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Hydropower Considered Renewable Energy Resource

In a 402-9 vote, the House reaffirmed that hydropower should be considered a renewable energy resource. That makes it eligible for credits toward the Renewable Energy Portfolios (RPS), research and other incentives for renewable energy. The vote came during debate of H.R 3321, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act, on an amendment offered by Representative William Sali (R-ID) seeking support for both large- and small-scale conventional hydropower technologies. The House also passed H.R. 2776, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007, which extends tax credits for hydropower and the new ocean, tidal and instream hydrokinetic technologies. Among its many provisions, H.R. 2776 provides for a 4-year extension of the Production Tax Credit, inclusion of ocean, tidal and instream hydrokinetic technologies under the PTC, and extension and additional funding for the Clean Renewable Energy Bonds CREBs program for public power. The hydropower industry estimates that about 23,000 MW of new energy could be brought online by 2025. The National Hydrogen Association wants Congress to go even further by providing credit rate parity for hydropower and waterpower resources. Hydropower receives half of the credit that other renewables receive.

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Bush Greatly Accelerates Logging in NW

URL: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/118662993461110.xml&coll=7 Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/118662993461110.xml&coll=7     

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238 Developments Join LEED Pilot

LEED for Neighborhood Development – the pilot rating system launched jointly by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) is off to a promising start. A total of 238 developments have signed up to participate in the pilot program, which will be the first national certification system for sustainable neighborhood design and development. LEED for Neighborhood Development will integrate the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building into the design and development of communities, moving beyond the single green building approach. The LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot is on track to be one of the largest launches yet for a new LEED program. The LEED Green Building Rating System, developed by USGBC, was originally created as a way to define green building for new commercial construction and has since expanded to include building types ranging from existing buildings, commercial interiors, and core & shell developments to single family homes and most recently neighborhood developments. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a development’s location and design meet accepted high standards for environmentally responsible and sustainable development. “The LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program is the next […]

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Recycled Paint Gets Green Seal of Approval

A recycled latex paint from the Portland, Ore., area is the first in the nation to receive certification from Green Seal, an environmental standards organization. The paint also has received certification from the Master Painters Institute, a paint performance certification group. The Green Seal and MPI certifications assure buyers that MetroPaint 100 percent recycled latex is environmentally friendly and performs as well as new paint,o said Jim Quinn, hazardous waste program manager for Metro, a regional government covering three counties in the Portland area. MetroPaint is 100-percent recycled and comes in 16 colors and costs about a third of the price of comparable new paint.

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Green Power

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Nova Reaches Agreement with ConAgra

Nova Biofuels Trade Group, a subsidiary of Nova Biosource Fuels, Inc., has entered into a biodiesel sales agreement with ConAgra Trade Group to market and sell biodiesel fuel and manage logistics for Nova at the 20 million gallon per year biodiesel refinery in Greenville, Mississippi owned by Scott Petroleum Corporation. Nova has contractual rights to obtain 50 percent of the biodiesel and glycerin production from the refinery at a specified cost. Scott Petroleum Corporation has made arrangements to procure 50 percent of the refinery’s feedstock from a variety of locally available feedstocks to produce biodiesel. Additionally, ConAgra Trade Group has agreed with Scott Petroleum to assist in procuring the additional feedstock requirements, primarily animal fats and waste products. The refinery, which is located on the Mississippi River, is mechanically complete and preparations have begun for commissioning the refinery and fuel terminal. The plant is scheduled to commence production of biodiesel in September. “Nova has performed well in the design and construction phases of our refinery,” said Scott Petroleum President Solon Scott, Jr. “We’re looking forward to commissioning Nova’s proprietary technology to convert a variety of feedstocks produced in Mississippi into ASTM quality biodiesel for my customers.” Nova previously designed and […]

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AES Expands Wind Business into China

The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) plans to expand its wind generation business into China through the creation of a joint venture with Guohua Energy Investment Co. Ltd., one of China’s leading producers of renewable energy. The joint venture will construct, own and operate a 49.5 MW wind farm, which is currently under design and expected to achieve commercial operation in 2009. Through its investment in the joint venture, AES will become the first U.S.-based power company with wind generation facilities in China. The wind farm site is located in the Huanghua area of Hebei Province, approximately 200 kilometers southeast of Beijing, and has the potential to generate up to 225 MW. The Hebei Provincial Power Company will purchase all of the power generated by the facility, as required by the Chinese Renewable Energy Law. AES subsidiary AES Black Sea Holdings BV will own a 49% interest in the joint venture, known as Guohua AES (Huanghua) Wind Power Co. Ltd. The remainder of the joint venture will be owned by Guohua. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “Through our joint venture with Guohua, AES is able to enter the promising wind market in China with a well-established and respected partner, […]

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Distributed Energy Reports Q2 Results

Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: DESC), has reported revenues of $6.8 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2007, compared with $9.4 million reported in the same period of 2006. The company’s net loss was $10.3 million for this year’s second quarter, or $0.26 per share, compared with a net loss of $6.5 million, or $0.17 per share for the same period a year ago. For the first six months of 2007, revenues were $15.3 million, with a net loss of $24.9 million, or $0.63 per share, compared to revenues of $17.0 million, and a net loss of $13.9 million or $0.36 per share for the comparable 2006 period. Ambrose L. Schwallie, Distributed Energy Systems’ chief executive officer, said: “The previously announced initiatives to refocus on more attractive markets, such as oil and gas, wind systems and power electronics, which should improve our sales and margins over time, have yet to achieve their potential. In addition, we continued to work toward project completion, along with negotiations to disengage from legacy engineering, procurement and construction projects and service obligations which were uneconomic, and the costs associated with those activities had an additional unfavorable impact on our results.” “At the same […]

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