Dams in the desert, windmills in the doldrums, biopower in the Berkshires

From SACE’s perspective, the Manomet study of biomass and carbon offers an important new way to describe and think-through the possible impacts on the climate from biomass energy. Although the study’s findings are limited in geographic scope, the methodology can be applied elsewhere to great benefit.

Tracking the Biodiesel Industry

Policies that will Help Grow the Industry
The past 12 months have been a rough time for the biodiesel industry and some believe much of the biodiesel industry’s problems are self-induced. The industry has been betting that two federal policies, a tax credit (blenders credit) and production requirement (called the Renewable Fuel Standard), would help turn [...]

Florida RPS: Glass half-full or half-empty?

Opposition to a state RPS is economically self-defeating

Nuclear loans provide a false solution to climate change

I was on CNN yesterday responding to the nuclear loan guarantee announcement by President Obama.  We are seriously disappointed in this action and SACE released a statement warning against the risk loan guarantees will put on taxpayers.
As outlined in a blog entry from last week, we feel the administration is making a serious mistake by [...]

It Is About the Jobs

These are permanent jobs, tied to the local base of renewable biomass resources; they can’t be outsourced or off-shored.

Cellulosic Ethanol Comes to the Southeast

We have heard a lot of promise and lots of talk about cellulosic ethanol. Friday January 29th, I attended the opening ceremony of the DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE)/Genera cellulosic ethanol plant in Vonore, Tenn.
This scale-up of the technology represents a major milestone in sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels.  SACE has not been a [...]

Cold snap burning you up?

Across the southeast and beyond, we’ve been “enjoying” a pretty crisp cold snap. For my family, it started with a lovely, deep and playful snowfall the weekend before Christmas. That brought the kids outdoors - but the recent colder temperatures made outdoor activities planned for New Year’s a hurried affair.
We’ve also been using our fireplace. [...]

Copenhagen Close-up: Denmark’s Thrifty Use of Bioenergy

Both open-burning and rotting are worst-case scenarios for the climate.

Copenhagen Close-up: The Danes Show the Path Away from Dirty Coal

This post was co-authored by Ulla Reeves.

Today as I flew into Copenhagen, I was struck by two very different views of energy production, the large wind turbines off the Danish coast and dotting their farmlands juxtapositioned with the many large smoke stacks surrounding the city.  This contrast shows a country in transition, because in Denmark, [...]

Show Time: Clean Energy in the bright, Congressional spotlight

Next week, members of Congress begin serious consideration of a clean energy jobs plan that can move our country an enormous step closer to energy, economic and climate security.  The American Clean Energy and Security Act has the potential to generate millions of clean energy jobs, break our dependence on fossil fuels, help Americans reduce [...]