RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Underground power storage system could solve Renewable Energy transition in USA
By Paul Pajarillo, iTechPost.
Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi proposed a renewable energy storage system in order to meet electric demands in the United States. The paradigm also indicated how the country could shift from fossil fuel to 100 percent utilization of renewable energy sources.
The United States could transition to renewable energy completely by using underground power storage. This is a study proposed by the Stanford University of California in Berkeley headed by environmental and civil engineering professors Mark Delucchi and Mark Jacobson. These university professors have studied state-by-state on the possibilities of the U.S. to shift to renewable energy sources from fossil fuel usage.
Rubio juggles principles, desire to win Iowa
By Steve Benen, MSNBC.
Marco Rubio has a dilemma. The Florida senator clearly wants to win the Iowa Republican caucuses, which would help propel him to his party’s presidential nomination. He also wants to defend his far-right policy priorities, which means opposing the ethanol mandate and taking aim at the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
The trouble, of course, is that those two goals are occasionally in conflict. The RFS is quite popular in Iowa, but it’s also plainly at odds with Rubio’s conservative agenda.
Congress to move against Clean Power Plan this week
By Eric Wolff, With help from Darren Goode, Alex Guillén, and Anca Gurzu, Politico.
CONGRESS TO MOVE AGAINST CLEAN POWER PLAN NEXT WEEK: House Republicans as early as Tuesday will debate and vote on two Senate-approved resolutions disapproving of EPA greenhouse gas rules for power plants, representing their official public rebuke of the administration’s climate position in Paris. The House Energy and Commerce Committee also approved non-binding disapproval resolutions sponsored by Rep. Ed Whitfield. But by taking up the Senate versions, Republicans can send them to Obama (to veto) soon after he gets back from the start of the climate summit Tuesday.
Energy bill ready to hit the floor: Whitfield says he has been asked by Republican leaders to lead a bipartisan House delegation to the Paris summit in December if there is time to break away from the spending talks to keep the government running, But a trip to the summit will also wait until after the Kentucky Republican helps lead what will likely be two days of floor debate starting next Wednesday on an Energy and Commerce energy bill. The legislation focuses on infrastructure improvements, liquefied natural gas exports and incorporating some of the Energy Department’s quadrennial review recommendations. Republicans are touting it as their alternative vision to the one administration officials will stress in Paris. But the bill is opposed by most Democrats after energy panel leaders failed to craft a bipartisan compromise that would have accommodated Democrats' desire to address climate change.
Wind, Solar Credit Phaseout Said to Be Under Consideration for Broader Tax Deal
By Ari Natter, Bloomberg BNA.
Nov. 24 — A phaseout of both the wind production tax credit and the solar investment tax credit are said to be under consideration by congressional leaders in both the House and Senate as part of a broader deal to extend dozens of expired tax credits, a Democrat leadership aide and lobbyists briefed on the issue told Bloomberg BNA Nov. 24.
Details of the proposal were still fluid, but talks were said to focus on gradually ramping down the 2.3 cent per kilowatt-hour production tax credit and the 30 percent solar investment tax credit in exchange for Democrats making permanent some temporary tax credits backed by Republicans.
“It's still in the paper exchanging stage right now. There hasn't been anything agreed to,” said the Democrat aide.
Getting to be extenders time
By Bernie Becker, with help from Elena Chiriboga, Toby Eckert and Brian Faler, Politico.
REST UP NOW: Because it appears that things are really going to heat up on the 50 or so tax extenders after lawmakers get back to Washington from their own food coma-inducing Thanksgiving break. At least Congress avoided a replay of last year’s Thanksgiving week roller coaster of killing an emerging deal to make some extenders permanent just as details were leaking out.
BUT … As our Brian Faler points out, the central obstacles to a deal that would permanently revive some business incentives (for Republicans) and tax breaks for working families (for Democrats) haven’t gone anywhere over the past year. To make matters even hairier, those problems just happen to be caught up in the scalding hot realm of immigration politics.
New OR Clean Fuels Standard Creates Revenue Opportunity for RNG Transportation Fuel Producers
Oregon's Clean Fuels Standard goes into effect in January, creating a unique new revenue opportunity for Oregon clean fuels producers and refueling infrastructure providers.
For example, do you import or produce biogas in Oregon for transportation fuel? Own equipment to dispense qualifying Compressed Natural Gas or Liquefied Natural Gas transportation fuels?
If you answered yes to either of these, you can qualify for benefits under the Oregon Clean Fuels Program. Private sector and governmental fleets can participate. Register at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) here.
Questions? Contact Cory-Ann Wind, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, at OregonCleanFuels@deq.state.or.us or at (503) 229-5388.
Obama set to issue ethanol fuel mandate
By Devin Henry, The Hill.
The Obama administration is poised to update a controversial standard for ethanol levels in gasoline after months of sparring over the future of the fuel between pro-ethanol groups and the oil industry.
The White House has until Nov. 30 to finalize a rule that sets the amount of ethanol that oil refiners are required to blend into their fuel.
Groups on both sides of the issue were unhappy when the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the updated Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in May, and they've fought over it openly since then.
BioCNG to build $1.6M facility in California, expand in Wisconsin
By Arlene Karidis, Waste Dive.
- BioCNG is using biogas to fuel cars without putting it in a pipeline. With several systems in seven U.S. locations, the company is now building a $1.6 million facility for the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District near San Rafael, CA, to launch by the end of the year.
- A $200,000 upgrade is also slated for Dane County Landfill in Wisconsin to increase storage, and over the next 10 years the county will convert most of its fleet to CNG, likely calling for further expansion of the BioCNG system. Overall, the Wisconsin State Energy Department reports that by the end 2014, 5,770 vehicles used 8.3 million gallons of CNG.
- The system pumps biogas from a landfill or anaerobic digester. Volatile organic compounds and chemicals and carbon dioxide are then removed to create a clean CNG, which is piped a short distance to storage tanks and a fueling system.
Gov. Cuomo May Order 50% Renewable Energy In NY By 2030
By Jake Richardson, Clean Technica.
Governor Andrew Cuomo is reportedly planning to order state regulators to mandate that 50% of all electricity in New York come from renewable sources. Two nuclear power plants will probably be shut down at some point, so the electricity they generate will need to be placed, and it only seems sensible to replace it with clean, renewable electricity, given the cost of new nuclear power. (One of the nuclear plants has also been losing about $60 million a year.)
Rhone Resch, president and chief executive officer of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has made two statements about the possibility that Governor Cuomo may make the 50% renewable energy goal a requirement, saying “Governor Cuomo’s plan to implement a 50 percent renewable portfolio standard (RPS) represents a strong endorsement for solar power as part of a responsible approach to a clean energy future. Solar is a job-creating American economic engine that will bring affordable and clean electricity to the Empire State for many decades to come.
Plasma: A clean energy game changer?
By Anmar Frangoul, CNBC.
To many, the concept of plasma being used to transform waste into energy is science fiction. Yet one British company is using it to do just that.
Advanced Plasma Power (APP) has developed a process called Gasplasma, which combines gasification and plasma treatment to convert waste into two products: a hydrogen-rich synthesis gas and an inert product it calls Plasmarok. The firm says it has applications as a high value construction material.
According to the company, the process involves several steps. After waste has been processed to recover any materials that can be recycled, the remainder is turned into what APP class a refuse derived fuel, or RDF.
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