Funding Secured for Redstone CSP Plant in Africa

Joanna Schroeder

Funding has been secured for the Redstone Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) project in Northern Cape, South Africa by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The group has made a $400 million commitment of debt financing for the project, that is part of Secretary John Kerry’s Climate and Clean Energy Investment Forum. The project also supports President Obama’s Power Africa initiative to bring power access to more than 600 million sub-Saharan Africans currently living without power. The CSP facility will be developed by U.S.-based SolarReserve and ACWA Power.

The first of its kind in Africa, the Redstone Solar Thermal Power Project features SolarReserve's world-leading molten salt energy storage technology in a tower configuration with the capability to support South Africa's demand for energy when it's needed most - day and night. The 100 MW project with 12 hours of full-load energy storage will be able to reliably deliver a stable electricity supply to more than 200,000 South African homes during peak demand periods, even well after the sun has set. (PRNewsFoto/SolarReserve)

The first of its kind in Africa, the Redstone Solar Thermal Power Project features SolarReserve's world-leading molten salt energy storage technology in a tower configuration with the capability to support South Africa's demand for energy when it's needed most – day and night. The 100 MW project with 12 hours of full-load energy storage will be able to reliably deliver a stable electricity supply to more than 200,000 South African homes during peak demand periods, even well after the sun has set. (PRNewsFoto/SolarReserve)

“The development of the Redstone project will benefit the South African people, the international clean energy sector, and the role of U.S. leadership in emerging market development,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, OPIC’s President and CEO. “It’s impressive that Redstone brings together the innovative U.S. private sector leadership and technology of SolarReserve, the international experience of ACWA and large-scale catalytic financing from OPIC. This sort of change-making partnership is at the heart of President Obama’s Power Africa initiative and creates broad, lasting impact in international development.”

The 100 MW Redstone project will be connected to the South African national grid. The solar plant will Using SolarReserve’s CSP technology, Redstone’s molten salt storage capability will deliver consistent baseload electricity, even after the sun sets. This is a critical development in a country where frequent power outages have been cited as an obstacle to economic growth.

SolarReserve’s CEO Kevin Smith said the project marks an important technology advancement for Africa in clean, renewable power. He also noted that the project’s delivered electricity price is the lowest of any CSP project in the country to date.

Patrick Gaspard, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, said of the news, “We are excited about the progress forged by OPIC and these private sector leaders on the Redstone project. It’s a priority for South Africa and regional neighbors to diversify their power production beyond traditional energy sources, including a greater share of renewables, efficiency improvements, and energy storage capabilities. The U.S. stands by South Africa as a partner, and working together with agencies like OPIC and great U.S. companies like SolarReserve, we can increase sustainable access to electricity, a foundation linked to overall lasting economic growth.”

Clean Energy, Electricity, International, Solar

Massachusetts Most Energy Efficient US State

Joanna Schroeder

Massachuesetts has edged out California as the most energy efficient state in the U.S. according to the ninth annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. Several states continue to improve their scores including California, Maryland, Illinois, Texas and Washington D.C. The report is published by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) with support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

2015-map-640ACEEE Executive Director Steve Nadel said of this year’s findings, “As states move to frame their plans under the federal Clean Power Plan this year marks a tipping point for energy efficiency. State policies are increasingly encouraging utilities to invest in cost-effective efficiency, prompting them to adopt new business models that align their interests with those of customers and policymakers. We can see this taking hold in the 20 states that improved their Scorecard rank in 2015. Utilities across the United States invested more than $7 billion in energy efficiency over the past year alone.”

Some key finding of the 2015 State Scorecard include:

  • The top 10 states for energy efficiency are Massachusetts, California, Vermont, Rhode Island, Oregon, Connecticut, Maryland, Washington, and New York, with Minnesota and Illinois tied for 10th place. Massachusetts retains the top spot for the fifth consecutive year based on a strong commitment to energy efficiency under its Green Communities Act.
  • A solid 20 states rose in the State Scorecard rankings. California, a leading state, is also one of the most improved states this year. Maryland, Illinois, the District of Columbia, and Texas also deserve recognition for improvement over the past year.
  • Overall, 16 states fell in the rankings this year, due to such factors as policy or program rollbacks or failure to keep pace as other states expanded efficiency efforts. The five states most in need of improvement (starting with dead last) are: North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Louisiana, and Mississippi, although new efficiency programs in Louisiana and Mississippi mean these states may not be in the bottom for much longer. While not in the bottom five states, New Mexico dropped the farthest in 2015, losing four points and falling six positions from 25th to 31st in the rankings. This is due in part to the state’s failure to adopt energy building codes beyond the 2009 requirements.

Another key finding: Savings from electricity efficiency programs in 2014 totaled approximately 25.7 million megawatt-hours (MWh), a 5.8% increase over last year. These savings are equivalent to about 0.7% of total retail electricity sales across the nation in 2014. Gas savings for 2014 were reported at 374 million therms (MMTherms), a 35% increase over 2013. Click here to read the full report.

Clean Energy, Electricity, energy efficiency, Solar, Wind

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Sierra Club has launched a statewide advertising campaign in Colorado thanking Senator Michael Bennett for sponsoring the “American Energy Innovation Act,” a bill which makes ambitious yet achievable reductions in carbon pollution, repeals centuries-old oil subsidies, and begins to level the playing field for renewable sources of energy. Senator Bennett was a key sponsor of the bill, and was joined by many of his Independent and Democratic colleagues in championing the legislation.
  • Novozymes, the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes, has announced its results for the first nine months 2015. Sales grew by 4% organically and by 14% in DKK compared with 9M 2014. EBIT grew by 15%, and the EBIT margin was 27.7%. Net profit grew by 11%, and free cash flow before acquisitions came in at DKK 2,022 million. In Q3 alone, sales grew by 3% organically and by 11% in DKK compared with Q3 2014.
  • Stroud Companies and their subsidiaries have completed funding of the Series A Capital Raise for CURB, further diversifying the portfolio of companies and industries in the portfolio. Started in 2012, Austin based CURB is a revolutionary technology and manufacturing company specializing in hardware and software for monitoring and managing energy consumption and solar production in homes and businesses. This technology seamlessly interfaces with other industry-leading Smart Home platforms for intelligent device control.
  • Sunnova Energy Corporation has announced it secured approximately $300 million in committed debt and equity funding that the company will use to continue growing its position in the residential solar energy service market. The transactions include a conduit facility arranged by Credit Suisse, and an equity financing round led by Triangle Peak Partners, LP. Additional equity investors include business development companies sponsored by Franklin Square Capital Partners LP.
Bioenergy Bytes

Global Wind Atlas Offers Comprehensive Data

Joanna Schroeder

A new free resource has been launched that provides detailed data and statistics on global wind energy potential. Provided by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the Global Wind Atlas, provides wind resource data at one-kilometre resolution; whereas, in the past the best data was at 10-kilometres.

GWA pocket screenshot2“Wind energy potential across the globe is vast, but the upfront costs of measuring potential and determining the best locations for projects is an obstacle in many countries,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “The new Global Wind Atlas provides this needed data directly and for free, making it a ground-breaking tool to help jumpstart wind energy development worldwide.”

The Wind Atlas is the latest offering as part of the Global Atlas, a renewable energy mapping tool. The organization explains that the dataset uses microscale modeling to capture wind speed variability on small scales, allowing for better estimates. For example, when locating wind farms, developers naturally pick areas with the highest wind speeds. In datasets that provide average wind speeds over large areas, the enhancement of wind speeds due to small scale features such as hills and ridges are not captured, making the resource appear weaker than it actually is. The Wind Atlas can prevent this underestimation, provide visual maps showing wind speeds at three different heights, and also provide tools to generate and export data and statistics such as wind roses and wind speed distributions over a chosen area.

Danish Minister for Energy, Utilities and Climate, Lars Christian Lilleholt, added, “The release of the Global Wind Atlas demonstrates the support of the international community to expand global renewable energy to address global climate change, increase electricity access and stimulate economic development,” said. Denmark, together with South Africa, has already developed the South African Wind Atlas and we have seen the value of the tool in the development of the wind energy sector.”

Clean Energy, Electricity, Wind

RFA Wants Oregon to Treat All Fuels Fairly

John Davis

rfalogo1The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) wants the state of Oregon to treat all fuels fairly. This news release from the group says RFA submitted comments to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in response to the agency’s September proposed rule for the state’s Clean Fuels Program (CFP). RFA wants the department to use standards that “support performance-based low carbon fuel programs that are grounded in the principles of fairness, sound science, and consistent analytical boundaries.” However, RFA stated that it could not support DEQ’s proposal because by introducing “concepts that lack scientific integrity and balance into the regulatory framework,” the agency was only creating “stakeholder division and controversy.”

Among other amendments, DEQ proposes to add indirect land use change (ILUC) penalties to the carbon intensity (CI) scores for corn ethanol and other crop-based biofuels. RFA contends that by adding flawed ILUC factors developed by the California Air Resources Board, and ignoring indirect effects for other fuels, the DEQ proposal tips the scales in favor of certain fuels and effectively results in the policy choosing winners and losers. RFA’s comments underscore the fact that the “inclusion of highly uncertain and prescriptive ILUC factors creates an asymmetrical and discriminatory framework for the CFP.”

You can read the entire RFA letter to the Oregon DEQ here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

SG Preston to Build Renewable Diesel Plants

John Davis

sgprestonA Philadelphia-based bioenergy company has inked a deal to build renewable diesel plants. This news release from SG Preston says it and Houston-based engineering firm IHI E&C agreed to develop and construct a series of commercial volume, advanced biofuels manufacturing plants, initially in the U.S. Midwest and Canada.

The plants will use proven, commercial scale technologies for the production of renewable diesel and jet fuel targeting U.S. and global industries seeking a volume-based, competitively priced solution to their environmental sustainability mandates.

“IHI E&C is a perfect fit for our U.S. and global strategic vision,” said R. Delbert LeTang, SG Preston President and Chief Executive Officer. “The need to drive thought leadership and momentum toward tangible solutions in the U.S. alternative energy market has become a strategic imperative that we intend to lead in alliance with global blue chip partners in engineering and construction, technology and manufacturing.”

IHI E&C will serve as turnkey EPC to SG Preston’s biofuels initiative, delivering “lump sum,” fixed price engineering and construction, a first in the renewable diesel and jet fuels landscape at commercial scale.

“We have maintained our commitment to focused execution of our volume-based advanced biofuels plan,” LeTang said. “We are extremely pleased to launch this industry-changing initiative in coordination with IHI E&C as a part of our integrated system of global, blue chip partners to rapidly take strategy and concept into design, engineering and execution at commercial scale.”

SG Preston will put its technology at five plants in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada, each with an initial capacity to produce 120 million gallons of renewable diesel and jet fuel annually.

renewable diesel

New Poll Shows Iowans Support RFS

Joanna Schroeder

“We wanted a poll to tell us the truth about where caucus voters stand. This isn’t a Republican thing or a Democrat thing. This is an American thing. This represents the future,” said Eric Branstad the Iowa State Director of America’s Renewable Future (ARF) during a press call to release the results of a new poll.

Dupont_ARF_Infographic_FinalThe results find that a majority of caucus-goers from both political parties would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who supports the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and biofuels, specifically ethanol. The poll also found that 61 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Democrats would be more likely to support a candidate who supports progress in these areas. The poll was commissioned by ARF and DuPont and conducted by Selzer & Company who is best known for their Iowa Poll on behalf of the Des Moines Register.

“The idea behind this poll was to get clean reads on what people are thinking in this space very generally and then unpack the rationale behind some of the feelings they have,” said Anne Selzer, president of Selzer & Company when discussing the poll methodology.

In addition to Selzer and Branstad, comments were also made from Brooke Coleman, founder and executive director of the Advanced Biofuels Business Council and Jan Koninckx, global business director, biofuels for DuPont.

Listen to the press conference here: Iowa Caucus Voters RFS Poll Press Conference

After being asked their views on the RFS without introducing any information about the policy, the poll delved in a bit more as a means to understand how caucus goers viewed renewable fuels and the RFS specifically. Results show several reasons why voters believe the RFS should continue:Read More

advanced biofuels, Audio, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Opinion, politics, RFS

Energy Companies Sign On to Climate Pledge

Joanna Schroeder

Energy company across the U.S. have signed on to support the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, a program the White House announced in July 2015. The 81 companies are part of the third round of pledges and have committed to reduce their impact on Earth. Abengoa Bioenergy US, Aemetis, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Biogen, Novozymes, Pacific Ethanol and Tri-Global Energy are just a few of the energy companies who have signed on to increase low-carbon investments, deploy more clean energy and take other actions to build more sustainable businesses.

White house logoSome examples of actions taken by Pacific Ethanol include: by 2025, produce a minimum of 50 million gallons per year of ultra-low carbon ethanol that will reduce GHG emissions by 90% on a relative basis (g/MJ) compared to gasoline. They also pledged to reduce their process carbon emissions by 40% by 2025, “as part of an effort to develop long-term business plans that align with the deep decarbonization necessary to keep global average temperatures from rising less than 2C”.

Other examples include commitments to add more wind and solar energy from Tri-Global Energy while Abengoa has pledged to require contractors and suppliers to calculate and report their GHG emissions in order to accurately and affirmatively achieve further incremental emissions reductions in the supply chain; and continue to improve energy efficiencies and emissions controls in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10%, compared to a 2005 baseline, by 2025.

The measures taken by these hundreds of companies helped President Obama set an ambitious but achievable goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by 26-28 percent. To date, 150 countries representing more than 85% of global carbon emissions have reported post-2020 climate policies to the United Nations. To read the American Business Act on Climate Pledge as well as to read the 81 companies’ pledges, click here.

advanced biofuels, Carbon, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Environment, Renewable Energy

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1The Western Union Company is looking forward to lighting up many homes in remote villages of India. The aim is to make electricity available to those in the villages who have never seen or experienced a light in their homes. The company will contribute up to INR 100 for each remittance received from designated countries during the period October 15, 2015 to November 30, 2015 through Western Union services will contribute towards the lighting up of a village in rural India.
  • Consumers Energy has announced that customers are now able to enroll in the energy provider’s community solar program, allowing them to play a part in developing new renewable energy sources in Michigan. Participants in the Solar Gardens program can subscribe to SolarBlocks equaling a half -kilowatt each. They will receive a credit on monthly bills based on electricity that’s generated at Solar Gardens locations for the life of the projects – about 25 years.
  • Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has announced that it will offer a $20,000 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education college scholarship to a student from throughout the company’s service area.
  • Alterra Power Corp. has announced it has agreed to acquire the water rights for four hydroelectric development projects from Sigma Engineering (the Chusan, Powell, Eldred North and Eldred South projects). The projects are located approximately 20-30 kilometers from Alterra’s existing Toba Montrose and Jimmie Creek projects, and are situated along the Toba Montrose transmission line. Each project is expected to have between 10-15 MW of generation capacity, and could be eligible for power purchase agreements under BC Hydro’s Standing Offer Program. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2015 and is subject to satisfaction of customary conditions precedent.
Bioenergy Bytes

American Ethanol Race Car Hits Top Speeds

Joanna Schroeder

The American Ethanol No. 3 car hit tops speeds this weekend during the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. The E15 fueled race car was recorded as the fastest on the track.

E15 NASCAR“We has a really fast American Ethanol Chevrolet. I was catching everybody in front of us,” said Austin Dillon, American Ethanol driver.

While speed was on Austin’s side, it was not enough to take him across the finish line first. After holding on to the fifth position for 20 laps, Dillon cut a right front tire and destroyed his race car on Lap 155. Yet despite how the race ended Greg Krissek, CEO of the Kansas Corn Growers Association said that the performance of NASCAR’s fuel Sunoco Green E15 continues to demonstrate its benefits on the track.

Krissek told race fans during his interview with Motor Racing Network’s Jeff Striegle, Joe Moore and Rusty Wallace that the NASCAR partnership has provided a great example for consumers to see E15 in action. He encouraged consumers to look for E15 at gas stations near them. Earlier this year new NASCAR-focused ethanol labels were unveiled making it easier for consumers to identify the fuel that NASCAR uses. Krissek added if they don’t see E15, ask the retailer to look into offering the ethanol blend. For interested retailers across the country, there are programs available to help cover some of the infrastructure costs of adding mid-level and higher blends of ethanol.

American Ethanol, biofuels, Ethanol, NASCAR