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
December 2005 /January 2006

 

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!

 

“Energy Policy will be and should be driven by environmental policy in the future" – U.S. Senator Timothy Wirth

In This Issue...

News...

• New Publication Focuses on Renewable Energy in Arkansas
• University of Arkansas-Little Rock Received Renewable Energy Technology Funding
• New Children's Book Chronicles Adventures of a Biodiesel Car
• U.S. Green Power Sales Increase by 18 Percent
• John Deere Looks to Wind Power
• Tennessee Schools Use Geothermal Energy to Cut Power Costs
• Experts Predict Rise in Renewable Energy Investment
• Missouri Residents Go Green
• Wind Power Debated in Midwest
• Report Details Potential for Biofuels and Wind
• DOE, ASE Provide Information on Energy Tax Credits
• Ford's Mercury Mariner Hybrid In Full Production
• DOE Launches New E-Bulletin on EERE Progress

Funding Oportunities
Website Spotlight
Mark Your Calendars!
Tip of the Month

 

News

New Publication Focuses on Renewable Energy in Arkansas
Looking for information on solar, wind, or alternative fuels? Check out the new publication Consumer's Guide to Renewable Energy in Arkansas. Produced by the Arkansas Energy Office, this 32-page publication introduces readers to solar, wind, and renewable fuel technologies, and includes information on financial incentives, links to additional information, a list of Arkansas renewable energy dealers, and more. www.arkansasrenewableenergy.org/consumers_guide.pdf

 

University of Arkansas-Little Rock Received Renewable Energy Technology Funding
Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor recently announced that the University of Arkansas at Little Rock would receive $1.4 million in federal funding to support research that could lead to new breakthroughs in alternative energy technologies. The funding is divided between research into hydrogen technology ($900,000) and the remaining $500,000 going to research solar energy technology at UALR's Nanotechnology Center of Excellence. This influx of funding, according to Pryor, should enable UA scientists to develop technologies for the production and storage of hydrogen fuel and for making solar energy technologies more efficient and affordable. www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage3914.html

 

New Children's Book Chronicles Adventures of a Biodiesel Car
A new book titled Have Fries - Will Travel! uses an adventure story to help children learn about biodiesel. The story features "Rock," an eco-rap singer, who buys "Tiny," a smelly diesel car, at a used car lot and then converts it to run on biodiesel, usually made from soybean oil. The book is written by Linda K. Hempel and illustrated by Kathy Dotson. www.newsociety.com/bookid/3897

 

U.S. Green Power Sales Increase by 18 Percent
According to Jan Hamrin of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), administrator of the Green-e Renewable Energy Certification Program, 3.5 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable energy was generated in the United States last year, an 18-percent increase over 2003. Wind energy captured the lion's share of green energy (78 percent), followed by biomass (21 percent) and small hydro projects (6 percent). Solar and geothermal energy each accounted for less than one percent of the total. Combined, the green power generated displaced more than 2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The Green-e Renewable Energy Certification Program was launched in 1997 to set standards for renewable electricity-based products in three markets for renewable energy: restructured, regulated, and renewable energy certificates. www.sparksdata.co.uk/refocus/fp_showdoc.asp?docid=83707827&accnum=1&topics=

 

John Deere Looks to Wind Power
According to an AP article in the Pioneer Press, energy developers are building a new plant that will burn tons of turkey litter from farms across western Minnesota. Situated in the small town of Benson, the plant is expected to begin production in 2007 and provide enough power to supply the town of 3,300 and the farms around it. The project comes a decade after the Minnesota Legislature ordered the state's largest power supplier — now Xcel Energy Inc. — to invest in biomass as a power source.
www.midweeknews.com/local/articles/113005-john_deere.html

 

Tennessee Schools Use Geothermal Energy to Cut Power Costs
Seven schools in the midstate region of Tennessee have converted to geothermal energy for heating, a move that has saved them thousands of dollars, reports the Tennessean. One school that paid $600,000 in 1998 to construct a geothermal system made back all of its money within three years. The schools received technical assistance for the conversion to geothermal power from Tennessee Valley Authority, as well as utility credits to get the project started. www.kansasagconnection.com/story-state.cfm?Id=531&yr=2005

 

Experts Predict Rise in Renewable Energy Investment
A new report on the future of renewable energy investment worldwide is being prepared for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and its predictions bode well for renewable energy technologies. The report is a culmination of several years of research, ending in 2005. Among the findings: nearly all forms of renewable energy have seen double-digit growth in the past few years, with solar energy growing at a rate of nearly 60 percent annually. Traditional fossil fuels, by comparison, have grown at a rate of two to three percent. According to the report, the market for renewable energy technology could grow exponentially, with "trillions" of dollars in potential investment moving into the renewable energy market over the coming decade. The report, titled The Working Capital Report, is due to be published in March 2006. http://193.35.126.50/PressReleases/PressRelease1393.asp

 

Missouri Residents Go Green
Chris Carter, owner of an auto supply store in Montgomery County, Missouri, has found a novel way to avoid winter's higher heat costs. He recently made his store a collection point for waste engine oil and lubricants that he then sells back to the company that supplies him with motor oil. He also hopes to build a furnace that could use the waste oil to heat his shop and business, and has applied for an $8,000 grant for that purpose. This Joplin Globe article also details plans for the construction of ethanol and biodiesel plants in Missouri.
www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=212948&c=87

 

Wind Power Debated in Midwest
Missouri-based Empire District Electric Company, which provides power to communities in the four-corners region of Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, could add green power to its energy portfolio in the near future. The company has contracted with PPM Energy of Portland, Oregon, to construct a 100-turbine wind farm in Beaumont, Kansas capable of producing 150 megawatts of electricity. When finished, the $190 million project will be the largest wind energy project in Kansas and will provide enough energy to power 42,000 homes. The project has some critics, however, including local residents fearful of the impact the 100 turbines could have on the landscape. www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13232952.htm

 

Report Details Potential for Biofuels and Wind
A new report says that biofuels and wind power together have strong potential to replace gasoline and revitalize rural communities. The New Harvest: Biofuels and Wind Power for Rural Revitalization and National Energy Security was co-authored by Climate Solutions' Research Director Patrick Mazza and Energy Foundation President Eric Heitz. The report contains findings that show advanced biofuels made from plant matter including grasses and crop residues can replace gasoline in the U.S. light duty vehicle fleet by mid-century, and that one-quarter of the nation sustains wind speeds capable of generating competitively priced electricity. The report offers public policy agendas to support the growth of wind power and advanced biofuels. www.climatesolutions.org/pubs/pdfs/TheNewHarvest.pdf

 

DOE, ASE Provide Information on Energy Tax Credits
DOE and the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) have launched new Web pages that provide consumers with information to help reduce their federal income taxes in 2006 and 2007 by making their homes more energy-efficient and purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles. Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, consumers can save up to $500 in taxes in 2006 and 2007 by installing certain energy-efficiency upgrades to existing homes. In addition, consumers and businesses can save up to $3,400 on taxes by buying energy-efficient hybrid-electric or diesel vehicles. Although the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has not yet issued specific guidance for consumers on how to claim the income tax credits, the new Web pages offer the latest information based on the new energy law and will be updated as the IRS makes details available. www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2654

 

Ford's Mercury Mariner Hybrid In Full Production
Ford Motor Company recently announced that it has started full-scale production of the Mercury Mariner Hybrid at its Kansas City , Missouri , plant. Initial production started in October, and the vehicles are starting to arrive in dealer showrooms, according to Ford. The company is offering the 2006 model at a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29,840, about $4,200 more than a four-wheel-drive Mercury Mariner with similar options. The hybrid version achieves 50-percent better fuel economy than the standard version in city driving—33 miles per gallon (mpg) versus 22 mpg—and 11.5-percent better fuel economy in highway driving (29 mpg vs. 26 mpg). That's a 30 percent improvement overall, based on combined city and highway fuel economies (31.1 mpg vs. 23.6 mpg). http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=22021

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced in early November that Ford's two hybrid vehicles are eligible for a federal tax deduction of up to $2,000. The deduction also applies to hybrids manufactured by Lexus, Toyota, and Honda.
www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=150594,00.html

 

DOE Launches New E-Bulletin on EERE Progress
DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has launched a new free e-bulletin, the "EERE Progress Alerts," to announce new and significant developments in EERE's programs and research. EERE Progress Alerts will be sent via email and posted online as new developments occur. A recent bulletin, for instance, discusses DOE's use of renewable energy for 3 percent of its electricity needs, meeting DOE's goal, which was higher than the 2.5 percent requirement set by executive order in 1999. Another bulletin discusses a framework for offshore wind energy development that was recently developed with EERE's assistance. www.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts/

 

Funding Opportunities

 

USDA Renewable Energy Grants for Farmers and Ranchers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it will help the country’s farmers and ranchers with energy costs and economic development with renewable energy funding, reports Refocus. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has directed his department to maximize the use of $1.4 billion available this year for loan guarantees. Johanns has directed that the funds be used to help farmers, ranchers and rural communities efficiently create renewable energy systems and businesses. The funding could increase the use of wind and solar energy development, as well as ethanol and biodiesel production, which would both decrease the cost of energy for agricultural communities and stimulate job and infrastructure growth.
www.sparksdata.co.uk/refocus/fp_showdoc.asp?docid=97922915&accnum=1&topics.

Website Spotlight

 

Find Out How States Are Promoting Energy Efficiency
The Alliance to Save Energy has launched the new online State Energy Efficiency Index, which allows users to search for energy-efficiency laws by state or by policy topic. Users can access a state-by-state listing for specific policy options or click on an interactive U.S. map to view a list of energy efficiency policies, funds, and tax incentives for each state. www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2356.

 

 

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!

 

 

Energy for a Sustainable and Secure Future
January 26-27, 2006
Washington, DC
This event will explore central issues relating to energy and society at the intersection of science, policy and the environment. Participants will develop an agenda for science to help guide the decisions that promise to transform our common energy future. www.ncseonline.org/ncseconference/2006conference/

National Biodiesel Conference and Expo 2006
February 5-8, 2006
San Diego, CA
The National Biediesel Board is planning a rich educational program featuring presentations and discussions from the industry's most influential and knowledgeable leaders. www.biodieselconference.org/

Solar Home Design Online
February 13-March 24, 2006
This online course focuses on how-to build energy-efficient, sustainable solar homes. During this six-week course, everyone from the serious owner-builder to the professional contractor will learn up-to-date strategies for sustainable new home construction and remodels. Natural building (earth and straw construction) will be emphasized, along with case studies of progressive building projects. www.solarenergy.org/workshops/workshop.php?id=15

Tip of the Month:

Install a Programmable Thermostat
Looking for ways to use less energy this winter? Programmable thermostats automatically adjust the temperature settings in your home or business. This can allow you to save energy while you are away from home, or sleeping. If you are like many homeowners and work outside the home during the day and usually have a different schedule on weekends, a programmable thermostat can offer many benefits, and the return on your investment is usually within one year.

Programmable thermostats earn the ENERGY STAR® rating by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the government. These units save energy by offering four temperature setback modes, each allowing you to anticipate when it’s convenient for you to scale back on heating or cooling.

For information about programmable thermostats, and to find ENERGY STAR rated, visit: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=thermostats.pr_thermostats

 

 

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