Bloomberg is offering two new alerts for companies who will be most affected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Clean Power Plan Proposal that is anticipated to lower carbon pollution by 30 percent by 2030. The two alerts include: BGOV First Word: EPA Power Plant Rule (designed to capture breaking news) and Energy: EPA Power Plant Rule (designed to track the issue). In addition, Bloomberg will host a webinar on June 4, 2014 “Analyzing EPA’s New GHG Rules for Power Plants,” to discuss the impact it will have on business.- SolarEdge Technologies is unveiling an expanded product portfolio. On display for the first time during Intersolar Europe in Munich, the company will showcase its smart energy management solution which reduces electricity costs by maximizing self-consumption. As part of its smart energy management solution, SolarEdge is launching a Feed-in Limitation feature that is integrated into the company’s inverter firmware. This feature dynamically adjusts PV power production, ensuring that power output to the grid does not exceed the pre-set limit, thus enabling larger installations and increasing the potential of PV self-consumption.
- Intersolar Europe is taking place in Munich June 4-6, 2014 and according to Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), German solar photovoltaic generation peaked at around 15 GW on May 11, 2014 – a record high that caused prices to sink briefly into the negative. Tobias Rothacher, renewable energies manager at GTAI, noted that balancing supply with demand in the grid presents operators with a significant challenge and leads to market price fluctuations. That is where storage solutions come into play, he notes and said storage will be a major topic at this year’s event.
- Reshaping the European energy system could reduce energy expenditure by a range of €27 billion to €81 billion a year by 2030, according to a new study, “Forging a joint commitment to sustainable and cost-efficient energy transition in Europe,” carried out by Accenture for EURELECTRIC. The study shows that European expenditure on electricity and gas, the product of prices and the volumes consumed, has surged by more than 18 percent in recent years, from €450 billion in 2008 to €532 billion in 2012, with electricity accounting for most of this increase. Rising prices were almost solely responsible for the jump, driven largely by charges for renewables support, while the volumes consumed remained largely stable. Without a concerted effort by the industry, policymakers and consumers to more effectively manage the energy system, total energy expenditure could be 50 percent higher by 2030.
American Ethanol Brings Troops to Tracks
American Ethanol “Troops to the Track” program welcomed members of the Armed Forces to the “Monster Mile” at Dover International Speedway this past weekend.
The program, which is administered by the Armed Forces Foundation, welcomed service members and their families from Dover Air Force Base (AFB) to the Sprint Cup Series race that was won by Jimmie Johnson on Sunday. American Ethanol partner Growth Energy is a supporter of the Armed Forces Foundation. Through the Fueling Our Forces program, Growth Energy raises more than $100,000 annually for the organization and programs that go to support this generation of servicemen and women.
“Support of our service members is a key goal for American Ethanol,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “We recognize their sacrifice and work, and we will continue to expanded ethanol choices for consumers, which will take more of our troops out of harm’s way in the future.”
EPA Officially Releases Clean Power Plan Proposal
In what could be an unprecedented move by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency has released a proposed plan to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants by 30 percent nationwide below 2005 levels by 2030. The Clean Power Plan is the first proposed policy that would cut CO2 from existing power plants – the single largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S. Possible solutions to cutting carbon include integrating renewable power to the grid from sources such as geothermal, solar, wind and bioenergy (biomass or pellets derived from waste).
According to the EPA, power plants account for nearly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Although there are current limits in place for the level of arsenic, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particle pollution that power plants can emit, there are currently no national limits on carbon pollution levels.
“Climate change, fueled by carbon pollution, supercharges risks to our health, our economy, and our way of life,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “EPA is delivering on a vital piece of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan by proposing a Clean Power Plan that will cut harmful carbon pollution from our largest source–power plants.”
“By leveraging cleaner energy sources and cutting energy waste, this plan will clean the air we breathe while helping slow climate change so we can leave a safe and healthy future for our kids. We don’t have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment–our action will sharpen America’s competitive edge, spur innovation, and create jobs,” added McCarthy.
Building upon trends already underway to reduce GHG emissions (including carbon) in other industry sectors including the transportation sector (cars, planes, etc.) as well as working along side states who have already put carbon policies in place for their utility sectors, the goal is to create a nationwide plan to cut pollution while make power plants more energy efficient. In addition, the plan fits within the steps laid out in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan and his June 2013 Presidential Memorandum.
In 2009, the EPA determined that greenhouse gas pollution threatens Americans’ health and welfare by leading to long lasting changes in our climate that can have a range of negative effects on human health and the environment. By 2030, The Clean Power Plan specifically calls for:
- Cutting carbon emission from the power sector by 30 percent nationwide below 2005 levels, which is equal to the emissions from powering more than half the homes in the United States for one year;
- Cutting particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by more than 25 percent as a co-benefit;
- Avoiding up to 6,600 premature deaths, up to 150,000 asthma attacks in children, and up to 490,000 missed work or school days—providing up to $93 billion in climate and public health benefits; and
- Shrink electricity bills roughly 8 percent by increasing energy efficiency and reducing demand in the electricity system.
Springboard Biodiesel Debuts New Brewer
California-based Springboard Biodiesel celebrates its sixth anniversary of making biodiesel brewing equipment with a new model. This company news release says the new “True Blue 190™,” a small-scale biodiesel processor that can turn used cooking oils into biodiesel.
If a business can collect its used cooking oil for free, the total cost to make this diesel-replacement fuel is 95 cents per gallon. 95 cents is the cost of all the other inputs, including electricity, required to convert the oil into fuel. Once the appliance has made the conversion, this cleaner-burning fuel can be pumped directly out of the BioPro™ and into a diesel engine. No engine modification is required.
To celebrate the six-year milestone, and to differentiate machines made in 2014 from any other year, the company announced that it will now be selling machines with an optional “True Blue 190™” powder coated exterior throughout the remainder of the year, and will be offering them with free shipping to anywhere in the US through June 30th.
Mark Roberts, the company’s CEO, said in a statement, “For six years, we’ve been listening to our customers feedback and upgrading our equipment and now, in 2014, this machine represents what we believe is the best small-scale biodiesel processor on the market.”
The company adds that these processors are good for schools, restaurants, and even military bases looking to make cheap biodiesel from what would normally be waste products.
Biodiesel Already a Big Winner for World Cup
While the World Cup soccer tournament is about to get underway and bets are already being placed on favorites, such as Germany, Argentina, Spain, and of course, host nation Brazil, the big winner already might be biodiesel. This article from Farm Futures says Brazilian farmers are happy the buses in the host cities will run a 20 percent biodiesel blend, as they will serve as a chance to show higher blends will work.
As if the chance to show off its biodiesel prowess on an international stage weren’t enough, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff put the icing on the cake. She just issued a decree that will up the national mandatory biodiesel blend—with or without the World Cup Games—from the current 5% to 6%. Then, come November, the blend will go up to 7%. It’s “an important step” for the soybean industry, said Brazil’s oilseed crushers in a news release…
Farmers and crushers also argue that higher biodiesel blends would save government money—at exactly a time when some Brazilians are hitting the street in protest over World Cup spending, arguing it diverts from investment in social issues. With short refining capacity, it is said more than 20% of Brazil’s petroleum diesel comes from abroad. And, to keep official inflation numbers lower, the head of the crushers’ association there says that diesel is sold by the government’s national petroleum company at a loss. Greater biodiesel blends would cut some of those money-losing imports.
The article also says that while there has been a 5 percent blend in the country, biodiesel producers are able to produce twice as much as that blend currently uses. A higher blend would allow them to produce closer to capacity. About 80 percent of Brazil’s biodiesel comes from soybeans.
Navy, Arizona State Work Together on Algae Biofuels
The U.S. Navy is working with Arizona State University to develop biofuels from algae. This article from the school says Dennis McGinn, U.S. Navy Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations and Environment, visited the school’s Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI) to discuss how the Navy and civilian industry have some key overlapping issues, such as cost, sustainability, efficiency and energy security, and how the Navy wants to work with research institutions and industry to solve these problems for everyone.
“We are thinking about energy in three different ways: first in technology terms; biofuels, wind and solar energy storage, power grid systems and more,” McGinn said during a visit to Arizona State University. “But it takes two other critical elements to achieve our energy goals: partnerships and culture. This is why we’re interested in forging and strengthening relationships with outstanding organizations like ASU.”
While the Department of the Navy broadly funds energy research, another key aspect is its considerable influence in setting purchasing standards for their operations. The Navy is using its authority under the Defense Production Act, which allows the Navy, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to invest in industries that are determined critical to national security; in this case, biofuels. McGinn said that the Navy has already invested millions in projects with the DOE and USDA in order to bring down the cost of producing biofuel.
“The Navy wants to buy anywhere between 10 and 50 percent biofuel blends for our ships,” he said. “We want it to be a cost-competitive program. We are working specifically with the USDA to bring down biofuel costs to $3.50 a gallon or less at the commercial scale of 170 million gallons a year by 2016.”
McGinn went on to say that algae biofuels show great potential as an alternative transportation fuel for the nation’s fleets because of their sustainability and scalability.
Wind, Solar Solution for New EPA Power Plant Rules
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce later today new rules to reduce carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants by 30 percent by 2030, and a couple of renewable energy sources could help states comply. This article from the Boston Globe says solar and wind energy might be part of the compliance mix.
Under the rule, states will be given a menu of policy options to achieve the pollution cuts. Rather than immediately shut down coal plants, states could reduce emissions by making changes across their electricity systems — by installing new wind and solar generation or energy-efficiency technology, and by starting or joining state and regional “cap and trade” programs, in which states agree to cap carbon pollution and buy and sell permits to pollute.
And this article from the Houston Chronicle says power plants in Texas could end up in good shape because they use clean-burning natural gas.
[T]he state would have some 110 fully operating power plants, mostly fueled by natural gas, [Al Armendariz, a former EPA official who now leads the Sierra Club’s anti-coal campaign in Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas] said. “That’s the good news. The problem can be solved at a small number of plants. This will not affect nuclear plants or natural gas plants.”
Texas officials said the low prices for natural gas have led to the seasonal mothballing of coal-fired plants and reduced their output overall. The shift, they said, will lead to fewer emissions of greenhouse gases.
You can bet more renewable energy sources will be chiming in when the rule is announced later today.
Aventine Re-Opens Ethanol Plant Using Sugar
A Nebraska ethanol plant is back up and running after being idled for two years. But this article from the Lincoln Journal Star says the biggest surprise is the fact that Aventine Renewable Energy Inc. in Aurora is making the green fuel from sugar, not the usual corn feedstock.
The company is using sugar because it can. It’s even simpler to make ethanol from sugar than it is from corn, but it’s only temporary, according to Aventine. The federal government makes surplus sugar available to ethanol producers to use as feedstock.
Aventine’s operations at the Aurora West plant have been complicated and delayed by the company’s legal disputes with the Aurora Cooperative over their land deal, rail access and other agreements. The ethanol producer, based in Pekin, Ill., filed for bankruptcy five years ago, and that delayed the plant’s construction, causing conflict with the co-op.
The co-op also had an agreement to supply the plant with feedstock. Both sides contend the other breached that agreement. The plant has a capacity to produce 113 million gallons per year.
Nebraska Ethanol Board officials believe this might be one of the first times something other than corn has been used to make ethanol in the state. The re-opening also brings consistent production back to this Aventine plant, and it opens the door to another nearby, smaller Aventine ethanol plant to re-opening after being idled for the past two years.
Rural Wind Energy Development Act Introduced
A bill to help rural areas get more power from the wind has been introduced. Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Tom Cole (OK-04) say their Rural Wind Energy Development Act will provide an investment tax credit to ranchers, farmers, and small businesses to offset the up-front costs of owning a distributed wind turbine.
Small wind turbines (generating up to 20 megawatts of clean energy) allow farmers, ranchers, and other consumers to cut their energy bills and, at times, sell power back into the grid. They also allow thousands of businesses—from “mom and pop” stores, to retailers, to ranches, and to breweries—to reduce their energy load, to help clean the environment, and to save money. The Department of Energy’s national laboratories estimate that community wind generates a strong economic multiplier for local communities, helping rural areas rebound from challenging economic times.
“Community wind energy not only creates American-produced electricity, but American jobs as well,” said Blumenauer. “Approximately 90% of distributed wind turbines sold in the U.S. are made here, according to domestic manufacturing content, creating non-exportable, family wage jobs.”
“I am pleased to once again work with my friend and colleague in furthering the success of the same credit we worked to create in 2008,” said Cole. “Not only does the credit play an important role in encouraging and developing an all-of-the-above energy approach for our nation, but it also ensures that America continues to be a leader in innovation. By modestly increasing this credit, we can continue to encourage economic development, especially in our rural communities.”
The bill is touted as taking away federal restrictions that work well for large-scale wind projects, but cause issues for the smaller producers.
DF Cast: Senators, Industry Push EPA on Biofuels
Time is ticking down for the Environmental Protection Agency to make a decision on how much renewable fuel will be mixed into the nation’s fuel supply, and ethanol and biodiesel groups are pressing for a change to what’s being proposed.
On the biodiesel side, nearly 120 companies have just sent the White House a letter trying to reverse the proposed 1.28 billion gallons of biodiesel to be blended… a move in the wrong direction from the 1.8 billion gallons produced just last year. The letter adds to a chorus of dissent on the agency’s proposal coming from areas such as the Midwest where renewable fuels are made and from usually staunch Obama Administration backers on Capitol Hill.
In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we hear from U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), as they express their frustration with the EPA proposal… and what can be done to fix this.
Domestic Fuel Cast - Sens., Industry Push EPA on Biofuels