Aria Energy has announced the beginning of commercial operations and renewable energy production at Sarasota County’s Central County Solid Waste Disposal Complex located in Nokomis, Florida. The project is a 4.8 MW landfill gas-to-energy facility that produces renewable energy by capturing and processing the methane gas generated at the landfill through organic decomposition. Aria Energy designed, built, owns and operates the facility, and sells the electricity to JEA under a power purchase agreement.- Solar Power, Inc. has announced its partnership with Aqua Clean Energy (ACE) for the co-development of floating PV projects in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. Under the terms of the agreement, ACE and SPI will co-develop an identified pipeline of floating PV projects in the licensed territories with an estimated combined size of over 50 MW by establishing a joint venture holding company, Aqua Clean Energy Fund, LLC.
- Sunrun has announced that Bob Komin has joined the company as chief financial officer (CFO). Komin is responsible for the overall finance, accounting, and structured finance activity of the company. He assumed his new role March 9 replacing Anne Brennan, and will work closely with her to transition activities over the next few weeks.
- OneRoof Energy, Inc., wholly owned subsidiary of OneRoof Energy Group, Inc., has announced that it has closed the financing agreement with Spindrift Equities, LLC, one of OneRoof Energy’s existing investors. As announced on March 13, 2015, the US$2.0 million represents a portion of the US$15.0 million of capital previously announced on November 24, 2014 from Black Coral Capital, LLC and other investors in the form of secured convertible promissory notes.
Biofuel Advocates Invite Candidates to Learn RFS
It won’t be long until presidential candidates invade Iowa once again (and some already have). So, Iowa-based America’s Renewable Future (ARF) has publically invited Sen. Ted Cruz and all potential 2016 presidential candidates to tour Iowa renewable fuel facilities across the state to learn more about the success of the industry.
“The goal of our organization is to educate candidates on the economic importance of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and its many advantages, not only locally, but nationally,” said former Lt. Gov. and ARF co-chair, Patty Judge, “the RFS sustains 73,000 jobs in Iowa and over 800,000 nationally. Iowa farmers epitomize hard work and are a beacon of rural America’s success and we hope that Sen. Cruz will stand with them.”
Following Sen. Ted Cruz’s opposition to the standard at the March 7 Iowa Ag Summit, the organization is especially interested in drawing the Texas senator to an ethanol plant tour on his upcoming trips in April. “Sen. Cruz’s remarks show that there is a chance to have important dialogue on this issue,” said ARF co-chair and Nevada, IA cattleman, Bill Couser, “I had a chance to personally invite Sen. Cruz at the Ag Summit in addition to the two formal invitations ARF has sent to his campaign and I hope that he will not miss this chance to see just what this policy means for real Iowans and their families.”
“This comes down to supporting independence from foreign oil while supporting American jobs or giving in to foreign interests and Big Oil,” added Couser, “We hope that Sen. Cruz we will make time to hear from folks who have seen the success in this industry and ask questions about his concerns.”
Pearson Fuels to Celebrate First Frisco E85 Station
Pearson Fuels will celebrate the opening of San Francisco’s first E85 station. The company says there will be a ribbon-cutting today at All Stars Fuel located at 2831 Cesar Chavez Street in San Francisco, where the high-blend of ethanol will sell today for just 85 cents a gallon.
Pearson Fuels General Manager, Mike Lewis states, “It is crazy that a city as large and progressive as San Francisco, has never had an E85 dispenser! E85 burns much cleaner than gasoline and add to that the fact that it is renewable, domestically produced and currently selling at substantial discounts to gasoline. We expect this new station to do very well. Our preliminary projections show that it might be one of the highest volume dispensers we supply. We estimate that there are at least 50,000 E85 compatible vehicles driving in San Francisco every week and we are happy those vehicles now have an alternative to gasoline available.
Station owner Ali Yaldiz said, “We are very glad to be working with Pearson Fuels on this project. We contacted them and they were right on it. They handled all the permitting and signage, they made sure we did it the right way and we look forward to working with them for many years. It is just refreshing to work with a group that does what they say they are going to do. We are happy and proud to be the first station in all of San Francisco to offer this progressive fuel and we hope the public embraces it is much as we do. To get things started off right, we decided to offer it way under cost for most of the day to show the public we appreciate them and we mean business!”
The project was partially funded by the California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program.
Propel Debuts High Performance Renewable Diesel
California-based Propel Fuels has debuted North America’s first retail rollout of High Performance Renewable (HPR) diesel. This company news release says the green fuel uses Neste Oil’s NEXBTL renewable diesel.
“Diesel HPR exceeds conventional diesel in power, performance and value,” said Rob Elam, CEO and Co-Founder of Propel. “Propel is committed to offering Californians the most advanced low carbon fuels that meet our high standards for quality and value.”
Incorporating diesel refined from renewable biomass through Neste Oil’s advanced hydrotreating technology called NEXBTL, Diesel HPR meets the toughest specifications required by automotive and engine manufacturers, enabling the fuel to be used by any diesel vehicle. Diesel HPR is designated as ASTM D-975, the standard for all ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in the U.S., and is recognized as “CARB diesel” by the California Air Resources Board. Diesel HPR provides increased engine power and torque, as well as significant reduction in harmful tailpipe emissions, NOx emissions and particulates (PM).
“This renewable diesel joins a growing suite of new, cleaner transportation fuels in California thanks to our Low Carbon Fuel Standard and forward thinking companies like Propel,” said California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols.
Diesel HPR will be available at 18 Propel locations in Northern California.
Thank a Farmer Today
Today is National Agriculture Day. People around America are taking time today to learn something about ag, and many are also taking an opportunity to thank the farmers who produce our food, feed and fuel.
“American farmers are to be admired. They are stewards of the land who ensure sustainability for future generations. They are innovative, dedicated and produce an abundance of food and fuel for our nation and the world. Efficient and hardworking, American farmers are the backbone of our nation. They help to bolster rural economies while growing our nation’s economy, providing economic security for all. It takes a lot to get food from the farm to the table and we all have America’s farmers and ranchers to thank for it,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy.
“Additionally, American agriculture is at the forefront of biofuel development. Farmers are helping produce homegrown, sustainable biofuels that are reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil, creating jobs that cannot be outsourced and improving our environment, all while providing consumers with a choice and savings at the pump.
“American consumers pay less per capita than any other country for food. Our grocery stores are well stocked and American agriculture is the envy of the world. Agriculture creates economic security for our rural communities and has allowed hardworking Americans to secure a place in the middle class. As we celebrate National Ag Day, Americans nationwide should be proud to acknowledge the many contributions agriculture has made to society and the leading role farming communities will continue to play in our country’s economy,” Buis concluded.
BioEnergy Bytes
- Alstom has signed two contracts with Danish power plant specialist Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor (BWSC) for Geared Reaction steam turbines (GRT) to be used in two UK biomass projects. The first contract uses a 23MW GRT for a waste wood combined heat and power (CHP) biomass plant in Widnes, Merseyside that is being developed by BWSC and UK logistics company Stobart Group. While the second is a 50MW GRT for the Snetterton Biomass Plant, in East Anglia, which will burn energy crops such as straw, cereals and oilseed rape.
- A new solar report from GTM Research provides an in-depth look at the changing inverter market landscape, including coverage of new technologies, grid integration, solar-plus-storage, module-level power electronics, market drivers and pricing, and region-specific inverter markets. It details the current global and regional competitive landscape and contains comprehensive profiles and analysis of 45 leading manufacturers.
- Justin DeAngelis from the energy and resources focused global private equity firm Denham Capital recently wrote a detailed white paper looking at the economic benefits of renewable power in Africa, which featured in Clean Energy Pipeline’s Clean Energy Africa Finance Guide. Download the free white paper here.
- Global expenditure for wind turbine Operations and Maintenance (O&M) will rise from $9.25 billion in 2014 to an estimated $17 billion by 2020, driven by increasing numbers of installations and aging turbines, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData. “Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market, Update 2015 – Market Size, Major Contenders, Trends, and Analysis to 2020,” states that on average, offshore O&M is two to four times more expensive than onshore O&M. Offshore wind power accounted for about 2.4% of the world’s cumulative wind power capacity in 2014, but accounts for approximately 10% of the global wind O&M market.
Offshore Wind Tech Being Tested
China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited’s super compact drive (“SCD”) offshore wind turbine prototype of 6.5MW platform has begun a commercial trial operation in Rudong,Jiangsu Province, China. The 5 -7 MW wind turbine prototype features a two-blade design with a light weight permanent magnet generator and is able to adapt to various extreme offshore weather conditions, offering high reliability at a lower weight to offshore wind farm operators, particularly in typhoon-prone regions.
“We are proud to see that the world’s first SCD offshore wind turbine prototype of 6.5MW platform has beenconnected to the grid and put into trial operation,” said Chuanwei Zhang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ming Yang. “Our unique model provides our customers with a cost-effective solution for their offshore wind farm projects in typhoon-prone coastal areas where extreme weather conditions prevail, for example the eastern and southern coast of China, potentially one of the world’s largest offshore markets.”
Zhang added, “Meanwhile, I am also pleased to announce that in response to our customers needs and to meet China’s complex offshore conditions, Ming Yang is planning to develop an innovative three-blade SCD wind turbine model, specializing in catching low speed wind. We expect that we will be able to seize the huge market opportunities by providing a wider product mix as well as value-added services, as the PRC government continues to push for renewable energy solutions in an effort to combat air pollution.”
Emerging Issues Forum Features Biz Issues & Trends
The 10th annual Ethanol 2015: Emerging Issues Forum is set for April 16-17, 2015 in Omaha, Nebraska hosted by the Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB). The event is designed for ethanol producers and others integrally involved in production, technology, policymaking and marketing of ethanol and its co-products.
NEB has announced that Paul Argyropoulos, senior policy advisor to the Office of Air Quality and Transportation at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will be the featured speaker April 16th. Argyropoulos will address EPA’s plans for the final rule on 
Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes for 2014 and plans for 2015 and 2016. In addition, he will address issues associated with the RFS including steps EPA is taking to get the RFS back on track.
“Paul is as knowledgeable as they come on these issues and we are absolutely delighted that he will be able to join us this year,” said Todd Sneller, NEB administrator. “He has worked on fuel and air quality programs for more than 20 years and with new ozone standards, the Tier 3 program and fuel economy standards all impacting the future of ethanol. It is a very timely addition to the program.”
Other topics during the forum include ethanol marketing challenges; domestic and international ethanol marketing opportunities and barriers; emerging trends in ethanol co-products; low carbon fuel standards; and integrating technology for efficiency, profitability and sustainability.
Ethanol Featured on Bobby Likis Car Clinic
Some straight talk this weekend on ethanol on the syndicated car-talk program “Bobby Likis Car Clinic.” Judd Hulting of Patriot Renewable Fuels talked with Bobby about the operations, products and statistics of Patriot’s ten-year old, ethanol plant located near the Quad Cities.
Hulting was able to tout the benefits of ethanol, including the growing worldwide export market for American-made ethanol and distillers grain. Likis was already a fan of ethanol and pointed out that while some Americans are worried about moving up to a 15 percent ethanol blend (E15), Brazil has just moved up to E27 as the baseline for gasoline in the South American country.
You can listen to the conversation between Hulting and Likis here.
Happy National Biodiesel Day!
Today we celebrate National Biodiesel Day, the anniversary of Rudolf Diesel’s birthday in 1858. The pioneer of his namesake diesel engine, Diesel designed it to run on a biofuel, peanut oil. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) reminds us that on this special day, we can do more than just fill up our tanks with clean-burning biodiesel (although that is a good start).
Those who want to do more to support the advanced biofuel can. It is as easy as joining the Biodiesel Alliance. Alliance members range from farmers to fleet managers, and from trade organizations to municipal agencies and local businesses. Biodiesel Alliance members have easy access to news and information about biodiesel and related topics. Sign up is free and a click away.
“Biodiesel works behinds the scenes to deliver a better alternative. It is here now, working today across the country to improve our environment, support our economy and protect energy security,” said Steven J. Levy, Chairman for the National Biodiesel Board. “It is impressive what we have achieved in ten years and clear that responsible policy and industry innovation is working to expand access to America’s Advanced Biofuel while benefitting consumers.”
NBB also reminds us just how much of an economic powerhouse biodiesel is, with diesel engines moving approximately 90 percent of the America’s goods. And biodiesel provided nearly 1.8 billion gallons of a cleaner burning alternative to petroleum diesel.