Richardson calls for “Apollo-like” program to solve building energy crisis
The New Mexico governor (and former US DOE head) wrote that America should create an energy initiative similar to President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to NASA. “This program will help foster an American-made energy economy and create new, high paying jobs here, not send billions of dollars a year to oil despots in the Middle East,” Richardson wrote.
Source: Bill Richardson: A plan for American energy independence, Union Leader

Survey says nearly half of UK car buyers ready to buy alternative fuel vehicles
The survey, conducted by Auto Trader magazine, reported that 47% of the more than 3,000 respondents said they were “ready to take the plunge” and purchase a more environmentally friendly vehicle. 60% of those surveyed said they wanted auto manufacturers to offer alternative fuel vehicles as an option, and 40% wanted to see the British government put more pressure on automakers to accomplish that goal.
Source: Call for alternative fuels, CARkeys

Cleaner air brings drop in death rate
A paper published in the March 15 issue of The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, concluded that a decline in air pollution actually decreased death rates in six metropolitan areas across the U.S. For every decrease of 1 microgram of soot per cubic meter of air, death rates from cardiovascular and respiratory disease decrease by 3% (75,000 lives per year in the U.S.). This decrease holds true for smokers as well.
Source: Cleaner air brings drop in death rate, The New York Times

New poll says most Americans think alternative fuels are in their future
In a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallop poll, 77% of Americans think the world will eventually run out of oil, and most think the global supply will be depleted within 50 years. The survey also states the public believes most U.S. vehicles in the future will primarily run on alternative fuels instead of gasoline.
Source: Public sees alternative fuels as wave of future, The Gallop Poll

New York and California have worst air in US, says EPA
The EPA has listed the two states as having the highest risk for cancer due to the deadly fumes from vehicles and factories. The EPA’s National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment states that Los Angeles residents are exposed to cancer rates that are about twice the national average. Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana are at the bottom of the list.
Source: State’s air is among Nation’s most toxic, Los Angeles Times

Rising fuel costs hitting waste industry hard
The solid waste industry is spending an additional $800 million annually in higher fuel costs, compared to 2004, according to a new white paper from the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWNA).
Source: Rising fuel costs hitting waste industry hard, NSWMA reports, Waste News

India on shopping spree for oil
With domestic oil production now hovering at 27% of demand, India has been on a buying binge to find new sources of oil and gas. Indian firms have committed over $4.5 billion in 14 countries in Central Asia, Africa and Latin America. “India’s crude oil self-sufficiency declined from 63% in 1989-90 to 30% in 2000-01,” said Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma. “The situation is only likely to get worse in the future.”
Source: India on shopping spree for oil assets, rediff.com

Harnessing the wind for hydrogen
On the Shetland island of Unst, a Scottish energy firm has created a hydrogen fuel cell that was produced entirely by energy supplied through wind power. Due to the region’s above-average annual wind levels, researchers at Pure Energy connected wind turbines directly to their systems for heating hydrogen fuel cells, without an additional auxiliary power source. “It is no coincidence that people who are looking at hydrogen fuel cells are people in peripheral areas,” said Sandy Macaulay of Pure Energy.
Source: Catching the wind, Sunday Herald

Sempra proposes expansion of LNG capacity to 40% of current California natural gas demand
Sempra Energy has asked Mexican authorities for permission to more than double the daily capacity (to 2.5 billion cubic feet) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at its new plant currently being built in Ensenada, Mexico, about 50 miles south of San Diego. California currently consumes about six billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
Source: Sempra to vastly expand capacity at Mexico LNG terminal, San Jose Mercury News

Ethanol plants are booming
All along the Midwest Corn Belt, ethanol plants are growing fast. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, 33 plants are under construction, with another eight (out of 85 facilities currently in operation) being expanded. Ethanol supplies will more than double in the next decade, according to a new report by the consulting firm, LECG.
Source: Ethanol plants see growth bloom, USA Today

Exxon wants to loosen tight gas
In Colorado’s Piceance Basin, Exxon Mobil is developing new technology to unlock “tight gas” formations. “Exxon Mobil’s ability to go after tight gas is a technical breakthrough that will add significant volumes to our U.S. natural gas supply,” said Kris Nygaard, one of the inventors of the new technology. There are 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Piceance Basin.
Source: Exxon finds key to hidden fuel, Rocky Mountain News

Methane recovered in Vancouver from landfill gas
QuestAir Technologies has successfully extracted methane from landfill gas (LFG) in a demonstration project in Vancouver. The Canadian firm upgraded the landfill facility to produce transporation-grade M-3100 LFG. “Purified methane recovered from LFG can also be used to fuel the waste disposal trucks servicing municipal landfills, reducing both operating costs and the greenhouse gas emissions of waste collection fleets,” said QuestAir President and CEO Jonathan Wilkinson.
Source: Methane recovered at Vancouver site says QuestAir, Life Style Extra

Most Americans favor alternative fuels, says survey
In a survey conducted by the Energy Future Coalition, a Washington D.C.-based nonpartisan public policy group, 1,000 registered voters overwhelmingly think government and private industry should invest heavily in renewable fuels. 88% favor tax breaks to encourage alternative fuel consumption. 92% say corporations should be held to minimum federal standards for renewable energy usage. 90% support a national goal of one-quarter of America’s energy needs coming from renewable sources by 2025.
Source: Survey respondents favor alternative fuels, Detroit Free Press

Senate committee approves opening up Gulf of Mexico for energy exploration
The Senate Energy Committee voted 16-5 last week to approve opening three million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling. The area, located 100 miles off the Florida coast, is projected to contain six trillion cubic feet of natural gas. “Passing this bill is the one thing we can do swiftly that will have a profound effect on gas supply and price, “ said committee chairman Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM).
Source: Offshore drilling plan advances, MarketWatch

Swiss capital switching to sewage gas for buses
Bern, Switzerland has ordered a fleet of 100 buses capable of running on biogas. About 450 sewage treatment plants in Switzerland produce biogas as a bi-product. Through reprocessing (which removes the carbon-dioxide, water and hydrogen sulphide) the methane levels are boosted to 96%, matching that of natural gas. Arthur Wellinger, director of the Agency for Renewable Energy predicts 10% of Swiss buses and cars will be powered by biogas by 2010.
Source: Bern’s buses soon to be powered by sewage gas, Swissinfo

Clean energy market share is expected to quadruple in ten years
The market for biofuels, solar energy, wind power, and fuel cells is expected to reach $167 billion by 2015 (from $40 billion in 2005), according to a report by Clean Edge, a Portland, Oregon-based research firm. The report says the market for alternative fuels is growing by more than 30% annually.
Source: Clean energy boom forecast, Red Herring

CNG vehicles curbing pollution in Pakistan
All Pakistan CNG Association Central Chairman Tariq Kandaan said last week that over 800,000 vehicles have been converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) and have “contributed immensely” to reducing air pollution in the country.
Source: Use

DOE announces $119 million for fuel cell research
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that up to $100 million would be dispersed over the next four years on various fuel-cell technology projects, with an additional $19 million going to over 12 projects focused on polymer membrane research. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said the funding goal is to develop clean, hydrogen-fuel vehicles in an effort to reduce America’s foreign oil dependency.
Source: DOE announces $119 million in fuel cell research, Full Cell Today

Old brewery now has biofuel on tap
Northeast Biofuels is planning to build a $160 million ethanol refinery at the former Miller Brewery in Oswego, NY. The refinery retrofit will be the first corn-to-ethanol plant in New York State and the only one in the Northeast. The plant expects to produce 100 gallon of the biofuel annually, making it the third-largest ethanol production facility in the nation.
Source: Oswego County top projects, Oswego County Business

Moscow will order 300 natural gas buses
The city’s Transportation and Communications Department confirmed this week that the new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses would be purchased in the near future. These new environmentally friendly vehicles will join the 50 natural gas buses already in use.
Source: 300 Moscow buses to run on natural gas, United Press International

New hybrid forklifts show promise in making fuel cells a more cost-effective transport alternative
Several manufacturers are testing hybrid forklifts powered by battery-like ultracapacitors, which are charged by hydrogen fuel cells. These prototypes could hold the key to making fuel cells smaller, lighter and cheaper, thereby advancing their usage in consumer vehicles. When cruising, the forklifts use less than 25% of the engine’s peak power, while providing acceleration and sustained stamina for hill climbing.
Source: Practical fuel-cell vehicles, MIT Technology Review

EPA certifies Baytech two natural gas models
Baytech Corporation has received certification for its 2006 model 6.0L compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane (LNG) vehicles by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Among the models that qualify for the tax credits at the 50% incremental tax level are the Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans, and Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks. Additional tax credits may be available based on the low emission levels achieved by these vehicles.
Source: Baytech announces 6.0L CNG and propane vehicle EPA certifications, Baytech press release