Maria Energia: The Numers are In -- Renewable Energy Standards Work

Jeff says: Maria Surma Manka is the publisher of Maria Energia (and, of course, a writer at GO). I've enjoyed Maria's work from the beginning, and am pleased to publish one of her posts as the first offering from the Vida Verde collective on sustainablog.

I recently worked for an energy policy organization in Minnesota, and my colleagues and I worked to get a renewable energy standard passed there. We touted the economic benefits it would bring: the investment in clean technologies, the strengthening of rural economies, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the possibility of the state becoming a clean energy exporter. All this, in addition to cutting global warming emissions, made a renewable energy standard a no-brainer, and it passed – after many years of debate – with flying colors this past February.

But has an RES really changed the landscape of Minnesota and the 24 other states with a similar policy? The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) looked into it and found that huge strides have been made in states that have implemented a renewable energy standard. In fact, all 25 states are reducing emissions, creating jobs, and fueling a clean energy economy.

Reaping the Rewards found that in 2006, more than 66 percent of the nation’s renewable energy was expected to built in states with an RES. In 2007, that number jumped to 70 percent. Clearly, cleantech businesses and investment are going where the rules of the game are clear, the regulatory support is strong, and the state’s economy is open for business.

The global warming impacts are huge as well: RES states will cut emissions by a total of 8.4 million metric tons per year – that’s like taking more than 1.5 million cars off the road. About 1.2 billion gallons of water will be saved because of the decreased reliance on fossil fuels.

Texas has seen some of the greatest impacts of an RES. Besides adding 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy, Texas landowners receive about $9.5 million in royalty payments from wind farm operators.

Now that we can prove the positive, local effects of an RES, it’s time for a national renewable energy standard. The House took a step this year when it passed a measure calling for 15 percent renewable energy, but the Senate to follow suit right away. A coherent national policy will help drive America to forefront of the burgeoning cleantech market at a time when the rest of the world is already clamoring to get there.

Image: Wind Turbines on Minnesota's Buffalo Ridge. Credit: Jeff Ledermann and NREL/DOE

Missouri's First Wind Farm to be Dedicated on Monday

While following Midwestern renewable energy news lately could easily lead one to believe that it's "all ethanol all the time" here in flyover country, tomorrow will be a banner day for another form of clean energy here in Missouri. At 10 am, various VIPs, including Senator Claire McCaskill, will gather to dedicate the Bluegrass Ridge wind farm, the first one in the state. Located north of King City, the wind farm started operation earlier this month, according to the Columbia Missourian. This is a particularly important development for Columbia (the home of the University of Missouri, Columbia), as citizens there approved a renewable energy standard of 2% by 2008 in 2004, and Bluegrass Ridge will help them meet (and probably exceed) that goal.

Bluegrass Ridge will be the first, but it's not the only wind farm in the state slated to go online this year: "Conception wind farm and Cow Branch wind farm, are expected to be up and running by the end of the year,' Associated Electric spokeswoman Nancy Southworth said." AE is one of the developers of these installations; Wind Capital Group and John Deere Wind Energy are also involved. According to AWEA, still another wind farm in under construction: Loess Hills, near Rock Port.

Missouri doesn't have the wind potential of many other states, particularly those to the west of us, but, according to the Missourian, economic factors, including volatile prices of natural gas, have come together to make harnessing that potential much more appealing to investors:

This marked the first year that Missouri had its own wind turbines. This is largely due to natural limitations. Missouri has considerably less wind than other states that produce wind energy, but better technology has finally made wind energy financially viable, especially in northwest Missouri, said Kerry Cordray, a spokesman for the Energy Center at Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources.

Wind's contribution as an energy source will remain limited for now, because it's an inconsistent resource. Wind, for example, typically blows the least during the summer, when demand for electricity is greatest.

"It's important and will remain important, but it will also, for the foreseeable future, remain a supplemental resource," Cordray said, but he emphasized that the industry expects to grow.

Wind power won't be the answer for Missouri, but it's very encouraging to see that both the state government and the business community recognize it can be a part of the mix here. Hopefully, this will lead investors to explore the potential of other renewable resources here in the state: solar and geothermal power, for instance, can both play a role in Missouri's energy mix. In both of these cases, though, this potential won't be harnessed through large, centralized power installations, but through home and business owners installing photovoltaic panels and geothermal heat pumps. The big power plant isn't the only viable model anymore... let's hope that investors big and small recognize that and take advantage of it.

This is good news for the state and the region. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the other wind farms under construction.

Image: Aeriel view of turbines at Bluegrass Ridge. Source: Wind Capital Group

Categories: windpower, windfarm, bluegrassridge, missouri, renewableenergy, midwest

Renewable Energy Can Provide a Solution to Homelessness

OK, on it's face, that sounds like a ridiculous assertion: what does one thing have to do with the other? For St. Louis' Rev. Larry Rice, the answer is "everything." Rice, the founder of the New Life Evangelistic Center, and a passionate advocate for the homeless, believes that training people who've fallen on hard times in renewable technologies may provide them with a ticket to gainful employment and self-sufficiency.

Today's Wichita Eagle points to another effort by Rice to promote renewable energy in Missouri while helping the homeless. The Southwest Missouri Energy Center, just outside of Marshfield, offers a two-year training program, along with housing, that's designed to provide homeless people with the skills they need to participate in the green economy. At the center, trainess don't just learn to install "off-the-shelf" items like solar attic fans: they're also encouraged to experiment using materials at hand:

Built from scrap wood, [center volunteer Hank] Zeniewicz said, are solar stills that produce potable water by using the sun to heat water that evaporates onto a glass cover and flows into a container.

The center even has a solar-powered tractor created by removal of the engine and the bolting of an electric motor to the transmission, with power to a bank of batteries supplied by solar panels attached to the fenders.

It doesn't move quickly, but is powerful enough to pull a wagon and do other chores, [center worker Chris] Allison said.

Much of the center is still in the works, including a biodiesel laboratory, a dormitory for students in the training program, and a visitor's center. The Marshfield center won't be as large as the existing Missouri Energy Center in New Bloomfield (where Zeniewicz got his start with the program -- he was a laid-off auto worker), but will provide many of the same services.

Long-time readers of sustainablog know I've been fan of Rice's work for quite some time: while "creation care" is still a hotly-debated topic in evangelical circles, Rice and his followers are demonstrating on a daily basis that environmental stewardship and economic empowerment can work hand-in-hand. The Missouri Renewable Energy website that the New Life Evangelistic Center started several years ago has been upgraded, and now features some of Rice's media programs on renewables, as well as his writing on creation care, and information on the activities going on at the three renewable energy centers around the state.

Image credit: Missouri Renewable Energy

Categories: renewables, energy, training, homeless, larryrice, evangelical, missouri

Ohio Next to Implement Renewable Energy Standard?

It's looking like it: according to the Springfield News-Sun, "Backers of renewable energies are ratcheting efforts to get passed this fall legislation mandating that 20 percent of Ohio's total energy come from wind energy production." Supporters of a statewide renewable energy standard believe the time is right, as Gov. Ted Strickland will also be introducing his comprehensive energy plan for Ohio by the end of the year, and many expect him the plan to call for a reduced dependence on coal for electricity production.

This is good news in and of itself, but one of the things I found most interesting about the proposal for Ohio is the singling out of wind power as the technology for meeting the standard. I did a little digging around on existing RESs, and it looks like they all incorporate a variety of renewable technologies into the standard. If this is correct (and I'm not absolutely sure it is), I'm not sure this is the best approach to crafting a statewide RES.

Now, I'm not bashing on wind power; far from it. Environment Ohio, a statewide group working with Ohio Rep. Jim McGregor, chairman of the alternative energy committee, to craft RES legislation, has just released a report on the potential benefits increased use of wind could bring to the state. In addition to the environmental benefits (87% of Ohio electricity is currently generated from coal), EO claims that "a 20% commitment to wind energy by 2020 would result in a:

• Gain of 40,000 person-years of employment,
• Additional $3.7 billion in wages paid,
• Increase the Ohio gross state product by $8.2 billion,
• Generate up to $1.5 billion dollars in property taxes to county governments,
• Supplement rural landowner’ income by $200 million dollars,
• Avoid 170 million metric tons of global warming pollution (C02), which is equivalent to taking over 2 million cars off the road."

Nothing wrong with any of that, and judging from the wind speed estimates map published on the organization's site, wind power could work in much of the state, particularly offshore in Lake Erie. But the American Wind Energy Association doesn't even have Ohio listed in its top 20 states for wind potential (although, admittedly, this is an old listing).

But why mandate wind in any case? Why not mandate renewable technologies, and allow utilities to experiment and find the best solutions? One need only look at the renewable energy potential in the state to see that wind would certainly need to be player, but I'd guess that biomass, methane, geothermal and even solar could also play a part in creating cleaner energy in Ohio. Mandate the standard, mandate actual renewable technologies, and then get out of the way.

I have to wonder if this is a case of only thinking about electricity and energy generation only in terms of large-scale power plants. But smaller, distributed solutions ought to play a role here, too. Whether it's farmers using methane digesters, or homeowners using geothermal heat pumps, these all contribute to a larger percentage of renewable energy use. These kinds of technologies would also have their economic benefits, no doubt -- couldn't utilities themselves get involved in the promotion and distribution of such technologies, and perhaps even create additional revenue streams and renewable energy sources?

Not bashing on Ohio, and not even completely sure that the "wind-only" standard is really what the state is considering. But, if it is, I think it's time to take a step back and consider the ramifications of focusing in on a single technology. Energy diversity seems key to making such standards successful.

Image credit: Ohio Office of Energy Efficiency and NREL/DOE

Categories: windpower, renewableenergystandard, legislation, renewableenergy, ohio

Want to Land a Job that Pays $33,000-43.000/Year Right Out of College?

Then you'll probably want to take a look at some of the new programs in renewable energy technology. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, that's one of the selling points for Cincinnati State Technical and Community College's new renewable energy technology program, which will launch next month.

The program is the brainchild of the school's electro-mechanical engineering department chair, Larry Feist. Writer Mike Boyer notes that the idea struck Feist while taking a tour at another school:

During a tour last year of the EarthConnection, a learning center at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Delhi Township retrofitted with solar heating panels and other energy-efficient equipment, Larry Feist was struck by all the electro-mechanical controls they required...

Charged with boosting program enrollment, which has dwindled to about 60 to 70 students, Feist saw an opportunity.

While this isn't the first program of its kind in the Midwest, it is the first for Ohio: before the Board of Regent's approved this major, the state had "...a handful of other programs... aimed at training installers in energy-efficient products, but those are targeted workforce-development efforts." This program aims higher, preparing students both for "...work in renewable-energy manufacturing and equipment installation and performing energy audits," and also for continued work on a four-year degree in either electro-mechanical or chemical engineering.

While renewables are definitely cool (or perhaps hot) right now, the opportunity for a good-paying joy upon graduation ought to help Feist meet his recruitment goals (which are currently pretty modest: he'd be happy if ten students joined the program in the first year):

Feist says a graduate of the electro-mechanical engineering technology program can expect to earn anywhere from $33,000 to $43,000 upon graduation. He believes industry's demand for greater energy efficiency will fuel the market for people will skills in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

These salary figures ought to stay high: the article notes that the numbers all look good for renewables in coming years:

These industries recorded nearly $1 trillion in gross revenues in 2006, including about $51 billion in Ohio. The numbers could skyrocket over the next 25 years - resulting in up to 2.2 million new jobs and $220 billion in annual revenues in Ohio and up to 40 million jobs and $4.5 trillion in revenues nationwide - if federal and state governments would make an all-out push for renewables and super-efficient products...

That's a big "if," of course, but it's hard to see how even the brownest politicians could ignore this kind of potential for economic growth and job creation. While the feds dither, add Ohio to the list of states recognizing the economic potential of renewable energy and environmental sustainability.

The program's got its first student: Carl Vogt, a 42-year-old computer engineer. Feist is out shaking the bushes, making visits to K-12 classrooms to talk about the importance and potential of renewable energy. With these kinds of potential rewards, I'm guessing he won't have to make much of hard sell...

Image: Larry Feist. Credit: The Enquirer/Ernest Coleman

Categories: renewableenergy, college, major, energy, efficiency, cincinnati, ohio

Massachusetts Ski Resort Harnesses the Wind to Make Snow

Thought I'd step outside of the Midwest tonight for a look at a great story from the Northeast. I've noted before that the ski industry around the world is taking a hard hit from climate change. This, coupled with the green bent of many skiers and snowboarders, has led numerous ski resorts around the country to begin purchasing renewable energy. The Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, Massachusetts, has upped the ante, though: they've purchased their own wind turbine, at the hefty price of $3.9 million.

This is a lot of money to buy green cred, but, ultimately, the decision to make such a large investment came down to the bottom line: electricity prices rose by 50% in the 2005-06 ski season, but 7% less skiers came to Jiminy Peak last winter because of warm weather. To help offset the cost of the turbine, the resort will sell part of the electricity generated to local residents. According to the Boston Globe,

By using half of the energy to help power the resort and the other half to power local residences and businesses, Jiminy Peak hopes to receive $138,000 in renewable energy credits and $161,000 for the energy sold to outside consumers in each of the next 10 years. At the resort, windmill-generated energy will replace a third of that produced by oil, coal, or natural gas, powering ski lifts and snow-making machines

It gets even better. The resort's website notes that it its need for electricity peaks at the same time that area winds are the most reliable: in the winter. According to Jiminy Peak's renewable energy page on it's website:

• Snowmaking is a critical user of our electricity and at Jiminy Peak our wind resources is the greatest during the winter months, the same time of year that we make snow.
• Most importantly we need to protect Jiminy Peak’s financial health and do everything in our power to preserve jobs and the economic stimulation that our resort creates for the local community and Berkshire County. Wind power will provide Jiminy with significant annual stabilization of cost on electricity and will allow Jiminy Peak to project a portion of their electricity costs for 25 years into the future. Due to the significant wind resource here at Jiminy, the wind power is the most economical energy stabilization measure for the resort.

A business case for installing renewable technology? You bet. And when one figures in a $582,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and the $300,000 the resort will make annually from the sale of electricity and renewable energy credits over the next ten years, the cost drops to just over $300,00, plus interest on the loan. There are also the reduced electricity bills. While this level of investment isn't feasible for every business, in this case it seems like a no-brainer.

It's easy to focus on the high costs of renewable technology, but, as this example shows, the benefits of clean energy aren't just environmental: they also create economic opportunity. Jiminy Park can not only breathe a little easier about its energy costs... it may also attract a few more skiers next season who respect that "green cred" the resort has purchased.

Image credit: Joel Glickman and Jiminy Park Mountain Resort

Categories: skiresort, windpower, renewableenergy, jiminypeak, hancock, massachusetts

States Leading the Way on Renewable Energy Standards

Saturday's passage of the energy bill in the House of Representatives was a major step forward, and the inclusion of a renewable energy standard (or RES) of 15% by 2020 was just one reason. The bill faces long odds of surviving intact with the need to reconcile it with the Senate version (which didn't contain the RES), and President Bush's threat of a veto, but the 220 representatives who voted for the bill deserve congratulations (and thanks!). It's good to see this kind of energy in Washington (yes, that's a pun... a bad one).

As It's Getting Hot in Here pointed out today, though, the Feds are way behind when it comes to implementing requirements for electricity production from renewable sources, as half of the states have already, or will very shortly, enact renewable energy standards. Illinois was one of the most recent: according to blogger Jesse Jenkins,

The Illinois General Assembly on July 26 passed energy legislation that includes a renewable energy standard (RES) of 10% by 2015 and 25% by 2025, according to WindEnergyWeekly.

The bill passed the House 80-33 and the Senate 40-13 and Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) is expected to sign it soon.

Although the Illinois RES applies to all utilities, the state has a competitive electricity sector and about half of the state’s electricity customers are supplied by “alternative retail electricity suppliers” (ARES), which are not yet covered by the RES.

At least 75% of the standard must be met with wind resources and eligible resources must come from within Illinois initially and may come from Illinois or neighboring states after 2011.

So, yeah, it looks like there are some loopholes that need some tightening there; nevertheless, this should be major: Illinois' market is the fifth largest in the nation, according to WindEnergyWeekly.

Sadly, in Missouri, we're a bit behind: Jenkins also notes that we've set "targets" for renewable production of 11% by 2020, and that utilities must make "good-faith efforts" to meet these targets. Last year, there was an effort made to enact a true RES; it got shot down in favor of the "targets" bill. On the upside, we did pass true net metering this time around...

Back to the bigger picture, though: will Congress have the vision to do what half the states have done already? Or, does that fact lessen the need for federal action? I'm guessing many utilities would like the federal standard, not only because it sets a lower goal (which I'm assuming would override state initiatives), but also because it creates a uniform standard. On the plus side, though, it would show some national resolve for moving towards a cleaner energy future. Still, I'm tempted to say let the states continue what they're doing, as they're setting more ambitious goals, and focusing on the energy sources that will serve them best (i.e., wind in Illinois). The feds may not catch up... but maybe we won't need them to do so...

Categories: renewables, energy, legislation, renewableenergystandard, us, illinois, missouri

Sioux City, IA, Breaks Ground on "Poop to Profits" Plant

So, those of you who've been around for a while know that I couldn't pass this one up: yesterday, Minneapolis-based Bison Renewable Energy broke ground on what will be the world's largest methane gas facility in Sioux City, Iowa. When the plant begins operations early next year, it will hold up to 11 million gallons of cow manure, and turn that yucky stuff into methane gas. According to the Siouxland Business Journal,

The Bison Renewable facility will begin with 11 1-million-gallon tanks, or biogas regional anaerobic digesters (BRADs) and grow to 22 BRADs with an additional investment of about $7 million. Baumann said the technology has been widely used in Europe for about 18 years, but the largest plants there have just seven or eight comparable tanks.

The BRADs will be fed about 65 percent livestock manure with the rest of the feedstock being animal fats or vegetable waste from food processing. The glycerin left over from biodiesel production is also an excellent ingredient. The resulting methane could be used to produce electricity, but it won't be.

"We are going to scrub out the impurities and then pump it into the (nearby Northern Natural Gas) pipeline," [Chief Operations Manager Rob] Baumann said. He said that methane, which is odorless, will blend readily with the natural gas and meet or exceed its BTU levels.

The other byproduct, an inorganic manure residue, can be spread as fertilizer.

In case you're wondering... the plants developers claim that local residents won't have to suffer with massive pooh odors: "Baumann said the company will collect manure from livestock producers in sealed trucks which will be unloaded indoors, then used in a sealed process."

I can't see much to dislike here: get rid of massive amounts of manure from big cattle operations (which are also a problem in and of themselves, but that's another post) that would otherwise leech into the water system, and release methane into the air. Turn it into a couple of useful products. Create a few jobs in the process (the plant will employ 75 people). Bring a few million into the county tax base. I suppose the only unanswered question is the energy input: does anyone have a sense of this? Do these plants divert some of the gas created to power themselves?

del.icio.us tags: poop, renewable, energy, methane, iowa

Net Metering Legislation Under Consideration in Missouri Legislature

As I've mentioned before, Missouri is one of a handful of states that don't have a net metering law. In other words, if you install a grid-tied renewable system on your home or business, utilities in the state are not required to credit your electric bill at the retail rate for excess energy produced -- the current system that the state government calls net metering only requires utilities to credit energy-producing customers at the avoided-cost rate. That could change as early as this year, as Missouri Senate bill 674, the Easy Connection act, has been introduced, and is now under consideration by the Senate's Commerce, Energy and Environment committee. According to the Columbia Missourian, the bill:

...would amend regulations for connecting alternative energy sources to existing power grids and require utility companies to give credit for excess electricity produced by homeowners through a process known as net metering. As it stands, Missouri law does not accommodate the practice. ...

Sen. Joan Bray, D-St. Louis, said she chose to sponsor the bill because existing laws aren’t creating any incentive to use renewable energy.

“It’s a chicken-and-egg thing,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of people using it now, but if the law stays the same, there certainly won’t be many more.”

Net metering provides the best of both worlds for consumers who choose to invest in renewable energy technology: they have the security of grid connection, but are also compensated fully for excess power they produce that's fed into the grid. As such, it provides an incentive for investing in small-scale renewables. Furthermore, it prevents utility companies from discouraging installation of renewable systems.

If you're a Missouri resident that wants to support the Easy Connection Act, the organization Renew Missouri (which has already testified before the committee considering the bill) has information available on how to get involved. I'll certainly be writing to my own Senator Jeff Smith, whom I'm inclined to believe would support the bill. I hope others will, too -- it's about time Missouri caught up with Indiana, Michigan, and the rest of the 41 states (in PPT) that have implemented net metering laws.

Photo credit: Todd Spink/NREL-DOE

Categories: renewableenergy, netmetering, politics, legislature, missouri

Reagan National Security Advisor McFarlane Touts Energy Security, Renewables

For those of us old enough to remember Robert McFarlane's time in the Reagan administration as assistant to Secretary of State Alexander Haig and National Security Advisor, we're likely to associate the man with one thing: Iran-Contra. McFarlane's back in the spotlight these days, but rather than fighting communism, the senior statesman is hawking renewable energy as a smart choice for both environmental and national security challenges.

At a renewable energy summit hosted by Colorado Senator Ken Salazar on Friday, McFarlane warned that our "addiction to oil" creates a chink in our armor that, if exploited, could wreak economic havoc. According to the AP,

McFarlane... said an attack last year on a Saudi oil terminal was a warning of what could happen if terrorists carry out their threats to go after oil supplies.

He said a truck filled with explosives came within 100 yards of the oil terminal before it was stopped. Had the attack succeeded, it would have knocked out a terminal that supplies 6 million barrels of oil a day for a year, tripling the cost of a barrel of oil to $150 a barrel overnight.

“They came within 100 yards of taking 6 million barrels a day off the market for a year,” said McFarlane, who now runs an energy investment company.

McFarlane said Japan, which is heavily dependent on oil from the Persian Gulf, would have been the first to see its economy collapse if the attack had succeeded. He said there are a dozen terminals at risk in Saudi Arabia alone.

Of course, oil comes from other regions of the world, but, as McFarlane noted, there are problems in those places, also: both Venezuela and Russia are exerting state control over oil supplies, for instance. The US places its energy and economic security at risk by not moving forcefully into renewable energy development... development which can occur fairly quickly with technology we already have.

McFarlane also mentioned climate change in his address, and there's no doubt that there are real security and economic threats poised by the climate crisis. The strength of the "energy hawk" argument, though, lies in its ability to show that climate change skeptics still have good reason to be concerned about our reliance on oil and gas, and typical methods of increasing security won't cut it -- I can't think of any form of military action that could stem this. We also can't rely on the market in this case, because China and India have hit "superpower" status in terms of energy consumption, and they'll continue to provide competition for dwindling supplies.

The flip side of this coin, though, is the economic potential that exists in building more renewable infrastructure. If you haven't already, take a look at Clean Edge's annual report on clean energy trends .

British Scientists Studying Leaf Power

Last September, I took a look at research in Australia aimed at creating synthetic chlorophyll in order to produce much more efficient solar panels. Today's National Geographic News points to other experiments that involve attempts to mimic how plants convert sunlight into energy, with a focus on the process of "water splitting." According to the article,

Water splitting is a complex chemical reaction that takes place in leaves, algae, phytoplankton, and other green organisms.

The plants use the sun's energy to break down water into its components: oxygen and hydrogen.

The oxygen produced is released into the atmosphere. The hydrogen is used to convert carbon dioxide taken from the air into the carbon-based organic molecules that form plants' tissues.

Researchers in London believe they've discovered the enzyme responsible for this process, called photosystem II. Like their Australian counterparts, these scientists believe that creating a synthetic version of this enzyme could allow us to mimic the process of photosynthesis, and create either hydrogen from water, or "...further mimic plants and combine the hydrogen with carbon compounds to produce fuels."

It sounds like this research is in fairly early stages, but the idea is kind of staggering: literally making fuel from water and sunlight by harnessing natural processes. According to lead scientist James Barber from Imperial College London, "If the leaf can do it, we can do it." That may strike some as arrogant, but I'd say these scientists are definitely looking at the right model for clean energy production.

Categories: fuel, energy, renewable, photosynthesis, research, london, uk

The Sun, the Earth, and Pond Scum -- Colorado Renewables

Every time I check the feeds lately, it seems like there's news about individual US states ramping up their renewable energy efforts. Colorado might have a leg up to begin with, since the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is located there. They've also got the advantage (thought they're not the only state) of a newly-inaugurated governor who made energy issues a centerpiece of his campaign (and Tom Gray can feel free to tell me I was wrong again...). So, I wasn't too surprised to come across several pieces of interesting news from the Centennial State. First, from Renewable Energy Access, news that utility company Xcel Energy is using a solar energy purchase agreement to meet its renewable obligations:

The contract, the first of its kind in Colorado under the new renewable energy standards, will provide for the development of an 8-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic electric generation facility in Alamosa. Xcel Energy will purchase the electricity generated by the plant to help it meet the solar requirements of the renewable energy standards adopted by Colorado voters in 2004.

The agreement calls for the facility to be in operation by Dec. 31, 2007 in order for Xcel Energy to start generating solar renewable energy credits as soon as possible. It will also ensure that the developer, SunE Alamosa1, LLC, can take advantage of a 30 percent federal investment tax credit available for non-utility solar facilities placed into service before Jan. 1, 2008, which will benefit Colorado ratepayers.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if this becomes a model for utilities across the country. They can meet their obligations under state renewable portfolio standards while avoiding the large investment necessary to create generation facilities. And they've likely agreed to a stable rate with SunE Alamosa that could end up saving the company, and ratepayers, a ton of money in the long term.

Solar power's just the beginning, though. In Boulder, startup firm Solix Biofuels Inc. is partnering with Colorado State University to commercialize technology for turning algae into biodiesel. From the Cherry Creek News:

“We’re facing two global challenges: depletion of our petroleum reserves and a buildup of greenhouse gases,” said Bryan Willson, director of Colorado State’s Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory, which is helping Colorado State achieve its goal to lead the nation in developing and commercializing environmentally sustainable solutions to global problems. “This process harnesses photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide and energy captured from the sun into an economical petroleum substitute.”

“Algae are the fastest growing organisms on the planet, and can produce 100 times more oil per acre than conventional soil-tilled crops that are now being grown for biofuel use,” said Solix founder Jim Sears.

Along with biofuels created from biomass, development of this technology seems very promising, and very preferable to using food crops. Not only does it avoid setting up a conflict in the marketplace between buyers of food and buyers of fuel, but it also requires a lot less land, and CO2 emissions from existing power plants can feed the process.

Finally, according to the same article, the state's Department of Energy is discovering that Colorado is rich in another renewable energy source: geothermal energy:

The Colorado Geological Survey has identified several areas of the state where geothermal energy may be abundant. These locations include areas near Mt. Princeton outside of Buena Vista, the San Juan mountains near Ouray and Rico, and areas of the San Luis Valley near Trinidad.

“Geothermal energy presents an opportunity to expand renewable resources in Colorado that is often overlooked. This opportunity fits perfectly with Governor Ritter’s promise to add a full mix of renewable energies for our state,” said Tom Plant, OEMC director, while delivering the conference opening address. “Our hope is to have geothermal energy take a seat at Colorado’s renewable energy table alongside solar and wind power.”

All of these are promising developments. More importantly, I think, they show an approach to renewable development that needs to be emulated: exploration of a diversity of sources. If I worry about anything with the new enthusiasm for renewables, it's the temptation to put all of our eggs in one basket -- just think of all the attention ethanol got last year. Colorado may prove itself a model, not just for developing renewables, but for showing others how to start the process.

Categories: renewable, energy, solar, geothermal, biodiesel, algae, innovation, colorado