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November 16, 2009

Coalition Outlines Plan for 120 Million Plug-in Vehicles on U.S. Roads by 2030

(Updated at 7 p.m. Pacific time, 11/16/09, to add details throughout.)

By Robert E. Calem, Contributor

Top executives from more than a dozen companies announced today that they had formed a coalition supporting plug-in electric vehicles, and they unveiled a plan calling for 120 million EVs on U.S. roads by 2030 - an ambitious proposal bearing a federal price tag of more than $120 billion over the next eight years.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., members of the newly formed Electricifcation Coalition said plug-in electric vehicles hold the key to solving America's dependence on oil and its associated "economic, environmental and national security vulnerabilities."

High penetration rates of grid-enabled vehicles, or GEVs - vehicles propelled in whole or in part by electricity drawn from the grid and stored onboard in a battery - could radically minimize the importance of oil to the U.S., strengthening the country's economy, improving its national security, and providing much-needed flexibility to American foreign policy, the business leaders said.

Simultaneously, such a system would clear a path to dramatically reduced economy-wide emissions of greenhouse gases, they said.

The conference showcased 13 business leaders and several influential politicians, including Carlos Ghosn, CEO of the Nissan Motor Co.; David W. Crane, CEO of electric utility NRG Energy; David P. Vieau, CEO of battery maker A123 Systems; Frederick W. Smith, CEO of Federal Express; Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota; and Nancy Sutley, chairperson of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Their presentations at the event were optimistic and filled with statistics about the prevalence of cheap electric energy and the benefits of proliferating GEVs.

Among their arguments: that electricity prices are stable and the supply of electricity is abundant, with lots of spare capacity; that electricity is a domestic resource; and, that the infrastructure is already in place to generate, transmit and distribute the electrical supply to homes - with their GEV-filled garages - nationwide.

But the coalition's vision and its goals - spelled out in a 170-page document released today titled the Electrification Roadmap - are a complex assortment of policy recommendations and business initiatives that will face a lot of challenges, even its backers concede.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett November 16, 2009, 2:23 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Nissan, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: A123Systems.

Tennessee Researchers Investigate Potential of Producing Hydrogen From Algae

A team of Tennessee researchers is trying to use algae to produce hydrogen that could be used as automotive fuel.

Despite its energy potential, hydrogen has not taken off as an alternative fuel source because of the expensive, high-energy and sometimes climate-changing processes required to produce it.

The Tennessee team - led by professor Barry Bruce of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville -- wants to use photosynthesis as a clean, efficient and sustainable source of hydrogen.

"We're looking for solutions that already exist in nature," Bruce said. "We're trying to peel back some of the barriers and make them work in the near future."

The team's research, published in last week's issue of Nature Nanotechnology, involves separating a tiny particle used by algae during photosynthesis and coupling it with a platinum catalyst to produce hydrogen when exposed to light.

"Compared to things like converting pharmaceuticals to drugs, this is pretty straightforward," Bruce said.

Bruce's team is not the first to use photosynthetic microorganisms as a hydrogen fuel source, but other researchers have not found a way to efficiently use the reaction at the high temperatures that would exist in a system designed to harness sunlight.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett November 16, 2009, 10:24 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Hydrogen
Technorati Tags:: Algae

November 12, 2009

Oil Reserves Much Lower Than Officially Reported, Whistleblower Says

Estimates of reserves by watchdog group are said to be grossly inflated.

The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.

The senior official claims the United States has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog organization to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves.

The allegations raise serious questions about the accuracy of the organization's latest World Energy Outlook on oil demand and supply published this week. It is used by many governments to help guide their energy and climate-change policies.

In particular they question the prediction in the last World Economic Outlook, which was repeated again this week, that oil production can be raised from its current level of 83 million barrels a day to 105 million barrels.

External critics have frequently argued that this cannot be substantiated by firm evidence and say the world has already passed its peak in oil production.

A second senior IEA source, who has now left but was also unwilling to give his name, told a British newspaper that a key rule at the organization was that it was "imperative not to anger the Americans" but the fact was that there was not as much oil in the world as had been admitted.

"We have [already] entered the 'peak oil' zone. I think that the situation is really bad," he added.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett November 12, 2009, 11:24 AM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Legislation, Oil
Technorati Tags:: IEA

November 10, 2009

Coulomb Technologies Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles Coming to Australia

The California company also reports the installation of chargers in San Diego and Iowa.

Coulomb Technologies, the mostly unchallenged leader in networked charging stations for electric vehicles, announced today that it has signed an agreement with a Sydney-based company to distribute Coulomb's charging stations throughout Australia.

The agreement is exclusive to ChargePoint Pty Ltd, which Coulomb says is in "advanced discussions with a number of government and private sector partners for pilot projects in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, which are all due to commence in the first half of 2010."

The pilot projects will be used to evaluate charging behavior, energy grid load analysis, and environmental and societal impacts.

The first mass produced electric vehicles will arrive in Australia in 2010, with most manufacturers expected to release models down under in 2012. Coulomb is clearly hoping to have its charging stations in place in time to meet demand.

Meanwhile, Coulomb announced today that the Elk Horn, Iowa, will be getting four of its charging stations this week. That's significant because at present there are no EV charging stations between Denver and Chicago.

Richard Lowenthal.jpg Coulomb says the stations will be the first of many along the I-80 corridor through Nebraska and Iowa.

And in California, Sequoia Solar, a San Diego company that designs and installs grid-connected solar systems, has announced plans that it will unveil the first of many networked solar-powered EV charging station this week.

Powered by a combination of the sun and Coulomb's charging stations, Sequoia said it plans to extend Coulomb's network and their own solar technologies throughout San Diego County.

In little over a year, Coulomb Technologies of Campbell, California, has gone from zero installed charging stations to chargers installed in many cities and on several continents. Our hats are off to CEO Richard Lowenthal (pictured), the driving force behind the spread of the stations.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 10, 2009, 3:43 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Energy Companies, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Coulomb ChargePoint

November 3, 2009

Chinese Oil Company Considering National Battery Swap System for EVs

One of China's major oil companies - already a partner in the joint venture that will supply lithium-ion batteries for California-based Coda Automotive's upcoming electric sedan - is now considering a network of battery swap stations in China, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

China National Offshore Oil envisions a national network of stations where motorists can swap discharged EV batteries for full charged packs. "We can't build" electric cars, "but we can supply the energy," the oil company parent's strategy director told the newspaper.

Such a program, if it were to be launched, its success would be predicated on a number of Chinese automakers building their electric cars with swappable batteries.

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A Renault EV prototype sits on battery exchange platform in Better Place demonstration, while machinery pulls new battery pack from storage.

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The company is thinking along the same lines as California's Better Place, which plans national networks of battery exchange stations in Israel and Denmark for EVs to be built and sold in those countries by the Renault-Nissan Alliance starting in 2011.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 3, 2009, 9:24 AM
Categories:: Batteries, China, Coda, Energy Companies, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Battery Charging Stations

October 28, 2009

Hyundai-Kia, Korean State Power Co. to Collaborate on EV and Charging System

A little birdie tells us that Hyundai has signed an agreement with Korea's state-run power company to develop an electric car and charging system that will be ready for sale in Korea by 2011.

The car itself will be done by Hyundai and its Kia subsidiary, with Korean Electric Power Co. working on the EV battery charger.

Hyundai may already have the car well-in hand. It showed a prototype city EV, the i10 Electric (right), at the Frankfurt auto show earlier this year.

The car used a 16 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and promiosed a top speed of 80 mpgh and a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge.

The memo calls for the first charger and a prototype Hyundai EV to be ready in just 10 months - August 2010 - with the car and charger to be ready to go on sale sometime in 2011.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 28, 2009, 1:28 PM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Hyundai, Kia, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: EV

October 20, 2009

Toyota To Place 10 Prius PHEVS in Boulder, Colo., Smart Grid Program

The city of Boulder, Colo., and its power provider, Xcel Energy, have launched a long-term "smart grid" project and Toyota Motor Co. wants to be a player.

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Toyota's prototype Prius Plug In Hybrid pictured in Japan last year.
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The automaker and world's leading seller of gas-electric hybrid vehicles is announcing this afternoon that it will place 10 of its experimental Prius plug-in hybrids in service in Boulder next year as part of the project.

The Prius PHEVs are part of a fleet of 500 of the cars to be placed into service around the globe in 2010 as Toyota begins testing for possible retail sales of a hybird with extended all-electric range and rechargeable batteries.

First Smart Grid City

Xcel has begun what it calls the SmartGridCity project in Boulder, making the university city - already one of the greenest in the nation - into the world's first smart grid enabled municipality.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell October 20, 2009, 3:00 PM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Boulder Smart Grid Program

October 2, 2009

GAO Calls for Wider Environmental Reviews, Lower Federal Ethanol Subsidy

Congress should require U.S. EPA to consider more widely the environmental effects of biofuels production when deciding which fuels are eligible under the federal biofuels use mandate, according to congressional investigators.

The suggestion is one part of a wide-ranging Government Accountability Office report released today on increased biofuels production. A 2007 law requires the amount of biofuels in the nation's transportation fuels mix to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022.

"For the environment, many experts believe that increased biofuels production could impair water quality -- by increasing fertilizer runoff and soil erosion -- and also reduce water availability, degrade air and soil quality, and adversely affect wildlife habitat," the report states.

"However, the extent of these effects is uncertain and could be mitigated by such factors as improved crop yields, feedstock selection, use of conservation techniques, and improvements in biorefinery processing," it adds. Future increases in use of cellulosic feedstocks -- such as grasses and crop wastes -- can reduce harmful effects, GAO notes.

The 2007 law that boosted the renewable fuels standard requires biofuels to have lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, by varying degrees, than fossil fuels.

But GAO says Congress should weigh amending that law by requiring EPA to more widely assess the environmental effects of increased production. And EPA should use this wider review to determine which fuels qualify under the standard.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 2, 2009, 1:57 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Alternate Fuel

September 22, 2009

Publication Looks at Who's Getting Biofuels Funds Now, and How

In an article published today, Biofuels Digest takes a look at the creative financing sources being used to fund biofuel research and development today.

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Right, mining for coal in Wyoming.
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It notes, for example, that many strategies have been mooted, but one perennial is still popular: Have the cheapest way to make a load of sugar. Simple sugars are the new gold, Biofuels Digest points out. If you can make it fast enough and cheap enough, "customers and their own financing backers will beat a path to your door."

Sometimes, though, you can just be the biggest, baddest sugar project in a local market, even if your technology is not quite ready for the 22nd century. The article goes on to describe a Philippine project that went down just such a road, obtaining $30 million in equity from the Japanese firm Itochu and others.

But nothing is getting funded in bioenergy this year quite as fast and furiously as algae-related ventures. These young companies, the "baby bloomers" as Biofuels Digest calls them, have been landing scads of venture capital and public funding, leaving their brethren in advanced bioenergy scratching their heads in wonder, disbelief, and occasionally a bit of spite.

The publication describes how a government-funded project in Arizona landed $70.5 million based on stimulating green jobs in a depressed region, and as a carbon strategy. Not to mention the promise of fuel, and biochar that can be converted into energy at a higher clip than simply burning biomass.

And then there's the funding source we all know only too well: public-private partnerships. They have been a hallmark of bioenergy projects for quite a while, but perhaps never more importantly than now, when local authorities despair over rising costs of landfills, and bioenergy developers are hard-pressed to raise the benjamins for their projects.

A Canadian partnership between the city of Edmonton, the province of Alberta (home province of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper) and Enerkem shows how it can get done, Biofuels Digest reports, not only for a waste-to-energy project, but an R&D center to boot.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 22, 2009, 1:55 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Coal, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Algae Refining

Fuel-Cell Electric Cars Are Farther Along Than Most People Realize, Industry Says

alifornia Air Resources Board logo.jpg

Automakers addressing California air-quality regulators in Sacramento this week said work on hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) is progressing faster than most people predicted.

Craig Louie, of Canada's Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation Corp., said cost was still an issue but that vehicles should hit showrooms in "2015ish, not 2020," as a majority of people in the automotive industry have been predicting.

Performance benchmarks are hovering around U.S. Energy Department targets for most metrics, including energy efficiency, power density and start-up and shut-down energy, Louie said. High costs still persist, though.

"If the goal is $30 per kilowatt-hour and everyone's in the $70, $80, $90 range, the goal is really to get the cost down and become competitive with incumbent technologies like advanced diesel powertrain," he said.

Louie made the remarks before the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as it prepares to release proposed regulations for its zero-emissions vehicle program for 2015 and beyond, with final regulations due by early next year.

Hydrogen FCEVs use an on-board fuel cell stack to convert hydrogen and oxygen to electricity that powers an electric drive system. The only emissions FCEVs give off is a small amount of water and heat.

In its fifth major revision of the program since 1990, CARB voted last year to reduce the 2014 sales target from 25,000 to 7,500 vehicles.

Monday in Sacramento, CARB officials heard from fuel cell manufacturers, trade groups and car companies on the state of technology and barriers to commercialization.

Several manufacturers cited the bipolar plates that conduct electricity away from the cells as a kink in the process. Another component ripe for improvement is the hydrogen storage tank, which is currently made of stainless steel and impregnated with fibers for durability, a time-consuming process.

But just because fuel-cell systems are still too expensive doesn't mean federal and private investors should pull the plug, said Jack Gatzuras, business development manager at UTC Power. Indeed, as a zero-emissions fuel source, it must be pursued, he said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 22, 2009, 12:58 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hydrogen, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: California Air Resources Board

September 18, 2009

Study: U.S. Subsidies for Fossil Fuels Are More Than Twice Those for Renewables

The vast majority of U.S. federal subsidies for fossil fuels and renewable energy from 2002-2008 supported fossil energy sources that emit high levels of greenhouse gases when used as fuel, according to research released today by the Environmental Law Institute in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Applying a conservative approach, the respected organizations found that the U.S. government provided substantially larger subsidies to fossil fuels than to renewable fuels.

Subsidies to fossil fuels -- a mature, developed industry that has enjoyed government support for many years -- totaled approximately $72 billion over the study period, representing a direct cost to taxpayers.

Over the same period, subsidies for renewable fuels -- a relatively young and developing industry -- totaled $29 billion, the study found. What's more, of the $29 billion, more than half -- $16.8 billion -- went toward corn-based ethanol, the climate effects of which are hotly disputed.

The study also found that most of the largest subsidies to fossil fuels were written into the U.S. Tax Code as permanent provisions. By comparison, many subsidies for renewables were time-limited initiatives implemented through energy bills, with expiration dates that limit their usefulness to the renewables industry.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 18, 2009, 1:32 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Legislation, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric, Solar, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Climate Change

September 17, 2009

'The Electric-Fuel-Trade Acid Test': Not Simply Another Plug for EVs

An article in the current issue of The Economist asks: "After many false starts, battery-powered cars seem here to stay. Are they just an interesting niche product, or will they turn motoring upside down?"

As the smart British weekly is wont to do, it hints at an answer. For that, you will need to read the article -- or at least the last two paragraphs of it. In fairness to the publication, we won't provide them. But the article is just a click away.

That said, here's a brilliantly crafted teaser -- the first four graphs of the article -- which provides a feast for thought:

In 1995 Joseph Bower and Clayton Christensen, two researchers at the Harvard Business School, invented a new term: "disruptive technology." This is an innovation that fulfills the requirements of some, but not most, consumers better than the incumbent does. That gives it a toehold, which allows room for improvement and, eventually, dominance. The risk for incumbent firms is that of the proverbial boiling frog. They may not know when to switch from old to new until it is too late.

The example Dr. Bower and Dr. Christensen used was a nerdy one: computer hard-drives. But unbeknown to them a more familiar one was in the making. The first digital cameras were coming on sale. These were more expensive than film cameras and had lower resolution. But they brought two advantages. A user could look at a picture immediately after he had taken it. And he could download it onto his computer and send it to his friends.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 17, 2009, 2:11 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Lithium-Ion Battery

September 10, 2009

U.S. Navy Orders 40,000 Gallons of Camelina Jet Biofuel From Sustainable Oils

Montana-based Sustainable Oils reports that it has been awarded a defense contract for 40,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel for testing by the U.S. Navy.

Only yesterday the Defense Department tapped Solazyme Inc. to research and develop commercial scale production of an algae-derived biofuel for the Navy.

Sustainable Oils said camelina was selected because it does not compete with food crops, has been proven to reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 percent compared to petroleum jet fuel, and has already been successfully demonstrated in a commercial airline test flight.

In addition, camelina has naturally high oil content, is drought tolerant and requires less fertilizer and herbicides than other biofuels. Studies have shown camelina is an excellent rotation crop with wheat, and it can also grow on marginal land.

Sustainable Oils says it has the largest camelina research program in the nation. It reportedly began in 2005 and has steadily expanded to include more than 140 trials across North America.

In January, Sustainable Oils sourced the camelina for Japan Airlines' historic biojet demonstration flight. That flight's biofuel blend was comprised primarily of camelina.

The upcoming Navy tests are part of a larger effort to test and certify promising biofuels in support of the Navy and Defense Department's strategy to enhance energy security and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Perhaps one day soon biofuels such as these attracting the military's attention will replace petroleum-based car and truck fuels. One can only hope.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 10, 2009, 2:45 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies
Technorati Tags:: Altenative Fuels

September 9, 2009

9 Major Automakers Sign Letter Agreeing to Develop and Launch Fuel-Cell Vehicles

Perhaps motivated by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu's proposal last May to slash more than $100 million in federal funding for hydrogen-vehicle research, nine major automakers today issued a joint statement announcing that they had signed a letter of understanding to develop and launch fuel-cell electric vehicles.

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A trio of Ford FCEVs get pumped up.
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FCEVs use an on-board fuel cell stack to convert hydrogen and oxygen to electricity that powers an electric drive system.

Today's announcement came one day after Chu said in an interview that he will no longer seek to eliminate federal funding for the R&D of hydrogen cars, but instead will work with lawmakers to ensure the money is "invested wisely."

The automakers' announcement states that they "strongly anticipate that from 2015 onwards a quite significant number of electric vehicles with fuel cell could be commercialized. This number is aimed at a few hundred thousand units over life cycle on a worldwide basis."

It continued: "As every vehicle manufacturer will implement its own specific production and commercial strategies as well as timelines, commercialization of electric vehicles with fuel cells may occur earlier than in the above-mentioned expected year."

Beyond those statements, the announcement -- signed by Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Nissan and Toyota -- offered little more information regarding the automakers' plans.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 9, 2009, 12:04 PM
Categories:: Daimler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: California Air Resource Board

September 8, 2009

USPS Finds Electrification of Its Delivery Fleet Operationally Feasible

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Much fuss has been made this year about General Motors' claim that the Chevy Volt extended-range electric vehicle due out next year will be able to travel 40 miles on electricity only, and the fact (often heralded by GM) that most American motorists drive fewer than 40 miles a day.

The General hopes you'll connect the dots, but he's been saying it loud and clear for more than a year anyway: Unless you drive more than 40 miles between charges, you probably won't need to put any gasoline in the plug-in automobile.

But if you should happen to go as far as the Volt can take you on a single charge, the General says, don't fret. As an extended-range EV, the Volt is packing a small gasoline-powered engine-generator that can keep juice flowing to the electric motor that propels the vehicle.

Now imagine this: You open a report from the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service on the feasibility of electric vehicles in the USPS and you read that (1) only about 3 percent of the service's 146,000 delivery vehicles travel more than 40 miles a day, and (2) those vehicles average a lousy 10 miles per gallon.

No doubt your heart would race if you read those factoids, just as ours did when we read the 23-page report, released last week with little fanfare.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett September 8, 2009, 12:37 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

August 31, 2009

As Hybrid Cars and Electric Vehicles Gobble Rare Metals, Global Shortage Looms

The Toyota Prius hybrid automobile is popular for its fuel efficiency, but its electric motor and battery guzzle rare earth metals, a little-known class of elements found in a wide range of gadgets and consumer goods.

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Neodymium: A key component of EV motors.
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That makes Toyota's market-leading gasoline-electric hybrid car and other similar vehicles vulnerable to a supply crunch predicted by experts as China, the world's dominant rare earths producer, limits exports while global demand swells, Reuters news agency reported today.

Worldwide demand for rare earths, covering 15 entries on the periodic table of elements, is expected to exceed supply by some 40,000 tons annually in several years unless major new production sources are developed. One promising U.S. source is a rare earths mine slated to reopen in California by 2012.

Among the rare metals that would be most affected in a shortage is neodymium, the key component of an alloy used to make the high-power, lightweight magnets for electric motors of hybrid cars, such as the Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Fusion ~~Focus~~, as well as in generators for wind turbines.

Close cousins terbium and dysprosium are added in smaller amounts to the alloy to preserve neodymium's magnetic properties at high temperatures, Reuters reported. Yet another rare earth metal, lanthanum, is a major ingredient for hybrid car batteries.

Toyota has 70 percent of the U.S. market for vehicles powered by a combination of an internal-combustion engine and electric motor. The Prius is its No. 1 hybrid seller.

Reuters reported that Jack Lifton, an independent commodities consultant and strategic metals expert, calls the Prius "the biggest user of rare earths of any object in the world."

Each electric Prius motor requires 2.2 pounds of neodymium, and each battery uses 22 to 33 pounds of lanthanum. That number will nearly double under Toyota's plans to boost the car's fuel economy, he said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett August 31, 2009, 3:40 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: China

August 18, 2009

Ford Announces Development of Electric Vehicle-to-Grid Communications System

Ford Motor Co. announced today that it has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that interacts directly with the nation's electric grid.

The new technology allows the vehicle operator to program when to recharge the vehicle, for how long and at what utility rate, company spokesmen said at a press conference at Ford's headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.

All 21 of Ford's fleet of plug-in hybrid Escapes eventually will be equipped with the vehicle-to-grid communications technology, the spokesmen said.

The first of the specially equipped plug-in hybrids has been delivered to American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio. Ford's other utility partners' vehicles will also be equipped with the communications technology.

When plugged in, the battery systems of the specially equipped plug-in hybrids can communicate directly with the electrical grid via smart meters provided by utility companies through wireless networking.

The owner uses the vehicle's touch screen navigation interface and an in-dash computer to choose when the vehicle should recharge, for how long and at what utility rate.

For example, a vehicle owner could choose to accept a charge only during off-peak hours between midnight and 6 a.m. when electricity rates are cheaper, or when the grid is using only renewable energy such as wind or solar power.

Greg Frenette, manager of Ford's Battery Electric Vehicle Applications department, said "direct communication between vehicles and the grid can only be accomplished through collaboration between automakers and utility companies, which Ford and its partners are demonstrating with this technology."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 18, 2009, 1:05 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Economy, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

August 13, 2009

Japanese Companies to Gather Data on EV Drivers' Use of Rapid Chargers

It seems Japan is really getting serious about this EV business.

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Mistubishi's i-MIEV electric car now comes with a rapid-charging port as Japan begins studying fast-charging systems to make EV driving more accessible.
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Both Mitsubishi and Subaru are marketing small electric city cars in the Tokyo-Yokohama area, Nissan is following with its full-service, five-seat Leaf next year and now a trio of companies including Nippon Oil are launching a national test of rapid charging systems for EVs.

The six-month test of EV chargers for Japan's Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry will be conducted in five of Japan's largest prefectures (like counties in the U.S.) and participants will be given (yes, given) Mitsubishi i-MIEV electric cars to drive for the duration.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 13, 2009, 9:21 AM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Japan, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Subaru
Technorati Tags:: Electric Cars

July 13, 2009

Texas Firm Developing 'Green Gasoline' Derived From Most Organic Materials

A Texas company is one of several firms reportedly developing a second-generation biofuel that will be compatible with the country's existing oil infrastructure.

The firm, Terrabon, is working on a biofuel it calls "green gasoline," the Houston Chronicle reported last week.

Unlike existing ethanol derived from food stock, the fuel would be nearly identical in structure to gasoline and could be made with nearly any organic material, from sewer sludge to cornstalks.

Scientists at Texas A&M University developed the acid fermentation process, called MixAlco, that Terrabon is now testing. By the end of the summer, Terrabon plans to produce 300 gallons of the green gasoline a day.

Unlike ethanol, Terrabon's fuel and others like it now in development are deemed "infrastructure compatible" - lacking the corrosiveness of ethanol, the fuels can theoretically be stored and pumped at existing gasoline stations.

At least a dozen companies are working on this type of second-generation biofuel, including Wisconsin's Virent Energy Systems (see our June 22 report) and Amyris Biotechnologies, located in Emeryville, California.

"It's definitely the long-term solution," Andy Aden, a biofuels researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, told the Chronicle.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 13, 2009, 8:23 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Energy Companies
Technorati Tags:: Alternate Fuel

July 2, 2009

Renault-Nissan Alliance Signs MOU with Utility to Install EV Rechargers in Lombardy

The Renault-Nissan Alliance, which has plans to offer electric vehicles in the U.S. beginning next year, announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italy's A2A energy company to promote EV sales in the Lombardy region next year.

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Right, N-R's zero-emissions concept car.

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The significance of this news is that despite the financial turmoil in the automotive industry these days, one of the first automakers likely to bring a plug-in electric vehicle to market is forging ahead with efforts to create the infrastructure needed to support the vehicles.

In this case, A2A has agreed to install recharging stations in Milan and Brescia and join Renault-Nissan in testing an electronic payment service.

Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the Alliance is leading a collaborative approach with business and governments to advance the EV industry worldwide. To date, it has signed nearly 30 agreements with partners to launch its first electric vehicle starting in 2010 and to mass market a full range of EVs in 2012.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 2, 2009, 11:05 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Nissan
Technorati Tags:: A2A

June 25, 2009

In Maine, Former Site of Ethanol Plant to Produce Cellulosic Biobutanol Jet Fuel

In Old Town, Maine, on the former site of an ethanol project that went belly-up last November, a century-old mill continues to produce pulp and paper.

But along with its usual pulp-making business, the mill is doing something unprecedented: Developing technology to produce bio-butanol, a jet fuel, from parts of trees that would otherwise go to waste.

Although production is still two years away, Reuters reports that the reinvention of Maine's Old Town Fuel & Fiber mill is already drawing interest as a potential model for a new wave of biofuel companies that could slash dependence on oil, create jobs and reduce the emissions that lead to global warming.

Loggers, the news service reports, see the mill as a lifeline for their crippled industry. Environmentalists see it as a test of the Obama administration's push for a big expansion in biofuels.

And chemical and oil companies are waiting to see if the mill can do what none has done before by extracting sugars from wood chips into a biofuel that many regard as more efficient than corn-based ethanol as a possible substitute for gasoline.

"There has been a lot of interested parties in what we are doing here," Old Town's president, Dick Arnold, told Reuters. "There have been several oil companies that have been interested in our extract and production of biofuels. There has been a number of chemical companies that have expressed the same desire."

Behind the project is Lynn Tilton, a New York venture capitalist who owns one of the nation's largest helicopter makers. Tilton's Patriarch Partners bought the mill in November, invested about $40 million and shifted its focus to cellulosic bio-butanol.

According to Reuters, Tilton can use bio-butanol in her own helicopter and aircraft businesses but is eyeing a potentially huge market after Congress decreed that the United States must use 21 billion gallons of "advanced" biofuels such as cellulosic ethanols, bio-butanol and "green gasoline" a year by 2022.

The Reuters report is well worth the time it takes to read.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 25, 2009, 12:27 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Butanol, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

June 2, 2009

Valence Technology, Siemens Subsidiary Partner on Lithium-ion Batteries for Boats

Austin-based Valence Technology, which ultimately hopes to reap millions of dollars from making and selling lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, signed a memorandum of understanding today with Siemens Drive Technologies Division to develop batteries for Siemens' ELFA hybrid-drive marine propulsion system.

Yes, that is a mouthful. And if you're wondering what it has to do with green cars, you're thinking clearly.

Here's the answer: While this MOU was for marine applications, the more lithium-ion batteries are ordered the cheaper they'll become for everyone, automakers included. And as the cost of the batteries falls, so too should the cost of plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles.

Besides that, the ELFA hybrid drive range is already in use in buses, cranes and boats with over 8 million hours recorded on systems from leading bus and boat manufacturers.

In a statement released today, Valence CEO Robert L Kanodeaid said his company's batteries have been in operation with Siemens' hybrid drivetrains for more than three years in double-decker buses in London.

Under today's memorandum of understanding, Valence and Siemens Drive Technologies agreed to develop modular and scalable energy storage systems for marine applications that incorporate Valence's lithium-ion batteries.

Siemens' executives said that extending its deal with Valence comes as Siemens looks to grow its share of an increasing market for hybrid drivetrain products.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 2, 2009, 6:30 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Energy Companies, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Batteries

May 28, 2009

Once Antagonistic, Big Oil Now Warms to Ethanol and Other Biofuel Companies

For decades, the big oil companies and the farm lobby have been fighting about ethanol, with the farmers pushing to produce more of it and the refiners arguing it was a boondoggle that would do little to solve the country's energy problems.

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Right, an ethanol plant in South Dakota.
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So why are technicians for British Petroleum, the giant oil company, now working at an experimental ethanol plant in the old Louisiana oil town of Jennings, helping to make it more efficient?

The erstwhile enemies, it turns out, are gradually learning to get along, as refiners increasingly see a need to get involved in ethanol production, according to a report in Wednesday's New York Times. Ethanol, made chiefly from corn, now represents about 9 percent of the country's market for liquid fuels.

And the percentage is growing year after year because of federal mandates. With the nation's thirst for gasoline, and the ethanol that is blended into it, expected to revive when the economy does, the oil companies want to be in a position to take full advantage.

The interest expressed by big oil companies is coming in the nick of time for small companies that desperately need capital and cannot find it these days in the private markets.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett May 28, 2009, 1:35 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Oil
Technorati Tags:: Big Oil

Study: Oil Prices Will Return to $110/Barrel in 2015, Possibly Hit $200/Barrel in 2030

Yesterday's-Gas-Price.jpg Most Americans likely expect the price of gasoline to one day reach the record highs we saw last summer. The question is not so much will the price soar again, but rather when will it.

According to the Energy Information Administration's 2009 outlook report released today, oil prices will return to $110 per barrel in 2015 and could go up to $200 per barrel in 2030, depending on supply

You'll recall that the nationwide price for a gallon of regular unleaded topped $4 when the barrel price of oil reached $147. But with taxes on gasoline expected to rise, the per-gallon price of gasoline will likely be significantly higher than $4 when the barrel price of oil revisits $147.

World energy consumption - the driving force behind higher gasoline prices - is forecast to increase by 44 percent from 2006 to 2030, the report says, with almost two-thirds of that coming from developing countries and fossil fuels that continue to dominate energy supply.

Developing countries are projected to increase demand by 73 percent by 2030 in the outlook's base reference case - EIA's analysis under current laws and policies - whereas developed countries will grow by 15 percent, the report says.

Liquids, including biofuels, will reportedly continue to be the primary energy source in the world's transportation sector unless there are "significant technological advances" and despite several policy changes.

Unconventional resources such as oil sands and biofuels will become increasingly competitive, accounting for about 13 percent of the world's liquid supply by 2030, according to the report.

The U.S. in particular will see an increase in biofuels, mostly in advanced cellulosic rather than corn-based ethanol, acting Administrator Howard Gruenspecht said at the report's release event in Washington.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett May 28, 2009, 9:21 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, China, Diesel, Energy Companies, Legislation, Natural Gas, Oil
Technorati Tags:: Biofuels

May 27, 2009

Amsterdam Is First European City to Install Coulomb Charging Stations for EVs

365 Energy Group announced today that Amsterdam has become the first European city to install Coulomb ChargePoint networked charging stations for battery-powered electric vehicles.

The 45 stations deployed in the capital and largest city of the Netherlands are part of a two-year public demonstration project and the first of 200 charging stations planned for the city by 2012.

Energy company Nuon will provide renewable energy for the charging stations and Coulomb's international partner 365 Energy Group, a venture with Germany's Estag Capital AG, will manage the ChargePoint Network for subscribers.

Coulomb, which is headquartered in Campbell, California, makes pole-and wall-mounted recharging systems, which were designed for installation in public spaces where drivers of plug-in battery-electric vehicles would have easy access.

Once a unit is operational, Coulomb's customers see its location on their GPS-enabled devices and navigational systems. Purchase of electricity is made by way of a charge card (pun intended).

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett May 27, 2009, 4:21 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Energy Companies, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 365 Energy Group

Schwarzenegger: Calif. Committed to H2 Future Regardless of Washington Politics

AS-May-27,-2009.jpg By Scott Doggett, Contributor

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the 2009 Hydrogen Road Tour today at Stop 6 of a 9-day, 28-stop, 1,700-mile road trip, telling a group of reporters at the site of the state's first integrated (H2 and gasoline) station that California remains committed to a future where hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles replace gassy rides regardless of what Washington does.

Speaking at a Shell station in West Los Angeles, Schwarzenegger reminded reporters that the California Air Resources Board, which sets vehicle-emissions standards for the state, recently passed a low-carbon fuel standard - the world's first such standard.

It will, he said, ensure that the cleanest fuels, including hydrogen, will always have a strong market in California.

"And the reason why this is so important is that on the federal level, they [politicians] make decisions based on where the oil price is. That means that sometimes the federal government, when the oil price goes up, they go in the direction of renewable energy and alternate fuels. And when the oil price goes down, they abandon those policies," the "Governator" said, his back to a row of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles made by Daimler, Honda, Toyota, KIA, Volkswagen and Nissan.

"Well we don't do that here in California. We only march in one direction and that is forward. And we're not going to slow down. In 2010, we will have seven new hydrogen refueling stations in California and we will invest another $40 million over the next two years in hydrogen stations."

The governor reminded the automotive press that 20 percent of the new vehicles sold in the United States are sold in California, which is home to 25 million cars and trucks. (Those vehicles, not incidentally, consume 50 million gallons of gasoline and diesel a day and produce 40 percent of the state's greenhouse gases.)

As a result of California's vehicle market share, and that fact that Washington often follows the state's lead regarding tailpipe-emissions regulations, automakers can count on there being a large market for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and companies considering investments in an H2-refueling infrastructure can rest assured there will be vehicles requiring the fuel, he said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett May 27, 2009, 2:13 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Daimler, Diesel, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Honda, Hydrogen, Kia, Legislation, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Biofuels

May 26, 2009

Obama Administration Sparks Battery Gold Rush as States, Firms Vie for $2.4 Billion

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

There's nothing like $2.4 billion in federal grants to attract lots of applicants.

In one of the U.S. government's biggest efforts at shaping industrial policy, the Energy Department has been soliciting applications since mid-March for $2.4 billion in funding aimed at turning America into a battery-manufacturing powerhouse.

At the deadline last week, the department had received 165 applications. Companies vying for the money include General Motors Corp., Dow Chemical Co. and Johnson Controls Inc. Michigan, Kentucky and Massachusetts are among the states weighing in with applications.

When the winners are decided - as soon as the end of July - the Energy Department may anoint Livonia, Mich., or Indianapolis or Glendale, Kentucky, as the future U.S. hub of car batteries.

Given the availability of these funds, and Energy Secretary Stephen Chu's May 7 proposal that more than $100 million be cut from his department's hydrogen program in the 2010 budget the administration is submitting to Congress, you might think the National Hydrogen Association would wonder if funds needed for fuel-cell development are being diverted to electric vehicles.

"That's not the case," Debbi Smith, the trade group's executive vice president told us today. "The recent actions by Secretary Chu are actions that he had to make in a tough fiscal climate, but it is not the opinion of the automakers at all and it's not the opinion of our members here at the National Hydrogen Association or of the U.S. Fuel Cell Council."

Smith noted that there have been statements by various automotive executives that it is "not as though one technology is ready more than the other right now. Batteries are also not ready for prime time."

It's going to take biofuels, batteries and fuel cells - "all three of them, if we're serious about reducing our nation's dependence on oil and if we're serious about reducing greenhouse gases," she said. "It's going to take just about everything we can throw at these huge problems."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett May 26, 2009, 1:36 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Electric Car Batteries

May 18, 2009

Twin Cities Work With Ford on EV Project; Solar-Powered Stations Considered

Nonprofit groups and government officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul are working with Ford Motor Co. and Xcel Energy to bring electric cars to the area, the Detroit News reported today .

This is latest in a string of welcome green developments for the troubled automaker. Earlier this month we reported that Ford said it will spend $550 million to transform its Michigan Assembly Plant into a lean, green and flexible manufacturing facility that will build the company's new, gasoline-powered global Ford Focus and a battery-electric version of that vehicle.

Ford is hoping to get federal stimulus money for the Minnesota project, which could be one of 34 projects to receive the money.

As part of the proposal, local governments would field a fleet of 66 electric or hybrid cars in Minneapolis and St. Paul by the end of next year. Xcel Energy would set up special stations where the cars could charge up. That could include two solar-powered stations.

If it's approved, officials hope the project would help Minneapolis and St. Paul cut down on gas use and demonstrate a new energy-saving system to the public.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett May 18, 2009, 11:58 AM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Ford, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Ford Electric Vehicles

May 14, 2009

Rentech Announces Plans To Turn Biomass and Treated Sludge Into Fuel

Waste not, want not.

In recent months we've reported on a farm that is turning cow manure into biomethane for its big rigs, another company that wants to turn waste into high-octane gasoline and a third company that hopes to turn a profit by extracting hydrogen from wastewater.

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Rentech's Colorado demonstration plant

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Today we'll fill you in on a proposed plant in Rialto, California, that would turn urban woody green waste and processed sewage sludge into low-carbon synthetic fuels. And, while burning that waste, the plant would generate 35 megawatts of renewable electricity for sale to local electric utility companies.

The plant proposed by Los Angeles-based Rentech Inc. would produce about 600 barrels per day of pure renewable synthetic fuels that would be compatible with existing fuel pipelines and engines.

Rentech executives describe the process as turning low-value biomass into high-value energy and power. Rentech has been operating a demonstration plant in Commerce City, Colorado, that produces 420 gallons a day of synthetic jet and diesel fuel.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson May 14, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Diesel, Emissions, Energy Companies
Technorati Tags:: Biofuels

April 28, 2009

San Diego Unveils Algae Coalition To Advance "Green Gold" Research

algae samples.jpg

Algae cultures that could lead to green oil products are being grown in a UC San Diego laboratory.

They call it "green gold," and its proponents are betting that the light, sweet crude oil that can be extracted from farm-cultivated algae will help the world to cut its dependence upon dirty and increasingly expensive gasoline and diesel fuels that are extracted from fossil fuels.

And, on Tuesday, San Diego -- which envisions itself as the green equivalent of the traditional oil industry's Houston -- unveiled a "broad-scale research effort" to turn that dream into a reality.

Though no dollar figures for financial support were discussed during Tuesday's press event on the UC San Diego campus, the research effort will build upon the creation earlier this year of the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology. The center was created to facilitate green fuels research being conducted by 272 scientists at UC San Diego, The Scripps Research Institute and other San Diego universities, research organizations and for-profit companies.

SD-CAB estimates that algal research in San Diego County already generates $16.5 million in payroll and $33 million in overall economic activity. Tuesday's announcement of an even broader research and development effort was made by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox.

"By sharing and facilitating the interactions of these multiple researchers through this center, we hope to make sustainable algae-based fuel production and carbon-dioxide abatement a reality within the next five to 10 years," Fox said. "This consortium will strengthen our ability to obtain grants and attract resources to the area. Algal biofuels will allow us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and other economies, and will provide opportunities for a new economy and workforce."

It is a tall order, but San Diego claims to have the R&D nucleus needed to move toward that goal.

The Xconomy blog counts at least nine algal research efforts under way -- including work being done by defense contractors SAIC Corp. and General Atomics (which is better known as the creator of the unmanned Predator aircraft in service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan).

We wrote about one of those companies (Sapphire Energy) last May, as well as a California Energy Commission grant to another company (albeit, not in San Diego) that is pursuing algal research.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 28, 2009, 2:08 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies, Hydrogen, Methanol, Oil, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Algae Refining

April 8, 2009

California Increases Number of Hydrogen Fueling Stations in LA and San Francisco

The California Air Resources Board has awarded $1.7 million each to Mebtahi Station Services, the San Francisco Airport, Shell Hydrogen and UCLA to help cover their respective costs of building hydrogen refueling stations.

The competitive bidding process for the awards began in December 2008 when the board asked for proposals to help build out the state's "Hydrogen Highway Network."

The grants provided by the California legislature and distributed by CARB are part of the state's ongoing bid to encourage the use of alternative fuels. The new stations are clustered in Los Angeles and San Francisco and will "double the amount of hydrogen available to the public," according to CARB.

Mebtahi Station Services will add hydrogen fuel to an existing Chevron Station near the corner of Western Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway in Harbor City.

The San Francisco Airport will build a hydrogen refueling facility at the Millbrae Avenue exit on Highway 101. The station will service passenger cars and vehicles operated by local transit agencies.

Shell Hydrogen will add hydrogen refueling equipment at an existing gasoline station on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach.

UCLA will build a hydrogen fueling station at a transit facility at the corner of Veteran and Kinross Avenues in Westwood.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 8, 2009, 5:22 PM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Hydrogen, Mass Transit, Transportation Alternatives
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuels

April 1, 2009

NRDC and Industry Group Ask EPA To Speed Controversial Biofuels Rule Review

It's rare to find an industry trade group and an environmental organization in agreement on much of anything when it comes to how greenhouse gas emissions should be regulated.

But the National Resources Defense Council and the Renewable Fuels Assn. on Tuesday asked the Obama administration to speed up the release its long-awaited proposal for expanding the nation's biofuels mandate.

In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag, the two organizations asked that the most controversial sections of the EPA's proposed rulemaking be quickly subjected to public review.

The part of the proposed rule that will pit environmentalists against industry interests will be the requirement that the EPA consider greenhouse gas emissions generated by indirect land-use changes that would occur as biofuel crops are planted and other acreage is cleared to make up for land lost to food production.

"We all recognize that there is a range of opinions on the methodology that
should be applied to this calculation," the joint letter states. "For example, there is no consensus on any proposed time horizons, discount rates or global imaging for biofuels, which means initial numbers derived from EPA's proposed calculations will likely be modified in the final regulation."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 1, 2009, 10:02 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Environmentalists

February 23, 2009

Browner Says EPA Will Rule CO2 Emissions Endanger Public, Propose New Rules

Carol Browner (right ), President Obama's climate czarina, has said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon determine that carbon-dioxide emissions represent a danger to the public and propose new rules to regulate emissions of the greenhouse gas from a range of industries.

You'll no doubt recall that Browner headed the EPA under President Clinton for nearly eight years -- the longest anyone has held that position -- and that she sits on the board of the Audubon Society, the League of Conservation Voters and the Alliance for Climate Protection. In other words, she's green through and through.

Browner, special adviser to Obama on climate change and energy, said in an interview Sunday that the EPA is looking at a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that requires the agency to determine whether carbon dioxide endangers public health or welfare, The Wall Street Journal reported today (sub reqd). And the agency "will make an endangerment finding," she said.

"The next step is a notice of proposed rule making" for new regulations on carbon-dioxide emissions, said Browner, speaking on the sidelines of the National Governors Association meeting in Washington.

Officially recognizing that carbon dioxide is a danger to the public would require the government, under the Clean Air Act, to draw up regulations governing greenhouse-gas emissions from motor vehicles, coal-fired power plants, chemical plants and other sources.

Browner said the administration is seeking to establish a national policy for tailpipe emissions that could mean tougher efficiency mandates for automakers. The White House said Sunday that the standard would be developed as part of the continuing restructuring negotiations between the government and major automakers.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett February 23, 2009, 12:05 AM
Categories:: Courts, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Automakers

February 9, 2009

Underwriters Laboratories Says Most Gas Pumps in U.S. Aren't Certified Beyond E10

The announcement comes as USDA and EPA discuss possible increase in ethanol blend.

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Underwriters Laboratories, which verifies safety compliance of all manner of equipment, says that service-station pumps it's certified to dispense E10 - an automotive fuel containing 10 percent ethanol - are not certified for higher blends.

The company made the announcement amid ongoing talks between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to raise the amount of ethanol blended into the U.S. gasoline supply.

The significance? If the USDA and EPA come to an agreement to raise the blend from 10 percent to, say, 15 percent, there won't be many pumps that can handle it. Not immediately, anyway.

No doubt the agencies are trying to address the fact that U.S. ethanol producers are going out of business right and left these days, with 21 percent of the U.S. capacity for ethanol production standing idle.

That percentage was provided by ethanol-maker Archer Daniels Midland Co., which has vested interests, but it sounds about right.

As we're reported on more than one occasion, the nation's second-largest U.S. ethanol maker - VeraSun Energy Corp. - filed for bankruptcy protection in October as an industrywide expansion of production facilities greatly outpaced demand for ethanol.

The American Coalition for Ethanol, the nation's largest ethanol advocacy organization, is going ballistic, accusing Underwriters Laboratories of "arbitrarily" changing its position regarding the safety of E10 dispensers.

ACE Vice President of Marketing Ron Lamberty said that "for years the fuel-marketing community has understood the standard 'UL 87' to cover the use of up to 15 percent ethanol in standard gasoline pumps. But in a January 7 statement, UL now says that those pumps are only certified to handle up to 10 percent ethanol."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett February 9, 2009, 1:21 PM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Ethanol
Technorati Tags:: E10

February 3, 2009

Energy Start-up Works With Brewer to Produce Ethanol From Discarded Beer Yeast

We've heard of ethanol being made from swamp muck, garbage and even grubs, but until today we'd not heard of anyone making ethanol from beer-brewing waste.

Yet that's exactly what E-Fuel Corp. and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. intend to do. The companies have agreed to house small E-Fuel-made MicroFuelers at the Chico, California, brewery. The MicroFuelers will enable Sierra Nevada to make E100 (100 percent ethanol) using waste from its brewing process.

Testing is scheduled to begin the second quarter of this year with a goal of achieving full-scale ethanol production in the third quarter.

Sierra Nevada sells 1.6 million gallons of unusable bottom-of-the-barrel beer yeast waste each year to farmers, who then feed it to dairy cows.

The waste contains 5-8 percent alcohol and enough yeast and nutrients to enable a MicroFueler to raise the alcohol content to 15 percent. The MicroFueler can then remove water from the waste to produce high-quality ethanol.

According to E-Fuel of Los Gatos, California, their EFuel100 MicroFueler (pictured) is the world's first portable ethanol micro-refinery system and can create up to 70 gallons of ethanol each week using an alcohol feedstock.

The MicroFueler has a suggested retail price of $9,995, but can cost as little as $6,998 after federal tax credits are applied.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett February 3, 2009, 1:21 PM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Ethanol, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: E-100

January 27, 2009

New Agriculture Secretary Says USDA Will Help Struggling Ethanol Industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will help the struggling ethanol industry identify the most efficient ways to produce the alternative fuel so more plants can stay in business, Tom Vilsack said in his first news conference as agriculture secretary.

Vilsack said the USDA should research, develop and promote "best practices" to improve efficiency at corn-based ethanol plants, which have been hit hard by volatile corn prices, followed by a sharp drop in demand for the biofuel, which is more expensive than gasoline.

"We need to make sure that the biofuels industry has the necessary support to survive the recent downturn, while at the same promoting policies that will speed up the development of second- and third-generation feedstocks for those biofuels that have the potential to significantly improve America's energy security and independence," Vilsack said.

His comments came less than a week after Panda Ethanol Inc. filed for bankruptcy for a plant it owns in Texas. VeraSun Energy Corp., the second-largest U.S. ethanol producer, filed for bankruptcy protection in October, and has closed 12 of its 16 plants.

Vilsack emphasized that the USDA needs to speed up work on biofuels made from non-food plant sources, as well as develop wind energy and other renewable sources of power.

The 2008 farm bill has several measures that should be quickly implemented to boost demand for new types of biofuels, he said, including tax credits, grants and loans for converting corn-based plants to use new feedstocks.

Vilsack also vowed that the USDA would be the "national leader in climate change" debate.

"This, of course, will involve conservation, greater efficiency with the energy we have and expanded opportunities in biofuels and renewable energy," Vilsack said, reading from prepared remarks.

President Obama has said he hopes to double renewable-energy production in the U.S.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett January 27, 2009, 11:04 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Legislation, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Agriculture Department

January 14, 2009

Cellulosic Ethanol Plants to Tap Waste Feedstock From Corn Cobs, Old Utility Poles

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

By now we should all agree that corn ethanol is bad. For starters, it drives up the price of a grain that millions of poor people depend on, and corn requires enormous amounts of ocean-ravaging fertilizers.

Corn ethanol has come to be viewed as so undesirable that much of the industry is doing whatever it can to shift out of it and into ethanol produced from non-food biomass and waste materials.

With that in mind, we're delighted to report two related developments.

The Canadian biofuel company Enerkem announced this week that it's begun starting up a biofuel/biochemical production plant in Westbury, near Montreal. Once the startup phase is completed, Enerkem says it will be the "first producer of liquid fuels and green chemicals to commercially use renewable, non-food, negative-cost feedstock."

Enerkem's feedstock of choice is used electricity poles, a source the company doesn't have to pay for but actually gets paid to haul away. The company says one ton's worth of poles is good for 95 gallons of ethanol. Eventually, the plant is expected to produce 1.3 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year.

We especially like this fuel source because it reduces greenhouse-gas emissions in two ways: by using materials that would otherwise produce methane (a major greenhouse gas) when landfilled, and by producing a low-carbon fuel for cars, buses and trucks.

The other development on the ethanol front that we're pleased to report is POET's announcement this week that it has begun producing cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett January 14, 2009, 1:02 PM
Categories:: Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol
Technorati Tags:: Cellulosic Ethanol

January 13, 2009

'Smart Grid,' Key to Carbon Cleanliness of EVs, May Get Funding From Stimulus Bill

An electric vehicle is only as environmentally friendly as the source of its electricity, which is why a "smart grid" -- one that gets its energy from renewable sources -- is all-important if EVs are going to substantially shrink the carbon footprint of automobiles.

That concept has fallen on deaf ears in Washington, D.C., the past eight years but is now being discussed in terms of energy infrastructure investment in a possible $800 billion economic stimulus package that congressional Democrats expect to pass by mid-February.

President-elect Barack Obama has repeatedly highlighted the need for investment in a smart electricity grid in order to take advantage of any significant expansion of renewable energy. And House Majority Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also pointed to investments in the smart grid as a "modern approach to building infrastructure" in the U.S.

So after eight years of trying to bring attention to the industry, smart-grid technology companies are ecstatic about the looks now being cast in their direction, said Steve Hauser, head of market development at GridPoint, an intelligent-energy management company.

Hauser said congressional aides have floated the idea of spending $10 billion over two years on smart-grid technology. That number would be about half the amount of money Senate Democrats have said they would like for energy provisions in the stimulus, although Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California has said even that amount for energy was a bit low.

"I think $10 billion is a good number," Hauser said. "I think that's probably in the right ballpark."

Last week, a report released by the GridWise Alliance said $16 billion in smart-grid incentives over four years could push forward smart-grid projects worth $64 billion and create 280,000 new jobs, including 150,000 by the end of 2009.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett January 13, 2009, 11:57 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Carbon Footprint

January 8, 2009

Corn Ethanol Receives More Federal Aid Than Other Alt-Energy Industries Combined

The corn-based ethanol industry dominates federal programs to support renewable energy, having taken two-thirds of all subsidies for renewable energy sources in 2007, the latest year for which such information is now available.

Corn-based ethanol received $3 billion in subsidies in 2007 -- almost twice as much as solar, wind, geothermal and other biomass combined, according to a report by the Environmental Working Group, which analyzed data from the Energy Information Administration.

Among tax benefits for renewable energy sources, corn-based ethanol received three-quarters of all benefits, the nonprofit group found.

Ethanol industry groups say they support greater investment in all kinds of renewable technologies, including wind and solar, but that it should not come at the expense of ethanol.

"This is an apples-and-oranges comparison, since ethanol does not compete in the power generation sector with wind, solar and geothermal technologies," Renewable Fuels Association spokesman Matt Hartwig said.

The report comes as lawmakers consider what, if any, additional incentives to include for ethanol in the economic stimulus package. Some lawmakers are seeking additional loan guarantees and tax credits for ethanol plants.

In a speech on the economy today, President-elect Barack Obama vowed to double the production of alternative energy in the next three years, but he did not specify which types of energy production he would include.

Environmental Working Group is among dozens of groups that have pressed lawmakers to repeal some of the tax incentives and subsidies for corn-based ethanol. The groups say that ethanol drives up food prices, pollutes waterways and accounts for too much federal spending.

Frankly speaking, we'd like to see some of the subsidies and tax credits diverted from the corn-based ethanol industry to efforts to perfect cellulosic ethanol, a promising biofuel made from wood, grasses or the non-edible parts of plants.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett January 8, 2009, 2:49 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol
Technorati Tags:: Barack Obama

December 23, 2008

U.S. Energy Dept. Announces $200 Million Available for Advanced Biofuel Refineries

The U.S. Department of Energy said Monday that it was making available up to $200 million for advanced biofuel pilot refineries, expecting to award five to 12 projects over the next six years.

The department said that if deployed on a large scale, the commercial facilities could produce volumes that would contribute significantly to the new national renewable-fuels mandate.

"This funding opportunity will look for the most promising technologies that can advance the potential of renewable biomass as a resource for second generation transportation biofuels," John Mizroch, acting assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, said in a statement.

"The Department of Energy will select breakthrough integrated biorefinery projects that have technical and economic performance data at the bench or pilot scale to prove they are ready to move a step closer toward commercial readiness," he said.

The department intends the projects to come online within three to four years of each funding award. The biofuels produced from the projects are part of the effort to cut automotive emissions that contribute to global warming while increasing security of supply and weaning the country off energy import dependence.

Last week, the Energy Information Administration said it believed the country would fall short of being able to produce the 36 billion gallons of biofuels required by 2022 under the mandate. Of that, 21 billion gallons are required to come from advanced fuels such as cellulosic ethanol and biobutanol.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett December 23, 2008, 6:29 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Butanol, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Methanol
Technorati Tags:: Automotive Emissions

December 22, 2008

All Ethanol-Based Biofuels More Harmful to Humans Than Fossil Fuels, Study Finds

Cellulosic ethanol, which people from President-elect Barack Obama to struggling farmers from his home state view a promising biofuel, is actually worse than much-criticized corn ethanol because cellulosic ethanol results in more air pollution, requires more land to produce and causes more harm to wildlife, a major study has found.

The energy alternatives "that are good are not the ones that people have been talking about the most. And some options that have been proposed are just downright awful," said Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, in a paper that reviewed and ranked major proposed energy-related solutions to global warming, air-pollution mortality and energy security.

"Ethanol-based biofuels will actually cause more harm to human health, wildlife, water supply and land use than current fossil fuels," he said, adding that ethanol may also emit more global-warming pollutants than fossil fuels, according to the latest scientific studies.

Jacobson has conducted the first quantitative, scientific evaluation of the proposed major energy-related solutions by assessing not only their potential for delivering energy for electricity and vehicles, but also their impacts on global warming, human health, energy security, water supply, space requirements, wildlife, water pollution, reliability and sustainability.

His findings indicate that the options that are getting the most attention are between 25 to 1,000 times more polluting than the best available options. His findings were published in this month's issue of Energy & Environmental Science.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett December 22, 2008, 1:31 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Coal, Diesel, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric, Solar
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

California Agency Seeks Bids to Build Fuel Stations for Hydrogen Highway Network

Most automakers say hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are least a decade away from mass production, but that isn't stopping California from soliciting bids to build fuel stations for a hydrogen-highway network .

Some of you will no doubt recall that last April the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, amended its zero-emission-vehicles mandate to require automakers selling cars and trucks in the state to make available for sale in California no fewer than 7,500 fuel-cell electric vehicles between 2012 and 2015.

That despite the fact that there are only 26 hydrogen stations in the state and not many more on the drawing boards. Additionally, not all of the slightly more than two dozen stations that do exist are open to the general public.

California is a huge market for many automakers, but without more hydrogen fuel stations the manufacturers aren't keen to mass produce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Likewise, fuel companies aren't keen to invest in the fuel stations until the vehicles are being mass produced.

But this past Friday, CARB issued a statement announcing it was soliciting "competitive bids from experienced and qualified teams to design, secure permits, build, maintain and operate hydrogen refueling stations to serve as part of California's Hydrogen Highway Network."

CARB will provide up to 70 percent of the cost for the design, construction, maintenance and operation of each hydrogen station. The contractor will be on the hook for making the stations operational by June 30, 2010, and keep them operational for at least three years.

The stations will be open to the public and serve both fuel cell electric and hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a vocal proponent of the infrastructure since he signed an executive order in 2004 creating a public and private partnership to build a hydrogen highway in California by 2010. A fan of U.S. automobiles and a big believer in American ingenuity, he is pictured here driving a Cadillac.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 22, 2008, 1:15 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Hydrogen, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Cadillac

December 18, 2008

Agency Says U.S. Won't Meet Biofuels Mandate, Faults Cellulosic's Slow Growth

The U.S. will miss by a wide mark its self-imposed, year-old biofuels mandate, according to the government's top energy forecasting agency.

The country will only blend about 30 billion gallons of fuels such as corn-based ethanol into gasoline by 2022. That's about 17 percent short of the U.S. mandate of 36 billion gallons by that year, the Energy Information Administration said this week.

The U.S. enacted the mandate, known as the Renewable Fuels Standard, late last year in an effort to provide jobs and begin to wean the country off foreign oil.

The mandate calls for corn ethanol, but also an increasing amount cellulosic ethanol made from fast-growing grasses and trees, and biodiesel made from non-food sources. Cellulosic is not yet made commercially.

Howard Gruenspecht, the Energy Information Administration's acting director, said the "key risk factor is rate of development of cellulosic biofuels technology." The near-term growth of cellulosic "is certainly a question mark," he said.

This year's oil price collapse and the credit crunch have hurt many biofuel companies financially and cut the amount of fuel some of them are making.

Loopholes in the mandate that allow regulators to waive the requirements, if needed, could also result in lower blending, Gruenspecht, said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 18, 2008, 3:23 PM
Categories:: Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Legislation, Methanol
Technorati Tags:: Barack Obama

14 U.S. Companies Join Forces, Seek $1 Billion in Aid to Build Batteries for EVs

Fourteen U.S. technology companies are joining forces and seeking $1 billion in federal aid to build a plant to make advanced batteries for electric cars, in a bid to catch up to Asian rivals that are far ahead of the U.S., The Wall Street Journal reported today (subscription required).

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GM engineers work on the lithium-ion battery pack for the Chevrolet Volt.
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The effort, the latest pitch from corporate America to inject federal dollars into a project, is similar to an alliance that two decades ago helped the U.S. computer-chip industry restore its competitiveness. Participants include 3M Corp. and Johnson Controls Inc.

Many experts believe battery technology and manufacturing capacity could become as strategically important as oil is today. Automakers, including General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., say they plan to roll out plug-in electric cars by 2010.

But the United States has limited capacity to make the lithium-ion batteries those cars will need. Asian producers such as Panasonic Corp. dominate the car-battery field.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett December 18, 2008, 10:07 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, China, Energy Companies, Ford, General Motors, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 3M

Energy-Crops Firm Has Begun Selling Non-Food, High-Biomass Seeds for Biofuels

Energy-crops developer Ceres Inc. announced today that it has begun selling switchgrass and high-biomass sorghum seed in possibly the first seed sales of non-food, low-carbon crops developed specifically as raw materials for cellulosic ethanol.

The Thousand Oaks, California, company is offering the seeds direct to farms under its Blade Energy Crops label. The company reported that the first Blade products build on the inherent advantages of these highly efficient crops, offering double-digit biomass yield gains in many cases, which is a remarkable level of improvement by crop science standards.

High yields are needed since widely dispersed sources of biomass are cost-prohibitive to harvest and transport.

Anna Rath, vice president of commercial development, said that switchgrass and high-biomass sorghum can provide new options for growers, especially on underperforming land.

While she expects the bulk of Blade seed to be sold to bioenergy companies this first year, the company has set aside seed for growers interested in gaining experience with these crops as the market for biomass develops.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 18, 2008, 9:45 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol
Technorati Tags:: Biofuel

December 16, 2008

Daimler, Evonik Industries Team to Produce Lithium-Ion Batteries for EVs, Hybrids

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

German automotive giant Daimler of Stuttgart and chemical, energy and real estate company Evonik Industries of Essen have partnered to develop advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and hybrids, with the first publicized target for the new batteries being the Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid due out next year.

The German companies made the announcement Monday -- less than a week after Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler, disclosed plans to unveil a trio of BlueZero electric-drive concept vehicles at next month's 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Presumably the new batteries will make their way into whatever production models arise from the concepts.

Daimler officials have often stated that electrification of the automobile is the key to sustainable mobility. To that end, Daimler engineers have registered more than 600 patents associated with battery-powered vehicles over the past three decades, of which 230 were in the field of lithium-ion technology.

For its part, Evonik Industries has invested $110 million in battery technology in recent years. The outcome, according to Evonik Industries and Daimler: "Production-ready high-technology battery cells that are superior to competitor products in several key areas."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 16, 2008, 11:34 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Daimler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Smart, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Battery

December 15, 2008

Daimler, Utility To Test 100 Electric Smart Fortwos and 400 Charging Stations in Italy

German automotive giant Daimler announced today that it will expand its "e-mobility" electric-drive test program to three Italian cities.

Daimler, which earlier this year launched a major electric vehicle test program in London and recently announced plans to expand it to Berlin (pictured) next year, reached an agreement with Italy's largest electric company to test electric-drive Smart Fortwos in Rome, Milan and Pisa.

The agreement calls for a total of 100 Fortwo EDs (electric drives) and 400 charging stations to be deployed in the three cities in 2010. Smart will be responsible for supplying and maintaining the electric vehicles and Enel, the power company, will be on the hook for the development, implementation and operation of the charging stations as well as the central control system.

Why, you ask, were Rome, Milan and Pisa selected over, say, your favorite Italian cites of Palermo, Venice and Naples? Good question. Daimler, which in addition to Smart is also parent to Mercedes-Benz, says the cities were selected because they represent the diverse lifestyles and living arrangements that characterize Italy today.

The electricity used to supply the EVs will be certified by Renewable Energy Certificate System, an international system involving 25 European countries that was established to finance the development of renewable energy resources, such as water, the sun, wind and geothermal resources. Already, 1.3 million customers have already signed up for this type of plan, provided by Enel on the free market.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 15, 2008, 11:40 AM
Categories:: Daimler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Mercedes-Benz, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Daimler

December 11, 2008

Jimmy Carter's Advice to Obama on Energy Policy: Act Before Honeymoon's Over

Almost three decades later, Jimmy Carter recalls how tough it was trying to get Americans to kick their oil habit even when soaring gas prices and record-long lines at the pump remained fresh memories.

"It was like gnawing on a rock," the former president said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) published today.

Now President-elect Barack Obama is heading to Washington with a set of energy goals as ambitious as Carter's back in late 1970s.

From one president to the next, Carter offered this advice: Try to inspire Americans to see the virtue in making energy sacrifices. Get energy legislation to Congress during the presidential honeymoon. And stick with it.

"I think he can prevail if he does it early and with a great deal of dedication and enthusiasm -- and with tenacity," Carter said.

History isn't tilted in Obama's favor, the Journal noted. Presidents all the way back to Richard Nixon -- whose "Project Independence" promised to make America independent from foreign oil by 1980 -- were thwarted by short attention spans and gyrations in the energy market. President Ford set a similar target for 1985.

Today, as in the Carter era, Americans remain by far the world's biggest per-capita consumers of oil. About 70 percent of it is imported, compared with just over a third in 1981.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 11, 2008, 5:07 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Barack Obama

Obama's Choice to Head U.S. Department of Energy Is a Big Proponent of Biofuels

By John O'Dell and Scott Doggett

Steven Chu, President-elect Barack Obama's choice to head the Energy Department, has been a strong advocate of alternative fuels and a vociferous opponent of fossil fuels -- foreign oil in particular -- for years.

Most recently, the scientific interests of the 60-year-old Nobel laureate and director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have centered on energy and finding ways to replace fossil fuels with other energy sources such as biofuels from plants.

But Chu seems to be at odds with Obama on the role of corn-based ethanol in America's future. The domestic ethanol industry had a huge friend in Obama for most of the past year, while Chu has never been a friend to corn-ethanol producers.

On a segment on PBS' The News Hour last year, Chu said "corn, at best, is a transition crop, but very quickly we want to transition away from corn to a grass that requires far less land for the amount of fuel, far less fertilizer, far less water."

Chu sees tremendous promise in other biofuels, particularly biofuels that would propel automobiles. In an interview with an Australian radio personality last year, he said transportation fuel is the most valuable form of energy we have -- even when that fuel is electricity.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 11, 2008, 3:27 PM
Categories:: Biofuels, Coal, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Legislation, Natural Gas, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Barack Obama

'Dry Water' Methane Hydrates Hold Promise of Pipeline-Free Natural Gas for Vehicles

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Chemists at the University of Liverpool have reportedly developed a way of converting methane gas into a powder form, effectively creating methane hydrates (pictured), in order to make it more transportable.

The material, made from a mixture of silica and water, can soak up large quantities of methane (natural gas) molecules. It looks and acts like a fine white powder, which the chemists say might be used to power clean vehicles, according to a statement issued by the university.

Andy Cooper, a chemistry professor at the university, said that due to its gaseous state at room temperature, methane is difficult to transport from its source.

"Many natural gas reserves are geographically remote and can only be extracted via pipelines, so there is a need to look for other ways to transport the gas," he said in the statement. As a result, methane gas hydrate could be used as a way of containing methane gas for transportation from the source to market.

The disadvantage of methane gas hydrate for industry use is that it is formed at a very slow rate when methane reacts with water under pressure, he said.

"To counteract these difficulties, we used a method to break water up into tiny droplets to increase the surface area in contact with the gas," Cooper said. The chemists did this by mixing water with a special form of silica that stops the water droplets from coalescing.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 11, 2008, 11:08 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Natural Gas
Technorati Tags:: Emissions

Hawaii Governor Announces Plan to Test Plug-In Trucks, EV Infrastructure on Maui

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, who only last week unveiled a plan to create an alternative transportation system for the islands based on plug-in electric vehicles, announced this week that a partnership exists between Maui Electric and Phoenix Motorcars to bring electric sport utility trucks and an EV infrastructure to Maui early next year.

Phoenix Motorcars of Ontario, California, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the utility for a test program using five to 30 of the EV-maker's four-door electric SUTs (identical to the one pictured here) in the utility's fleet.

But there's a twist to this test: In addition to evaluating how well the plug-in EVs perform when they are dependent on electricity generated by renewable resources during off-peak hours, Maui Electric wants to see how helpful the trucks could be in supplying the utility with electricity.

As Ed Reinhardt, president of Maui Electric, explained it, the company wants to determine whether electric vehicles -- any EVs in general, but these in particular -- can efficiently store power and return it to the grid during peak demand.

Which begs the question: What kind of battery is Phoenix Motorcars putting in its SUTs?

The answer's a good one: It's a 35-kilowatt lithium-titanate battery, which probable supplier Altair Nanotechnologies believes may well prove to be the superior lithium chemistry.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); Scott Doggett December 11, 2008, 4:01 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Phoenix Motorcars, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle

December 9, 2008

Some Forecast $1-a-Gallon Gas in U.S. as Demand for Fossil Fuel Continues to Fall

$1 Gas.jpg The U.S. Department of Energy said Monday that pump prices are headed toward five-year lows nationally, and some analysts believe the slide might not end before gasoline drops to $1 a gallon or less.

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Are signs like this one on the horizon? Some analysts think so.
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So says an article in today's Los Angeles Times.

"I don't see any reason why $1 gasoline isn't possible, and $25-a-barrel oil is not out of the question," Phil Flynn, vice president and senior market analyst for the Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago, told the newspaper. "I don't think the downside is over. There is a lot of surplus oil out there."

But Fadel Gheit, senior energy analyst for Oppenheimer and Co., is one of the analysts saying that oil won't stay down, even if the historic price drop isn't quite over yet.

Gheit said that "some of the same clowns who were predicting $200-a-barrel oil a few months ago are in the crowd predicting $25 a barrel. But just as we believed that oil above $100 was not sustainable by market fundamentals, oil below $30 isn't sustainable either."

He noted that even in the midst of a global recession, the world is still using 80 million barrels of oil a day.

The Times article is well worth reading and comes just a few days after Geoffrey Styles, managing director of an energy and environmental strategy consulting firm, gave some historical context to gasoline prices in his Energy Outlook blog.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 9, 2008, 10:47 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuels

Better Place Dedicates First of 500,000 EV Charging Stations Planned For Israel

A company founded by California EV entrepreneur Shai Agassi has dedicated the first of what it says will be as many as 500,000 electric vehicle recharging stations in Israel, the first country to sign on to Agassi's vision of electric cars for everyone.

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Better Place Israel's Moshe Kaplinsky demonstrates EV charging station.

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The company, Better Place (formerly Project Better Place), has agreed to install 500 of the charging points in a number of Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in a pilot project now, and says its expects to have half a million installed by the time electric vehicles made by Renault and Nissan are ready for market in 2011.

More to Come

The Israeli EV charging network would be the planet's first nationwide commercial system, but Better Place has similar agreements with Denmark, the Australian state of Victoria, the state of Hawaii and a consortium of major San Francisco Bay Area cities.

The company also announced Monday that it has been invited by the Japanese government to build a battery exchange station in Yokohama early next year as part of a electric vehicle demonstration project involving a number of Japanese auto makers.

Israel's First

In a report in today's edition, Britain's Guardian newspaper said the first charging spot in Israel has been installed in a parking lot atop a shopping center in the coastal city of Ramat Hasharon, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

The paper quotes Moshe Kaplinsky, head of Better Place Israel, saying that the firm believes electric cars are a fundamental challenge to the ubiquitous gasoline and diesel vehicles.

"The vision is to stop this addition to oil," he told the paper.

In addition to charging stations, the Better Place network will include quick-exchange stations where depleted EV battery packs can be replaced with fully charged packs - the same sort of station the company will build in Japan.

Participants in the Israeli system would purchase an electric vehicle but the local arm of Better Place would own the batteries and lease them to vehicle owners - an electrified version of buying the car and then purchasing fuel on an as-needed basis.

Like Cell Phone Contracts?

EV customers would pay for fixed or unlimited mileage on their batteries - much as cell phone users sign up for plans based on minutes of use - and when they didn't want to wait for a recharge from the grid would go to one of the battery exchange stations for a battery pack switch.

Better Place has teamed with the Renault-Nissan Alliance for a program in which the California-based company will provide the charging infrastructure and the automakers will design and build the vehicles to use them.

So far, the automakers have only shown a concept for a Better Place car based on a Renault Megane sedan (left).

Various government partners can provide financial assistance and ease the way for installation of the charging infrastructure.

Such a system works in small, self-contained territories such as Israel and Hawaii, or in urban areas such as San Francisco, because the average automobile trip is relatively short.

Israel, for example, is 260 miles long and only 85 miles across at its widest point. It is about 75 miles from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, well within the 100-mile range of the lithium-ion battery packs Better Place says the Renault-Nissan EVs will use.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell December 9, 2008, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Energy Companies, Fuels & Technologies, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Better Place Israel

December 5, 2008

Portland Officials Face Storm for Using $7-Per-Gallon Made-in-Oregon Biodiesel

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

While most everyone else is saving money at the pump these days, city officials in Portland, Oregon, are filling up city vehicles with biodiesel costing almost $7-per-gallon -- and racking up fuel budget overruns near $300,000, to boot.

Adding to problem: Recent research that suggests that canola-based biodiesel isn't all that green.

That possibility didn't occur to city officials two years ago, when they entered into a contract with Oregon farmers to buy canola-based biodiesel from them in an effort to kick-start a local biofuel industry.

Since then, the cost of canola has skyrocketed while the cost of soy and other biofuel-based commodities have not. The result: the city is paying twice for its canola-based biodiesel what it could be paying for soy-based biodiesel.

The practice isn't helping the city's bottom line one bit. Its Office of Transportation is between $260,000 and $320,000 over budget as a result.

Commissioner Randy Leonard, who spearheaded the buy-local contract, says the expensive biodiesel accounts for just five percent of all city fuel and he insists it's worth paying more to reduce dependence on foreign oil and create a new clean industry in Oregon.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett December 5, 2008, 4:19 PM
Categories:: Biofuels, Diesel, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Biodiesel

Cellulosic Ethanol Producers, Braced for a Race, Now Entering the Starting Gate

Beam by beam, a plant that will churn out millions of gallons of cellulosic ethanol a year is now rising in Georgia. Its owner, Range Fuels, is vying to be the first business in the industry to claim a commercial plant.

Close on its tail, a handful of other companies--from corn ethanol veterans to startups backed by big-name investors--are pushing ahead with plans to manufacture non-food-based biofuel using everything from corncobs and wheat straw to waste wood and landfill trash, the subscription news service ClimateWire reported today.

The transition of cellulosic ethanol technologies from a lab-bench promise to a mass-production process has been moving quickly. These businesses are in the vanguard of an industry that is now driving the next generation of biofuels to the market.

Whether they can do this and make money is what everyone wants to know. The next three years will bring answers, based on the number of large-scale plants in the works.

"We are moving as prudently and with as much urgency as possible," David Aldous, the recently named CEO of Range Fuels and a former executive vice president of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, told ClimateWire. Aldous said that the plant, which will use heat, pressure and a chemical catalyst to convert wood into fuel, should be ready by late next year.

These pacesetters are assisted by a federal mandate that guarantees an initial baseline market--36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022, only 15 of which can come from corn-based ethanol, a number that industry is a few years away from hitting.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett December 5, 2008, 10:18 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Green Vehicles
Technorati Tags:: BlueFire Ethanol

December 4, 2008

USDA Offers Loan Guarantees for Non-Corn Biofuels, Up to $250 Million Per Project

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking to support up to four advanced biofuel projects with up to $250 million in loan guarantees per project.

The USDA defines advanced biofuels as fuels that do not use corn as a feedstock.

The program provides loan guarantees for the development, construction and retrofitting of viable commercial-scale biorefineries producing advanced biofuels. Preference will be given to projects where first-of-a-kind technology will be deployed on a commercial scale.

Applications will be accepted through the remainder of this month for loan guarantees first half of Fiscal Year 2009. Applications must be submitted between March 1, 2009, and April 30, 2009, for the second half of the fiscal year.

In a statement explaining the program, the USDA states that cellulosic ethanol production--a key next-generation biofuel--may be produced from switch grass, corn stover, forest waste, fast-growing trees, woodchips, canola, algae and other plant material rather than from the edible part of crops such as corn.

"These energy crops require further research and development, but they represent a key long-term component to a sustainable biofuels industry," the statement says. Clearly, someone at the USDA is keenly aware of the plethora of studies that have come out against ethanol production the past year.

The loan guarantees are available under the Biorefinery Assistance Program, authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (also known as "the farm bill").

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 4, 2008, 10:28 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Biofuel

December 3, 2008

Despite Pre-Election Fuss, Obama Drops Windfall Tax on Oil, Natural Gas Companies

President-elect Barack Obama has quietly abandoned a proposal to slap oil and natural gas companies with a new windfall profits tax.

The revelation came after a small-business group in Northern California discovered the proposal had been dropped from the incoming administration's Web site.

"President-elect Obama announced the policy during the campaign because oil prices were above $80 per barrel," a transition aide said, according to an article in Monday's Houston Chronicle. "They are below that now and expected to stay below that."

The price of crude has fallen $100 per barrel since its record close of $145.29 on the New York Mercantile Exchange on July 3, translating to lower prices at the pump.

On the campaign trail, Obama repeatedly called for the use of the proceeds from the proposed new tax to give American consumers an "emergency energy rebate" worth up to $500 per individual or $1,000 per married couple.

The transition aide reportedly said the energy rebate plan was included in a middle class "rescue plan," which called for a permanent tax cut of $500 for a worker or $1,000 for a family, which the president-elect released in mid-October.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett December 3, 2008, 3:59 PM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Natural Gas, Oil
Technorati Tags:: American Petroleum Institute

Automakers, DOE Award Battery Technology Development Contract to Celgard

The U.S. Department of Energy and a consortium made up of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler today announced the award of a $2.3 million contract for battery technology development to Celgard , a global supplier of material for lithium-ion batteries that is located in Charlotte, N.C.

Battery separators are electronically insulating membranes that prevent the battery from overheating and increase battery power and capacity. The more advanced the separators, the better they are able to perform these functions.

Celgard was given the 18-month contract to advance lithium-ion battery separator technology for hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle applications. The work is totally in keeping with the mission of the United States Advanced Battery Consortium, which is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support the commercialization of fuel cell, hybrid and electric vehicles.

The Energy Department is involved in the work because its overarching mission is to advance America's national, economic and energy security. Transportation technologies that reduce the nation's use of imported oil is seen as increasing America's energy security.

Plus, the department has identified electrochemical energy storage as a critical enabling technology for advanced, fuel-efficient, light- and heavy-duty vehicles. By supporting that research and development, the department supports the U.S. automotive industry, which it views as important to the economic security of the country.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 3, 2008, 11:47 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Battery

DuPont CEO Proposes Detroit 3 Collaborate on 75-MPG Butanol 'Car of the Future'

The chief executive of chemical giant DuPont has called on America's major automakers to band together to create a butanol-powered, highly fuel-efficient "car of the future" within the next two years.

The endeavor could be called the Detroit Project, DuPont Chairman and CEO Chad Holliday (left) said in an address before the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday, and would be led by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in a collaboration akin to the atomic-bomb-making Manhattan Project of World War II.

The car that Holliday proposed would be powered with butanol, which is a solvent and biofuel made by DuPont. At 85 percent strength, butanol can be used in cars designed for gasoline without any change to the engine (unlike 85 percent ethanol) and it contains more energy than ethanol and almost as much as gasoline. It can also be used as a blended additive to diesel fuel to reduce soot emissions

"This is a unique time in history," Holliday said. "It just seems like this is the one window when you can pull something like this off."

The project would require $5 billion in seed money, he said, which could be raised by selling U.S. bonds similar to the way the government raised money for the war effort during the 1940s. The project would yield a strong return on investment, he said, and calling upon citizens to invest in the effort would "build some national pride around the project."

While the Detroit 3 would comprise the core of the project, other companies would bring "a different mindset and different answers" to it. He named Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Boeing and Google as possible collaborators, adding that he had not approached any of them with his idea.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); Scott Doggett December 3, 2008, 10:06 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Diesel, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

Hawaii Governor Unveils Plan to Create EV Recharging Network for Islands by 2012

Hawaii's governor has unveiled a plan to create an alternative transportation system for the islands based on plug-in electric vehicles with swappable batteries and a battery-recharging network.

The plan put forth by Republican Governor Linda Lingle calls for creating a public-private partnership with Better Place to create 70,000 to 100,000 recharging points that would support the zero-emissions vehicles expected to be available after 2011. Hawaii's biggest utility, Hawaiian Electric, will aid in the rollout.

Lingle said the arrangement with Better Place of Palo Alto, California, will "help Hawaii get off its extreme oil addiction," which costs the state $7 billion a year.

The plan, which is the brainchild of Better Place CEO and former software executive Shai Agassi, is intended to overcome the major hurdles to electric vehicles: slow battery recharging and limited availability. The latter challenge is particularly daunting, and Better Place has yet to line up financing for the $75 million to $100 million needed for the Hawaii venture.

Tuesday's announcement follows earlier Better Place endorsements from Israel, Denmark, Australia, Renault-Nissan and a coalition of Northern California localities supporting the idea. The California company plans test deployments of vehicles in 2009 and broad commercial sales in 2012.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 3, 2008, 9:19 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Better Place

December 2, 2008

Clearing Forests for Biofuel Said to Hurt Climate, Reduce Plant and Animal Diversity

Palm oil plantations--a principal source of biodiesel worldwide--reduce plant and animal diversity, and do little to reduce carbon emissions, according to a major international study .

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Palms stand where rainforest stood.
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Tropical forests are increasingly cleared to make way for palm oil crops, leading to a reduction in habitats for many rare species, scientists from seven nations concluded in a report published this week in the journal Conservation Biology (subscription required).

The problem is most acute in Malaysia and Indonesia, which produce about 85 percent of the world's palm oil.

Palm oil is a common vegetable oil, and is now regarded as a major source of biodiesel, however the researchers question whether it really offers environmental benefits over conventional fossil fuels.

Clearing land to start plantations involves burning huge tracts of forest, a process that produces large amounts of greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide. The researchers estimate at least 75 years of biofuel production is needed from the plantations to offset the amount of carbon dioxide produced by this burning.

Indeed, the lead author of the study, Finn Danielsen of Denmark's Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology, said it would take 75 to 93 years to see any benefits to the climate from biofuel plantations on converted tropical forestlands.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 2, 2008, 2:17 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Biodiesel

Electricity Generated by Ocean Currents Hold Promise for Hydrogen Cars, EVs

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe and is often hailed as the automotive fuel of the future, due to its environmentally friendly emissions: a dribble of water and a little heat.

However, the pure hydrogen needed to power fuel-cell vehicles doesn't occur naturally. It has to be manufactured using a process that requires an extraordinary amount of electricity.

Scientists at the University of Michigan say they have invented a device that can harness enough energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents to power for the entire world.

The technology can generate electricity in water flowing at a rate of less than one knot (about one mile an hour), meaning it could operate on most waterways and sea beds around the globe.

Existing technologies that use water power--relying on the action of waves, tides or faster currents created by dams--are far more limited in where they can be used, and also cause greater obstructions when they are built in rivers or the sea.

Turbines and water mills need an average current of five or six knots to operate efficiently, while most of Earth's currents are slower than three knots. The new device, which has been inspired by the way fish swim, consists of a system of cylinders positioned horizontal to the water flow and attached to springs.

As water flows past, the cylinder creates vortices, which push and pull the cylinder up and down. The mechanical energy in the vibrations is then converted into electricity.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett December 2, 2008, 8:31 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle

November 25, 2008

Renault-Nissan Alliance Enters ZEV Partnership With California's Sonoma County

Nissan North America and California's Sonoma County have partnered to develop electric-vehicle charging stations and standards.

The announcement late last week was the second partnership unveiled by the Renault-Nissan Alliance within days and was the seventh that the company had established in an effort to prepare the market and consumers for a transition to plug-in electric vehicles and plug-in electric hybrids.

Nissan believes it is critical to develop standards and to build a recharging infrastructure to support electric vehicles as Japan's No. 3 automaker introduces the vehicles to consumers.

Nissan has announced plans to introduce zero-emission vehicles in the United States and Japan in 2010 and intends to make them available to the mass market two years later.

The partnership with Sonoma, a Northern California county famous for its wines located 30 miles north of San Franciso, also includes agreements with eight cities within the county. Nissan said it plans to supply electric vehicles to the county as it works with the communities to develop plans for the creation of an EV battery-charging network.

Earlier last week, Nissan announced a similar partnership with the state of Oregon and Portland General Electric, a utility company.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 25, 2008, 3:11 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: California

November 14, 2008

Dingell, Waxman Solidify Support for Position That Holds Gavel Over Autos Bills

There's less than a week to go in the intensifying battle between Democratic Representatives John Dingell of Michigan and Henry Waxman of California over who will chair the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, with the winner likely to shape tailpipe-emissions and fuel-economy legislation for years to come.

Dingell has fought virtually every regulation the automakers have opposed, from seatbelts and airbags to tailpipe emissions and fuel-efficiency standards. By contrast, Waxman has been as strong advocate of fuel-economy standards and legislation curbing automotive greenhouse-gas emissions.

Both sides are building up support in a dispute that also promises to have significant implications for energy legislation, but it's far from clear who has the inside track on winning the gavel.

To date, only a handful of House Democrats have publicly taken sides between the two lawmakers. More than 30 members have spoken up for Dingell, but Jodi Seth, a Dingell spokeswoman, insisted that many others are also on his side. She wouldn't give numbers.

Six members of the Congressional Black Caucus -- Bobby Rush and Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, John Lewis of Georgia, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ed Towns of New York and Kendrick Meek of Florida -- sent out their own Dear Colleague letter yesterday urging party unity in support of Dingell.

"By overwhelmingly electing President Obama and a Democratic majority in Congress, Americans have placed their trust in the Democratic party," they wrote. "At this time, we should be coming together to address their concerns."

Another Dingell supporter, Representative Artur Davis (D-Alabama), released a statement saying the Michigan congressman "realizes that the challenges of climate change are real and demand a pragmatic approach that is not rooted in ideology."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 14, 2008, 12:30 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Automakers

November 5, 2008

CEO of Pickens-Run Company Pledges To Help California Despite Measure's Defeat

Clean Energy Fuels Corp., the company founded and controlled through majority stock interest by Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens, issued a press release today following the defeat of a California ballot measure that would have resulted in rebates for natural-gas-powered vehicles at great taxpayers' expense .

Here is the press release in its entirety:

California voters yesterday turned down Proposition 10. Named The California Renewable Energy and Clean Alternative Fuels Initiative, the measure was a $5-billion, first-in-the-nation public investment to provide funds for a wide variety of clean energy projects across the state, including consumer incentives for clean alternative vehicle fuels and the construction of renewable energy generation facilities, such as solar and wind power plants.

"Everyone talks about reducing the use of imported oil, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and cleaning the air through the use of alternative energy resources, and California's voters considered supporting these critical goals in a meaningful way," said Andrew J. Littlefair, President and CEO, Clean Energy. "The passage of Prop 10 would have provided an important funding mechanism to rapidly turn these goals into a reality throughout the state.

"We supported the initiative, and while Prop 10 may have served as a catalyst to accelerate our growth, its failure does not reduce our opportunities. We believe our core business is strong and pledge to continue to help California and the nation meet our critical goals of reducing imported oil while increasing the use of clean, alternative energy for the health and welfare of all our citizens," Littlefair noted.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 5, 2008, 10:31 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Coal, Diesel, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Legislation, Natural Gas, Oil
Technorati Tags:: California

Calif. Sends Pickens Packing; Alt-Fuel Initiative Crushed Despite Bankroll Behind It

Perhaps with all the talk we've been hearing lately pitting the middle class against the upper class -- the 95 percent against the 5 percent -- a ballot initiative bankrolled by a Texas billionaire didn't have a snowball's chance in Houston Tuesday.

Or perhaps all the recent talk of the economy taking a flying leap into Great Depression Land got voters to focus on the bottom line, which in this case said: "Fiscal Impact: State cost of about $10 billion over 30 years to repay bonds."

Whatever it was, millions of Californians went to the polls Tuesday and an overwhelming majority of them voted no on a statewide ballot initiative that would have benefited very few of them while throwing a tremendous amount of money behind an automotive fuel that isn't particularly green and would have made T. Boone Pickens even more filthy rich than the 80-year-old oil tycoon already is.

With 85.2 percent of the precincts reporting at the time this was typed, 60.2 percent of the voters voted against Proposition 10 while 39.8 percent in favor of it.

This lopsided defeat occurred despite the fact that Pickens and others -- all with very deep pockets who stood to gain handsomely had the natural-gas initiative passed -- spent at least $23 million backing it, in large part with television commercials that flooded living rooms throughout the state in recent weeks.

Conversely, Prop 10's opposition, cleverly named the No On Prop 10 campaign, raised so little money that it wasn't able to pay for a single TV commercial. The No people were outspent 179.9 dollars to 1. And still they prevailed?!

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 5, 2008, 2:40 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Legislation, Natural Gas, Opinion
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

Obama Sought, and Got, Support of Green-Car Crowd on Road to Presidential Win; We Will Report His Follow-Through on Promises He Made to Them as Time Goes By

Obama-@-SUV-Plant.jpg By Scott Doggett, Contributor

President-elect Barack Obama made many pledges, laid out lots of goals and otherwise built a substantial political platform to appeal to environmentalists and green-car proponents during an 18-month White House bid that culminated in victory several hours ago. Among those pledges and goals:

Increase Fuel Economy Standards. Obama and Joe Biden will increase fuel economy standards 4 percent per year while providing $4 billion for domestic automakers to retool their manufacturing facilities in America to produce these vehicles.
Get 1 Million Plug-In Hybrid Cars on the Road by 2015. These vehicles can get up to 150 miles per gallon. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe we should work to ensure these cars are built here in America, instead of factories overseas.
Create a New $7,000 Tax Credit for Purchasing Advanced Vehicles.
Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Obama and Biden will establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard to reduce the carbon in our fuels 10 percent by 2020. Obama and Biden will also require 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels to be phased into our fuel supply by 2030.
Promote the Responsible Domestic Production of Oil and Natural Gas. An Obama-Biden administration will establish a process for early identification of any infrastructure obstacles/shortages or possible federal permitting process delays to drilling in the Bakken Shale formation, the Barnett shale formation, and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
Invest in a Clean Energy Economy and Help Create 5 Million New Green Jobs. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will strategically invest $150 billion over 10 years to accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial scale renewable energy, encourage energy efficiency, invest in low emissions coal plants, advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, and begin transition to a new digital electricity grid.
Ensure 10 Percent of Our Electricity Comes From Renewable Sources by 2012, and 25 Percent by 2025.

These bulleted items were taken verbatim from Obama's official Web site last night as the Democratic senator from Illinois gave his victory speech. In addition, Obama made many statements during his campaign that we expect him to honor.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 5, 2008, 1:01 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Coal, Diesel, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Legislation, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

November 2, 2008

Pickens' Proposition Would Cost Taxpayers Billions, but Benefit Very Few

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

You can't always get what you want, but if you've got a big pot of money and a sweet-sounding environmental pitch, chances are you can get a proposition on a state ballot. In California, anyway.

And if there's enough money left in the pot to pay for volleys of TV ads after you've paid the people who gathered the signatures needed to put the proposition on the ballot, odds are it will become state law. In California, anyway.

And, because California is such a trendsetting state, if your proposition becomes law there, it stands a good chance of becoming law in other states as well.

Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens knows this. It's why the Texas billionaire is bankrolling a proposition -- one that ostensibly would advance renewable energy and alternative fuels -- on California's November 4 general election ballot.

In truth, what it advances most is Picken's fortune -- while costing the state's taxpayers $10 billion.

To give you an idea of how little California can afford Pickens' proposition, consider that officials in Sacramento are expected to announce this coming week that the state's budget deficit has reached at least $10 billion.

The budget crisis is why Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson last month informing him that "California may need to turn to the Federal Treasury for short-term financing." A bailout, in other words.

At a time when the locomotive that drives America's economic train can least afford it, Pickens' initiative would nearly double California's deficit.

And despite the crushing cost the proposition would levy on all of the state's taxpayers, the ballot measure would benefit very few while throwing a tremendous amount of money behind an automotive fuel that isn't very green compared to other alternative fuels that could benefit from that kind of spending.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett November 2, 2008, 10:46 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Coal, Diesel, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Honda, Legislation, Natural Gas, Oil, Opinion, Plug-ins and Electric, Solar, Surveys, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: 2008 Honda Civic GX

October 29, 2008

Is U.S. Ethanol Boom Over? Plant Shutdowns, Project Cancellations Beg Question

Despite waves of articles the past year about the staggering growth of the U.S. ethanol industry, in just the last few days many publications in corn-belt states are reporting that the boom may have gone bust.

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Remants of Hurricane Ike took a devastating toll on corn crops last month.
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Rising corn prices, falling gas prices, storm-triggered flooding and late corn harvests have caused or contributed to a host of ethanol plants closing and plans for others to be scrapped.

Among a recent spate of setbacks for the industry are refinery closures at Emerald City Ethanol in Harvey County, Kansas, VeraSun Energy in Linden, Indiana, Abengoa Bioenergy in Portales, New Mexico, and the circular filing of plans for a $200-million project in Belle Fourche, South Dakota.

An article in Hoosier Ag Today reports that with oil prices are approaching $60 a barrel, the profit margins for ethanol producers are shrinking. It also reported that the credit crisis is making capital harder for ethanol investors to come by and "the ethanol industry is facing some tough political times as the government subsidy for ethanol has come under attack from presidential candidate John McCain."

A piece posted at Gas2.0 notes that "every time the price of oil drops, the demand for that same product increases and the demand for alternate fuels decreases." The online publication has links to many ethanol businesses that have gone belly-up in recent weeks.

The editors at Biofuels Digest contend that access to capital via "lawmakers who have the vision to see its proper role in a national energy solution, will be the key to ethanol's growth" in this country. The editors also said that industry leaders in the U.S. must do a better job of winning support for ethanol in Washington, D.C.

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Photo courtesy of tlindenbaum via Creative Commons license.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett October 29, 2008, 9:15 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol
Technorati Tags:: Abengoa Bioenergy

October 24, 2008

New Cellulosic Ethanol Deal Signals Strength in Some Alt Fuels Segments

The financial woes producers of traditional corn-based ethanol are facing apparently haven't dimmed the hopes of those who see cellulosic technology as the wave of the future.

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Chart shows extra steps that must be taken to produce ethanol from woody (cellulosic) feedstocks.
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Cellulosic ethanol - produced by using enzymes, solvents and bacteria to break down the tough cellulose in non-food plant materials such as wood chips, corn stalks and prairie grasses - could provide a renewable replacement for at least some of the petroleum now consumed for transportation fuels.

General Motors Corp., among others, has become a big proponent and has investments in several cellulosic companies.

The processes for commercializing cellulosic ethanol are still mostly in the start-up, exploratory stages, though, and as the economy spirals downward, there is concern that finding for such programs could start drying up.

So we're heartened by word out of Canada that a major oil producer from Calgary and a biotechnology research firm from Vancouver are discussing a joint venture to build a new cellulosic bio-refinery in Colorado.

It would be a "demonstration-scale" plant, meaning too small to churn out commercial quantities. If successful in demonstrating cost-effectiveness, the project could add to the momentum building behind cellulosic ethanol.

The deal announced today calls for Calgary's Suncor Energy Inc. and Vancouver's Lingol Energy Corp. to build a 10-million-liter-a-day refinery in Grand Junction, the major Colorado city on the western slopes of the Rockies.

The U.S. government would pay for about $30 million of the refinery's $80 million capital cost under ongoing federal incentives for alternative fuels developers.

Suncor, which would have controlling interest in the facility, would foot the rest of the bill and the cellulosic plant would be located within an existing Suncor petroleum refinery in grand Junction.

The Canadian companies said they hoped to ink their deal by mid-January and to have the refinery up and producing ethanol by 2010.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 24, 2008, 1:03 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol, General Motors
Technorati Tags:: Cellulosic Ethanol Refinery

Ethanol Producers' Financial Health Reportedly Going 'From Bad to Worse'

U.S. ethanol companies are struggling financially, with their stock prices nosediving, cash reserves dwindling and bad bets on pricey corn contracts coming due as fuel prices decline, Greenwire reported today (subscription required).

"When you look at it from a firm-specific standpoint then a cash-market standpoint, the profitability could be even worse than what the cash market is implying," said Ian Horowitz, alternative energy analyst with Soleil Securities Group. "And the cash market is implying difficult times. It's going from bad to worse."

He added, "It is a very difficult backdrop [for ethanol companies], and at a difficult time, these guys at a firm-specific level have had some very big missteps with hedging programs."

Believing corn prices would continue to rise over the long term, VeraSun Energy in South Dakota and many other ethanol companies locked in corn contracts at high prices in early summer when commodity markets were booming, Greenwire reported. But corn is now selling for almost half its early-summer price, and companies are in precarious positions.

"The best situation for an ethanol plant is low corn and high gas prices, but when you have the opposite ... that's the worst possible situation," said Michael Schewel, a partner at law firm McGuireWoods who focuses on the development and financing of energy projects.

Publicly traded VeraSun has said it could have a quarterly loss of up to $103 million because of the beating the company is taking in the corn futures market. When a bid to raise more equity from investors failed, VeraSun hired investment bankers this month to seek strategic alternatives. Other ethanol plants in Kansas and Ohio have declared bankruptcy in the last week.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 24, 2008, 10:27 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

October 23, 2008

Australia Next for Electric Car Boosters Project Better Place, Renault and Nissan

Better Place, the Johnny Appleseed of the electric vehicle movement, has selected Australia as the next country to sample its unique program of spreading EVs through private-government partnerships.

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Better Place hopes to promote widespread use of electric vehicles such as this prototype built by partners Renault and Nissan.
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Shai Agassi, the California-based organization's founder and chief executive, has executed an agreement with the Australian state of Victoria for a $676 million (U.S.) project to build electric vehicle recharging stations along the country's heavily populated east coast. The group plans to expand later to Austriali's western region, dominated by the city of Perth.

Better Place works with partners Renault and Nissan.

The carmakers have agreed to develop electric cars for the program, with rollouts to begin as early as 2012, while Better Place -- formerly called Project Better Place -- would build and own the charging stations and, in some cases, a network of battery exchange stations that would enable motorists to pull in, swap discharged battery packs for full ones and be quickly on their way.

The team also has agreements for projects in Israel and Denmark.

According to a Financial Times report Wednesday, Australia's Macquarie Capital Group is planning to raise the money for Better Place while Australia's largest gas and electricity utility, AGL Energy, will pledge to add enough energy capacity from renewable sources to power the cars.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 23, 2008, 3:03 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Energy Companies, Fuels & Technologies, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Australian Electric Car Project

October 22, 2008

Two-Buck Gas Likely to Fuel Re-Addiction to OPEC, N.Y. Times Columnist Writes

Tom Friedman.jpg The 2 is back. Last week, U.S. retail gasoline prices fell below $3 a gallon -- to an average of $2.91 -- the lowest level in almost a year. Why does this news leave New York Times op-ed columnist Tom Friedman with mixed feelings?

Because in the middle of this wrenching economic crisis, with unemployment rising and 401(k)'s shrinking, it would be a real source of relief for many Americans to get a break at the pump. Today's declining gasoline prices act like a tax cut for consumers and can save $15 to $20 a tank-full for an SUV-driving family, compared with when gasoline was $4.11 a gallon in July, he writes (registration required).

Yet, it is impossible for him to ignore the fact that when gasoline hit $4.11 a gallon we changed -- a lot. Americans drove less, polluted less, exercised more, rode more public transportation and, most importantly, overwhelmed Detroit with demands for smaller, more fuel-efficient, hybrid and electric cars. The clean energy and efficiency industries saw record growth -- one of our few remaining engines of real quality job creation.

But with little credit available today for new energy start-ups, and lower oil prices making it harder for existing renewables like wind and solar to scale, and a weak economy making it nearly impossible for Congress to pass a carbon tax or gasoline tax that would make clean energy more competitive, what will become of our budding clean-tech revolution?

This moment feels to him like a bad B-movie rerun of the 1980s. And he knows how this movie ends -- with our re-addiction to oil and OPEC, as well as corrosive uncertainty for our economy, trade balance, security and environment.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett October 22, 2008, 7:02 AM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Oil
Technorati Tags:: New York Times

October 21, 2008

Government Subsidies, Volatility of Oil Prices Lead Thai Drive to Natural-Gas Cars

An unusual alliance of energy tycoons and environmentalists is trying, with limited success, to persuade skeptical Americans to start running their cars on compressed natural gas instead of gasoline.

But in many developing countries, the switch is already on, driven by the volatile price of gasoline, the accessibility of natural gas, hefty consumer subsidies and concern about the environment, The Wall Street Journal reported today (subscription required).

Besides the small tanks, drivers complain of poor acceleration in CNG vehicles. There still aren't enough fueling stations set up to sell natural gas, so many users wait in line for 45 minutes or more to fill their tank.

In Thailand, drivers have converted or purchased more than 40,000 natural-gas-burning cars and trucks in the past six months, the Journal reported. Local energy officials say they expect the number of natural-gas cars, which in many cases are able to run on gasoline as well as natural gas, to nearly triple by 2012 to 330,000.

Natural-gas-powered cars are among the hottest sellers in Bangkok, where long queues of drivers line up to buy the alternative fuel every day. Kanika Kamdee, a 50-year-old psychology professor, paid $1,795 last year to modify her Nissan sedan so that it could use relatively clean-burning natural gas.

The lower price for natural gas at the pump here has meant "big savings" in her monthly fuel bill, the Journal reported. She paid just $3.05 to fill her tank one recent afternoon -- enough fuel to travel 93 miles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 21, 2008, 8:31 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, China, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Natural Gas
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

October 20, 2008

"Smart Garage" Session Examines How to Develop Vehicle-To-Grid Technology

From the terribly remiss department: John Gartner, editor and co-founder of MatterNetwork.com, a site that covers sustainability issues, recently attended symposium on plug-in hybrids and the smart grid, sponsored by futurist Amory Lovins' Rocky Mountain Institute.

Because of attendance limitations, MatterNetwork was tabbed to be a sort of "pool reporter" for on-line coverage of the event (that means no one else from the blogosphere was invited - at least not as a writer), Gartner has compiled his postings on the blog's site, and we're remiss in not alerting you sooner to his reports.

The meeting, held earlier this month, brought together executives from more than 20 organizations - including Ford Motor Co., Tesla Motors, General Motors Corp., Duke Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric, Austin Energy, Wal-Mart, IBM, EDS/Hewlett-Packard, and ZipCar - to cogitate on and discuss the technical and financial obstacles to linking the battery-powered car and the commercial electric grid - so-called V2G, or vehicle-to-grid, technology

RMI organized the "Smart Garage" charette - a collaborative, problem-solving meeting - because it sees the transportation and power generation industries as major energy consumers and big contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, and, thus, likely candidates to be able to actually come up with some solutions to the growing problems of energy consumption and greenhouse gas buildup.

We are not fans of the idea of havign just one outlet cover an event as we believe that the public is best served by having what's being said and done reviewed, interpreted and commented on by as many resources as possible. The sound of one hand clapping just doesn't carry very far.

However, we believe Gartner to be a comprehensive, honest and thoughtful reporter of events, and found his reports on the Smart Garage event quite thought-provoking.

You can read them for yourself in MatterNetworks' transportation section, under the "Views that Count" heading. Look for Gartner's name over these four titles (listed here in chronological order):

V2G: All roads lead Through Batteries

EVs to Power New Business Models

Cities Can Drive PHEV Adoption

Workshopping the PHEV Future

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 20, 2008, 4:44 PM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Fuels & Technologies, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: plug-in hybrid

Sharing Ethanol Research and Development With China A Shrewd Move By GM

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

General Motors today began sharing its ethanol research with China in the automaker's stated pursuit of an "energy strategy that addresses global energy and climate issues and helps reduce the automobile's reliance on petroleum."

In the first of a weeklong series of workshops, executives from GM's Global Energy Systems R&D department and Coskata Inc., an energy startup GM has invested heavily in, joined the Tsinghua University professor in charge of driving the prestigious university's biofuels research in giving an assessment of China's biofuels industry.

Given that China is nearly the size of the United States and that nearly 15 percent of its land is arable, the assessment was favorable. No surprise there. Indeed, China already is the world's third-largest ethanol producer (behind the U.S. and Brazil), with annual production of about 1 billion gallons.

That GM has been slow to shift from making gas-guzzlers to fuel-sippers is irrefutable, as is the automaker's history of putting nearly all of its "eggs" in the fuel-inefficient basket. It is downright depressing that not one of the top-10 vehicles by fuel efficiency in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2009 fuel-economy guide is a GM product.

But in China GM is doing something smart. When you consider that GM is committed to making cars and trucks that can run on combinations of ethanol and gasoline -- it's already produced more than 5 million such vehicles and plans to make half the vehicles it sells in the U.S. gas-ethanol flex-fuel by 2012 -- Detroit's biggest automaker is clearly thinking ahead.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 20, 2008, 2:53 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, China, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, General Motors
Technorati Tags:: Biofuel

Sparse Plug-ins for Electric Vehicles Spark Creativity Among Their Owners

Owning an electric vehicle requires more than global-cooling ambitions. It takes guile, planning, sharp vision, a silver tongue -- and a 50-foot extension cord.

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Steve Bernheim beside his Corbin Sparrow. Photo by Susan Bauer.
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Steve Bernheim knows accessible outlets like a firefighter knows hydrants. He has to -- his Corbin Sparrow runs only 25 miles on a charge.

"You do guerrilla charging where you locate these plugs," Bernheim, an attorney who lives in the Seattle suburb of Edmonds, said according to an Associated Press article published in today's Detroit News. "I'm an expert at finding them."

While California has more than 500 public charging stations at parks, malls and grocery stores to serve electric vehicles that rolled out in the last decade, the network is still thin across the rest of the country, forcing drivers like Bernheim to get creative.

That may change as charging stations crop up in San Jose, Seattle and Portland to serve early adopters and pave the way for a new breed of mass market plug-in cars.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 20, 2008, 9:33 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Corbin, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Corbin Sparrow

October 17, 2008

EPA Requires Half Of Ethanol To Be Cellulosic By 2022, But Huge Obstacles Exist

It may be one of the biggest green gambles of the century: a national goal of converting wood, grass, corn stalks and garbage into 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels annually by 2022.

No commercial-scale refineries exist, researchers have yet to agree on the best technology for fuel conversion and there is no distribution network to handle fuel once it is made.

Add it all up and the country's not even close to meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's renewable fuel standards a mere 14 years from now.

So says an Associated Press article distributed Thursday that's well worth the time it takes to read.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 17, 2008, 7:35 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Economy, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Biofuel

October 16, 2008

Li-Ion Battery Developer Ener1 Acquires Enertech, Solves Chicken-and-Egg Problem

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Lithium-ion battery developer Ener1 Inc. announced today it has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Enertech International, one of South Korea's leading lithium-ion battery cell producers.

Manhattan-based Ener1 will acquire an 83 percent equity stake in Enertech for 5 million shares of Ener1 common stock, 2.56 million warrants and $600,000 in cash.

The purchase follows the recent announcement of the company's plans to expand the manufacturing capacity of its lithium-ion automotive battery subsidiary, EnerDel, based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Enertech, which produces 22 million lithium-ion cells annually for the cell phone, laptop and personal-digital-assistant markets, is South Korea's third-largest lithium-ion manufacturers, behind only LG Chemical and Samsung.

Enertech operates a state-of-the-art 200,000-square-foot plant outside Seoul that, Ener1 says, is capable of producing cells for 15,000 electric vehicle battery packs per year.

By acquiring a controlling interest in Enertech, Ener1 has greatly expanded its production capabilities at a time when automakers worldwide are preparing to launch a new generation of hybrid and electric vehicles -- those fitted with advanced lithium-ion batteries.

Ener1 CEO Charles Gassenheimer said in today's announcement that the acquisition "gives us immediate scale and volume manufacturing ability, as well as an important beachhead for supplying Asian carmakers that plan to use lithium-ion technology in their electric drive vehicles."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 16, 2008, 11:12 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Batteries

October 15, 2008

General Motors to Partner With 10 States to Boost U.S. Infrastructure for Ethanol 85

General Motors Corp. announced today that it will partner with 10 states to increase the fueling infrastructure for gasoline-ethanol blended fuel.

The automaker will team with state officials, ethanol producers and retailers to find optimal locations for E85 fueling stations, promote use of the ethanol-gasoline blend and optimize supplies of the fuel.

The 10 states in the partnership are: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

E85, which is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, is the most common form of flex fuel in the U.S. It can be found at 1,665 fuel stations nationwide and is currently unavailable in six states, according to the Energy Department. The lack of fueling infrastructure is one of the largest hurdles standing in the way of wide-scale flex-fuel use.

"The infrastructure for E85 needs to expand now if the nation is to be ready for the significant growth in ethanol coming from new cellulosic and biomass sources," Beth Lowery, GM's vice president of environment, energy and safety policy, said in a statement.

An estimated 7 million flex-fuel vehicles are on U.S. roads today, 1 million of which were produced in 2007. GM and other domestic automakers have committed to making at least half of their new fleet offerings flex-fuel capable by 2012.

The U.S. consumed 6.8 billion gallons of ethanol last year. That number will need to grow substantially to meet the national renewable fuel standard established in last year's energy law, which will require 36 billion gallons of biofuels to be used annually by 2022.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 15, 2008, 2:55 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, General Motors
Technorati Tags:: Alabama

Democrats Gun for Rural Vote by Hitting McCain on His Ethanol, Farm Bill Positions

Democrats nationwide are using Republican presidential candidate John McCain's long-standing opposition to ethanol subsidies and farm support programs to sway Republican-leaning rural voters in several key states, according to a report published today by Greenwire.

While the financial crisis has overwhelmed ethanol as a campaign issue, the Arizona senator's views on ethanol supports and his vote against the farm bill -- both welcome events as far as environmentalists are concerned -- are seen by some political scientists as adding to voter unease about the Republican's economic policies among rural voters.

"It definitely doesn't help McCain at all to not be strongly supportive," Mack Shelley, a political science professor at Iowa State University, told the energy and environmental subscription news service. "I don't know that it makes a difference of more than a point or two, but it certainly doesn't help McCain, given all the other problems he has."

Iowa is the focal point of the ethanol debate. McCain's opposition to ethanol subsidies has been an issue there since his 2000 primary run. Recent polls show him trailing Democrat Barack Obama by double digits in the state.

But several Midwestern states remain battlegrounds, and Democrats are using the ethanol issue there. They have even focused on ethanol in states that have scant biofuel production but where alternative energy is a major concern.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett October 15, 2008, 11:25 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Barack Obama

October 14, 2008

ExxonMobile Developing Lithium-Ion Battery Technology for Electric Vehicles

The world's largest oil company may one day have a big stake in the electric-car industry.

ExxonMobile Chemical is working with U.S. battery maker EnerDel to develop lithium-ion battery technologies for hybrid and electric vehicles.

The oil company had done little to publicize its work on lithium-ion battery technology before Monday, when it announced that it won the 2008 ICIS Chemical Business award for best product innovation for its battery separator film technology.

Separator films are designed to keep the batteries' positive and negative fields from touching, which allows the batteries to operate at higher temperatures and produce more power without overheating.

The technology, pioneered by a team of ExxonMobil Chemical scientists, can significantly improve the power, capacity, stability and safety margins of lithium-ion batteries.

EnerDel is doing late-stage testing on the film, which could help address operational and safety issues that have kept lithium-ion batteries from landing in cars and trucks in a big way.

ExxonMobil's film is the first to squeeze multiple layers of plastic into a single sheet the width of a human hair.

EnerDel, a subsidiary of Indianapolis-based Ener1, a publicly traded alternative energy research firm, has said it expects to be the first company to mass produce lithium-ion batteries for vehicles.

It has a contract to supply power batteries to Think Global, a Norwegian firm that plans to produce 10,000 electric vehicles per year in 2009, and it is working with U.S. and Japanese automakers on advanced battery systems.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett October 14, 2008, 11:33 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Energy Companies, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Batteries

California Company Says It Can Turn Carbon Dioxide Back Into Various Fuels

A Californian company is developing a new technique for recycling carbon dioxide and turning it back into fuel.

Workers at Santa Barbara-based Carbon Sciences believe they have made a breakthrough with their technology, which they say can transform carbon dioxide back into basic fuel building blocks efficiently.

Their biocatalytic process converts carbon dioxide into basic hydrocarbons -- methane, ethane and propane -- which can then be utilized to make higher-grade fuels like gasoline and jet fuel. The company says the conversions can be achieved without high temperatures or high pressures, which require a lot of energy.

By employing biocatalysis -- using natural catalysts to perform chemical reactions -- Carbon Sciences researchers hope to bypass the problem of inefficient energy ratios that can render many carbon dioxide recycling projects pointless.

Officials at Carbon Sciences envision setting up shop next door to large carbon dioxide emitters such as coal, gas-fired plants and oil refineries, and recycling concentrated streams of carbon dioxide discharged from fossil fuel plants.

After rudimentary purification and regeneration of the biocatalysts, the carbon dioxide is turned into hydrocarbons in liquid reaction chambers filled with biocatalysts. The liquids are then filtered and gases are extracted through condensers ready for conversion to higher grade fuel.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 14, 2008, 7:50 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuels & Technologies
Technorati Tags:: Carbon Dioxide

October 9, 2008

South Dakota Cellulosic Ethanol Producer Goes Public in Anticipation of New Plant

KL Energy Corp. of Rapid City, South Dakota, has acquired cellulose-based ethanol maker KL Process Design Group in a move that effectively takes the energy company public and was completed in part to fund what the company describes as its second commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production plant.

The acquisition was structured as a reverse merger and led to the issuance of $6.1 million in shares held by investors Fair Energy and The Green Fund, according to an announcement Wednesday by KL Energy Corp.

KL Process Design Group was formed in 2000 and has designed grain-based ethanol plants as well as a cellulosic ethanol plant near Upton, Wyoming, that uses waste wood as the feedstock.

It describes the Upton plant as a "small commercial-scale facility," but KL Energy CEO Randy Kramer said it produces 1.5 million gallons of ethanol per year and is geared more toward demonstrating the viability of the engineering process.

Kramer said he expects the new plant will generate between 5 million and 10 million gallons of ethanol per year. Discussions are ongoing regarding the location of that plant, he said, but the company intends to place it near a source of waste wood, such as a forest products mill operation.

Kramer said the company hopes to break ground on the second facility in March of next year.

Several companies are vying to build the first truly commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, as researchers and engineers struggle to find cost-effective new ways to produce a fuel that has been widely criticized for driving up food costs when made from grains like corn.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 9, 2008, 12:33 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Cellulosic Ethanol

University of Florida to Open $2.5 Million Cellulosic Ethanol Research Pilot Plant

University of Florida officials will cut the ribbon Friday on a research pilot plant that will convert a range of hearty, nonfood feedstocks into cellulosic ethanol.

The $2.5 million plant, paid for with state funds and located on the university's Gainesville campus, will be used to train graduate students in biofuel production, purification and testing.

Researchers will use acid to pre-treat shredded sugarcane bagasse, rice hulls, wood chips and other biomass. The feedstock will be fed into a stomach-like reactor, which will use heat, steam and enzymes to disintegrate the biomass's cellulosic structure.

The remaining sugary syrup will be fed into a fermenter full of bacteria to make fuel, said microbiology professor Lonnie Ingram (pictured).

Researchers will test specialty enzymes developed by Ingram and licensed to Boston-based Verenium Corp.

The research facility, slated for completion next year, could produce up to 2 million gallons of fuel annually from bagasse and other local biomass.

Ingram estimates that the state's lawns, orange groves, sugar cane farmers and forests produce as much as 124 million tons of biomass per year.

That's enough, in theory, to make 10 billion gallons of ethanol. And that ethanol would be made without the significant expenditures on fertilizer, herbicides and diesel fuel devoted to growing corn.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 9, 2008, 11:46 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Recycling
Technorati Tags:: Cellulosic Ethanol

French Automakers, Utility to Collaborate on National Recharging Network for EVs

Electricite de France, Europe's largest utility, and French automakers PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault today agreed to work together to develop a nationwide recharging network for electric cars.

The deal follows the announcement last month that Daimler and German utility RWE plan to build a network of electric-car recharging stations in Berlin.

The venture with Paris-based EDF calls for a business plan to set up outlets in France for recharging electric vehicles, or EVs, by 2011.

Renault and its Japanese affiliate, Nissan, have pledged to introduce EVs in the U.S. by 2010 and in Israel and Denmark by 2011. Renault also plans to introduce its first mass-market EVs domestically in 2012.

The project with EDF, which was announced at the Paris Auto Show today, will be open to other automakers, Renault spokeswoman Rochelle Chimenes said. Battery leasing and battery-exchange stations are being considered, she said.

Peugeot said in a statement today that its pact with EDF will cover EVs and rechargeable hybrids, building on plans the manufacturer announced in June to develop electric powertrains with Mitsubishi.

EDF and Toyota announced a partnership 13 months ago to evaluate rechargeable hybrids and charging infrastructure in Europe.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking at the car show today, said France plans to provide $550 million in research funding for low-emissions vehicle technologies. He also said a $6,827 bonus on purchases of cars generating less than 60 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, introduced in January, will remain in place until at least 2012 or until a subsidy for the 100,000th vehicle has been given.

Shai Agassi, the CEO and founder of Better Place, an American company that aims to reduce global dependency on oil through the creation of a worldwide electric-vehicle infrastructure, welcomed Sarkozy's comments.

He said his company "applauds and supports the efforts being made in France to extend the feebate policy to 2012, deploy zero emissions public car fleets, and improve battery technology. We accept President Sarkozy's challenge to develop the necessary infrastructure supporting standardized electric vehicles in France, and around the world."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 9, 2008, 10:49 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Daimler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Better Place

October 8, 2008

Study: U.S. Climate-Change Policy Unlikely to Have Much Impact on CO2 From Cars

Legislation being considered by Congress that would put a price tag on climate-changing emissions would do little to reduce the emissions from cars and trucks on U.S. highways, according to a new study by the Congressional Budget Office.

The study found that when it comes to reducing automotive greenhouse-gas emissions, which accounts for about 20 percent of all U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions, any climate-change legislation will do less than the market and Congress have already done.

The study, which received little attention when it was released Monday, preceded by a scant 24 hours draft legislation introduced Tuesday that would put a price on carbon emissions.

Carbon pricing would do next to nothing to reduce vehicular emissions in America, the study concluded, which means electricity generation and other sectors would have to pick up the slack if the U.S. hopes to use economic means to slash its climate-changing emissions.

Even a carbon price tag of $28 a metric ton -- and the consensus in the energy business is that $10 per metric ton is more likely -- would only raise gasoline prices by 25 cents a gallon four years from now, the study found.

A 25-cent increase would likely have little influence on how Americans drive, the Congressional Budget Office reported, given that they have seen gas prices double in recent years.

Indeed, the CBO reported that the new fuel-economy standards passed last year will do more to spur more fuel-efficient vehicles in coming decades than any carbon price tag that comes out of Congress.

As for coming up with a much-higher price tag, the CBO said it likely wouldn't reduce carbon emissions very much either.

Even if Congress smacked a $200-a-metric-ton price tag on carbon-dioxide emission -- about as likely as Congress passing a bill eliminating salaries for all government employees -- it would still add less than $2 to the cost of a gallon of gas.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett October 8, 2008, 2:20 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Legislation

October 7, 2008

Cellulosic Ethanol Developer Mascoma Gets $46.5 Million In New Plant Grants

Cellulosic ethanol pioneer Mascoma Corp. says it has received a $49.5 million cash infusion from the State of Michigan and the federal Energy Department for development of a new plant in Michigan.

Mascoma, one of two cellulosic ethanol companies being backed by General Motors Corp., has developed a process that uses proprietary enzymes to convert wood chips into ethanol fuel.

The grants announced today include $26 million from the federal government and $23.5 million from the state.

Boston-based Mascoma also has a demonstration plant in Rome, N.Y.

While conventional ethanol is made from crops including corn and sugar cane, cellulosic ethanol is made from waste products and non-food crops such as praire grasses.

Production of both types of the alternative fuel has drawbacks -- including potentially increasing heat-trapping carbon dioxide. But conventional ethanol production has been blamed for increasing the cost of grain-based basic foodstuffs.

The goal of cellulosic ethanol backers is to remove the fuel's impacrt on the food chain and, possibly, to reduce the amount of energy required in ethanol production.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 7, 2008, 2:28 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuels & Technologies
Technorati Tags:: Cellulosic Ethanol

October 1, 2008

U.S. Will Have Largest Biodiesel Market by 2012, Respected Research Group Says

The United States is positioned to become the single largest biodiesel market with 19 percent of consumption by 2012, according to a report released Tuesday.

Menlo Park, California-based SRI Consulting said the industry grew 50 percent from 2002-2007 -- the highest growth in the chemical industry -- and is poised to grow at 30 percent between 2007 and 2012.

It will be followed by Germany and France. New and large markets for biodiesel are expected to emerge in China and India, since the governments of both countries have announced major biodiesel initiatives.

SRI projects a slower pace of growth for the global biodiesel industry due to market uncertainties such as the ongoing fuels-versus-food debate, rising raw material costs, changing regulatory environment, a slowing global economy and the current financial crisis.

"An important development over the last several years has been the shift in global biodiesel patterns. Only five years ago Europe was a dominant player, with 83 percent of capacity. By 2007 the European share had declined to about 46 percent as North America and Asia grew to 23 percent and 19 percent respectively," SRI said.

SRI is a business research service for the global chemical industry.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 1, 2008, 7:57 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, China, Diesel, Energy Companies, India

September 17, 2008

Bill Floated by Farm-State Senators Would Dramatically Grow U.S. Ethanol Industry

Right, Hummer + E85 = Corn Guzzler.

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

In an effort to end a Catch-22 situation, a bipartisan pair of senators from farm-packed states this week floated legislation to require half of new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. to be able to run on any gasoline-ethanol blend of 85 percent ethanol or less starting in 2011.

The bill, backed by Democrat Tom Harkin of Iowa and Republican Richard Lugar of Indiana, would also mandate that that percentage increase from 50 percent in 2011 to 90 percent in 2013.

In perfect Catch-22 form, Detroit's Big Three automakers have been waiting for more 85-percent ethanol (E85) pumps to pop up nationwide before investing heavily in vehicles that can run on the blend, and the ethanol industry has been waiting for carmakers to produce more "flex-fuel" vehicles that can safely burn E85 before they install more gas-ethanol pumps.

Moreover, everyone is waiting for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to decide whether it's safe to use a 20-percent blend of ethanol (E20) in unmodified car engines -- a few engine and fuel-system modifications are needed before E85 can be used in vehicles that are otherwise identical to gasoline-only models.

Indeed, the EPA earlier this year warned that pumping E20 or E30 into a non-flex-fuel vehicle was a violation of the Clean Air Act and could result in fines for retailers as well as consumers.

The 10-percent blend is now the maximum legally allowed for unmodified engines. The EPA has approved E85 for designated flex-fuel vehicles.

Meanwhile, ethanol proponents say E20 and maybe even E30 are safe for unmodified engines, but the automakers disagree.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 17, 2008, 3:15 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Economy, Legislation

September 16, 2008

Hurricane Ike Closes Largest Biodiesel Refinery in U.S. for Six to Eight Weeks

GreenHunter Energy Inc. said Monday it expects its Houston, Texas, biodiesel refinery to be out of service for six to eight weeks due to damage from Hurricane Ike.

The plant (right, pre-storm) can produce 105 million gallons of biodiesel per year, making it the largest biodiesel refinery in the country.

Located on 20 acres beside the Houston Ship Channel, it suffered floodwater damage and lost power when Ike came ashore early Saturday along the Texas Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rains.

The local utility in Houston, Center Point Energy, is expected to restore electricity and natural gas service to the location in six to eight weeks. In the short term, generators will provide temporary interruptible power.

GreenHunter can produce biodiesel from animal fats, vegetable oils or a blend of the two at the zero-emissions refinery.

The site was originally home to a waste-oil recycling facility owned by Channel Refining Corporation. GreenHunter bought it in early 2007 and converted it into a biodiesel plant.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 16, 2008, 7:11 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Diesel, Energy Companies, Fuels & Technologies

September 11, 2008

Solazyme Says Its Algae-Based Jet Fuel Has Met Industry's Aviation-Fuel Specs

A biofuel used to propel a jetliner isn't new.

Virgin Atlantic used a biofuel made from babassul and coconut oils to power one of four engines of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet that flew from London to Amsterdam last February.

But a jet fuel derived from algae -- that is new. And Solazyme, a South San Francisco, Calif., company, says it has produced exactly that.

Solazyme said in a statement that its biofuel, as analyzed by the fuel analytical lab Southwest Research Institute, passed the 11 "most challenging specifications needed to meet the ASTM D1655 standard for Aviation Turbine Fuel."

Given that about 1.6 billion gallons of jet fuel are burned every month in the U.S. alone, generating tons of greenhouse-gas emissions and contributing to America's dependence on foreign oil, we wish Solazyme well in its effort to bring an algae-derived jet fuel to market.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 11, 2008, 1:02 PM
Categories:: Biofuels, Energy Companies

U.S. Oil Officials Who Handled Billions in Energy Royalties Allegedly Given Sex, Gifts

Government officials handling billions of dollars in oil royalties engaged in illicit sex with employees of energy companies they were dealing with and received numerous gifts from them, according to three reports released Wednesday by the Interior Department's inspector general.

The alleged transgressions involve 13 Interior Department employees in Denver and Washington. Their alleged improprieties include rigging contracts, working part-time as private oil consultants, and having sexual relationships with -- and accepting golf and ski trips and dinners from -- oil company employees.

The investigations reveal a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" by a small group of individuals "wholly lacking in acceptance of or adherence to government ethical standards," wrote Inspector General Earl E. Devaney (pictured ), who was appointed by President Clinton in 1999.

The reports describe a fraternity house atmosphere inside the Denver Minerals Management Service office responsible for marketing the oil and gas that energy companies barter to the government instead of making cash royalty payments for drilling on federal lands.

The government received $4.3 billion in such Royalty-in-Kind payments last year. The oil is then resold to energy companies or put in the nation's emergency stockpile.

Between 2002 and 2006, nearly a third of the 55-person staff in the Denver office received gifts and gratuities from oil and gas companies, the investigators found.

Devaney said the former head of the Denver Royalty-in-Kind office, Gregory W. Smith, used illegal drugs and had sex with subordinates. The report said Smith also steered government contracts to a consulting business that was employing him part-time.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 11, 2008, 8:15 AM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Oil

Influential EU Panel Votes to Cut Goal for Biofuels From Crops by 40 Percent

A key panel of European Union lawmakers voted today to lower a target for using traditional biofuels from crops in gasoline and diesel as part of the EU's plan to fight climate change.

The move could curb the growth of a market coveted by biofuels exporters such as Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The executive European Commission has proposed that 10 percent of all road transport fuel come from renewable sources by 2020, without specifying how much of that should be biofuels, renewable electricity or hydrogen.

Environmentalists attacked the policy, charging that biofuels produced from grains and oil seeds contribute to rising food prices and deforestation.

The European Parliament's influential industry committee endorsed the overall 10 percent target but voted that at least 40 percent of it be achieved with electricity or hydrogen from renewable sources, or second-generation biofuels from waste.

That would leave just 6 percent coming from traditional biofuels made from grains and other food stocks.

The committee's decision will likely serve as parliament's position in negotiations with the 27 EU member states later this year or in early 2009 to fine-tune the laws.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 11, 2008, 7:40 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Legislation

September 10, 2008

Toyota Launches UK Testing of Plug-In Prius Hybrids

Great Britain has become the net test-bed for Toyota's plug-in Prius hybrid, according to the automaker's European operating unit.

Building on a plug-in hybrid test program it began in France a year ago, Toyota of Europe said this morning that it has begun placing an unspecified number of plug-in Priuses with London-based EDF Energy.

The cars will be used by EDF employees as part of the electric utility's everyday company fleet in a test that will last more than a year, the companies said in a joint announcement.

The test is part of a nationwide pilot program aimed at evaluating the role electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, can play in a sustainable transportation network in the UK which, like other European nations, is working to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of its vehicle fleet and to find ways of reducing oil use.

Plug-ins, unlike pure electric vehicles, run in all-electric mode only part of the time and also use a conventional gasoline or diesel engine for propulsion.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 10, 2008, 8:03 AM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: EDF Energy

August 29, 2008

Daimler Taps Tesla Motors to Provide Batteries for Test Fleet of Electric Smart Cars

The Financial Times Germany reported today that Daimler has picked U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Motors to provide batteries for a 150-car test fleet of battery-powered Smart cars.

The Smart EVs, which will be made in England and sent to Berlin and other cities for testing, will contain lithium-ion batteries capable of propelling the cars 90 miles between charges.

The article also reports that Daimler has teamed with RWE, a major German utility, to install 500 charging stations throughout the German capital. Daimler will eventually expand the test fleet to 1,000 cars, the newspaper said.

Daimler did not immediately return calls seeking confirmation. Tesla's Darryl Siry declined to comment on the story at this time, but Tesla is no stranger to electric Smart cars.

We reported back in March that the company had a battery-powered Smart at its facility and speculated then that Tesla might have been angling for a conversion deal with the San Fransicsco-area Smart dealer.

Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche told another German newspaper recently that Mercedes-Benz will release an all-electric version of its Smart car in 2010.

Zetsche declined to discuss vehicle price, in part because Daimler has not decided yet whether or not to manufacture the electric motors itself.

Daimler currently has a first-generation fleet of 100 all-electric Smart cars being tested in London.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 29, 2008, 11:39 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Daimler, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Mercedes-Benz, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Daimler

August 22, 2008

Energy Politics Proving Difficult to Master

The New York Times reports today that the politics of energy are convoluted and volatile in Congressional campaigns across the U.S. this summer, as candidates search for a Goldilocks approach that is neither too hot nor too cold, and that voters will believe is sincere.

The pandering and waffling of candidates is producing a convergence of sorts around the idea that more is better, the Times reports, that an expansion of energy production from all sources and places will somehow fix things, lower prices and restore stability to the economy.

But the more complex components of the energy debate, from climate change to conservation, often get mostly lost in the drumbeat of simplified answers, leaving some voters more confused, or torn, than ever. The article is well worth the time it takes to read.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 22, 2008, 5:16 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Opinion

August 8, 2008

America's First Integrated Cellulosic and Starch Ethanol Refinery to Open Next Week

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

AE Biofuels Inc., a Silicon Valley energy-crops startup, announced today that it will open the nation's first integrated cellulose and starch ethanol demonstration refinery (right) on Monday.

The Butte, Montana, refinery is expected to produce up to 150,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually from local wheat straw, corn stover and other agricultural waste materials, said Rory Mackin, a spokesman for the Cupertino, California-based company.

The refinery will use a patent-pending enzymatic process (see graphics) to break down tough cellulosic materials into fermentable stands of sugar, Mackin said. If the technologies work as expected, AE Biofuels will likely expand the plant to produce 1.2 million gallons of ethanol annually, he said.

"The enzymes do work," Mackin told Green Car Advisor. "It's only a matter of getting them up to commercial scale," he said, adding that company scientists "may have to do some tweaking" of the enzymes for certain feedstocks to make that happen.

AE Biofuels' project comes amid a high-powered political push to reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels.

President Bush signed an energy bill last year that requires the use of 36 billion gallons of biofuels annually by 2022. The legislation includes specific targets for cellulosic ethanol, starting with 100 million gallons in 2010 and escalating sharply over a decade.

Major oil and chemical companies are responding.

On Wednesday, British Petroleum PLC said it would invest $90 million in Cambridge, Massachussets-based Verenium Corp. to research and develop cellulosic ethanol, a biofuel typically produced from the non-edible parts of plants

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 8, 2008, 12:12 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: AE Biofuels

August 1, 2008

Calif. Regulators Want Utility Customers To Be Able To See Electric Use in Real Time

California regulators today told Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to develop by 2011 a new pricing system that would let power customers view their consumption in real time.

Unless oil prices come back down to earth, a significant number of Californians will likely own or at least consider owning a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or a pure electric vehicle by then.

The new rate structure - the first of its kind nationwide - is meant to help conserve electricity at peak times by providing ratepayers with smart meters and cost data that detail use from hour to hour.

The decision might have national ramifications, because California regulations are often adopted by other states.

Under the order, PG&E must install the meters for all customers within four years and develop a pricing tool to manage electricity bills and meter operations.

The model would theoretically reward customers by giving them control over when they use electricity, charging them less when power is in plentiful supply and more when supplies are taxed.

State officials said the system would reduce energy use and help meet the state's greenhouse-gas emissions goals by taking more dirty power plants offline. The highest-polluting plants often run only during high-demand summer months in California.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 1, 2008, 3:25 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric

Obama Proposes Tapping Oil Company Profits to Fund Energy Rebates

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama today pushed for a windfall profits tax to fund $1,000 emergency rebate checks for consumers besieged by high energy costs, in response to Republican rival John McCain's call for more offshore drilling in coastal states like Florida.

The pitch for putting some of the economic burden of $4-a-gallon gasoline on the oil industry served a dual purpose for Obama: It allowed him to talk up an economic issue, seen by many as a strength for Democrats and a weakness for Republicans, and at the same time respond to criticism from McCain that Obama's opposition to offshore drilling leads to higher prices at the pump.

"As we provide relief, we must also be mindful of the swelling budget deficit," Obama said in a text provided by his campaign. "That is why I am proposing that we pay for this rebate by taxing the windfall profits of oil companies like Exxon Mobil - a company that announced yesterday that it made nearly $12 billion last quarter, more than any U.S. corporation has ever made in a single quarter.

"It's time," he added, "we used some of their record profits to help you pay record prices."

McCain, who was also in Florida today, said that "to get our economy running at full strength again, we need to stay focused on creating jobs for our people and protecting paychecks from the rising costs of food, gasoline and most everything else."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 1, 2008, 2:56 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Legislation, Oil

Exxon Again Posts Record Quarterly Profits, Enough to Buy 179,692 Escalades

At right, an Exxon oil tanker.

Exxon Mobil Corp. this week broke its own record for the highest quarterly profit for a U.S. company, joining other major oil companies in posting stronger earnings on the back of sky-high oil prices.

The average price of a barrel of oil was slightly less than $125 US during the second quarter, nearly double last year, which also increased earnings at Royal Dutch Shell, Eni and Repsol.

Exxon's second-quarter net income rose 14 percent to $11.68 billion in the quarter - enough money to buy 179,692 new Cadillac Escalades or 15.57 billion individual Snickers chocolate bars

Exxon earned more than $128 million a day, or nearly $1,500 every second during the quarter. That was after the company paid $4,100 a second in taxes and $14,700 a second in business expenses.

Exxon's quarterly profit would be sufficient to buy Ford Motor Co., Gap Inc. or Starbucks, each of which have market capitalizations of $11.67 billion

Exxon released its quarterly report on Thursday - 36 days after the U.S. Supreme Court slashed the $2.5 billion punitive damages award in the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster to $500 million.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett August 1, 2008, 7:54 AM
Categories:: Courts, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy