STUFF

Mitsui plans to build 100MW of solar plants in Japan's disaster area and add wind power if locations windy enough.

EV's are 1/10th - 1/2 cost to "fuel" as gasoline fillup: Northeast Group study. Utilities help with reduced rates off peak.

House Repubs failed to stop enactment of new light bulb standards. Um, was signed into law by George W. I guess that's what Republicans do: fight any progress tooth and nail. I just can't understand their minds, hearts or souls. I do understand their pockets though.

A steel producer got a $730M DOE loan (or guarantee) to help make lighter vehicles.

Duke and AEP teaming up on $275M, 55-mile 765kV power line project with TVA in IN, KY. Will improve grid reliability, enhance reliability and efficiency of region's transmission operators, link region's power plants more efficiently and provide improved interconnects for new power plants in central IN, including >3GW of planned wind gen.

Ford turns old tires into seals, gaskets for their vehicles. 25% tire particulate, 17% soy content. Obviously, 58% something else. First intro'd in '08. Now in 11 models. Also turning old carpet into cylinder head covers.

2 reports say real costs of GHG emissions more like $900/ton v. the $21 govt uses now.

Waste Management rolled out their 1000th NG vehicle. They run on captured methane from the landfills.

Kinder Morgan looking to increase capacity of Edmonton to Vancouver oil pipe by a few hundred thousand bls. Pipe now carries 300kb/d. So, more oils sands oil to Asia, not US. To help balance out Brent and WTI oil prices. But, of course, years up the road.

OPEC: expanding global economy expected to increase oil demand by 1.32mb/d in '12. 88.2 to 89.5. Not including oil needs with Japan's nuke shutdown.

Ideal Power Converters developing tech to shrink size, weight of inverter by 90%. Also reduces shipping and install costs 90%. Eliminates electrolytic capacitors, magnetic steel and copper wire by using "current modulation", advanced controls.

MIT has come up with carbon nanotubes combined with azobenzene for solar E storage solution.

Green jobs now outnumber fossil fuel jobs: Brookings and Batelle study. 2.7M green jobs. Each green job exports $20k/yr, 2X avg.