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The National Renewable Energy Lab has released a technical report entitled, E85 Retail Business Case: When and Why to Sell E85. According to NREL,

The document identifies seven variables that can make E85 profitable and weighs their influence using a model NREL created based on a discounted cash flow analysis. These variables are:

• E85 equipment configuration
• E85 throughput
• Equipment costs
• Return on investment
• Maintenance and operation costs
• Base taxable income
• Annual throughput of mid-grade and premium

Knowing the relative influence of these variables helps retailers assess whether they are good candidates for an E85 project. The model also helps them estimate the minimum margin that they would need to make on each gallon of E85 in order to make their investment profitable.

All fifty governors signed on to a National Governor's Association letter asking congress to extend the renewable energy tax credits. The letter urges Congress to "extend, for at least five years, tax provisions that encourage the development of renewable energy sources and promote energy efficiency."

The letter also encouraged Congress to "continue to develop incentives for programs that help families and businesses use energy-efficient building techniques, materials, and equipment readily available in today's market. Extending incentives for energy efficiency and conservation will slow the growth of future energy needs, minimize ratepayer costs, and lessen potential environmental impacts"

The tax credits are a critical component in sustaining the renewable energy industry. Bart Ruth, policy committee chair of the 25x'25 National Steering Committee said, "The policies currently in place to develop and nurture non-fossil fuel based energy sources have been short term and in many cases intermittent. Such on-again, off-again policies have made long-term investment in new technologies and interest in renewable energy difficult to maintain," The full letter can be found here.

Verenium Biofuels Corporation has received one of the last two Department of Energy awards for small-scale biorefineries. The company will receive up to $40 million over five years to continue their work in building and operating a demonstration-size biorefinery in Jennings, Louisiana. Verenium technology is focused on converting non-food biomass, such as agricultural byproducts and waste wood products, into ethanol. Read the full press release here.

Reuters is reporting that "about 12 small to midsize biodiesel and ethanol plants have declared bankruptcy in recent months." The bankruptcies come as prices for corn and soy (primary feedstocks for corn ethanol and biodiesel plants) are hitting record highs. In addition, high costs of contruction, tight credit markets, and high costs for transportation are also factors. While smaller companies are hit the hardest, larger firms with "their diversification, efficiency plants, and access to cheap train transportation for distributing ethanol" are better protected from the recent surge in production costs.

Vinod Khosla, the founder of Sun Microsystems, now runs Khosla Ventures with a priority on green technology, and specifically cellulosic ethanol. Below are a list of white papers looking at current ethanol issues:

Pragmentalists v. Environmentalists - Are hybrids reducing carbon emissions as much as we think they are? A comparison of the carbon reductions provided by current (and future) hybrid vehicles, vehicles run on cellulosic ethanol, and current gasoline powered vehicles.

Food vs Food - A response to the Foreign Affairs magazine article entitled "How Biofuels Could Starve the Poor."

More white papers can be found at the Khosla Ventures website.

At Southern Company's annual meeting this week, CEO David Radcliffe told shareholders that the company is looking toward biomass, nuclear, and natural gas options to meet the increasing power demands in the region. The company expects to invest around $14 billion on new poles, wires, and power plants, which may include the conversion of two plants coal-fired plants to biomass. Radcliffe said, "We think the most promising technology for us is biomass because it is something that we can grow and harvest." With climate change legislation filtering through Congress, the company is seeking new ways to meet future carbon emission standards. To read more visit the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Department of Energy will invest up to $86 million over four years to support small-scale cellulosic biorefineries in Old Town, Maine; Vonore, Tennessee; and Washington County Kentucky. The biorefineries are expected to be operational within four years and produce approximately 10 percent (2.5 MMGY) of a commercial-scale biorefinery. The facilities will produce not only liquid fuels, but also bio-based chemicals and bio-based products. Last year DOE funded six commercial scale biorefineries focused on near-term commercial processes, while these small-scale pilot plants will "verify integrated operations at a reduced size with diverse feedstocks using novel processing technologies." The three plants will be operated by RES Pulp and Chemical LLC, Mascoma Corporation, and Ecofin LLC. The full announcement can be found here.

A news release by the Cleantech Group, an industry organization, states that clean tech investments for 2007 reached over $5 billion and continued their sixth year of growth. According to a Reuters report, energy generation companies received over half the total investments at $2.75 billion followed by energy storage firms ($471 million), transportation firms ($445 million), energy efficiency firms ($356 million), and recycling and waste firms($291 million).

Nicholas Parker, co-founder and Chairman of the Cleantech Group foresees continued growth in the industry due to "high carbon-based energy prices, global resource competition and increasingly favorable policy frameworks."