UC Merced prof gets grant to study biofuels in U.S., Brazil

Merced Sun Star

Monday, Feb. 08, 2010

Sun-Star Staff

Elliott Campbell, a professor in the UC Merced School of Engineering, has received the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award, through which he'll receive $407,588 over five years, the university said.

During that time he'll study the capacity of abandoned agricultural lands to generate crops used to produce biofuels.

Campbell's project will begin with a study that will calculate the total area of abandoned agricultural lands in the U.S. and Brazil. He will then use field tests, historical crop figures and remote sensing data to estimate how much biofuel could be produced using these lands. Finally, he will determine the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during the production and transportation of the biofuels to help determine the environment's net gain.

The mass production of biofuels would be one of the greatest possible steps toward eliminating the world's dependence on fossil fuels, the news release said.

German City to Generate Energy from Waste

German City to Generate Energy from Waste

28th May 2009

The German city of Lünen is building a dedicated biogas network, powered by agricultural waste, offering an alternative to oil, coal and Russian gas.The city in the north-western Germany state of North Rhine-Westphalia lies on the Lippe River and the Seiten Canal, just north of Dortmund, and has a population of some 91,000 inhabitants.Lünen is the first city in the world to build and manage a biogas network. Fed by local farms, who deliver animal waste, as well as corn, wheat and grass the power plant is located in the industrial port. This feedstock is turned into biogas in anaerobic digesters. The plant produces 6.8MW, enough energy to supply 26,000 houses with heat and electricity.

To see full story: http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by_technology/biofuel_biomass/german-city-to-generate-energy-from-waste.html

Bioenergy Bulletin, May 2009

Sponsored by the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization (SJVCEO) http://www.sjvcleanenergy.org

Purpose of the May 2009, Bioenergy Bulletin: To identify internet-based learning opportunities that advance knowledge about biomass to energy systems. From basic information using the Bioenergy Wiki to technology and systems operation courses using remote learning from Sweeden’s Vaxjo University . 

 Welcome to BioenergyWiki

Sharing Knowledge for the Future of Bioenergy

http://www.bioenergywiki.net/index.php/Main_Page

 

Vaxjo University . 

Courses in Bioenergy Technology via Distance learning:

Fall semesters, September through Christmas, two courses offered on a regular basis:
- Base level course, 7.5 ECTS, "Bioenergy Technology".
This is an introductory course requiring no special previous knowledge in the subject, so as long as you are eligible for university level studies in any natural science or engineering discipline in your home country you are eligible for this course. 
- Advanced level course, 7.5 ECTS, "Assessment of biomass resources (for energy)"
This is advanced level and to be eligible for this course you have to have at least a Bachelor degree in science or technology/engineering. 

Spring semesters - from January through May, we also offer two courses on a regular basis:
- Base level course, 7.5 ECTS, "Sustainable energy supply"
This course introduces all the different types of sustainable energy production systems - not only bioenergy systems.
- Advanced level course, 7.5 ECTS, "Unit operations in Bioenergy Systems"
This course covers the different unit operations - harvesting/collection, communications, storage, all the way through until the delivery of final energy to the customer.

Look at the Admission Requirements and How to apply @ http://www.vxu.se/english/students/nonexchange/course_studies/application_process/admission_requirements/

Non-Swedish students must supply transcripts to verify having completed upper secondary education.

For direct information contact: Björn Zethræus, professor in Bioenergy technology bjorn.zethraeus@vxu.se

 

Vaxjo University . 

Bioenergy Technology and Bioenergy Business Development Course

The aim of this course is to create a study group to assess the potential to create a modern, local, biofuel-based energy solution in The San Joaquin Valley Region of California!

Who should be interested in this course?

This course is given only to order and it is given only to local, dedicated, study groups who actually want to do a case study for their own region. To order this course, you have to put together a study group containing entrepreneurs, local politicians and potential financiers who would be interested in actually doing a project and establishing a local biofuel-based energy system. This course consists of three exercises/assesments to be done and reported about the local energy needs, about the local fuel resources and about the local infrastructure available and aims at getting the local system started. This course is called "Fundamentals of Bioenergy Technology and Bioenergy Business". Björn Zethræus

The concept is for people in the SJV region to create their study group and produce a biomass industry development roadmap. 

This course is given on order and on a strict commercial basis.  As soon as a relevant study group is formed - this course can be ordered.

However, since the course aims at actually getting the local systems started, it will ONLY be given if a study group contains entrepreneurs who actually run the business AND local politicians to actually give the necessary permissions AND potential financiers to actually put up the money. Unless these three groups of actors are members of the group there will finally not be any project running - and in that case we are not interested in giving the course. Björn Zethræus

There are three assessments/reports to be done:

The first, is to assess energy demand in the chosen area. During this phase the instructor establishes a discussion forum via internet for the study group to avoid overlooking items.  The instructor - who does not know the local situation – will request full information from the group.  

Once the real needs are analyzed the group writes a report and mails to instructor.

The second assessment is about the biomass resources and the infrastructure. This time the group shall identify the actual resources at hand - where are they, when are they available, what about transportation and locale for intermediate storage, etc.  Which companies might take responsibility for transport, will the community give planning permission to these projects, etc. 

This is why community officers and entrepreneurs are necessary in the group. Again we run a dialog about these things. Björn Zethræus

Once you've analyzed the necessary infrastructure - again you write a report and mail to the instructor.

The third assessment is to identify the technology best suited to get you from the resources identified in task 2 to the results identified in task 1 and also to identify if the biomass resource needs to be upgraded and in that case how and to what form.  Which local companies can now provide the technology and/or the equipment needed, what incentives are available to activate investments. 

Again we have a dialog running throughout, and you write a third report. Björn Zethræus  

In the end you have three reports identifying the needs, the resources and the necessary technology to actually do the project you identified from the beginning. 

The group who did the reports/case-study will have a common basis and common understanding for the pros and cons with the project and they will all have a common terminology.

Since the group consisted of entrepreneurs and financiers - both of which want to make a profit - and of local politicians, you will have taken political as well as local economic factors into account while doing the plans. So if the three reports are more-or-less just stapled together you will have a fairly complete action plan for the actual project. Björn Zethræus

 

Hey Bloggers!

Please share your thoughts and ideas regarding the possibility of establishing a study group to undertake the before mentioned course.  Contact: ricardoamon@sbcglobal.net

Bio-Energy Industry Bulletin Issue #2, April 2009

Sponsored by the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization (SJVCEO)

http://www.sjvcleanenergy.org

Purpose of the BioEnergy Working Group Bulletin: To disseminate information that is relevant to the development of the bio-energy industry in the San Joaquin Valley region. To advance the deployment of biologically derived fuels using regional bio-resources. To encourage adoption of biomass conversion systems that significantly reduce waste loads, produce clean energy and contributes to environmental benefits. Establishing sustainability!

California Incentives for Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Efficiency

California Economic Recovery -- The California Energy Commission has been allocated $275.6 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The Energy Commission's two main areas of responsibility are the State Energy Program and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. In addition, there is an estimated $36 billion available nationwide that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will administer through competitive grants and other financing for energy- and climate change-related programs. Sign up for list-server: http://www.energy.ca.gov/recovery/index.html

California Public Utilities Commission Feed-in Tariff -- California enacted legislation (Assembly Bill 1969) in September 2006 requiring every electrical corporation to file with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) a standard tariff for renewable energy output produced by a public water or wastewater agency that is a retail customer of an electrical corporation. A subsequent CPUC decision (D.07-07-027), issued in July 2007 authorized two expansions of the tariffs. First, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) were required to submit separate tariffs for the purchase of eligible renewable generation from entities other than public water and wastewater agencies. Second, PG&E, SCE and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) were all required to offer both a full buy/sell option and an excess sale option in each tariff submitted for approval. Other electrical corporations were only required to offer the full buy/sell option, but they could offer both options if they chose to do so. The end result is an effective feed-in tariff to encourage small, customer-owned renewables up to 1.5 MW in capacity. The California feed-in tariff allows eligible customer-generators to enter into 10-, 15- or 20-year standard contracts with their utilities to sell the electricity produced by small renewable energy systems -- up to 1.5 megawatt (MW) -- at time-differentiated market-based prices. The price paid will be based on the CPUC’s market price referent (MPR) table, shown in CPUC Resolution E-4137. Time-of-use adjustments will be applied by each utility and will reflect the increased value of the electricity to the utility during peak periods and its lesser value during off-peak periods. A special, higher-level rate is provided for solar electricity generated between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. As the feed-in tariff is meant to help the utilities meet California's renewable portfolio standard (RPS), all green attributes associated with the energy, including renewable energy credits (RECs), transfer to the utility with the sale. Any customer-generator who sells power to the utility under this tariff may not participate in other state incentive programs. The tariffs will be available until the combined statewide cumulative capacity of eligible generation installed equals 500 MW. Each utility will be responsible for a portion of that cumulative total based on their proportionate sales.

Contacts:

Southern California Edison George Wiltsee (626) 302-4945 george.wiltsee@sce.com

Pacific Gas and Electric Feed-inTariffs@pge.com

San Diego Gas and Electric Michael J. Lammarino, (858) 654-8270

MJIammarino@semprautilities.com

California Public Utilities Commission Karin Hieta (415) 703-2743 kar@cpuc.ca.gov

Source:http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=CA167F&state=CA&CurrentPageID=1&RE=1&EE=1

SCE - Biomass Standard Contract --Southern California Edison Company (SCE), an investor-owned electric utility, offers a production incentive to customers who generate electricity with eligible biomass-energy systems, including landfill gas, municipal solid waste, wood and wood waste, fuel cells, digester gas, and sewer gas. Separate contracts are available to facilities with capacities of less than 1 megawatt (MW), facilities greater than or equal to 1 MW but not greater than 5 MW, and systems greater than 5 MW but not greater than 20 MW. The seller may select a term of 10, 15 or 20 years. The production incentive payment is tied to the Market Price Referent, which increases annually. Participants will receive the rate that is available when their project comes on-line for the duration of their contract period. The Market Price Referent for 2008 varies from $92.71 per megawatt-hour (MWh) to $95.72 per MWh, depending on the length of the contract. All renewable-energy credits (RECs) convey to SCE. http://www.sce.com

Federal Incentives for Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Efficiency
Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC) -- The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1) allows taxpayers eligible for the federal renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC) to take the federal business energy investment tax credit (ITC) or to receive a grant from the U.S. Treasury Department instead of taking the PTC for new installations. The new law also allows taxpayers eligible for the business ITC to receive a grant from the U.S. Treasury Department instead of taking the business ITC for new installations.

http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=US13F&State=federal&currentpageid=1&ee=1&re=1

Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) -- Clean renewable energy bonds (CREBs) may be used by certain entities -- primarily in the public sector -- to finance renewable energy projects. The list of qualifying technologies is generally the same as that used for the federal renewable energy production tax credit (PTC). CREBs may be issued by electric cooperatives, government entities (states, cities, counties, territories, Indian tribal governments or any political subdivision thereof), and by certain lenders. CREBs are issued, theoretically, with a 0% interest rate.* The borrower pays back only the principal of the bond, and the bondholder receives federal tax credits in lieu of the traditional bond interest.

The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 allocated $800 million for new Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs). In February 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated an additional $1.6 billion for CREBs. The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 also extended the deadline for previously reserved allocations until December 31, 2009, and addressed several weaknesses in the existing law that previously limited the usefulness of the program for some projects. A separate section of the law extended CREBs eligibility to marine energy and hydrokinetic power projects. The IRS has not yet announced that it is accepting applications for the new allocations made in 2008 and 2009, and it has not issued official guidance detailing how the program will operate. Until such official guidance is issued, it remains to be seen if the new program will operate exactly as described below. STAY INFORMED!

Source: Established in 1995, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency is an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

NEW EPA National Clean Diesel Campaign American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding Now Available -- The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed into law on February 17, 2009, include $300 million in grant funding opportunities to support clean diesel activities. The competitive announcement Request for Proposals and Applications for the ARRA Funding for National Diesel Emissions Reduction Program is now available. Please note that ARRA Funding for National Diesel Emissions Reduction Program will have an expedited competition schedule and that applicants must comply with ARRA provisions. The applications are due April 28, 2009. To request application and questions submit in via email to: Grace Cheng, Cheng.Grace@epa.gov 415-972-3983

NEW US Department of Agriculture, Rural Business-Cooperative Service Funding -- In the 2008 Farm Bill Congress added the Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance program as a separate section of the Rural Energy for America Program. REAP offers grants to units of State, tribal or local government, land-grant colleges, universities, or other institutions of higher education (including 1994 Land Grant Tribal Colleges and Historically Black Universities), rural electric cooperatives or public power entities to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses by conducting energy audits and providing recommendations and information on renewable energy development assistance and improving energy efficiency. Due date: 6/9/09. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-5154.htm

Demonstration Projects

Cow Power Carries California Milk to Market -- On February 11, the nation's first 'cow-powered' milk truck made its debut at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California. The USEPA Region 9, West Coast Collaborative funded project is converting biogas from cow manure to fuel vehicles used on dairy farms. The process includes bacteria induced manure break down, methane capture and biogas upgrading to remove impurities. The biogas is pressurized and put into a modified truck fuel tank. The purpose is to demonstrate the potential to produce bio-natural gas to replace diesel fuel use, while protecting surface and groundwater quality from manure nutrient leaching. Air and green house gas emission reductions can also be achieved through the biogas system. Nationally, dairy cows could power around one million vehicles with clean-burning bio-methane. Project partners include California Air Resources Board, Sustainable Conservation, Western United Resource Development and Hilarides Dairy.

Conferences

The 2009 National Bio-methane Summit,

Sheraton Grand Hotel,

Sacramento, CA 6/23/09

http://www.biomethanesummit.com/

Bio-methane is quickly becoming one of the most significant emerging technologies in today's low carbon vehicle fuel market and alternative energy arena. Researchers, scientists, practitioners, and stakeholders from across the nation will convene in California's Capital - home of the nation's first Low Carbon Fuel Standard -- to present the latest information, applications, success stories, and technology in the fields of: Landfill Gas To Vehicle Fuel; Dairy Waste Methane Recovery; Wastewater Processing Plants; Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions; Other Sources Of Renewable Natural Gas.

6th Annual Forum of the California Biomass Collaborative

6th Annual Forum of the California Biomass Collaborative

“Considering the Net Environmental and Social Benefits of Biomass Energy”

May 12- 13 2009

Sher Auditorium California Environmental Protection Building

1001 I Street Sacramento, California

Net Environmental Benefit: Policies and Regulation

Keynote - Bioenergy Benefits

SESSION 1 - Overview of different ideas about Net Environmental Benefit, discussion of policies and projects

SESSION 2 - Barriers to the Use of Forest, Agricultural, and Municipal Biomass for Energy

SESSION 3 - Incentives for biomass energy use and Net Environmental Benefit

SESSION 4 - Sustainable Use of Biomass for Energy and Net Environmental Benefit

California Biomass Collaborative website: http://biomass.ucdavis.edu/

Registration Website: http://www.cevs.ucdavis.edu/confreg/?confid=432

Biofuels - A Renewable Energy and Environmental Strategy

May 14, 2009
2:00 p.m. Eastern

In recent months, discovering and implementing renewable energy activities that will reduce both the United States' dependence on foreign oil and greenhouse gas emissions has become a priority. As more resources and funding are being allocated to these activities, the production and use of biofuels has become a hot topic.

Join A&WMA and a panel of biofuels experts for an interactive Webinar on:
The latest developments in biofuels research
Biofuels manufacturing and consumption methods
The market for biofuels
The effect of biofuels on the U.S. dependence on foreign oil
The potential environmental benefits of biofuels
Visit the Webinar Web site for more information or to register. To register by phone, call 1-877-728-3904.
Contact Autumn Secrest with questions.

BIOGAS INDUSTRY BULLETIN

BIOGAS INDUSTRY BULLETIN
Issue #1, March 2009

Farming Clean Energy Conference: The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization (SJVCEO) http://www.sjvcleanenergy.org hosted the Farming Clean Energy Conference on November 5th, 2008, at the Southern California Edison’s AgTAC facility in Tulare. The Bioenergy Working Group participated during the plenary session on 11/5/08 and a breakout session on 11/6/08. To see copies of the working group’s Power Point presentations, as well as other conference presentations, please visit:

http://www.sjvcleanenergy.org/document-library
Purpose of the Biogas Working Group Bulletin: To disseminate information that is relevant to the development of the biogas industry in the San Joaquin Valley region.
_________________________________________________________________________
New State Government Funding Opportunities: The California Energy Commission released the Renewable Energy Secure Communities (RESCO) program solicitation. In addition to renewable energy integration solution projects, the solicitation is funding dairy biogas or bio-power technology characterization, assessment and validation projects as well as demonstration of low emission technologies for conversion of biomass fuels such as biogas. Proposals are due February 27th. Please visit:

http://energy.ca.gov/contracts/pier.html#renewable
_________________________________________________________________________
New Federal Government Funding Opportunities: On January 16, 2009, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of funding for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). Funds for single- or multi-year projects, not to exceed three years, will be awarded through a nationwide competitive grants process with applications accepted from all eligible non-federal government or non-government organizations or individuals. CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address pressing natural resource concerns. Examples of target areas for this year's funding that are applicable to anaerobic digestion include:
Improved On-Farm Energy Efficiency (e.g., biobased energy opportunities; methane recovery)
Water Resources (e.g., innovative animal manure management systems)

Funding for CIG is made available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). All proposed CIG projects must involve EQIP-eligible producers. CIG is not a research program, but rather a tool to stimulate the adoption of conservation approaches or technologies that have been studied sufficiently to indicate a high likelihood of success. CIG will fund projects targeting innovative on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations. Technologies and approaches that are commonly used in the geographic area covered by the application, and which are eligible for funding through EQIP, are not eligible for funding through CIG. The federal contribution for a single project cannot exceed $2 million. At least 50 percent of the total cost of the project must come from non-federal matching funds (cash and in-kind contributions) provided by the grantee. Applications must be received in the NRCS National Headquarters by close of business March 2, 2009. The complete Announcement of Program Funding is available at:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig

_________________________________________________________________________
Demonstration Projects: Two heavy-duty diesel powered milk trucks converted to run on methane gas were showcased at the Dairy Pavilion, World Ag Expo, International Agri-Center, Tulare, 1:30 PM, on February 11. For further information, contact Carolyn Brown, 510-813-5521, carolyn@GreenWaveStrategies.com

_________________________________________________________________________
Local Government Efforts: Kern County Board of Supervisors approved on January 27, 2009 a resolution to exempt biogas pipelines less than eight miles in length from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
_________________________________________________________________________
Federal Legislation: A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation January 22, 2009 to promote the development of biogas. Under the Biogas Production Incentive Act of 2009, producers would receive a tax credit of $4.27 for every million British thermal units of produced biogas.

“Farmers Optimistic About Biogas Bill”
By Leora Broydo Vestel

The street value of manure could rise sharply if a new bill introduced by Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, gets the green light from Congress. The Biogas Production Incentive Act of 2009 would provide tax credits for transforming livestock waste into a renewable form of natural gas.

Under the proposed legislation, producers would be eligible for $4.27 per million B.T.U.s of biogas produced annually for a ten-year period. Running the numbers for a 1,000-cow dairy farm which produces 40.32 million B.T.U.s of biogas per day — the average output for a facility that size, according the Environmental Protection
Agency’s AgSTAR program, the tax credit would be about $63,000 annually. “Natural gas prices today are $5.00 to $6.00 per million B.T.U.s wholesale. At those kinds of prices there isn’t any motivation for dairymen to get into this business,” said David Albers, owner of Vintage Dairy in Riverdale, California, and president of BioEnergy Solutions, which installs and operates biogas systems and then shares revenues from the sale of the gas with the farmer. The tax credit, Mr. Albers said, “is a way to level the playing field so they can attract different sources of capital.”

The bill is virtually a carbon copy of legislation introduced in 2008 and 2007, both of which died in committee. Proponents feel the current political climate — with the focus on renewable energy as a means to invigorate the economy while reducing reliance of fossil fuels — is just right. “An idea like this suddenly has a lot more cache,
” said Jake Thompson, a spokesman for Senator Nelson. Mr. Thompson noted his office is lobbying the Senate Finance Committee to incorporate the legislation into the stimulus proposal, which in draft form, provides nearly $25 billion in tax incentives to producers of renewable energy.

Experts say such fiscal enticements from the federal government are needed for biogas to become a commercially-viable alternative to natural gas. As of 2008, there were 121 biogas recovery systems in the United States generating about 256,000 megawatt hours of power, according to AgSTAR. But the agency found that biogas systems are technically feasible at about 7,000 existing dairy and swine operations, with a potential of producing up to 6 million
megawatt hours of energy annually (PDF). “Existing incentives for biogas have been very week compared to other
renewables,” observed Brent Gloy, an associate professor at Cornell University’s Department of Applied Economics and Management. Mr. Gloy said the proposed legislation was “a real step in the right direction that could really get the industry going.”
_________________________________________________________________________

Federal Programs:
The AgSTAR Program, a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Energy, encourages the use of methane recovery (biogas) technologies. Please visit: http://www.epa.gov/agstar/