Schwarzenegger and Fuel Economy Plus NJ and CFLs

In a move sure to tick off most of the Republican party: Next Schwarzenegger target: fuel emissions

A white paper by Schwarzenegger advisors and obtained by The Times said, "To protect our jobs and wages, clean our air, cool our Earth and maintain our way of life, we must diversify our fuel sources and reduce our reliance on oil."

Such an order would be the first major step in implementing the state's landmark law approved last fall that requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2020. Greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere, are considered a major cause of global warming.

Meanwhile Atlantic County in New Jersey is getting together with Lowes in order to give away CFLs.

Atlantic County government and the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, in cooperation with Lowe’s, will promote the importance of energy efficiency in protecting the environment during National Cut Your Energy Cost Day by holding workshops and giving away 1,000 Energy Star compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs at four locations to those who participate in the Energy Star Change a Light Pledge.

Also see this blog post that I made in May of 2006:
What Good Will It Do?

Yesterday I updated two more light fixtures to using CFLs. I picked up a two pack of some really small, but very bright (60W), CFLs for ~$8. They fit into the fixtures perfectly. I need 9 globes for the bathrooms and four more of the small CFLs and my entire house will have only fluorescent lighting.

technorati tags: alternative energy, energy, compact fluorescent, New Jersey, fuel, California, oil

Iran and OPEC Threaten the World

Gee, just a couple of days ago I mentioned that the current falling gas prices would prompt OPEC to say that they will cut production (but they probably will not or not as much as they state) and that Iran will threaten to nuke someone, probably Israel.

Oil is around $55 a barrel, which is what I predicted for the end of 2006, I was off by a couple of days.

OPEC threatens to cut production. Surprise. I still say that $60 a barrel is 1) not realistic due to the fact that it will be hundreds of years before oil supply is really threatened, plenty to go around and 2) not sustainable on the world market for too long.

They are building a top heavy house with their policies. Now it is good in some ways because we do not want the prices to just crash. Give the market a little time to diversify their investments and gently ease the prices down to about $35 a barrel, which would be a reasonable price.

Unfortunately we know that would be bad for alternative energy. Why? because the general public will be able to drive their vehicles rather cheaply again and will use the extra money to buy fast food rather than pay off their bills. Due to that, not as many politicians will continue to push for a more expensive in the short term solution to the problem of dependence on oil imports.

In other news, it is going to be almost 80 degrees in NC this Saturday. Time to dust off the Carolina Rollergirls tight tank top and my soccer short.

technorati tags: alternative energy, energy, Wal-mart, Iran, politics, OPEC, oil

Alternative Energy Spending Going Bye Bye?

Alternative-Energy Spending Fizzles Out

Although Bush proposed a fiscal-year 2007 budget that would have increased funding for some renewable-energy resources, including solar and biomass, as well as for research into hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, the budget was not passed. Instead, Congress passed a stop-gap continuing resolution that will keep the budget at 2006 levels, which, because of inflation, amounts to a cut in funding, and it specifically decreases funding in some cases.
[...]
Romm says the budget "for all energy efficiency and all renewable energy is something like a billion. Given [that] the scale of the problem with global warming and our oil imports is so humongous, we're hardly addressing the issue at all."

Perhaps the private sector will pick up the slack, even if some of the incentives go away? Or even if there may be a slowing down of research due to a lack of federal funding?

Wal-Mart has had a few experimental stores that used green energy. This link here shows a row of their solar panels at one store. The text states that Wal-Mart may start pushing green solutions to other stores. With how many stores they have, the impact could be quite impressive.

Farm Futures ran the article, Firms Double Investments in Energy Ventures, today and in it they state that:

Venture capital firms more than doubled their investments in biofuels and other energy ventures in 2006, and even more is expected in 2007.

Maybe we might have a better idea after the Wall Street Green Trading Summit VI which has been announced for April 16th and 17th of 2007.

technorati tags: alternative energy, energy, Wal-mart, United States, politics, economy

Oil drops due to warm US weather

So possible global warming is good for the economy! ;p

Now that oil is below $59 (at this instant, may not be by the time I hit publish) I am wondering when Iran will threaten to nuke Israel or to use oil as a weapon in order to up the price again. Of course if Iran's usual assortment of threats do not impact the price then their real leader (OPEC) will step in and say that they may make cuts or that there may be a supply issue in order to raise the price back up to $60+, which I still think is unsustainable for the global market.

Fortunately the DoE is looking into diversifying US oil imports with more non-OPEC countries being thrown into the mix. Saudi Arabia was still our top OPEC source in October and Canada our largest non-OPEC source. Imports were also a bit lower than they were in September.

technorati tags: oil, energy, oil price

Watch your wallet

I have noticed an increasing trend in the posting and pushing of little gadgets that are advertised as improving the performance of your vehicle. Many of these note (and usually with large and bold text) that these little contraptions will improve gas mileage. A great pitch during these times.

However, most of the time the claims do not live up to what is advertised and some gadgets can have a negative impact on your vehicle. Be sure to research any and all claims before trying anything out.

Good ways to save a few $$$$:

Drive within the posted speed limits
Do not step on the gas pedal to quickly accelerate
Purchase a hybrid vehicle
Clean out the car (reduce some of that extra weight you are carrying around)
Check the air filter
Make sure to use the recommended oil and gas grades for your vehicle.
Be sure that your tires are inflated to the proper pressure and if you are unsure whether or not the car is still in alignment, have it checked out.

technorati tags: save energy, oil, energy, alternative energy

Kite Power To The Rescue!

Kite generator is an idea that seriously blows

The KiteGen power plant would work by letting loose a bunch of kites tethered to a central rotor. Flying over a mile high, the kites would set the rotor in motion thanks to the force of powerful winds, generating power. A radar system and winches would control the direction and angle of the kites to make sure they don't get in the way of aircraft, birds, or each other. On paper, Sequoia predicts a KiteGen plant could produce even more power than a nuclear plant at a fraction of the cost, and the company plans to build one in the next two years.

News

Well the Saudis are still going to pump oil so it edged down just a touch more again today. Makes me wonder how many alternative energy programs will be maintained once it goes down another $5 per barrel.

Mitsubishi to Test i-Based Electric Car

The cars will be given to two Japanese energy companies for testing. With a top speed of 80 mph, the wee runabout will be able to travel 80 to 100 miles on a charge.

The above points to this article:
Mitsubishi to Try Once More With Battery-Powered Cars

Mitsubishi said it had no plan to bring its electric car to the U.S.

But the company has been testing a pair of conventional gasoline-powered models of the minicar in Southern California for much of the last year.

Work begins on largest European wind farm

Construction has started on Europe's largest onshore wind farm -- a 140-turbine facility in Scotland, south of Glasgow.

The $560 million wind farm -- part of Scotland's stated goal of becoming the "Saudi Arabia" of renewable energy -- is being constructed on moorland and a forested area, The Independent reported.

Alternate Energy Holdings Announces Development of Lightning Into Electricity Technology

By collecting power from the ground area surrounding a lightning strike and converting it into usable electricity to be sold through existing power grids, AEHI is able to harness the natural energy delivered in a bolt of lightning. Lightning harvesting is a clean energy solution that will not only eliminate numerous environmental hazards associated with the energy industry it will also significantly reduce the costliness of power production. When amortized over 4-7 years, a lightning farm will be able to produce and sell electricity for as low as $0.005 per kilowatt hour, thus significantly undercutting the current production costs of its competing energy sources.

Environmentalists praise Xcel's progress on renewable energy

Pat Vincent, president and chief executive of Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company, said the utility will generate 10 percent of its power from renewable energy sources by the end of next year.

"Nationwide, Xcel Energy is the No. 1 purchaser of wind," Vincent said. "Here in Colorado, our purchase of wind power has and will contribute to the operation of several wind farms around the state, some producing as much as 300 to 500 megawatts by capacity."

technorati tags: clean energy, oil, energy, lightning, wind power, alternative energy, electric car

News of the morn

I was reading about Delek buying into the Dead Sea oil project that the Israelis have going on and of course did my usual search for clean energy projects.

It is nice reading some good news, especially from New Jersey. The one thing about growing up in that state is that when you travel to other states you hear nothing but other people making fun of it. In Maine people thought those from New Jersey were busy all of the time (never figured out why) while people from NYC would lament the lack of a busing system in South Jersey (um, it's mostly rural and not really that population dense but it is still growing).

The Price of Success: Inside the NJ Clean Energy Program

The rebates, which formerly covered up to 60 percent of an installed solar system, had been a great success. And as a result, there are now many applications sitting in a queue. Both the rebate levels and consumer demand have been very high. In an effort to temper the program and limit applications, rebates have been lowered 5 times in 15 months.

Also, to meet the strong solar goals of New Jersey's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), the BPU made a large number of commitments to solar projects. However, those commitments exceeded the CEP budget through 2008, putting a 9-month halt on up to 200 projects.

And now onto what may be mankind's greatest achievement, beer power.

FuelCell Energy Helps Sierra Nevada Harness ‘Beer Power’ to Reduce its Energy Costs by 25 to 40 Percent

FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean electric power plants for commercial, industrial and government customers, today announced the upgrade of its 1 megawatt (MW) Direct Fuel Cell® (DFC®) power plant at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. to use fuel created from a waste by-product of the brewing process. With this enhancement, Sierra Nevada furthers its sustainability and energy efficiency goals, while realizing substantial cost savings by offsetting its purchase of natural gas.

The brewery’s fuel cell power plant, which began running last summer and was dedicated by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, initially ran on natural gas. To boost the brewery’s energy efficiency and ecologically friendly profile, Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman sought to convert the ultra-clean fuel cells from operating solely on natural gas to a gas mixture that the brewery produced as a by-product, methane.

Sierra Nevada installed a compressor and filtration system to purify methane gas that is generated during the brewery’s water treatment process, and then feed it to the power plant for fuel. As a result, two of the plant’s four fuel cell stacks can now operate in dual fuel mode -- using any combination of natural gas and anaerobic digester gas (ADG). As Sierra Nevada increases its production and the amount of methane it generates, it also can operate the other two fuel cells on ADG.

technorati tags: clean energy, oil, energy, New Jersey, beer, alternative energy

Alternative Energy in the News

China to raise investments in alternative energy projects

Data showed that China’s dependence on foreign oil reached 43% last year. Departments concerned forecast that China’s oil consumption would hit 450 million tonnes in 2020, with 250 million tonnes to be imported from abroad.

The ministry, however, did not elaborate on the investment figures, saying only that it would earmark more funds for bio-energy, solar and wind energy projects, as well as for coal-to-liquid fuel projects over the next five years, Xinhua news agency reported.

Alternative energy research catching fire

“Virginia Farm Bureau not only supports the production of biofuels, but we also support continued research to help these important alternative energy sources become more available to the general public,” said Andrew Smith, senior assistant director of governmental relations for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “We’ve known for several years now that biodiesel and ethanol-blended gasoline are better for the environment, provide important new markets for our farmers and help reduce our nation’s dependency on foreign oil imports. But research on the best ways to produce and distribute these fuels continues to be needed.”

Alternative Energy: Solar power

Romero doesn’t have plans for future upgrades and remains content with the cash she’s saving now. Her August electricity bill, after keeping her 1,950-square-foot home comfortably cool from summer heat, came out to $70.
[...]
Since then, Romero said the solar water-heating system — which circulates water through transparent pipes on her roof and back to her pool — has helped cut her propane bills in half.

For each solar system installation, Romero turned to Energy Trust of Oregon for help. Because of the incentives Energy Trust offers, Romero paid only $6,000 for her $20,000 solar-panel system.

First Coal to Liquid Fuel Plant in the US

Mont. to Build Coal-To-Liquid Fuel Plant

DKRW and Arch Minerals are the principal developers of the previously announced Medicine Bow CTL facility in Wyoming.

The Montana plant would use what is called integrated gas combined cycle technology to gasify, rather than ignite the coal. The project calls for converting a portion of the synthetic gas into 22,000 barrels per day of diesel fuel, using the rest of the gas to generate about 300 megawatts of electricity.
[...]
General Electric will provide the technology to convert the coal into synthetic gas and Rentech technology will be used to convert the synthetic gas into a liquid.

Schweitzer said the plant would be outfitted with technology to capture carbon dioxide so it can be stored underground. The gasifier will remove mercury, sulfur and particulate matter from the coal, he said.

technorati tags: coal, fuel, energy, Montana, General Electric

Ohio's Largest Solar Array, Enough for 15 Homes

I found this at Green Energy Ohio.

Oberlin College Completes Solar Parking Pavilion Largest Photovoltaic Array in Ohio

The pavilion's 8,800-square-foot roof will collect sunlight through 336 PV panels.Sunlight will be transformed into a maximum of 100 kilowatts of electrical energy, bringing the center's total rated production (based on peak theoretical output under ideal conditions) to 145 kW, equivalent to the amount of energy needed to power nearly 15 single-family homes.
[...]
A win for the College and for the City of Oberlin, which will benefit from the center's electrical energy when surplus energy is exported into the municipality's grid. Electrical energy from the PV panels is also expected to be distributed into a building next to the Lewis Center which was renovated to house eight offices and teaching and research laboratories.

What is interesting is that GreenCounsel linked to this report today about some research that has been done at the University of Albany area about how much energy could be displaced by setting up PVs at parking lots.

technorati tags: solar, alternative energy, energy, Ohio, power

Test of China's new thermonuclear fusion reactor successful

Article Link

The experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (east) fusion device, nicknamed "Artificial Sun", was tested at the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Hefei, capital city of East China's Anhui province.

East is an upgrade of China's first-generation Tokamak device and the first of its kind in operation in the world, Chinese scientists said.

Please note the word fusion and not fission. This is a big deal, if it is accurate and can be reproduced.

technorati tags: nuclear, alternative energy, energy, China, power

Egypt going nuclear?

Egypt developing nuclear energy program

In all fairness they have been working at it for awhile but it will still take them some time to get everything up and running. Is it worth the possible $2 Billion price tag?

Egypt is looking for alternative power sources because of the rising cost of oil and its increasing energy needs. The government estimates that oil reserves in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country, will be depleted within 20 years unless new oil fields are discovered.

Egypt has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the cornerstone of international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Countries that sign the treaty agree not to produce or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons. They also accept safeguards meant to prevent the diversion of spent nuclear fuel to weapons production. Egypt also has agreed to inspections by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

NTI's overview of Egypt's nuclear programs

technorati tags: nuclear, alternative energy, energy, Egypt, power

Green Energy for Sale

So you wanna help the environment and just cannot afford one of those spiffy new hybrids nor can you throw up a wind farm or solar panels? As I blogged earlier, you could replace as many of your lights in the home with CFLs. Then encourage all of your neighbors to do so. Personally, I have saved quite a bit by doing this and not all of my inside lights could be replaced with CFLs.

You might also be able to contribute towards a green fund. Not sure what to buy? How about just investing in your local power company? Many energy providers offer their consumers the ability to pay a little bit extra in their bill, usually around $4 a month, with the promise that it will go towards purchasing renewable energy.

Still not enough? Then look into the New Rules Project to help the environment.

Governments can do everything from purchasing green energy to helping land owners use tools to determine if they can turn some open land into a wind farm.

As this article points out, more and more sustainability adds up.

Also check out:
Can I Buy Green Energy in My State?
National Wild Life Federation's Green Tags Program
Shop and Unshop: Economic Action to promote just and sustainable purchasing

technorati tags: energy credits, economy, energy, wind energy, sustainability

Signs that the US is getting serious with oil shale?

Chevron starts oil shale project with Los Alamos lab

Chevron Corp. said Monday it's started a joint oil-shale research project with Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

San Ramon-based Chevron (NYSE: CVX) has about 59,000 workers and pulled in a profit of $4.4 billion in the quarter ended June.

Oil-shale plan advances

The federal government has taken a step toward approving the reopening of an oil-shale mine in Utah, one of four experimental works on Western lands that are intended to boost domestic oil production.

In Colorado, three oil companies won environmental clearance in August for their plans to start producing shale oil by heating layers of rock using electric oven-like elements, steam injection or hot natural gas.
[...]
In Colorado, the BLM declared projects by Shell Frontier Oil and Gas Inc., Chevron USA Inc. and Midland, Texas-based EGL Resources Inc. would have no significant environmental impact.

Kohler, however, said there was little doubt approval would follow in Utah because sections of the report found little or no environmental damage would result from reopening a working mine.

technorati tags: oil, oil shale, economy, energy, Chevron, Utah, New Mexico

Trash to Cash. Well to diesel anyway...

That's right, what if we could rid the world of sewer sludge and get some cheap (at today's prices) diesel fuel instead? Think of it, it would be completely unaffected by the home heating oil industry.

From sludge to cheap and clean diesel

Diesel for $1 a gallon.
And not from oil. Instead, it would come from sewer sludge, wood, agricultural waste, plain old trash or even plastics.

That's the promise of a new process unveiled Thursday at UC Riverside by researchers and a small company that will pay $15 million for a pilot plant to be built in the next two years.
[...]
Two-thirds of the process uses tried-and-true, off-the-shelf technology. The new trick is how they turn solids into a gas, and how efficient that new technique is.

A process that normally takes an hour can be done in six minutes, or 10-times faster, said Norbeck.

"We don't know why it happens," he said. "We can convert this faster than anyone has ever seen."

And there's little waste. Up to 85 percent of the feed material becomes useable liquid fuel at the other end.

Well all I can say is that seems pretty damn nifty. Wonder if we will actually see a plant up and running in a few years.

technorati tags: diesel, economy, energy, sludge, gas

New Vehicles and Tools for America's New Standards

In 2007 and then again in 2010 America will restrict vehicle emissions even more. MOF, America will be the strictest nation on the face of the planet. New technologies are needed in order to make sure that the equipment can perform and perform well.


Honda unveils diesel system to rival gasoline cars

Honda Motor Co. (7267.T) said on Monday it has developed a new and simple diesel powertrain that is as clean as gasoline-fuelled cars, unveiling plans to mount it on a car for the U.S. market by 2009.
[...]
Honda's new diesel drivetrain generates and stores ammonia within a two-layer catalytic converter to turn nitrogen oxide into harmless nitrogen.

Honda engineers said the technology is superior to a process pioneered by Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG (DCXGn.DE) because the latter requires a complex system and heavy add-ons to generate ammonia from urea-based additives.

ArvinMeritor Displays 'Clean Air Solutions' Portfolio of Commercial Vehicle Emissions Controls

In addition to its emissions research in Europe, ArvinMeritor is developing several solutions to reduce emissions from diesel engines in the United States. While no solution has been standardized within the U.S. trucking industry, ArvinMeritor continues to develop leading edge technologies to help meet the US EPA 2007 regulations.

ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry. The company serves light vehicle, commercial truck, trailer and specialty original equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets.

technorati tags: diesel, Honda, energy, emissions, vehicles

Alternative Energy News for the Day

I made sure to log on to my account late last night and take a look at the opening trades for oil. It was pretty much what I expected, $60 a barrel and below. I very much wonder what impact this is going to have on all of the alternative energy initiatives in the US and other parts of the world.

---

USA. $5.7 Billion committed to Clinton Global Initiative

President Clinton announced four new commitments at a plenary session of the Clinton Global Initiative. The session, entitled Managing Diversity in a Globalized World, was attended by panelists President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria moderated the panel discussion.

Following the plenary session, President Clinton joined Richard Branson (CEO, Virgin Group), Klaus Kleinfeld (President and CEO, Siemens), Majora Carter (Executive Director, Sustainable South Bronx) and Barry Segal (CEO, Bradco Supply) at a press conference.

Branson announced an estimated $3 billion commitment toward bio-fuel initiatives. Over the next ten years, Virgin Group will invest all future profits from its airline and train businesses into renewable energy initiatives both within the company, as well as further investments in new bio-fuel R&D, production, distribution and other projects to tackle emissions related to global warming.

Study: Wind Power Fastest Growing Energy Source

According to the Earth Policy Institute, a private organization dedicated to providing a vision of an environmentally sustainable economy, wind is the world’s fastest-growing energy source with an average annual growth rate of 29 percent over the last 10 years.
[...]
U.S. wind energy capacity now exceeds a record 10,000 megawatts and produces enough electricity per day to power more than 2.5 million homes, the American Wind Energy Association announced last week.

“Wind power is gaining momentum as a mainstream energy source, bringing clean energy, stable energy costs, new industry and energy security,” Suzanne Williams Sloan, the association’s communications specialist, said.

Building grand hotel comes at a price

One of the most expensive hotel projects ever in Switzerland is taking shape. swissinfo got a sneak preview of the SFr420 million ($337 million) Dolder Grand in Zurich.
[...]
Even the hotel's energy concept is futuristic. Seventy geothermal probes sunk 150 metres beneath the foundation will reduce the hotel's environmental impact by providing one million:kilowatt hours of clean energy a year to meet half the building's heating needs.

Finavera Renewables Commits to Develop US$40 Million Wave Energy Project in South Africa

Finavera Renewables, through its wave energy division (former AquaEnergy
Group Ltd), plans to build a phased 20MW wave energy power plant in the
Republic of South Africa for a total investment of more than US$40 million
over five years. The project will generate more than 30 million kilowatt-hours
of electricity per month, save US$2 million per year in fuel and avoid
approximately 20,000 tons of CO2 emissions. A material percentage of the
return from the project will be used to alleviate energy poverty and will
provide economic benefits to local communities through the creation of jobs.

DATCP Provides Funds to Develop Switchgrass Biofuel

Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen announced on Friday that a cheese plant in Grant County will receive a $20,000 grant to help develop switchgrass as a biofuel. The funds will help Meister Cheese Company investigate the feasibility of growing switchgrass to remove nitrogen and other nutrients from wastewater and then using the harvested switchgrass as a supplemental fuel in a new, state-of-the art wood-fired boiler.

Solar Energy Forum Is Today

"Strictly Solar -- A Solar Energy Forum, Dollars and Sense" is today from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The free event will be at the Peggy Brown Building, 121 S. Lake Ave. in Lakeland.

The Solar Energy Forum will provide the latest information on Florida solar rebates. There will be a panel discussion, product exhibits and demonstrations on the latest solar equipment.

New 'Green House' a Showcase for Energy Efficiency

The Bennetts teamed up with Regency Homes, a North Stafford custom builder that has incorporated various "green" elements in previous homes, but never really to this extent.
[...]
Bennett estimates that the energy-saving features will add $40,000 to the cost of the house, topping it out at about $980,000. An estimated additional resale value of $150,400 eight years from now nearly quadruples the investment cost. Add to that an anticipated electricity savings of nearly $12,000, tax credits totaling $4,000, plus a county waiver on the property taxes based on property taxes on the solar roof, and building green actually becomes profitable.

technorati tags: alternative energy, wind power, energy, green power, Wisconsin

Green News of the Moment

Senate Dems Propose Job-creating Alternative Energy Plan

Senate Democrats are taking the lead on funding proposals and policies related to energy independence and alternatives to fossil fuels. A report released yesterday by the non-partisan Apollo Alliance says that investments and reforms contained in the so-called Clean EDGE Act, authored by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), would help create jobs while cultivating a strong alternative energy sector.

The Clean EDGE Act, short hand for Clean Energy Development for a Growing Economy, proposes a public and private investment program of $49 billion by 2009 in alternative fuels and other energy sources. These programs would generate an estimated 530,000 jobs in immediate construction and long-term manufacturing jobs nationally. Supporters of the proposals expect that it could be a financially self-sustaining program when fully established.

Poplar Tree Genome Holds Promise Of Breakthrough In Biofuel Research

The article, highlighting the analysis of the first complete DNA sequence of a tree – the black cottonwood, or Populus trichocarpa – lays the groundwork that may lead to the development of trees as an ideal “feedstock” for a new generation of biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol. The research is the result of a four-year scientific and technical effort led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and uniting the efforts of 34 institutions from around the world, including the University of British Columbia and Genome Canada; Umeå Plant Science Centre in Sweden; and Ghent University in Belgium.

EU Energy Policy: Renewed energy

Today’s energy challenges are very real. Global oil consumption has increased 20 per cent in the last 10 years. World energy consumption could rise by half within 25 years. Competition for resources is growing. Investments have to be made. Tough decisions are needed.

In Europe alone, €1 trillion is needed over the next 20 years to meet expected energy demand and replace ageing infrastructure. Globally, the figure is around $16 trillion. In the absence of a secure and transparent investment climate in the world, functioning markets and infrastructure, can such massive investments even be expected?

Garbage company releases report on social responsibility

Waste Management, the trash hauling company, which has a branch office in Simi Valley, recently published a social responsibility report entitled "It Starts with Commitment."

The report outlines the company's environmental goals and the many programs that are already helping to eliminate waste throughout the region.
[...]
Smith said 75 percent of the company truck fleet runs on an alternative fuel or "clean diesel." As a result, 247 tons of harmful air emissions have been reduced each year.

"We're ahead of the state emissions guidelines," Smith said. The company met the state's 2006 goals in early 2005.

Asia, Europe to invest US$6 trillion in energy by 2030

The amount represents more than one third of the total global investment in the energy sector estimated for 1990-2020.

In a declaration issued at the end of the 6th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Finland on Monday (September 11), the leaders of 25 European and 13 Asian nations agreed to share low-carbon and energy-efficient technologies with developing ASEM countries.

Evil Car Companies: Honda Pushes Plant Waste Bio-fuels

Honda develops new way to make biofuel that could boost environmentally friendly cars

The breakthrough comes as automakers look for alternatives to petroleum-based fuels that will not release greenhouse gases that fan global warming. Surging oil prices have also spurred companies to develop new fuels that may be cheaper and not as prone to supply disruptions.

''Expansion of biomass utilization holds enormous potential as a major step forward toward the realization of an energy sustainable society,'' Honda said.

technorati tags: alternative energy, biofuel, energy, green power, Honda