Talk about the US electricity generation sector and most people refer to national trends, but the fact is that in recent years state and regional policy has been crucial to unique local energy developments, as this Breaking Energy infographic, using US government data, shows.
Click on the picture above for a full size version, or to download. Keep reading →
Much like alchemists toiling away in their medieval labs, contemporary firms are trying to find oil out of every other substance that might contain carbon. The challenges are manifold, but the potential prize is huge.
Accelergy, a Houston, Texas-based alternative fuels startup, is trying to commercialize its technology to convert various combinations of coal, natural gas and biomass into a liquid fuel. Keep reading →
Biocrude producers are moving closer to providing a cost-competitive substitute for petroleum, but obstacles remain in building scale.
Biocrude is derived from renewable sources like wood waste and algae, but can be converted into near-perfect substitutes for petroleum products, known as “drop-in” fuels. Drop-in fuels “can serve as direct replacements or supplements to existing gasoline, diesel and jet fuels, without any changes to existing fuel distribution networks or engines”, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). Keep reading →
The business of exporting US-produced wood pellets to burn as biomass fuel continues to grow despite formidable challenges.
A new alliance between fuel supplier Enviva and wood pellet manufacturer Biomass Energy is targeting the export of more than 350,000 metric tonnes (385,800 short tons) of wood pellets and wood chips over the next three years. The wood-based fuel will originate from Biomass Energy’s Bumpass, Virginia facility. Keep reading →
High energy prices have unleashed a wave of energy innovation around the world, says GE Energy Financial Services Managing Director of Venture Capital Kevin Skillern on this video.
Shot by GE for its Ecomagination series on people, profits and the planet, this video features a recent GE partnership with electric company NRG Energy and oil and gas giant ConocoPhillips to establish a $300 million fund that is currently investing in 30 emerging energy firms. The firm takes a heterodox approach to investing, taking positions in firms across the sector and focusing on the prospects for scaling and transforming the energy business on a global scale. Keep reading →
Developing biofuels for the military will help prompt uptake of advanced fuels for commercial use and promote rural investment, the White House said in announcing a new spending plan today.
President Obama announced today that the US Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy and the Navy will partner with the private sector in a joint plan to invest up to $510 million in biofuels that could power military and commercial transportation.
The plan aims to increase the production of advanced biofuels in efforts to help increase both energy and national security by decreasing dependence on foreign oil.
For an example of one company that claims to manufacture drop-in biofuels, see a profile of Wall Street favorite KiOR. Keep reading →
Biocrude could soon be cheaper and more efficient than traditional crude oil.
One of the challenges for fuel derived from biological materials is the impact it can have on machinery and pipelines, leading to competing technical fights over the proportion of fuels like ethanol that can be shipped or used in the US transportation industry. Keep reading →
Who said trash is waste?
The renewable energy arm of Pennsylvania utility PPL opened its newest gas-fired plant in Allentown, Pennsylvania in late July, powered by methane from the local landfill. Officially named the Glendon Green Energy Park, the project was funded in partnership with the state and Chrin Brothers Inc. and cost $8 million to build. Keep reading →
Renewable energy is increasingly at the core of the global electricity sector, propelling much of its growth.
Renewable energy delivered almost a fifth of global electricity production in 2010 and now comprises some 25% of global power-generating capacity, reflecting proactive government policies worldwide, particularly in China, according to the latest global assessment of renewables development. Keep reading →
There is wood in those Doritos.
Amid rollicking volatility in natural gas markets several years ago and against the background of burgeoning corporate concern about its environmental footprint, food and drink giant PepsiCo, owner of Frito-Lay, began reviewing its options for alternative fuels that could help it achieve several goals at once. Keep reading →
