Energy

We Energies’ project starts creating power

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(WI) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – The most expensive construction project in state history, We Energies’ new $2.3 billion coal-fired plant in Oak Creek, has begun generating power, having reached several construction milestones in recent months, the company’s chairman said Thursday. The plant consists of two coal-fired boilers next to an older coal plant on Lake Michigan. The first of the two boilers began burning coal earlier this month and has been running at 25% of maximum power in recent days, said Gale Klappa, chairman and chief executive of Wisconsin Energy Corp., the parent of We Energies. Bechtel Power Corp., the contractor on the project, also has made progress on building the second boiler, which is now 74% complete, Klappa said. More

Energy

A Watershed Decision

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(NY) The New York Times – The decision by the Chesapeake Energy Corporation not to drill for natural gas in New York City’s watershed is a smart and welcome move on the company’s part, and very good news for the 8.2 million New York City residents who depend on this environmentally sensitive region for their drinking water. The threat has not, however, disappeared. Chesapeake is believed to be the only leaseholder in the watershed, but its decision is voluntary and not binding on other oil and gas companies. New York State needs to adopt regulations that place the watershed permanently off limits, while imposing the strictest possible safeguards on drilling anywhere else where drinking water supplies might be affected. More

Energy

Small wind faces hurdles throughout Michigan, report says

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(MI) The Mudpuppy – The Interstate Renewable Energy Council has posted a report on small wind in Michigan and other parts of the United States. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’re probably familiar with hurdles that the technology has been facing in the Saginaw Valley area. Those hurdles include restrictive zoning laws and a lack of support from some local government officials. There are similar problems across the state. More

Energy

New industry promises jobs and greener cars

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(ON) The Toronto Star – Tiny nano-crystals derived from forest-industry wood waste are added to car paint. They make the coating more resistant to scratches, chips and sunlight. Changing their alignment alters their colour, without toxic dyes or pigments. The technology, being developed in Ontario, is at least several years away. But it’s part of a new industry that promises jobs here and greener vehicles around the world.

Energy

Clark: Electric cars a national security issue

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(MI) Detroit Free Press – During a speech today in Detroit, retired U.S. Army General and former presidential candidate Wesley Clark cast the effort to develop electric vehicles as a critical national security need that is essential to help the United States reduce its dependence on foreign oil. The issue “is absolutely dead center in the bull’s-eye for national security,” Clark said during a three-day conference called “The Business of Plugging In,” which is being held at Motor City Casino in Detroit. More

Energy

Raising ethanol levels in gas wouldn’t pay off

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(MI) The Detroit News – Ethanol has been discredited as the answer to America’s energy needs everywhere except in Washington. Congress is stubbornly sticking by the bankrupt theory that mandating more ethanol use will lessen the nation’s dependence on oil. More

Energy

Carmakers fight hike in ethanol at gas pumps

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(MI) The Detroit News – A push by corn-producing states and alternative fuel proponents to increase federal rules boosting the amount of ethanol mixed into gasoline is being fought by automakers because it would be costly and could damage engines. By Dec. 1, the Environmental Protection Agency must decide whether to approve a request to increase the amount of ethanol that can be mixed with most gasoline sold at pumps to as much as 15 percent. More

Energy

Met Council gets $1.1 million for gas hybrid electric buses

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(MN) Minneapolis Star Tribune – Two green transit projects in Minnesota are among 43 nationwide receiving $100 million in funding from the Economic Recovery Act, the Obama administration announced Monday. About $1.1 million is going to the Metropolitan Council to replace diesel buses with gas hybrid electric buses in the Twin Cities area. More

Energy

Service lets drivers borrow a car whenever they want

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(MI) Detroit Free Press – Car sharing lets drivers save cash while helping the environment. 
Ten years ago, Jan Culbertson, an architect living in Ann Arbor, would have been the customer that BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Lexus took for granted. But she might not be in the future. Today she is a senior principal with A3C Collaborative Architecture and one of 1,400 Zipcar members in Ann Arbor. More

Energy

Hung out to dry: Here’s one way to save energy

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(OH) The Toledo Blade – Why don’t more people dry their clothes on a clothesline? Al drew my attention to the Lucas Soil & Water Conservation District’s 2009 newsletter. The article states that your dryer accounts for about 15 percent of your electric bill. It said the United States relies on dryers more than other countries. In Italy, fewer than 5 percent of households have a dryer. On one hand, this comes as no surprise.