Iowa Supreme Court Rules for Solar

Joanna Schroeder

SEIA 40 anniversary logoIn a setback to the regulated utility model, the Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that a power purchase agreement (PPA) between the city of Dubuque and Eagle Point Solar does not violate state law. Regulated utility companies had fought the arrangement, claiming to have exclusive rights to sell to customers in their service areas. On Friday, July 11, 2014 Iowa’s high court disagreed.

After the decision was handed down, Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), said of the win, “This is an important milestone for solar energy in Iowa. It undoubtedly will help to jumpstart solar installations across the state, creating new jobs, pumping money into the economy and reducing pollution. But just as importantly, this is a victory for freedom of choice, affirming the right of Iowans to decide how they want to power their homes and businesses in the future. We commend the court for doing the right thing.”

Renewable Energy, Solar

Former Team Ethanol Driver Wins Iowa Corn Indy 300

Chuck Zimmerman

Ryan Hunter ReayEver since I met Ryan Hunter Reay as the driver for the Indy Team Ethanol Car I’ve been following him as his racing gets better and better. He showed it this weekend when he roared to a dramatic finish and won the Iowa Corn Indy 300. Ryan is a winner of this race previously.

With the Indy cars running on the same fuel that we can put in our flex fuel vehicles – E85 – this renewable fuel was on the big stage again. Our Joanna Schroeder was on location for the American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, on Saturday and will have some stories to share from that event as well.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Indy Racing

Offshore Wind Fastest Growing Power Sector in Europe

Joanna Schroeder

Offshore wind energy development in Europe is the fastest growing power sector with 4.9 GW of new capacity under construction according to the European Wind Energy (EWEA). The 4.9 GW will be comprised of 16 commercial offshore wind farms under construction.

EWEA 2014 Statistics ReportDuring the first six months of 2014, 224 new offshore wind turbines totaling 781 megawatts were fully connected tot the grid. This is 25 percent less than during the same period in 2013. However, there are 282 wind turbines installed that have not been connected to the grid during the first six months. Once connected, this will add an additional 1,200 MW of offshore wind energy capacity.

“Despite offshore wind power installations being lower than in the first six months of last year, it remains the fastest growing power sector in Europe” said Justin Wilkes, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at EWEA. “However, despite significant financing activity in the first half of the year, the contraction in installations we have witnessed in these first six months, may well continue into 2015 and 2016.”

“To ensure healthy growth in the latter part of the decade, and to ensure offshore wind energy plays its role in meeting the EU’s competitiveness, security, renewable and climate objectives, the industry must be given longer-term visibility,” Wilkes continued. “An ambitious deal on the 2030 Climate and Energy package by the EU’s Heads of State in October would send the right signal, making their decision particularly important for the offshore wind sector,” he concluded.

Total installed offshore wind capacity in Europe is now 7,343 MW in 73 wind farms across 11 countries, capable of producing 27 TWh of electricity, enough to meet the needs of over 7 million households – or the entire population of the Netherlands.

International, offshore wind, Renewable Energy

Researchers Make Green Plastic from Biodiesel By-Product

John Davis

csirlogoResearchers in India have created a green plastic from the biodiesel by-product glycerin. This article from the Business Times says the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) developed the biodegradable plastic from a jatropha-based biodiesel process.

“We had initiated a research on using the residue of bio-diesel to be converted to plastic.The idea of green plastic came as a result of our concern to effectively utilize the crude glycerol which is the byproduct of the Jatropha biodiesel,” said S Mishra, principal scientist, CSMCRI.

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and CSMCRI have started research related to the development of ‘green plastic’ in 2005 during the second phase of the project entitled ‘Biofuels from eroded soils of India” sponsored by Daimler Chrysler, Germany.

More than 500 gms. of green plastic has already been produced in the laboratory at gram scale which was distributed to some firms for research analysis and studies on its further applications in bio-medical area. “Now ,our target is to scale up the process from gram to kilogram scale per batch production. Besides, we are also trying to improve functional/physical properties of the product,” she added.

A European patent has been granted for these bioplastics that degrade in the soil in three months.

The institute is also looking at developing algae found in the Indian coastline to be made into biodiesel.

biochemicals, Biodiesel, International

Biodiesel Put to the Test in Dodge Ram

John Davis

Biodiesel PumpIt’s always good to see the results of biodiesel put into real test situations. This great article from Diesel Power magazine put the green fuel at a B20 (20 percent biodiesel) level to the test in a 2014 Ram 2500 and showed just how good biodiesel can be, providing fewer emissions, lubricating the engine better, and actually being a cheaper source of fuel in some parts of the country.

So why all the hate if there are so many positives? One criticism is that biodiesel clogs fuel filters. It is true that in higher-mileage diesels fuel filters will need to be changed more frequently when running biodiesel, but this isn’t because of the fuel itself. It’s due to the fact that biodiesel is a better solvent than petrodiesel and actually cleans the built-up gunk out of the truck’s fuel tank and system. The higher the concentration of biodiesel, the quicker the tank gets cleaned and the filter gets clogged. This leads directly to the second myth of biodiesel: that it provides less power and lower fuel economy. Typically, the cause of this is a clogged fuel filter. See the connection? Keep the filter clean, and you’ll never know there is bio in the tank.

This brings us back to my quick test. I saddled the truck up with the same trailer and load as before and hit the road. At first, it seemed like the engine was louder when running on B20, but after a few hours it all seemed normal. I attribute this simply to a placebo effect. I wanted there to be something noticeably different with the new fuel, so my brain said it was louder. The reality is after I switched back to number 2 the noise level remained the same. The truck’s power felt the same as well, and the truck had absolutely no issues hauling the load on level ground, or up steep hills. I even spanked a Duramax up the infamous Grapevine. With the tow test complete, I unhooked the trailer and ran a tank with the truck empty. Both tests returned fuel economy numbers that were within ½ mpg of the original test.

The bottom line of this article was that B20 is less expensive and better for the environment and a truck’s engine, without losing power or fuel economy.

Biodiesel

#51 Eric Jones Wins American Ethanol 200

Joanna Schroeder

Erik Jones No 51 winner of 2014 American Ethanol 200 presented by SyngentaErik Jones driver of the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports held off Brad Keselowski Racing’s Ryan Blaney for the win of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 200 sponsored by Enogen.

Jones said during Victory Lane, “Glad we could get out and command the race and bring it home.” Jones led 131 of the 200 laps dominating the 3/4 mile track and lapping several other drivers. This is his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win of the season.

Jones was given the award and congratulated for his win in Victory Lane by David Witherspoon, head of renewable fuels at Syngenta. All the drivers in the series compete with Sunoco’s green E15 racing fuel – the same E15 blend of ethanol that consumers with cars manufactured after 2001 and newer can use. To date, NASCAR has raced more than 6 million miles with E15.


Visit the 2014 American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen photo album.

American Ethanol, biofuels, E15, Enogen, Ethanol, NASCAR, Racing, Syngenta

Syngenta Donates $108K for Flex Fuel Infrastructure

Joanna Schroeder

During the American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen taking place at the Iowa Speedway today, Syngenta announced that they are donating $108,000 to the renewable fuels industry to make flex fuels more widely available. The funds will be used for flex fuel pump infrastructure to help bring more mid-level ethanol blends such as E15 and E30 along with E85 available to consumers. The donation is part of a three-year commitment, known as the $1 per acre donation, announced in 2013 to contribute $1 to the ethanol industry for every acre planted with Enogen trait technology.

Syngenta 2014 $1 per acre donationIn addition to this year’s $1 per acre donation, Syngenta is also working with Iowa FFA chapters in a collaborative effort to match those dollars through a fund raising initiative taking place during the American Ethanol race weekend.

“Syngenta is pleased to continue its support for the ethanol industry by donating $1 for every acre of Enogen® seed planted during 2014 – and to be partnering with the FFA to make that donation go even further,” said David Witherspoon, head of Renewable Fuels at Syngenta. “Last year, the money was used to defend the Renewable Fuels Standard. The focus of this year’s donation – and matching dollars – will be to make flex fuels more accessible and provide consumers with a choice at the gas pump.”

According to Growth Energy, more than 170 million cars – those manufactured since 2001 – are eligible to use E15. And, there are more than sixteen million flex fuel vehicles on the roads today, with more on the way. Witherspoon added that helping the industry expand its flex fuel pump footprint will enable consumers to have a choice to purchase a superior higher octane fuel, and pay less.

“Clearly, we have the vehicles capable of using blends higher than E10 – but consumers need greater access to stations capable of providing it – and the petroleum marketing industry’s support to make that access a reality,” Witherspoon said. “The widespread availability of flex fuel vehicles – as well as those eligible to use E15 – demonstrates that there is a market ready for a less expensive, higher octane, more environmentally friendly alternative fuel.”

Listen to my interview with David Witherspoon here: David Witherspoon interview

Visit the 2014 American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen photo album.


American Ethanol, Audio, biofuels, Enogen, Ethanol, NASCAR, Syngenta

EIA: Plenty of Potential, But Hydro Limited by Economics

John Davis

A new study by the Department of energy shows there’s great potential for hydroelectric power in the U.S., but the economics of the situation keeps more power from being added. This report from the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) cites work by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) that shows there are 61 gigawatts (GW) of hydroelectric power potential in waterways without existing dams or diversion facilities. However, the projected capacity to be added is only 2 GW through 2040.
eiajuly10report1
The report quantified the technical resource capacity available at more than three million U.S. streams, qualifying its findings by saying “the methodology alone does not produce estimates of generation, cost, or potential impacts of sufficient accuracy to determine project-specific feasibility or to justify investments.”

Although resource potential quantifies maximum feasible capacity additions, EIA’s AEO2014 Reference case also considers market and policy hurdles that can limit actual development of a new hydroelectric power plant. These include economic factors, performance characteristics, federal regulations, electricity demand, and the cost of competing sources for new generation. Because hydropower is a mature technology, most of the technically and economically superior sites have already been developed.

The report does provide new information to assess the technical potential of hydropower and improve the understanding of resources that can take advantage of new technologies such as in-stream turbines.

Government, Hydro

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFPlug Power Inc. recently participated in the recent grand opening of Ace Hardware’s first all hydrogen material handling fleet at the company’s newly constructed Wilmer, Texas warehouse. In addition, Ace has ordered further GenDrive units for another distribution center being built in West Jefferson, Ohio.
  • The Export-Import Bank of the United States is providing a $64.5 million direct loan to Astidey S.A., in Montevideo, Uruguay, for the purchase of U.S.-manufactured wind-turbine generators being exported by Gamesa Technology Corporation Inc., headquartered in Feasterville-Trevose, Pa. The authorization will support approximately 400 U.S. jobs, according to bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology. Gamesa will supply, transport, install and commission 25 of its G97 2.0-megawatt (MW) wind turbines in the 50 MW Talas de Maciel I wind farm in the Department of Flores, Uruguay, located approximately 135 kilometers northwest of Montevideo.
  • RGS Energy has completed its previously announced private equity offering for gross proceeds of approximately $7.0 million. The company plans to use the net proceeds of approximately $6.4 million to support the launch of its residential leasing platform and for general working capital purposes, including debt repayment.
  • With funding from the Maryland Energy Administration Offshore Wind Development Fund, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has secured a $1.1M commitment from the U.S. Dept. of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to gather scientific information about the bionetwork of the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Area. This effort is intended to protect the ecosystem while providing opportunities for deployment of advanced renewable energy technology within the state. The interagency agreement establishes a jointly-funded project to study marine mammal populations off the coast of Maryland to help those agencies and the public better understand the geographic distribution, abundance, and densities of large whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Bioenergy Bytes

Wind Energy Faces Challenges

Joanna Schroeder

According to a new paper, “Challenges for Wind Energy’s Future,” although a negligible player in electricity generation, wind energy comes at an exorbitant taxpayer expense. In addition, the report finds that the wind industry faces several likely “insurmountable” challenges to becoming a dependable part of America’s energy portfolio.

Author Merrill Matthews, Ph.D., discusses in the paper that while wind itself may be free, the IPI Ideas Challenges for Wind Energyprice to harness it as a source of renewable energy is not. Matthews reports that wind energy accounted for only 4 percent of total U.S. electricity generation in 2013, but cost taxpayers a what he calls a staggering $2 billion—a vastly disproportionate tax subsidy as compared to other energy producing industries.

Matthews says it was admitted even by investor Warren Buffett that the wind energy industry would not exist without tax breaks, and the market for it has only been sustained because of government mandates.

  • In addition to its expense, writes Matthews, wind energy’s other key challenges include:
  • It’s unreliable and may not be available during peak usage;
  • It’s shown to be environmentally harmful, for example causing half a million annual bird deaths; and
  • It’s losing favor as a priority with the public.

“The quest for an economy driven by a clean, abundant and affordable renewable energy remains an unfulfilled dream—though not for a lack of lobbying, a supportive media, and lots of government money,” writes Matthews. “Wind energy’s marginal success has come at a huge taxpayer and ratepayer cost. The public’s willingness to continue to pour billions of dollars into wind energy, through higher taxes or rates, appears to be coming to a close.”

Alternative energy, Opinion, Wind