Background

During the past three decades, animal production in the United States has become increasingly specialized. Many farms function as links in the chain of animal production, housing and feeding cattle and poultry. In 2003, the nation’s 238,000 feeding operations produced 500 million tons of manure. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [external link] estimates that a small percentage of those facilities—called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)—accounted for more than half of the manure.

CAFOs are agricultural facilities that house and feed a large number of animals in a confined area for 45 days or more during any 12-month period. Federal regulations require CAFOs to carry a permit and to develop nutrient-management plans designed to keep animal waste from contaminating surface water and groundwater. The number and type(s) of animal(s) the operation houses, and the extent to which waste from the operation could pollute surface water and groundwater, determine whether EPA considers a feeding operation to be a CAFO.

EPA began regulating CAFOs during the 1970s. The latest EPA regulations, guidance and other information on CAFOs is available at http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/info.cfm?program_id=7.

Public Health Concerns

People who work with livestock may develop adverse health effects, including chronic and acute respiratory illnesses and musculoskeletal injuries, and may be exposed to infections that travel from animals to humans. Residents in areas surrounding CAFOs report nuisances, such as odor and flies. In studies of CAFOs, CDC has shown that chemical and infectious compounds from swine and poultry waste are able to migrate into soil and water near CAFOs. Scientists do not yet know whether or how the migration of these compounds affects human health.

Pollutants possibly associated with manure-related discharges at CAFOs include:

*   Antibiotics, which may contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens 
Pathogens, such as parasites, bacteria, and viruses, which can cause disease in animals and humans

*   Nutrients, such as ammonia, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which can reduce oxygen in surface waters, encourage the growth of harmful algal blooms, and contaminate drinking-water sources 

*   Pesticides and hormones, which researchers have associated with hormone-related changes in fish 

*   Solids, such as feed and feathers, which can limit the growth of desirable aquatic plants in surface waters and protect disease-causing microorganisms 

*   Trace elements, such as arsenic and copper, which can contaminate surface waters and possibly harm human health 

Researchers do not yet know whether or how these or other substances from CAFOs may affect human health. Therefore, CDC supports efforts to address these questions

Anaerobic Digesters
www.AnaerobicDigesters.org

The Renewable Energy Institute is leading the engineering and design to develop the world's best Anaerobic Digesters. 

Anaerobic Digesters recover Biomethane from organic materials and prevents the Biomethane - which has a Global Warming Potential that is 21 times more harmful to our climate than Carbon Dioxide Emissions - from entering the atmosphere.  

The Biomethane, which we also refer to as "Renewable Natural Gas" is then used as a fuel for our cogeneration and trigeneration power plants. Alternatively, we may sell the Biomethane to a customer and transport it to them from our Anaerobic Digesters via natural gas pipelines.  We believe Anaerobic Digesters are so vital for renewable energy production and preventing climate change, that all wastewater treatment plants as well as most CAFO's (concentrated animal feeding operations) - no matter what country - will be installing Anaerobic Digesters to prevent Biomethane from entering the atmosphere and help reverse climate change.

Press Conference Invitation
Announcing the

RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTITUTE
"Changing The Way The World Does Energy"

LOCATION: The Robert E. Johnson Conference Center is located directly behind the REJ Building at 1501 N. Congress Avenue. The Conference Center is a silver, half-domed building.

Map: http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/icons/rejres/map.gif

PARKING: Parking available at the Capitol Visitor Garage at 13th and San Jacinto. Parking in the Capitol Visitor Garage is free for the first two hours and $.75 for each half-hour thereafter (maximum daily charge: $6.00)

"Changing The Way The 
World Does Energy"

Including the transformation of a very inefficient, "centralized," highly-polluting, costly and "dumb" Electric Grid of today which now resembles:

To the "Smart Grid" of tomorrow - which resembles the slide below - will be very efficient, decentralized or "distributed," non-polluting, low-cost and "smart."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2007
Austin, Texas

RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTITUTE TO BE LOCATED IN AUSTIN TEXAS

In response to plans by TXU and Reliant Energy (and their provider of electricity - NRG Energy) to build nineteen (19) unnecessary and dangerous coal plants in Texas, Monty Goodell, Founder and Executive Director of the Renewable Energy Institute ("REI") is choosing today to announce the official location of the Renewable Energy Institute - which will be located in Austin, Texas - which has been recognized by many as the "Clean Energy Capital" of the world.

After years of preparation and selection of a preeminent and leading Scientific Advisory Board for the Renewable Energy Institute, Mr. Goodell is pleased to announce that the initial members of REI's Scientific Advisory Board are recognized scientists, professors and leaders in the field of renewable energy and renewable energy technologies.

Renewable energy includes; Biomass and Biomass Gasification, Biofuels (Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel and E100 Ethanol), Demand Side Management, Energy Conservation Measures, Energy Efficiency Measures, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Hydrogen, Ocean Power/Tidal Power, Solar Power and Energy (Concentrating Solar Power, Concentrating Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal) Waste Heat Recovery and Wind Power Generation. 

Mr. Goodell adds, "several of the initial members of our Scientific Advisory Board are also professors in several of our universities here in Texas."

Additionally, the Renewable Energy Institute has received the support from environmental groups and organizations as well as individuals within various agencies with the State of Texas and also manufacturers and developers of alternative and renewable energy products.

"Now is the time for the Renewable Energy Institute to be birthed," says Goodell, adding, "with the rising concerns for clean, pollution free power, and carbon free energy, global warming, and the pollution associated with power generated from pulverized coal power plants, which harms unborn babies, and kills our fish, and causes acid rain, combined with the fact that concentrating solar power plants can now be built at costs far less than building coal-fired power plants.  And when you consider that electric rates - which were some of the lowest in the country at 8 cents/kWh before energy deregulation in Texas in 2002, have now doubled since deregulation went into effect, and are now running around 15 cents/kWh..... the logical conclusion for most people is that renewable energy has always been far superior for our environment, but now, renewable energy is also affordable. So far, the electric companies haven't been able to place a meter on the sun!"

Continuing, Mr. Goodell adds, "Texas is now at a crossroads, we can continue doing what we've been doing, building more fossil fuel power plants, and coal fired power plants, that come at a severe cost to our environment and the lives and health of our children and unborn children, as well as our planet, or we can do the right thing, and start building 'pollution free power' and power plants that produce 'carbon free energy.'  It's now time to begin the transition of our society and economy from one that was based on dirty, inefficient, uneconomic, and non-sustainable 'brown' fossil-fuels based power plants to a society and economy that is based on safe, clean, green, sustainable and renewable energy that is affordable, carbon-free energy, pollution free power. The future is now, not years in the future. Texas, in just a few shot years has become the leader in wind power generation. We need to build more wind power generation farms and start building concentrating solar power plants. We need to recover and harness the 'free' power of Biomethane that is 21 times more harmful to our planet and environment than carbon dioxide emissions. And since deregulation of the electric industry in Texas, the electric companies have abandoned 'demand side management' and 'energy conservation measures' programs for their customers.... and you can't blame them, because they only make money by selling MORE kWh's, not less, which is what demand side management programs do, save their customers money by conserving electricity, which means the electric companies make less money as they are not selling as many kWh's as before. It has been estimated that Demand Side Management and Energy Conservation Measure can save customers at least 25% to 30% on their electric bills, and delay the need for building ANY new power plants in Texas until at least 2015.

We have the technologies readily available and off the shelf today, we only need a little more foresight and planning on the part of our leaders in Texas' government, as well as the shareholders and investors of the two electric companies wanting to build 19 new, unsustainable pulverized coal power plants. These two companies are already the two largest polluters in the State of Texas. The evidence is clear, we can, and we must EXCEED the 20 x 20 Renewable Portfolio Standard initiative which Congress is suggesting.  Texas has been abundantly blessed with "natural" renewable energy resources that don't harm our health, and our children's health or our environment. We need to re-direct our legislators and politicians to the clean, clear and bright vision of renewable energy which is more profitable, and more sustainable, and we will all breathe easier, sleep better, and know that our children - and our children's children, and their children, will inherit a planet that is cooler, cleaner, greener, for generations to come.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  http://www.renewableenergyinstitute.org


The specific mission, objectives and purposes of the Renewable Energy Institute, a 501 (c) 3 corporation shall be:

1. To expand the use of renewable energy technologies in the United States and around the world.

2. To end America's dependence on unstable, unsustainable foreign sources of energy, and make the United States energy independent.

3. To lead and formulate public policy that promotes greater use of renewable energy.

4. To lead the research and development of new renewable energy technologies that lead to patents and the ability to license the renewable energy technologies we develop and invest.

5. To coordinate the research and development of renewable energy between universities so as to minimize redundancy and maximize results.

6. To facilitate and promote dialog between universities and professors in the free flow of research to enhance results and breakthroughs in renewable energy research and development. 

7. To educate and inform the public, including stakeholders that include residential, commercial, industrial and governmental organizations who are consumers of power and energy, the many benefits and uses of renewable energy.

8.  The Renewable Energy Institute will promote higher energy and electric power efficiencies and renewable energy technologies including; Anaerobic Digesters, Automated Demand Response, Biodiesel, Biomass Gasification, BioMethane and BioMethane Recovery, Cogeneration, Concentrating Solar Power, Demand Side Management, Dispersed Generation, Distributed Generation (onsite power generation), Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Hydrogen, Landfill Gas to Energy, Ocean and Tidal energy, Supply Side Management, Thermal Gasification, Trigeneration, Waste to Energy, Waste To Watts and to promote the use of energy crops and oilseed crops for producing biofuels and related technologies whenever a renewable fuel may be used in an internal combustion engine or gas turbine to produce clean power and energy. The Renewable Energy Institute will promote Carbon Dioxide Sequestration technologies, also called Carbon Capture and Sequestration.

9. To help farmers and growers in determining the optimum energy crops and oilseed crops they should consider for their specific locations, soils, climate and energy markets.

10. To adopt a goal of providing the U.S. with 50% of its' power and energy requirements from renewable energy sources by 2025, and 75% by 2050.  Texas will lead the way with a goal of 50% of its' power and energy requirements from renewable energy sources by 2020, and 75% by 2040.

11. To seek funding, investments and donations for the REI from concerned citizens, organizations and companies that will fund the REI's grants, research and development.

12. To seek and develop strategic partners/partnerships that share and advance our common goals. 

13. To seek out qualified companies and people that want to utilize our products and services under our license.

14. To provide Engineering Feasibility and Economic Analysis studies for customers - through a separate entity affiliated with the Renewable Energy Institute.

15. To develop renewable energy projects on behalf of customers - through a separate entity affiliated with the Renewable Energy Institute.
 
16. To remain committed as a trusted supplier of research, development and technologies and be committed as a "vendor-neutral" resource of information - until such time we identify "optimum" companies, products and/or technologies. 

17. To promote and integrate the use of renewable energy technologies in creating "sustainable communities," "renewable energy districts," and "green buildings."   
 
18. To be committed to ending global warming, eliminating carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, and advance technologies such as carbon dioxide sequestration to end global climate change. 
 
The Renewable Energy Institute will fund research and development of all renewable energy technologies, as well as provide leadership in the areas of "Pollution Free Power," "Carbon Free Energy," and "green tags" also known as a Renewable Energy Credit. 

The Renewable Energy Institute will also conduct testing of renewable energy technologies, that compare various manufacturers products' and determines which products have the highest efficiencies, and fastest returns on investment (ROI). And, the Renewable Energy Institute will conduct "vendor-neutral" Engineering Feasibility and Economic Analysis, for specific renewable energy projects, for our customers, to determine the best technologies, and best equipment, for each new renewable energy project. 

Please contact M o n t y  G o o d e l l, Executive Director and Founder of the Renewable Energy Institute by email or phone to learn more about upcoming meeting that will be open to the public.  Tel. (512)  220 - 1498

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