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 2006 /March
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!
"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." — Mohandas K. Gandhi
In This Issue...
News...
- Arkansas Researchers Turn Chicken Fat into Biodiesel
- Corporation Explore Arkansas Bio-Refinery Site Possibilities
- Bush State of the Union Speech on Renewable Energy Technology
- Solar Energy, Energy Efficiency Techniques Gaining Popularity
- DOE Expects Oil to Remain Above $60 per Barrel Through 2007
- Wind Energy Industry Takes Off Nationwide
- New Wind Energy Resource List Available
- Arkansas Democratic Congressional Delegation Calls for Federal Renewable Energy Plan
- Arkansas Utility Announces Plans to Purchase Wind Farm
- Arkansas Paper Reviews Book on Potential Energy Crisis
- Solar Energy Investor Interest Grows With High Energy Prices
Financial Opportunities
Website Spotlight
Mark Your
Calendars!
Tip of the Month
Arkansas Researchers Turn Chicken Fat into Biodiesel
Scientists at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville are researching novel methods for weaning the U.S. off a petroleum-based fuel economy. One of their potential solutions revolves around turning chicken fat into a viable biodiesel fuel. Research by UA graduate student Brian Mattingly concentrates on determining which organic materials work best for biodiesel production. According to Mattingly, chicken fat-based biofuel best matches the criteria for an alternative fuel: it burns cleanly, which is better for both vehicle engines and the environment, is cheaper than other organic materials, such as soybeans, and it can be produced locally. The team is continuing to research the economic feasibility of wide scale chicken fat-based biodiesel production.
www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=4442670&nav=0jsh
Corporation Explore Arkansas Bio-Refinery Site Possibilities
The Winrock Newsletter reports that the Potlatch Corporation is evaluating the feasibility of building a commercial scale bio-refinery in Arkansas. A bio-refinery converts cellulosic biomass materials such as waste wood and agricultural crops into biofuels and bioenergy. The decision to build a major refinery in Arkansas would mean new jobs for the state, as well as a measure of energy independence. Winrock, the Arkansas Energy Office, and the University of Arkansas at Monticello are working with Potlatch on the proposed refinery project.
www.1800arkansas.com/energy/index.cfm?page=energy_event&event=76
Bush State of the Union Speech on Renewable Energy Technology
During his annual State of the Union address on January 31, President Bush called on Congress to develop legislation that promotes independence from foreign oil imports, reports USA Today. Mr. Bush articulated a need for the development of alternative fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, greater development of hybrid vehicle technology and further research into hydrogen-powered cars. The president's vision of energy independence is not without its challenges. The widespread use of hydrogen-powered vehicles, however, is more than a decade away, and ethanol use is currently centered in the American Midwest; ethanol production could only a meet a fraction of consumer need. Hybrid vehicles are becoming more and more popular in the United States but still only make up a one percent market share of car sales.
www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-01-31-sotu-gas-alternatives_x.htm?POE=TECISVA
Solar Energy, Energy Efficiency Techniques Gaining Popularity
Washington, D.C. area families looking for energy efficiency techniques and renewable energy technologies for their homes had the opportunity to see real-life examples of highly efficient, renewable energy-powered homes at the Solar Decathlon this last summer, reports The Washington Times. The Department of Energy-sponsored event, which took place on the National Mall, allowed competing teams to showcase the best residential uses of solar energy technology and energy efficiency techniques. People interested in saving energy do not always have to install solar panels; some energy experts claim that consumers can reduce energy demand by up to 70 percent by making their homes more energy-efficient.
www.washingtontimes.com/fhg/20060119-091335-7014r.htm
DOE Expects Oil to Remain Above $60 per Barrel Through 2007
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently released a report that anticipates fossil fuel prices for the next two years. The EIA expects that gasoline prices will increase slightly, from a 2005 average of $2.27 to that of $2.33 by 2007. Natural gas prices, which currently average $9 per thousand cubic feet, are expected to rise to almost $10 in 2006 before declining to just under $9 in 2007. In short, prices for gasoline and natural gas are not going to fall anytime in the near future.
www.eere.energy.gov/news/archive.cfm/pubDate={d '2006-01-25'}#energy
Wind Energy Industry Takes Off Nationwide
2006 could be the American wind industry's biggest year to date, and could end with the United States as the world's leading wind-power market, reports The Christian Science Monitor. While 2,600 megawatts of wind energy power was installed in the U.S. last year, around 3,400 is expected for 2006. One study estimates that, if the U.S. Congress extends the wind energy tax credit in 2007, the American wind energy could be installing around 6,000 megawatts annually by 2010. Wind energy projects are being driven by market forces, such as rising natural gas and oil prices, as well as growing concerns over global warming caused by burning fossil fuels such as coal.
www.csmonitor.com/2006/0119/p02s01-usec.html
New Wind Energy Resource List Available
The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service has produced a new publication titled "Wind-Powered Electric Systems for Homes, Farms, and Ranches: Resources." This resource list provides an overview of print publications and online resources that offer both overview and in-depth information on siting, installing and operating wind-power electrical generation systems. Most resources listed are relevant to small-scale systems.
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/wind.pdf
Arkansas Democratic Congressional Delegation Calls for Federal Renewable Energy Plan
Arkansas U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and Reps. Vic Snyder and Marion Berry (all Democrats), recently appeared together to declare the need to commercialize renewable energy sources as a means for moving the United States toward energy independence, reports the Arkansas News Bureau. Arkansas' five Democratic lawmakers have sent a letter asking President Bush to prioritize a national energy policy that aims to achieve energy independence. Lawmakers pointed to the American dependence on foreign oil—imported a rate of 20 million barrels a day—as a significant weakness in the U.S. energy portfolio. The potential use of biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol was highlighted as one means by which Americans could wean themselves off foreign oil and develop rural economies at the same time.
www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2006/01/11/News/332688.html
Arkansas Utility Announces Plans to Purchase Wind Farm
Officials at OG&E Electric Services, an electric utility company serving customers in Oklahoma and western Arkansas, recently announced their intention to purchase a 120-megawatt wind farm slated for construction in northwestern Oklahoma. Invenergy Wind LLC will construct the wind farm, which will then be owned and operated by OG&E. If all parties reach agreement and construction goes as planned, the wind farm could be producing electricity as soon as the end of 2006.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051222/dath024.html?.v=35
Arkansas Paper Reviews Book on Potential Energy Crisis
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette recently published a review of Jeremy Leggett's Gas and the Coming Global Financial Catastrophe. Reviewer Kathryn Devito does an admirable job portraying Leggett's argument: primarily, that our current consumption of oil is unsustainable beyond, at most, a couple more decades. Leggett argues that global oil supplies have already peaked and that a worldwide panic for oil is not far off in the future. The best way to avert this panic, writes Leggett, is a massive push for renewable energy technological development. While Devito seems convinced of Leggett's assertion of a potential global energy crisis, she remains dubious about Leggett's prediction of widespread socio-political conflicts.
www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg§ion=Books&storyid=139999
Solar Energy Investor Interest Grows With High Energy Prices
This Columbia Daily Tribune article investigates the growing solar energy industry across the United States. Industry growth is spurred by the sustained rise in fossil fuels over the past year, on the one hand, and declining costs for solar energy technologies, on the other. Most energy experts do not foresee a significant reduction in energy costs, as has happened in the seventies and nineties, which reduced solar energy demand at the time.
www.columbiatribune.com/2005/Dec/20051218News027.asp
Funding Opportunities
New Year Brings New Federal Energy Tax Credits
New energy efficiency tax credits went into effect on January 1 as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The new tax credits will allow consumers to reduce their 2006 federal tax bills.
Residential measures eligible for tax benefits include advanced main air circulating fans; high-efficiency space heating and cooling and water-heating systems; energy-efficient windows; and solar energy systems (except equipment used to heat swimming pools or hot tubs).
Business measures include the installation of qualifying solar equipment on buildings. Companies that build highly energy-efficient homes or manufacture energy-efficient appliances can also earn tax credits.
www.energy.gov/news/2852.htm
Website Spotlight
Union of Concerned Scientists: Clean Energy
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.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/.
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!
Renewable Energy Finance and Investment Summit
March 8-10, 2006
Phoenix, AZ
In a practical, educational forum, Financial Research Associates' Investing in Renewable Fuel & Power Finance & Investment Summit brings together the industry leaders in renewable energy finance. You will learn about state-of-the-art renewable energy finance structures, and how to develop creative financing solutions for this growing market.
www.frallc.com/project.asp#b319
National Photovoltaic Design & Installation
March 13-18, 2006
Occidental, 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
Join Solar Energy International for this hands-on Photovoltaics Design and Installation workshop.
www.solarenergy.org/workshops/workshop.php?id=15
Bioenergy and Wood Products Conference
March 14-16, 2006
Denver , CO
This conference will focus on utilizing biomass removed from public and private forests to provide a reliable supply for bioenergy production and wood products businesses. As a renewable, domestic energy source, woody biomass is helping America to reduce its reliance on non-renewable foreign energy. http://nationalbiomassconference.org/
Tip of the Month:
Upgrade to Compact Fluorescent Lighting
According the ENERGY STAR ®, replacing just one light bulb in every U.S. home with an ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent light (CFL) would prevent as much pollution as removing one million cars from the road. And there are other benefits: CFLs provide high-quality light, use as much as 66 percent less energy, and last up to ten times longer than typical incandescent light bulbs. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 32-watt CFL can save you about $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Replace all of your incandescents, and the savings will really add up!
Find out more about CFL technology and which products are ENERGY STAR-qualified at: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls
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