Recently in News Category
The Environmental Protection Agency has denied Texas Governor Rick Perry's request to cut the Renewable Fuels Standard in half. Put in place by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the RFS requires that 9 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into the fuel supply by 2008 and 11.1 billion gallons by 2009. EPA Administrator
Stephen L. Johnson said, "After reviewing the facts, it was clear this
request did not meet the criteria in the law ... The RFS remains an important tool in our ongoing
efforts to reduce America's greenhouse gas emissions and lessen our
dependence on foreign oil, in aggressive yet practical ways." The full press release can be accessed here. More information on the RFS can be found here.
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.
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.
From the press release:
ConocoPhillips announced today that it has signed a $5 million, multi-year sponsored research agreement with the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2), a research center of the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, to develop new ways to convert biomass into low-carbon transportation fuels.
The Collaboratory, a joint venture of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado State University, the Colorado School of Mines, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) formed C2B2 in March 2007, to conduct research at all four institutions. The new collaboration will build on a variety of active research projects being conducted by Colorado scientists and students to develop new sources of transportation biofuels. The first project will involve converting algae into renewable fuel.
In a press release, Toyota has announced that the newly built Mississippi manufacturing plant while original slated to produce the Toyota Highlander SUV, will instead produce the Toyota Prius. Siting increase demand for hybrids in North America, the plant will be Toyota's second hybrid producing plant. The company also announced a three-month suspension of production of the Tundra and Sequoia in their Alabama plant. No job losses were announced. The full press release 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.
The Gas Technology Institute is embarking on two new research projects "to economically convert any leafy or woody biomass into a uniform,
densified feedstock that can be easily fed into any thermal gasifier or
pyrolyzer for conversion into syngas, fuels, and value-added chemicals." One project will focus on biomass of Alabama and the Southeast and the other on Nevada and the West.
From the press release:
From the press release:
Sponsored by the DOE, these initiatives are focused on the development of pretreatment technologies for processing a wide range of biomass types into a single, uniform feedstock of similar consistency and character. Experts note that reliable feeding systems must be engineered to accommodate different forms of biomass, a significant barrier that continues to hinder the global deployment of biomass-based energy production. Presently, some abundant biomass materials are not feasible energy feedstocks by virtue of the difficulty or cost of handling and preparing them for use.
"The over-riding interest is to expand the versatility of new and existing biomass processing facilities by providing them with the ability to accept multiple feedstocks," says GTI Project Manager, Larry Felix. "Our goal is an economical process to normalize the format of the feedstock and thereby directly encourage the use of energy-rich wastes and other sources of renewable energy that might otherwise be untapped."
A recent report from Forbes magazine ranks the top five states for alternative energy in the categories of wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Rounding out the top five best places for biomass are Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Georgia's 25 million tons of mill wood debris; Mississippi's 3.6 million
tons of logging waste, and North Carolina's methane from manure based on the
10 million hog population were the driving factors behind the rankings. Iowa and North Dakota ranked first and second.
In a press release, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue said, "Georgia's wealth of natural resources combined with our research institutions and a strong business climate create an ideal environment for the development of renewable energy. We appreciate Forbes' recognition of our ability to develop alternative energy sources."
In a press release, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue said, "Georgia's wealth of natural resources combined with our research institutions and a strong business climate create an ideal environment for the development of renewable energy. We appreciate Forbes' recognition of our ability to develop alternative energy sources."
ASTM, the American Society for Testing and Materials, has approved specifications for B20 biodiesel. Approval of these specifications allow for auto and engine manufacturers to be confident that they are receiving a biodiesel product that meets quality standards. Steve Howell, Chairman of the ASTM Biodiesel Task Force, said,
"The new ASTM specifications for B6-B20 blends will aid engine manufacturers in their engine design and testing processes to optimize the performance of vehicles running on biodiesel. The new specifications will also help ensure that only the highest quality biodiesel blends are made available to consumers at the retail pump."According to the National Biodiesel Board, the approved specifications include:
- Changes to the existing B100 biodiesel blend stock specification (ASTM D6751)
- Finished specifications to include up to 5% biodiesel (B5) in the conventional petrodiesel specification (ASTM D975)
- A new specification for blends of between 6 percent biodiesel (B6) to 20 percent biodiesel (B20) for on and off road diesel.
California-based Sapphire Energy has announced they have produced "renewable 91 octane gasoline that conforms to ASTM certification, made from a breakthrough process that produces crude oil directly from sunlight, CO2 and photosynthetic microorganisms, beginning with algae." The company's breakthrough has offered up a new industrial category, Green Crude Production. According to the company,
The full press release can be found here.
Products and processes in this category differ significantly from other forms of biofuel because they are made solely from photosynthetic microorganisms, sunlight and CO2; do not result in biodiesel or ethanol; enhance and replace petroleum-based products; are carbon neutral and renewable; and don't require any food crop or agricultural land.Paul Dickerson, chief operating officer of the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy says, "...Algae can flourish in non-arable land or in dirty water, and when it does flourish, its potential oil yield per acre is unmatched by any other terrestrial feedstock."
The full press release can be found here.
Verenium announced last week its 1.4 million gallon cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant is ready for operation in Jennings, Louisiana. The company has begun its commissioning phase "allowing the Company to evaluate its process
for making ethanol at scale and validate cost and performance assumptions to
prepare for the development of its first series of commercial plants." This development continues Verenium's progress towards its goal of a 30 million gallon per year commercial plant next year. The company will use specialty enzymes to convert non-food biomass, specifically agricultural waste from sugarcane, into fuel. The full press release can be found here.
