Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:March 23, 2005

News and Events

• USDA Conservation Program Includes Efficiency, Renewable Incentives
• California Launches $30 Million Clean Energy Investment Fund
• Ormat Breaks Ground on New Geothermal Power Plant in Nevada
• Ethanol Plant to Take Advantage of Waste Heat from Coal Plant
• Illinois Provides $500,000 to Build Ethanol Infrastructure

Site News

DOE and White House Launch Hydrogen Energy Web Sites

Energy Connections

Record Gasoline Prices Slow Sales of Full-Size SUVs

News and Events

USDA Conservation Program Includes Efficiency, Renewable Incentives

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week that its Conservation Security Program (CSP) will start accepting sign-ups from farmer and ranchers on March 28th. Although the program is primarily meant to support ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands, this year’s program sign-up includes a renewable energy and energy efficiency component. Eligible producers will receive compensation for conducting energy audits, for cutting their energy use, for converting to renewable energy fuels (such as biodiesel or ethanol), and for implementing renewable energy production, including methane production as well as wind, solar, hydroelectric and geothermal energy. See the USDA press release and the CSP job sheets for energy enhancement activities.

According to the USDA, roughly 235,000 farmer and ranchers in 220 watersheds will be eligible for this year’s CSP. The 220 watersheds represent more than 185 million acres in every state and the Caribbean, including 2 million acres of tribal lands. Congress funded the CSP at $202 million in fiscal year 2005, which will allow the USDA to write an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 contracts. The payments are divided into three tiers, based on the level of conservation achieved, with the highest tier earning up to $45,000 annually for 5 to 10 years. See the CSP Program Web site, which includes the latest amendment to the rules and a list of eligible watersheds.

California Launches $30 Million Clean Energy Investment Fund

The bankruptcy of California’s Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 2001 was bad news for the electric utility industry, but the utility’s return to solvency last year has an unexpected benefit for clean energy technologies: As part of its bankruptcy settlement, the utility provided $30 million to create a new investment fund, the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF). CalCEF announced last week that three leading venture capital firms will make equity investments in clean energy companies on its behalf, with each firm investing $8.5 million in companies involved in renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, and enabling technologies and services. CalCEF intends to make profitable investments that generate economic growth while reducing California’s dependence on fossil fuels. Any profits from the investments will be reinvested in CalCEF. See the CalCEF press release.

Ormat Breaks Ground on New Geothermal Power Plant in Nevada

Ormat Nevada, Inc., a subsidiary of Ormat Technologies, Inc., broke ground last week on the first geothermal electric generating plant to be built at Steamboat, Nevada since 1991. Known as the Galena Geothermal Project, the 20-megawatt plant will bring the total output from the Steamboat geothermal complex to 44 megawatts. According to Ormat, the Galena Geothermal Project is the first to begin construction since the Nevada Legislature passed laws in 2001 requiring utilities to supply a portion of their power from renewable energy resources. See the Ormat press release.

Efforts to develop the first geothermal power plant in Idaho also continue to press ahead. In February, U.S. Geothermal Inc. acquired two parcels of land and energy rights at the proposed location of its Raft River Idaho geothermal power project. The acquisitions add 417.5 acres of surface land and 259 acres of new energy rights to the company’s holdings at the site. See the U.S. Geothermal press release (PDF 88 KB).

Ethanol Plant to Take Advantage of Waste Heat from Coal Plant

One common concern about ethanol production is the amount of energy required to produce each gallon of ethanol, often referred to as the energy balance of ethanol production. Last week, two companies announced an innovative approach to tip that balance further in favor of ethanol: Headwaters Incorporated has signed an agreement to build an ethanol plant next to Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Station power plant near Underwood, North Dakota. The proposed facility would use the waste heat from the coal-fired power plant in place of a boiler, thus saving energy while reducing emissions from the ethanol plant. The plant will be able to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol per year, and the two companies plan to begin construction in the fall and start producing ethanol in fall 2006. The coal-heated ethanol facility is a natural fit for Headwaters, which is involved in coal combustion and the production of synthetic fuels from coal. See the press releases from Headwaters (PDF 57 KB) and Great River Energy.

Another ethanol plant near Richardton, North Dakota, is taking a more direct route: the facility will burn lignite coal as its energy source. The plant’s developer, Red Trail Energy LLC, claims the plant
will produce 50 million gallons of ethanol per year with an energy savings of 70 percent compared to ethanol plants that use natural gas. Red Trail Energy recently raised sufficient cash to start the project and has begun site preparation for construction of the plant. See the Red Trail Energy Web site.

By the way, even existing ethanol plants produce about 34 percent more energy (embodied in the ethanol fuel) than they use in growing the corn, harvesting it, transporting it, and distilling it into ethanol, according to a July 2002 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). See the USDA report, “The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update” (PDF 168 KB).

Illinois Provides $500,000 to Build Ethanol Infrastructure

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich announced on March 8th that $500,000 in funding is now available to establish new E85 facilities at retail gasoline outlets throughout the state. E85 is a blend of gasoline with 70 to 85 percent ethanol for use in flexible fuel vehicles, which are designed to burn E85, unleaded gasoline, or any combination of the two fuels. Illinois’ E85 program, run by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, will provide up to $2,000 to convert an existing refueling facility to E85 operation, or up to $40,000 for the construction of a new E85 refueling facility. See the governor’s press release.

For anyone wanting to build an E85 refueling facility, DOE’s Alternative Fuel Data Center recently launched the “E85 Fleet Toolkit,” a Web resource for fleet managers and other interested parties. The Toolkit includes information on fueling equipment and processes; procedures for building new stations or converting existing equipment to be E85 compatible; E85 fuel specifications and suppliers; and much more. See the E85 Fleet Toolkit.

Here’s an unusual fleet of vehicles that will soon switch to ethanol: the Indy Racing League’s IndyCar Series. Although the vehicles run on methanol today, the IndyCar Series racers will add 10 percent ethanol to their fuel in 2006, then shift to 100 percent ethanol in 2007. That means locally grown fuels will soon be powering the Indianapolis 500. See the Indy Racing League announcement.

Site News

DOE and White House Launch Hydrogen Energy Web Sites

DOE launched a new Hydrogen Program Web site last week. The site links the four DOE offices that participate in the President’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative: the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; the Office of Fossil Energy; the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology; and the Office of Science. The new Web site serves as a one-stop location for the latest information on DOE’s hydrogen fuel efforts. See the DOE Hydrogen Program Web site.

Meanwhile, the Hydrogen R&D Task Force, a part of the President’s National Science and Technology Council, has developed Hydrogen.gov, a new Web site meant to serve as the federal government’s central source of information on research and development activities related to hydrogen and fuel cells. Visit the Hydrogen.gov Web site.

Energy Connections

Record Gasoline Prices Slow Sales of Full-Size SUVs

A report issued last week by the Power Information Network, an affiliate of J.D. Powers and Associates, finds that consumer interest in full-size sport utility vehicles (SUVs) has dropped significantly in the past year. According to the report, most car and truck owners are now less likely to trade their vehicles for a new full-size SUV than they were a year ago. Compared to sales in 2004, full-size SUV sales fell 31 percent in January and 21 percent in February, while the vehicles sat an average of 84 days on dealer lots before being sold, compared to an industry average of 66 days. The report’s authors blame the drop in sales on rising gasoline prices. See the J.D. Powers press release.

According to the Daily Fuel Gauge Report from the American Automobile Association (AAA), both regular unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel prices are now at historic highs in the United States. As of yesterday, unleaded gasoline averaged $2.095 per gallon and diesel fuel averaged $2.277 per gallon. See the AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

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