STUFF

Algae biofuels and wood to fuel projects got $10M from Australia govt. Projects completion end of '14.

Rentech to close CO demo unit, drop advanced biofuels R&D activity. Cited lack of govt incentives, regs supporting alt fuels, particularly in US. Demo proved drop-in diesel and jet fuel can be produced with their tech.

Albemarle increasing price of ETHANOX 25 cents/kg. ETHANOX antioxidants enhance stability, improve performance, extend storage life of lubricants, fuels.

Cal Energy Commission awarded comp $5M for sugar beet to ethanol demo plant.

Portugal comp to build 8K metric tons/yr biodiesel plant in Malaysia. Ultrasonic reactors, solid catalyst acid esterification tech. Waste grease feedstock from wastewater treatment plants, waste grease collectors.

Michigan State U researchers engineered plant with oily leaves - uncommon for most plants. Use algae gene to get plant to store lipids or veg oil in leaves.

New Stanford report shows benefits, potential of using biological systems that capture, cycle carbon as part of an energy supply that leads to less emissions.

New $12M biodiesel plant opened in Iran.

UK comp to operate 50 duel fuel trucks with bio-LNG. 60% bio-based methane sourced from sewage and residential food waste. 40% LNG.

Iowa seeking exemption for biodiesel on proposed increase in fuel taxes like IL, where biodiesel blends over 10% have zero sales tax.

Sequestration: delay in development of oil/gas projects on fed lands because of DOI budget cuts. ~300 fewer onshore oil/gas leases in western states. Delays for some of the 550 offshore projects in Gulf of Mex.

Cal home to 2 dirtiest cities in US, 8 of 20 dirtiest. Fresno the worst. Bakersfield 2nd.

Surging Australia NG prices - up to 20% higher from labor, strong currency - turning Asian customers toward Russia. Australia has near $190B of LNG export projects in construction. Will add over 80M tons/y by '20. Would make them world's top LNG exporter.

UK may face NG shortage. They get most from Qatar. Qatar getting double what UK pays for LNG from Asia. UK looking to Algeria for steadier supply. Algeria created new laws offering easier tax terms, other incentives to foreign oil/gas investment.

Will cost Japan's 10 nuke power plants ~$11B to comply with new safety standards.

If Keystone, other proposed pipelines from Canada tar sands aren't built, reduction in annual emissions would be at most 5.3M metric tons of CO2, less than .1% of total US emissions: State Dept. Keystone designed to carry ~830Kb/d. Decision may be September.

Dominion bought 7.7Mw solar project in GA. 25-yr PPA with Cobb. Online in Dec.

Demand for renewable energy credits in India down 34% in Feb v. Jan. Regulators failed to enforce clean energy targets for comps. Credits sold for $27 each, floor price set by regulators. Represent 1Mwh of clean energy fed to grid. 2M credits in market. Govt requires at least 10% of elgen by power comps from clean/renewable energy.

One Roof Energy finances residential solar systems. Got $100M from Morgan Stanley, Main Street Power and Zions Bank to expand ops in 4 US states. In AZ, CA, HI, expanding to CO. Projecting ~$300M in leases this year. Financing won't support projects in MA. Same 3 investors completed $300M deal last May for Clean Power Finance. Main Street the long term owners of systems. Homeowners lease for little or no up front cost and save up to 25% on monthly bills. Morgan gets 30% ITC for solar.

Ciris Energy (US) uses naturally occurring microbes to convert coal to NG. Got ~$25M from Hong Kong investor to fund projects, expand internationally, primarily Asia. Ciris got $12M in '12 in deal led by Conoco. Microorganisms already exist underground, then stimulated to "eat" coal, emit methane. Comp has project on 160-acre site in WY's Powder River Basin.

Mexico President pushing to end Pemex monopoly.