Low Fuel Prompts Reminder Biodiesel Stretches Supply

John Davis

IowaRFAlogoA sudden drop in temperatures is putting the squeeze on what is an already low fuel supply in some parts of the country, and that’s prompting a group to remind folks biodiesel can make fuel supplies last longer. On the heels of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s emergency declaration that cold weather, coupled with pipeline and refining outages, is putting his state dangerously low on fuel, necessitating some short-term changes to shipping rules in Iowa, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) is reminding the governor and all consumers that biodiesel could stretch tight diesel supplies being able to be blended at 5 to 20 percent levels.

“Given Gov. Branstad’s emergency proclamation, one of the best ways to help alleviate tight diesel supplies is to blend it with high-quality, homegrown biodiesel,” stated IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “High-quality biodiesel blends ranging from B5 to B20 can be used and treated just as No. 2 diesel throughout the winter. Several Iowa biodiesel producers have supplies that can be shipped to a fuel terminal or jobber today.”

“I’m currently using B20 to push snow and keep my farm operation moving throughout the colder months,” stated Denny Mauser, a farmer from Early, Iowa and board member of Western Iowa Energy in Wall Lake, Iowa.

IRFA goes on to point out that not only will using biodiesel right now help alleviate the tight supply issues, but it will also support American jobs, energy security and a cleaner environment.

Biodiesel, Government, Iowa RFA

Walmart Expands Solar Commitment

Joanna Schroeder

Walmart is expanding its commitment to solar energy with its announcement that it will install up to 400 new solar projects at stores across the country over the next four years. The company has set goals to produce or procure seven billion kWh of renewable energy by the end of 2020. to roll-out the projects, Walmart named to preferred solar companies including SolarCity and SunEdison.

solar-panels-roof_129865141770894259“We are pleased to announce this expansion on the heels of the Solar Energy Industries Association’s commercial solar report, which recognizes Walmart as having the most installed solar capacity in the U.S.,” said Pam Kohn, executive vice president at Walmart and president of Walmart Realty.

To date, Walmart has installed nearly 260 solar projects in the U.S. The company’s commercial solar deployment is now 105 MW, more than double the capacity of the next largest business and they say the projects have saved more than $5 million in energy expenses.

“This is the beginning of the next wave in renewable energy for Walmart, an effort we announced in May when we welcomed President Obama to our Mountain View California store,” said Kim Saylors-Laster, vice president of energy at Walmart. “These projects bring us closer to fulfilling our commitment to double the number of on-site solar energy projects in U.S. stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers—thereby reducing our energy expenses and generating clean energy in local communities.”

The installations will vary in size, commensurate with the respective store or facility. It is expected that smaller systems will provide 10 to 20 percent of the facility’s electricity requirements and larger systems will provide 20 to 30 percent of the power needed by the facility.

Electricity, Renewable Energy, Solar

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFDr. Gavin Conibeer, an internationally-known professor at the School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales, has joined the science advisory board of Natcore Technology Inc. Dr. Conibeer has a worldwide reputation in photovoltaics. He has lectured at Stanford University and the University of Tokyo and has been a partner in the European Union‑funded LIMA project, an international consortium focused on minimizing the costs of manufacturing while maximizing efficiency of the photovoltaic devices by using novel concepts.
  • The global cumulative installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules will increase substantially from 135.66 Gigawatts (GW) in 2013 to 413.98 GW by 2020, according to research and consulting firm ASD Reports. The company’s latest report states that emerging economies in Asia-Pacific, South and Central America and the Middle East and Africa are expected to be the major markets in the future, due to an increasing focus on renewable energy proliferation to fuel economic growth.
  • Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) released a report, “Bridges to New Solar Business Models: Opportunities to Increase and Capture the Value of Distributed Solar Photovoltaics,” investigating the opportunities for utilities and solar companies to work together to unlock the full value of distributed solar for customers and the grid. Solar photovoltaics (PV) are growing rapidly in the U.S.—by the end of 2013, over 12 GW of PV were in operation, an 80 percent increase since the end of 2010, with grid-connected customer-sited installations totaling more than 50 percent of nationwide installed capacity.
  • Sunnova Energy Corp. has secured an additional $250 million in committed funding. Sunnova will use these funds to continue its rapid growth and to provide reliable, low-cost solar energy to more customers across the U.S. This funding round was led by business development companies sponsored by Franklin Square Capital Partners, which are sub-advised by GSO Capital Partners LP, and also includes Triangle Peak Partners, LP. Barclays acted as sole placement agent to Sunnova on the transaction.
Bioenergy Bytes

Poll: Americans Want More Wind Power

Joanna Schroeder

A recent national poll commissioned by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) finds that the majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents want more American-produced wind power; they also back an extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC). The poll found 73 percent of registered voters support continuing the PTC, including 63 percent of registered Republicans, 74 percent of Independents, and over 71 percent overall in all regions of the country.

This poll supports similar results from a national survey conducted by USA Today, Standford University and Resources for the Future in December 2013 when the PTC was originally set to expire (it was extended one year). The renewable energy PTC and Investment Tax Credit have a history of bipartisan support, as they did last April when five Republicans joined Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee in an 18-6 vote to include them in this year’s tax extenders bill, the EXPIRE Act.

AWEA PTC chart“These poll results couldn’t be clearer. American voters support wind power and support continuing the incentive for investment in wind power,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the AWEA. “It’s time for Congress to do what the majority of Americans want – and that means extending the Production Tax Credit so we can keep scaling up this critically important American energy source.”

The latest poll also found 79 percent of registered voters, including 69 percent of Republicans, agree with the statement “incentives for investment in wind energy help American workers make more of our own energy right here in America.” The data finds that in nearly all regions, the PTC is essential if new wind installations and cost reductions are to continue and benefit more consumers. According to AWEA, failures to continue the PTC by Congress in the past has caused an up to 92 percent drop in new wind power installations over the previous year, causing the loss of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in private investment to the U.S. economy.

Electricity, Legislation, Renewable Energy, Wind

E2 Launches Military Clean Energy Site

Joanna Schroeder

Screen Shot 2014-12-01 at 10.22.47 PMEnvironmental Entrepreneurs (E2) has launched a new web page dedicated to highlighting the U.S. military’s support and deployment of clean energy and energy efficiency projects. The organization says that investments made on military installations have broad reaching effects on saving tax payers money, improving their operational readiness and creating private-sector jobs.

The website includes an interactive map showing details of clean energy projects at approximately 40 military installations nationwide; in-depth written profiles and videos of what the military’s clean energy investments look like on the base level; and resources like links to major reports and links to all the main service branch installation offices.

Iraq War veteran, former Army officer, and energy leadership consultant Jon Gensler said of the new site, “Congress should take a page from the military and move clean energy forward by extending clean energy and energy efficiency tax incentives. It doesn’t matter if you wear a green uniform or a blue uniform or if you live in a red state or blue state – clean energy works for all Americans because it works for our fighting forces. Clean energy makes our military more effective, saves taxpayer money, and brings jobs to the towns and cities that are home to our military installations.”

Clean Energy, energy efficiency, military

U.S. Census Bureau Releases Renewable Energy Stats

Joanna Schroeder

For the first time the U.S. Census Bureau is now publishing economic census statistics for wind, geothermal, biomass and solar electric power generation. Between 2007 and 2012 revenues rose 49 percent from $6.6 billion to $9.8 billion. The electric power generation industry saw an overall decline of 1.2 percent in revenues from $121.0 billion to $119.5 billion between 2007 and 2012. The overall decline was driven by the fossil fuel electric power generation industry, which saw revenues decrease from $85.4 billion to $79.7 billion, or 6.7 percent, during the same five-year period.

Renewable Energy RevenueIn the 2007 Economic Census, wind, geothermal, biomass, and solar electric power generation were included in the broad “other electric power generation” industry but were not given separate designations. Beginning in the 2012 Economic Census, these industries had been broken out with the “other electric power generation” industry limited to only tidal electric power generation and other electric power generation facilities not elsewhere classified. Among the newly delineated industries (wind, geothermal, biomass, solar and other electric power generation), the number of establishments more than doubled in five years, from 312 in 2007 to 697 in 2012.

“As industries evolve, so does the Census Bureau to continue to collect relevant data that informs America’s business decisions,” said Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson. “Industries that use renewable energy resources are still relatively small, but they are rapidly growing.”

Specifically revenues for the wind electric power generation industry totaled $5.0 billion in 2012, the highest revenues among the industries using renewable energy resources. Hydroelectric power generation followed with revenues of $2.4 billion. Geothermal electric power generation had revenues of just under $1 billion ($995.4 million), followed by biomass electric power generation, with $934.6 million in revenues, solar electric power generation, with $472.4 million, and other electric power generation, with $59.0 million.

Together, these industries were a relatively small portion of the electric power generation industry, collectively accounting for just 8.2 percent ($9.8 billion) of total industry revenues in 2012. Fossil fuel and nuclear electric power generation are still the major revenue sources of the electric power generation industry, comprising 66.7 percent ($79.7 billion) and 25.1 percent ($29.9 billion), respectively, of total revenues.

bioenergy, biomass, Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind

Thanksgiving Blessings to All

Cindy Zimmerman

thanksgiving-2014aO God, source and giver of all things,
You manifest your infinite majesty, power and goodness
In the earth about us:
We give you honor and glory.
For the sun and the rain,
For the manifold fruits of our fields:
For the increase of our herds and flocks,
We thank you.
For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace,
We are grateful.

Supreme Lord of the harvest,
Graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil,
In union with Jesus, your Son,
As atonement for our sins,
For the growth of your Church,
For peace and love in our homes,
And for salvation for all.
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Farming, ZimmComm

Global Investment for Climate Change Falls Again

Joanna Schroeder

According to a new report from Climate Policy Initiative, global investment in activities that reduce the threat of climate change fell for the second year in a row from USD $359 billion in 2012 to USD $331 billion in 2013. The report, “Global Landscape of Climate Finance,” found while public sources and intermediaries contributed $137 billion, private investment dropped by $31 billion (all numbers USD).

Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2014The study found that the decrease in private funds was due largely to falling costs of solar PV. Solar development costs were down $40 billion in 2013 as compared to 2012. However, the report states that the situation remains grave: The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that an additional $1.1 trillion in low-carbon investments is needed every year between 2011 and 2050, in the energy sector alone, to keep global temperature rise below two degree Celsius. In other words, the world is falling further and further behind its low-carbon investment goals.

Climate finance spending was split almost equally between developed (OECD) and developing (non-OECD) countries, with $164 billion and $165 billion respectively. Nearly three-quarters of all spending was domestic: It originated in the country in which it was used. Private actors had an especially strong domestic investment focus with $174 billion or 90 percent of their investments remaining in the country of origin. These figures illuminate a bias by private investors toward environments that are more familiar and perceived to be less risky. However, public sector money made up the vast majority of developed to developing country flows, which fell by around $8 billion from the previous year to between $31 and $37 billion in 2013.

“As policymakers prepare a new global climate agreement in 2015, climate finance is a key ingredient to bring the world on a two degree Celsius pathway. Our analysis shows that global investment in a cleaner more resilient economy are decreasing and the gap between finance needed and actually delivered is growing,” said Barbara Buchner, senior director of Climate Policy Initiative and lead author of the study. “Our numbers demonstrate that most investment is happening at the national level with investors favoring familiar environments they perceive to be less risky. This implies that domestic policy frameworks and appropriate risk coverage are critical to encourage investment.”

Clean Energy, Climate Change, Solar

Massachusetts Offshore Wind Auction Announced

Joanna Schroeder

The Department of Interior’s Secretary Sally Jewell along with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Acting Director Walter Cruickshank have announced that more than 742,000 acres of offshore Massachusetts will be offered for commercial wind energy development. The auction will take place on January 29, 2015.

“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Patrick and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the hard work of BOEM staff members, this will be our largest competitive lease sale to date for offshore wind energy development,” said Jewell. “This sale will triple the amount of federal offshore acreage available for commercial-scale wind energy projects, bringing Massachusetts to the forefront of our nation’s new energy frontier.”

MASS offshore wind auction areaAccording to an analysis prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, if fully developed, the area being offered could support between 4 and 5 gigawatts of commercial wind generation. Twelve companies have qualified to participate in the auction for the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area.

“Over the past five years, the Commonwealth has worked with its federal, state, tribal, industry and community partners to put the infrastructure and planning pieces in place to make Massachusetts the launch pad for the U.S. offshore wind industry,” said Governor Patrick. “This offshore wind energy area not only has the capacity to generate enough electricity to power half the homes in Massachusetts, but it will create local jobs and a renewable and home-grown source of power.”

The Massachusetts Wind Energy Area starts about 12 nautical miles offshore. From its northern boundary, the area extends 33 nautical miles southward and has an east/west extent of approximately 47 nautical miles. Under the terms of the Final Sale Notice, which will be published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2014, the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area will be auctioned as four leases: Lease OCS-A 0500 (187,523 acres), Lease OCS-A 0501 (166,886 acres), Lease OCS-A 0502 (248,015 acres), and Lease OCS-A 0503 (140,554 acres).

Electricity, offshore wind, Renewable Energy

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFEcoEngineers is hosting a Business Breakfast in Des Moines, Iowa on December 12, 2041 from 7:30 to 9:30 am CST. Grant Menke of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and Jeff Hove of the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Owners of Iowa will be the featured speakers. They will speak about creating effective policy and frameworks for growth in the renewable fuels industry. Click here to register.
  • Ambassador Energy is partnering with Veteran Asset and Mission Career College to offer training to veterans and their families through the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. The solar PV course offered by Mission Career College and Ambassador Energy is an 80-hour curriculum followed by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Entry Level Exam, proctored on the final day of the two-week course. The inaugural 10-day course is being offered January 12th through 23rd, 2015 in Murrieta, California, and seats for qualified veterans are still available.
  • The Renault-Nissan Alliance has sold its 200,000th electric vehicle (EV) and has a leading 58% market share for zero-emission cars. Together, Renault and Nissan EVs have driven approximately 4 billion zero-emission kilometers – enough to circle the earth 100,000 times. Renault-Nissan’s EVs represent 200 million liters of fuel saved – enough to fill about 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Alliance EVs also represent 450 million kg of CO2 that has not been emitted while driving. The Alliance sold its 200,000th EV in early November, about four years after the launch of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle. Nissan LEAF remains the best-selling electric vehicle in history.
  • Solar Universe has announced the industry’s first-ever Black Friday sale on power. Instead of participating in the traditional hype of Black Friday, Solar Universe decided to lighten the meaning and call the event “Bright Friday“. The holiday deal includes a $1,000 gift card for new customers who visit BrightFridaySolar.com by Dec.1, and sign-up with Solar Universe by Jan. 5, 2015.
Bioenergy Bytes