Nigeria of the North:Oil Sands Frenzy Threatens Alberta Environment
The relentless pursuit of oil continues - this time in Canada.
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Environmental Power Corp: Cow Power
Here's a more creative, common sense way to make energy (than wreaking havoc on the environment as in the article above).
Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:May 3, 2006
News and Events U.S. Geothermal Prepares to Build a 10-Megawatt Plant in Idaho Florida Pursues Power from Grass, While Others Pitch Manure California Sets Goals to Boost In-State Biofuels Production New Near-Zero Energy Homes Open in California and New Jersey Energy Connections Forecasters Predict an Active and Dangerous Hurricane Season News and EventsU.S. Geothermal Prepares to Build a 10-Megawatt Plant in IdahoU.S. Geothermal, Inc. told its contractor last week to proceed with the engineering, procurement, and construction of a 10-megawatt geothermal power plant in central Idaho, the first geothermal power plant in the state. The Raft River Geothermal Project will be located about 10 miles north of the Utah border and will sell its power to the Idaho Power Company. Ormat Nevada, Inc. is supplying the power plant, which will use the geothermal heat to vaporize an organic fluid. The organic vapor will spin a turbine that drives a generator to make electricity, and then the vapor will be condensed and reused, in what is called a binary cycle power plant. U.S. Geothermal is currently negotiating long-term financing for the plant and expects to have it in place by June 1st. The company plans to begin operating the power plant […]
Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:April 26, 2006
News and Events Arizona Completes a One-Megawatt Solar Trough Plant Air Force Plans for 18 Megawatts of Solar Power at Nevada Base Woody Biomass Projects Receive $4.2 Million in USDA Grants Nissan to Sell the Altima Hybrid in Only Eight States DOE Conducts Industrial Energy Assessments in Six States Energy Connections EIA: Regular Gasoline Prices May Fall Short of $3 per Gallon News and EventsArizona Completes a One-Megawatt Solar Trough PlantArizona Public Service Company (APS) commemorated Arizona’s first solar trough power plant on Earth Day, April 22nd. The one-megawatt plant features more than 100,000 square feet of trough-shaped mirrors, and is the first solar trough plant built in the United States in 17 years. Located between Phoenix and Tucson, the plant consists of six rows of mirrors, each more than 1,200 feet long. The mirrors concentrate the sun’s energy to heat oil, which is then used to vaporize an organic fluid. The vapor spins a turbine to drive a generator, producing power, and the vapor is then condensed and reused.Although existing solar trough systems boil water rather than an organic fluid, the organic fluid vaporizes at a lower temperature than water, allowing the plant to produce more power at lower […]
Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:April 20, 2006
News and Events New Jersey Increases its Renewable Energy Requirement AES and DuPont Form New Global Alternative Energy Divisions Lexus Debuts the First V8 Hybrid Sedan in New York Green Roofs are Gaining Acceptance in U.S. Cities, Says Survey Energy Connections Analysis: Airline Industry is Hamstrung by Rising Fuel Prices News and EventsNew Jersey Increases its Renewable Energy RequirementThe New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) approved new regulations last week that will require the state’s electric utilities to draw on wind power, solar power, and sustainable biomass power for 20 percent of their electricity by 2020. Previously, the BPU required utilities to draw on renewable energy sources for 4 percent of their power supply by 2008. That older requirement had ratcheted up to 3.5 percent renewable energy this year, but starting in June, utilities will have to meet an accelerated schedule geared toward the 2020 goal. The new regulations also require solar photovoltaic power to provide 2 percent of the state’s electricity needs by 2020, requiring the installation of 1,500 megawatts of solar electric power. On a per capita basis, that’s the largest solar requirement in the United States, cementing New Jersey’s status as a solar power leader. New […]
First Biofuels Index Launched
UBS AG and Diapason Commodities Management S.A. have launched the UBS Diapason Global Biofuel Index (UBS-D GBFI) – the first commodity-based index for biological fuels. The global index covers a range of commodities used in the production of ethanol and biodiesel – the two major forms of alternative fuel – and will be published in the US, Europe, China and Japan. The Global Biofuel Index is composed of various commodity futures, weighted to reflect the importance of each individual commodity used in the production of ethanol and biodiesel as well as the liquidity of the underlying futures. Its launch means that investors will, for the first time, have access to an efficient and liquid investment instrument that gives them exposure to the market performance of alternative fuels. The index is based on sugar, corn and wheat on the ethanol side and rapeseed, soybeans and vegetable oils on the biofuels side. Positive supply side factors in the agricultural markets and rising demand for biofuels encouraged the development of the index. “Historically we’ve seen very low prices in agricultural markets. There’s been a bull run in commodities that started in the late 1990s but agriculture only started to pick up at the […]
It's Income Tax Time for AmericansAnd Time for the World to Lower Income Taxes & Raise Environmental Taxes
It's no fun giving part of your precious income to the Feds, especially when other countries are taxing environmentally destructive activities instead.
SRI Industry Reports: Developments in Social Investing
Why don't conventional mutual funds vote on climate change resolutions? And more on advances in SRI investing.
Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:April 12, 2006
News and Events DOE to Offer $52.5 Million for Hydrogen Research Toyota Camry Hybrid to Reach Dealer Showrooms in May IRS Releases Tax Credit Figures for Ford and Toyota Hybrids Corn Oil Extraction Yields New Benefits for Ethanol Producers Biodiesel Distribution Expands via Blending at Fuel TerminalsEnergy Connections EIA: Gasoline Prices to be Higher this SummerNews and EventsDOE to Offer $52.5 Million for Hydrogen ResearchSecretary of Energy Samuel Bodman announced last week a three-year, $52.5-million solicitation to support basic research in hydrogen storage materials, catalysts, and membranes. The solicitation, to be released later in April, will help overcome the scientific challenges associated with the production, use, and storage of hydrogen. It will also address the challenges identified in the report “Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy,” released by DOE last year. The solicitation supports President Bush’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, which aims to develop hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that meet consumer requirements by 2015, thereby allowing a mass-market penetration of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2020. See the DOE press release, the President’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, and the DOE report (PDF 7.2 MB). Secretary Bodman made the announcement while speaking to the 2006 World Congress of the Society of Automotive […]
Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:April 5, 2006
News and Events Washington State Approves New Biofuels Requirement Xcel Energy Plans to Finance Large Solar Power Plant in Colorado Sustainable Business Group Develops Zero Energy Buildings Honda and ZAP Introduce New Subcompact Cars to the United StatesNews and EventsWashington State Approves New Biofuels RequirementWashington Governor Chris Gregoire signed a bill last week that will require fuel suppliers to ensure that ethanol provides 2 percent of the gasoline they sell, and that biodiesel provides 2 percent of the diesel fuel they sell. Senate Bill 6508 sets different timetables for the two biofuels. For ethanol, the 2-percent requirement takes effect on December 1st, 2008. The ethanol requirement could eventually increase to as much as 10 percent of the gasoline sold, so long as sufficient agricultural sources are available in the state and burning the ethanol-rich fuel isn’t hurting the state’s air quality.For biodiesel, the requirement goes into effect on November 30th, 2008, or when in-state agricultural sources can meet the 2-percent requirement, whichever comes first. The biodiesel requirement will increase to 5 percent of the diesel fuel sold once the state has enough agricultural supply and seed-crushing ability to meet a 3-percent requirement. In addition, beginning on June 1st, 2009, all […]
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