EU-DIGEST

Almere: For the first time, homes in the Netherlands are to be heated collectively with locally-generated solar energy. The solar island is in keeping with the urban planning for the residential area and will become an icon in the Almere landscape. The way the island works is simple: water in the solar collectors is heated by the sun’s rays. The heated water will then be pumped directly into the district heating network that will supply heating and hot tap water to the new residential area Noorderplassen-West. With a collector area of around 7,000 m2 the Sun Island will be the fourth largest solar collector field in the world.

The project is in keeping with the energy suppliers intention to make its energy supply innovative and sustainable. The solar island will supply 9.750 Gigajoules of sustainable energy annually. That is 10% of the district’s annual heating needs and equates to the energy used by taking a million showers. The remaining heat requirements will also be supplied by the energy supply company Nuon, using environmentally friendly residual heat from the nearby power plant in Almere.

In February 2008 Nuon and the municipality of Almere signed the contract to build Almere Sun Island. Construction started in September 2009. Completion is planned for the summer of 2010 and heat 2700 homes.

For more: Almere Sun Island, the fourth largest solar collector field in the world

Labels: Almere, Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Solar Power, The Netherlands

The European Union installed more new wind power capacity in 2009 than any other electricity-generating technology, according to a new analysis by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). Fully 39% of all new capacity installed last year in the EU was wind power, followed by gas (26%) and solar photovoltaics (16%). All told, renewable energy technologies accounted for 61% of new power generating capacity in Europe in 2009.

It was also clearly an ‘out with the old, in with the new’ year, as Europe decommissioned more coal and nuclear capacity than it installed in 2009. The coal power sector decommissioned 3,200 megawatts of capacity in 2009, while the nuclear sector cut 1,393 megawatts. The European Union’s total wind capacity has now reached 74,767 MW, with the potential to produce 163 TWh of electricity, meeting 4.8% of total EU power demand. Financing woes that were expected to set the industry back turned out to be much ado about nothing, as €13 billion ($18 billion) in investments were pumped into new European wind farms in 2009, including €1.5 billion ($2 billion) offshore.

This was the second year in a row that Europe installed more wind power capacity than any other electricity-generating technology, and also the second year running that renewable energies have accounted for the majority of new investments. Germany held onto its lead role as the EU country with the largest installed capacity, followed by Spain, Italy, France and the UK.

“It is a remarkable result in a difficult year” said Christian Kjaer, CEO of EWEA. “The figures, once again, confirm that wind power, together with other renewable energy technologies and a shift from coal to gas, are delivering massive European carbon reductions, while creating much needed economic activity and new jobs for Europe’s citizens.” Looking ahead to 2010, Kjaer added: “I am quite optimistic about the medium-term outlook for wind power in Europe, but project finance is still tight and it is clear that more orders must be announced in the coming months for the sector to repeat the 10 GW installed this year.”

For more: European Union Beats Expectations, Grows Wind Power Capacity in 2009 | Brendan Demelle

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Windpower

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Windpower

For the complete report from the Tallahassee Democrat click on this link

Florida will not be left out of this opportunity to find short- and long-term economic development for our sluggish economy and ailing business community. Two dozen Floridians — at their own expense — will make the trip with a mission to bring home ideas, business prospects, technology, relationships, financing and, most importantly, jobs for Florida.

Local delegates on the Green Jobs for Florida mission include: # Rob Szumowski of North Highland and Highland Worldwide. With a Tallahassee office of 25 employees and other offices in Florida, this strategic management and consulting firm is growing its business and navigating the new low-carbon economy for its clients. # Randy Hanna, managing partner of Bryant Miller Olive and the past chair of the Tallahassee Area Chamber of Commerce. He seeks to grow high-tech, low-carbon business and green jobs for Leon County and position the 40-year-old law firm for the economy of the future. # Olaf Roed from Green Circle Bio Energy, in Cottondale. Green Circle is the world's largest wood pellet plant. The pellets supply power generators for co-firing in coal fired power plants and reduce carbon emissions. The delegates will be able ambassadors for the Sunshine State.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Economy, EU, Florida, US

For the complete report from the Post Gazette click on this link

Alternative Energy Creates Jobs: 'Green jobs' supported at US Senate hearing held in Pittsburgh - by Don Hopey

Clean energy and the "green jobs" attached to it enjoyed wide support in testimony at a U.S. Senate hearing in Pittsburgh yesterday, but differences remain about how and how quickly federal policies should push those goals. Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., who hosted the hearing, acknowledged those tensions between "competing interests" in Pennsylvania coal, natural gas and alternative energy industries as the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee began work on legislation titled "Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act," introduced earlier this month.

Michael Peck, North American spokesman for Gamesa USA, a Spanish wind turbine manufacturer with factories and 850 employees in Pennsylvania, urged establishment of a national standard mandating 12 percent renewable energy by 2012. That would send a strong message to investors and boost demand and job creation, he said.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Job Market

EU-Digest

Gearless Wind Turbines getting a Big Boost

Conventional wind turbines have an Achilles heel in the form of their clunky and expensive gearboxes. Gearboxes act as the middleman to convert the slow rotations of wind turbine blades into the faster rotations needed for generators to create electricity. The downside of such gears comes from their high-maintenance requirements due to constant stress from wind turbulence.But that could all change soon. By contrast, the turbine design of more advanced turbines connects the rotor shaft directly to the generator. The slower rotational speed gets offset by the presence of magnets that spin around at a larger diameter -- and hence higher speed -- to produce more current in the generator coil. Such direct-drive generators currently cost more than gearbox turbines at installation, and represent a 15 to 20 percent heavier load. But the future payoff may come from eliminating the repair costs and downtime associated with gearboxes -- a very important consideration for offshore turbines beyond easy reach.

For more information on direct drive wind turbines click on this link

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Offshore Windparks, US

For the complete report from the WSJ.com click on this link

Iberdrola to Boost U.S. Wind-Energy Investment - by Keith Johnson and Russell Gold

Iberdrola SA, the Spanish renewable-energy giant, says it will spend $2 billion it raised Tuesday in a bond issue to keep growing in the U.S. The company is already the second-largest wind-farm operator in the U.S., after Florida-based FPL Group Inc.'s NextEra Energy. The cash will strengthen Iberdrola's push to build more wind farms in the U.S., the world's largest market for wind power. The announcement seemed designed to damp criticism from congressional Republicans and conservative commentators about the amount of U.S. government money Iberdrola is getting under a new federal renewable-energy subsidy program. When the federal government handed out $502 million in cash grants last week, Iberdrola received a majority of the funds--$294 million --for five projects in Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

"American capital, supported by the government's plans, is being invested in America and creating wealth and jobs in the country, thanks to Iberdrola," Iberdrola Chairman Ignacio Sanchez Galan said in a video posted on the company's Web site.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Iberdrola, US, Windfarms

EU-Digest

Alternative Energy is here to stay: China is planning to set up seven wind power bases

The vice-president of the Chinese Wind Energy Association announced recently that China is planning to set up seven wind power bases - with a minimum capacity of 10 GW each - by 2020. That means each wind power base will generate more than double the power that's expected to be generated at T. Boone Pickens' wind farm in Texas. Certainly for those who invest in turbine manufacturers, this kind of continued support for wind energy in China could prove to be quite lucrative. But this opportunity is not limited to only China. Whether you believe it's the right thing or not, governments around the world are facilitating the wind energy industry's early growth, not only by offering direct support for research, testing and development. . .but also by building electric infrastructures to enable the transmission of new wind power generation. The fossil fuel economy is being phased out.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, China, Oil Industry, World Economy

For the complete report from RedOrbit click on this link

Alternative Energy - Unleashing The Power In Your Beer

Wolfgang Bengel, the technical director at German biomass company BMP Biomass Project, saw a business opportunity in solving the breweries’ grain waste headache. He reasoned that the leftover grain could be used to create steam and biogas, which would provide energy for the breweries, cheapening their energy costs as well as their costs of transporting grain to farms. Bengel has successfully treated the residue from rice and sugar cane in boilers with atmospheric fluidized bed combustion systems, to produce energy in China and Thailand, and Bengel thought a similar process could be developed for the breweries’ spent wet grain. Water would first have to be removed from the wet spent grain, the grain would have to be dried and then burned to produce energy. “Beer making is energy intensive – you boil stuff, use hot water and steam and then use electric energy for cooling – so if you recover more than 50 percent of your own energy costs from the spent grain that’s a big saving,” says Bengel. BMP turned to a long-standing business partner, fellow German biogas plant specialist INNOVAS, which had worked with it in China, to help develop the method as a EUREKA project.Germany’s BISANZ, which works on engineering projects, was also enlisted, as was Slovakian partner Adato, which designs boilers.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, beer, biomass, EU

For the complete report from TreeHugger click on this link

540 MW Wind Farm Proposed for Shetland Islands - - by Matthew McDermott

If all goes well the Shetland Islands will have quite a wind power feather in their cap: Viking Energy (a joint venture between the Shetland community and Scottish and Southern Energy) has submitted an application for a 540 MW wind farm, to be built on the central mainland of Shetland. The wind farm is expected to take up about 250 hectares, consist of 150 turbines of 90 meters in height. Estimated cost is about euro 850 million ($1.25 billion). Expected revenue over the lifetime of the project is anticipated to be about euro 28 million ($36 million) per year. Construction could begin as soon as 2011 and be completed by 2016.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Scotland, Wind Power

For the complete report from the NYTimes.com click on this link

When Chicago’s mayor, Richard Daley, visited Germany some years ago, he was struck by the concept of “green roofs” — flourishing gardens atop homes and businesses. He came back to Chicago and founded the most ambitious green roof program in the United States.Edward Regan, an assistant general manager at Gainesville Regional Utilities in Florida, spent 10 days in Germany last year on a trip with other utility executives. Among the things that struck him were Germany’s “feed-in tariffs” — requirements that utilities pay a fixed, above-market price to producers of renewable power. Upon returning to the United States, Gainesville implemented the first citywide feed-in tariff in the United States.

It makes sense for the United States to search abroad for expertise, because Europe has taken the lead in ushering in the new-energy revolution. Germany enacted feed-in tariffs in 1991. It now leads the world in the production of solar power, despite ample cloud cover. For Americans — raised in a culture of large cars and large houses, in which the cost of energy is an afterthought — seeing how the other half lives can be illuminating.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU

For details about the September Biomathane Conference in Sweden click on this link

European Biomethane Fuel Conference in Goteborg Sweden 7-9 September

Presentations will include best practice from Sweden, France, Switzerland, Italy and beyond, insights on the gas vehicle market, on the on-coming European Commission policies and vision, expertise in the production, upgrading and distribution of biomethane, and details of assistance available for those considering biomethane projects. The conference also offers the opportunity to participate in study visits to see projects first hand, and to discuss with those having hands-on experience. Above all, the event will represent an excellent opportunity to meet and network with a wide range of stakeholders involved in the production and use of biomethane, both informally and also through our expert panel sessions.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, biomass, Economy, EU

For the NYTimes.com click on this link

Europe’s Way of Encouraging Solar Power Arrives in the U.S. - by Kate Galbrath

Solar cells adorn the roofs of many homes and warehouses across Germany, while the bright white blades of wind turbines are a frequent sight against the sky in Spain. Put simply, the idea is to pay homeowners and businesses top dollar for producing green energy. In Germany, for example, a homeowner with a rooftop solar system may be paid four times more to produce electricity than the rate paid to a coal-fired power plant. This month Gainesville, Fla., became the first city in the United States to introduce higher payments for solar power, which is otherwise too expensive for many families or businesses to install. City leaders, who control their electric utility, unanimously approved the policy after studying Germany’s solar-power expansion.

If one day these machines become as common on the plains and rooftops of the United States as they are abroad, it may be because the financing technique that gave Europe an early lead in renewable energy is starting to cross the Atlantic.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Solar Power

For additional information go to http://www.europehouse.com/aenergy

Wind: America's Fastest-Growing Renewable Energy source

U.S. wind energy production has doubled in just two years. It now provides more than 20,000 MW of generating capacity, enough to serve 5.3 million homes or to power one million plug-in hybrid vehicles. In 2007, 35 percent of all the new electricity generation installed in the U.S. -- over 5,200 megawatts (MW) -- was wind. Its growth is second only to natural gas. Then in September 2008, the U.S. surpassed Germany to lead the world in wind energy production. When 2008 came to a close, the industry added 7,000 to 7, 500 more megawatts. And now that industry incentives have been extended with the recent passage of a new energy bill, wind power is on track to reach the 30,000-MW milestone sometime in 2009.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Germany, US, Wind Power

For the complete report from the WSJ.com click on this link

Europe Looks to Alternative Sources for Energy

As Europe counts the cost of Russia's latest gas shut-off, there are signs it could give a boost to alternative sources of gas that currently play a minor role in the Continent's energy balance. Russia's OAO Gazprom closed off all deliveries of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Wednesday, wreaking havoc on the economies of southeastern Europe and affecting gas supplies as far west as France and Germany. Thousands of households in Bulgaria were left without central heating, and industrial plants across the region were forced to reduce gas consumption, with some shuttering completely.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU

The anaerobic digestion process producing biogas

For more information click on this link

The Netherlands - Zeewolde - Cow manure energy plant to supply heat for 3000 homes

On Wednesday January the 7th, inhabitants of a new housing development project in the rural Dutch City of Zeewolde, Province of Flevoland, got their homes heated by "green energy" produced from cow manure. The energy comes from biogas, produced by a process know as anaerobic digestion. At Zeewolde's new plant the raw materials for the digestion process are mainly supplied by local cattle farms. The gas from this digestion plant goes some 5 km's via pipeline to the heat producing energy plant in Zeewolde with an electrical capacity of 1.3 megawatts. By the end of this year some 3000 homes will get their heat from this process.

Biogas is a mixture of gases, usually carbon dioxide and methane. It is produced by a few kinds of microorganisms, mainly when either air or oxygen is absent. Animals that eat a lot of plant material, particularly grazing animals, such as cattle, produce large amounts of biogas, which can be turned into energy. Most plants of the Zeewolde kind use raw material consisting of 50% liquid and solid manure, with the remaining proportion made up on the basis of maize and various other organic products.

There are approximately 60 biogas plants currently operating in the Netherlands, with a forecasted potential of some 400 additional plants.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Flevoland, The Netherlands, Zeewolde

For the complete report from Sermitsiaq click on this link

Methane gas: Abundant alternative energy can be harnassed from the frozen tundra

New research shows that greenhouse gases are see out from the frozen tundra of the Arctic every winter at an unprecedented rate. The release may help to explain the greenhouse effect, according to new studies from the Zackenberg research station in north-eastern Greenland Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, which may have an even greater effect on the climate than carbon dioxide. The results may provide another clue to the greenhouse effect and global warming.The study concludes that eight to ten million tons of methane gas is discharged from the high Arctic regions (Greenland, Alaska, Canada and Siberia) annually, more than double previous estimates.

Note EU-Digest: A consortium of government and oil industry scientists are preparing to drill and tap one of the largest potential energy sources ever discovered at the edge of the Alaskan permafrost area, and one that few people have ever heard of: flammable ice crystals packed with hydrocarbons, called methane gas hydrates. The project, a joint effort between BP, the United States Geo­logi­cal Survey (USGS), and the Department of Energy is set to begin in late 2009 or 2010 and marks the first large-scale production test of this unconventional substance.The vast field could hold as much as 85 trillion cubic feet of gas – an amount far less than the dream scenarios put forward in the past, but still massive. Even more important, such movement makes the possibility of getting at the mother lode of hydrate resources – those located offshore – increasingly realistic.

International and industry researchers will watch the progress of the BP/USGS test. It may, if things go well, turn gas hydrates from curiosity to solid energy policy.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Artic Circle, Methane Gas

For the complete report from ThaIndian click on this link

Indian industry taking to green technologies with relish

Indian entrepreneurs are taking to green technologies with a relish and do not see intellectual property rights (IPR) as a barrier, a new international study has found.Co-author of the study, David Ockwell of the University of Sussex in Britain, said that he had found Indian industry driving collaborations with firms around the world to work jointly on developing green technologies in the five areas studied:
* Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) for power generation;
* Energy efficient technology adoption in Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), specifically the glass and foundry industries;
* Wind energy;
* Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells; and
* Hybrid vehicles

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, India

For the complete report from the OilVoice click on this link

DONG Energy to Build New Windmills at Avedøre Holme

DONG Energy has decided to invest in the construction of three new windmills at the Avedøre plant in Hvidovre outside Copenhagen. The project, which will attain a combined between 10 and 15 MW, will be built in two stages, with two windmills coming into operation in 2009 and one in 2010. The total anticipated investment is euro 24.82 million(DKK 185 million). In connection with the building of the three new windmills between 20 and 100 metres out to sea, 13 old windmills - which are situated on land and have a combined capacity of less than 5 MW - will be disassembled.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Offshore Wind Energy

For the complete report from the Sustainable Future click on this link

New Energy Economy: Energy Economy Emerging in the USA - by Lester R.Brown

As fossil fuel prices rise, as oil insecurity deepens, and as concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new energy economy is emerging in the United States. The old energy economy, fueled by oil, coal, and natural gas, is being replaced by one powered by wind, solar, and geothermal energy. The transition is moving at a pace and on a scale that we could not have imagined even a year ago. Consider Texas. Long the leading oil-producing state, it is now also the leading generator of electricity from wind, having overtaken California two years ago. Texas now has nearly 6,000 megawatts of wind-generating capacity online and a staggering 39,000 megawatts in the construction and planning stages. When all this is completed, Texas will have 45,000 megawatts of wind-generating capacity (think 45 coal-fired power plants). This will more than satisfy the residential needs of the state’s 24 million people, enabling Texas to feed electricity to nearby states such as Louisiana and Mississippi.

After Texas and California, the other leaders among the 30 states with commercial-scale wind farms are Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, and Colorado. And other states are emerging as wind superpowers. Clipper Windpower and BP are teaming up to build the 5,050-megawatt Titan wind farm, the world’s largest, in eastern South Dakota. Already under development, Titan will generate five times as much electricity as the state’s 780,000 residents currently use. This project includes building a transmission line along an abandoned rail line across Iowa, feeding electricity into Illinois and the country’s industrial heartland.

TO ORDER OUR SPECIAL REPORT ON WINDMILL POWER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE US, INCLUDING MANY LINKS TO RESOURCES CLICK ON THIS LINK

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Offshore Wind Energy, US, Windpower

For the complete report from the International Energy agency in Vienna click on this link

IAE estimates 50% of global electricity supplies from alternative resources by 2050

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that nearly 50% of global electricity supplies will have to come from renewable energy sources if we want to halve CO2 emissions by 2050 in order to minimise significant and irreversible climate change impacts. This is a huge challenge and part of the entire energy revolution we need to achieve. Meeting these very ambitious objectives will require unprecedented political commitment and effective policy design and implementation. “Only a limited set of countries have implemented effective support policies for renewables and there is a large potential for improvement”, said Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the IEA today in Berlin at the launch of the new study, Deploying Renewables: Principles for Effective Policies. “Several countries have made important progress in recent years in fostering renewables, with renewable energy markets expanding considerably as a result. However, much more can and should be done at the global level - in OECD member countries, large emerging economies and other countries - to address the urgent need of transforming our unsustainable energy present into a clean and secure energy future.” In this publication, the IEA has for the first time carried out a comparative analysis of the performance of the various renewables promotion policies around the world. The study encompasses 35 countries, including - all OECD members and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and addresses the three relevant sectors electricity production, heating and transport.

In 2005, these 35 countries accounted for 80% of total global commercial renewable electricity generation, 77% of commercial renewable heating/cooling (excluding the use of traditional biomass) and 98% of renewable transport fuel production.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU

For the complete report from the Miami Herald click on this link

Alternative Energy-Vodou shrub is alternative fuel - by Jacqueline Charles

For generations, Vodou practitioners in rural Haiti have sworn by the mystic qualities of Jatropha, an indigenous plant believed to purge evil spirits and release the trapped souls of the dead. But the shrub may soon be in bigger demand among the living. Jatropha shows tremendous promise as a source of biofuel in Latin America and the Caribbean, and especially Haiti, which suffers from chronic shortages of diesel fuel, electricity -- just about everything except Jatropha. In June, Miami hosted a Jatropha World 2008 Conference that trumpeted the plant's properties. And later this week, alternative fuel sources such as Jatropha will likely share the spotlight again at an energy panel during the annual Americas Conference in Miami.It has been known for decades that the oil-producing seeds of the Jatropha curcas, once they are crushed and processed, can be a potent source of energy. But now the so-called ''miracle plant'' is sparking heightened interest as oil prices skyrocket and reports filter out of India and Nepal of power plants there being fueled by Jatropha.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Haiti

US urges EU to diversify energy supplies - International Herald Tribune

"US urges EU to diversify energy supplies

BRUSSELS, Belgium: Russia's fight with Georgia has added new urgency to the Europe Union's need to find alternatives to Russian oil and gas imports, the new U.S. ambassador to the EU said Monday.

"Russia's willingness to defy the international community, act in violation of international law, (and) be threatening in its neighborhood is a reminder of why progress on this issue is so important," ambassador Kristen Silverberg said."

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Energy, EU

For the complete report from CNNMoney click on this link

Alternative Energy - BlackLight's physics-defying promise: Cheap power from water - by Mina Kimes

Imagine being able to convert water into a boundless source of cheap energy. That's what BlackLight Power, a 25-employee firm in Cranbury, N.J., says it can do. The only problem: Most scientists say that company's technology violates the basic laws of physics. Such skepticism doesn't daunt Dr. Randell Mills, a Harvard-trained physician and founder of BlackLight, who recently claimed that he has created a working fuel cell using the world's most pervasive element: the hydrogen found in water. "This is no longer an academic argument," Mills, 50, insists. "It's proven technology, and we're going to commercialize it as quickly as possible."

Mills' theory, which he expounds upon in his self-published 2,000 page book, The Grand Unified Theory of Classical Quantum Mechanics, rests on what he describes as his discovery of the hydrino - an altered version of hydrogen that has an energy level lower than its ground state, or the baseline energy level. These modified atoms, he argues, are the stuff that comprises dark matter, the invisible material that many scientists believe composes more than 90% of the universe. The mechanism that creates hydrinos - a chemical reaction whose released energy can allegedly be harnessed for power - is what Mills calls the BlackLight Process. Why do scientists give Mills so much heat? By positing that a molecule's energy level can dip below its ground state, he rewrites the principles of quantum mechanics, which are widely viewed as incontrovertible. Perhaps the most widely-known critique of his theory was published by Andreas Rathke of the European Space Agency, who argues that Mills' mathematics is flawed.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources

For the complete report from Forbes.com click on this link

The Saudi Arabia Of Solar Energy - by William Pentland

In the wake of the first Gulf War, the U.S. Army assessed Saudi Arabia's solar energy resource potential in a classified effort to determine how oil fires had affected the region. The results were clear and surprising. In addition to being a vast petroleum repository, the desert nation was also the heart of the most potentially productive region on the planet for harvesting power from the sun. In other words, Saudi Arabia was the Saudi Arabia of solar energy. With the cost of oil skyrocketing, this belt is attracting the attention of a growing number of European leaders, who are embracing an ambitious proposal to harvest this solar energy for their nations.The Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation, or TREC, is the brainchild of a consortium led by the controversial Club of Rome and includes influential members like the German Aerospace Bureau and several universities in Europe and the Middle East.

TREC is spearheading a political initiative to build a so-called transmission supergrid by concentrating solar thermal power plants, wind turbines and long distance power lines to supply energy to Europe. The proposed power plants would simultaneously provide energy to seawater desalination plants in the Middle East and North Africa. While the wild-eyed scheme might seem better suited for conspiracy theories than reality, it has attracted a growing number of impressive and powerful backers. In 2007, Prince El Hassan of Jordan, who has called for implementing the plan with an Apollo-like program, presented the plan during a European Union parliamentary session. Nicolas Sarkozy, the recently elected President of France, and U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown have both publicly endorsed the supergrid project in recent weeks. In July, Sarkozy hosted the inaugural meeting of the "Union for the Mediterranean" in Paris. The Union, which seeks to promote relations between North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, considers TREC's solar energy proposal one of its top priorities. Meanwhile, the escalating conflict in Georgia, which has exposed the extent of Europe's energy insecurity, has undoubtedly increased the TREC plan's appeal.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU

For the complete report from TIMEMagazine click on this link

Recycling Food Scraps - by Bryan Walsh

It's still a rare service in the U.S.--less than 3% of the more than 30 million tons of organic waste the US produces annually is recycled. "This represents a great opportunity in the world of waste," says Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition. "We just think about this stuff as garbage, but there's so much we can do with it."

Financially, organic recycling is a no-brainer. It's cheaper in many areas to recycle food waste than to consign it to valuable landfill space, and the compost can be sold as organic fertilizer.

Note EU-Digest: Recycled food scraps mixed with cow manure can also be turned into energy by the anaerobic digestion process which occurs in two stages. For additional information contact MMA@europehouse.com

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources

For the complete report from the Deutsche Welle click on this link

Europeans Plan Floating Windmills for North Sea

They are loathed as blights on the landscape and menaces to migrating birds. But a new partnership between two European innovators could create wind turbines that can float on the ocean's surface. Norwegian energy group Norsk Hydro and German engineering firm Siemens recently announced that they have joined forces to research and build a floating wind turbine. Currently, windmills have to be built on land or in shallow off-shore seabed sites, where they often generate complaints that they spoil the landscape, and concerns that the turbines batter birdlife. A floating windmill could be placed far out at sea. Hydro hopes to have a prototype operating in the North Sea by 2009. It is projected to cost 200 million Norwegian kroner (25.2 million euros or $34.3 million), although the project's finances have yet to be agreed on. Hydro has already spent 30 million kroner on developing its floatation technology. Siemens says it will spend several million euros on the project over the next two years. If all goes well, the partnership is hoping to have an off-shore wind energy field set up by 2013, using 5 megawatt wind turbines.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Wind Power

ClimateChangeCorp.com: "For the complete report from the ClimateChangeCorp click on this link

EU heads towards mandatory Eco-labelling - by Armin Mayer

Brussels policy-makers are planning a far-reaching expansion of mandatory labelling and “eco-design” requirements in the European Union, as part of a push to cut carbon dioxide emissions, resource use and waste.

The existing labeling scheme for energy-using products such as washing machines and refrigerators will be extended to all manufactured consumer goods, from windows and bathtubs to shoes and clothing. The EU’s voluntary “flower” or “eco-label”, which can be found on consumer goods such as detergents and shampoos with a low environmental impact, will also be simplified in an effort to cover more products.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Environment: climate change

For the complete report from Reuters please click on this link

Wind power could make Norway Europe's battery - by Alister Doyle

Norway could become "Europe's battery" by developing huge sea-based wind parks costing up to $44 billion by 2025, Norway's Oil and Energy Minister said on Monday. Norway's Energy Council, comprising business leaders and officials, said green exports could help the European Union reach a goal of getting 20 percent of its electricity by 2020 from renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydro or wave power.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Europe, Norway

For the complete report from AFP click on this link

Germany touts wood residue, straw and sour milk as biofuel sources

Rapeseed and sugar cane are out, making way for wood, straw and curdled milk to play key roles as future biofuel energy sources that would not starve the planet by taking over land need for food. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was on hand Thursday with the heads of automakers Daimler and Volkswagen to inaugurate what was billed as the world's first refinery of "second generation" biofuels in the eastern city of Freiberg. Merkel hailed the "hand-in-hand work by the political, economic and scientific sectors." The Choren group hopes to produce 18 million litres of biodiesel carburant there each year using wood residues. Its project has high-profile backing from Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell in addition to the two world-class German auto manufacturers.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Germany

For the complete report from Bloomberg.com click on this link

Donnelly Says U.S. Should Boost Alternative Energy Development - Courtney Schlisserman

The U.S. needs to put more effort into developing alternative energy sources, Indiana Representative Joe Donnelly said in the Democratic Party's weekly radio address. Donnelly hailed the US House of Representative's passage last week of the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act. He also praised the bill President George W. Bush signed into law in December requiring biofuel production be increased to 36 billion gallons in 2022 from 7.5 billion in 2012.

``While these are positive first steps, we must remember that a successful solution requires a diverse portfolio of energy sources,'' Donnelly, from Indiana, said. ``The benefits of energy independence go beyond leaving our children a cleaner environment. By relying on American ingenuity and not oil country dictators, we would create new jobs and make our country more secure.''

> For additional information on small scale alternative energy solutions for live-stock farms with a focus on bio-gas ( methane), applying the latest and best European technologies contact: mma@europehouse.com

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, US

For the complete report from PARADE Magazine click on this link

Wind Power - Europe has embraced commercial wind energy - by Wendy Williams

Getting energy from the wind IS nothing new. Indeed, the idea is as old as the invention of a sail to move boats. The Romans used windmills to grind grain, and the Dutch used them to keep back the sea. Early ranches in America commonly used windmills to pump water and even, in the early 20th century, to generate electricity.Support for wind power is growing in the US Congress. When the Cape Wind project in MA first was proposed in 2001, few elected officials knew much about wind energy. Today, however, wind turbines are much more accepted. Among the states where they are most common—Texas, California, Minnesota and Iowa—support for wind energy is very strong. The growth of the industry has been promoted by the federal government in the form of tax credits. But many agree that more could be done. Al Benson, a natural-gas expert formerly with the U.S. Department of Energy, worries that America may be losing its edge in energy technology. “We need to encourage investment in new ideas,” he warns. “We need to try new things.” The lack of a long-term federal policy encouraging wind power has meant that manufacturing projects are moving to China, says Randall Swisher, head of the American Wind Energy Association. He notes that one important wind-turbine company has six factories in China—and none in the U.S.

Europe has embraced commercial wind energy. Some examples: • Denmark produces 20% of its electric power from wind and plans to double that figure over the next few decades. • In Germany, nearly 19,000 wind turbines cover the country, generating 5% of its electricity. It will start building hundreds of new turbines in the North and Baltic seas next year. • Britain hopes to build 7000 wind turbines—enough to power all the nation’s houses—by 2020.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, US, Windpower

A methane gas powered generator producing electricity

Click on this link for additional information

Rick Morren, president of Morren Mondial Associates, Inc., (MMA), an International Business Development Corporation with offices in Maine and Florida has been tirelessly promoting the use of alternative energy resources around the US, the Caribbean and Turkey. Most recently his focus has been on methods which collect methane gas and keep it out of the atmosphere, by using the gas to produce energy. Morren who is a Dutch citizen says, "Cow dung mixed with other organic materials,like logging trims, agricultural or fish industry leftovers can be turned into energy at a relative low cost. It is being done in many areas of Europe and there is no reason why it can not be done elsewhere. "An added benefit to producing this energy", he says,"is that it also stops the methane created by decaying waste from escaping into the atmosphere and warming the planet.

"A single farm with an average number of live-stock could supply electricity to about 15 to 20 homes throughout the year. On a large scale this might seem like a drop in the bucket", said Morren, "but on a small scale, it does make a difference."

MMA has several exclusive turn-key agreements with alternative energy technology companies in Europe including; Germany (this agreement in partnership with Euro Trust Investments, USA, Inc.); Austria (MMA agreement); Netherlands (MMA agreement) and Switzerland (MMA agreement). "All these companies", says Morren, "can provide MMA clients with the technology and expertise to implement bio-mass generating capabilities anywhere in the world. This technology cuts the cost on the use of energy, reduces green-house gas emissions and dependency on fossil fuels. Cow dung can smell sweet when it cuts your energy costs."
For additional information contact: mma@europehouse.com

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, biomass, Caribbean, Economy, Latin America, Russia; US, Turkey

For the complete report from USATODAY.com click on this link

What is holding the US Government back on imposing energy mandates for the US while individual US states are already weaning back from fossil fuels?

More than 20 US states already have requirements for converting a portion of their electricity production to renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar or biomass. Most set deadlines that kick in several years from now, but some are already reducing greenhouse gases and replacing foreign energy supplies. It's curious, then, that the same guy who signed that bill as governor of Texas — George W. Bush — is now the enemy of a plan that would impose a similar requirement across the USA. Utilities have argued that mandates would cost consumers money, but independent studies — including one by the Energy Information Administration — show the opposite. Switching even modestly to renewables would reduce demand for natural gas and push down its price.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, US

For the complete report from the Guardian/The Observer click on this link

How Africa's desert sun can bring Europe power - by Robert McKie

The EU is considering plans to spend more than euro 7 bn on a string of giant solar power stations along the Mediterranean desert shores of northern Africa and the Middle East. More than a hundred of the generators, each fitted with thousands of huge mirrors, would generate electricity to be transmitted by undersea cable to Europe and then distributed across the continent to European Union member nations, including Britain. Billions of watts of power could be generated this way, enough to provide Europe with a sixth of its electricity needs and to allow it to make significant cuts in its carbon emissions. At the same time, the stations would be used as desalination plants to provide desert countries with desperately needed supplies of fresh water.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU

For the complete report from the guelphmercury.com click on this link

"Traditional composters -- the one you've got in your backyard and the one we used to have in Guelph, Canada -- use air to break down food, and give off carbon dioxide. In this system, called aerobic, organics rot quickly at high temperatures for a week or more. The temperatures then drop and the harder-to-decompose materials break down until the compost stabilizes -- a process called curing. Less common, anaerobic systems don't use oxygen, and produce methane as food scraps break down. This methane can be captured and used to heat homes or run cars. Toronto runs one of the country's only anaerobic digesters -- at its Dufferin composting facility. It's been working so well, the facility is being doubled in size and a second is being built near the airport, said Brian van Opstal, Toronto's acting manager of operational planning for solid waste. Toronto's situation is unique -- there's no space in the city for an aerobic composter, which requires a large pad for curing. So the city does the initial anaerobic steps in Dufferin, then ships the material out of town for curing. Mr. van Opstal said "It's impossible for me to say it's the way to go for everyone, but we can say the Dufferin facility shows conclusively that anaerobically digesting household waste is very feasible,". At the Dufferin plant, a tonne of organics creates 110 cubic metres of so-called biogas. That gas produces about 660 kilowatt hours of energy. "This technology, is used around Europe to squeeze every drop out of waste, he said."

For information on the sale of biogas turnkey operations or other alternative energy resources contact: Morren Mondial Associates Inc. at: mma@europehouse.com

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources

EU-Digest report on British Renewable Energy Conference in Miami

British organize renewable energy conference in Miami

Yesterday the UK Trade and Investment arm of the British Consulate General in Miami organized a most successful conference on next generation renewable energy, attended by approximately 200 people. The varied program included presentations on Trends in next generation biofuels; Power generation from renewable resources; Greenhouse gas mitigation strategies; and Clean energy finance trends. Sponsors of the event were Akerman Senterfitt (Florida's largest law group), The FPL Group (Electricity power company in Florida with annual revenues of more than $11.8 billion), MGM International (a leading company which develops projects that generate emission reductions) and The climate Group (an independent, non-profit organization, dedicated to international action on climate change).

The conference did not include actual representatives of European Union manufacturers of alternative energy equipment, which are presently considered the most advanced in the world.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Britain, EU

For the complete report from Gulfnews click on this link

Alternative energy use 'can check oil-related inflation' - by Saifur Rahma

The use of alternative, or 'green' energy could help oil importing countries tackle oil-related inflation, analysts say, as oil prices hover well above $80 per barrel. In the short to medium term, prices are likely to touch the psychological $100 mark. "Most oil importing countries need to seek alternative energy and ensure lesser use of energy to sustain growth," said an analyst, requesting anonymity.

The world oil supply increased by 415,000 barrels a day in September, to average 85.1 million barrels a day, according to the International Energy Agency. Of this, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) produces about a third, while more than 50 million barrels are produced by the rest.Although global oil product demand remains virtually unchanged at 85.9 million barrels in 2007 (a rise of 1.5 per cent over 2006) and 88 million barrels in 2008 (a rise of 2.4 per cent), the speculative elements in the international oil trade are going to use any excuses to push the prices up - something analysts feel, needed to be fixed.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Oil, World Economy

For the complete report in Physorg.com click on this link

Cutting greenhouse gases: wood chips in, alcohol out

A new research effort involving three University of California campuses and West Biofuels LLC, will develop a prototype research reactor that will use steam, sand and catalysts to efficiently convert forest, urban, and agricultural “cellulosic” wastes that would otherwise go to landfills into alcohol that can be used as a gasoline additive.

The new biofuels research project was inspired by California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, which was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2006. The act requires a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in California by 2025. Substituting biomass fuel for petroleum would help California achieve its goal. The two-year UC project is funded with a $1.85 million grant from West Biofuels LLC, a San Rafael, CA, company that is developing the biomass-to-alcohol technology, and a $1.15 million state-funded UC Discovery Grant.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources

For the complete report in the Rockford Register Star click on this link

European wind power companies grow in U.S. - by Alan Siebel

New worries about the environment, technology advances and tax break extensions are empowering European wind energy companies to try their luck in the United States.

The U.S. has led the world in installing new wind turbines for the past two years, but it still ranks behind Germany and slightly below Spain in wind power production, according to the Global Wind Energy Council.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, European technology, Windpower

Denhaan's goes green, everybody wins - by Heather Killen

Denhaan’s operation in Lawrencetown is giving a new meaning to green tomatoes. Luke Denhaan, operational manager, said a new biomass heating system installed two years ago at the Fitch Rd. greenhouse is not just paying for itself, but is paying dividends to the local economy, and the environment.

The operation employs between 25 and 50 people throughout the year, and produces nearly two million pounds of tomatoes that are sold throughout Atlantic Canada. With oil prices so unstable, it was no longer feasible to continue heating the operation using fossil fuels. Denhaan said that the new state of the art biomass system guarantees the facility’s future. "It came down to shut the doors, or invest in green energy," he said. "With the old system we were using about 65,000 to 100,000 litres of propane, it’s dropped to about 4,000."

Denhaan said before they made the move to the wood burning system, they compared several alternative energy heating systems, and looked at what was working well in Holland greenhouses. The $750,000 biomass system, shipped from Ontario, promised a cheaper and more readily available fuel alternative. "It burns about 3000 cord a year," he said. "We buy waste wood from local people, and then run the logs through a chipper." They investigated the possibility of using geothermal energy, but found that the high cost of installing the system prohibitive. Some greenhouses in Holland rely on this type of energy, which uses deep pipes to draw energy form the earth. He added that eventually they might shift to this type of energy in the future.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, biomass, Canada, The Netherlands

For the complete report in the Irna click on this link

German renewable energy industry upbeat on booming prospects - by Saeid Najar Nobari

Germany's renewable energy industry is upbeat on its prospects for continuing the high-growth trend ahead of next week's Renewable Energy Fair in the north German city of Hannover. The renewable energy sector hopes to grow this year by 17 percent, create 15,000 job opportunities and have a turnover of 32 billion euros. Germany wants to produce 35 percent of its electricity, 25 percent of its heat and 15 percent of its fuel by 2020 through renewable energy.

According to the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), the use of renewable energies (wind power, hydro power, solar energy, bio energy and geothermal energy) set a record in Germany in 2006 as it increased its countrywide share in the electricity, heat and fuel sectors to 7.7 percent, up 0.9 percent from 2005.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, Germany

For the complete report from the Sanders Research Associates click on this link

U.S. looks to green Europe - Mistakes there could shape American plans to curb carbon gases - by Steven Mufson

As U.S. lawmakers work on the details of their greenhouse-gas legislation, they are looking carefully at Europe's experience. Five Senate proposals all use the same basic approach, known as "cap and trade," that Europe has used for the past two years. But what the snappy name "cap and trade" means is that the market will put a price on something that's always been free: the right of a factory to emit carbon gases. That could affect the cost of everything from window panes to airline tickets to electricity.

As U.S. lawmakers work on the details of their greenhouse-gas legislation, they are looking carefully at Europe's experience. Five Senate proposals all use the same basic approach, known as "cap and trade," that Europe has used for the past two years. But what the snappy name "cap and trade" means is that the market will put a price on something that's always been free: the right of a factory to emit carbon gases. That could affect the cost of everything from window panes to airline tickets to electricity.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, EU, USA

For the complete report from the petroleumworld click on this link

Energy Policy: A Norwegian Perspective-by Olav Akselsen, MP

The upcoming 15th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development that will take place in May and which has Energy as its focal theme. Energy is the focal theme because of its importance for efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals following up the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. Energy remains a key vehicle to promote sustainable economic and social development within a more equitable world order.

Norway has ambitious goals regarding capture, use and storage of CO2. In order to realise CCS technologies as soon as possible, the Norwegian government and Statoil have agreed to establish the world's largest full-scale CCS project in conjunction with a projected combined heat and power plant at Mongstad oil refinery in Norway. It will be fully operational by the end of 2014. We are developing groundbreaking new technology, which can become an export item and a guarantee for future petroleum activities in Norway.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Environment, Norway

For the complete report from the "inthenews.co.uk" click on this link

European experts doubt Bush's green car plans

Analysts have voiced doubts as to whether George Bush can succeed in reducing the US' reliance on oil.

Last year oil prices shot up in the face of increased tension in the Middle East, peaking during Israel's conflict with Hizbullah militants in Lebanon last summer and prompting sales of environmentally-friendly vehicles and biofuels to increase. But as fuel prices returned to their normal levels US drivers have similarly gone back to their gas-guzzling cars.

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Cars, Pollution and the environment, US

For the complete report from the International Herald Tribune click on this link

Former communist nations of Europe lag behind West in green energy, causing friction with EU

Sun-baked Bulgaria, windy Poland and farm-rich Hungary have thousands of megawatts in untapped renewable energy that the European Union wants used to fight global warming. But eastern Europe remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, causing friction between older and newer EU members as the bloc pushes an ambitious plan to boost its reliance on green energy.

About 94 percent of the electricity for coal-rich Poland comes from coal-fired plants, a major source of the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. "They are lagging behind," Beatriz Yordi, an EU official in charge of promoting renewable energy, said of eastern European member nations. "And we are pushing them to catch up."

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, Eastern Europe, EU, Poland

US Senator Jeff Bingaman (D)
For the complete report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources click on this link

Senators Bingaman and Domenici Announce Roundtable On the E.U. Emissions Trading Scheme

Last year, Sens. Domenici and Bingaman hosted an all-day workshop on the design features of a mandatory market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. In keeping with their commitment to educate themselves and others in the Senate on these complex issues, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Energy Committee today announced a roundtable discussion with some of the most respected and influential authorities on the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme from Europe and the United States.

The Round table will be held on Monday, March 26 at 2:00pm in the Senate Dirksen room G50. Joining in this Roundtable with Members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will be: Jos Delbeke, EU Commission Director for “Climate Change and Air” of the European Commission‘s Directorate-General for Environment, Brussels, Belgium; Per-Otto Wold, Point Carbon Founding Partner and CEO, Oslo, Norway; Garth Edward, Shell Oil Trading Manager - Environmental Products, London, England; Jean-Yves Caneill, Electricté de France; Director of Sustainable Development, Paris, France; Bruno Vanderborght, Holcim Cement, Vice President of Climate Protection
Zurich, Switzerland; Denny Ellerman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Executive Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research in
Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme is the largest multi-country, multi-sector greenhouse gas emissions trading system in the world. After its launch in 2005, the new trading system experienced some startup problems; however, its performance today offers helpful insight and lessons to policymakers who want to better understand how a market-based trading program could operate efficiently and effectively in the United States.

New Mexico Democrat Senator Jeff Bingaman says: "My top priority as chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee is to put our country on the road to energy independence by focusing on new, more efficient and cleaner sources of energy. The first major step the US can take is to dramatically ramp up the use of renewable energies, such as electricity produced from the sun and wind, and home-grown transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. We’ve already begun that process. Two years ago, Senator Domenici and I helped write the Energy Policy Act 2005, which expanded the federal tax incentives for electricity production from wind, solar, biomass, and other renewable sources. The act also required that 7.5 billion gallons per year of renewable fuels, including ethanol, be used in motor vehicles by 2012."

Labels: Alternative Energy Resources