Minnkota Wins DOE Award

The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Program, through its Wind Powering America initiative, announced that Minnkota Power Cooperative has received the 2010 Wind Cooperative of the Year Award. The award was presented at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) TechAdvantage Conference in Orlando, Florida. This 10th annual award honors the North Dakota-based NRECA member for its outstanding leadership, innovation, project creativity and benefits to customers resulting from North Dakota's first utility-owned wind turbine and its other investments wind power. The cooperative was selected for the honor from a group of eight nominees nationwide. Read more...

Another Keystone Delay

TransCanada Corp. reportedly has delayed work on the power infrastructure needed to support the Nebraska component of the company's proposed Keystone XL pipeline project. The work was to be done by the Nebraska Public Power District at a cost of nearly $50 million and included over 70 miles of transmission lines for three pumping stations along the pipeline's route in Nebraska. According to a report this weekend, the completion date for that project has been pushed back to October 2012 as TransCanada continues to await the federal government's approval of the pipeline. Read more...

Minnesota Ethanol Plant Is Switching to Butanol

An Englewood, Colo. company named Gevo is converting an ethanol plant it purchased in Luverne, Minn. to make isobutanol, one of a number of new pathways to butanol, a chemical that can be used for fuel for many other purposes. Read more...

South Dakota Wind Farm Completed

North Dakota-based Basin Electric has announced that the last turbine of the $363-million Crow Lake Wind Project just east of Chamberlain, S.D., was commissioned Feb. 27 and the entire project is now fully operational. Read more...

Modular Wind Tower Under Development

A Nebraska company is designing a wind tower that can be build in panel sections and transported on standard flatbed trucks. The company, NorthStar Wind of Blair, Neb., says their design will reduce the transport logistics of wind farm construction by up to 70%. Commercial production is expected to begin in 2012. Read more...

Iowa Legislature Considers Nuclear Energy Bill

The Iowa legislature is considering bills that would provide broad support for nuclear energy. The bills, recently introduced for study in the commerce subcommittees of the Iowa House and Senate, would allow regulated utilities in Iowa to begin charging customers for the cost of nuclear power facilities while they are under construction. Iowa's lone nuclear power plant near Palo is nearly 40 years old. Read more...

Saskatchewan Wind Project to Test Battery Storage

The Canadian government has selected two wind projects to receive funds from the ecoENERGY for Renewable Power program, a series of investments totaling up to C$63.8 million to support renewable and clean energy. The first project is a 99 MW wind farm in Nova Scotia that will receive up to C$9.2 million. The second is a wind storage demonstration project that will receive C$2.79 million to test battery storage technology connected to a wind turbine in Saskatchewan. Read more...

On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Increases

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2011 – The number of solar panels, wind turbines and methane digesters on America's farms and ranches has increased significantly over the past decade and there are now 8,569 operations producing their own renewable energy, according to the results of the 2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey released today. Conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, this was the first-ever nationwide survey that looked at renewable energy practices on America's farms and ranches.

"These results indicate that farmers and ranchers are increasingly adopting renewable energy practices on their operations and reaping the important economic and environmental benefits," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "At USDA we are committed to natural resource conservation, prosperity and energy independence in rural America. This survey gives us a benchmark against which we can measure our future successes."

According to the survey results, solar panels were the most prominent way to produce on-farm energy. In 2009, farmers on 7,968 operations nationwide reported using photovoltaic and thermal solar panels. The use of wind turbines was reported by farmers on 1,420 operations across 48 states. The use of methane digesters was reported by 121 operations in 29 states.

On the state level, California leads the nation with 1,956 operations producing renewable energy, accounting for nearly a quarter of all operations in the United States participating in this practice. Texas, Hawaii and Colorado were the other major states where farmers on at least 500 or more operations were producing their own renewable energy.

The survey results also show an economic upside to producing energy on the farm. Farmers in nearly every state reported savings on their utility bills. The savings were especially noticeable in New York, where utility bill savings reported by respondents topped $5,000 for 2009.

Conducted as a follow-on to the most recent Census of Agriculture, the 2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey focused on three principal renewable energy systems: solar panels, wind turbines and methane digesters. The survey expanded upon the energy questions asked in the census to provide a deeper analysis of American on-farm renewable energy production practices.

Full results of the 2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey are available online at www.agcensus.usda.gov.

Source: USDA

Lugar Urges Keystone Approval

The latest support for the Keystone XL pipeline came yesterday from Sen. Richard Lugar, the leading Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Lugar said the pipeline is critical to U.S. energy security and urged the State Department to promptly approve the permit required for the project to proceed.

Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Defense Council has released a report highlighting what the group says are the safety risks relating to transporting oilsands crude through pipelines. TransCanada Corp., the Keystone XL project developer, stated the safety considerations relating to oilsands crude were no different than those for crude oil currently being distributed across the U.S. Read more...

Nebraska Wind Farm Completed

Colorado-based Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. and Gestamp Wind North America, a subsidiary of Gestamp Renewables and Banco Santander, S.A. of Spain, have announced the completion of Flat Water Wind Project in southern Nebraska's Richardson County and Kansas' Nemaha County. Flat Water Wind Project is a 60 megawatt (MW) project consisting of 40 1.5 MW GE wind turbines. Read more...

Illinois WInd Energy Update

The Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University has predicted that Illinois could become the fourth largest state in wind energy production this year. Researchers say current projections show Texas, Iowa, California, Minnesota and Illinois at the top of the list for wind energy in the U.S, with Illinois projected to have a total of 2,435.4 megawatts of wind energy installed by the end of the third quarter of 2011.

The difference in installed capacity between Illinois and Minnesota by the third quarter is projected to be 58.6 megawatts, and Illinois resaerchers say delays in Minnesota’s upcoming wind farm developments could result in Illinois moving up to the number four spot in wind energy production. The state currently produces between four and five percent of its total energy output with wind and is ranked number severn nationally in total wind energy production. Read more...

Report Questions ND Oilfield Oversight

An AP report yesterday raises questions about the level of oversight in the oilfields of North Dakota's Williston Basin. According to the report, oilfield spills and waste disposal sites are being untended or are infrequently monitored due to inadequate personnel and funding. North Dakota's energy resources department is funded and staffed to handle 100 rigs and about 5,000 wells, the report points out, whereas a record 169 active rigs were reported today and more than 5,300 wells were pumping oil. Up to 2,000 more new wells reportedly are expected by the end of the year. Read more...

Hyperion Gets Permit Extension

Texas-based Hyperion Resources reportedly has received preliminary approval from South Dakota authorities to extend the construction start date for its proposed oil refinery to next year. The $10 billion project to be located near Elk Point would process 400,000 barrels of Canadian tar sands crude oil daily into a variety of petroleum products and include a facility to produce electricity for on-site power.

http://www.ksfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=14042267

Switchgrass Research Improves Biofuel Yields

Researchers at the Oak Ridge Laboratory in Tennessee have produced a variety of switchgrass that they say results in 38 percent more biofuel with lower pretreatment costs. By manipulating lignin, a compound that stiffens plants, the researchers were able to create a modified switchgrass that required 4 to 5 times less cellulase, an enzyme used to break down fiber. The scientists believe the new variety may help with newly emerging biofuels such as butanol, isobutene, and “green gasoline,” made from the cellulose in plants. Read more...

TransCanada Says Keystone XL Pushed Back

According to a Reuters report this afternoon, officials from Alberta-based TransCanada Corp. now say the U.S. State Department permit required for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline is not expected until the second half of 2011. The company also reportedly has increased the cost estimate for the project to $13 billion. Read more...

How Much Ethanol Can Nebraska Produce?

Nebraska's 25 ethanol plants have the capacity to produce more than 2 billion gallons of ethanol annually from approximately 700 million bushels of corn, nearly one-half of the state’s recently corn production. A recent report questions how much more the overall production level can increase before it outstrips the maximum corn production yields, especially in view of recent improved efficiency that has increased the capacity of new ethanol plants.

http://www.theindependent.com/articles/2011/02/14/opinions/columnists/robert_pore/doc4d59709831aff752770442.txt

ND House Votes Down Wind Rights Sharing Bill

The North Dakota House has rejected a proposal to require income sharing from wind energy projects. Currently, property owners who host wind turbines receive a percentage of power sales revenue as well as land rent. The bill defeated today would have required neighboring landowners to also receive payments if they lost a chance to host wind turbines on their property. The bill also would have required payments to landowners within a half-mile of a wind turbine as compensation for noise and the loss of a scenic view.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Wind-rights-sharing-rule-apf-732739714.html?x=0&.v=1

Nebraska Bill Would Scrutinize Pipelines

A bill introduced Wednesday in the Nebraska Legislature would require oil companies to complete an extensive application process before running pipe through the state. The bill calls for the Nebraska Public Service Commission to oversee the process that would  include pre-filed testimony and exhibits in support of the application and documented proof of environmental and economic impact studies. Applicants would also be required to show that the proposed pipeline serves the public interest and present their case at public meetings and a public hearing conducted by the Public Service Commission. If the commission denies the application, the pipeline company would be prohibited from exercising eminent domain to acquire rights-of-way for the proposed project.

http://nptelegraph.com/articles/2011/02/10/news/40001267.txt

New Iowa Study Highlights Ethanol's Economic Impact

Iowa State University has released a study showing the potential impact of ethanol on the state's economy. The report shows that when 15 ethanol plans under construction in Iowa are ready for production, the new and current plants combined will have created 1,865 jobs in Iowa. According to the report, each job at an ethanol plant supports another 3.38 jobs in the Iowa economy, meaning a total of 8,169 jobs are expected to be supported by the ethanol industry. In all, ISU says 5,440 current ethanol-related jobs are contributing $245 million to the Iowa economy.

http://www.kcci.com/r/15274338/detail.html

http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/research/webpapers/paper_12865.pdf

USDA Announces Loan Guarantee for SD Wind Farm

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2011 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of Basin Electric Power Cooperative to receive a loan guarantee to construct over 100 wind turbines to produce 151.5 megawatts of electricity. When completed the turbines will join the cooperative's other electric generation projects to meet the needs of 2.8 million customers served by 135 distribution systems in nine states. The loan guarantee will provide financing for engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning of the PrairieWinds wind farm energy project in central South Dakota.

Read more...

Iowa Mulls Green Energy Subsidies

Democrats in the Iowa Legislature have proposed a package of incentives that would provide tax rebates to businesses and homeowners who install certain alternative energy systems. The $10 million plan focuses on small solar or wind energy systems and would give homeowners rebates up to $3,000 and businesses up to $15,000. Sponsors say the measure would provide $4 million to homeowners, enough for 1,300 projects, and $6 million for businesses, enough for 400 projects.

http://news.ino.com/headlines/?newsid=68976971747400

UM-Morris Green Power Update

According to an article this week in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the University of Minnesota at Morris is making significant progress towards its goal of being a carbon neutral campus. According to the article, the school has erected a wind turbine that provides about 60 percent of its electricity and has a second turbine on order. A biomass gasifier was built that turns corn cobs and prairie grass pellets into energy, enough to provide nearly half the campus' heating. Supplemental energy is provided by 32 solar panels installed around the school, which predicts it will be producing more power than it uses sometime this year.

http://www.startribune.com/local/115613614.html

North Dakota Blender Pump Update

According to a recent media report, North Dakota gas stations have now installed more than 170 blender pumps, more than any other state. Blender pumps allow motorists to select a variety of ethanol blends from a single pump in addition to the standard E15 most often sold.  The 61st North Dakota Legislative Assembly provided one-time funding for a Biofuels Blender Pump Program--$5,000 per pump and up to $40,000 per retailer. The program has received additional funding from the Department of Energy. Retailers installing ethanol blender pumps also may be eligible for an additional grant of $2,500 per pump from the North Dakota Corn Council. The state program runs through May 1, 2011.

http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=717738

http://www.communityservices.nd.gov/energy/biofuels-blender-pump-program/

New DOE Solar Initiative Announced

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced additional details of the Department of Energy's "SunShot" initiative to reduce the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75 percent so that they are cost competitive at large scale with other forms of energy without subsidies before the end of the decade. By reducing the cost for utility scale installations by about 75 percent to roughly $1 a watt - which would correspond to roughly 6 cents per kilowatt-hour - solar energy systems could be broadly deployed across the country.

http://www.energy.gov/news/10050.htm

TransCanada Begins Deliveries to Cushing

TransCanada Corporation today announced that is has begun delivering crude oil to Cushing, Oklahoma through its 298-mile extension from Steele City, Nebraska. The company is waiting for a permit from the U.S. State Department to begin construction of the highly controversial Keystone XL pipeline that would run from Alberta to Nebaska and then on to Cushing and the Gulf Coast, carrying crude from Canada's oilsands and from the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Keystones-Cushing-Extension-Begins-Deliveries-to-Oklahoma-TSX-TRP-1392573.htm

Report Says WInd Power Competitive with Coal

According to a new report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, wind energy has become cost-competitive with coal in some regions due largely to falling prices. According to Bloomberg, the cost per megawatt for turbines was about $1.33 million last year, which is 19 percent less than in 2007. The report says that in parts of the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Sweden, the overall cost of wind power is now $68/MWh, while coal power costs $67/MWh. Cheaper still is natural gas at $56/MWh.

http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-07-report-wind-power-now-competitive-with-coal-in-some-regions

New Minnesota Bio-Business Study Released

The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota has released a study of the sector's role in the state's economy. The study found that employment in areas relating to agriculture and bio-industry (predominantly ethanol production)  has increased by more than 44 percent from 2002 to 2007.  The study recommended that the state seek a niche within the ethanol industry to sustain and improve employment prospects.

http://www.minnpost.com/bradallen/2011/02/08/25598/bio-business_a_growing_factor_in_state%e2%80%99s_employment_and_economy_study_finds

Transmssion Line Approved by Minnesota PUC

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission last week approved the final section of a 250-mile  transmission line  that would carry wind power from Brookings County, South Dakota to the Twin Cities. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission approved the 10.6-mile section in South Dakota last month.

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110208/NEWS/102080331/1001/rss01

New Iowa Wind Farm Proposed

Chicago-based PNE Wind USA is planning to build a 30-megawatt farm in southeast Iowa by 2013. The 10-turbine facility would be the first wind project in Johnson County and one of the few in the southeastern part of the state. The vast majority of Iowa's wind energy is produced in the western and central regions where the pace of construction in recent years has increased the state's existing wind capacity ranking to number two, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20110208/NEWS01/102080316/1079/

Minnesota Wind Farm Goes Online

The Bent Tree Wind Farm near Albert Lea, Minn.. has begun generating electricity, according to project developer Wisconsin Power & Light Co.  The $460 million project consists of 122 turbines capable of generating up to 201 megawatts of power. Wisconsin's renewable electricity mandate requires that 10% of the state's electricity come from renewable sources by 2015.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/115531459.html

3M Gets Solar Grant

The U.S. Department of Energy last week announced $20.1 million in grants under its SunShot program to companies working to reduce the costs of solar energy. The recipients included St. Paul-based 3M Co., which was awarded $4.4 million.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-04/u-s-awards-27-million-in-sunshot-program-to-reduce-cost-of-solar-energy.html

Minnesota Mulls Changes to Coal Law

The Minnesota House energy and natural resources committee on Tuesday approved on an 11-6 vote a bill presented by Rep. Michael Beard to modify recent changes in the state's air laws relating to coal-fired electricity. The bill would allow out-of-state electricity produced with coal to come into the state unrestricted and make it possible for new coal-fired plants to be built in Minnesota. The bill, and a similar one in the Senate, must be considered by other committees before reaching the House and Senate for votes.

The law has implcations for North Dakota's coal industry. Under the current law passed during the previous legislative session, Minnesota utilities would be required beginning in 2012 to assume costs of between $9 and $34 for each ton of carbon dioxide emitted by plants producing importing power, including those in North Dakota. Opponents of the law say this would place coal-generated power at a competitive disadvantage to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar and would drive up the cost of electricity. The North Dakota attorney general's office has announced that it is considering a lawsuit against Minnesota over the coal laws, arguing that they violate interstate commerce laws.

http://www.swcbulletin.com/event/article/id/17470/

DOE Bioenergy Webinar

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the launch of a new online collaboration tool and data resource focused on bioenergy. The “Bioenergy Knowledge Discovery Framework” allows researchers, policymakers, and investors to share large data sets, as well as the latest bioenergy research. The Framework also facilitates collaborative production, integration, and analysis of information.

Registered users will be able to contribute additional data sets that can then be shared, growing the body of knowledge, better informing this growing industry, and eliminating “information silos.” The Framework allows simultaneous geographic mapping of complex data sets such as biomass feedstock production, fueling stations, and biorefineries on a national, state, and even county-level basis – providing the bioenergy industry an analytical tool for identifying new opportunities for research, supportive policies, and project investment.

The Framework is part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to developing homegrown, sustainable, and plentiful sources of clean energy, like biofuels.

The Framework is meant to be customizable and flexible, while maintaining the integrity of the data. Users can chose specific data sets, for example, and immediately have them displayed on a scalable map. DOE developed the Framework (https://bioenergykdf.net/) with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as well as Idaho National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and university research partners. Oak Ridge National Laboratory will administer the site and validate new data submissions.

The Department of Energy will host a Webinar on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST to demonstrate the system. The session will include an overview of the system, case studies of how it may be used, and a demonstration of its user interface. This Webinar is free to all participants, but requires registration in advance. Prior to the Webinar, participants should also confirm that they can access the Bioenergy Knowledge Discovery Framework website.

http://ncesr.unl.edu/?p=1799

U of Minnesota Offers Renewable Energy Grants

The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment, a signature program of the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment, is offering $4 million in funding for innovative projects that create the potential for technology breakthroughs in renewable energy while maximizing benefits to the environment. Proposals will be accepted until 11 p.m. CST March 29, 2011.

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ione/iree/

Iowa Farmers Now Delivering Biomass to POET

Farmers are now delivering biomass bales to POET's 22-acre storage site in Emmetsburg, Iowa, the future home of the 25 million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant dubbed "Project LIBERTY."

Area farmers harvested 56,000 tons of corn cobs, leaves, husks and some stalk this fall but had been waiting to deliver the biomass to POET while guidelines for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) were finalized. Farmers on Monday began completing the application process, and they started delivering bales soon after.

http://www.poet.com/discovery/releases/showRelease.asp?id=255&year=2011&categoryid=0

http://biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2011/02/03/iowa-grants-20m-to-poet-emmetsburg-cellulosic-ethanol-project/

Millers Object to New Corn Variety

Corn millers reportedly are urging the USDA not to approve a new biotech variety of corn that was engineered to cut the cost and greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol production. The millers say the biotech kernels could accidentally get into the processors' grain supplies and ruin them. The corn in question is produced by Syngenta Seeds, Inc., which has a research center in central Iowa.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110203/BUSINESS01/102030343/New-ethanol-only-biotech-corn-raises-doubts

Likely Cellulosic Feedstocks

By Cole Gustafson, Biofuels Economist, NDSU Extension Service

My new research assistant, David Ripplinger, is helping me with a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded study that has the goal of developing new pricing and trading standards for cellulosic biomass feedstocks. A first step in the study is to identify the most promising feedstocks and the technologies employed to produce cellulosic biofuels.

We have developed a database of current and planned biomass projects using commercial data published in several biofuel industry publications and by the U.S. Department of Energy. Projects were reviewed to assure progress was being made and the activity wasn’t just hype.

In total, more than 100 different projects were included. Of these, there were more than 25 alternative technologies employed and just as many feedstock sources.

The top five feedstocks and their production goals for 2015 were algae, 857 million gallons; palm, rapeseed oil and waste fat, 572 million gallons; palm waste, 316 million gallons; corn, 263 million gallons; and municipal solid waste, 233 million gallons.

Agricultural straws and stovers, which have been highlighted for several years, didn’t make it very far up the list as potentials. The highest was corn stover at 64 million gallons. Dedicated energy crops, such as switchgrass and miscanthus, were not even included in the top 25 possibilities being considered.

With respect to production and conversion technologies, the ranking was far tighter. Hydroprocessing (772 million gallons), algae fermentation (750 million gallons) and fermentation of feedstocks other than algae (678 million gallons) were highly ranked. Enzymatic hydrolysis, pyrolysis and gasification, which are actively discussed in the literature, also ranked low.

Several interesting points can be made with this data. First, 2015 isn’t that far away, and production in our totals falls short of renewable fuel standard (No. 2) national goals for cellulosic biofuel production. Firms are going to have to accelerate research development, technology deployment and commercialization to achieve these goals. A significant hurdle is capital, which is only now starting to thaw.

Second, economic reality is going to sort out the winners from the losers. While algae is at the top of the list, the feedstock recently has received several quite negative reviews with respect to commercial viability and affordability. Trade policy also is going to have a huge effect on economics, especially for feedstocks such as palm, which are imported. Our personal view is that waste fats and solid waste offer a competitive advantage because of the low delivery cost.

Third, with technology alternatives ranked so closely, it is premature to anoint a winner. Continued refinement easily could result in reshuffled rankings. Finally, the apparently low relationship between feedstock and technology implies that most feedstocks have potential, regardless of which technology evolves.

While the word "likely" is in the title of this article, the best technology or feedstock choices are not crystal clear as of yet.

Source: NDSU Agriculture Communication

Minnesota Moves Closer to Nuclear

The Minnesota Senate today voted 50-14 to lift a ban on new nuclear power plant permits. The bill now goes to the Republican-controlled house where supporters believe there are enough votes for approval. The bill reportedly has the support of labor and business interests who see it as a source of both new jobs and reliable power.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-02/minn-senate-takes-step-toward-new-nuclear-power.html

DOE Releases CO2 Pipeline Study

Washington, D.C. — A private sector model with a state rather than Federal-based regulatory framework is the approach that will "most likely result in a robust CO2 [carbon dioxide] pipeline system" in the United States, according to a new report developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. Read more...

Wind Siting Bill Passed by ND Senate

The North Dakota Senate voted unanimously on Tuesday to give the North Dakota Public Service Commission siting power over wind projects capable of generating more than one-half megawatt of electricity. The present law restricts the commission's siting authority to projects that can generate more than 60 megawatts. The bill, SB2196, will now be reviewed by the House.

 

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/2011_session/article_f4a00d9e-2e81-11e0-a2d6-001cc4c002e0.html

UND to Host Cleantech Conference

Two University of North Dakota-based groups—the Sustainable Energy Research Initiative and Supporting Education (SUNRISE) program and the Center for Innovation—are organizing the Cleantech 2011 Workshop and Action Summit to be held June 19-21 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.

http://www2.und.nodak.edu/our/news/story.php?id=3353

North Dakota Bill Would Lower Oil Tax

The North Dakota legislature is considering a bill that would lower state oil taxes from 11.5 percent to 9.5 percent for newly drilled wells. The ND House Finance and Taxation Committee reviewed the bill today. According to the state Tax Department, the proposed legislation would mean a reduction of up to $371 million in taxes over two years.

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/2011_session/article_50cf7118-2d5b-11e0-a8f5-001cc4c03286.html

Fracking Study Released

According to a Congressional report released today, companies hired to perform hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") used 32.2 million gallons of diesel alone or in a mixture from 2005 to 2009. Most was injected in Texas, followed by Oklahoma, North Dakota, Louisiana and Wyoming. The year-long investigation, which was led by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and other two other Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, found no evidence that the use of diesel fuel contaminated water supplies. The report did, however, state that the companies appeared to violate the Safe Drinking Water Act because permission was not obtained from state or federal authorities to use the diesel fuel.

Iowa Wind Industry Slows Down

The wind energy industry in Iowa is experiencing many of the same difficulties that has slowed expansion across the country, according to a recent report.  Reduced electricity demand, cheaper natural gas, tighter lending policies and the lack of a clear federal  policy all combined to create a significant slowdown in the pace of new U.S. turbine installations in 2010.

In Iowa, roughly 10 gigawatts of wind-generated power were added in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, the amount is expected to less than half that amount when the totals are compiled.

http://thegazette.com/2011/01/30/business380-iowa-wind-energy-industry-expected-to-see-slow-recovery/

EERC Announces 2011 Biomass Conference

The Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota announced today that the "Biomass ’11: Renewable Power, Fuels, and Chemicals Conference" will be held at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota, July 26–27, 2011. Read more...

Pipeline Fight in Fairmont

Minnesota's Buffalo Lake Energy wants to build a 20-mile pipeline to carry treated water from its ethanol plant near Fairmont to the Blue Earth River for disposal. Environmental groups are opposing the plan, even though company officials at the southwest Minnesota site claim their proposal meets all state standards.

http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x376909854/Pipeline-plan-spurs-water-warfare

Gov't Announces Modeling and Forecasting Agreement

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Commerce announced on January 24 a new agreement to further collaboration between the agencies on renewable energy modeling and weather forecasting. This teaming will enable U.S. renewable energy resources to be used more effectively by business and entrepreneurs. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by DOE and the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will encourage the agencies to disseminate weather and climate information needed for renewable energy technologies that are dependent on short-term weather and longer-term climate trends. Better information on weather patterns and improved modeling of the variability of the wind, sun, water, ocean currents, and other sources of renewable energy will ultimately increase the United States' ability to reliably integrate renewable energy into the electrical grid. Read more...

Minnesota RES Update

A January report by the Minnesota Department of  Commerce shows that Minnesota’s utilities appear to making satisfactory progress toward meeting the state’s Renewable Energy Standard mandate that requires 25 percent of the state's total electrical output to come from renewable sources by the year 2025. Read more...

Granite Falls Considers Increased CAPX Investment

In Minnesota, the Granite Falls City Council is mulling an increase in its investment in the CAPX2020 project from approximately $415,000 to $1.3 million. The city's interest is in the 250-mile Brookings County-to-Hampton segment that runs from Brookings, SD to Hampton, MN and includes a link from Marshall, MN  to Granite Falls. Construction is expected to begin in 2012 and be completed by 2015 at an estimated cost of $827 million. The cost of the entire CAPX project is estimated at $1.95 billion.

Xcel Reports Earnings

Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy Inc. today reported 2010 GAAP earnings of $756 million, or $1.62 per share compared with 2009 GAAP earnings of $681 million, or $1.48 per share. In its comments on the report, the company highlighted key events of 2010 including the acquisition of two natural gas power plants in Colorado, the commercial launch of the Comanche Unit 3 and Nobles wind farms and the beginning of construction on the CapX2020 transmission project.

University of Iowa Builds Solar Charging Station

A new solar-powered charging station for electric-powered vehicles is nearing completion at the University of Iowa. The structure is a 60-yard-long slanted canopy lined with reflective, dark-colored solar panels. It has more than 20 stalls and will be used to power the university's fleet of eight electric vehicles. The university plans to expand the fleet once the charging station is finished. The project, which cost $950,000, was funded by multiple agencies, including a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Read more...

New WInd Farms Proposed for Southern Nebraska

Green Capital Power of Lincoln, Neb. pitched the idea of wind farm development to the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners during the group’s regularly scheduled meeting yesterday. An official from the company said Green Capital Power hopes to generate interest in the southern part of Nebraska and expand to other areas of the Midwest in the longer term. The board did not vote on the matter but agreed to take it under consideration. Read more...

ND Wind Company Gets New Investor

Phoenix-based NACEL Energy Corporation has announced an agreement to purchase two share blocks of Crownbutte Wind Power, Inc. of  Mandan, ND.  The deal makes NACEL the largest shareholder of Crownbutte, which reportedly has several wind projects in various stages of development in the Dakotas and Montana. Read more...

Iowa Governor Wants to Subsidize E-15

Speaking at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines this week, Governor Terry Branstad called for shifting state subsidies from the E-10 blend in the state to E-15 following the recent Environmental Protection Agency ruling that vehicles made after 2001 could use the higher ethanol blend. A study released at the event by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association claims the industry accounted for nearly 8% of the state’s Gross Domestic Product last year and boosted state tax revenue by $532 million. The state has 39 ethanol plants, all up and running. Read more...

North Dakota Oil Impact Study Released

According to a North Dakota State University study released today, the economic impact of the state's oil industry soared from $4.2 billion to $12.7 billion between 2005 and 2009. State officials predicted the 2009 economic impact numbers will soon be overshadowed by those from 2010. Estimated production for the year was about 110 million barrels, up from 79.7 million in 2009. There currently are about 5,300 producing oil wells, up from  4,190 in 2009. Read more...

Iowa Senator Introduces Biofuels Bill

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced the “Biofuels Market Expansion Act of 2011,” legislation designed to promote Flexible Fuel Vehicles, expand the number of blender pumps, and make renewable fuel pipelines eligible for the federal loan guarantee pipeline program. The bill's co-sponsors included  Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Al Franken (D-MN). Read more...

Third Biggest Corn Crop in South Dakota

The 2010 South Dakota corn crop harvest finished at 569.7 million bushels, according to USDA figures--the state’s third-largest crop on record.  Final state corn yields came in at 135 bushels per acre.  Record ethanol production is projected to use roughly 100 million bushels of the total production. Read more...

Minnesota Solar Plant on Schedule

The construction of a solar panel manufacturing facility in northern Minnesota is on schedule, according to a recent report. Kraus-Anderson Construction Company of Bemidji, Minn. is building the 25,000-square-foot plant for Mountain Iron Economic Development Authority in Mountain Iron, Minn. Silicon Energy MN will manufacture the solar panels. Construction of the $3.6 million project  is scheduled to be completed by March 2011, with production to begin by summer. Read more...

Oil Sands Lure Chinese

The UPI today is reporting on the increased interest shown by Chinese energy companies in the Canadian oil sands. The article highlights the investments made by China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. and China Investment Corp. in two oil sands projects. Canadian oil sands deposits are estimated at more than 100 billion barrels, which puts it second only to Saudi Arabia. Read more:

Minnesota Moves to #4 in Wind

New figures provided by the American Wind Energy Association show that Minnesota is now the nation's number four producer of wind energy. The state's Elm Creek II, Nobles and Ridgewind projects together accounted for 275 MW of installed capacity in 2010, or about 5% of the total growth in the U.S. Read more...

New Railport Planned for Western ND

A large multi-user rail terminal will be built in Trenton, North Dakota, according to an announcement today. The terminal, to be known as Trenton Railport, will be built by Savage Companies and served by the BNSF Railway. The facility will include rail infrastructure, open space for oil field materials storage, and receiving capability for frac sand and other materials. The project will be designed to bring large-scale rail service to the Bakken Formation providing transport of oil-field related materials such as tubular, frac sand and other strategic materials, in addition to the capability to load and ship unit trains of crude oil. Read more...

Will Consumers Buy Sugar Beet Biofuels?

By Cole Gustafson, Biofuels Economist, NDSU Extension Service

As you know, I am working with a group to develop an energy beet-to-biofuel industry in North Dakota. The goal is to construct 12 plants that produce 20 million gallons each for an annual state production of 240 million gallons. The first law of economics is that supply equals demand. Thus, if North Dakota has supply, will consumers purchase this level of energy beet biofuel at prices that are profitable for the plant?

The results of a study presented at the 2011 American Economic Association annual meeting shed some interesting light on the subject. The study’s authors, Alberto Salvo and Christian Huse of Northwestern University and Stockholm School of Economics, respectively, conducted a study of gasoline and sugarcane ethanol buyers in Brazil. Since ethanol derived from energy beets will be very similar to that produced from sugarcane, I think the findings are insightful.

In Brazil, car owners can select any proportion of gasoline or sugarcane ethanol to fill their tank. Sugarcane is widely available across the country and consumers are familiar with the advantages of both products. Salvo and Huse were interested in finding out what price differential between gasoline and sugarcane ethanol would get consumers to switch products.

The study was conducted by monitoring drivers’ fuel purchases without the customers knowing they were being observed. Once the buyers had completed their purchase, they were approached and asked several questions about themselves, their vehicle and why they selected the proportion of gasoline or sugarcane ethanol they wanted. The researchers then developed a statistical analysis to determine the importance of each characteristic.

What surprised the researchers was the number of consumers who steadfastly purchased gasoline or sugarcane ethanol regardless of price. There were approximately 20 percent of consumers on each end of the continuum who routinely purchased gasoline or ethanol even if it was far more expensive than the alternative. Buyers who purchased gasoline, regardless of price, were statistically older, drove heavier cars, had larger engines in their vehicles and commuted longer distances. In conversations afterward, one of the main concerns with sugarcane ethanol was its reduced mileage. Thus, since their cars were larger and they drove more, they found frequent refueling to be inconvenient.

Another interesting finding relates to the availability of flex-fuel cars. Flex-fuel vehicles are far more prevalent in Brazil than in the U.S. However, the majority of Brazilians do not yet own these models. Thus, they are constrained to purchasing gasoline, even when the alternative is cheaper.

What were the reasons purchasers of sugarcane ethanol routinely bought that product regardless of price? One of the choices they could have selected was that sugarcane ethanol was environmentally friendly. Turns out this consideration was not a strong motivating factor leading to repetitive purchases. The most significant factor was that sugarcane ethanol is produced in their region and they were supporting a local industry.

The remaining 60 percent of consumers were sensitive to prices and purchased a product based on economics.

The implication of this research is that 20 percent of consumers will eagerly await the opportunity to purchase energy beet biofuel. Sixty percent are price sensitive and will wait to compare energy beet biofuel prices with gasoline. The remaining 20 percent of consumers are going to be resistant energy beet biofuel shoppers.

Source: NDSU Agriculture Communication

Nebraska Officials Praise E15 Decision

The recent decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to allow increased ethanol blends in cars manufactured between 2001 and 2006 has drawn praise from industry officials in Nebraska who say the move will provide a big boost to the state's economy. Nebraska is the nation's number two ethanol producer.  Production is expected to soar to more than 2 billion gallons annually when the new 113-million-gallon Aurora West ethanol plant in Aurora begins production. Officials cited the lack of blender pumps as a major hurdle to overcome before the increased blends can see significant sales in the state. Read more...

Wind/Solar Conference Set for Iowa

Iowa State University Extension in Plymouth County, along with other partner organizations, is presenting a Wind/Solar Energy Conference on Wednesday, March 2 in Le Mars. Speakers from the Iowa Energy Center, USDA Rural Development and Iowa State University will address various topics concerning wind and solar energy, including financing, legal considerations, and planning and zoning. Read more...

Minnesota Biofuels Producers Get USDA Grants

A total of approximately $750 million in grants has been awarded to several Minnesota biofuels producers from the Agriculture Department's Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. Minnesota Soybean Processors was awarded nearly $400,000,  while Cargill Inc. received nearly $190,000 and Corn Plus LLP nearly $130,000.  Other recipients included FUMPA Biofuels, Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co., West River Dairy and Riverview LLP. Read more...

Iowa Awarded $1.4 Million for Renewable Energy

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin announced yesterday that his state will receive more than $1.4 million for renewable energy projects, most of which will go toward the production and use of biofuels through the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. The program was authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill. Read more...

North Dakota's EERC Gets DOE Grant

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota announced today that its Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) Partnership has been awarded $768,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to continue research demonstrating the effectiveness of injecting a mixture of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a toxic and corrosive gas sometimes referred to as "acid gas," into an oil field for the purpose of simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving oil recovery.
 

Since 2006, the EERC's PCOR Partnership, one of seven members of DOE's Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Program, has performed a series of major field tests at sites in the United States and Canada to examine the effectiveness of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, including the injection of acid gas at the Zama oil field in Alberta, Canada. Both the previous and planned work is being conducted in close collaboration with Apache Canada, Ltd., the owner and operator of the oil field, and Natural Resources Canada.

The new funding will support two more years of activities at Zama that are aimed at demonstrating that acid gas injection is a safe and effective means of reducing CO₂ emission while enhancing oil recovery. The findings will help support national and global efforts to develop and deploy CCS use as one option for mitigating the emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Read more...

ONEOK Announces More Bakken Investments

Oklahoma-based ONEOK Partners, L.P. today announced plans to invest between $260 million and $305 million in additional Williston Basin projects by the end of 2014.

The investments include $135 million to $150 million for the construction of a new natural gas processing facility in western Williams County, N.D. The plant, to be called Stateline II,  is projected to process 100 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) and is expected to be online in the first half of 2013.

ONEOK also plans to invest approximately $80 million to $110 million for expansions and upgrades to its existing gathering and compression infrastructure in the Williston Basin, as well as approximately $45 million for new well connections associated with the Stateline II facility.

The partnership previously announced plans to construct two other new natural gas processing facilities in the region, the Stateline I and Garden Creek plants. When completed, the combined natural gas processing capacity of the three new plants and a fourth already built (Grasslands) will be approximately 400 MMcf/d. This will nearly quadruple the partnership's current processing capacity in the Williston Basin.

Source links...

--http://ir.oneok.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=544868&ReleaseType=OKS
--http://ir.oneok.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=514288&ReleaseType=ONEOK
--http://ir.oneok.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=462148&ReleaseType=OKS

Using Marginal Land for Biofuels Production

Researchers have published the results of a study aimed at identifying the amount of marginal land available worldwide for biofuel crop production. The goal of the study, conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was to determine the types and locations of land that are suitable for growing biofuel feedstocks and to identify the current land cover at those sites. The researchers concluded that biofuel produced from crops grown on abandoned or degraded cropland could supply up to 52 percent of the world's liquid fuel consumption. Read more...

How Much Energy Do Wind Turbines Use?

By Cole Gustafson, Biofuels Economist, NDSU Extension Service

I read a wide variety of publications. The editor of a recent mechanical engineering periodical lamented about all of the energy a wind tower consumes. He studied the inner workings of a modern wind tower and pondered whether any net energy is produced. Let’s look at some of the devices inside a wind turbine that consume power.

• Rechargeable batteries – Large wind turbines contain a number of rechargeable batteries to power the electrical systems when the wind is not blowing. These systems include aircraft lights, brakes, blade control devices and weather instrumentation. If the wind doesn’t blow for an extended period, these batteries must be recharged with power off the electrical grid.
• Heaters – Gearboxes in wind turbines contain fluids that must be kept warm in frigid climates. Turbine blades also have built-in heaters to prevent icing, which the author suggested could consume up to 20 percent of the electricity produced by the turbine.
• Motors – A common misconception is that the blades of a wind tower sit still when the wind is not blowing. In fact, a tower uses its generator in reverse as a motor to spin the blades slowly. The movement of the blades is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. The blades move to prevent brinelling (grooving) of the bearings on the main shaft. This occurs when bearing components rock back and forth without much movement. Consequently, electricity is taken either from the storage batteries or off the grid to power the blades during these periods.

Wind turbine manufacture’s don’t report how much electricity is consumed internally or must be purchased externally. The amount is likely to be quite variable because system designs vary by manufacturer. Moreover, there likely are both good and bad economics of operation as turbine sizes increase.
So, is this really an issue to be concerned about?

The editor concluded his article by saying, “We’ve commissioned so many wind turbines that we will need to build new coal-fired power plants to run them.”

The question could be solved easily if tower net metering was available. Net metering monitors the quantity of electrical power flowing in both directions. Overall, the point is rather moot, though, because the editor failed to realize that wind turbine generators are rated on a net power-producing basis. In other words, each turbine has a nameplate with its power rating listed on it.

What is a more important consideration is the power curve that describes the level of electricity produced at various levels of wind speed. Wind speed is highly variable in each geographic area, so that is a more important factor to consider.

---

NDSU Agriculture Communication

Iowa Researchers Report on Climate Change

Researchers from Iowa’s three regent universities presented findings from a climate change study to the Iowa General Assembly this week and recommended seven legislative policy initiatives to address climate change in Iowa. Researchers noted that Iowa has experienced a long-term trend toward more precipitation, an increase in extreme summer rainfall, and warmer temperatures, particularly over the winter and at night. Read more...

Hawkeye Sells Iowa Ethanol Plants

Hawkeye Renewables announced today that it is selling its ethanol plants located in Iowa Falls and Fairbank, Iowa, to Flint Hills Resources Renewables, LLC in an all-cash transaction. Flint Hills Resources Renewables is an affiliate of Koch Industries, Inc. and Flint Hills Resources, LLC, a leading provider of transportation fuels used in the Upper Midwest. The transaction is expected to close early in the first quarter of 2011. Read more...

New Small Wind Turbine Announced

Arizona-based Southwest Windpower has unveiled its latest product – the Skystream 600. The company said the turbine produces 40-60% more energy than its predecessor, the Skystream 3.7, and is capable of generating an average of 7,400 kWh of renewable energy each year with average annual wind speeds of 12 mph. The unit will be available for sale in March 2011. Read more...

Republicans Seek to Tame EPA on CO2 Rules

As widely expected, key Republicans joined together yesterday--the opening day of the new Congress--to introduce legislation that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse-gas emissions. Read more...

DOE Publishes CO2 Storage Manual

Washington, DC The most promising methods for assessing potential carbon dioxide (CO₂) geologic storage sites – a crucial component of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology – is the focus of the latest in a series of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CCS "best practices" manuals. Read more...

DOE Demonstrates Clean Coal Technology

Washington, DC -- A novel technology that could help release some of the currently unusable energy in an estimated 2 billion tons of U.S. coal waste has been successfully demonstrated by a Department of Energy (DOE) supported project. Read more...

New Wind Farm Approved for Minnesota

The largest wind farm to date in Minnesota has been approved for construction in Mower County in the southeastern part of the state. Last week, the county board approved three substations and two transmission lines for the 300 MW facility to be called the Pleasant Valley Wind Farm Project. The wind farm will consist of between 130 and 200 turbines and will cover approximately 70,000 acres. The developer is Colorado-based Renewable Energy Systems Americas. Read more...

Infrastructure Needed for More Ethanol Consumption

The United States doesn't have the infrastructure to meet the federal mandate for renewable fuel use with ethanol, but could meet the standard with significant increases in cellulosic and next-generation biofuels, according to a Purdue University study. Read more...

Spiritwood Start-Up Date Announced

A $350 million lignite-fired power plant near Jamestown, North Dakota will go online on Jan. 1, 2012, according to a news report today. The plant, known as the Spiritwood Station, is owned by Minnesota-based Great River Energy and originally was set to start up in 2010. The date was postponed due to a weak economy in Minnesota, where most of the electricity will be sold.  Spiritwood is Great River Energy's first baseload power plant built since 1981 and North Dakota's first coal-fired power plant in a quarter century.

Does the DDG Flap Mean Trouble for Iowa Ethanol?

Iowa ethanol producers are monitoring the trade dispute between the U.S. and China over dried distillers grains (DDGs) and wondering what it means for them in 2011. Last week, China announced an investigation into what it says may be illegal dumping of DDGs by the United States. DDGs are the dried corn kernel shells left over during ethanol production. They typically are sold for livestock feed at prices less than regular corn.  Sales of DDGs contribute up to 30% of the revenue generated by a typical ethanol plant. Iowa leads the nation in the number of ethanol plants with 40 and accounts for about one-third of U.S. ethanol production.  Read more...