Morrison & Foerster has announced that Jeffrey A. Chester, a project finance and renewable energy lawyer, has joined the firm as a partner in Los Angeles. Chester will advise on global capital-raising transactions for the renewable and alternative energy space. He has closed more than 50 wind-power and two dozen solar-power project financings, including a 1,550-megawatt power purchase agreement by Southern California Edison, the largest wind-power purchase agreement in history.- Rio Rancho Public Schools has completed a 2,357-kilowatt solar power project. The school system has recently completed two ground-mounted solar arrays at Cleveland and Rio Rancho High Schools. Each system is approximately 1,200-kilowatts and consists of more than 4,000 Coenergy solar panels.
- LanzaTech, a producer of low-carbon fuels and chemicals from waste gases, has been ranked #2 in Biofuels Digest’s annual list of the 50 Hottest Companies in Bioeenergy and #4 in its 30 Hottest Companies in Biobased Chemicals. LanzaTech is one of only two companies to be ranked in the top 5 in both lists.
- DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions (DuPont) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) have announced they will host a key panel discussion at the upcoming Solar Power International Conference in Chicago, Illinois October 21-24, 2013, which will bring together leading representatives from across the solar industry to examine the importance of balancing costs with reliability and durability for solar systems.
ChargePoint Invests for Massive EV Adoption
ChargePoint has teamed up with Key Equipment Finance, one of the nation’s largest bank-held equipment finance companies and an affiliate of KeyCorp, to spur mass electric vehicle (EV) adoption throughout the country. The two companies have launched a $100 million lease-to-own program for EV charging stations that will give small and medium sized companies and municipalities the opportunity to install EV chargers at no upfront cost. According to ChargePoint, this is the first comprehensive, turn-key program that allows for pay-as-you-go financing of charging stations, installation costs, operational services and warranty.
The new initiative known as The Net+ Purchase Plan can provide a net positive cash flow for companies or public entities depending on charging usage.
“Through this program, companies and municipalities can now offer their workforce EV charging for no more than the price of a couple of cups of coffee per day,” said Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint. “By providing EV charging to workers, employers are essentially giving their employees a raise of up to 5% as a result of reduced fuel costs. In addition, companies increase productivity, allow their employees HOV lane access, and support important sustainability and environmental policies. This is a win-win-win for employers, employees, and our communities.”
ChargePoint says the program is the first large scale financing solution offered in the EV market to address a known barrier to EV adoption. Fashioned after the success in the solar industry, the innovative purchasing program should drive adoption by significantly lowering up front installation costs.
“We are thrilled to partner with ChargePoint to offer flexible financing options to companies and municipalities interested in installing EV charging stations,” said Tim Duerr, senior vice president of business development at Key Equipment Finance. “This program makes it much easier for municipalities and businesses with budget or cash-flow constraints across the U.S. to cover both the hard and soft costs associated with EV chargers, and we look forward to seeing this program grow as more organizations realize how cost-effective and beneficial EV chargers can be.”
Mixed Results on Impact of Govt. Shutdown
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “ Is shutdown affecting you?” Well, it’s a moot point now since the shutdown is over (for the time being). Our poll results were pretty well mixed though.
Our poll results:
· Yes, in a minor way –23%
· Not at all – 23%
· Can’t tell a difference – 25%
· Not yet 16%
· Yes, in a major way 10%
· Other 4%
Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What is most important to you when buying food?” What are those key drivers or influencers that you’re faced with at the grocery store? Let us know!
European Researchers Look to Turn Algae to Biofuel
University researchers in Europe are looking at ways to turn algae into biofuels, including biodiesel. This article from the BBC says Swansea University is teaming up with scientists in seven other European countries to find the best way of turning it into fuel.
“The big driver behind the research for algae is the consideration about what we’re doing to our environment,” [EnAlgae project coordinator Dr Shaun Richardson] said.
“It’s the need to reduce CO2 levels and to find a more sustainable way of producing fuel, energy and products.
“We are growing it, we harvest it, take the water out of it and then you can convert it into a range of energy sources or products.
“Algae, especially micro algae, is ideally suited to turning into an oil which can then be turned into either aviation fuel for aeroplanes or a bio-diesel to power our cars.”
Swansea University opened its laboratories at the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research (CSAR) to the public on Tuesday to see the latest work being carried out.
School officials point to a test flight four years ago of a plane flying on an algae-based biofuel.
Sugar-Based Catalyst Could Help Brew Biodiesel
One of the knocks about trying to turn fatty wastes into biodiesel is the use of sulfuric acid to aid in the esterification process to remove the free fatty acids (FFAs) that appear in high quantities in low quality oils. But researchers at Wake Forest and Virginia Tech universities have found a sugar-based alternative to sulfuric acid to improve the esterification process.
It is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and easy to filter out from produced biodiesel. “Unlike liquid sulfuric acid which has to be neutralized over a long period of time, our catalyst is a solid and can be separated relatively easily,” says Brian Hanson, a chemist at Virginia Tech who worked on the project.
From a commercial standpoint, this new catalyst could reduce costs by as much as 15 percent for a small-scale biodiesel production facility, according to a feasibility study conducted by Wake Forest University Schools of Business. While more research needs to be done to test the viability of the catalyst on a larger scale outside of the lab, it could one day help to make sewer waste and used oil waste affordable sources of fuel.
“Where this will make a lot of commercial sense in the near term will be in the developing world or on an island,” says Dan Fogel, an executive professor of strategy at the Wake Forest Schools of Business. “In these kinds of places, energy costs can be as much as 50 cents a kilowatt hour. Here in Winston-Salem you pay around 11 or 12 cents per kilowatt hour.”
“Right now, you and I actually pay companies to come and dispose of sewer and used oil waste,” says Abdou Lachgar, a professor of chemistry at Wake Forest University and the project’s lead researcher. “What we want to do is to take the fat out of that waste and convert it to energy.”
The researchers believe that existing biodiesel plants can be retrofitted to use the new catalyst.
ACE Supports EPA’s RVO Efforts
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding leaks in the press about the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard. While the majority of EPA employees were furloughed during the government shut down, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, along with several other of her key staff, remained on the job.
ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings points out in the letter, “We understand that the oil industry prefers to continue amassing profits in a market where ethanol is artificially 
restricted to just ten percent of gasoline demand even though it is less expensive and cleaner than petroleum. Recall, the oil lobby fought to prevent ethanol from comprising even ten percent of the market when the original RFS was passed by Congress in 2005 and they have rebelled against the necessity to blend more than that since the law was expanded in 2007.
Their state of denial about higher ethanol blends was the reason that the waiver language was one of the final outstanding provisions that oil companies tried to weaken as finishing touches were put on the RFS by Congress. They wanted the opportunity for their cuff-linked attorneys to wordsmith and dodge their way out of compliance when the RFS became a real threat to their continued monopoly on consumer pocketbooks.
Simply put, the ‘blend wall’ is not a justification for triggering the waiver authority under the RFS. To the contrary, the purpose of the RFS is to allow consumer access to cleaner and more affordable alternatives to petroleum. To waive the RFS based on the blend wall rewards oil companies for doing nothing to comply with the inevitability of higher ethanol blends, and would take the teeth out of the most consequential policy enacted by Congress to improve the way we produce and use transportation fuel.
Based on the thoughtful and appropriate steps EPA has taken to date to ensure the RFS is successful, we know the Administration would not want to retreat by creating the kind of dangerous precedent that harms consumers by caving in to oil industry demands.”
Patriot Adds ICM Selective Milling Technology
Patriot Renewable Fuels LLC of Annawan, Illinois has purchased ICM’s patent-pending Selective Milling Technology (SMT). According to ICM, the technology increases ethanol yield, reduces viscosity and increases oil recovery. In addition, with the Patriot Renewable Fuels contract announcement, ICM and its partners have used this technology to increase ethanol yield to surpass more than one billion gallons of annual ethanol production.
“It gives us great pleasure to announce the purchase of our Selective Milling Technology by Patriot Renewable Fuels,” said ICM President Chris Mitchell. “Today we celebrate two milestones – the first which illustrates ICM’s ability to provide our customers with this technology towards increasing the yield of more than one billion gallons of annual ethanol production. The second milestone we celebrate is Patriot’s five year anniversary as an ethanol producer, and as a solid contributor to the economic growth of Annawan and the surrounding region. We’re thrilled to continue delivering this successful yield enhancement solution that can improve our customers’ bottom line and strengthen their communities.”
Patriot Renewable Fuels general manager Rick Vondra added, “Today, we are a 120 MGY producer that draws upon the strength of ICM’s revolutionary platform technology and the ability of SMT to increase our ethanol yields, increase oil recovery yields, and ultimately increase our revenues. With our 200 local/Midwestern investors, we’ll harness that strength and continue to make an impact on agriculture and economic development.”
BioEnergy Bytes
- Abengoa an international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and environment sectors, has declared the price of its capital increase of class B shares totaling €450 million, initially announced on October 7, 2013. The company has also granted an option to the underwriters of the Offering (greenshoe) to purchase up to €67.5 million in additional shares over the next 30 days, meaning that the final amount of the capital increase could reach €517.5 million.
- Canadian Solar has announced that its subsidiary, Canadian Solar Solutions, has begun construction of the 100 MWac Grand Renewable Solar Project utility-scale solar farm. The Grand Renewable Solar Project is Canada’s largest photovoltaic project, and is being financed by Connor Clark & Lunn Infrastructure and developed by Samsung Renewable Energy. The solar power plant is expected to be fully operational in 2015. The 100 MWac utility-scale solar power plant, which is located in the Haldimand County, will include approximately 440,000 Canadian Solar CS6X high performance modules.
- The Broward County Commission (Broward County, Florida) unanimously voted to move forward with an innovative “open market” approach to financing for residential and commercial energy retrofits for its more than 1.8 million county residents. The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program adopted by the County lets property owners voluntarily and cost-effectively fund energy-saving retrofits of their homes and businesses. Financing is available for solar panels, LED lighting, HVAC and wind-resistance improvements. Interest rates are competitive because repayment is collected as an assessment on the owners’ property tax bill.
- The producers of the In View series, an educational series distributed on numerous cable TV outlets, including on the Discovery Channel, have announced plans to highlight some of the improvements and innovations that have made renewable energy more practical and cost-effective and are looking for inspirational stories.
EU Ends Probe Over Biodiesel Imports
The European Union’s anti-subsidy probe over some foreign biodiesel is ending. Reuters reports the original complaint from the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) about unfair subsidizing of biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia is being dropped.
“In accordance with article 14 (1) of the basic regulation the proceeding may be terminated where the complaint is withdrawn, unless such termination may not be in the Union’s interest,” the document said.
This is a separate procedure from a proposal from the European Commission to extend anti-dumping duties against imports of biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia, accused of selling the product into the bloc at unfairly low prices.
Argentina is the world’s biggest supplier of the fuel.
The EU had been the biggest buyer of Argentine biodiesel until last year, when sales began to tumble over dumping accusations, which have been denied by Argentina.
Argentina’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying it felt “unease” about the continued inquiry into possible dumping.
It said there are no grounds for the inquiry and that a threatened increase in duties imposed by the EU would “exclude Argentina from the European market.”
Argentine biodiesel industry officials say the anti-dumping taxes set for November will still keep the South American country’s green fuel out of Europe.
DF Cast: A More Reliable Solar Investment Way
Investing in renewable energy, particularly solar, hasn’t always been an easy proposition. The biggest stumbling block is the way you have to invest in a company and all the baggage that comes with that company. But Oakland, Calif.-based Mosaic, America’s first online marketplace to offer solar investments to the public, believes there’s a better way, allowing investors to invest in projects instead of the whole company.
In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we talk with Katie Ullman with Mosaic, who explains their platform is changing the way solar, and other renewable, investments are considered. She explains how their team works to find the right investments, weeding out the vast majority of the ones considered to minimize the risks for investors and maximizing the chances for success.
Listen to more of the conversation in this Domestic Fuel Cast: Domestic Fuel Cast - Katie Ullman, Mosaic