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