Arnold tries for 10% Decrease in Carbon Emissions

In his state address last week, Schwarzenegger proposed California’s newest efforts on their already strict emissions standards. This time, he wants to cut the carbon content of fuels by at least 10% by the year 2020. This new effort is a part of a plan to achieve levels of greenhouse gases as low as they were in 1990. The plan of action isn’t cleaner fuel, though. It’s simply burning less of it. With biodiesel, ethanol, and natural gas coming as promising alternatives, this shouldn’t be a problem.

“Energy companies could hit the governor’s target,” said Bob Epstein, co-founder of Environmental Entrepreneurs, “by dedicating 800,000 acres of farmland in the San Joaquin and Imperial valleys to sugar cane, sugar beets, sorghum grass and other ethanol sources. That could displace 80 percent of the alfalfa grown in California, but it’s only 3 percent of the state’s 26.4 million acres of farmland.”

[ Oroville Mercury Register ]

$53 Million Biomass Plant Opening in Arizona

In a move that has been seen both as questionable and beneficial by the locals, Arizona has allowed the building of a renewable energy power-plant, fueled mostly by wood, and is expecting it to be completed by December of 2007. Arizona Corporation Commission has begun enforcing stricter guidelines for utility companies in order to attain its goal of having 15% of the state’s energy being produced from renewable resources by 2025. The obvious downside of such a plant would be the emissions, a point of concern shared by many Arizonians. “We certainly wouldn’t want to see Arizona put all its eggs in the biomass basket,” said Sandy Bahr, conservation outreach director of the Sierra Club. “I don’t think that biomass plants are really a good energy solution per se because clearly there are still issues with emissions.”

The plant plans to use scrap wood, small eucalyptus trees, and recycled paper. The problem arises, however, when this limited supply of fuel runs out. Bahr shared this sentiment by saying, “Do they start looking at, ‘Well maybe we should take the last of some of these big trees?’”

[ The Associated Press ]

EU wants Renewable Energy in Europe by 2020

In a draft paper seen by the Associated Press, the European Union outlines the necessity to reduce foreign oil dependency and green house gases through out Europe. The EU is looking for more focus on solar, wind, and biofuels and predicts that the majority of European nations could be run largely on these alternatives by 2020. The additional focus was perhaps sparked by delays in oil shipments due to disputes inside their Russian suppliers. The paper also highlights a series of economic benefits, saying that market problems are causing governments to cap power prices, leading to less investment in the sector that could cause future supply crunches. “This situation cannot continue,” it warns, saying it believes a series of measures need to be taken to create a competitive market within three years.

[ Today.Az ]

North Dakota Energy Survey Press Release

The University of North Dakota and North Dakota Renewable Energy Partnership recently polled a large variety of North Dakota citizens in how they felt about renewable energy sources. More than 90% of the 600 person survey group felt that renewable energy legislation should be a priority, and around 80% marked some level of concern about the current fuel situtation.

Mike Clemens, Wimbledon, was elected at the NDREP’s recent annual meeting in Jamestown.

“The partnership’s immediate priority is preparing proposals for the upcoming legislative session,” Clemens said. “We will also be focusing on getting more producers involved in renewable energy.”

Terry Goerger, Mantador, was elected vice chairman, and Mike Williams, Fargo, was elected secretary-treasurer. Goerger is a farmer and a member of the National Biodiesel Board; Williams is director of auxiliary services for Greenfields Energy LLC., Cando.

The NDREP promotes ethanol, biodiesel, wind and biomass energy production in North Dakota through development and expansion of markets for renewable energy and through support of state and federal legislation enhancing the industry.

The coalition grew out of “A Vision for the Future” the state’s first-ever renewable energy summit. The 2003 conference was organized by the North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA), the North Dakota Department of Commerce, the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association and the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center.

[ http://www.ndrep.org/ ]