News Roundup
News Roundup for Sept. 30
MAINE VENTURE
Gov. John Baldacci
Officials have broken ground on a $1.4 million transmission project designed to upgrade the grid in Maine. The Maine Power Reliability Program will include substation construction and about 450 miles of new and rebuilt lines to accommodate wind energy and other renewables, Gov. John Baldacci said. “We need a reliable and effective infrastructure to harness and move this power,” he said. Spanish energy giant Iberdola is in charge of the project, as well as installation of 600,000 smart meters across the state.
BIOMASS OPPOSITION
Forty-one senators from both parties are opposing an effort by the Environmental Protection Agency that could threaten the development of biomass-powered plants. The senators wrote EPA on Sept. 28, saying the agency should alter or drop a rule that would require boilers at biomass plants to comply with new emissions standards. “While we support efforts to address serious health threats from air emissions, we also believe that regulations can be crafted in a balanced way that sustains both the environment and jobs,” they wrote. Eighteen Democrats joined 23 Republicans in signing the letter.
FUTUREGEN CASH
The Energy Department said Sept. 28 that it will put up $1 billion from the stimulus bill toward its overhauled plan for carbon capture and storage in Illinois. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the department has formalized agreements with the industry consortium behind FutureGen and Ameren Energy Resources. The scaled-down version of FutureGen calls for retrofitting an Ameren idle plant with new carbon-reduction technology, which is a far cry from the original vision of a model, zero-emissions coal plant. A site for the carbon storage has yet to be selected.
ETHANOL PROFITS
Even though the per-gallon prices was down, ethanol producer revenues increased and earnings crossed into the black in the second quarter of 2010, the Energy Information Administration reported. Revenue was up 4.9 percent for the second quarter, compared with the same period a year ago, while net income jumped from $12 million in losses to $29 million in gains. EIA attributed the gains to diminished startup cost losses for new companies, which offset a price dip to $1.57 per gallon.
―Based on news and wire reports
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