The proposed EPA boiler MACT rules, which are based on the control of emissions from coal, could end progress toward the use of biomass fueled boilers. Yet, biomass heat boilers are 85% efficient as opposed to biomass electricity generation, which is only 25% to 30% efficient, can be located close to the source of waste wood, reducing the need to transport fuel, and have substantial job-creation potential.
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IDEA has submitted comments to EPA RE: National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Major Sources: Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters 75 Fed. Reg. 32006. IDEA stated that EPA has overstepped its statutory authority in some parts of the proposed rule, has not used an adequate and representative set of data for establishing the limits, and has underestimated the costs of complying with the rules.
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One of the world's most high-profile climate change critics, Bjørn Lomborg, author of "The Skeptical Environmentalist," has stated that global warming is "undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today" and "a challenge humanity must confront", in an apparent U-turn that could boost the embattled environmental lobby.
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QATAR COOL will host a major international conference of district energy professionals in DOHA, QATAR November 7-9 this year. The event is the fifth International District Cooling Conference of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), and a first for Qatar.
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TECO has just launched a new $370 million, 48 MW CHP plant serving the University of Texas Medical Center in HOUSTON, TEXAS. The new facility provided all heating and cooling needs of its mission-critical customers without tapping the electric grid--despite an all-time record demand of 66,000 MW on the Texas electric grid on August 23.
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DETROIT THERMAL LLC, has announced that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has signed a 10-year steam contract for heating about 750,000 sq feet of office space and providing domestic hot water. Service is scheduled to begin in 2011. Detroit Thermal president Victor Koppang reported that the company currently provides steam to 146 city buildings. The company recently added seven downtown Detroit Wayne County buildings to its steam system with a new three-year contract estimated at $8 million.
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District energy is experiencing a renaissance on the NORTH AMERICA WEST COAST as more neighborhoods pursue the benefits of energy independence and go off the grid.
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UPDATE: No objections have been filed against the PRINCE GEORGE, B.C., CANADA district heating system in the Environmental Assessment process and construction could begin this fall. The $14.1 million hot water system will be fueled with 15,000 tonnes/year of sawmill residue and will heat downtown civic and private buildings.
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The UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (UNH) in Durham, N.H., recently made history when it became the nation's first institution of higher education to depend on landfill gas as its primary fuel source.
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The fifth International District Cooling Conference of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), and a first for Qatar will be hosted by QATAR COOL in DOHA, QATAR, November 7-9 this year.
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The U.S. EPA has proposed rules under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA) that could certify that 13 states lack authority to apply PSD permits to GHG emissions under their previously-approved CAA implementation plans, and that direct the states to submit revised versions of those plans to EPA or allow EPA to issue these permits directly.
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The U.S. DOE Midwest Clean Energy Application Center announces two funding opportunities in the Midwest Region: $10-20 million co-generation project in BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN and a $3 million feasibility study.
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The CITY OF RICHMOND, B.C., CANADA recently published to the general public an EXPRESSION OF INTEREST for the Design, Build, Finance, and Operate a District Utility at River Green in Richmond, B.C.
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UPDATE: Prince George, B.C., CANADA district energy system Environmental Assessment stage is nearly complete and construction could begin this fall. The $14.1 million waste biomass-fueled, hot water District Energy System will heat downtown civic and private buildings.
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President Obama's Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), co-chaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), delivered a series of recommendations to the president today on overcoming the barriers to the widespread, cost-effective deployment of CCS within 10 years.
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Two Federal studies conclude that the U.S. is sitting on the untapped potential for 200 gigawatts of electrical cogeneration--135,000 megawatts (135 gigawatts) from waste heat generated by electrical utility power plants plus another 64,000 Megawatts (64 gigawatts) from industrial waste energy recovery.
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Distributed Energy Generation (DEG) and CHP technology is currently available in the U.S. and can be readily implemented in magnitudes that will immediately contribute to the relief of generation and transmission constraints.
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ELON UNIVERSITY in Greensboro, NC is constructing a geothermal field, consisting of 112 holes each 440 feet deep, to heat and cool residence buildings.
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Project Update: BALL STATE UNIVERSITY, Muncie, Ind., has completed over 1,300 of the initial phase's 1,800 boreholes since the $80 million project launched on May 9, 2009. The Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass will be first building on campus to be heated geothermally this fall.
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The U.S. DOE INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM (ITP) recently kicked off a series of energy efficiency training sessions at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta for seven manufacturers in the Southeast---Nissan North America, Volvo Trucks, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Bridgestone America Tire Organization, Spirax Sarco, Eaton Corporation, and Schneider Electric.
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U.S. Senators Al Franken and Kit Bond and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum have teamed up for Combined Heat and Power.
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In its first major ruling on the compatibility of State Feed-in Tariffs with applicable Federal Energy Law, FERC ruled that States may continue to mandate that investor-owned utilities (IOUs) purchase power and energy from environmentally-friendly sources, so long as such mandates do not set wholesale rates..
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The recent Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences study "Biomass Sustainability and Carbon Policy Study" in MASSACHUSETTS may have a fundamental flaw, as it bases its analyses on new forest biomass instead of the waste wood and residues most plants would use.
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According to thte International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2009 world governments gave $43 to $46 billion of support to renewable energy through tax credits, guaranteed electricity prices known as feed-in tariffs and alternative energy credits, compared with $557 billion--about 12 times more--to subsidize fossil fuels in 2008.
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Madeira High School in CINCINNATI, OHIO, is building a 42-well geothermal system to replace the aging high school chiller serving the commons building that includes classrooms, the auditorium and cafeteria. The $1.5 million project, which is expected to save the district $40,000 to $50,000 annually for an ROI of 8 to 10 years, was funded by an anonymous donor.
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The ALSTROM ENERGY GROUP has announced their recent acquisition of BA HERCS, which manufactured the ELGE® Shell and Coil Heat Exchangers, enhancing its industry position as a diverse heat exchanger manufacturer.
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US power plants waste more energy than many countries use, including advanced economies like that of Japan. The wasted energy is in the form of heat thrown off when power plants produce electricity.
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Advanced Energy Group and regional partners introduced the concept of "GEOTHERMAL RECOVERY ZONE BONDS" concept--the use of energy sources in the ground and skies to generate new revenue for communities..
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The CANADIAN government announced in late June that they would close down coal-fired electrical generating plants that cannot meet an emissions standard based on the performance of high-efficiency natural gas generation by 2025.
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The Amici della Terra Italia (Friends of the Earth in Italy) concluded in a recent Congress in ROME, ITALY themed "NOT ONLY ELECTRICITY" (Non solo elettricità .) that thermal energy from heat recovery is positioned to provide the most substantial contribution of renewable options to achieve the National objective of 17% renewable energy by 2020 ,
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More than half of all new electricity capacity added in the United States and Europe last year was from renewable power such as wind and solar, a body backed by the International Energy Agency and the UN reported.
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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN reports its new first-of-a-kind, 3-chiller, 15,000-ton total, all-variable-frequency controlled chilling station consumed only 0.329 kW per ton with a load of 4,705 tons, outside air temp of 32°F, outside air humidity of 51% RH, and wet bulb of 30°F. At a conservative average consumption rate of 0.50 kW per ton, this performance translates to $400,000-$500,000 annual savings, greatly exceeding expectations.
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In a rare multilateral congruency, FOX NEWS, MSNBC and REPUBLICANS and DEMOCRATS agree on the potential of CHP and recycled energy to help the economy and cut GHG.
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In support of the ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, Central Corridor project, a broad coalition of state and local organizations is collaborating to integrate cutting-edge renewable and efficient energy elements into the development, branding their effort "The Energy Innovation Corridor" (EIC).
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The Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) of AUSTRALIA reports that increasing the uptake of energy efficiency in Australia could save more greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 than taking every Australian car off the road.
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On May 13, 2010, the U.S. EPA finalized a so-called "Tailoring" rule addressing implementation of certain Clean Air Act permitting programs for stationary sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This rule establishes emissions thresholds and a timetable for permitting under the New Source Review Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and title V Operating Permit programs.
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UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI at Columbia won the 2010 EPA Energy Star Combined Heat and Power (CHP) award , one of only three universities in the nation recently recognized with the honor, for energy efficiency and decreased emissions.
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According to the EIA, the outlook for the next two decades is for continued U.S. reliance on fossil fuels, with coal growing faster than liquid fuels and natural gas. Modest growth in hydroelectric power and nuclear electric power is anticipated, as is a doubling of nonhydroelectric renewable energy by 2030
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The CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION has approved a contract for DTE Energy to install a 45 MW biomass facility at an idled coal-fired power plant at the Port of Stockton, California, known as known as POSDEF, or Port of Stockton District Energy Facility. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) would then purchase the power from DTE Energy.
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The ASSOCIATION OF ENERGY ENGINEERS (AEE) latest survey found that 41% of the respondents plan to retire in the next 10 years and that 72% see a heightened shortage of qualified professionals within the energy-efficiency and renewable-energy fields in the next five years.
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The US MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE (MCLB) at Albany, Georgia, and Chevron Energy Solutions are to develop the Department of Navy's first landfill gas cogeneration project, which will produce 1.9 MW of renewable electricity and steam generating capacity by burning landfill gas collected from a nearby landfill site.
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Climatisation et chauffage urbains de Montréal (CCUM), a steam-heating plant in MONTREAL, CANADA, owned jointly by Gaz Métro and Dalkia, provides heating via 261 kilometres (162 mi) of pipe to 18 million square feet of space in 22 landmark downtown buildings, including such landmarks as Place Ville Marie, Central Station, Place Bon-aventure and the Sun Life Building. Built in 1947, the plant is transitioning to burn natural gas.
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DP CleanTech has signed a contract with the Chant Group to deliver a biomass-fueled district heating/CHP plant to HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA. The plant will consume soft straw residues from the local farming community to provide an annual total of 185,760,000 KWh of electricity to the China state national grid in addition to 571,000 GJ of thermal energy for district heating in the MINGSHUI area.
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By using a GE Jenbacher natural gas engine instead of a diesiel oil-fueled engine previously used, the Bidebieta cooperative society in SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN will continue to provide district heating to a community of approximately 600 houses and also reduce CO2 emissions by roughly 1,200 tons per year. In a central plant building, the gas engine generates hot water, which is distributed to seven sub-centrals, each with an exchanger for heat and another for sanitary hot water, and from each sub-central to a cluster of houses. The whole system is remotely managed and tailored to the specific temperature needs of each area.
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The GEOTHERMAL ENERGY ASSOCIATION reports that 24 countries have increased electric power derived from geothermal energy by 20% since its poll of the industry in 2005. With over 10,000 MW installed, the GEA said that geothermal power is now providing electricity worldwide to over 52 million people.
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The 45-hectare Seventh of April University's Zuwarah Technological Campus in TRIPOLI, LIBYA is a LEED-certified project that will consist of 13 buildings totaling 95,000 square meters. The design emphasizes environmental sustainability through energy and water management throughout the complex. A solar plant is planned in conjunction with campus infrastructure. Project manager is Hill International of London.
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The new COLORADO State Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act requires investor-owned electric utilities that own or operate coal plants in the state to either convert to gas, retrofit or retire the lesser of 900 MW or 50% of their coal generation assets by Jan. 1, 2018. The legislation made it from introduction as through both chambers in a span of three weeks. and was signed into law by Governor Bill Richter on April 19. The costs to energy consumers will ultimately hinge on this assumption that gas prices can indeed be locked in as planned.
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EU COMMISSIONER FOR ENERGY Günther Oettinger has proposed that unspent EU economic recovery funds currently amounting to €115m should be directed to regional and local sustainable energy efficiency and renewables projects, and would become available for small-scale cogeneration and district heating projects in the urban environment.
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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND, County Council members voted on May 19 to pass the nation's first locally based carbon tax on its largest greenhouse gas emitter, as well as an 85 percent hike in the county's tax for homeowners and businesses on their energy consumption. The measure would charge $5 per ton for any entity that emits more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide in a given calendar year.
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The District Energy Corp., an interlocal corporation of the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County, NEBRASKA, managed by the Lincoln Electric System, will invest $20 million in a new heating, cooling and backup generation system, including a "large-scale" geothermal system, and to complete other existing projects at its S.W. 40th Street thermal energy facility. DEC currently serves 1.5 million sq ft of government buildings in Lincoln; the new system will serve Lancaster County's new jail. The geothermal project received an ARRA matching grant of $5 million.
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