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