|
|||
Anaerobic
Digesters
www.AnaerobicDigesters.com
Biomethane
- The Best Renewable Fuel?
Anaerobic
Digesters - The Best Renewable Energy Technology?
California and Sweden Sign Agreement to Jointly Develop Biomethane
and Other Renewable Fuels
Thursday, 29
June 2006
Sacramento, California USA and Sweden
In a ceremony held at the Ministry of the Environment in Stockholm,
representatives of the Kingdom of Sweden and the State of California signed an
agreement pledging the two governments and their related industries to work
together to develop bioenergy, with a particular emphasis on Biomethane.
“Through a strong working relationship between its industry and government,
Sweden is showing how bioenergy can be developed in a cost-effective manner that
benefits its economy and environment. We are extremely pleased to have signed
this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will provide a basis for intensified
collaboration between Swedish and California officials to develop a thriving
bioenergy industry in California,” said Joe Desmond, Undersecretary for the
California Resources Agency.
In particular, Sweden has been a global leader in terms of converting biowaste, largely agricultural material and residues, into usable Biomethane. This gas is then used to either generate electricity, residential heating, or as a transportation fuel.
More than 8,000 vehicles in Sweden are powered by a combination of natural gas and Biomethane. The vehicles include transit buses, refuse trucks, and more than 10 different models of passenger cars. There are more than 25 Biomethane production facilities in Sweden and 65 filling stations. The Swedish Biomethane industry has been growing at an annual rate of about 20 percent over the last five years.
According to the Swedish Gas Association, more than 50 percent of the methane used to power Sweden’s natural gas vehicles now comes from biological sources, up from 45% last year. Natural gas vehicle sales in Sweden are increasing at the rate of 25% per annum.
Sweden was motivated to develop its Biomethane industry because it has no natural gas reserves, to more efficiently manage its waste, and to meet its obligations under the Kyoto Accord. Since Biomethane is developed from methane sources that would normally release into the atmosphere, it’s considered one of the most climate friendly fuels. Methane (and Biomethane) is 21 times more reactive as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2). Sweden is currently meetings its objectives and schedule as outlined in the Kyoto accord.
Biomethane is developed by heating up and breaking down biomaterials in an (Anaerobic Digester) digester. Among other raw materials, Swedish operators feed their Anaerobic Digesters with slaughterhouse waste, swine manure, and even grassy crops. After the materials breakdown over a 20 day period, technology is then used to remove the impurities and produce Biomethane. Once cleaned-up, Biomethane is 98 percent methane and easily meets the Swedish and California pipeline standards.
The Memorandum of Understanding can be accessed on the California Resources Agency Web site: http://resources.ca.gov/press_documents/CaliforniaSwedenBiofuelsMOU.pdf
We
are designing and engineering the world's best Anaerobic
Digesters.
Anaerobic Digesters recover valuable and toxic 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.
Biomethane, which we also refer to as "Renewable Natural Gas" is used as a renewable 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 and Biomethane represent an exciting opportunity for multiple reasons:
1. Anaerobic Digesters take an existing liability and waste (Biomethane) and convert it into an asset and profit generator.
2. Anaerobic Digesters mitigate and reverse by preventing Biomethane to escape into the atmosphere, which is one of the major causes of global warming and climate change. Of all Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Biomethane is 21 times more harmful to the atmosphere than are Carbon Dioxide Emissions.
3. Anaerobic Digesters are vital for renewable energy production and helping our country's drive for energy independence.
4. EVERY wastewater treatment plant as well as ALL Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO's) - IN EVERY COUNTRY - will soon be installing Anaerobic Digesters to prevent Biomethane from entering the atmosphere and help reverse climate change as well as for use as a renewable fuel.
5. The country of Sweden is the global leader in Biomethane production. Sweden has identified the Biomethane opportunities and is converting biowaste derived from agricultural material and residues into usable Biomethane. The Biomethane is used to generate clean, renewable electricity, residential heating, and also as a transportation fuel. Biomass sources make up 45% of Sweden’s Biomethane. Sweden's Biomethane industry has been growing at an annual rate of around 20% over the last five years. Biomethane powers more than 8,000 transit buses, garbage trucks, and 10 different models of passenger cars in Sweden. Sweden now has more than 25 Biomethane production facilities and 65 filling stations. The country believes that since Biomethane is developed from natural, organic sources that would have been released into the atmosphere, that Biomethane is considered one of the most climate-friendly fuels. Biomethane is 98% methane and easily meets the Swedish and California pipeline standards.
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"
Thursday, March 8, 2007
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Robert E. Johnson Conference Center
1501 N. Congress
Austin, Texas
Members of the Press Invited
The Renewable Energy Institute has assembled a leading team of scientists,
professors, and experts from multiple renewable energy disciplines.
The purposes of this Press Conference are:
1. Present the Vision, Goals and Mission Statement of the Renewable
Energy Institute.
2. Introduce members of the Renewable Energy Institute's Scientific Advisory Board. Each will make a brief presentation about why the Renewable Energy Institute is needed and describe the enormous opportunities for developing renewable energy and "pollution free power" in Texas.
3. Validate the viability of alternative, sustainable and renewable energy technologies today and into the future.
The Renewable Energy Institute intends to expand this team worldwide, beginning here in Texas.
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
Austin,
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
|
Renewable
Energy Industries Unite in Push for Action |
|
|
|
WASHINGTON - September 8 - The renewable energy community joined forces today in a fight to see key renewable energy provisions included in the National Energy Bill currently before the Conference Committee. In a letter to the lead Conferees, several renewable energy industry representatives urged that renewable energy measures be included in the final version of the bill. "We are coming together to urge the conferees to take action and support the renewable energy provisions of the bill," stated Karl Gawell, executive director of the Geothermal Energy Association, "the U.S. faces future shortages of affordable electricity, and the incentives in this bill will help clean, renewable power fill a significant part of that gap." Representatives from various renewable energy industries joined forces in support for these provisions, including Katherine Hamilton, co-director of the American BioEnergy Association, Randall Swisher, executive director of the American Wind Energy Association, Carol Werner, executive director of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Karl Gawell, executive director of the Geothermal Energy Association, Linda Church Ciocci, executive director of the National Hydropower Association, and Glenn Hamer, executive director the Solar Energy Industries Association. "By adopting these tax and policy measures, the Conferees will help ensure that future U.S. electricity supplies will be available from a diverse, domestic, renewable resource base," the renewable energy representatives stated in a letter to the lead Conferees, "Together, these measures would represent one of the most significant legislative efforts to advance renewable energy production and use ever enacted by Congress." The complete text of the letter follows: Dear Chairmen Domenici and Tauzin, Ranking Members Bingaman and Dingell: Renewable energy technologies utilize the largest untapped energy resources in the United States. Their expanded use will result in numerous benefits to millions of America's energy consumers. Expansion of renewable technologies would diversify our nation's energy supply, enhance national security, promote the use of indigenous resources, help stabilize energy prices, improve the reliability of our electricity system, greatly assist in pollution control efforts and provide an immediate stimulus for economic growth and new jobs. The undersigned organizations are writing to you as the lead conferees on H. R. 6 to call to your attention to several provisions before the Energy Conference Committee that are essential for achieving expanded renewable energy production. Tax Provisions Tax incentives are essential to encourage new investment in renewable energy production. There should be no question that they are the top priority of the renewable energy industries. We urge the Conference Committee to expand the coverage of Section 45 to include all renewable technologies and to extend the placed-in-service date for the Section 45 Production Tax Credit to at least 2007. We also urge the Conference Committee to approve significant investment tax credits for small-scale renewable energy production. Policy Provisions Several important policy provisions that will encourage new renewable energy production or improve current regulatory policies will also be before the Conference Committee. Of particular importance are: -- Net Metering and Interconnection provisions that will ensure that on-site energy producers can connect to the grid under fair terms and conditions; -- Inclusion of a meaningful Renewable Portfolio Standard that promotes increased use of all renewable energy technologies; -- Measures to upgrade the nation's electric transmission grid, and ensure that FERC has the authority to ensure reliable and transparent access to the grid; and, -- Provisions that expedite or improve the leasing, permitting, licensing and processing of renewable energy projects. By adopting these tax and policy measures, the Conferees will help ensure that future U.S. electricity supplies will be available from a diverse, domestic, renewable resource base. This will improve reliability, reduce consumer costs, improve air quality and enhance U.S. energy security. Together, these measures would represent one of the most significant legislative efforts to advance renewable energy production and use ever enacted by Congress. We strongly encourage you do adopt these measures and we look forward to working with you and your colleagues to that end. Sincerely, Katherine Hamilton, American BioEnergy Association Randall Swisher, American Wind Energy Association Carol Werner, Environmental and Energy Study Institute Karl Gawell, Geothermal Energy Association Linda Church Ciocci, National Hydropower Association Glenn Hamer, Solar Energy Industries Association |
Renewable Energy
Institute
Copyright © 2006 - 2007
All
Rights Reserved