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New Texas wind power project is massive
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas, headquarters of America's oil industry, is about to stake a fortune on wind power.
In what experts say is the biggest investment in the clean and renewable energy in U.S. history, utility officials in the Lone Star State gave preliminary approval Thursday to a $4.9 billion plan to build new transmission lines to carry wind-generated electricity from gusty West Texas to urban areas like Dallas.
"People think about oil wells and football in Texas, but in 10 years they'll look back and say this was a brilliant thing to do," said Patrick Woodson, vice president of E.On Climate & Renewables North America, which has about 1,200 megawatts of wind projects already in use or on the drawing board in Texas.
Texas is already the national leader in wind power, generating about 5,000 megawatts. But wind-energy advocates say the lack of transmission lines has kept a lot of that power from being put to use and has hindered the building of more turbines.
Supporters say Thursday's 2-1 vote by the Texas Public Utility Commission is critical to getting that energy to more people.
"We will add more wind than the 14 states following Texas combined," said PUC Commissioner Paul Hudson. "I think that's a very extraordinary achievement. Some think we haven't gone far enough, some think we've pushed too far."
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas, headquarters of America's oil industry, is about to stake a fortune on wind power. ... more -
Fuel From Food Waste: Bacteria Provide Power
Researchers have combined the efforts of two kinds of bacteria to produce hydrogen in a bioreactor, with the product from one providing food for the other. According to an article in the August issue of Microbiology Today, this technology has an added bonus: leftover enzymes can be used to scavenge precious metals from spent automotive catalysts to help make fuel cells that convert hydrogen into energy.
Researchers have combined the efforts of two kinds of bacteria to produce hydrogen in a bioreactor, with the product from one providin... more -
2 MEGAWATT SOLAR PV PROJECT AT FRESNO AIRPORT SHOULD HELP CLEAR THE AIR
9 and a half acres of Solar Panels will go online on Wednesday, providing about 40% of the daily power needs for the airport's power supply and will save the airport approximately $13 Million dollars over the next 20 years. The project covers almost 7 football fields and was built on land surrounding the airport which was considered unusable. Excess power will be sold to Pacific Gas And Electric, which is the electric utility for the area. Solar Power Partners of Mill Valley will oversee and manage the system, which is the largest solar power plant at any airport in the US. Furthermore, the fact that no fossil fuels are being burned to generate power should help reduce air pollution as well. Los Angeles and The Central Valley are the most affected regions in the state of California by air pollution. 9 and a half acres of Solar Panels will go online on Wednesday, providing about 40% of the daily power needs for the airport's power s... more
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The World's Sugar Daddy
Vanguard's Mariana van Zeller travels to the "Saudi Arabia of Ethanol", and has a few drinks while she's at it.
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17 Electric Cars You Must Know About
Since it's 'death' the electric car seems to be under a race for revival.
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Eight new nuclear plants for Britain
Britain must build "at least" eight new nuclear power stations during the next 15 years to replace its ageing plants and contribute to a "post-oil economy" that is cleaner and much more efficient than in the era of "cheap energy and careless pollution", Gordon Brown signalled last night. The first new reactors could feed electricity into the national grid by 2017.
Ministers want the private sector to make the running, but fear that the parallel contraction of the UK's coal and oil-fired generating capacity, on environmental grounds, will trigger a serious energy gap unless the government moves decisively.
The prime minister called for "a renaissance of nuclear power" more than 20 years after major power station crises at Three Mile Island in the US and the Soviet plant at Chernobyl put a brake on nuclear stations as a growing energy source. In doing so, he pushed the government's explicit commitment to a nuclear agenda further than he has previously done - amid growing concern about global oil prices and the need to find alternatives.
Brown said: "Britain is moving quickly to replace its ageing fleet of nuclear power stations. All around the world I see renewed interest in this technology, as countries contemplate the alternative - continued oil dependence and unchecked climate change."
Critics of nuclear power will be dismayed, but the industry may welcome an end to what some have regarded as foot-dragging since the 2003 energy white paper. Prominent figures in the climate change debate, including the government's former chief scientist, Sir David King, have endorsed the nuclear path. Britain must build "at least" eight new nuclear power stations during the next 15 years to replace its ageing plants and contribute to... more -
Dyes Can Turn Windows Into Solar Panels
Coating an ordinary sheet of glass with dye could be the key to cheaper, more efficient solar panels, according to a new study. Researchers say the dye absorbs visible light and transmits it to the edges of the glass sheet, where strips of photovoltaic cells convert the light into electricity. Coating an ordinary sheet of glass with dye could be the key to cheaper, more efficient solar panels, according to a new study. Resear... more
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Honolulu to air condition buildings with seawater
Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning (HSWAC) proposes to cool down buildings with seawater, rather than fossil fuel-based air conditioning units, and it is getting some serious green to back it. Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning (HSWAC) proposes to cool down buildings with seawater, rather than fossil fuel-based air conditioni... more
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UAE's oil reserves to last 92 years
The UAE's oil reserves of 97.8 billion barrels, which make 7.9 per cent of the world's total stocks, would last 92 years at current production levels, according to a report.
The UAE's crude oil output on an average rose 1.53 per cent to 2.66 million barrels per day (bdp) for the quarter ended June as compared to the January-March quarter, latest data by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows.
The Middle East's oil reserves stood at 755 billion barrels, or 61 per cent of the world's total, while the global oil reserves amounted to 1.24 trillion barrels, said the data.
The UAE's oil consumption rose 7.7 per cent to 450,000 barrels per day in 2007, registering the highest growth rates in the Middle East.
The UAE's proven oil reserves of 97.8 billion barrels make 7.9 per cent of the world's total reserves, said the 2008 BP Statistical Review of World Energy.
The UAE's oil reserves of 97.8 billion barrels, which make 7.9 per cent of the world's total stocks, would last 92 years at current pr... more -
Bottling bovine burps to save planet
SCIENTISTS are strapping plastic tanks to the backs of cattle to collect their burps in a novel approach to studying global warming.
Researchers in Argentina say the slow digestive system of cattle makes them a producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide.
Scientists around the world are studying the amount of methane in cattle burps and Argentine researchers say they have come up with a unique way.
SCIENTISTS are strapping plastic tanks to the backs of cattle to collect their burps in a novel approach to studying global warming. ... more -
Run Your Car on Water
Can water really power a car. According to this site, with their easy $150 do-it-yourself conversion kit, any conventional gas vehicle can run on a mix of gasoline and tap water, thus cutting petrol use nearly in half. While I'm sure with fuel prices as high as there are we can expect a never ending stream of suspect fuel and money saving schemes to confuse consumers, and despie the somewhat chintzy web design, here is the video pitch. Can water really power a car. According to this site, with their easy $150 do-it-yourself conversion kit, any conventional gas vehicl... more
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Solar powered golf carts
"Smart Energy Stuff offers a variety of solar-powered golf carts, from $6,000 to $9,000. The costs are on par with those of regular electric-powered golf carts, but they come with the added sweetener of one-time state and federal tax credits of up to $990.
"Things are tight," said Njoku, a Nigerian-born New York City transplant who has lived in Fayetteville with his wife for the past three years, "and tight people are holding onto their money. What we're trying to do is give them products that will save them money and also be very green."
Smart Energy Stuff sells other solar-powered products, such as a sun-powered water heater, electric panels and outdoor lights.
A self-professed "solar geek," Njoku said he is a civil engineer and architect by trade with a natural affinity for cars and all things solar."
Just saw this and I think it's great! "Smart Energy Stuff offers a variety of solar-powered golf carts, from $6,000 to $9,000. The costs are on par with those of regular el... more -
The totally green Danish island
Samsø, and Island of Denmark, is enhabited by just 4300 residents. Like most people they didn't much care for their energy, as long as it arrived it was no big deal. One man decided something needed to be done, and slowly but surely things started to change.
With energy cooperatives being formed, energy seminars being held and heaters being replaced, by 2001 the island had cut its fossil fuel use in half, entirely on their own. By 2003 instead of importing electricity, they were exporting it, and the progress didn't stop there.
Check the link for this amazing story about how one island went from being like everyone else, to totally green inside of 10 years. Samsø, and Island of Denmark, is enhabited by just 4300 residents. Like most people they didn't much care for their energy, as long as... more -
How a giant solar tower could power the future
A new energy concept called a solar tower could generate enough electricity for 200,000 homes. Looking like a giant smokestack, it would release no noxious fumes — just sun-heated air.
Demonstrated more than 20 years ago, the basic design calls for solar collectors to warm the air near Earth's surface and then channel it up the tall central tower. Turbines placed at the bottom make electricity from the updraft.
"It's a combination chimney, windmill, greenhouse," said Kim Forté of EnviroMission Limited in South Melbourne, Australia.
EnviroMission has designed a kilometer-high solar tower (0.62 miles) and is now looking at possible sites in the southwestern United States.
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Click on the tower for the full article. A new energy concept called a solar tower could generate enough electricity for 200,000 homes. Looking like a giant smokestack, it wou... more -
Energy Technology Pathways to Achieving Climate Change Goals
"A new report identifies end-use electricity efficiency as the most effective and most economical method to bring carbon dioxide emissions back to current levels by 2050. The analysis uses three scenarios - baseline, global stabilization to 2005 levels by 2050 (ACT), and global 50% reduction below 2005 levels by 2050 (BLUE) - to identify the costs and constraints of advancing the technologies needed for reaching a more sustainable energy future."
Ok, here is the world's plan for energy development for the foreseeable future. You can download and read the entire plan if you are so inclined. I would recommend doing this before you decide to support or (especially) invest in any new or emerging technologies. "A new report identifies end-use electricity efficiency as the most effective and most economical method to bring carbon dioxide emiss... more -
Fuel from algae - check out the device
Vertigro. tailoring lipids one algae strand at a time?
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Biogas: A scent of success for Vietnam small business
With the continued rise in energy prices, biogas looks set to become a viable alternative for small business owners in Vietnam, according to this article from Viet Nam News.
Biogas — an alternative cooking fuel produced from animal waste — has been used throughout Vietnam since the 1980s, both for cooking and in large-sized engines.
Now it is being expanded for use in small engines and generators. Professor Bui Van Ga and colleagues from Da Nang University have developed an electric generator fuelled by the biogas not required in cooking. With the continued rise in energy prices, biogas looks set to become a viable alternative for small business owners in Vietnam, accord... more -
What Is Clean Coal and Why Should I Care?
The term "Clean Coal" is being used to describe several different processes. Some are only new ways to try to remove pollutants from the smoke produced by burning coal. Some of these pollutants are sulfur (which combines with water in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric acid (acid rain) and mercury (which builds up in your system and can cause brain damage). Other technologies offer something completely different and it is on those that I would like to focus here.
The <a href = "http://www.futuregenalliance.org/">FutureGen</a> system is one that has received government research and development funding to the tune of millions of dollars and is on the verge of building a power plant in Illinois. In this system coal is not really the fuel used to produce electricity. Coal (or any other source of carbon such as charcoal or even <a href = "http://www.bioware.com.br/english/">torrified </a>cornstalks and straw).
In this process 1000 degree steam is passed over coal in the absence of air. This causes a chemical reaction between the oxygen in the water molecules in the steam and the carbon molecules in the coal: 2H2O + C ------> 2H2 + CO2. The carbon dioxide produced is then taken out of the mix and the hydrogen (H2) is used to fuel the power plant.
There are many advantages to using hydrogen as the fuel in an electrical generator. One of these is that it burns much hotter than carbon does and so you need less hydrogen fuel than you would coal. Another consequence is that, because you use less fuel, you produce significantly less carbon dioxide than a normal coal plant.
Still another advantage is that when you burn hydrogen the product is superheated steam (2H2 + O2 ------> 2H2O). This steam can be used to turn the turbines that drive the generators in the plant with very few losses. In a traditional coal fired plant the coal is burned outside a vessel that contains water (a boiler) to create the steam needed to turn the generators. This means that much of the heat created by burning coal goes up the chimney and is lost.
The FutureGen system is therefore vastly superior to a traditional coal fired plant. It is the first large scale electrical generator which uses clean, renewable hydrogen fuel from water. Unfortunately the designers of this system tried to go too far too fast and proposed pumping the carbon dioxide that is produced by releasing the hydrogen fuel from water underground to sequester it. This sequestration plan is untested and has become the major sticking point of the whole project.
I think that this is unfortunate because even without the sequestration plan this plant is a huge step forward in our goal of ending our dependence on fossil fuels. Another unpublicized bonus with this system is that you could use the hydrogen fuel produced to run cars, trucks, trains, ships or any vehicle with an internal combustion engine. That's right, you can, in effect, run your car on coal (actually on hydrogen produced through this process) and since coal is still around a hundred bucks a ton or less that would mean that your hydrogen fuel would cost roughly .25 cents a gallon (a rough estimate).
There is a way to use a process very similar to this one with water and liquid hydrocarbon fuels as well and in that case you can produce your hydrogen fuel on board the vehicle as you drive. That process would increase your hydrocarbon fuel mileage by up to 60% and reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by an equal percentage. The tools necessary for us to cut our fossil fuel consumption and carbon dioxide output on a worldwide basis are there but we are just not aware of them or being told about them (whichever you like). The term "Clean Coal" is being used to describe several different processes. Some are only new ways to try to remove pollutants from t... more -
Harvesting Wind: North Carolina's Alternative Progress
15-minute documentary about the need for industrial wind turbines in North Carolina.
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McCain Sets Goal of 45 New Nuclear Reactors by 2030
Senator John McCain said Wednesday that he wanted 45 new nuclear reactors built in the United States by 2030, a course he called “as difficult as it is necessary.”
Currently there are 104 reactors in the country supplying some 20 percent of electricity consumed. No new nuclear power plant has been built in the United States since the 1970s.
He said his ultimate goal was 100 new nuclear plants.
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McCain, wrong on nuclear power, wrong for the country.
OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT (Obama, won't you consider returning that money to the nuclear power industry?) Senator John McCain said Wednesday that he wanted 45 new nuclear reactors built in the United States by 2030, a course he called “as d... more
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