Bioenergy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

EU Should Scrap Energy Subsidies to Fight Warming, Poland Says

Ewa Krukowska, Bloomberg — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:36:20 GMT

The European Union should scrap fossil fuel and renewable energy subsidies and set a target to cut oil imports to remain the leader in the fight against global warming, according to Poland's environment minister.

Breakdown: Penetration of Renewable Energy in Selected Markets

Paul Gipe, Contributor — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The penetration of renewable energy into the electricity supply mix has been much in the news recently. During the first quarter, Portugal generated three-quarters of its electricity with renewable energy. Meanwhile, in Germany, one-fifth of all electricity was generated with renewables, most of that from new sources of renewable energy, such as wind and solar. And recently, at a conference in San Francisco, attendees heard calls for generating not just 100 percent of electricity supply with renewable energy, but far more — 200 percent to 300 percent of generation — in order to meet the need for heating, cooling, and transportation as well.

Moniz Unanimously Confirmed As New DOE Chief

James Montgomery, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:55:25 GMT

Ernie Moniz has been unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the next Secretary of Energy, in a 97-0 vote (with three nonvoters). He succeeds Stephen Chu who held the position for four years.

The Economic Case for Divesting from Fossil Fuels

Garvin Jabusch, Green Alpha Advisors — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Securities of fossil fuels firms, as an economic sector, may soon be on the decline.

Out of the Shell: Oil Giant's Big Biofuels Ambitions

Jim Lane, Biofuels Digest — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:22:47 GMT

In this era of "repeal the RFS" efforts from API, would you be surprised that Shell regards the US Renewable Fuel Standard as "one of the more effective frameworks out there"?

Finland's New Energy Solutions

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

You may not know much about Finland, but you certainly know the powerhouse technology company that became a household name across the globe and drove the nation’s economic expansion through the 1990s-2000s. Nokia generated a quarter of Finnish economic growth from 1998-2007, prompting a new term, ‘the Nokia effect’, to describe economic development

Connecticut Seeks to Literally Water Down its RPS, Could it Happen in Your Region?

Jennifer Runyon, Managing Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:07:46 GMT

Since I live in New Hampshire and write about the global renewable energy industry, once in a while small local news that might appear to be of minor importance to my neighbors leaps out at me as something that could end up having a huge impact on the renewable energy industry.

Europe Sinks Its Flagship Carbon Trading Scheme

Paul Hockenos, International Correspondent — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:34:47 GMT

All German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to do was pick up the phone and dial her people in Brussels. Had she done so before the European Parliament's (EP) key vote last month on April 19, her party's representatives could easily have saved the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), Europe's flagship mechanism for reducing carbon emissions. But the woman once hailed as "the climate chancellor," didn't make the call, a consequence of differences of opinion on the ETS within her ruling center-right coalition, she said. The impotent ETS is now withering on the vine, where it may remain until it is dead altogether.

Rebuttal: What Determines CO2 Neutrality in Bioenergy Combustion?

Dr. William Strauss, President, FutureMetrics — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The recently released research in Geophysical Research Letters suggests that if 10 percent of the world's energy needs were fulfilled by biofuels from dedicated crops then the consequence would be that global greenhouse gas levels would increase. The foundation of their model is that deforestation, in order to make room for energy crops, eliminates CO2 absorbing forests. They also note that the increased release of nitrous oxide from fertilization will have GHG effects.

Russian Renewable Energy Law Could Significantly Boost Clean Energy But Obstacles Remain

Linas Jegelevicius, Correspondent — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:43:21 GMT

Hopes for Renewable Energy Source Development Measures (RESDM) in Russia's renewable power sector are high: if adopted and properly implemented, it will boost the renewable sector that is plagued with underfunding, often differing regional and federal legislation, other short-comings or simple ineffectiveness.

The Possible Consequences of Expanding Biofuels: Cleaner Energy, Warmer Climate?

Vicki Ekstrom, Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

The growing global demand for energy, combined with a need to reduce emissions and lessen the effects of climate change, has increased focus on cleaner energy sources. But what unintended consequences could these cleaner sources have on the changing climate?

The Finnish Hydrogen Roadmap: Hydrogen to Join Electricity in Ending Traffic Pollution

Jussi Solin, Technical Research Center of Finland — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Global expectations for hydrogen are currently sky-high. Transport applications stand at the threshold of commercialisation, while ahead lies an investment boom in the hydrogen distribution network. The changeover to hydrogen based on natural gas would already mean a potential saving of billion in Finland's balance of payments. If hydrogen could then be produced from domestic renewable raw material, our car and bus traffic would eventually be practically self-sufficient and leave a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The above was revealed in the Finnish hydrogen roadmap published recently.

Fforde on Feed-in Tariffs: Literary Use of "Feed-in Tariffs" Comes of Age

Paul Gipe, Contributor — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Feed-in tariffs, the terminology at least, has come of age. The term can now be found in a prolific English novelist's most recent book. Jasper Fforde's use of the words in fiction is an open acknowledgment that the term and the idea it conveys have become mainstream in the English language.

EU Debate Over Climate Change Policy Could Dampen Renewable Energy Growth

Ewa Krukowska and Alex Morales, Bloomberg — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:39:31 GMT

Europe's program to halt climate change is in disarray with lawmakers in the region expressing concern the drift is undermining the planet's most significant effort to combat global warming.

Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2013: April Update

Tom Konrad, Contributor — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:31:06 GMT

While the sun was shining on most clean energy stocks in April, my ten clean energy picks for 2013 (introduced here) got relative showers. The Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (PBW) was up a sunny 14.1% for April to 19.6% for the year, rising quickly past my picks, which inched up a relatively meager 0.7% to 7.5% for the year so far. Meanwhile, the broad universe of small stocks gained 2.6% for a year to date gain of 15.1%, as measured by my benchmark the iShares Russell 2000 Index (IWM).

Nigeria: Renewable Energy Opportunities Blossoming

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Just like any country, Nigeria in the 21st century faces enormous challenges, and one of its most crucial is power. Nigeria has been confronted with incessant electricity problems ranging from power generation to its transmission and distribution. The main sources of its electricity are gas and hydropower, but for many decades, homes, businesses an

Makeover Puts CHARMM Back in Biofuels Business

Bill Scanlon, NREL — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Biofuels scientists are asking more complex questions about how molecules spin, bond, and break when enzymes attack plants — all in the name of quickening the process of turning biomass into fuels for the sake of cleaner air and better energy security.

Clariant Looks to Biofuel as Older Assets Lined Up for Disposal

Andrew Noel, Bloomberg — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:04:25 GMT

Clariant AG said it's prepared to take on a partner and help fund a second-generation bioethanol plant to prove the effectiveness of its biotechnology and compete against Royal DSM NV and Novozymes A/S.

Renewable Energy Leases on Tribal Lands: Enhanced Sovereignty and Increased Responsibility

David Nahai, Partner, Lewis Brisbois — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

2013 may well be remembered as the year that ushered in a new era for the development of renewable energy projects on tribal lands.

Latin America Report: Thinking Big About Clean Energy and Climate Change

Renewable Energy World Editors — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:07:36 GMT

Virtually eliminating the carbon footprint from Latin America's power sector by 2050 would require $66 billion in annual investments, with spending on renewable energy making up half that amount, according to a new report analyzing full "climate stabilization" in the region.