Utah Legislature Considering Renewable Energy Bill

John Davis

jonhuntsman.jpgA bill before the Utah legislature that will encourage utilities to use renewable energy has received a boost from that state’s governor.

This story in the Salt Lake Tribune says despite the support from Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., it doesn’t mean he’s giving up his own push for more solar, wind and geothermal resources into the state’s electricity mix:

During a legislative committee hearing on Monday, Huntsman’s energy policy advisor, Dianne Nielson, spoke in favor of SB202, which urges public and regulated utilities to pursue renewable energy sources to the extent it is cost-effective to do so.

Tuesday, Nielson said she believes the bill, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, is a good way to reach Huntsman’s goals for renewable energy development. But if difficulties arise on the way to that goal, the governor would step in to help meet the target, she said.

The point is to stimulate economic development and ensure a more secure energy future, with renewable energy resources a key ingredient, she said.

“The governor wants to find a way to work with all the parties to diversify the energy supply and meet the targets,” Nielson said. “That’s everybody’s goal here.”

The article goes on to say that Huntsman is stopping short of mandating the increase in renewable fuel use.

Solar, Uncategorized, Wind

Ethanol Maker to Squeeze Biodiesel Out of Process, Too

John Davis

gscleantech.gifTwo biofuel interests are partnering to extract corn oil from the by-product of an ethanol plant in Wisconsin and turn that oil into biodiesel.

This story from Ethanol Producer Magazine says GreenShift Corp. (through its subsidiary GS CleanTech)is partnering with United Ethanol to extract 1.5 million gallons of corn oil a year from the distillers grains produced at the 42-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Milton, Wisconsin using GreenShift’s patent-pending Corn Oil Extraction Systems:

The technology reduces overall plant emissions and utility costs by up to $1 million each year for a 100 MMgy plant that dries all of its distillers grains.

“Corn ethanol producers recognize the need to use technology to enhance margins and defray risk,” said GreenShift Chairman Kevin Kreisler. “The best way to do this is to implement ’plug and play’ technologies that enhance the yields and operating efficiencies of the traditional ethanol production process. Our corn oil extraction technology is the first of several technologies that meets that goal.”

GS CleanTech Corp., a subsidiary of GreenShift, will build the corn oil extraction operations on the ethanol plant site, and United Ethanol will operate the facility, according to David Cramer, president and chief executive officer of United Ethanol, “This is the first stage of a long-term project that will get us into biodiesel production using corn oil from our facility,” he said in a company newsletter.

I will tell you that this kind of technology was part of the talk at the recent National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. Seems to make sense to squeeze every bit of good out of that corn seed that you can… ethanol, biodiesel, livestock feed… to make sure bottom lines stay above the red line.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

C2B2 Searches for Best Biofuels

John Davis

c2b2.gifResearchers from several schools in Colorado, including Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, and the Colorado School of Mines, along with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden are putting their heads together for the sake of alternative fuels.

This story in Colorado State’s publication, CSU Zone, says they have created the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels, or C2B2:

The group, made up of more than 200 researchers – about 64 of them at CSU – combined the expertise of an array of scientists to study new biofuels, how they work and their implications for society.

C2B2, founded in 2007, is built around a network of business sponsors who put money into the organization for research. For its first year, C2B2 has a $2 million budget.

“We’re taking on a very important societal problem,” said Ken Reardon, the CSU site director for C2B2 and a CSU a professor of chemical engineering.

“The country needs some solution of where we’re going to find energy, and we need it soon.”

They’re looking for that solution outside of the traditional corn and soybean feedstocks for ethanol and biodiesel, namely, switchgrass and other biomass products looking at getting the most plant material… not just seeds… per acre.

To read more about C2B2, check out the web site: www.c2b2web.org.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

E85 Pump Openings Grow Slower

Cindy Zimmerman

Tulare E85The number of E85 stations nationwide only grew by 35 percent last year, compared to 118 percent the previous year.

Still, an increase of more than a third is pretty decent growth and the total number of stations as of the end of 2007 was 1420, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.

That number has already increased this year by another 15 or so. One station opened just outside of Tulare, California prior to the recent World Ag Expo.

“This is only the second public E85 fueling station in the state of California,” said NEVC Chairman Phil Lampert. “We are extremely pleased that E85 is priced at $2.49 per gallon (at the station). The average price for regular unleaded in the area is $3.19 per gallon.”

NEVC is traveling to Mississippi this week for the grand opening of that state’s first E85 station in Newton.

E85, Ethanol, News

International Cleantech Forum

John Davis

Cleantech Group LLCSan Francisco will play host to more than 800 investors, entrepreneurs and leading renewable energy experts at the international Cleantech Forum XVI convening next week. This year’s forum is highlighting 2008 as ‘The Defining Year for Cleantech Globalization.’

Investors, entrepreneurs, industry influencers and corporate leaders at the forefront of the rapidly developing cleantech investment and business category from North American, Europe, the Gulf States and Asia will convene in San Francisco for Cleantech Forum(R) XVI, to be held at the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel from February 25-27, 2008.

Cleantech Forum XVI is hosted by the Cleantech Group, LLC, founders of the cleantech investment category. The annual flagship meeting of the world’s cleantech leaders, representing over $8 trillion in assets, will define investment trends for 2008 and focus capital on the emerging opportunities and solutions to natural resource constraints and global climate change issues.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, CEO of the Masdar Initiative and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, will deliver the keynote address at the Cleantech Forum XVI Gala Dinner on Tuesday February 26. With a $15 billion commitment announced in January, Dr. Sultan al Jaber is leading the largest government-supported cleantech initiative in the world.

U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner will highlight the Department’s transformational public-private sector work intended to accelerate the development, deployment and commercialization of cutting-edge, clean energy technologies from the Agency’s national laboratories into the global marketplace.Read More

Biodiesel, Energy, Ethanol, Facilities, Government, Hydrogen, International, News, Solar, Wind

Nordic Winds in Cali

John Davis

Nordic Windpower LtdNordic winds are breezing across the face of the Golden State. Nordic Windpower has opened a new North American office in Berkeley, CA.

Nordic Windpower Ltd., a leading company manufacturing and selling utility-scale wind turbines based on field-proven and innovative technology, has announced that it has opened its new North American office in Berkeley, CA. The company’s management team for North America is located at this new office, at 125 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710, in the Berkeley Marina. Nordic Windpower also has offices in Bristol, England, and Taby, Sweden.

“With a world-class university and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley is a global center for renewable energy and clean technology research and innovation,” said Steve Taber, CEO, and co-founder of Nordic Windpower.

Energy, Facilities, Wind

Renewables and Clean Tech in NYC

John Davis

Piper Jaffray & Co.Options for alternative energy are on the rise and the third annual Piper Jaffray Clean Technology and Renewables Conference aims to explore the leading innovations of this rapidly growing sector of U.S. energy.

Piper Jaffray & Co. will host its third annual Clean Technology and Renewables Conference Feb. 20, 2008 in New York City. The conference will provide insight on upcoming technological advancements and cost improvements from leading solar, biofuels and other clean technology companies operating across the globe.

“Piper Jaffray, as a leader in the renewable energy and clean technology space, connects growth companies to capital and expertise around the world,” said Lois Quam, head of alternative investments at Piper Jaffray. “We will take this to a new level at our upcoming conference.”

Investors will also hear a keynote address by Steve Creamer, chairman and CEO of EnergySolutions, Inc. Additionally, the conference will feature company presentations from senior management, as well as one-on-one and group meetings.

More than 75 companies are scheduled to participate in the conference.

Biodiesel, Energy, Ethanol, Solar

Abu Dhabi Breaks Ground on Carbon-Neutral City

John Davis

Masdar InitiativeThe world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city goes not to the renewable fuel-crazed U.S., but to Abu Dhabi. The capital of the United Arab Emeriates broke ground on Masdar City earlier this month. If this city actually functions as its supposed to, I think it will be rather impressive. When is the U.S. breaking ground on it’s own carbon-neutral playground?

Masdar CEO Dr. Sultan Al Jaber announced a total development budget for the city of $22 billion. Of that investment total, Masdar (“the source” in Arabic) will contribute $4 billion to develop the city’s infrastructure. The remaining $18 billion will come through direct investments and the creation of various financial instruments to raise needed capital. An essential driver for the development of the city is carbon finance. Carbon emissions reduced by Masdar City will be monetized under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.

In addition to full-time residents, Masdar City will seek to attract and encourage collaboration between experts in sustainable transportation; waste management; water and wastewater conservation; green construction, buildings and industrial materials; recycling; biodiversity; climate change, renewable energy and green financial institutions. Masdar will maximize the benefits of sustainable technologies, such as photovoltaic cells and concentrated solar power, through an integrated planning and design approach.

By implementing these technologies, Masdar City will save the equivalent of more than US $2 billion in oil over the next 25 years, based on today’s energy prices. The city will also create more than 70,000 jobs and will add more than two percent to Abu Dhabi’s annual GDP.Read More

Energy, Facilities, Hydrogen, News, Research, Solar, Wind

Wind Energy Bringing More Jobs to Iowa

John Davis

siemensftmad.jpgA wind turbine maker says it will expand its operations at a plant in Iowa.

The Des Moines Register reports that Siemens Power Generation will invest in a $33 million expansion at its wind turbine blade factory in Fort Madison. The move is expected to add 287 good-paying jobs:

The new jobs would pay an average of $17.14 an hour, said the company, which seeks state incentives.

Siemens said it’s considering add 75,000 square feet to its 311,000-square-foot plant. It also would add a 125,000-square-feet facility and construct a rail yard. The Siemens plant in Fort Madison has been open a year and is its only U.S. blade manufacturing facility. It employs 246.

The Iowa Economic Development Board will consider providing Siemens with a
$1.4 million forgivable loan Thursday and an estimated $1.9 million in tax credits and sales tax refunds. Fort Madison also seeks to capture $2.8 million in state withholding taxes the company would pay, under a pilot program designed to help revitalize urban renewal areas in border cities.

As you might remember from my post back on October 11th, 2007, Iowa is seen as riding the crest of a potential $10 billion wind energy market. That was also the same time when Hendricks Industries said it would become the fifth wind turbine maker to locate in the state.

Wind

New Hampshire Legislature Getting Greener

John Davis

nhlegislature.jpgA bill that would require all state vehicles in New Hampshire that run on diesel to have a percentage of biodiesel in the mix has passed that state’s House and is moving to the Senate.

This story in the Nashua Telegraph says the legislation also includes the heating oil used for state buildings:

The bill requires the commissioners of the Department of Transportation and the Division of Plant and Property Management to purchase fuels that contain 5 percent biodiesel.

It was sponsored by Rep. David Borden, D-New Castle, who is chairman of the state Biodiesel Commission. Recently, the bill was voted out of the Transportation Committee with a recommendation that it ought to pass.

“HB 1631 went through the House without a hitch being on the consent calendar. We are hoping it will have no trouble with the Senate,” Borden said.

“The way things are going now, if oil keeps going up, it’s very likely biodiesel will become very competitive,” he said. “It does lengthen engine life, so the purchasers for state agencies may decide it’s worth it even if they have to pay a small premium.”

There is a clause that allows the state to opt out of buying the biodiesel if it is cost-prohibitive. But it says the purchasing director must also consider biodiesel’s benefits, such as longer engine use, when figuring up the cost.

Biodiesel