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USDA announces grants for renewable energy ventures

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the availability of $14.3 million in grants to support the development of value-added agriculture business ventures and support President Bush's energy plan to develop alternative sources of renewable energy.

The USDA will give priority consideration to grant applications that dedicate at least 51 percent of project costs to bio-energy activities.

Grants are available to independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives and majority-controlled, producer-based business ventures interested in:

  • planning activities to establish a viable value-added marketing opportunity for an agricultural product (e.g. conduct a feasibility study, develop a business plan, develop a marketing plan);
  • acquiring working capital to operate a value-added business venture that will allow producers to better compete in domestic and international markets.

Awards will be made on a competitive basis. Applications must be received no later than May 6, 2005. Detailed information about application and program requirements is in the March 7, 2005, Federal Register.

New DOE Web site offers energy-saving tips

The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a new Web site with detailed information and tips on saving money by developing smart energy habits.

EnergySavingTips.gov is a consumer-friendly portal to detailed energy saving information from various Federal agencies. “The Department of Energy has taken the lead in helping to provide American consumers with useful, centralized, understandable information that will not only assist in identifying low-cost, short-term solutions, but also help with long-term energy-saving strategies,” said David Garman, assistant secretary of energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The site provides practical links to help consumers:

  • Shop by zip code for Energy Star appliances
  • Find the lowest-priced gasoline in their neighborhood
  • Compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles currently on the market
  • Identify features to look for when buying a hybrid or alternate fuel vehicle
  • Take advantage of various tax incentives and utility rebates that may be available from the Federal government, local communities or through state energy offices

Consumers can also access free software tools through the site to evaluate their home energy use and determine what they can save by adopting simple, energy-smart practices. These strategies could include upgrading old, leaky windows, installing a programmable thermostat or simply turning down the hot water heater.

Industry reports see great potential for US solar power

If government, industry and investors cooperate to bring down installed solar photovoltaic pricing, the technology has tremendous potential in the United States, according to two recent reports by industry consultants.

The Solar High-Impact National Energy Project report, by Clean Edge, Inc. and Co-op America's Solar Catalyst Group, outlines a three-pronged Federal program to regain American leadership in the high-growth global solar PV industry. If enacted, the plan would create up to 580,000 new American jobs and generate up to nine percent of the country's total electricity needs by 2025.

PV Grid Connected Market Potential in 2010 under a Cost Breakthrough Scenario describes the vast market potential for rooftop solar PV systems in the United States. Authored by the Energy Foundation and Navigant Consulting, Inc., the report concludes that U.S. residential and commercial rooftop space could accommodate up to 710,000 MW of solar electric power (if all rooftops were fully used). Total U.S. electricity-generating capacity today is about 950,000 MW.


Major corporations buy 62 MW of green power in 2004

The World Resources Institute announced that members of its Green Power Market Development Group bought 62 megawatts of electricity from renewable energy sources over the past year.

The Green Power Group is a unique partnership dedicated to building corporate markets for green power. Its members include Alcoa Inc., Cargill Dow LLC, Delphi Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, FedEx Kinko's, General Motors Corporation, IBM, Interface Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Pitney Bowes and Staples.

The group made green power purchases—enough to power 46,000 homes—for more than 80 facilities in 18 states. Purchases included 39 MW of certified renewable energy credits produced by 21 MW of biomass power and 18 MW of wind power. Landfill gas generated 21 MW of power. DuPont and Johnson & Johnson will replace natural gas with landfill gas for onsite generation at several facilities.

Johnson & Johnson and IBM installed 2 MW of wind and solar power at their own facilities. Also, Staples is installing two 280-kW solar power systems at facilities in California.

According to WRI, five of the Green Power Group members now draw on renewable energy for 10 percent or more of their power needs in the United States.

NRECA honors OK co-op’s wind power program

Oklahoma, a state often associated with oil, is the home of this year’s Wind Power Cooperative of the Year. Western Farmers Electric Cooperative received the award from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, its Cooperative Research Network, and the DOE’s Wind Powering America Program at NRECA’s 2005 annual meeting.

The Anadarko, Oklahoma-based generation and transmission cooperative was the first electricity provider in the state to sign a purchase power agreement with a wind power developer. The 20-year agreement with Blue Canyon Windpower LLC., the developer of the 74.25 megawatt wind project, provides energy to 19 rural electric cooperatives that serve farms, rural residences, towns and commercial/industrial customers in approximately two-thirds of Oklahoma.

A panel of wind, utility and rural power representatives selected WFEC for the award, now in its third year.