The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) announced the recipients of the 2015 CanWEA Awards at the October 7th banquet closing its 31st Annual Conference and Exhibition in Toronto. “Canada is now the world’s seventh largest wind energy market and is consistently in the top 10 for new investment on an annual basis. Our industry’s rapid growth would not be possible without the visionary leaders and dedicated supporters who have worked hard to the benefit of us all,” said CanWEA president Robert Hornung. “Honouring their contributions is one of the highlights of our annual gathering.” Click here for the list of winners.- Mortenson Construction has begun construction on the Grande Prairie Wind Project located in Holt County, Nebraska. Owned by BHE Renewables, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, the 400 MW project will be the largest wind energy project in the state’s history. Mortenson’s scope of work will include the erection of 200 Vestas V110 turbines and the engineering, procurement and construction of foundations, access roads, underground collection systems, two substations and a transmission line.
- Pick My Solar has been chosen as a semifinalist in the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s “One in a Million” pitch competition for startup entrepreneurs. Pick My Solar is the online marketplace for the solar industry, connecting solar customers with solar companies through a competitive bidding platform. The company is among 15 startups from nine states ranging from Oregon to Florida. The semifinalists will travel to the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City during Global Entrepreneurship Week for the chance to become one of five finalists who will compete in a livestreamed event on Nov. 18, 2015.
- ABS Group has issued its certification of the design basis for Ocean Resource Ltd’s innovative Sea Breeze Gravity ”float-out-and-sink” offshore wind turbine foundation system. ABS Group issued its certification in accordance with the relevant standards, including IEC 61400 and the ABS Guide for Bottom-founded Offshore Wind Turbine Installations published by ABS Group’s parent organization, American Bureau of Shipping.
Michigan Consumers Could Save Millions with Wind
“A wind vision for new growth in Michigan,” finds Michigan energy consumers could save millions of dollars while Michigan farmers could reap millions in land lease payments by building new wind farms. The new report was released today by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Wind Energy Foundation (WEF) who held a roundtable discussion at Macomb Community College where students are learning skills that will enable them to secure well-paying jobs in the renewable energy industry. Of special interest is the finding that building a robust wind energy industry in the state can in particular revitalize add new wind manufacturing jobs to Michigan’s economy.
“With stable policy we can grow wind energy and we can save Michigan homeowners and businesses over $3.59 billion dollars,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA. “Because of American ingenuity, wind energy’s costs have dropped by 66 percent in just the last six years and by continuing to invest in wind over a billion dollars in savings can be passed onto consumers in Michigan and across the Great Lakes region.”
The data in the report came from calculations made using the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2015 Wind Vision report. The new data finds that wind energy can supply ample electricity to power more than 710,000 homes while adding more than $11.6 million dollars in annual property tax revenue. In addition, Michigan landowners would be paid by wind farm owners an additional $7.6 million in lease payments a year by 2030.
“Michigan’s previous renewable energy policies have put the state on a path for success,” said Beth Soholt, Executive Director of Wind on the Wires. “Public policies that encourage the development of more wind energy are a win-win. Local economies will grow from the jobs and economic development that come from new wind energy projects, and consumers will benefit from the clean, renewable, and low-cost energy wind can provide.”Read More
How Will TPP Impact US Agriculture
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Where or how do you hunt?”
I won’t lie. I was a bit surprised we had so many non-hunters out there. I personally don’t hunt, but have many friends and family that do. I don’t hunt simply because I don’t think I could actually sit still and quiet long enough to not scare away my target. But those that do hunt seem to focus their efforts on their own property. You may not know this, but Chuck is an avid hunter. If you have time to kill just ask him about Crystal Pig Hunt Club.
Here are the poll results:
- Own property – 33%
- Private property – 14%
- Public property – 0%
- Organized hunt – 0%
- Don’t hunt – 53%
Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, Is TPP good for US agriculture?
Trade talks in Atlanta are a wrap, but we will continue to talk about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and it’s impact on agriculture. And it seems like everyone has something to say about the agreement. What do you have to say? Is it good for all of agriculture, parts or bad news for everyone?
NASCAR Drives toward Championship on Ethanol
It’s a big time of the year for race fans as NASCAR heads into the second round of it’s championship series this weekend. And this news article from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says American Ethanol is fueling that drive to the championship.
With E15 American Ethanol featured on the side of every car and on the start/re-start green flag, few sponsors in the sport have this broad exposure. It’s a great place to be to show millions of fans that E15 works.
Only 12 drivers remain eligible and have a shot at winning the Sprint Cup trophy entering the Bank of America 500, which airs at 6 p.m. CT Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Like the other 32 drivers rounding out the field who are not Chase eligible, American Ethanol driver Austin Dillon continues to drive for his first win of the season.
Dillon, one of the hottest young drivers in the sport, has championships in the Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series. As he closes in on the end of his second Sprint season he is driving to hone his skills and for pride.
Check your local radio and TV listings to follow all the action fueled by American Ethanol.
Scania Greenlights Renewable Diesel in Trucks
European truck maker Scania has approved hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for use in its Euro 6 range of trucks. This news release from the company says the green fuel can cut carbon dioxide emissions by 90 percent.
Örjan Åslund is Head of Product Affairs at Scania. “We have decided to give our blessing to the use of HVO biodiesel in our diesel vehicles,” he says. “Scania is the leading manufacturer when it comes to offering power trains for alternatives fuels, and we have considerable experience with the practical side of driving using HVO. It’s an alternative fuel that has relatively few disadvantages when compared to diesel, while also offering a large reduction in CO2emissions.”
Earlier this year, Scania approved HVO for use in all types of Euro 5 vehicles and all types of operations. In cooperation with customers, the company also initiated a field test in Sweden involving some 100 trucks with Euro 6 engines.
“Thanks to the certification and our own decision, all Scania hauliers with Euro 6 engines can use HVO, including in buses,” says Åslund. “I know that interest is very high. The challenge for most operators will be in getting access to HVO, as both production and distribution facilities are still limited.”
White Paper Released on Farm Income and the RFS
Leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) jointly released a new white paper Thursday on how the EPA’s proposed rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is threatening farm income and rural economies across the United States.
The paper cites the latest USDA data on net cash income for American farmers and ranchers, which is forecast to decline by 26 percent in 2015 from peak levels in 2013, as proof that the EPA proposal is impacting the farm economy. “That devastating forecast is worse than originally projected, and it represents the lowest farm income levels in nearly a decade, and it could get worse,” says the paper.
“There are factors other than the RFS,” said NCGA president Chip Bowling of Maryland. “(But) it has changed the basis, the price received for our corn, it has changed the way we’re buying equipment … most of that is due to the uncertainty in the Renewable Fuel Standard.”
EPA is expected to release the final rule at the end of November and NFU president Roger Johnson says they have heard nothing to indicate they will change that time line. “They agreed to that in the court order,” said Johnson. “It’s hard to say what to expect from them.”
Johnson stressed that the so-called blend wall should not be included in any determination for volume requirements under the RFS. “When the RFS was put in place it was never intended that it would stop at ten percent,” he said. “It was always the intent that it would go way beyond ten percent.”
Bowling says corn growers have responded to the demand for more corn to produce ethanol and another record crop is expected this year. “We’re still expecting yields of 162 bushels per acre at minimum,” said Bowling. “We have carry over that’s growing and without a strong Renewable Fuel Standard demand for corn is going to decrease.”
Listen to the announcement from NCGA and NFU here: Press call on RFS/farm income white paper
CoBank Report – Ethanol Industry Rebalanced
The ethanol industry has rebalanced in 2015 following 18 months of record earnings. As energy prices collapsed late in 2014, so did ethanol prices and plant margins. The report from CoBank, “Ethanol Industry Reblanaces,” has found that ethanol’s supply and demand has remained well balanced, and producers have maintained positive earnings. Looking into 2016, the report finds plant operators will face dueling positive and negative shifts in the market that are likely to result in lean, yet positive margins.
“With corn prices expected to remain relatively static, it will be the prices of distillers grains and ethanol that determine the direction of earnings,” explained Dan Kowalski, the report’s author, and director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division. “Ethanol profitability will largely hinge on two key factors: the volatility of energy prices and the industry’s ability to maintain strong export sales. The report also points to the importance of sustained discipline in growing production capacity and output.”
Kowalski continued, “The industry will see little growth in domestic sales as a result of improving fuel efficiency in the nation’s vehicles and changes to the EPA’s renewable fuels blending mandate. The EPA’s proposed alteration to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) is expected to be approved later this year, and will set a floor beneath the current 10 percent blending level. However, the new policy will not incentivize retailers to sell higher ethanol-blended fuels.”
The report finds that the potential for increased export sales will help to counterbalance the domestic picture. Brazil has increased its domestic blending rate to 27 percent. This has reduced its export ability and opened the door to U.S. producers.
The report cautions foreign markets also pose a risk to ethanol producers. China, which currently imports 60 percent of U.S. distillers grains, is expected to change its grain policies to discourage the import of corn-alternative feed grains. These changes could significantly impact producers’ bottom lines.
BioEnergy Bytes
- GE’s Power Conversion business has been chosen by Pacifico Energy to provide its Brillance solar skid solutions for its mega-solar project in Furukawa. By partnering with some of the country’s largest projects, GE is at the forefront of helping Japan realize its solar energy production targets. GE’s involvement in the 56.9-megawatt direct current (DC) Furukawa mega-solar project, closely following the recently awarded Hosoe solar project, demonstrates GE’s commitment to continue to grow the sector.
- A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) aims to assist countries in their transition to renewable energy-based power systems. The Age of Renewable Power, released today on the sidelines of the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum in Tokyo, identifies 20 measures that can be taken to support the development of national roadmaps to integrate variable renewables. It also highlights lessons learned by countries already pursuing a power system transformation.
- According to UNICA ethanol production reached 1.99 billion liters in the second half of September – 799.48 million liters of anhydrous ethanol and 1.19 billion liters of hydrated ethanol – with a growth of 27.45% compared to same period in 2014. In the period from the beginning of the season until the end of the month, the production volume totaled 20.19 billion liters, with 12.70 billion liters of hydrated ethanol and 7.49 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol.
- Colorado Cleantech Industries Association, together with partners at Clean Edge and the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies have released The Colorado Clean Tech Landscape report. The report highlights Colorado’s leadership across the cleantech landscape and points to significant opportunities for advancement.
Interior to Auction 344,000 Offshore Acres
The U.S. Department of Interior has announced the auction of 344,000 offshore acres off the coast of New Jersey for development of offshore wind projects. The lease sale will take place on November 9, 2015. Should the area be fully capitalized, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates at least 3,400 MW of wind power could be developed.
“On the heels of this summer’s historic ‘steel-in-the-water’ milestone for the nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm, today’s announcement marks another major step in standing up a sustainable offshore wind program for Atlantic coast communities,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “This effort took significant engagement and cooperation with New Jersey and other stakeholders to advance clean energy development and reduce potential use conflicts, which moves us closer to harnessing the enormous potential of wind energy along the Atlantic coast.”
To date, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has awarded nine commercial offshore wind leases, including seven through the competitive lease sale process (two in an area offshore Rhode Island-Massachusetts, another two offshore Massachusetts, two offshore Maryland and one offshore Virginia). These lease sales have generated about $14.5 million in winning bids for more than 700,000 acres in federal waters.
BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper said of the efforts to expand offshore wind in the U.S., “We are pleased to see sustained commercial interest in offshore wind development. We will continue to work closely with members of the New Jersey Renewable Energy Task Force to ensure that our intergovernmental partners remain informed on the next steps proposed by the winners of this auction.”
The New Jersey Wind Energy Area starts about seven nautical miles from shore. Click here to view a map of the Wind Energy Area.
New Seattle Ferry Running on Biodiesel
The newest ferry for the Seattle area is running on biodiesel. This article from Marine Log says the M/V Doc Maynard, started service at the end of September, replacing her sister ship, the M/V Sally Fox, which is undergoing some scheduled warranty work.
Both the Sally Fox and Doc Maynard were built by All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), Bellingham, WA. The 105 ft x 33 ft aluminum catamaran ferries are the first U.S. Coast Guard Sub-chapter “K” inspected passenger vessels built and delivered under new guidelines that make it possible for boat builders to design and implement suitable structural fire protection in very low fire load spaces in the construction of weight-sensitive high speed passenger vessels.
Each ferry is powered by two Cummins QSK-50 Tier 3 diesel engines, rated at 1,800 bhp at 1,900 rev/min and driving twin propellers to provide a service speed of 28 knots. The ferries also burn a 10 percent biodiesel blend and have LED lighting onboard.
All American Marine is sponsoring a tour of the Doc Maynard at MARINE LOG’S FERRIES 2015 Conference & Expo, set for November 5-6, 2015 at the Hyatt Olive 8 in Seattle.