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Southeastern U.S. Poised to Contribute Significantly to 25x'25 Vision
House Climate Bill Fails to Capitalize on Solutions from the Land
Biofuels & Climate Change Blog:
More indirect effects from Oil
Green, Inc:
The Climate Bill Debate Continues
The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has launched a global Biofuels Wiki. From the Center:
Learn more here.The purpose of this wiki is to create a virtual biofuels community and a one-stop hub for information about renewable liquid fuels. To make biofuels in large quantities sustainably, it requires science, research, agriculture, forestry, feedstocks, logistical solutions, transportation, education, training, production, policy, distribution and people willing to put these biofuels blends in their vehicles. Because of the wide range of subject matter and specializations in this field, information about biofuels in all of these areas is often disconnected. In this wiki, we hope to provide a single interconnected place to find good information about the entire biofuels spectrum.
As part of the ongoing effort to increase the use of domestic renewable fuels, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced plans to provide $786.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate advanced biofuels research and development and to provide additional funding for commercial-scale biorefinery demonstration projects. The $786.5 million in Recovery Act funding is a mix of new funding opportunities and additional funding for existing projects. It will be allocated across four main areas:
- $480 Million Solicitation for Integrated Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Biorefineries
- $176.5 Million for Commercial-Scale Biorefinery Projects
- $110 Million for Fundamental Research in Key Program Areas
The University of South Carolina has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to house a research center that is expected to bring $12.5 million in federal funding, the largest award in the university's history, to a team of internationally recognized energy researchers in the College of Engineering and Computing.
The University will concentrate on designing and creating materials essential for engineering devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, electrodes, photovoltaics, combustion devices, fuel-processing devices, and functional membranes and coatings. A key element of the center's research will focus on understanding the nano-structure and functionality of such materials.
Peregrine Energy Corporation, a leader in developing independent power and other industrial energy efficiency-related projects, announced today that it plans to develop a new woody biomass-fueled cogeneration plant at Sonoco's Hartsville Manufacturing Complex, according to Ralph H. Walker, Jr., president of Peregrine Energy. The $135 million investment by Peregrine represents one of the largest single capital development projects in Darlington County's history.
Plans are for Peregrine to construct and own a new 50-megawatt capacity facility that will be capable of generating enough electricity to power approximately 14,000 homes. The new biomass-fueled cogeneration facility will replace Sonoco's existing coal-fired boilers. Once the facility is operating, Peregrine intends to sell the entire electrical output and all renewable energy certificates associated with the plant to Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc., and low pressure steam from the plant to Sonoco for use in the manufacture of recycled paperboard and other converted products at its Hartsville complex.
From SustainableBusiness.com:
Royal Dutch Shell announced Tuesday that it does not plan to make any more large investments in wind or solar energy, according to a Reuters report. The company also said it doesn't expect hydrogen to play a significant role in energy supply anytime soon.
Linda Cook, head of Shell's gas and power unit told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that those investment opportunities "continue to struggle to compete with the other investment opportunities we have in our portfolio."
According to Reuters analysis, the company invested $1.25 billion in green energy from 1999-2006, including the development of 550 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity.
Shell will limit its involvement in renewable energy to the development of biofuels. In September the company announced six new research agreements designed to complement Shell's own biofuels development.