LBNL Study: Wind Power Projects Do Not Decrease Land Values

California, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

With more than 30,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity installed across the United States and more on the way, many communities are concerned about the impact of wind farms on the property values. A new report released today by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) evaluates that concern. The report found that that proximity to wind energy facilities does not have a pervasive or widespread adverse effect on the property values of nearby homes.

The new report, funded by the DOE, is based on site visits, data collection and analysis of almost 7,500 single-family home sales in areas where wind farms have been developed.

“Neither the view of wind energy facilities nor the distance of the home to those facilities was found to have any consistent, measurable, and significant effect on the selling prices of nearby homes,” said report author Ben Hoen, a consultant to Berkeley Lab. “No matter how we looked at the data, the same result kept coming back - no evidence of widespread impacts.”

The data was collected on homes situated within 10 miles of 24 existing wind facilities in nine different U.S. states. Each home in the sample was visited to collect important on-site information such as whether wind turbines were visible from the home.

Link to LBNL Study: http://eetd.lbl.gov/eap/EMP/reports/lbnl-2829e-ppt.pdf

US Wind Projects Continue to Receive Financing

By JASON DEAREN (AP) –

SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has signed a contract to buy and operate a wind-energy project that would produce enough electricity for about 100,000 California homes.

The San Francisco-based utility said Thursday it signed the deal with Portland-based Iberdrola Renewables Inc., the U.S. arm of Spain's Iberdrola SA.

Iberdrola will build the Manzana Wind Project for PG&E, which provides electricity for most of northern and central California, on 7,000 acres in eastern Kern County.

"Usually we operate our own facilities, but in this case we will develop and build it and then PG&E will own and operate it," Jan Johnson, an Iberdrola spokeswoman, said.

The facility would be PG&E's first attempt at operating a wind power plant, which the company estimated would cost just over $900 million.

Part of that money would go to Iberdrola for building, with other costs being incurred for the infrastructure needed to tie the electricity into PG&E's power grid.

At full capacity, the wind farm would feature 164 General Electric Co. turbines that would provide 246 megawatts of electricity, or just under 1 percent of the power PG&E generates, said Jonathan Marshall, a company spokesman.

So far, Iberdrola has secured land rights to build 126 turbines that would provide about 189 megawatts of power.

"We're working on getting more so we can build out the project to the full 246 megawatts," Marshall said.

The wind farm, coupled with PG&E's plans to power about 530,000 homes through its solar developments, are the company's efforts to meet California's current renewable energy goals.

The state standards dictate that investor-owned utilities provide 20 percent of their electrical power from renewable sources by 2013, Marshall said.

Those standards are expected to get even tougher as California legislators debate bills that would require utilities to derive a third of their power from renewable sources by 2020, the toughest standards in the country.

PG&E says it plans a 25 cent rate increase for the average residential customer to help finance the wind project. The rate increase would be seen on customers' bills starting in 2012, Marshall said, if the plant is up and running as planned.

The wind power farm still needs the approval of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Related articles

North America Reliability Council Forecast

North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which oversees reliability of the bulk power system in the United States and Canada, is forecasting future electricity growth at about 1.5 percent a year -- down from the 2 percent acceleration it predicted four years ago.

NERC that over the next decade it expects 260,000 additional megawatts of renewable power to be added to the mix. Of that, wind will make up 229,000 megawatts, or 88 percent. Solar, it adds, will comprise 20,000 megawatts.

(Source: Energy Central)

It's About Time

Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower

The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.

The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves.

The allegations raise serious questions about the accuracy of the organisation's latest World Energy Outlook on oil demand and supply to be published tomorrow – which is used by the British and many other governments to help guide their wider energy and climate change policies.

In particular they question the prediction in the last World Economic Outlook, believed to be repeated again this year, that oil production can be raised from its current level of 83m barrels a day to 105m barrels. External critics have frequently argued that this cannot be substantiated by firm evidence and say the world has already passed its peak in oil production.

Now the "peak oil" theory is gaining support at the heart of the global energy establishment. "The IEA in 2005 was predicting oil supplies could rise as high as 120m barrels a day by 2030 although it was forced to reduce this gradually to 116m and then 105m last year," said the IEA source, who was unwilling to be identified for fear of reprisals inside the industry. "The 120m figure always was nonsense but even today's number is much higher than can be justified and the IEA knows this.

"Many inside the organisation believe that maintaining oil supplies at even 90m to 95m barrels a day would be impossible but there are fears that panic could spread on the financial markets if the figures were brought down further. And the Americans fear the end of oil supremacy because it would threaten their power over access to oil resources," he added.

A second senior IEA source, who has now left but was also unwilling to give his name, said a key rule at the organisation was that it was "imperative not to anger the Americans" but the fact was that there was not as much oil in the world as had been admitted. "We have [already] entered the 'peak oil' zone. I think that the situation is really bad," he added.

The IEA acknowledges the importance of its own figures, boasting on its website: "The IEA governments and industry from all across the globe have come to rely on the World Energy Outlook to provide a consistent basis on which they can formulate policies and design business plans."

The British government, among others, always uses the IEA statistics rather than any of its own to argue that there is little threat to long-term oil supplies.

The IEA said tonight that peak oil critics had often wrongly questioned the accuracy of its figures. A spokesman said it was unable to comment ahead of the 2009 report being released tomorrow.

John Hemming, the MP who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on peak oil and gas, said the revelations confirmed his suspicions that the IEA underplayed how quickly the world was running out and this had profound implications for British government energy policy.

He said he had also been contacted by some IEA officials unhappy with its lack of independent scepticism over predictions. "Reliance on IEA reports has been used to justify claims that oil and gas supplies will not peak before 2030. It is clear now that this will not be the case and the IEA figures cannot be relied on," said Hemming.

"This all gives an importance to the Copenhagen [climate change] talks and an urgent need for the UK to move faster towards a more sustainable [lower carbon] economy if it is to avoid severe economic dislocation," he added.

The IEA was established in 1974 after the oil crisis in an attempt to try to safeguard energy supplies to the west. The World Energy Outlook is produced annually under the control of the IEA's chief economist, Fatih Birol, who has defended the projections from earlier outside attack. Peak oil critics have often questioned the IEA figures.

But now IEA sources who have contacted the Guardian say that Birol has increasingly been facing questions about the figures inside the organisation.

Matt Simmons, a respected oil industry expert, has long questioned the decline rates and oil statistics provided by Saudi Arabia on its own fields. He has raised questions about whether peak oil is much closer than many have accepted.

A report by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) last month said worldwide production of conventionally extracted oil could "peak" and go into terminal decline before 2020 – but that the government was not facing up to the risk. Steve Sorrell, chief author of the report, said forecasts suggesting oil production will not peak before 2030 were "at best optimistic and at worst implausible".

But as far back as 2004 there have been people making similar warnings. Colin Campbell, a former executive with Total of France told a conference: "If the real [oil reserve] figures were to come out there would be panic on the stock markets … in the end that would suit no one."

US Installs 1,600 MW of Wind in Q3

Washington, D.C., United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reported this week in its third quarter (Q3) market report that the U.S. wind energy industry installed 1,649 megawatts (MW) of new power generating capacity in the third quarter—an amount higher than either the 2nd quarter of 2009 or the 3rd quarter of 2008—bringing the total capacity added this year to date to over 5,800 MW.

Since the early July announcement of rules to implement the grant program that was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the wind industry has completed more than 1,600 MW of projects and has started construction on more than 1,700 MW of projects. These projects equate to about US $6.5 billion in new investment.

AWEA said that despite the high installation levels to to date this year, it does not expect the fourth quarter of 2009 to be as strong as the fourth quarter of 2008 since the 5,000 MW now under construction is nearly 38% lower than the over 8,000 MW under construction at this time last year.

The total wind power capacity now operating in the U.S. is over 31,000 MW. The state posting the fastest growth rate in the third quarter was Arizona, which installed its first utility-scale project. Pennsylvania ranked 2nd in growth with 29%, followed by Illinois with 22%, Wyoming with 21%, and New Mexico with 20%.

State by state totals for added and total wind energy capacity from Q3 are listed below.

AWEA also reported that wind turbine manufacturing still lags below 2008 levels, in both production and new announcements.

“Wind power installations are up, and that is good news for America’s economy, environment, and energy security,” said Denise Bode, AWEA's CEO. “But manufacturing, which has the potential to employ many more Americans in good, clean energy jobs, remains uncertain. A firm, long-term national commitment to renewable energy is still needed for the U.S. to become a wind turbine manufacturing powerhouse and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

Investors call for action on global warming

More than 180 of world's biggest investors aim to overcome opposition in US and elsewhere to climate change legislation

• Buzz up!
• Digg it

• Suzanne Goldenberg
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 16 September 2009 21.16 BST
• Article history

More than 180 of the world's largest investors, with collective assets of $13tn, put their combined weight behind a passionate call for strong US and international action on global warming in New York today.

"We cannot drag our feet on the issue of global climate change," said Thomas DiNapoli, who heads the $116.5bn New York state pension fund. "I am deeply concerned about the investor risks climate change presents, and the human cost of inaction is unthinkable."

The summit drew together managers of the world's leading investment funds, including those from HSBC, Henderson, Schroders, Société Générale and Scottish Widows, and pensions funds from California public employees to the BBC and Church of England. It was aimed at overcoming entrenched opposition within the US and elsewhere to climate change legislation, by showcasing the scale of investor support for climate change action and the potential for mobilisation of private capital.

"For anybody who suggests that regulating carbon or acting on climate change is impractical, here is appropriate contradiction," said Mindy Lubber, the president of Ceres, the green investor network that helped organise the conference. However, she warned: "Investors are ready to put money into green tech, but they are not going to act until the government acts and makes clear that the right incentives are in the right place."

The investors' endorsement for action on climate change comes amid signs of a loss of momentum in the final stretch of negotiations towards a deal to tackle global warming in Copenhagen in December. The group warned that failure to act effectively would have disastrous consequences in human and economic terms.

In contrast to inaction, Lord Nicholas Stern, author of the 2006 Stern report on the economics of climate change, said: "Building a low carbon economy creates opportunities for investment in new technologies that promise to transform our society in the same way as ... electricity or railways did in the past." He added: "Unmitigated climate change poses a threat to the global economy."

In their joint statement the investors supported the tougher targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions put forward for negotiation at Copenhagen, including cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries of 25-40% by 2020.The conference was held amid rising frustration that the US Congress and the international negotiations are faltering in the final days before Copenhagen. Stern, in his remarks, said it was time to move away from the "quarrelsome stupid politics" surrounding climate change.

US Wind Industry Continues to Grow

S Wind Industry Goes Against Expectations, Installs 1.2 GW in Q2

Washington, D.C., United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

The U.S. wind energy industry installed 1,210 megawatts (MW) of new power generating capacity in the second quarter, bringing the total added this year to just over 4,000 MW – an amount larger than the 2,900 MW added in the first six months of 2008, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) found in its second quarter (Q2) market report.

"Even in an economic meltdown, the installation of over a gigawatt of wind shows that the technology is mature and destined for long term growth no matter what economic conditions happen to be."

-- Scott Sklar, President, The Stella Group Ltd.

During the second quarter, the U.S. wind energy industry completed a total of 1,210 MW in 10 states. These new installations nudge total U.S. wind power generating capacity to 29,440 MW, according to the report.

The state posting the fastest growth in the 2nd quarter was Missouri, where wind power installations expanded by 90%. Pennsylvania and South Dakota ranked second and third in terms of growth rate in the second quarter, expanding by 28% and 21% respectively.

The states that added new wind power generating capacity are:

Texas	454 MW
Iowa	160 MW
Missouri	146 MW
Washington	129 MW
California	120 MW
Pennsylvania	102 MW
South Dakota	50 MW
Oregon	45 MW
Minnesota	2 MW
Wyoming	2 MW

Space Solar Power (SSP): Bring it on!

There seems to be a buzz about the announcement from SSP company PowerSat from Everett, Washington about two new technologies for which they have filed patents.

Keith Johnson at Environmental Capital discussed the nuts and bolts of the operation.

See PowerSat's official announcement here:

News Release Copy

PowerSat Files Patent That Accelerates Viability Of Space Solar Power (SSP) Satellite Systems

Two advanced technologies reduce the cost of developing a new base load generation system from space by roughly $1 billion

EVERETT, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PowerSat Corporation (www.powersat.com), a pioneer in safe and reliable energy generation from space, today announced the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/177,565 or “SPACE-BASED POWER SYSTEMS AND METHODS.” The patent includes two technologies, BrightStar and Solar Powered Orbital Transfer (SPOT), which enable the reduction of launch and operation costs by roughly $1 billion for a 2,500 megawatt (MW) power station.

“This patent filing is a watershed moment not only for PowerSat but for a renewables industry that, until now, could neither compete economically nor generate power at the base load scale of oil or coal,” said PowerSat CEO William Maness. “Today, the convergence of technology and energy demand, combined with the political will to wean us off of fossil fuels, enables space solar power (SSP) to fill a widening clean energy supply gap.”

SSP is a clean, viable solution to our world’s growing energy problems. Not limited by weather or geography, SSP solves the intermittency problems of earth-based renewables by providing a reliable and flexible energy source that is available 24/7. The underlying technology components are proven and systems will be deployable within a decade. Solar energy is captured via solar power satellites (known as powersats) and transmitted wirelessly to receiving stations at various points around the globe. Thousands of megawatts can be harnessed and shifted between receiving stations thousands of miles from each other—all in a matter of seconds.

PowerSat Corporation’s first patented technology, BrightStar, allows individual powersats to form a wireless power transmission beam without being physically connected to each other. This “electronic coupling,” conceptually similar to cloud computing, effectively eliminates the need to handle large (gigawatt) levels of power in a single spacecraft. Because of BrightStar, one transmission beam may now come from hundreds of smaller powersats. Another advantage of Brightstar is increased reliability. If any of the individual component satellites fail they can be easily replaced without significantly affecting the performance of the system, thus establishing much greater reliability.

The other technology being patented by PowerSat, Solar Power Orbital Transfer (SPOT) propels a spacecraft to an optimal, Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) using electronic thrusters that are powered by the same solar array that is eventually used for wireless power transmission. Until now, all satellites have had to use chemical propulsion or a chemically fueled “space tug” to move from Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is 300-1,000 miles in altitude to GEO, which is 22,236 miles in altitude.

SPOT technology also decreases the weight of a powersat by 67%, dramatically reducing launch costs, and enabling PowerSat modules to fly on rockets to LEO, deploy their solar powered electronic thrusters and then fly themselves out to GEO. GEO, the orbit for most communications satellites, is optimal because it allows a powersat to harvest the sun’s energy continuously.

About PowerSat
PowerSat Corporation is a pioneer in generating safe, clean, reliable energy from space based in Everett, Washington. Solar energy is captured via satellites (known as powersats) and transmitted wirelessly to receiving stations at various points around the globe. Thousands of megawatts can be harnessed and shifted between receiving stations thousands of miles from each other—all in a matter of seconds. At a cost comparable to a large hydropower project, PowerSat seeks to leverage gigawatts of untapped solar energy and is motivated by a vision of legitimate energy independence and a truly clean energy portfolio. PowerSat Corporation is partnered with PowerSat Limited in London, and is a subsidiary of PowerSat International which is based in Gibraltar. For more information please visit www.powersat.com.


Media Contact:
Aaron Lindenbaum
alindenbaum@rasky.com
617-443-9933 x343 (office)

###

Adaptive Engineering wins award for innovative Unified Communications software

Boston-based Adaptive Engineering a leading developer of collaborative Unified Communications software solutions, has won the Technology Marketing Corporation’s (TMC) Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award for its flagship product Concourse 3TM. The TMC Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award is doled out to companies whose products exhibit vision and groundbreaking achievement through the media of voice, data and video communications.

Just last month, Adaptive was awarded with the Red Herring 100 award for innovation. If you want to maximize your company's return on investment, you should consider Concourse 3(TM) software suite. Concourse streamlines all kinds of inefficiencies at call centers, especially for customer service. Meanwhile its incredibly user-friendly interface makes it fun and simple to collaborate with co-workers on projects.

Mascoma Announces Major Cellulosic Biofuel Technology Breakthrough

Biofuels Digest , TreeHugger and Edmunds.com Green Car Advisor all have reported on today's impressive news from Mascoma!


Mascoma Announces Major Cellulosic Biofuel

Technology Breakthrough


Lebanon, NH - May 7, 2009: Mascoma Corporation today announced that the company has made major research advances in consolidated bioprocessing, or CBP, a low-cost processing strategy for production of biofuels from cellulosic biomass. CBP avoids the need for the costly production of cellulase enzymes by using engineered microorganisms that produce cellulases and ethanol at high yield in a single step.


“This is a true breakthrough that takes us much, much closer to billions of gallons of low cost cellulosic biofuels,” said Michigan State University’s Dr. Bruce Dale, who is also Editor of the journal Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefineries. “Many had thought that CBP was years or even decades away, but the future just arrived. Mascoma has permanently changed the biofuels landscape from here on.”


In a recent Forbes article, biofuels expert Helena Chum of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, commented on CBP, saying “This is the golden dream. All of the processes in one super-organism. That would be the lowest cost possible.” A prominent DOE/USDA research agenda states that “CBP is widely considered to be the ultimate low-cost configuration for cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation.”


Multiple research advances presented by Mascoma Chief Technology Officer Dr. Mike Ladisch at the 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals in San Francisco provide proof of concept for CBP. These include advances with both bacteria that grow at high temperatures, called thermophiles, and recombinant cellulolytic yeasts such as:


Thermophilic Bacteria

· Production of nearly 6% wt/vol ethanol by an engineered thermophilie, an increase of 60% over what was reported just a year ago;

· The first report of targeted metabolic engineering of a cellulose-fermenting thermophile, Clostridium thermocellum, leading to a reduced production of unwanted organic acid byproducts; and

· Selected strains of C. thermocellum that can rapidly consume cellulose with high conversion and no added cellulase, and grow on cellulose in the presence of commercial levels of ethanol.

Recombinant, Cellulolytic Yeast

· 3,000-fold increase in cellulase expression;

· A significant 2.5-fold reduction in the added cellulase required for conversion of pretreated hardwood to ethanol; and

· Complete elimination of added cellulase for conversion of waste paper sludge to ethanol.


“These advances enable the reduction in operating and capital costs required for cost-effective commercial production of ethanol, bringing Mascoma substantially closer to commercialization,” said Jim Flatt, Executive Vice President of Research, Development and Operations at Mascoma. “Our results go a long way toward establishing the feasibility of the processing concept that we have built our company around - so this is a big day for us.”


In February 2009, Mascoma announced that its pilot facility in Rome, NY had begun producing cellulosic ethanol. The demonstration facility, which was constructed with the generous support from the State of New York through the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, has the flexibility to run on numerous biomass feedstocks including wood chips, tall grasses, corn stover (residual corn stalks) and sugar cane bagasse. The facility will provide process performance engineering data sufficient to support construction of 1/10th scale and commercial scale biorefineries in Kinross, MI, with support from the Department of Energy and State of Michigan.


About Mascoma

Mascoma Corporation is an innovative biofuels company committed to developing environmentally sustainable, low cost, low carbon biofuels from cellulosic biomass. The company’s Consolidated Bioprocessing method converts non-food biomass feedstocks into cellulosic ethanol through the use of a patented process that eliminates the need for costly enzymes and additives. The company’s corporate office and R&D laboratories are based in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Mascoma is producing cellulosic ethanol on a demonstration scale at its facility in Rome, New York. Its affiliate, Frontier Renewable Resources, is developing a commercial scale production facility in Kinross, Michigan. For more information, visit www.mascoma.com.


Media Contact:

Kate Casolaro
617-443-9933 x338 (office)
617-312-4964 (mobile)
kcasolaro@rasky.com

Meet EVI (Electric Vehicles International)

Keith Barry from Wired's Autopia blog tells us about a new commercial electric vehicle available in the U.S. With all that stimulus money going towards buying electric vehicles and electrifying public fleets, this company is primed to succeed!

EVI assembles and manufactures two types of vehicles for the US market:

1) The eviLight Truck for Class 3-5 trucks, achieving maximum speeds of 55-60 MPH at up to 450V.

2) EVI also boasts the eviRoute 1500, a two-passenger flatbed commercial truck that can carry a load of 1,500 kgs at a range of 40 miles.

Check out their latest announcement that they are sponsoring Faster Freight Cleaner Air (FFCA-California) in Long Beach this week.

Mascoma's demonstration facility is producing cellulosic ethanol

Mascoma Corp. is announcing that their demonstration facility in Rome is now producing ethanol from non-food cellulosic biomass. This makes Mascoma the first company to process wood into ethanol biologically at this scale.

As you can imagine, this news is significant on a number of fronts – both as an indicator of the progress the company has made towards commercialization, and because of the positive economic impact that that facility is having on the economy in Upstate New York – creating jobs and supporting local industries. As you know, many companies are striving to reach commercialization of their cellulosic ethanol technology, and the success that Mascoma is having at the demonstration scale is an important step in the process.

Also significant is the role that both NYSERDA and NYPA played in funding this project – both agencies contributed significant grants, and see great potential for Mascoma’s facility to be a leader in the green economy.

The press release is below.

*********************

Mascoma Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
Begins Operations in Rome, NY

Facility Generating Biomass-based Ethanol
With Assistance from New York State Agencies

Boston, MA – February 25, 2009: Mascoma Corporation, a leader in the development of low carbon cellulosic ethanol, today announced that the company’s demonstration facility in Rome, New York, is now producing ethanol from non-food cellulosic biomass.

“This is an important milestone for the cellulosic ethanol industry and for Mascoma. We are grateful for the support NYSERDA and NYPA have provided for the past two years,” said Bruce A. Jamerson, CEO of Mascoma Corporation. “They have been outstanding partners and we couldn’t have built this plant without them.”

Completed in December 2008, the Rome, NY plant is one of the largest facilities converting non-food biomass into cellulosic ethanol in the United States. The facility currently has a production capacity of up to 200,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. Construction began in early 2008.

“The early success of this project demonstrates that feedstocks for renewable fuels can be harvested right here in New York State,” said Francis J. Murray, Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “The commercialization of environmentally sustainable transportation fuels is part of Governor David Paterson’s comprehensive energy policy, which will help revitalize the upstate economy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

The plant was funded in part by grants from the State of New York which were approved in December 2006. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Power Authority (NYPA) provided the funding on the State’s behalf. Research partners at the facility include State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Cornell University and Clarkson University.

“The successful start up and operations at the Rome facility are an essential step towards our commercial goals and underscore the effectiveness of Mascoma’s unique technology,” said Jim Flatt, Executive Vice President of Research and Development and Operations at Mascoma. “The State of New York and our local business partners have together helped us move one step closer to our goal of producing cost competitive cellulosic ethanol at commercial scale.”

The demonstration facility has the flexibility to run on numerous biomass feedstocks including wood chips, tall grasses, corn stover (residual corn stalks) and sugar cane bagasse. The company has committed to partnering with local businesses for feedstock supply and is currently purchasing wood chips from a local sawmill.

“We’re pleased that Mascoma Corporation had the forethought to keep such an innovative facility here in the Rome area,” said State Senator Joseph A. Griffo. “This is an industry that’s at the cutting edge of helping us become more energy-efficient and I commend NYSERDA and NYPA for their partnership.”

“This innovative collaboration between the private and public sectors has led to more jobs for this community, and we can look forward to more economic development opportunities that may result from their success in the global marketplace,” said Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito (D/WF-Rome). “I am excited about Mascoma’s progress.”


About Mascoma
Mascoma Corporation is an innovative biofuels company committed to developing environmentally sustainable, low cost, low carbon biofuels from cellulosic biomass. The company’s Consolidated Bioprocessing method converts non-food biomass feedstocks into cellulosic ethanol through the use of a patented process that eliminates the need for costly enzymes and additives. Mascoma is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with research and development labs in Lebanon, New Hampshire and Woburn, Massachusetts. Mascoma is producing cellulosic ethanol on a demonstration scale at its facility in Rome, New York. Its affiliate, Frontier Renewable Resources, is developing a commercial scale production facility in Kinross, Michigan. For more information, visit www.mascoma.com.

Media Contact:

Kate Casolaro
617-443-9933 x338 (office)
617-312-4964 (mobile)
kcasolaro@rasky.com

Major Wind and Solar Thermal Deals Announced

In the past week and a half, there were two major developments in US renewable energy sector.

First, the Texas Public Utilities Commission announced that it has assigned $5 billion for Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) Transmission Projects to Texas transmission companies. The goal of the CREZ projects are to transfer wind power from rural parts of Texas, which have significant and abundant wind resources, to the more populated and metropolitan areas of Texas.

The CREZ Transmission Projects are a landmark breakthrough and are a result of intensive cooperation and coordination amongst a wide variety of stakeholders -- land owners, investor-owned utilities, private transmission companies, the Public Utilities Commission of Texas, environmental organizations, river authorities, and more.

Scope of the project
POWERnews reports that the CREZ transmission projects "will eventually transmit 18,456 MW of wind power...the regulatory body expects that the new lines will be in service within four or five years."


Second, the LA Times announced today that BrightSource Energy has signed a deal with Southern California Edison to supply 1,300 megawatts of solar-thermal power. Solar-thermal "uses heat from the sun to create steam to spin electric turbines" (LA Times). This is the largest solar-thermal deal to date. Article.Link.

British wind developer says UFO not responsible for turbine explosion

Ahh fooey,

Kate Gailbraith from NY Times Green Inc blog reported today that the British wind farm Ecotricity, whose rural British wind farm was the site of many UFO sitings and the explosion of one of its turbine, has closed the case on who is responsible.

Ecotrocity has finished an interim report that concludes that bolts securing the blade of the hub of the turbine failed due to "material fatigue."

Hard to believe when you have proof of an ALIEN CROP CIRCLE SHAPED LIKE A TURBINE!

Offshore Wind in Texas: 300 MW to 900 MW of Wind Power Could be Easily Integrated

The Gulf Coast Alternative

According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), 100 to 300 MW of wind generation could be easily integrated near each:

- Galveston

- Corpus Christi

- South Padre Island

Based upon direct connects without significant additional upgrades. Generation levels offsetting local loads in the area. Ability to add additional generation levels if local high voltage transmission systems are upgraded.

Offshore Oil vs. Offshore Renewables

A significant victory was acheived yesterday for offshore renewables. The Bush Administration's midnight plan to open up approximately 300 million acres of America's coastline to oil and gas companies was delayed by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The Bush plan was signed four days before Obama took office and the public hearing period was scheduled to be completed in March 23. Salazar has extended the deadline until September 23

Salazar said the Bush proposal " opened up the possibility for oil and gas leasing along the entire eastern seaboard, portions of offshore California, and the far eastern Gulf of Mexico - with almost no consideration of state, industry, and community input and, in the case of the Atlantic coast, with very limited information about the nature of offshore resources." The Secretary said it "was a process rigged to force hurried decisions based on bad information. It was a process tilted toward the usual energy players while renewable energy companies and the interests of American consumers and taxpayers were overlooked."

Salazar's Four Steps

1. Extension of public comment period on Bush plan for offshore drilling to September

2. Offshore Resources Report. U.S. Department of Minerals Management Service (MMS) and the U.S. Geological Survey will assemble a report of all the information we have about our offshore resources to determine where gaps in information exist ( Environmental News Service). Report is due in 45 days.

3. Four regional meetings around the country to gather the best ideas for offshore energy uses. The meetings will take place within a 30-day timeframe post-submission of the offshore report by MMS and Geological Survey. Meetings will be held in Alaska, the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Coast, and the Gulf Coast.

4.Final rulemaking for offshore renewables. Salazar will issue final rulemaking for offshore renewables as required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Timeframe is in the next several months.

Big Picture

Offshore renewable leases will replace the offshore oil and gas leases in a similar timeframe as the Bush Administration plan -- 2013 through 2017 -- and perhaps even sooner. Final rulemaking on offshore renewables will immediately increase investments in offshore renewable energy projects.Salazar's comments were a strong signal regarding future U.S. energy policy -- The Department of the Interior oversees 1.7 billion offshore acres (an area roughly three-fourths of the size of the entire terrestrial United States).

Surprisingly, oil industry executives were upset at the delay and noted that the International Energy Agencyhas projected the world will need 40 percent more energy in 2030 than it consumes today and of course oil will meet that demand (AP).

All of this occurred on the same day that the IEA cut its forecast for Global Oil Demand. The IEA beleives global demand for oil will decrease 1.2% this year, the biggest annual drop in 27 years (WSJ).

Jumpstarting our recessing economies through more oil exploration and drilling is not a real answer. On the other hand, creating new jobs, new industries through the development of new, renewable energy resources and a new energy infrastructure is a great way to kick-start an economic boom.

Potential source of jobs? Congress pushing for national renewable energy portfolio standards

Reuters reported today that there is enough congressional support to pass a federal renewable energy standard. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on a draft of legislation for the creation of a national renewable electricity standard. The goal of the legislation is to require a gradual increase in the amount of energy supplied from renewable energy sources to:

- 4 percent in 2011-12

- 8 percent in 2013-15,

- 12 percent in 2016-18,

- 16 percent in 2019-20

- 20 percent in 2021-39

"I think that the votes are present in the Senate to pass a renewable electricity standard. I think that they are present in the House," Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the energy committee's chairman, said. "I think that we need to get on with figuring out what we can pass and move forward."

Work is Needed

From Justin Fox via Greg Mankiw.

http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/

The Growth of Wind (from the Energy Watch Group)

Accurate Projections for Renewable Energy Development: Wind Power as a Case Study

There is a historic level of historical ignorance when it comes to forecasting renewable energy development. The traditional institution involved in projecting energy growth, the International Energy Agency (IEA), has been consistently and magnificently wrong in predicting levels of growth for the renewable energy sector. The story of the IEA's wind power projections versus actual installments is a disturbing revelation for those who consider the IEA to be a legitimate and reliable source of information for the energy industry. At the same time, the Wind Power example is vindication for those who believe that renewable energy sources are not "alternative" solutions for providing energy but rather "the mainstream" solution.

The Energy Watch Group, a network of international scientists and parliamentarians, recently released a report entitled, "Wind Power in Context – A Clean Revolution in the Energy Sector".

The report included the following findings:

- "Wind power net capacity additions over the last ten years (1998-2007) have showed a mean growth rate of 30.4 percent per year, corresponding to a doubling of net additions every 2½ years.

- "In 2007, net capacity additions reached 19553 Megawatts, a level that most energy pundits failed to anticipate. Net additions, in 2007, were 417 percent bigger than the mean estimate published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), in its World Energy Outlook 1995-2004 editions.

- In the IEA’s most recent World Energy Outlook (2008) scenario, it again predicts a low growth “reference scenario” for wind power with only a 2.2 percent increase of annual wind capacity additions over the 2010-2030 period.

- "The IEA acknowledges that the “risk of a supply crunch” for oil after 2010 could be
”driving up oil prices – possibly to new record highs”, but then fails to revise its forecasts for renewable energies".

TO RECAP:

Wind power net capacity has grown at 30.4% per year from 1998 - 2007, with total net additions being 417% percent bigger than the mean estimate published by the IEA during this time period. And yet, the IEA's most recent projection calls for a 2.2% increase of annual wind capacity in the next 20 years!?

Why doesn't the IEA believe in wind? How hard is it to see that wind has been one of the primary growth industries worldwide. The demand for wind turbines has been so huge that the wait for turbines from a manufacturer was taking up to two years. The point is simple; wind projects are "shovel-ready" and a great way to 'stimulate' economices. Putting money into established renewable energy sources like wind is a proven way to create jobs and earn returns on investment and the renewable sector deserves a large share of stimulus dollars.

Exciting Times for Renewable Energy

2008 was a tremendous year for renewable energy in the United States with the wind industry leading the way. Take a look at the numbers (source American Wind Energy Association):

- 8,358 megawatts of new generating capacity installed
- Investment of US $17 billion
- New wind projects accounted for about 42% of the entire new power-producing capacity added nationally
- New wind projects will avoid 44 million tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking over 7 million cars off of the road.

All of this occurred with George W. Bush in office.

Now, think about all the changes the Obama administration has made and intends to make regarding renewable energy and the energy grid. Think about the dollars set aside in the economic stimulus plan. Think about the extension of federal tax incentives. Think about the new regulatory regime that is now in place (hint: it is run by folks who believe in global warming). Think about the fact that people, companies, and institutions worldwide will be looking for places to invest. Think about all of the predictions and projections for increased energy demand. Think about the fact that a number of oil analysts and researchers have indicated that oil supply is decreasing. Think about the new efficiency regulations that will be coming to the car industry. Think about the creation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) that 75 countries have joined. Think about cap and trade regimes and carbon taxes.

Now, try and tell us that renewable energy investments are going to decrease. Tell us that the cheap price of oil will negate investments in renewable energy technologies and carbon mitigation strategies. Tell us that clean-coal is the real answer when there isn't a single clean-coal facility in operation. Tell us that because it is so cold in the United States there is no global warming and forget about the fact that climate change is the name of the game and increasingly severe weather systems and storms are one of the primary indicators of climate change and oh by the way Australia is in the midst of a record heat wave. Lie to us. Forget the facts. Ignore the truths. It is fine with us because we aren't as stupid as you think. You can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time.

Investments in renewable energy are going to increase.

Electric Vehicles, Carbon Taxes, and Exxon Mobil

There was a lot going on this week in the industry plus NO MORE GEORGE W. BUSH!

Electric vehicles were the big highlight of the Detroit Auto Show and recieved considerable media coverage. It was a funny coincidence that Detroit was the site of so much technological innovation. Of course, on closer inspection there is really no surprise because almost all of the big news coming out of the show had nothing to do with the Big 3. Which of course leads to another point; how are these companies still called the Big 3? The Big 3 of what? Failure? Tragedy? Stupidity? At any rate, it is way to easy to pile on GM, Ford, and Chrysler. GM may have have something with the Chevy Volt, although it remains behind foreign and U.S. competitors (check out Tesla). Ford is doing ok with its standard offerings and Chrysler...well they're still hanging around somehow. Thanks Secretary Paulson!

There was also major news in the carbon mitigation world. Exxon Mobil announced it was in favor of a Carbon Tax! Obviously, a good deal of skepticism is in order whenever Exxon announces anything that might be good for the environment. But, the Exxon announcement is a big deal for a number of reasons.

1) The Exxon announcement is a signal of the regime change occuring in the US. No more Bush is a transformative event for the energy industry.

2) Congress may revisit the Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade System debate. There is a lot to talk about here and we plan to get more in-depth. For now, lets just say that a National Carbon Tax holds great merit and that there is a surprising amount of support for a Carbon Tax from an unlikely group that typically loves trade.

CCS: Digging your way out of a hole

CNET reporter Martin LaMonica reported today that Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the industry association for U.S. utilities, in anticipation for upcoming climate change legislation, supports adopting a number of clean technology solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from today's output by 2050.

Among the rollout of new efficiency goals and renewables, as well as electric vehicles and utilizing a smarter grid, EEI is uttering, in the same breath, support for carbon sequestration, aka carbon capture and storage (CCS) aka SHOOTING MILLIONS TONS OF CO2 UNDER OUR TOWNS AND OUR OCEANS in old emptied oil caverns.

While coal remains the cheapest and most accessible fuel source in the US, it remains the dirtiest. New technologies that utilize filtration and cogeneration must continue to make coal burning more viable; we can't give up on it altogether just yet. But with new DOE chief Steven Chu going back on his claim that coal is his "worst nightmare," has this crazy scheme to store liquified carbon in the earth really become part of the mainstream discourse?

CCS is frightening by itself. But the unanimous buy-in from American energy gurus is scarier. This is not a "technology" where throwing money at R&D will vet out its flaws. Using CCS is like sweeping the mess under the rug. It is unproven, irresponsible and potentially catastrophic. If, say, an earthquake were to hit near a cavern of 100,000 tons of stored CO2, can you imagine the bubble of toxic fumes that would emerge out of the water?

If CCS is really being articulated as such a vital component to America's future energy porfolio, I say let's play ball and go one step further. Let's add one more element to Barack Obama's wishes to combine NASA with the Department of Defense, and merge them with the DOE, so that we can launch carbon missles into Iraq and shoot the rest of it into space!

In The Know: How Can We Make The War In Iraq More Eco-Friendly?

Eco-Warfare

Before he rides off into the sunlight, George Bush has the chance to rectify some mistakes--please give this video your full attention.  Military R&D of renewable and energy efficient technologies will play a key role in transitioning to a low carbon economy.

Welcome

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