America's LargestPosts Tagged alternative energy
Fuel of The Future: Pee Power!
90 miles per gallon with no emissions? Science fiction? No—urine. Cow urine, specifically, though any urine will do. Ohio University scientists have discovered a way to turn urine into a potent, if pungent, fuel by separating out its hydrogen component, Discovery.com reported last week.
Let’s take a step back—what is hydrogen, why do we want it, [...]
Exxon Makes Big Investment in Algae Biofuels
The world’s largest publicly traded oil company, Exxon Mobile, is investing $600 million in the world’s smallest plants, the AP reported today. Exxon just announced a partnership with biotech company Synthetic Genomics to develop transportation fuels from algae.
Fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum, as well as their many derivatives, such as gasoline, [...]
Inadequate Electrical Grid Forces Pickens to Indefinitely Delay Massive Wind Project
Forbes reported last Wednesday that Texas oilman, T. Boone Pickens, has announced that he will delay, or perhaps cancel, plans for a giant wind energy project in the Texas panhandle.
Pickens’ project was supposed to be the largest wind power field in the world at a rated generating capacity of 1,000 megawatts per hour — about [...]
150 Years After First Oil Well, Concerns About Peak Oil and Other Dwindling Resources
We’ve previously looked at the Peak Oil theory here on The HEAT Zone. The idea is that oil is running out and what’s left is becoming harder to find and more difficult to extract. Eventually, it will either simply be gone, or be so difficult and expensive to get at, that nobody will be able [...]
Read More »Commercial Real Estate Cashing in on Advantages of Green Upgrades
It’s normally considered a “cool” color, but right now, green is the hottest trend in commercial real estate. New buildings are being constructed with energy-saving and environmentally friendly features, and famous old skyscrapers are being retrofitted that way as well.
The Empire State Building, New York’s and probably America’s most instantly recognizable skyscraper (even without a [...]
Green Jobs Update: Where Are they and What do They Pay?
A significant portion of the Obama stimulus package has been earmarked for clean energy development. Along with the obvious goals of reducing fossil fuel dependence and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions, it’s hoped that millions of new jobs will be created in green industries. How much money will go where and how much good can [...]
Read More »Federal Funds Heading to Iowa to Support Big Alternative Energy Plans
Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced this week that Iowa will receive $16 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy development, the Chicago Tribune reported. It’s part of the Administration’s dual push for alternative energy and economic stimulus, and Iowa merely happens to be one of the first states to receive funds—many others will as well. [...]
Read More »Clean Coal Gets Big Boost from Obama Admin’s Financial Commitment
In terms of greenhouse emissions, coal is one of the dirtiest sources of energy around. However, coal can be a clean source of energy, though technically, “clean coal” should probably be called “cleaned up after itself” coal, since the main source of its cleanliness is that its primary pollutant is safely buried away before it [...]
Read More »More Green Energy Blowin’ in the Winds of the Midwest
When you think of game-changing technology—especially green technology—you usually think of the Pacific Northwest, particularly the Seattle area. But when it comes to green-energy technology, you should be thinking of the American heartland, especially Iowa.
Green energy technology—biofuels? No. The hot “new” energy source in the heartland is one of mankind’s first sources of mechanical energy, [...]
On Earth Day, Obama Focuses on Cutting Oil Consumption, Which Could Mean Lower Long-Term Prices
At an Earth Day appearance at an Iowa plant that manufactures wind turbine towers, President Obama reiterated his Administration’s commitment to reducing US oil consumption through support of alternative technologies. If the administration’s bold new energy policies are successful, we can look forward to a cleaner country and a stronger economy as well as [...]
Read More »Salazar Begins Tour of Public Meetings on Offshore Drilling in New Jersey
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar was in Atlantic City, NJ yesterday to kick off a series of public meetings on the subject of drilling for oil off of the US coast. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, citizens who oppose new drilling projects off the coast of New Jersey made up [...]
Read More »Venice Goes Green with Algae
In Venice, they are putting a whole new spin on the “making lemons from lemonade” idea: when life hands you a city built on canals, make fuel from the algae.
As reported on ecoworldly.com, Italy recently announced that Venice would be building a new, emissions-free power plant fueled entirely by algae seaweed. (Seaweed is a loose [...]
Renewable Fuels of the Future are Ready Today
President Obama has designated $15 billion a year (about 10 percent of the $787 economic stimulus bill, according to a New York Times editorial) to developing renewable energy alternatives to fossil fuels to power America.
So what is the state of the industry that is poised to receive these new subsidies? How far along are [...]
Obama Admin Wrestles with Drilling Question in Energy Plan
In the early part of his marathon campaign for president, Barack Obama talked tough when it came to the oil industry. He opposed all new offshore drilling projects while emphasizing alternative energy development. However, as oil prices began to spike last summer, political pressure arising from concern over high gas prices caused him to soften [...]
Read More »Staten Island Developer is NYC’s Wind Power Pioneer
On the Southwestern coast of Staten Island, there stands a 45-foot-tall pole that supports a 13-foot-wide wind turbine. According to Con Edison, this turbine is the only freestanding wind power generator in all of New York City, the New York Times reported last week.
The turbine is the property of developer Ray Masucci, who is currently [...]
China Gets in on Wind Power Movement, Could Help Lower Prices
The HEAT Zone has reported extensively on the portion of President Obama’s stimulus bill that is designated to fund development of alternative energy here in the US. Halfway around the globe, another economic powerhouse has its own stimulus package, and is using it to fund development of some of the same renewable energy sources.
A segment [...]
Your Home Wind Turbine is Ready
A post on the green living site TreeHugger.com from last November gives a quick overview of the different models of wind turbines available for residential use.
Wouldn’t it be great to cut a big chunk out of your electrical bill with a simple green technology that you can install on your roof (or in your yard)? [...]
Saudi Oil Minister: Switching to Renewables too Fast Could Bring About “Nightmare Scenario”
Yesterday, at a meeting of oil executives from around the world in Houston, Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi made a speech that warned against shifting from oil to renewable energy sources too quickly, the Wall Street Journal’s Environmental Capital blog reported this morning.
An attempt to phase out oil-based energy sources and switch to renewable power [...]
Pickens Warns of $75 by end of ‘09
T. Boone Pickens continued to promote his plan to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil on Monday, speaking to a group of reporters ahead of an energy summit in Washington D.C. Yesterday’s promotion came with an unusually specific prediction: “We got a break here, a little bit of breather (with current oil prices), but within [...]
Read More »Analysis: Pickens Leads by Example, Touts Business Potential in Green Energy Investment
T. Boone Pickens is a man on a mission. Having made his fortune in the oil business, Pickens is now investing heavily in a green energy future for America. As CNN reported yesterday, Pickens decided to build his own clean energy movement after receiving no support from the Bush administration: “I said, ‘Hell, [...]
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