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Energy Bill Expands Geothermal PTC

H.R. 6 builds upon the amendments Congress made last year to the Production Tax Credit. It continues to include geothermal energy in the Section 45 Production Tax Credit (PTC) for the full 1.9 cent/kwhr credit amount, but expands the credit period from five to the full ten years. As a result, geothermal and wind will now receive equal tax treatment — the full ten-year, 1.9 cent production tax amount. Other technologies, such as open loop biomass, receive the full ten-year credit but for half the credit amount, or 0.95 cents/kwhr. HR 6 extends the “placed in service date” for geothermal and most other technologies by two years. This gives developers 29 months to have their facilities on-line. New power plants placed in service by January 1, 2008 will qualify for the PTC under this bill. However, Congress has extended the placed in service date every two or three years since it first created the Production Tax Credit in 1992 and future extensions are likely. The Conference Committee also adopted landmark provisions that provide cooperatives and public power entities similar incentives to invest in new geothermal and other renewable power facilities. The Clean Energy bonds proposal, supported by GEA and the […]

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Environmental Report Names Top Power Plant Polluters in Northeast

Ten power plants in the Northeast last year produced a third of the region’s carbon dioxide emissions, considered a major contributor to global warming, according to a report released Tuesday by a coalition of environmental groups. Brayton Point Station, a predominantly coal-fired plant in Somerset, was the top carbon dioxide emitter, the report said. The report said Brayton Point released 5.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air in 2004, representing nearly 5 percent of the total released in the nine-state region. Two other Massachusetts power plants also were included on the list, along with six plants in New York and one in New Jersey. The report was compiled by the National Association of State Public Interest Research Groups, the Clean Water Fund and Environmental Advocates of New York. “Actions at relatively few plants will make a big impact and enable the region to achieve a meaningful and effective near-term target for reducing carbon dioxide pollution,” the report said. A spokesman for Dominion, a Richmond, Va.-based energy producer that owns Brayton Point, said in a statement that the power plant already is meeting carbon dioxide emission rules due to take effect in Massachusetts next year. The company has […]

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Medis Announces $50M Purchase Order from Distributor

Medis Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:MDTL) announced that ASE International, which is a Medis distributor focusing on drugstores, convenience stores, department stores and airport and duty free shops, has issued to Medis a purchase order totaling over fifty million dollars ($50 million) for delivery of 200,000 Power Packs a month for the first year of availability from Medis production and 400,000 Power Packs a month from the second year of production. Edward Koss, Chairman and CEO of ASE, stated that, “We issued this purchase order to insure that there will be sufficient Power Packs available to ASE for the over 60,000 doors that we service through our customers in the US and Canada. We have purchased a new 40,000 square foot warehouse in Florida for Southern distribution, which will be used in part to help distribute the Power Pack products and important customers have already indicated to us their desire to offer the Power Packs in their stores.” Said Robert K. Lifton, Chairman and CEO of Medis Technologies, “We believe that mobile operators and OEMs as well as other distributors will also want to reserve availability of Power Pack units once they have demonstrated the Power Packs to their customers. This is […]

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John Deere Invests in Rural Wind Harvesting Projects

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) has made equity investments in several wind energy projects in the rural U.S. and has created a business unit to provide project development, debt financing and other services to those interested in harvesting the wind. Deere also said it has no plans to manufacture wind turbines. “John Deere is especially well positioned to support our farm customers in this growing industry,” said Robert W. Lane, Deere & Company chairman and chief executive officer. “For generations, the world’s most productive farmers have used John Deere equipment to provide food to the world and now, through wind energy, the same farmers can help meet the growing demand for electricity.” Deere has invested in wind energy projects located in Minnesota and Texas, is considering projects in other states of the U.S. and has reviewed projects in other countries. The wind energy initiative, Lane said, is consistent with John Deere’s goal of helping its customers improve their profitability and productivity. Industry experts predict the amount of electricity generated by wind power will increase dramatically over the next 15 years. In the U.S., wind power produced less than 7,000 megawatts in 2004 but could reach more than 100,000 megawatts by […]

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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:July 27, 2005

News and Events Michigan Takes Narrow Lead in North American Solar Challenge Illinois Adopts Requirements for Efficiency, Renewable Energy Massachusetts Joins Effort to Build “Green” Affordable Housing Subway Station in Coney Island Features Integrated Solar Roof Wal-Mart “Experimental Store” Uses Efficiency, Solar, and Wind Wind Power Benefits Port in Duluth, Minnesota Site NewsHydrogen Pathways Program at UC Davis News and EventsMichigan Takes Narrow Lead in North American Solar ChallengeThe University of Michigan holds a narrow lead over the University of Minnesota and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as today’s much-anticipated final stage of the North American Solar Challenge gets underway. The 2,500-mile solar car race started on July 17th in Austin, Texas, and will end today in Calgary, Alberta. Eighteen solar cars remain in the race, which is sponsored by DOE, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Natural Resources Canada. According to DOE’s Richard King, the race has highlighted all aspects of solar racing: early in the race, rainy weather challenged teams on several days; on some sunny days, the only thing holding back the leaders was the speed limit; on Sunday, a strong head wind favored the most aerodynamic cars; and on Monday (and Tuesday, for some teams) the […]

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