It's what you wrote, but I am not agree, because we are discussing the problems
about biofuels and here you introduced wind energy and solar energy.
Best Regards
Ezio
=
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- May 15, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
http://www.eren.doe.gov/
=
Featuring:
*News and Events
Farm Bill Boosts Bioenergy Production, Renewable Energy Use
Cargill Dow, Ashland to Produce Biobased Solvent
GE Buys Enron Wind; Vestas Receives Large U.S. Wind Order
New Jersey State Government Buys Green Power
Six Green Tag Providers Earn Green-e Certification
Rosebud Sioux to Build First Tribal Utility-Scale Turbine
EPA Recognizes Nearly 300 Commuter Choice Leaders
*Energy Facts and Tips
EPA Examines Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector, Strength
*About this Newsletter
--
NEWS AND EVENTS
--
Farm Bill Boosts Bioenergy Production, Renewable Energy Use
President Bush signed the Farm Bill on Monday, ushering in
a variety of programs to encourage the production of energy
products on farms while providing incentives for farmers to
increase their energy efficiency and their use of renewable
energy resources. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman
noted that the bill -- officially called the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 -- provides a renewed
commitment to renewable fuels programs. See the
U.S. Department of Agriculture press release at:
http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2002/05/0189.htm.
Title IX of the bill specifically addresses energy, providing
$204 million in subsidies over the next four years for
producers of fuel-grade ethanol and biodiesel. It also
provides $5 million to educate consumers about biodiesel
and $6 million to establish a new program to encourage the
purchase of biobased products by federal agencies. The
new program will include an effort to establish voluntary
labeling of biobased products.
The bill encourages farmers to be energy efficient and to use
renewable energy systems, including wind energy systems
and anaerobic digesters, by providing $115 million over the
next five years for low-interest loans, loan guarantees, and
grants. It also extends the Biomass Research and Development
Initiative through 2006, providing $75 million to continue the
Initiative. See the Farm Bill summary on the U.S. Senate
Web site at:
http://www.senate.gov/~agriculture/Briefs/2001FarmBill/conframe.htm.
For more details, including the complete text of the bill, see
the link from the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition Forestry Web site at:
http://www.senate.gov/~agriculture/.
The Biomass Research and Development Initiative is a
multi-agency effort to coordinate and accelerate all federal
biobased products and bioenergy research and
development. See the Initiative's Web site at:
http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/.
Cargill Dow, Ashland to Produce Biobased Solvent
The biobased chemical industry took a large step forward in
late April, when Cargill Dow LLC announced that it has
signed a five-year agreement with Ashland Specialty
Chemical Company to produce a biobased solvent.
Biobased chemicals are produced from organic matter
available on a renewable basis -- in this case, the solvent will
be produced from corn. Biobased chemical production can
potentially consume far less fossil fuels than conventional
chemical production processes.
Ashland will derive its ethyl lactate solvent from ethanol and
a Cargill Dow polymer intermediate called lactide. Cargill
Dow's lactide production, in turn, will draw on the company's
new plant that produces lactic acid from corn. The
electronics-grade solvent has many applications in the
semiconductor industry.
Since launching its new plant in April, Cargill Dow has also
moved ahead on its NatureWorks products, which are
produced from lactic acid. The company has demonstrated
the superior flame resistance of its NatureWorks fiber, while
a leading Italian supermarket is preparing to use NatureWorks
materials to produce containers and film wrapping for its
food products. By mid-summer, the supermarket plans to
distribute fresh food and pasta in the corn-based packaging.
See the Cargill Dow press releases at:
http://www.cargilldow.com/news.asp.
GE Buys Enron Wind; Vestas Receives Large U.S. Wind Order
It's finally official: the company formerly known as Enron
Wind Corporation is now called GE Wind Energy, a General
Electric (GE) company. GE Power Systems announced the
acquisition on May 10th. GE has not yet chosen the
headquarters location for