The partnership will facilitate CO2 reduction by offering Bio-mobility solutions for the transportation industry in the form of advanced biofuels produced from softwood. Praj's Bio-Mobility platform promotes the use of renewable resources to produce low carbon transportation fuel modes of mobility, namely surface, air and water, according to Praj, a global process solutions company offering solutions to add significant value to bio-energy facilities, compressed biogas plants, wastewater treatment systems and others.
Sekab is a Swedish Chemistry and Cleantex company that refine ethanol into biofuels and chemicals and develops biorefinery technology for new sustainable product possibilities based on cellulose raw materials, according to the company website. (Source: Praj Ind., Business Standard, 18 May, 2020)Contact: Praj Industries Ltd., +91 20 7180 2000 / 2294 1000, Jayant Godbole, Pres., Praj Americas, info@praj.net, www.praj.net; Sekab E-Technology AB, +46 (0)660-793 00, info@sekab.com, www.sekab.com/en/products-services/biorefinery
More Low-Carbon Energy News Praj Industries, Advanced Biofuel,
"Ethanol production fell to record lows during April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19 pandemic) but is showing modest signs of recovery. It seems that the worst may be behind us." -- Geoff Cooper, CEO, Renewable Fuels Association.
Cooper was commenting on a 5-week high 3 pct rise in ethanol production the week ending May 8, to 25.9 million gpd --
60 plants shuttered and many more working at reduced capacity.
(Source: RFA, AgNewsWire. PR, Ethanol Report 5-15-20, 17 May, 2020) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuels Association, Ethanol, Biofuel,
ClearFlame notes that opening the current diesel fuel market to use 100 pct ethanol fuel has the potential to add massive additional ethanol demand over time -- 50 percent replacement of all diesel fuel would require 34 billion gallons of additional ethanol fuel. (Source: RFA, ClearFlame Engine Technologies, PR, 13 May, 2020) Contact: ClearFlame, John Howell, VP of Business Dev., (508) 404-9398, john@clearflameengines.com, www.clearflameengines.com; Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, ClearFlame, Ethanol,
The Healthy People in Healthy Places Equals a Healthy Economy strategy promotes the idea that prioritizing the health of people, communities, and the planet is the fastest way to rebuild a healthier, more sustainable economy. USGBC is launching emergency guidance and upgrades to the LEED green building program to ensure that it reflects the realities that buildings, and more importantly, the people inside them, will face in the near future.
Under the new initiative, USGBC will update current LEED strategies in LEED v4.1 that support indoor environmental quality, cleaning, occupant comfort, operations, better materials, and risk management, while finding opportunities to introduce new approaches given the current public health crisis.
According to USGBC, refining LEED strategies and providing guidance that clearly communicates the economic, health, and environmental benefits of sustainable buildings, communities and cities to people -- especially during this time of uncertainty -- will be a priority. (Source: USGBC, Env..Energy Leader, 13 May, 2020) Contact: US Green Building Council, Mahesh Ramanujam, Pres., CEO, (202) 552-1500, www.usgbc.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News US Green Building Council,
The Company has also notes it has expanded its relationship with CED Greentech branches throughout Southern California -- San Diego, Riverside, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange County, and Coachella Valley. Over the next 90 days, Eguana will launch its Evolve into Northern California with a focus on regions that were heavily impacted by the forest fires.
Home Energy Storage Systems Evolve is a fully-integrated residential energy storage system that includes the company's proprietary power electronics system, LG Chem low-voltage battery modules, and a comprehensive user interface. The system is rated at 5KW AC output with a modular battery design based on a 6.5 kWh battery, which is scalable from 13 to 39kWh in storage capacity.
(Source: Eguana Technologies, PR, 7 May, 2020) Contact: Equana Technologies, Justin Holland CEO, (416) 728.7635, Justin.Holland@EguanaTech.com, www.EguanaTech.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Eguana Technologies , Energy Storage,
"We thank the USDA for its efforts to support the future of renewable fuels." -- Geoff Cooper, CEO, Pres., Renewable Fuels Association
Cooper was commenting on the USDA's just announced $100 million grant program for activities designed to expand the availability and sale of higher blends of ethanol like E15 and E85, as well as other renewable fuel blends. (Source: RFA, PR, Various Media, 4 May, 2020) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol, USDA, Ethanol Infrastructure, Renewable Fuels Association ,
According to the USDA release, funds will be made directly available to assist transportation and fueling and biodiesel distribution facilities with converting to higher ethanol and biodiesel blends by sharing the costs related to and/or offering sales incentives for the installation of fuel pumps, related equipment and infrastructure. distribution facilities.
Of the total $100 million, $86 million will be available for implementation activities related to ethanol blends above E10 and $14 million will be available for implementation activities related to blends of biodiesel above B5. Grants for up to 50 percent of total eligible projects costs, up to $5 million, are available to vehicle fueling facilities, including local fueling stations/locations, convenience stores, hypermarket fueling stations, fleet facilities, fuel terminal operations, midstream partners and/or distribution facilities.
The agency expects the $100 million in funding to support approximately 150 awards and provide assistance to approximately 1,500 locations.
As an aside, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper offered the following statement in response: "U.S. ethanol producers today are facing the worst economic conditions in the industry's 40-year history due to COVID-19, and they need immediate emergency relief to survive this catastrophe. Once the pandemic is over and fuel markets are showing signs of recovery, expanding infrastructure via the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program will be important to the long-term future of the ethanol industry and rural America. We thank the USDA for its efforts to support the future of renewable fuels."
(Source: USDA, May, 2020)Contact: USDA, Sonny Perdue, Sec., www.usda.gov; Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuels Association, USDA, Biofuel, Biofuel Blend,
The three-year, $19.1 million project is the third phase under the DOE Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) initiative, which seeks to help mitigate CO2 emissions from consumption of fossil fuels. No CO2 will be injected during this stage. The Dry Fork Station project and others selected by the agency aim to develop integrated carbon capture and storage complexes that are constructed and permitted for operation between 2025 and 2030.
Over the next three years, the project partners intend to conduct rigorous, commercial-scale surface and subsurface testing, data assessment and modeling; prepare and file permits for construction with Wyoming's Department of Environmental Quality; integrate this project with a separately funded CO2 capture study by Membrane Technology and Research Inc. (MTR); and conduct the required National Environmental Policy Act analyses in support of eventual commercialization of the site. Other project participants include: Advanced Resources International Inc.; Carbon GeoCycle Inc.; Denbury Resources Inc.; Los Alamos National Laboratory; and Schlumberger. Other UW participants are the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute, the College of Business and the College of Law.
The Powder River Basin produces about 40 pct of all coal consumed in the United States, and is also home to existing CO2 pipelines for oil and gas operations, including fields suitable for use of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery.
(Source: University of Wyoming, 23 April, 2020) Contact: University of Wyoming, Carbon Management Institute , Scott Quillinan, Project Manager, (307) 766-1121, www.uwyo.edu; Basin Electric Power, Paul Sukut, CEO, Matt Greek, Snr. VP Technology R&D, (701) 223-0441, www.basinelectric.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Basin Electric, Carbon Storage, NETL, University of Wyoming,
The RFA also notes 2020 U.S. ethanol sales could fall by more than $10 billion and the ethanol industry's contribution to gross GDP could fall by nearly one third.
(Source: RFA, ICIS, 20 April, 2020) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuels Associatio, RFA, Ethanoln ,
Per 100 workers, the ethanol industry employs more than twice as many veterans as the petroleum, natural gas, nuclear, coal, and wind energy sectors. (Source: Renewable Fuels Association, 24 Mar.,2020) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol, Renewable Fuels Association, ,
"We are pleased the Trump administration has decided not to side with oil refiners in seeking a re-hearing of this unambiguous and well-reasoned court decision in the Tenth Circuit. We trust this also means the administration does not plan to petition the Supreme Court for an appeal. Abiding by the court's ruling is the right thing to do at a time when our industries and rural America are already suffering from the effects of COVID-19, the Saudi-Russia oil price war and ongoing trade disputes.
"We look to the RFS as a source of demand stability and certainty, especially in these troubling times. Requesting a re-hearing would have only prolonged uncertainty in the marketplace and exacerbated the pain and frustration already being experienced in the Heartland.
"With this key milestone now behind us, we look forward to EPA applying the Tenth Circuit decision nationwide to all SRE (small refiner exemption) petitions, beginning with the 25 pending petitions for 2019 exemptions."
The coalition also noted that fully restoring the integrity of the RFS means immediate action to restore 500 million gallons of inappropriately waived 2016 blending requirements, as ordered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. District in 2017. (Source: Various Media, The Fence Post, 25 Mar., 2020)
Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org; American Coalition for Ethanol, Brian Jennings, CEO, (605) 334-3381 ext. 3389, www.ethanol.org; National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson, Pres., (202) 554-1600, www.nfu.org; NCGA, (636) 733-9004, (636) 733-9005 -fax, corninfo@ncga.com, www.ncga.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Americans for Clean Energy, RFS "Hardship" , Waivers, Renewable Fuels Associatio, National Farmers Union, National Corn Growers Association, American Coalition for Ethanol,
The coalition took the EPA to court and won over several "hardship" exemptions the EPA granted to small refineries, releasing them from their renewable fuel obligations in 2016 and 2017. The Trump Administration sought and secured an extension of the appeal deadline until Tuesday, March 24, this year.
"With the renewable fuels industry reeling from coronavirus, trade disputes and small refinery exemptions, now is certainly not the time for the Trump administration to take any action that would cause further pain for ethanol producers or the farmers that supply them. The best thing they could do to support our industry and keep ethanol plants open is to announce immediately that they will not appeal," the coalition wrote.
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Under the now vanquished administrator Greg Pruitt's direction, the EPA handed out 54 exemptions over two years and not a single request for an exemption was denied.Under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard, the nation's oil refineries are required to blend billions of gallons of biofuels such as ethanol into the fuel or buy credits from those that do. But the EPA can waive their obligations if they prove compliance would cause them financial distress.
(Source: American Coalition for Ethanol , Various Trade Media, 18 March 2020) Contact: U.S. Grains Council, Tom Sleight, Pres., (202) 789-0789, (202) 898-0522, www.grains.org; Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org; American Coalition for Ethanol, Brian Jennings, CEO, (605) 334-3381 ext. 3389, www.ethanol.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News American Coalition for Ethanol, RFS, "Hardship Wiver", Renewable Fuel ,
Through collaboration with its partner Canadian Discovery Limited, TGS leveraged its world-class basin evaluation expertise, subsurface data library, and geological knowledge and experience through working in British Columbia, to create a framework for carbon storage assessment and atlas for potential storage locations, according to the TGS release.
(Source: TGS. Strategic Research Institute, SteelGuru,, Gasoil News , 12 Mar., 2020) Contact: TGS, Katja Akentieva, Global.Marketing@tgs.com, www.tgs.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Carbon Storage ,
This initiative is driven by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Programme (K-CEP) with the aim of rapidly scaling up the deployment of highly solar-reflective "cool" roofs that can reduce indoor daytime temperatures by almost 10 degrees C, while cutting air condition energy consumption and costs in low-cost housing. (Source: SANEDI, PR, 19 Feb., 2020) Contact: SANEDI, Denise Lundall, Project Officer, Energy Efficiency Cool Surfaces, +27 11 038 4300, www.sanedi.org.za; international Million Cool Roofs Challenge, team@coolroofschallenge.org,www.coolroofschallenge.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency, Cool Roof,
Prof. Underhill believes the southern North Sea is one of the UK's most promising options for large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The £1.4 million study, which is funded by the Oil and Gas Technology Centre's (OGTC) Subsurface Solution Centre and matched funding from industry and Heriot-Watt University,
is intended to help policymakers determine the most suitable CCS sites.
(Source: Heriot-Watt University Website, insider.co.uk, 5 Feb., 2020)
Contact: Heriot-Watt University, Prof. John Underhill, Dr Susana Garcia, Assoc. Dir., Heriot-Watt Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, www.hw.ac.uk; Oil and Gas Technology Centre, +44 1224 063200, www.theogtc.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Heriot-Watt University, CCS, Carbon Storage, Carbon Sequestration,
The data also suggests that the impact of small refinery "hardship" waivers under the RFS took a toll on the industry. On a per-station basis, sales of E15 were lower in the first few months of 2019 than during the same period the year before. This change can be attributed to the fact that the EPA granted numerous exemptions under the RFS to small refineries, causing the price of RFS compliance credits (RINs) to fall. thus reducing the incentive for retailers to offer blends of fuel with higher ethanol content, reducing their ability to discount higher blends relative to gasoline.
The full RFA analysis is HERE (Source: RFA, 4 Feb., 2020)
Contact: RFA, Scott Richman, Economist, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, Ethanol, Ethanol Blend,
The court ruled the EPA cannot "extend” exemptions to any small refineries whose earlier, temporary exemptions had lapsed" as was the case in the three over ruled exemptions.
Geoff Cooper, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA)noted: "The Court has affirmed our long-held position that EPA's recent practices and policies regarding small refinery exemption extensions were completely unlawful. And while the decision addresses three specific exemptions, the statutory interpretation issues resolved by the court apply much more broadly."
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Under the now vanquished administrator Greg Pruitt's direction, the EPA handed out 54 exemptions over two years and not a single request for an exemption was denied.
(Source: Various Media, Agri-Pulse, 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, RFS, "Hardship" Waiver, Ethanol Blend,
Steven Wilhelm, the Kenneth and Blaire Mossman Professor of Microbiology, is part of a team led by Jean-Philippe Gibert, a food web expert and assistant professor of biology at Duke University. Wilhelm's co-investigators include David Weston and Dale Pelletier, staff scientists in the Biosciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Jonathan Shaw, professor of biology at Duke. In the three-year project, the group will study and model the effects of warming on the complex network of bacteria, protists, and viruses that interact with peat moss.
Peat moss plays a key role in slowing climate change by keeping 370 million metric tpy of CO2 out of the atmosphere -- equivalent to the emissions from nearly half the car traffic in the US.
Though peatlands cover just 3 pct of the Earth's surface they store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests. Over hundreds or thousands of years, Sphagnum and other peatland plants pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as they grow, trapping the carbon inside layers of partially decayed plant material up to 20 feet deep. But warming trends could put that carbon storage at risk. Rising temperatures could thaw or dry out peat wetlands, making them more prone to decay and wildfires. Decomposing or burning plants mean the heat-trapping gas long locked up in peatlands could be released, accelerating the global warming process.
To better predict the impacts of warming on peatlands and the carbon they contain, the team is studying a set of players they say are largely overlooked: microbes. Their previous work suggests that under future warming, the community of microbes and other tiny organisms that grow in and around peat mosses could shift balance, which could affect the ability of peatlands to sequester carbon. (Source: University of Tennessee, Knoxville, PR, 27 Jan., 2020) Contact:
University of Tennessee, Karen Dunlap, 865-974-8674, kdunlap6@utk.edu,
Amanda Womac , 865-974-2992, awomac1@utk.edu, www.utk.edu; Duke University,
Robin Smith, (919-681-8057, robin.a.smith@duke.edu, www.duke.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Peatland, Carbon Storage, Carbon Sequestration, Carbon Emissions, University of Tennessee,
In 2018, China was the eighth-biggest market for U.S. ethanol exports, taking up 52.9 million gallons of the corn-based fuel, according to the RFA. Reaching the 2020 target would have required about 15 million tonnes of the biofuel annually, more than four times current output, or some 45 million tonnes of corn -- roughly 16 pct of the country's current consumption, according to Reuters.
(Source: BOE Report, ETAuto, Reuters, 8 Jan., 2020) Contact: China National Development and Reform Commission, en.ndrc.gov.cn
More Low-Carbon Energy News E10, Biofuel Blend, China Biofuel, Ethanol, China National Development and Reform Commission ,
Among the measures recommended by the study were richer countries transitioning to plant-based diets and reducing food waste, while aiding poorer nations to curb deforestation and restore degraded land. If a concerted global effort was made, land could be absorbing three gigatons of carbon by 2050, turning one of our biggest liabilities into a helping hand in the fight against climate change. The study also recommends:
The LED equipped, non-skid surface, low-glare 50-watt panels -- Solar Roadways' first commercially available product -- are manufactured from all recycled materials -- under contract in Ohio where the company has a development, contracts and installations team, according to the company.
(Source: Solar Roadways, PR, 30 Nov., 2019) Contact: Solar Roadways, Scott and Julie Brusaw, customers@solarroadways.com, www.solarroadways.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Solar Roadways, Solar,
To that end, the Vancouver Airport Authority has partnered with the Green Aviation Research and Development Network, the Waterfall Group and Netherlands-based SkyNRG -- a consortium of companies that source and market aviation biofuels -- to launch BioPortYVR, a new project to develop a source and pipeline for biofuels for YVR and other regional airports.
(Source: Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR), Burnaby Now, Nov.28, 2019) Contact: Vancouver Airport Authority, Marion Town, Env. Affairs, 604-207-7077,
604-207-7070 - fax., customercallcentre@yvr.ca, www.yvr.ca; SkyNRG, Maarten van Dijk, Director, Merel Laroy, +31 6 3083 3505, merel@skynrg.com, www.skynrg.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aviation Biofuel, SkyNRG,
The plan is in line with the company's commitment to achieve a 23 pct renewable energy mix target by 2025 and in accordance with Energy Law No. 30 of 2007.
Pertamina will have an installed capacity of 670 gigawatts of electrical power from geothermal energy by 2020, raising to 100 gigawatts in 2025, according to a company release. (Source: Pertamina, Antara News, 7 Nov., 2019) Contact: Pertamina, Irfan Zainuddin, Pres., pge.pertamina.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Pertamina , Geothermal,
The researchers described the device as a large, specialized battery with a stack of electrodes that absorbs CO2 from the air passing over its surface as it was being charged, and then released the gas as it was being discharged.
According to the researchers, the pure CO2 stream could be compressed and sequestered underground or processed into fuel through a series of chemical and electro-chemical processes.
(Source: MIT, The Tribune, Press Trust India, 29 Oct., 2019) Contact: MIT, Sahag Voskian, 617.253.4588,
617.253.8723 - fax, svoskian@mit.edu, www.hattongroup.mit.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ,
The coalition's brief noted,
"Even as the Trump Administration indicates it is taking steps to account for future small refinery exemptions, the coalition remains concerned that EPA's abuse of the small refinery exemption program diverges from the spirit and letter of the Clean Air Act. From a substantive and procedural perspective, this is not the way for a federal agency to make such a momentous decision."
(Source: Growth Energy, U.S. Grains Council, and Renewable Fuels Association , 23 Oct., 2019) Contact: Growth Energy, Emily Skor, CEO, Elizabeth Funderburk, (202) 545-4000, EFunderburk@GrowthEnergy.org, www.growthenergy.org; U.S. Grains Council, Tom Sleight, Pres., (202) 789-0789, (202) 898-0522, www.grains.org; Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Growth Energy, U.S. Grains Council, Renewable Fuels Association,
Legislation that advances energy efficiency in buildings, especially residential buildings, provides numerous benefits in addition to energy and pollution reductions: supporting small businesses and creating jobs across America, strengthening the durability and resilience of buildings, improving health and comfort, and increasing energy affordability, according to BPA.
BPA notes the buildings sector is responsible for nearly a third of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. While buildings are a significant contributor to our climate crisis, they can also be a key part of the solution. With an aging building stock across the country we have only scratched the surface on investing in energy efficiency improvements. Congress can address barriers to retrofitting these existing homes and buildings and advance energy efficiency across the entire buildings sector by supporting workforce development and training, providing incentives for homeowners, and ensuring that building efficiency is part of any conversation on clean energy and climate. (Source: Building Performance Association, PR, Oct., 2019) Contact: Building Performance Association, Kara Saul Rinaldi, VP Gov. Affairs, (202) 276-1773, kara.saul-rinaldi@building-performance.org, www.Building-Performance.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,
"It is unreasonable and counter productive to expect Iowans to put their faith in EPA to fix the SRE problem when they (EPA) were the ones who created the crisis in the first place." -- Monte Shaw, Exec. Dir., Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.
Last week Shaw commented: "We welcome the (Trump RFS) proposal to restore integrity to the RFS. We will work with our champions and the White House to make sure the EPA's final rules ensure that a 15 billion-gallon RFS will actually be a 15 billion-gallon RFS. If that is accomplished, the integrity of the RFS will have been restored and President Trump's promise to protect and uphold the RFS will have been redeemed." Contact: Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Monte Shaw, Exec. Dir., (515) 252-6249, www.iowarfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Trump, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association,
"It's up to each individual entity, but the innovation of taking advantage of low-carbon markets. I think if we can differentiate ourselves within the state of North Dakota, to take advantage of those and be long survivors in this industry." - Gerald Bachmeier, CEO, Red Trail Energy (Source: Red Trail Energy, West Dakota Fox, 5 Oct., 2019) Contact: Red Trail Energy, 701-974-3308, www.redtrailenergy.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, "Hardship" Waiver, Ethanol.Ethanol Blend, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Red Trail Energy,
FSG Smart Buildings' commercial building automation and energy management solutions include the monitoring and control of equipment, including lighting and HVAC systems, visibility into equipment performance and uptime with live metering data of electrical components, and real-time IoT data, such as temperature and humidity data. FSG Smart Buildings also offers around-the-clock monitoring and support for all building system needs, including expert support, technician dispatch, work order tracking, and turnkey facility services. (Source: FSG Smart Buildings, Property Mentor, 28 Sept., 2019) Contact:
Insite360, 713.222.5700, insite360suite.com. FSG Smart Buildings, 512-831-4424, fsgsmartbuildings.com; Facility Solutions Group, Inc., www.fsgi.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Management, Energy Efficiency,
"And then you suddenly say: 'No it doesn't matter ... it doesn't matter how much coal we burn ... we don't give a damn what it does to the rest of the world." -- Sir David Attenborough, an English broadcaster and natural historian commenting on Australia's attitude to addressing climate change. (Source: Business Insider Australia, Sept., 2019) Contact: Sir David Attenborouhj, www.imdb.com/name/nm0041003
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, Great Barrier Reef, Australia Climate Change,
According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, the Crawfordsville facility is one of 12 biodiesel plants in Iowa. Last year, 365 million gallons of biodiesel was produced in Iowa -- roughly 20 pct of all the biodiesel made in the U.S. (Source: RadioIowa, 25 Sept., 2019) Contact: Iowa Renewable Fuels Association
Monte Shaw, Exec. Dir., info@IowaRFA.org, (515) 252-6249, www.iowarfa.org; W2 Fuel LLC, Roy Strom, CEO, (319) 658-2003, www.w2fuel.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biodiesel, W2 Fuel, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association,
The study authors contend their study is the first to calculate the economic impact of permafrost melt and reduced albedo -- a measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed -- based on the most advanced computer models of what is likely to happen in the Arctic as temperatures rise.
The study notes that on the current trajectory of at least 3 degree C of warming by the end of the century, melting permafrost is expected to discharge up to 280 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide and 3 gigatonnes of methane, which is 10 to 20 times more damaging to the the afmosphere than carbon dioxide. This would increase the global climate-driven impacts by $70 trillion between now and 2300, the report concludes. (Source: VIT, Weekened Leader, 22 April, 2019) Contact: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, +358 20 722 111, +358 20 722 7001 - fax., www.vttresearch.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland news, VTT news, Climate Change news, Methane news,
The company also has operations in Midland, Texas and Worthington, Ohio. Work at the innovation center will focus on the company's AssurEOR bio-surfactant treatment program.
(Source: Locus Bio-Energy Solutions, 22 Sept., 2019) Contact: Locus Bio-Energy Solutions, Jonathan Rogers, CEO, (855) 503-0080, www.locusbioenergy.com
DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)will manage the selected projects.
(Source: US DOE, 20 Sept., 2019) Contact: US DOE Office of Fossil Energy, www.energy.gov/fe; NETL, www.netl.doe.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE Office of Fossil Energy, NETL, Coal, Clean Coal, US DOE,
The Alternative Fuel Corridors program was created in 2015 under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act which authorized $305 billion through 2020 to make infrastructure upgrades, including a provision to designate national road corridors for electric vehicle charging and alternative fuels fueling stations. More than 135,000 miles of highway in 46 states and Washington D.C. are presently in various stages of participation in the program.
Pennsylvania, which has designated 1,813 miles of Alternative Fuel Corridors, is also participating in the Transportation Climate Initiative, a regional collaboration among 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and Washington D.C. working to reduce transportation carbon emissions.
(Source: Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation, Energy News, 12 Sept., 2019) Contact: Transportation Climate Initiative, www.transportationandclimate.org/content/about-us; Alternative Fuels Corridors, www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/alternative_fuel_corridors
More Low-Carbon Energy News Alternative Fuel,
The first two projects in the expanded portfolio are expected to break ground this summer for commissioning in summer 2020. by summer 2020.
Standard Solar will finance, own and maintain the community solar arrays that Pivot Energy will develop and construct. Once the arrays are live, customer enrollment and subscriptions will be managed through SunCentral, Pivot Energy's proprietary community solar customer management interface.
(Source: Standard Solar, PR, Solar Builder, 28 Aug., 2019)Contact: Pivot Energy, (888) 734-3033, info@pivotenergy.net, www.pivotenergy.net; Standard Solar, Scott Wiater, CEO, (301) 944-1200, www.standardsolar.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Solar, Community Solar, Pivot Energy, Standard Solar,
Needless to say, the President has yet again misled his supporters and the biofuels industry -- along with just about everyone else both domestic and foreign. In response, ethanol and biofuels players and industry organizations wasted no time in venting their rightful outrage.
"The Trump Administration's approval of 31 refinery exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard is just devastating news for our industry. With this action, President Trump has destroyed over a billion gallons of biofuel demand and broken his promise to Iowa voters to protect the RFS. The vast majority of these exemptions are not justified under the law. Since this news began to leak this afternoon, RFS credit prices have freefallen to nearly zero, destroying much of the incentive to blend an incremental gallon of ethanol." -- Monte Shaw, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Exec. Dir.,
"At a time when ethanol plants in the Heartland are being mothballed and jobs are being lost, it is unfathomable and utterly reprehensible that the Trump Administration would dole out more unwarranted waivers to prosperous petroleum refiners. Today's announcement comes as a total shock, as just two months ago Trump himself heard directly from Iowa farmers and ethanol plant workers about the disastrous economic impacts of these small refinery handouts. In response, he (Trump) told us he would 'look into it' and we believed that would lead to the White House and EPA finally putting an end to these devastating waivers. Instead, the Trump administration chose to double down on the exemptions, greatly exacerbating the economic pain being felt in rural America and further stressing an industry already on life support." -- Geoff Cooper, Pres., CEO, Renewable Fuels Association.
"EPA's refiner-win-at-all-costs oversight of the RFS is doing real damage to America's farmers and renewable fuel producers who are already suffering from trade wars and volatile markets. The RFS is supposed to ensure the use of ethanol and biodiesel increases from one year to the next, but 85 Small Refinery Exemptions later and over 3 billion waived gallons represents an enormous step backwards." -- Brian Jennings, CEO, American Coalition of Ethanol.
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Under the now vanquished administrator Greg Pruitt's direction, the EPA handed out 54 exemptions over two years and not a single request for an exemption was denied.
(Source: Various Media, AgPro, 9 Aug., 2019) Contact: Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Monte Shaw, Exec. Dir., info@IowaRFA.org, (515) 252-6249, www.iowarfa.org;
Renewable Fuels Association, www.ethanolrfa.org;
American Coalition of Ethanol, www.ethanol.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, RFS, "Hardship Waiver", Ethanol Blend, Renewable Fuels Association, ,
The algae will be treated with high temperature and pressure to turn it into a biomass which can be converted into fuel. This process also destroys any toxins that might be in the biomass. While the process of extracting algae and turning it into fuel will not pay for itself, it could offset the cost of the process.
In the pilot program water flows through a container where "billions and billions" of microscopic air bubbles attach to the solids in the water and float the mass to the surface. The algae and cyanobacteria in the water column rise to the top of the tank. The algae is then skimmed off and fed into a cannister that allows the clear water to flow out into another container. The clear water is treated a second time with an ozone process that eliminates toxins, should any be present. The pilot program treats 100 gallons of algae laden water per minute but can be scaled up to treat 100 million gpd.
The Lake Okeechobee algae removal project is the second of three projects funded by the Corps. AECOM, a Los Angeles-headquartered global engineering company that specializes in algae removal is a co-investigator on the project. (Source: Immokalee Buletin, Aug., 2019) Contact: AECOM, Dan Levy, (213) 593 8000, www.aecom.com: US Army Corps of Engineers, Dr. Martin Page, Project Manager, 863-983-8101, www.usace.army.mil
More Low-Carbon Energy News Algae, Biofuel.AECOM,
Ten other ethanol plants in the country have also temporarily shut down and three others have reportedly closed due to what Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw described as a "supply-demand imbalance" caused by waivers that federal officials are granting big oil refiners. (Source: Plymouth Energy Business Record, Radio Iowa, 1 Aug., 2019) Contact: Plymouth Energy, 712-938-2373, www.plymouth-energy.com; Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Monte Shaw, Exec. Dir., info@IowaRFA.org (515) 252-6249, www.iowarfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association,
The initiative is a DOE-wide effort comprising EERE, the Office of Fossil Energy (FE), the Office of Science, and the National Laboratories. The initiative helps to leverage the National Laboratories' high performance computing capabilities to address challenges in manufacturing and materials through state-of-the-art modeling, simulation, and data analysis. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) leads the HPC4EI program along with partner laboratories Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest and Sandia National Laboratories, as well as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory. Funded projects include:
Within the High Performance Computing for Materials (HPC4Mtls) Program, EERE's Vehicle Technologies Office has selected two projects:
"EPA's stubborn refusal to obey a court order to restore lost demand is yet another kick in the teeth to U.S. renewable fuel producers and farmers already facing the worst market conditions in a generation. EPA's suggestion that following the court's directive would place an 'additional burden' on obligated parties is an insult and an affront to the farmers and ethanol producers who trusted this administration would follow the law." -- Renewable Fuel Association (RFA), Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
"We are frustrated the EPA did not account for potential waived gallons going forward in the proposed rule. If the EPA continues to grant retroactive waivers, the RVO numbers are meaningless and the EPA is not following the law. Farmers are facing a very tough economic environment and the continued waiver abuse chips away at farmers' bottom line." -- Lynn Chrisp, Pres., National Corn Growers Association, (202) 326-0644, www.ncga.com
(Source: RFA, NCGA, Various Media, EHS, 23 July, 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFA, RVO, RFS, NCGA, "Hardship Waiver",
Dnepro-Bugsky Wind Power Station LLC is owned by Akuo Energy SAS (France), Saffelberg Investment NV (Belgium) and Aeolus Invest NV (Belgium).
The 25-turbine Dnepro-Bugsky project is expected to come in at €188.64 million. Nordex is supplying the turbines.
(Source: EBRD, Interfax-Ukraine, 13 July, 2019) Contact: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, +44 (0) 207 338 6000, www.ebrd.com; Dnepro-Bugsky Wind Power Station LLC, www.dbwes.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News EBRD, Wind, Ukraine Wind,
"As long as EPA continues to dole out compliance exemptions to oil refiners without reallocating the lost volume, the agency may as well start referring to the annual RFS levels as 'renewable volume suggestions' rather than renewable volume 'obligations'. It is a complete misnomer to call these blending volumes 'obligations' when EPA's small refinery bailouts have essentially transformed the RFS into a voluntary program for nearly one-third of the nation's oil refineries.
"In its announcement today, EPA has proposed a total renewable fuel volume of 20.04 billion gallons, of which 5.04 billion gallons are advanced biofuel, including 540 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. That leaves, on paper, a 15-billion-gallon requirement for conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol, unchanged from 2019.
"Most notably, EPA failed to prospectively account for any expected small refinery exemptions in the 2020 proposal, even though it is almost a foregone conclusion at this point that the Agency will continue to grant more exemptions.
"Congress gave EPA the direction and tools necessary to ensure that the statutory RFS volumes are enforced, and that includes prospectively reallocating exempted volumes to non-exempt parties. Instead, EPA has chosen to continue its demand destruction campaign that has been crippling to both ethanol producers and the farmers who supply our industry. Enough is enough.
"EPA approved 54 exemptions for 2016 and 2017 and an additional 38 requests for 2018 exemptions are pending. Not a single exemption request has been denied by EPA since 2015. The exemptions effectively lowered the total RFS requirement for 2017 by 1.82 billion gallons and cut the 2016 requirement by nearly 800 million gallons.
"Making matters worse, EPA's proposal continues to flout the D.C. Circuit Court's 2017 order requiring the Agency to restore 500 million gallons of renewable fuel obligations that it inappropriately and illegally waived from the 2016 RVO. Unbelievably, the Agency is proposing to snub the court's ruling by refusing to restore the 500 million gallons remanded volume. EPA's stubborn refusal to obey a court order to restore lost demand is yet another kick in the teeth to U.S. renewable fuel producers and farmers already facing the worst market conditions in a generation. EPA's suggestion that following the court's directive would place an 'additional burden' on obligated parties is an insult and an affront to the farmers and ethanol producers who trusted this administration would follow the law. The RFS wasn't intended to make oil refiners comfortable; it was intended to change the status quo by guaranteeing renewable fuels would have access to a marketplace otherwise closed to competition.
"EPA appears to be selling out to oil refiners -- again -- at the expense of rural America. The court found in favor of renewable fuel producers in 2017 because it was clear our industry had been harmed by EPA's illegal use of a general waiver -- now EPA is doubling down on that harm to the ethanol industry and farmers.
"Today's proposal undermines the pledge President Trump made to farmers and renewable fuel producers that his administration would enforce the statutory RFS volumes. By failing to prospectively reallocate, failing to commit to a more judicious and restrained approach to refinery waivers, and failing to follow a court's order to restore lost demand, EPA is blatantly undercutting President Trump's commitment to ethanol, which he restated less than a month ago when he visited the Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy ethanol plant. We urge the President to resolve the disconnect between the oval office and EPA and get the RFS back on track." (Source: RFA, PR, 8 July, 2019) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFA, RFS,
"We strongly oppose giving the Secretary (Perdue) any role in the decision-making process over the petitions. We would view any decisions to further delay, reduce, or deny hardship relief to small refineries, or reallocate the obligations of small refineries to other refineries, as the result of the Secretary of Agriculture's impermissible interference. We are confident that others, including the federal courts, would do the same," the thirteen Senators wrote.
The small-refinery exemptions have reduced ethanol use by about 2.6 billion gallons, and 38 refiners are waiting for EPA to decide on new exemptions.
Senators writing the letter included Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) as well as senators representing Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. In 2017, the number of small refineries filing for exemptions retroactively for 2016 jumped from 14 the previous year to 20. The rate in which EPA granted these petitions also increased dramatically from 53 pct to 95 pct (Source: Various Media, DTN, Progressive Farmer, July, 2019)
Contact: Office of Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue,(202) 720-2791,
feedback@oc.usda.gov, www.usda.gov/contact-us
More Low-Carbon Energy News Hardship Waiver, Ethanol, Ethanol Blend, RFA, Sonny Perdue,
The Husker Ag facility was originally built by Fagen Inc. and designed by ICM of Colwich, KS. Husker Ag expanded its operations in the fall of 2007 and as of 2017 utilizes more than 26 million bpy of corn to produce about 76 million gpy of denatured ethanol and about 450,000 tpy of modified wet distillers' grain (DDG) for cattle feed.
(Source: Renewable Fuels Association, Husker Ag, 3 June, 2019) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org;
Husker Ag, Seth Harder, Gen. Mgr., (402) 582-4446, www.huskerag.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DDGs, Corn Ethanol, Husker Ag, Renewable Fuels Association,
"We know that the Earth is warming; years ago it was covered in ice. Several times since it has gone through periods of being encapsulated in ice!!! Fifty-five thousand years old samples drawn from Antarctic core drills indicate the Earth was 2% warmer than it is today. The reason for this is that the proximity between the sun and the Earth is in a constant state of flux., "The United Nations has propagated an agenda that has a goal of establishing income equality between all countries. To reach that objective, they have decided on the 'Robin Hood' approach -- rob from the rich and give to the poor. Guess who the villain is -- that's right, the USA. How do they accomplish this? They develop a 'Chicken Little' narrative and generate a villain -- that rich country whose people live in luxury.
"Please humor me while we address the UN's narrative. They repeatedly reiterate that 97 pct of the scientists say that the earth is warming and it is caused by humans and the use of 'fossil fuels.' In 1988, The UN formed a committee, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC) 11,944 scientists were questioned. Of those, 66.4 pct (7,930) said they did not believe that was true. Of the other 4,014, 1,344 said they did not know leaving 2,670 that agreed, which is 22 pct, not 97 pct. That is the first big lie!!! The question I have is: How many of those 22 pct have a parochial interest in the warming equation? Bear in mind that our government spent $22 billion in 2016 to have this warming theory authenticated, with most going to academics.
"Next, let's address the fossil fuel cause. 70.9 pct of the Earth's surface consists of ocean water. The National Oceanographic Survey Department states that the average depth of the ocean is 12,100 feet, which means there are 351,600,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of water in the ocean.
"Salt water weighs 8.5 lbs. per gallon. One pound of water uses 1 BTU to raise the temperature 1 degree Fahrenheit. All countries combined in 2015 produced 9 billion tons of coal. The heat factor of the Pittsburgh seam of coal is 12,000 BTU. Using the 35/65 pct factor with 35 pct used to generate electricity and 65 pct lost to the stack gases, allowing for 0 pct dissipated to the land masses or the atmosphere, all heat being transferred to the ocean, it would take 21,610 years to raise the temperature of the ocean 1 degree Fahrenheit!
"We (the U.S.) are the only industrialized country that has cut CO2 emissions since 2005. Following is a list of coal-fired power plants in several other countries: Europe has 480 and is building 27 more; Turkey- 56 and building 93; South Africa-79, building 24; India- 589, building 446; Philippines- 19, building 60; South Korea- 58, building 26; Japan- 90, building 45; China- 2363, building 1171; and the USA- 359, building 0 . Totals: 4,075 existing and 1,892 under construction not including Russia, North Korea and Eastern Europe, with most of their electric generation being coal fired.
"My fellow Americans, the most outrageous hoax that has ever been attached to any group of people since the beginning of mankind is attempting to be heaped on the United States of America -- all in the interest of taxing this country into oblivion.
They are trying to do what two World Wars, communism and socialism could not accomplish, but it is being condoned and sanctioned from within by progressive liberals who apparently have had lobotomies, or missed a good chance, and our own politicians who gush with delight at the unending stream of $$$$ coming from this potential 'Cash Cow'"! (Source: WCWV, Exponent Telegram, 26 May, 2019) Contact: Exponemt Telegram,
Mr. Phil Southern, (800) 982-6034, www.wvnews.com/theet/news
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Coal,