Welcome to the Arkansas Renewable
Energy e-newsletter! This newsletter is a bi-monthly
feature of the Arkansas Renewable Energy website. Visit
the website at www.arkansasrenewableenergy.org for more
information on solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable
energy resources!
Arkansas Renewable Energy News
February/March
2005
Welcome to the Arkansas Renewable Energy e-newsletter! This newsletter is a bi-monthly feature of the Arkansas Renewable Energy website. Visit the website at www.arkansasrenewableenergy.org for more information on solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable energy resources!
“Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites." – William Ruckelshaus , first EPA Adminstrator
In This Issue...
News...
- 2006 Solar Splash Coming to Arkansas
- Report Predicts Huge Growth in Clean Energy Technologies
- Farmers Paying Closer Attention to Energy Efficiency & Renewables
- Solar Stock Watering a Natural Match for Summer Grazing
Funding Oportunities
Website Spotlight
Mark Your
Calendars!
Tip of the Month
2006 Solar Splash Coming to Arkansas
Solar Splash—an intercollegiate solar
boating competition—will
be held in Arkansas next year. Buffalo, New York, has
hosted the competition for the past seven years, but
organizerslooking for a more central location chose Fayetteville
for the 2006 event. Arkansas is no stranger to Solar
Splash—the University
of Arkansas Solar Boat Team won awards in 2002 and
2004.
Get the full story...
Report Predicts
Huge Growth in Clean Energy Technologies Prepare
yourself for a boom in clean energy technologies:
Markets for solar energy, wind energy, and fuel cells
are poised to grow from $16 billion in global revenues
in 2004 to more than $100 billion by 2014, according
to a report released yesterday by Clean Edge, Inc.,
an energy research and publishing firm. The report, Clean
Energy Trends 2005, projects that over the next
ten years, markets for solar electric devices will
grow from $7.2 billion to $39.2 billion; wind power
installations will expand from $8 billion to $48.1
billion; and fuel cells and distributed hydrogen
will grow from $900 million to $15.1 billion. More...
IndyCar Series to Switch to Ethanol
in 2006
IndyCar competitors might leave tracks during
the race, but starting next year, they'll leave a smaller
environmental footprint. The Indy Racing League has announced
that the IndyCar Series will be fueled by environmentally
friendly ethanol beginning in 2006. Ethanol, a renewable
fuel derived from grains, is clean-burning, non-toxic,
and biodegradable. These characteristics mean less air
pollution and, thus, less damage to the environment. Plans
for the 2006 season call for a maximum blend of 90-percent
methanol and 10-percent ethanol. In 2007, though, the series
will use 100-percent fuel-grade ethanol. More...
NCAT was founded 29 years ago to promote
energy-saving techniques, many of them simple and inexpensive.
The time is right to put all those great ideas to work
on America’s farms and get serious about energy conservation
and renewable energy. To learn how to make your farm more
energy-efficient, visit the National
Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website,
or call NCAT’s specialists at 800-346-9140.
Farmers Paying Closer Attention
to Energy Efficiency & Renewables
How do we produce and use energy? Farmers across the
country are paying closer attention to that question. Speaking
at a farm energy conference sponsored by the National Center
for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)—which has an office
in Fayetteville—organic grain farmer Jon Tester summed
up his concerns about farm energy. “Being an organic
farmer,” he said, “I don’t worry about
increased fertilizer or herbicide prices, because I have
a cropping system that works well without those inputs.
But if there’s a big price spike or a shortage of
diesel fuel, I’m up a creek without a paddle.”
Solar Stock Watering a Natural
Match for Summer Grazing
Remote or off-grid power sources—including
solar panels, mechanical windmills, and portable generators—can
pump water for livestock in locations where electricity
from power lines is unavailable. By encouraging animals
to move away from lakes and streams, these systems give
livestock greater access to forage. They also reduce livestock
pressure on stream banks, preventing nutrient loading,
damage to streamside vegetation, erosion, and pollution.
Solar pumping is a natural match for summer grazing applications, since it produces the greatest volumes of water in sunny weather and during long summer days—exactly when animals need water the most. For more information, see the ATTRA/National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service publication Solar-Powered Livestock Watering Systems.
Funding Opportunities
Looking for Biomass Project Funding?
USDA's Got It!
USDA has announced the availability of $14.3 million
in grants for value-added agriculture
business ventures.
Grants are available to independent producers, agricultural
producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and producer-based
business ventures. The grants are available for the planning
activities needed to establish a viable marketing opportunity
for an agricultural product (such as a biobased fuel or co-product)
or to acquire working capital to operate a business venture
(such as a biomass energy facility) that will allow producers
to better compete in domestic and international markets.
Proposals are due May 6, 2005. More...
USDA Conservation Program Includes
Efficiency, Renewable Incentives
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced
that its Conservation Security Program (CSP) will start
accepting sign-ups from farmer and ranchers on March
28, 2005. Although the program is primarily meant to
support ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands,
this year's program sign-up includes a renewable energy
and energy efficiency component. Eligible producers will
receive compensation for conducting energy audits, for
cutting their energy use, for converting to renewable
energy fuels (such as biodiesel or ethanol), and for
implementing renewable energy production, including methane
production as well as wind, solar, hydroelectric, and
geothermal energy. More...
DOE Offers $1 Million to Help Industries Save
Energy
DOE recently announced that $1 million in new funds
are available to help industrial plants find ways to save
energy. The new solicitation offers up to $100,000 per facility
to carry out a "Plant-Wide Assessment" to examine energy-intensive
processes, determine which plant systems offer the greatest
energy savings potential, and identify specific actions to
achieve those savings. Proposals deadline is May 3, 2005.
See the solicitation.
Website Spotlight
Looking for a trusted and reliable source for renewable
energy
information? Don’t miss RenewableEnergyAccess.com!
Developed and maintained by a group of renewable energy
professionals, this website will help keep you informed
and up-to-date about topics related to renewable energy.
Mine the website for news, a marketplace, classifieds,
upcoming events, and more!
Mark Your Calendars!
Here's a sample of the many upcoming events focusing on energy issues. For a more complete list, see our Events Calendar!
Southeast Green Energy Summit
May 2-4, 2005
Orlando, FL
Learn more about green energy, including solar, wind,
biomass, alternative transportation fuels, and more.
You’ll also find informative sessions on policy,
energy education, developing partnerships, and other
topics.
You can even take a field trip to the Florida Solar Energy
Center. Conference
website.
Windpower
2005 Conference & Exhibition
May 15-18, 2005
Denver, CO
Whether you are a wind industry veteran or beginner,
don’t miss this important networking opportunity!
Take
advantage of a large number of sessions focusing on topics
such as the state of the technology, policy updates,
utility practice, and business and finance trends. Conference
website.
Tip
of the Month: Improve Your Fuel Efficiency.
According to the Daily Fuel Gauge Report from the American Automobile Association (AAA), both regular unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel prices are now at historic highs in the United States. As of April 4, regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.170 per gallon and diesel fuel averaged $2.310 per gallon. What can you do to improve your gas mileage? If you currently drive a gas hog, consider trading it in for something more fuel-efficient. GreenerCars.com identifies the greenest cars available. Not in the market for a new car but want to reduce your fuel consumption? Check out these gas mileage tips!
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