Author Archives Laura Arnold

Long Island Gets Solar Feed-In Tariff

Posted by Laura Arnold / June 08, 2012 / Posted in Feed-in Tariffs (FiT), Uncategorized / No Comments

Long Island Gets Solar Feed-In Tariff.

SustainableBusiness.com News

Long Island, NY is about to join the dozen or so US jurisdictions that have a feed-in tariff (FiT).

Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), the local utility, is getting ready to implement the "CLEAN Solar Initiative," pending approval of its Board of Trustees.
Starting July 1, CLEAN will pay a fixed rate of 22 cents per kilowatt-hour for 20 years from on-site solar systems. The goal is to add 50 megawatts (MW) of commercial-scale solar - the pilot Fit continues through 2013.

These long term power purchase contracts will be available for solar systems between 50 kilowatts (kW) and 500 kW, mid-sized installations that often fall through the cracks. They are too big for residential systems, which have net metering incentives and too small for utility-scale developers.

One the program reaches the 50 MW cap, or in 2014, LIPA will decide whether to keep, tweak or expand the initiative. The program is funded by a $0.45 cents charge on customer utility bills.
Governor Cuomo has called for NY State to quadruple on-site solar by 2013, and the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard requires 30% from renewables by 2015.

Long Island has 4,571 residential and 609 commercial solar systems. BP Solar built Long Island's sole utility-scale solar plant, a 32 MW system (164,312 modules) at the US Dept of Energy's Brookhaven National Lab, the largest on the East Coast. An additional 18 MW are being installed as solar carports in various locations in Suffolk County.

Palo Alto and Los Angeles recently launched CLEAN FiTs and Fort Collins is expected to start one this year. 10 other cities or states have FiTs in the US. 23 of the EU's 27 countries use FiTs.

Streamlined Solar Permitting
Many towns on Long Island have also adopted a "Unified Solar Permitting Initiative," which streamlines the permitting process for installing solar.
All 10 towns and six villages in Suffolk County have adopted it along with nine villages in Nassau County.
Different regulations in each town and village creates confusion, delays and extra costs - the new standardized process that requires less paperwork makes it much easier for solar installations to move forward.
Read more about FiTs, which are now being called CLEAN programs in the US:

Website: www.clean-coalition.org/introduction-to-clean-programs/

Groups Ask US Senate to Reconsider NDAA Amendments Blocking Military Use of Alternative Energy

Posted by Laura Arnold / May 26, 2012 / Posted in Uncategorized / 1 Comments

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 24, 2012) – The Advanced Biofuels Association, the Algal Biomass Organization, Airlines for America, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, Growth Energy, and the Pew Charitable Trusts today expressed disappointment that the Senate Armed Services Committee adopted amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act blocking the Department of Defense's (DoD) use of domestically produced alternative energy.

The groups released this joint statement:

"Continued reliance on foreign oil puts U.S. national security at risk. Oil market volatility has already wreaked havoc on military budgets, which came at the cost of new equipment and training for our troops and reduced military readiness. In fiscal years 2011 and 2012, DoD came up $5.6 billion short in its budget for military operations and maintenance because it spent more on fuel than anticipated. Moreover, the United States sends $1 billion overseas each and every day to pay for foreign oil, further draining resources from the U.S. economy.

"U.S. advanced biofuel producers have made rapid progress toward cost-competitiveness. The per-gallon cost of test quantities of advanced biofuels under DoD contracts has declined more than 90 percent over the past two years and will continue to decline as these technologies scale to commercial production. DoD's efforts to reduce use of foreign oil and increase use of American biofuels can lead the nation's effort to achieve energy security.

"We will work with Members of the Senate to restore support within the NDAA for the DoD's commitment to accelerate production of American-made, advanced, 'drop-in' biofuels for use in military jets, ships, and vehicles."

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About ABFA

As a leading voice for America's domestic biofuels industry, the Advanced Biofuels Association, ABFA, represents companies deploying advanced and renewable technologies that are helping drive America's new economy by creating jobs, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels while fueling a sustainable future for the world. A national organization based in Washington, D.C., the ABFA supports federal investment while encouraging public policies that are consistent, technology neutral, utilize sustainable feedstocks and offer subsidy parity. For more information http://www.advancedbiofuelsassociation.com/

About the Algal Biomass Organization

The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: www.algalbiomass.org.

About A4A

Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 10 million U.S. jobs. A4A airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesdotorg.

About American Farm Bureau Federation

AFBF is the unified national voice of agriculture, working through our grassroots organizations to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans and to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities.

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIO produces BIOtech NOW, an online portal and monthly newsletter chronicling "innovations transforming our world." Subscribe to BIOtech NOW.

About Growth Energy

Growth Energy represents the producers and supporters of ethanol who feed the world and fuel America in ways that achieve energy independence, improve economic well-being and create a healthier environment for all Americans now.

Free Renewable Energy Training Classes Offered in Indiana in June! Act NOW to Learn More and to Sign-up

Posted by Laura Arnold / May 24, 2012 / Posted in Uncategorized / 2 Comments

Dear IndianaDG Readers:

Free Training in Renewable Energy Technologies--Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Geothermal and Energy Efficiency

A $170,000 Grant has been provided for the State of Indiana to offer these professional training sessions. Classes are filling up quickly so ACT NOW.

If you or someone you know is interested in a career in renewable energy this is a great opportunity. Available for students and the unemployed, too. Sorry for the short notice but I just received this information a few days ago.

Classes will be held during the month of June in different cities across the state of Indiana.

Solar_PV_Installer (Click course title for class outline)

1. May 29th - June 2nd
2. June 18th - June 22nd
3. June 25th -June 30th

Solar_Thermal_Installer

1. June 4th - June 8th

Geothermal

1. June 25th - June 27th

BPI Combo - Building Analyst and Envelope-Shell - CleanEdison

1. June 25th - June 30th

Ivy Tech Application 2012 This is the application form that will be used for this program. Download and get started now!

Send me an email to: Laura.Arnold@IndianaDG.net and I will forward your information ASAP.

Laura Ann Arnold, President

Indiana Distributed Energy Alliance.

Washington Post Wonkblog shows map from EIA on state renewable energy generation; How does Indiana rank?

Posted by Laura Arnold / May 07, 2012 / Posted in Uncategorized / 1 Comments

Who uses renewable power, in one map

Posted by Brad Plumerat 10:14 AM ET, 05/02/2012 TheWashingtonPost

We keep hearing that renewable energy is booming in the United States, but where is it? Here's a handy map from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showing how much electricity each state gets from wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal (but not hydropower):

Maine was the clear winner in 2011, getting 27 percent of its electricity coming from renewable sources — a lot of it wind power and biomass. But Maine had a lot of renewable energy back in 2001, too. South Dakota and Iowa, at 21 percent and 17 percent, have seen far more impressive growth. Both of those states got almost none of their electricity from renewable sources a decade ago.

Why do some states do better than others? Policy helps. Some 30 states have laws that require utilities to get a certain portion of their power from renewable sources. (The Southeast is the big exception here.) The strictness of the laws varies from state to state, but by and large, states with stricter standards get more renewables. But simply having natural resources helps, too: Idaho, Wyoming, and South Dakota don't have strict standards, but there's so much wind up there that turbines are going up anyway.

What's less clear is whether this rapid growth will continue. A good portion of the recent boom in wind and solar power has been thanks to the federal production tax credit and assorted grants in the stimulus bill. Those grants have now expired and the tax credit for wind will expire at the end of 2012. Clean-energy advocates are hoping it gets renewed when Congress tries to avert "Taxmageddon" and the end of this year, but that's not a sure bet.

Meanwhile, the EIA notes, if you include hydropower, some states in the Pacific Northwest look even better. Idaho gets 93 percent of its electricity from hydroelectric dams. Oregon gets 78 percent and Washington 82 percent. Hydropower tends to get short shrift whenever talk turns to renewables because it's generally assumed that there's no more room for growth — all the big dams have been built already. But this isn't entirely true. A recent report from the Department of the Interior found that there are all sorts of smaller existing dams around the country that could be put to work and generate an additional 1.5 million MWh of electricity, enough to power a small city.

Update: Commenter BertEisenstein points out that looking at what percent of a state's electricity is renewable only gives part of the picture, since a small state like Maine with relatively few wind turbines can look better than a huge state like Texas that has many more turbines.

That's a fair point. The EIA has data on total renewable generation, not including hydropower, here (Excel file). The top states in 2012 on this metric were:

1. Texas
2. California
3. Iowa
4. Minnesota
5. Washington
6. Illinois

South Bend alternative energy supporter hopes Sen. Lugar continues effort for energy jobs in Indiana

Posted by Laura Arnold / May 01, 2012 / Posted in Biofuels, Federal energy legislation, Uncategorized / No Comments

Dear IndianaDG Readers,

I just received this via email this evening. I just called Sam and told him that I would share his Op Ed with IndianaDG readers. Here goes...

Laura Ann Arnold

Hello Laura,

I am a resident in South Bend and have been a supporter of alternative energy for many years. I am hoping that Senator Lugar will continue his tremendous effort for energy jobs in Indiana along with support from the community. I have written an op ed that I think outlines the Senators recent achievements and I was hoping to share it with your viewers. I have attached my copy for your review please accept my kindest regards and best wishes.

Sincerely,

Sam Pellerito

sampellerito@gmail.com

Farm Energy Has Made Tremendous Progress

The good news about the Senate Agriculture Committee’s draft Farm Bill, released last week, is that it reauthorizes renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. These programs are just beginning to have a positive impact in revitalizing rural America, fueling economic growth and job creation where we need it most. Ongoing funding for these programs would provide the highest return on taxpayer dollars and ensure the future of emerging energy and renewable chemical markets.

The Farm Bill enacted 10 years ago in 2002 was the first to contain an energy title. But most of the programs being reauthorized only came into being in 2008. And it wasn’t until late 2010 and early 2011 that final rules for these programs were published.

Still, in that relatively short time span, these programs have helped renewable energy companies unlock private capital for construction of advanced biorefineries, something that has been extraordinarily difficult during the recent economic downturn. They have also helped farmers in over 150 counties across 10 states begin to put more than 150,000 acres of underutilized farmland into production of next generation energy crops. The programs have further ignited an explosion of innovation and early commercialization of renewable chemicals here in the United States. Overall, the programs have demonstrated a high rate of success.

The Biobased Markets Program, first enacted in 2002, has been tremendously successful in supporting the emergence of a new market for agriculture-based or biobased products. The first six categories of products eligible for this program were designated in March 2006, following a lengthy rulemaking process. By 2007, a U.S. International Trade Commission survey of the industry identified 5,700 workers at 159 companies manufacturing these products. Today, there are 64 categories of biobased products eligible for the program. And a recent Iowa State survey of the industry has identified more than 100,000 workers making or selling these products.

The first large-scale renewable chemical company in the United States, NatureWorks LLC in Nebraska, was established in 2002. In 2009, the plant doubled capacity in order to meet demand for its renewable, biodegradable product. Similarly, another early renewable chemical company, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bioproducts in Tennessee, recently expanded production to meet rising demand. Myriant is working to complete a large scale biorefinery in Louisiana to produce renewable chemicals. And many other renewable chemical companies are looking to locate new construction here in the United States, if the policy environment is right.

The Biorefinery Assistance Program can show a similar record of success. While it is rooted in the 2002 Farm Bill’s grant program, the program only began to work with private companies in late 2009. The first advanced biofuel biorefineries successfully secured private financing in late 2011, with the backing of this program. INEOS New Planet Energy is under construction in Florida and will begin commercial production of cellulosic biofuel this summer.

The Farm Bill’s energy title programs have provided a strong return for American taxpayers and have produced demonstrated results. New markets for agricultural products are emerging, creating new opportunities for U.S. companies and skilled workers. The programs are also providing environmental benefits, because renewable energy and chemicals are cleaner, safer and healthier. Congress should continue to provide significant funding for the farm bill energy title so we can continue to foster American innovation. With the progress that has been made and with more companies ready to build biobased manufacturing facilities, these forward-looking, high-return programs are a much-needed part of the Farm Bill.