Green Investing News

October 2005 News Archives

Ethanol Fuel Development to Mitigate Fuel Crisis in Philippines - 2005-10-31
Development of renewable sources of fuel to counter economic hardships on Filipinos caused by the fuel crisis is a focus of the Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Program and the Sustainable Energy Development Program of USAID through the Clean Citi

Mass. Ski Resort Plans Wind Turbine Project - 2005-10-31
While there are a handful of ski resorts that offset some of their energy needs through the use of wind power credits, none have an actual wind turbine installed on it. That's soon about to change.

France Looks to Frying Pan to Fire Biofuel - 2005-10-31
French biofuel makers are turning to kitchen waste in the shape of used fats and oils as they seek ways to meet the country's ambitious target for renewable energy sources to supply 10 percent of all fuels by 2015.

Germany to Stay as Committed to Renewable Energy - 2005-10-31
Germany's next government aims to maintain the current commitment to renewable energy and will leave existing legislation unchanged until at least 2008, according to a draft plan by the likely next administration.

Alaskan Electric Co-op Expands Wind Turbine Fleet - 2005-10-28
Northern Power, which often tackles renewable energy project integration in remote areas, has been awarded a contract to install and commission three additional wind turbines for the Anchorage-based Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC).

DaimlerChrysler Receives Large Hybrid-Electric Bus Order - 2005-10-28
DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America has received a contract for 500 Orion VII hybrid-electric buses from New York City transport services.

AMD Commits to Renewable Energy Sources - 2005-10-28
In an agreement with the Austin Energy GreenChoice Program, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will purchase green energy derived from renewable resources that will power all AMD Austin operations for the next 10 years, including the new AMD Austin Campus expec

Study Could Usher in Biomass Development in NY - 2005-10-27
EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, was awarded a contract to study the use of biomass generation to produce electricity for the city and region around Tupper Lake, in upstate New York.

Push to drill year-round stokes energy debate - 2005-10-27
A request to allow year-round drilling for natural gas on federal lands in Wyoming has heated up the energy debate as the Bush administration projects a third more applications for drilling across the West in 2006.

Mixed Review for Spain's Solar Energy Market - 2005-10-27
Feed-in tariffs guaranteed in Spain for solar photovoltaic power and the government's ambitious plans to expand the solar market have led to a solar boom in the country.

Marine Renewable Energy Under Study - 2005-10-27
The environmental impact of harnessing energy from Scotland's marine environment is the focus of a major study commissioned by the Scottish Executive.

How to make home a powerhouse - 2005-10-26
Monthly bills for hot water, central heating and lighting no longer trouble Geoff Welton and his wife Judith since they installed a wind generator on their smallholding.

Exelon Vehicles Run Biofuel Made with Illinois Soybeans - 2005-10-26
Recent biodiesel costs in the Chicago area are as much as 7 cents a gallon less expensive than regular diesel, a result of market conditions and tax credits.

Corporate America Buys in to Renewable Energy - 2005-10-26
Renewable energy capacity in the United States supported by voluntary demand rather than regulatory requirements now tops 2200 MW -- up more than 1,000 percent in just five years

North Carolina Approves Net Metering - 2005-10-26
Seven years after formal requests were submitted, North Carolina will finally have net-metering.

Biogas Program Generates Sustainability in Nepal - 2005-10-26
Sabitri Ghimire's family in Chapagaun, just outside of Nepal's capital Kathmandu, has been using biogas stoves to cook two meals every day for the last three years. Ghimire's biogas plant can run for four hours, exactly enough time for her to cook rice, l

Cambodia targets organic market - 2005-10-26
With the future of the garment sector uncertain, Cambodia is looking for other sources of income - and one of the areas under consideration is organic farming.

Global-Warming Skeptics Under Fire - 2005-10-26
Two global-warming skeptics who questioned an influential climate study and prompted a congressional inquiry are now facing critics of their own, as a pair of new research papers take issue with their results.

Generating interest in wind power - 2005-10-26
The turbine was installed on the gable wall of Mr McCarthy's terraced house in Peckham, south London, on Monday, and should generate up to 600 kilowatt hours every year.

Polymer Solar Breakthrough at Berkeley Lab - 2005-10-25
Researchers with Berkeley Lab and the University of California, Berkeley, have developed the first ultra-thin solar cells comprised entirely of inorganic nanocrystals and spin-cast from solution.

Half-MW Solar Tracking System Installed in New Jersey - 2005-10-25
The Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies facility this week announced its new solar power system, consisting of ground-mounted panels that move during the day to follow the sun across the sky.

Controlling Interest in Catamount Energy to be Sold - 2005-10-25
Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS), Vermont's largest electric utility, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Catamount Resources Corporation (CRC), has agreed to sell a controlling interest in its wind energy business to Diamond Castle, a New Yo

Solar to Power Remote Tunisian Telecom Sites - 2005-10-24
An upcoming project in Tunisia will include the installation of more than 70 kW of solar to power remote telecommunications stations in the African desert.

National Trucking Association Endorses Biodiesel - 2005-10-24
High energy prices affect every part of the economy but the transportation sector is dealt one of the harshest blows.

Victoria woos Toyota on hybrid plan - 2005-10-24
VICTORIA has been in talks with Toyota to have the hybrid car, the Prius, manufactured at Altona. The move would help guarantee the future of the motor industry in Victoria, even as oil prices rise.

Federal Shift Bodes Well for U.S. Offshore Wind Power - 2005-10-24
A main opposition point for foes of offshore wind power in the U.S. has been dampened considerably through a recent change of the government agency in charge of regulation and permitting.

The greening of China - 2005-10-21
China is investigating whether its rigid system for assessing the performance of party leaders and civil servants can be used to tackle pollution

Polaris Geothermal Gears Up Its Power Production - 2005-10-21
Polaris Geothermal is adopting a more aggressive development strategy for its San Jacinto Tizate (SJT) geothermal project in Nicaragua, based on recommendations prepared by independent geoscientific consultants.

Gov. Schwarzenegger Backs New Million Solar Roofs Effort - 2005-10-21
After the legislative demise of the Million Solar Roofs Initiative this summer, supporters have looked towards the California Public Utilities Commission as the next and most promising avenue for passing the program.

Solar-powered Underwater Robots Unveiled - 2005-10-21
At a recent conference and workshop on today's leading edge robotics research, a team of research engineers from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute displayed a unique application of solar energy that could transform the way waterways are monitored throu

Chinese Partnership for Solar Commercialization - 2005-10-20
With its vast and growing energy needs and low-cost manufacturing capabilities, China's forays into renewable energy are watched closely.

Ontario's Renewable Fuel Standard Enables New Supply - 2005-10-20
Ontario is planning to construct five new ethanol plants to fulfill the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requiring 5 percent ethanol in the province's fuel supply by 2007.

55 M Gallon Ethanol Plant in Michigan Helps Dairy Industry - 2005-10-20
New Energy Capital invested in an ethanol production facility in Albion, Michigan, due to be completed in September 2006.

Improvements Expected for New York Small Wind Power - 2005-10-20
For those of you interested in renewable energy interconnection, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) reported on expected changes to the way small wind power systems are net-metered in New York state.

Groundwork Laid for Improved U.S. Renewable Energy Policy - 2005-10-19
After listening to nearly 50 highly qualified renewable energy professionals and legislators give presentations for the last two days here in the nation's capitol at the American Council on Renewable Energy's (ACORE) Phase II Policy Conference, the "take-

The latest investor in green energy - the CIA - 2005-10-19
Within hours, solar and wind energy units can be up and running in war or disaster zones.

Consortium Examines Tidal Power Generation for UK - 2005-10-19
The first Tidal Delay pilot plant in the UK, to be constructed in 2007/2008, will initiate a series of plants that will contribute to the UK's commitment to renewable energy and further enhance the UK's strength in marine energy technology leadership.

Power boosts for future gadgets - 2005-10-19
Power generation is one of the big challenges facing not only the consumer electronics industry, as people do more with their devices, but also the military and scientific research.

Brazil to Build Three Wind Energy Farms - 2005-10-19
A financing contract of US$206 million for the construction of three wind energy farms in the city of Osorio, in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, was signed by the presidents of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), Guido Mantega,

Legislation to Spur European Biofuels Market - 2005-10-18
As Europe seeks a reliable fuel supply, and a cleaner and more sustainable fuel on the way to becoming energy self-sufficient, recent legislative initiatives support the uptake of biofuels while promoting environment-friendly fuel alternatives with lower

Researchers Extract Hydrogen Using 'Defective' Nanostructures - 2005-10-18
A team of scientists and students at North Carolina State University (NCSU) recently found that they were able to cut the energy consumption in half when using "defective" carbon nanotubes to extract hydrogen from water.

Energy answers blowing in the wind - 2005-10-18
Tom DeMoulin was not expecting a bargain when he began buying his electricity from wind farms in the late 1990s. But starting next month, DeMoulin’s conscience-driven decision will save him money.

Jalisco's organic industry slowly sprouting - 2005-10-18
On his eighthectare field near the northern shore of Lake Chapala, Adrian Torres harvests corn and sorghum without the use of commercial fertilizers or pesticides.

Yo Solar! Stonyfield Farm Activates 50 kW PV Array - 2005-10-18
New Hampshire's largest solar power array, about 10 times larger than any other solar project in the state, opens atop Stonyfield Farm's 120,000 square-foot organic yogurt facility today.

Prairie Ethanol Breaks Ground on South Dakota Plant - 2005-10-17
Prairie Ethanol LLC's new ethanol plant near Loomis, South Dakota, is officially under way, with a groundbreaking on the property just outside of Mitchell.

Navy Completes Solar Energy Project in Hawaii - 2005-10-17
This week marked the completion of a large 309 kW solar array at a US Naval facility, the largest federal deployment of solar energy on the islands.

Industries unearth 'green' boom - 2005-10-17
There is a lot of "green" - as in profit - to be made in sustainable "green" industries, the editor of Sustainable Industries Journal Northwest said Saturday during the second annual Oregon Bioneers Conference at Lane Community College.

Clean, Quirky Cars to Dominate Tokyo Motor Show - 2005-10-17
Motorists are seeing more hybrids and even some zero-emission fuel-cell vehicles on the road, making it tougher for auto makers to put the "wow" in their green products.

ADM to Build Biodiesel Production Facility in Germany - 2005-10-13
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) plans to build a biodiesel production facility in Mainz, Germany. The 275,000 metric tons per year facility will be the company's third plant in Germany.

Wave energy gets to the point - 2005-10-13
Attempts to harness wave power for clean energy generation could be helped by building posts at sea, say researchers who have taken a lesson from optics and applied it to the ocean.

University of Guelph's First Wind-Powered Building - 2005-10-13
The Bullring is one of the oldest buildings on the University of Guelph campus in Ontario, but it is the first to be entirely powered by wind energy credits.

Hybrid Grass Shows Strong Biomass Potential - 2005-10-12
Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), a hybrid grass that can grow 13 feet high, may become a valuable renewable energy as a source of solid fuel, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) say.

Taxi's Rooftop Wind Energy Charges Cell Phones - 2005-10-12
Ecolo21 Co., a taxi company in Kyoto Prefecture, has started a trial service to charge passengers' cell phones using the electricity generated by a wind turbine mounted on a taxi's roof.

Evergreen Solar to Adhere to Strict New Module Standards - 2005-10-12
Massachusetts-based solar photovoltaic (PV) module company Evergreen Solar announced that all of the company's modules are now being tested to a more stringent international standard to ensure customers are getting as much as they expect from their panels

Researchers Make Thin-film Solar Efficiency Advances - 2005-10-12
Progress with polymer and organic solar photovoltaic cells is measured in small percentage steps. Another came this week from a team of scientists from New Mexico State University and Wake Forest University.

2005 Salary Increases Go Into the Tank - 2005-10-12
An analysis by Salary.com, a provider of compensation-related data, applications, and services, found that the increase in gas prices will effectively wipe out the expected average salary increase (3.7%) for the average worker in the US in 2005.

Green chemistry’ finds niche, but will it boom? - 2005-10-11
The leaders of a growing scientific revolution called "green chemistry" might rephrase the line to something more modern like, "biodegradable, renewable, nontoxic and environmentally friendly plastics."

Policy Conference Defines the Road Ahead for Renewable Energy - 2005-10-11
With the solar power industry's key annual trade show ending last week in Washington, DC, another important event in the policy life for all renewables again takes center stage next week in the nation's capitol.

Shell to Purchase W. Virginia Wind Farm - 2005-10-11
Shell WindEnergy announced an agreement to buy a West Virginia wind power project from NedPower Mount Storm. The Grant County project is permitted for 300 MW, which would involve up to 150 wind towers, and is near another 166-turbine project proposed by U

Heating power: Geothermal and solar technologies growing - 2005-10-11
David Paauw plans to use the Earth to heat and cool a 22-unit loft condominium project he hopes to build next year at Logan Street and First Avenue in Denver.

Mean Green BioFuels Exceeds ASTM Specs - 2005-10-11
GreenShift's Mean Green BioFuels has certified its biodiesel product to exceed all ASTM-6751-03 standard specification limits.

‘Green buildings’ may be growing in interest - 2005-10-11
Several buildings in Stamford use environmentally friendly designs, such as the solar panels atop the recycling center, but the push for "green building" standards has been slow.

Factors Collide to Fuel New Solar Optimism - 2005-10-10
At Solar Power 2005, this year's annual conference and trade show for the US solar energy industry, there's an unmistakable buzz, a real sense of optimism, that a series of important factors have come together at the national level to propel this industry

New process creates 'bio oil' from waste wood - 2005-10-10
It sounds almost too good to be true: The notion that somehow industrial wood waste could be converted into a source of reliable, environmentally friendly energy with the ability to power an entire town.

UK: Organic meat firms form strategic alliance - 2005-10-05
Two companies in the UK’s organic meat and poultry industry have formed a strategic alliance to supply organic beef, pork, lamb and chicken to the major multiples.

Turbine Shortage Slows Wind Power Industry - 2005-10-05
The U.S. wind energy market suffers from a shortage of wind turbines, and that situation looks likely to continue through 2007, according to the American Wind Energy Association, which summarized the proceedings of its recent Wind Energy Fall Symposium he

Canada: organic market growing in large centres - 2005-10-05
Once restricted to the confines of health-food stores and farmers' markets, organic and natural foods are flooding the market and speciality and big retailers are rushing to meet the demand.

Utility Acquires 229 MW Wind Power Project - 2005-10-05
Puget Sound Energy completed the acquisition of the development rights to the Wild Horse Wind Power Project from Horizon Wind Energy, formerly Zilkha Renewable Energy.

New Jersey Begins Statewide Green Power Purchase Plan - 2005-10-05
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) officially announced the launch of the New Jersey Clean Power Choice Program -- a voluntary program that will give retail customers the option of selecting "clean energy" through a sign-up option on their u

Fuel Cell Power at Four Hotels Totals 2.25 MW - 2005-10-04
FuelCell Energy, manufacturer of ultra-clean power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, announced an additional 500 kW Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plant installation at Starwood Hotels & Resorts' Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina.

Hawaii Makes Waves While Wind Power Stalls - 2005-10-04
If this week is any indication, wave energy may have more of a future for the islands of Hawaii than wind power. New Jersey-based Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) announced that it recently received additional funding of US $2.8 million for its ongoing cont

Houses Arrive for Upcoming Solar Decathlon - 2005-10-04
In advance of the DOE Solar Decathlon, a "solar village" has taken shape on the National Mall. Solar powered and highly efficient model houses from across the country and as far away as Spain, Canada and Puerto Rico are arriving in Washington, DC for the

Filling up on soybeans and diesel - 2005-10-03
Sherry Dean has a secret she’s been keeping from her drivers since March — their Upshur County school buses are running on an alternative fuel made of vegetable oil and diesel.

European Parliament Okays 20% Renewable Energy by 2020 - 2005-10-03
A report from EUFORES, the European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources, which called for 20 percent mandatory target of renewable energy by 2020, was recently adopted by the European Parliament.

First Northeast Gov. Joins Ethanol Coalition - 2005-10-03
Gov. George E. Pataki announced he has accepted an invitation to join the Governors' Ethanol Coalition, a bipartisan organization that is working to promote the development and use of ethanol-based fuels nationally and globally.

DOE Report Backs Cape Wind Power Proposal - 2005-10-03
There is as much wind power potential (900,000 MW) off our coasts as the current capacity of all power plants in the United States combined, according to a new report entitled, A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United States (Framewo

Solar Project Expansion for Remote Philippines Villages - 2005-10-03
The municipal government of Tapaz, a municipality of the Philippines, plans to expand its photovoltaic battery charging solar energy project to cover more households in the remote villages of the municipality that could not be reached by the local electri