New U.S. Biofuels Target Poses Risks and Rewards for Fuel Marketers, Refiners, According to OPIS (Centre Daily Times)
Faced with skyrocketing crude oil and petroleum product prices, the U.S. has adopted its most aggressive plan yet for the increased use of ethanol and biodiesel. The job of implementing these new federal blending targets falls to refiners, importers, biofuels producers and fuel marketers who are now working through how they can comply with the new law and maintain a profit.
Read full original post by yahoo.com
Nebraska Ethanol Producers Form New Association
Nebraska.tv reports that the Association of Nebraska Ethanol Producers was recently formed to support pro-ethanol legislation and increase public awareness of ethanol. Members of the association hope the new group will help give them the power to grow the ethanol industry.
Sourse: Nebraska Ethanol Producers Form New Association
Virgin Atlantic Flies Biofueled Commercial Jet
Today Virgin Atlantic made the first commercial aircraft flight powered by biofuel. The trip went from London to Amsterdam. This trip was to show Virgin is making an effort to cut down on carbon emissions produced by their jets.
Virgin’s President, Richard Branson, said “This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic to fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected.”
He also noted the flight would provide “crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint.”
Sourse: Virgin Atlantic Flies Biofueled Commercial Jet
Deal struck on Idaho wind power
Idaho’s utilities, wind developers and state regulators have reached consensus on how much it costs to add wind power to utilities’ transmission grids.
Three orders issued this week by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission established the amount of discounts utilities can assess against wind developers to account for the cost of integrating wind into their systems.
The […]
Sourse: Deal struck on Idaho wind power
Emissions for the poor, tax breaks for the wealthy
The Harper government is sometimes accused of favouring the rich while ignoring the poor – even cozying up to wealthy oil barons at the expense of regular Canadians.
It would be nice if Harper could say it wasn’t so. Unfortunately, there’s enough evidence in the climate change file alone to make the case.
Soon after coming to office, the Harper government abruptly eliminated a $500 million program, the Energuide for Low Income Households, designed to help poor families do home retrofits to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. In stark contrast, the government’s last budget effectively assured wealthy oil and gas corporations that all of the federal tax breaks they currently enjoy, amounting to about $1.4 billion each year, would remain in place until at least 2010.
Read the entire story here:
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/306147
Alternative energy from methane hydrates
I recently learned about methane hydrates, deposits rich in methane. Popular Mechanics reports that “Methane bound in hydrates could provide the world with an astounding amount of natural gas–if it could be safely extracted.”
The article states that “100,000 to 300 million trillion cu. ft. (tcf) of methane exists globally in hydrate form–most of it in the ocean floor.” The trick is extracting it safely. If it’s not harvested properly, it will release into the atmosphere and speed up global warming.
The process needs Carbon Dioxide to make it work. And the best source of CO2 is from Fischer-Tropsch, which produces diesel from coal, with CO2 as a byproduct.
Sourse: Alternative energy from methane hydrates
Alternative sources of energy
Energy from renewable sources, such as the sun, wind and water, emit little or no carbon and could play a role in addressing climate change. In an ideal world, energy would be limitless, affordable, and clean. Of course, the real world isn’t always ideal. Today, most of the world’s population gets its energy from carbon-based fuels […]
Sourse: Alternative sources of energy
Solar Photovoltaic Electricity to hit the Power Grid?
The generation of electricity from solar energy could not have been possible without the discovery of the photoelectric effect in 1839 by Becquerel (described by Einstein in his 1905 paper for which he later received the Nobel price). In 1954 the first silicon based solar cell was invented at Bell Labs and subsequently applied in the Vanguard I space satellite in 1958 where solar cells generated 1Watt of electrical power to drive the radios of the satellite. Since the Bell solar cell, that achieved 4% efficiency, the photovoltaic (PV) research focus has been on improving the efficiency of the conversion as well as lowering the costs of the device.Recently Stephen O’Rourke, a research analyst from Deutsche Bank,[1] as well as others[2]have put statements forward such as in what year electricity generated by solar panels would achieve “grid parity”. Grid parity is reached when the cost price of PV generated electricity starts to compete with the local retail price of the centrally generated grid electricity. Of course this would be without any (government) incentives. Important economic parameters solar systems are:
- - cost per Watt at module level (depends very strongly on the technology used and on the efficiency)
- - cost per Watt at system level (depends on the cost at module level and the costs of the downstream equipment, can be as high as $7/Watt for a residential system)
- - cost per kWh produced (depends on the two line items above and in addition on the lifetime of the entire system, i.e. how many kWh will be cumulatively be produced)
Sourse: Solar Photovoltaic Electricity to hit the Power Grid?
Renewable Energy Awareness Day this Saturday in Sedona.
If you’re not in downtown celebrating Phoenix Public Market’s 3rd year, then you should be heading down to Sedona for their Renewable Energy Awareness Day at the Sedona Public Library. There will be much to see there covering:
o Solar power
o Geo-exchange
o Recycling
o Interior Design and Renovations
o Electric Vehicles
o Energizing your home and much more
Check out this article about it over at Sedona.biz. Click here.
Los Alamos scientists propose turning CO2 into gasoline
Apparently it’s not rocket science to do this but it would require a lot of power so they are proposing creating a nuclear-powered gasoline generation plant that would convert carbon dioxide into gas.
Just one more technology solution to throw into the mix. This one becomes viable when gas at the pump hits $4.60/gallon. The national average cost a year ago was $2.26, today its around $3.20 but oil closed above $100/barrel yesterday for the first time so that $4+ number could happen this year.
The economics of alternative energy sources get a lot more compelling as prices rise, just as do those of public transportation.
Sourse: Los Alamos scientists propose turning CO2 into gasoline
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