51-megawatt wind energy farm that will be built in East Central Colorado.
The Kit Carson Windpower Project, named for the county in which it will be sited, will be comprised of 34 1.5-megawatt General Electric turbines to be erected on a 6,000-acre site northwest of Burlington, Colo. – within the service territory of Tri-State member co-op K.C. Electric Association. “We are glad that Tri-State has chosen this site for its new wind farm,” said John Huppert, general manager of K.C. Electric. “It calls attention to the fact that areas served by the region’s electric cooperatives are ideally suited for the development of renewable resource projects.”
Those guys and gals in those brown delivery trucks seem pretty efficient (especially when they get your order to you on time!). But UPS is making its whole operation even more efficient and greener… and biodiesel is playing an important role.
The fight between the Europeans and Americans over U.S. biodiesel continues as the European Commission now proposes to impose anti-dumping duties on the yankees’ green fuel.
‘Throughout this case, we have constantly put data on the record that clearly shows the European biodiesel industry was not being harmed by U.S. competition. In fact, some EU companies have fared quite well. For those that have not, it is factors unrelated to U.S. competition – bad business models; high feedstock costs; and detrimental EU member state policy- that are to blame. The decision to ignore these fundamental facts has yielded a protectionist result that is detrimental to all parties involved.
An E85 promotion will lead off the Governor’s Ethanol Challenge event at Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, MN on July 10. According to the American Lung Association of Minnesota, the Cenex C-Store at 2402 E. Highway 7 in Montevideo will offer an 85 cent per gallon discount on E85 from 1-5 p.m. Biodiesel will also be discounted by 10 cents per gallon during the promotion. 
The event is supported by the Cenex C-Store, Chippewa County Corn Growers, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, The Minnesota Clean Air Choice Team and the American Lung Association in Minnesota.
Natural gas is not just for cars and buses. Today,