There is a lot of action in the “Beltway” these days surrounding biofuels. One such conversation is around the fate of the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program. A group of policy makers want to end the program, which right now is funded with Reinvestment and Recovery monies. However, energy companies, such as Pleasanton, California-based Fulcrum Bioenergy, would be …
Friends of the Earth Biofools Day Nominees
Friends of the Earth (FOE) has announced this year’s nominees for the organization’s “Biofool of the Year” award. Among the nominees are the publishers of Domestic Fuel, myself and my husband/partner Chuck Zimmerman. The award was established by FOE “to recognize leaders that promote dirty biofuels” – especially corn ethanol – and was won last year by then House Agriculture …
CHOREN Makes Progess on Biofuel Plant
Rainer Bomba, Undersecretary of State in the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development, visited CHOREN’s Beta plant at Freiberg in the German state of Saxony. His purpose of the visit was to discuss the progress of CHOREN on producing sustainable advanced biofuels and their role in achieving climate protection targets. “Last year, the Beta plant completed several campaigns …
One Block Off The Grid Helps Neighborhoods Go Solar
Gas prices aren’t the only thing on the rise. Utility prices are also going up, up and away. Pennsylvania largest power utility is getting ready to raise rates. As a result, One Block Off the Grid, a clean energy group, has announced the launch of two 90-day group deals on home solar systems. One in Philadelphia and one in Long …
Largest PV Solar Power Plant Operating in Colorado
The largest photovoltaic solar power plant (PV) in the state of Colorado is now operating. The 19-megawatt (mW) Greater Sandhill solar power plant began generating power on December 22, 2010 and is now complete. It will generate enough power to meet the electricity needs of approximately 5,000 homes. The Xcel Energy and SunPower Corp. project was completed in nine months. …
1st Wind Farm in South Texas Holds Dedication Event
The Cedro Hill wind project, located in Bruni a rural south Texas town, went online in December 2010. Today, Edison Mission Group (EMG), a subsidiary of Edison International, officially dedicated the first wind farm in the Southern part of the state. When the conditions are favorable, the wind farm has the capacity to generate up to 150 megawatts (MW) of …
City of Hayward Adds Solar Power to City Water Facility
The City of Hayward, California has completed the installation of a 1 megawatt (MW) solar energy system for the city’s Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF). The system will generated an estimated 1.95 megawatt hours of energy each year offsetting approximately 24 percent of the need’s of WPCF. The facility treats nearly 12 million gallons of wastewater per day for the …
New Videos Demonstrate Wind Farm Benefits
Two new videos produced by Seimans in conjunction with Cannon Power Group demonstrate how a wind farm can benefit the local community. The videos are based on its Windy Point/Windy Flats (WP/WF) wind farm project in Goldendale, Washington with the first video focusing on the economic benefits of wind energy and the second video focusing on how to finance a …
Coalition Urges Congress To Axe Ethanol Tax
The fight over the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) continues. Earlier this week, a coalition of “usual suspects” made up of 90 business associations, taxpayer advocates, hunger and development organizations, agricultural groups, free-market groups, religious organizations, environmental groups, ‘budget hawks’, and public interest groups sent a letter to the Congressional leadership asking them to axe the tax. In addition, …
Alltech Holds Algae Conference
Animal health and nutrition leader Alltech recently wrapped up its first conference on algae. This company press release says the invitation-only conference, entitled “Algae: The Growth Platform,” was the company’s first international conference, drawing 60 attendees from around the world to Lexington, Kentucky: “This conference is important to the region, to the state, and to the future of science. What …