5/7/2011
by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer
Grand Rapids-based Andy J. Egan Co. was awarded the fabrication contract under a $20.5 Million grant for a cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol project. The entire biorefinery, consisting of tanks, piping and other equipment, will be fabricated in Grand Rapids, then mounted on 14 skids and shipped to Visalia, California. The goal of the pilot plant is to demonstrate the feasibility of converting non-food, cellulosic feedstocks, such as corn leaves and stalks (stover), switchgrass and woodchips, into ethanol. Logos Technologies, Inc. and EdeniQ were awarded the grant by the U.S. Department of Energy under ARRA.
3/1/2011
by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer
The ARPA-E conference today had many speakers, lots of statistics, and even more good ideas for driving the cost of clean energy down. Former Governor Schwarzenegger challenged the gathering to focus on areas of agreement (clean energy is good) rather than on areas of disagreement (has mankind contributed to global warming). Phrases that could be bumper stickers abounded: Clean energy is the light bulb of the 21st century; energy security = national security; invest in clean energy that we can make locally and sell globally. Very optomistic speakers on the ability to accelerate energy innovation. And it only took a visit to the basement displays to make a believer out of me. Innovative battery technology, biofuels, LED lighting, wind turbine design, engine design, and the list goes on and on. Today was an energy attorney’s delight.
by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer
The main events for the second annual Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) Conference start tomorrow, March 1. I have checked into the Gaylord National Convention Center Hotel and perused the agenda. How exciting! Topics ranging from rare earths to advanced fuels to zero carbon power will be discussion topics. This is America ingenuity at its best. Efforts to attract talent, both foreign and domestic, to the energy challenge. Funding cutting edge research and development, knowing that some will fail miserably, but hoping a few ideas succeed spectacularly. It is Sputnik time again for the United States. Let’s hope we respond as successfully.
Tags:
advanced energy storage systems,
alternative energy,
ARRA,
biodiesel,
biofuels,
biomass,
carbon neutral,
carbon sequestering,
climate change,
coal fired power plant,
energy efficiency,
energy policy,
global warming,
green energy,
greenhouse gases,
lithium ion batteries,
offshore wind,
renewable energy,
wind energy
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1/17/2011
by Bruce Goodman
Northern Power Systems has announced that its 2.2 MW permanent-magnet, direct-drive wind turbine will be manufactured by Merrill Technologies Group in Saginaw. Northern Power already has a deal to supply the turbines to the Heritage Garden Wind Farm near Escanaba which will sell 12.3 MW to Consumers Energy Company under a power purchase agreement approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) on November 19. A Northwind 2.2 prototype has been installed at the Heritage Stoney Corners wind farm near McBain.
11/23/2010
by Bruce Goodman
The Department of Energy’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act partial funding has produced the first-ever utility scale wind turbine manufactured and assembled in Michigan. The newly designed Northern Power System 2.2 MW wind turbine, with its permanent magnet direct drive generator, had parts manufactured and assembled by Merrill Technologies of Saginaw. The Northwind 2.2 prototype unit will now be sent to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado for validation and testing, with a prototype also to be tested at the Stoney Corners Wind Farm near McBain under a special power purchase agreement with Detroit Edison. The Merrill Technologies supply chain involves more than 70 companies, including Energetx Composites of Holland which is building blades for the project and Betz Industries of Grand Rapids which is casting the hubs.
6/30/2009
by Bruce Goodman
Just as pork has been advertised as “the other white meat,” wood-fueled electric energy projects might do well to label themselves “the other renewable energy.” People forget about biomass and focus on wind and solar when thinking about renewable energy. Yet firing wood biomass provides perhaps the best chance of getting the most immediate bang for the renewable energy buck. Biomass and wood waste energy projects are receiving significant funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Here is a carbon neutral strategy that utilizes fuels that need not be imported from other states or countries. Michigan’s sustainable forestry management research and planning should put the state at the forefront of this effort.
