STUFF

Iowa State U researchers working on bioreactor to filter ammonia from chicken barns' exhaust air to help grow algae (and make chickens healthier).

Algae, cyanobacteria and lemna (aquatic plant) fuel producers now eligible for $1.01/gal fed tax cred. Good through yearend (but will probably go on for some years). Also special depreciation allowance on biofuel plant property to producers using algae (or cyanobacteria or lemna?).

Origin Oil (OOIL) "Algae Screen" process selectively eliminates microscopic predators using electromag pulses. Predators metabolize algae oil and biomass, can choke off algae growth, most acutely in open ponds. (Reported on earlier, but something to consider investing in. I don't own it. But I may again.)

Cereplast (CERP) ID'd post-industrial algae source, commercializing "Algae Bioplastics" sooner than anticipated. Biopropylene 20% algae. Reduces petrol use, so reduces carbon footprint for users. (Also reported earlier, but also may be investment op. I don't own.)

Frost & Sullivan: car share networks increased 117% '07-'09 in N Am. 5 yrs hence they predict 4.4M users in N Am, 5.5M in Europe. Last year Daimler's car2go registered 6K members for its EV sharing program. Zipcar (just bought by Avis for just under $500M) placed Priuses in Boston, Volts in Chicago and Honda Insights. (No pure plays left.)

1 acre can produce up to 200Kw or more of solar power capacity. (My calculation.)

Yingli Energy China partnering up with Longyuan Tibet New Energy to supply over 22K sets of off-grid PV solar systems to families with limited access to el in Tibet.

Grid problems in India curbing EV market. Ampere's (India startup) el bicycles were selling at 600/mo rate before rationed el (13-14 hrs/d now down to 8). Now selling 60/mo. A heavy converted Chinese bicycle that only goes 15 MPH but can carry extremely heavy loads. $386. And farmers were getting free el.

5 yrs ago several multi-billion dollar NG import terminals were built in US. They were obsolete before the concrete dried. New shale gas development from TX to PA. Now those comps want to spend multi billions more to convert terminals to export LNG. But world getting into fracking their own gas. (And our own fracked wells may not be producing as much in 5 yrs?) 15 developers have filed aps to export LNG from US. If all approved, they could ship over 25BCF/d, over 1/3 of domestic use. It would raise US price of NG for utilities, manufacturers. Admin expected to approve a few exporters. (That could get NG price up to level for good profits for producers.) Could start exporting by '15.

1/3 of world's arable land has been destroyed since '60 by erosion, other degradation. 8B peoples by '25, says World Bank. China, India eating more meat. If grain used to feed US beef (who should eat grass anyway) were eaten by people it would feed over 800M folks. So, we have the global farmland boom. Double digit price gains for farmland every year since '05 (with brief blip in '08). Land protection cropping up. Argentina '11 law says no foreign ownership of over 1K hectares. Then there's climate change's affects on farming. And onward we go.

Last year NOAA and U of Colo scientists found 4% of methane escaping into atmos from Denver NG well. Now they found ~9% escaping from wells in Utah. EPA says 2.4% of total NG production leaked out in '09. (Methane is how many x worse for global warming than CO2? I actually forget, but it's a lot.)

Sweetwater Energy to supply cellulosic sugar to Ace Ethanol (Wisc) ethanol plant. $100M over 16 yrs. Plant to shift up to 7% of 46M gal/y production capacity away from corn. "Major hedge against high corn prices." Sweetwater to convert ~100 tons/d of hard woods into sugars beginning mid-'14. Can also use ag waste, energy crops. They expect to have 3 more facilities operating next year.

China Windpower Group expects to post "significant drop" in '12 profit. $48M profit in '11. China curbed approvals for wind farms in '11 to ease grid congestion. Installs slid ~20% to 16.4Gw in '12. 1st annual drop.