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PODCAST INSIDE RENEWABLE ENERGY
Advanced Renewable Energy Tariffs
On November 22nd, Ontario implemented its Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program, which sets a tariff for distributed generators feeding clean energy into the grid. The feed-in tariff is the first for renewable energy in North America since the early 80’s, when California designed one for wind developers.
IN FOCUS
Geothermal Energy Offers Socioeconomic Benefits According to a recent publication from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), people and communities around the country stand to benefit economically from the development of the geothermal energy industry. “Geothermal plants provide long-term, stable, well-paying jobs, produce nearly zero air emissions and associated health impacts, and supply millions of dollars to local, state, and federal economies through decades of reliable, renewable, consistent energy production,” reports Alyssa Kagel, author of A Handbook on the Externalities, Employment, and Economics of Geothermal Energy.
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RE TOP NEWS Policy, Predictions & the U.S. Renewable Energy Industry
by Sara Parker, Staff Writer
Members of Congress, corporate CEOs, government agency officials and representatives from prominent industry associations are converging on Capitol Hill today to discuss the next step in policy implementation and forecast how much renewable energy will contribute to U.S. energy supplies — by 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050.
Geothermal Energy to Play Vital Role in New Zealand’s Future
Construction on a 90-megawatt (MW), $275 million geothermal power plant in New Zealand is finally underway this week after four years of cumulative planning. The new power station, located in Kawerau in the eastern Bay of Plenty, will be the largest geothermal power development in New Zealand in over 20 years — and is expected to produce more energy annually than all of the country’s existing wind turbines, said Mighty River Power Chief Executive Doug Heffernan.
Wind-powered System Under Way to Purify Water
GE Global Research is partnering with Texas Tech University (TTU) to develop affordable water desalination systems to increase the quantity and quality of clean water in arid areas around the world.
ENDESA to Source 100 MW of PV Solar from Isofoton in Spain
ENDESA and Isofoton have signed a collaboration agreement to ensure that ENDESA has access to the equipment required to develop the solar powered facilities that the company plans to install between now and 2011.
DuPont Makes Bio-Based Product from Renewable Resources
DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLC, an equally owned joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle, announced the first commercial shipments of Bio-PDO from its $100 million facility in Tennessee, which produces 1,3-propanediol (Bio-PDO) from corn sugar, a renewable resource.
University Tests Renewable Fuels on GM-donated Vehicles
Research on renewable fuel will take place at Clarkson University of Potsdam, New York, using a donated Chevrolet Silverado and a GC Sierra pickup provided by General Motors (GM), announced the GS AgriFuels Corporation. The goal of the project is to fuel the GM vehicles with 100% bio-derived diesel-like fuel.
Plan Developed for Solar-to-Electricity Glass Windows
Octillion Corp.’s research and development initiatives are under way for the development of a patent-pending technology using nanosilicon photovoltaic (PV) solar cells that can convert normal home and office glass windows into ones capable of converting solar energy into electricity.
Environmental News Bits 