Domestic Fuel

Farmers and small business have found a crop to make them more money – clean energy. This according to a recent report from the Environmental Lay & Policy Center (ELPC) which just released “Farm Energy Success Stories” that demonstrate how a farm or small rural business adopted clean energy technologies and cut energy costs. Examples cited in the report include a Montana brewery that runs on solar power and an Illinois dairy that generates electricity from manure. Much of the monies that made these projects possible came from the Farm Bill’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

“With the help of farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses, America can make great strides toward solving its energy problems.” said Andy Olsen, Policy Advocate for ELPC. “REAP is creating economic development, energy independence and a cleaner environment one farm at a time.”

Since 2003, REAP has funded over 3,000 clean energy projects, in 50 states that cover the clean energy spectrum – wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and energy efficiency. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees the program receives applications for more than three times the amount of funds available, and in February, President Obama raised the funding levels to the highest amount ever to $109 million.

ELPC has been a public supporter of the program since its inception and notes that the program,”leverages billions in private investment, reduces pollution, builds interest and awareness about the benefits of clean energy.” Many legislators support the program as well and Represenative Colin Peterson (D-MN) commented, “This is the kind of common sense program that will help transform rural America into an energy resource for the entire nation.”

You can download Farm Energy Success Stories here.

While alternative energy continues to get a boost from the Obama administration, geothermal still doesn’t seem to be garnering much of the spotlight. However, the energy sector is growing and recently the state of Idaho announced that it will increase its percentage of energy output from wind, solar and biomass and is looking to add more geothermal derived energy.

Photo Credit: U.S. Geothermal Inc.

Based its 20 year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) filed with the state last December, the most promising form of geothermal energy for Southern Idaho is binary cycle geothermal development. In this type of plant, the hot geothermal water is passed through a heat exchanger which then heats a binary liquid. From there, the liquid is vaporized and the vapor spins the turbine-generator unit where it is then reliquefied and reused in the heat exchanger. After a portion of geothermal water is used for heat, it exits the plant and is returned back to the reservoir.

The first project, Raft River, is already producing electricity and Idaho Power is looking to develop additional projects over the next decade. To date there are only 12 binary cycle geothermal plants in operation in the US.

In the near-term, Idaho Power plans on adding 266MW of wind capacity in 2010 through long-term power purchase contracts and plans to have over 600MW of wind by the end of 2012. In addition, they have hired Black and Veatch to conduct a feasiblity study for solar techologies.

In an effort to increase geothermal funding and projects across the US, the industry is gathering in San Francisco next week for the GeoPower Americas conference where the goal is to raise more attention to this promising form of alternative energy.

About 2,000 Utahns who need good jobs will get some training in fields looking to hire: alternative fuels, renewable energy, wind, solar and geothermal power.

The Deseret News reports that a $4.6 million stimulus bucks grant will pay for training for displaced workers, disadvantaged youths and veterans:

“We’re still working out some of the details,” department spokesman Curt Stewart said Wednesday. “But we have formed a coalition” to settle details on what will be free tuition for workers training for specific types of jobs related primarily to emerging energy industries.

The Southwest Technology Center will have 100 slots focused on working with wind, solar and geothermal power, Stewart said.

This State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grant is part of the $440 million in stimulus grants nationwide.

For those of you who still have President Obama’s State of the Union speech in your mind, then you may remember his call for the government to slash greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). He has followed through. Less than a week after the pronouncement, Obama has issued an Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability for the federal government to slash GHG emissions 28 percent by 2020.

According to the White House, the federal government, which includes all of our armed forces, is the largest energy user in the U.S. The 28% reduction would decrease annual electricity use by 1.5% saving between $8 – $11 billion in energy costs through 2020. Just in 2008, the federal government racked up a $24.5 billion energy bill.

“As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient,” said Obama as quoted in an article in Recharge. “Our goal is to lower costs, reduce pollution, and shift Federal energy expenses away from oil and towards local, clean energy.”

This goal will require the government to shift to clean energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, which will support job growth and technology development in the clean tech sector – another major goal of the administration. This move also signals Obama’s commitment to passing a comprehensive climate change package, which is currently stalled in the Senate.

In the meantime, departments will be required to develop sustainability plans that will include current GHG emission estimates and to ensure follow-through, achievement reports will be published online for the public to view and submit reponses.

Geothermal energy is potentially the largest—and presently the most misunderstood—source of energy in the United States and the world today,” writes Al Gore in his new book, “Our Choice, A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis.”

According to the most recent draft of the National Geothermal Action Plan, geothermal resources could account for 100,000 MWe of base load electric generating capacity by 2050. The catch—the government and private investors must support the growth of the industry. This increased attention for geothermal power now offers new investment and exploration opportunities that will be discussed during the GeoPower Americas 2010 national conference in San Francisco, Cali. on February 16-17.

“Geothermal energy is often left off the table when discussing key alternatives to fossil fuel based energy,” said Sarah Ellis, Managing Director, Green Power Conferences. “What the experts don’t understand is that geothermal could, if properly developed and funded, provide enough energy to offset fossil fuel use.”

Partho Sanyal, Director of Energy & Power Investment Banking with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, will be speaking to industry experts during the GeoPower Americas conference. “2010 will likely follow the momentum gained in 2009 in the U.S. geothermal sector. Industry players are looking to either jump start stalled projects from the credit crisis or reexamine strategic alternatives. The market seems to be rewarding players with scale, proven reserves and the ability to fund development,” said Sanyal.

Additional speakers include the keynote address from the U.S. Department of Energy; Dian M. Grueneich, California Public Utilities Commission; Charles Visser, NREL; Charles Baron, Google.org; Elaine Sison-Lebrilla, Sacramento Municipal Utility District; Curt Robinson, Geothermal Resources Council; and more.

For a full list of speakers and to register, visit www.geopowerseries.com. Enter code 4RC-203 for 20 percent off the current registration rate.

Now here is an energy resource that we don’t hear or talk enough about: geothermal. Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) projects produce electricity using heat extracted through engineered fluid flow paths in hot rock. Geothermal energy has the ability to produce electricity 24 hours a day. Electricity produced by wind has been criticized for its inability to produce electricity at all times.

The DOE, as part of Stimulus Bill (otherwise known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) has announced it will allocate funds up to $338 million to be used for the exploration and development of new geothermal sources and technologies. In addition, as reported by the Geothermal Digest, an additional $353 million in private and non-Federal cost-share funds will match the grants more than one-for-one.

One of the first companies to receive word that they have received monies is AltaRock Energy, Inc. based in Sausalito, Cali. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that the AltaRock Energy will receive $1.45 million to develop exploration methods for identifying EGS drilling targets more efficiently.

The project that has been given the green light for funding will take place in the Newberry Geothermal Resource Area in Oregon, and is being conducted in partnership with Davenport Power, who operates the site.

Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash) commented about the DOE grant, “AltaRock, founded in Seattle, is on the cutting edge of engineered geothermal energy and I’m extraordinarily pleased the Department of Energy is making a commitment. This exciting technology presents us with the opportunity to expand geothermal energy production beyond traditional areas and thus make it available to more consumers. Investment will allow new testing, research and expansion of the technology, which has the potential to become an inexpensive, self regenerating, and CO2 free source of energy. With the work of AltaRock and others, the Pacific Northwest will remain at the vanguard of clean energy development.”