Green Friendly Globe
Supporting Green Renewable Alternative Energy
Apple to Power 3 Data Centers with 100 Percent Renewable Energy<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/18/1332-apple-to-power-3-data-centers-with-100-percent-renewable-energy.jpg" /> Greenpeace advocates gathered outside of Apple's Cupertino headquarters early this week dressed as iPhones and iPods, declaring their outrage about the company's lack of clean energy use. They projected social media messages from supporters on the side of the building:
The Forest's Treasure: A Profitable Solution to Woody Waste<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/18/1332-the-forest-s-treasure-a-profitable-solution-to-woody-waste.jpg" /> When forests are logged, managed or selectively trimmed so they'll be less susceptible to raging fires, there are usually huge piles of stumps, branches and other wood debris left laying on the ground. Now a group of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle is developing a portable technology to turn these waste piles into treasure troves by converting them into biochar—charcoal made from plant material that can be burned for energy or applied to soils, where it helps plants grow.
Mission Critical: A Clean Energy Call to Arms<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/17/1332-mission-critical-a-clean-energy-call-to-arms.jpg" /> They say nothing can get done in Washington, D.C. on the issue of clean energy, which has become a political lightning rod over the last year. With Congress at a high watermark of partisanship, accusations abound on Capitol Hill that American energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and the policies that support them are job killers and a money-wasting hoax on taxpayers. And yet, there's reason for optimism about energy innovation in this country. Why? Because the most powerful force in the world, the U.S. military, is mobilizing on a clean energy mission — and I believe they're going to win this war.
Rethinking the Role of Government in Cleantech<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/17/9527-rethinking-the-role-of-government-in-cleantech.jpg" /> Another year, another wringing of the hands over tax credits and incentives for clean technology.
Lobbyists and vendors in the U.S. are once again singing the blues, calling for continued and expanding government investments in clean technology. At the same time, political challengers continue their Solyndra hootenanny, raking the curren
Five Shining Examples of Renewable Energy Innovation and Investment<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/16/1332-five-shining-examples-of-renewable-energy-innovation-and-investment.jpg" /> Sinking revenues and shrinking policy support may be causing a bit of a haze on the renewable energy horizon, but there's plenty of sunshine trying to peek through if you look hard enough.
House Armed Services Committee Proposes Ban on Biofuels<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/16/1332-house-armed-services-committee-proposes-ban-on-biofuels.jpg" /> Just one month before the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) in Hawaii, the world's largest international maritime exercise, the biofuels industry has encountered a possible roadblock. The House Armed Services Committee issued its report on next year's Pentagon budget, which inclues a measure that would exclude the development and purchase of biofuels that cost more than traditional fossil fuels.
The $6 Gasoline That Almost Was<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/16/1332-the-6-gasoline-that-almost-was.jpg" /> A landmark 2009 study, conducted by researchers at Iowa State's Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, and updated this week for impacts through 2011, found that US ethanol production reduced wholesale gasoline prices by an average of $1.09 per gallon, in 2011.
Discovery of Plant Proteins May Boost Agricultural Yields and Biofuel Production<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/14/1332-discovery-of-plant-proteins-may-boost-agricultural-yields-and-biofuel-production.jpg" /> Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Iowa State University discovered a family of plant proteins that play a role in the production of seed oils, substances important for animal and human nutrition, biorenewable chemicals and biofuels.
Asia Report: Solar Dumping Announcement Set for May 17<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/15/1332-asia-report-solar-dumping-announcement-set-for-may-17.jpg" /> Seven months after a trade investigation was launched, American solar companies and Chinese solar manufacturers will finally get a clear picture of the challenges ahead.
Saudi Arabia Launches Massive Renewable Program with Hybrid FITs<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/15/1332-saudi-arabia-launches-massive-renewable-program-with-hybrid-fits.jpg" /> While North America continues to dawdle on the road to the renewable revolution, the conservative, oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proposed one of the most sweeping and massive moves to renewable energy on the planet.
Study Compares Energy Sources From 'Cradle-to-Grave'<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/11/1332-study-compares-energy-sources-from-cradle-to-grave.jpg" /> No form of energy really emits zero emissions, and that's a point that's both missed by casual advocates and overstated by strident critics.
I Want My TLC: Attaining Transparency, Longevity and Certainty in the California Renewables Market<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/10/1332-i-want-my-tlc-attaining-transparency-longevity-and-certainty-in-the-california-renewables-market.jpg" /> Back in 2009, Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors ("DB") published a study tracking 270 major climate policies in 109 countries. The study concluded that successful programs were those that offered investors "TLC" — transparency, longevity, certainty — a comprehensive, stable, and predictable set of rules that infused markets with a sense of clarity and security. The research went on to find that the United States lacked TLC and was lagging behind other countries, notably China and Germany. A more recent DB paper found little to cheer about at the Federal level in the U.S. Referring to the gridlock in Congress on energy policy, the paper noted "…while Congress stumbles, the U.S. stands to fall behind."
Latin America Report: Work Starts on Chile's Largest Wind Farm<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/9/1332-latin-america-report-work-starts-on-chile-s-largest-wind-farm.jpg" /> Construction has begun on what will become Chile's largest wind farm, a 115-megawatt development in the Antofagasta region in the northern part of the country.
The US Bioeconomy Blueprint: The 10 Minute Guide<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/9/1332-the-us-bioeconomy-blueprint-the-10-minute-guide.jpg" /> The Obama Administration recently released its long-awaited, historic strategic plan for the bioeconomy, and U.S. economic revival from advances in health sciences, agriculture, industrial biotechnology and advanced biofuels. No time to read the dense pages of the full report? Try our 10-Minute Guide, including links to the full report and a bonus look at the EU's bioeconomy strategy.
Arizona Legislature Exempts the Sale of Renewable Energy Credits from State Sales Tax<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/8/1332-arizona-legislature-exempts-the-sale-of-renewable-energy-credits-from-state-sales-tax.jpg" /> Affirming its commitment to the development of renewable energy resources, the Arizona legislature recently passed legislation exempting the sale and/or use of Renewable Energy Credits (generally referred as "RECs") from Arizona's transaction privilege tax, which operates similar to a sales tax. Given that Arizona's state transaction privilege tax is over seven percent in most counties, and that city tack on an additional 2 to 3 percent tax, the decision to exempt the sale of RECs from a 10 percent tax is a significant development that should encourage the development of renewable energy in Arizona.
Massachusetts Sets Strict Regulations for Biomass: Will This Influence Further Restrictions?<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/7/1332-massachusetts-sets-strict-regulations-for-biomass-will-this-influence-further-restrictions.jpg" /> The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources released a new set of strict standards for biomass in early May that have the potential to cut subsidies for developing plants. According to these new requirements, all qualifying biomass plants must generate power at 50 percent efficiency to qualify for one-half Renewable Energy credit (REC) per MWh, and 60 percent for one full REC. These new standards are up from the previous 25 percent efficiency requirements. Plants will also be required to analyze lifecycle emissions to demonstrate at least 50 percent reductions over 20 years.
Asia Report: European Ruling Could Cut Into Palm Oil Exports<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/7/1332-asia-report-european-ruling-could-cut-into-palm-oil-exports.jpg" /> A looming decision that threatens to derail Europe's biofuels industry could reverberate all the way to Asia.
Japanese Proposed Tariffs Submitted<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/4/1332-japanese-proposed-tariffs-submitted.jpg" /> In what may be the most significant renewable energy policy development worldwide in years, Japanese authorities are circulating proposed feed-in tariffs that-if confirmed by the Minister of Trade later this month-could lead to a crash renewables program.
A Big Audacious Goal: Turning on the Lights for 1.4 Billion People<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/3/1332-a-big-audacious-goal-turning-on-the-lights-for-1-4-billion-people.jpg" /> At the recent Fortune Brainstorm Green conference which I attended in Laguna Niguel, California, there was a host of U.S.-focused presentations and conversations. The ongoing themes and dialogue provided significant insights into the current state of affairs in the U.S. clean-tech market, including:
Criticism Rains Down Over Cloud Data Centers<img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" width="110" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2012/5/2/1332-criticism-rains-down-over-cloud-data-centers.jpg" /> Knowledge has always been power, but how that information is stored has emerged as one of the most challenging issues facing the evolution of technology.
