MADISON, Wis. — A massive bill laying out sweeping renewable energy goals for Wisconsin could be in serious trouble as the legislative session winds down.
Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, said Friday he doesn't support the measure because he thinks it will raise utility rates. He said Senate leaders are still trying to reach a compromise, but he can't support anything that would raise people's electric bills.
Rep. Spencer Black, a Madison Democrat and one of the bill's chief authors, said Decker doesn't realize the bill would save rate payers millions over the next decade and a half.
"I'm ... disappointed in the rationale he gives because it's just wrong," Black said. "I know many people who are concerned about jobs and utility rates are talking to him, as well as many senators who are very supportive. It's certainly not too late to get it done. But the ball is in Sen. Decker's court."
The bill isn't scheduled for debate in either house on Tuesday. That leaves just Thursday — Earth Day and the last day of the session — to get it done.
Democrats have worked for months to enact recommendations from a task force Gov. Jim Doyle created to combat climate change.
In January, they unveiled a measure that required a quarter of the state's energy come from wind, solar, biomass or other renewable sources by 2025. The bill also eased restrictions on nuclear energy, tightened building codes to increase energy efficiency, imposed idling restrictions and mandated car emission standards similar to California's, then the toughest standards in the country.
But the business community split over the bill, and a fierce lobbying battle ensued. Opponents argue the measure would cost utilities billions to comply, in turn driving up utility rates and forcing job cuts. Supporters counter those claims are exaggerated, saying the measure would create thousands of jobs in the green energy sector, save millions of dollars by 2025 as state dependency on expensive coal and oil wanes and result in cleaner air.
Black and the bill's key Senate sponsor, Monona Democrat Mark Miller, unveiled revisions this week that included dropping the emissions standards and requirements for low-carbon fuel use. They added language that would expand idling restrictions and allow utilities to charge rate payers an extra 0.2 percent of their annual revenue for up to four years to fund small-scale renewable generation facilities.
The new bill retains the nuclear provisions and the 25 percent by 2025 renewable standard. Opponents in the business community say the bill remains far too expensive.
An analysis by the state Public Service Commission, which regulates Wisconsin utilities, though, concluded the new measure could cut as much as $3.7 billion off the state's total electricity bill by 2025. Average utility bills will be lower than the status quo, the report added.
An identical version of the bill must pass both the Senate and Assembly before it can go to Doyle for his signature. Doyle has called the revisions a good compromise.
The Assembly's Special Committee on Clean Energy Jobs approved the bill on a 6-3 vote Thursday, a day after it was reintroduced, clearing the way for a full vote in the Assembly.
A spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, issued a statement saying Sheridan believes the bill holds great potential for job creation and is still talking to his caucus about the bill. Black, though, said the body will wait to see what the Senate does since Decker is key to passage.
Miller issued a statement Friday reiterating the bill would save on electric bills and create jobs and he's working to set up a committee vote in Senate.In a telephone interview he would say only that he was working toward passage.
Article Source.
This is really a depressing article. Currently, there are already many non-government organizations that support the growth of renewable energy businesses, yet a move is coming to disapprove a bill that supports usage of renewable energy due to it's effects on increase utility/electricity rates.
Knowing the effects that the government can cause on certain issues, we must not be blinded by aspects that only affects us in the short term level. Instead we must focus on educating people of how renewable energy can help us in the long term by reducing the effects of climate change and a having pollution-free world.
The Madison government should take unto consideration initial steps to fully educated their community before fully considering options. Secondly, they should also view the opportunities it can add for many businessmen and possible job openings. The potential that it will drive in peoples mind through future expansions and discoveries.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
More Amazing Sources of Renewable Energy!
Biomass
Biomass (plant material) is a renewable energy source because the energy it contains comes from the sun. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants capture the sun's energy. When the plants are burned, they release the sun's energy they contain. In this way, biomass functions as a sort of natural battery for storing solar energy. As long as biomass is produced sustainably, with only as much used as is grown, the battery will last indefinitely.
In general there are two main approaches to using plants for energy production: growing plants specifically for energy use, and using the residues from plants that are used for other things. The best approaches vary from region to region according to climate, soils and geography.
Biofuel
Liquid biofuel is usually either bioalcohol such as bioethanol or an oil such as biodiesel.
Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting the sugar components of plant materials and it is made mostly from sugar and starch crops. With advanced technology being developed, cellulosic biomass, such as trees and grasses, are also used as feedstocks for ethanol production. Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Bioethanol is widely used in the USA and in Brazil.
Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled greases. Biodiesel can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a diesel additive to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles. Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using transesterification and is the most common biofuel in Europe. As of 2008, Biofuels only provides 1.8% of the world's transport fuel, that being said only shows how big the opportunity is in renewable energy business.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is energy obtained by tapping the heat of the earth itself, both from kilometers deep into the Earth's crust in some places of the globe or from some meters in geothermal heat pump in all the places of the planet . It is expensive to build a power station but operating costs are low resulting in low energy costs for suitable sites. Ultimately, this energy derives from heat in the Earth's core.
Three types of power plants are used to generate power from geothermal energy: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam plants take steam out of fractures in the ground and use it to directly drive a turbine that spins a generator. Flash plants take hot water, usually at temperatures over 200 °C, out of the ground, and allows it to boil as it rises to the surface then separates the steam phase in steam/water separators and then runs the steam through a turbine. In binary plants, the hot water flows through heat exchangers, boiling an organic fluid that spins the turbine. The condensed steam and remaining geothermal fluid from all three types of plants are injected back into the hot rock to pick up more heat.
The geothermal energy from the core of the Earth is closer to the surface in some areas than in others. Where hot underground steam or water can be tapped and brought to the surface it may be used to generate electricity. Such geothermal power sources exist in certain geologically unstable parts of the world such as Chile, Iceland, New Zealand, United States, the Philippines and Italy. The two most prominent areas for this in the United States are in the Yellowstone basin and in northern California. Iceland produced 170 MW geothermal power and heated 86% of all houses in the year 2000 through geothermal energy. Some 8000 MW of capacity is operational in total.
There is also the potential to generate geothermal energy from hot dry rocks. Holes at least 3 km deep are drilled into the earth. Some of these holes pump water into the earth, while other holes pump hot water out. The heat resource consists of hot underground radiogenic granite rocks, which heat up when there is enough sediment between the rock and the earths surface. Several companies in Australia are exploring this technology.
Definitions courtesy of Wikipedia.com.
On my coming post we will discuss the actual business applications of renewable energy business and the very big opportunities that accompanies it.
Please leave your comments and suggestions below.
Biomass (plant material) is a renewable energy source because the energy it contains comes from the sun. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants capture the sun's energy. When the plants are burned, they release the sun's energy they contain. In this way, biomass functions as a sort of natural battery for storing solar energy. As long as biomass is produced sustainably, with only as much used as is grown, the battery will last indefinitely.
In general there are two main approaches to using plants for energy production: growing plants specifically for energy use, and using the residues from plants that are used for other things. The best approaches vary from region to region according to climate, soils and geography.
Biofuel
Liquid biofuel is usually either bioalcohol such as bioethanol or an oil such as biodiesel.
Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting the sugar components of plant materials and it is made mostly from sugar and starch crops. With advanced technology being developed, cellulosic biomass, such as trees and grasses, are also used as feedstocks for ethanol production. Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Bioethanol is widely used in the USA and in Brazil.
Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled greases. Biodiesel can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a diesel additive to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles. Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using transesterification and is the most common biofuel in Europe. As of 2008, Biofuels only provides 1.8% of the world's transport fuel, that being said only shows how big the opportunity is in renewable energy business.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is energy obtained by tapping the heat of the earth itself, both from kilometers deep into the Earth's crust in some places of the globe or from some meters in geothermal heat pump in all the places of the planet . It is expensive to build a power station but operating costs are low resulting in low energy costs for suitable sites. Ultimately, this energy derives from heat in the Earth's core.
Three types of power plants are used to generate power from geothermal energy: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam plants take steam out of fractures in the ground and use it to directly drive a turbine that spins a generator. Flash plants take hot water, usually at temperatures over 200 °C, out of the ground, and allows it to boil as it rises to the surface then separates the steam phase in steam/water separators and then runs the steam through a turbine. In binary plants, the hot water flows through heat exchangers, boiling an organic fluid that spins the turbine. The condensed steam and remaining geothermal fluid from all three types of plants are injected back into the hot rock to pick up more heat.
The geothermal energy from the core of the Earth is closer to the surface in some areas than in others. Where hot underground steam or water can be tapped and brought to the surface it may be used to generate electricity. Such geothermal power sources exist in certain geologically unstable parts of the world such as Chile, Iceland, New Zealand, United States, the Philippines and Italy. The two most prominent areas for this in the United States are in the Yellowstone basin and in northern California. Iceland produced 170 MW geothermal power and heated 86% of all houses in the year 2000 through geothermal energy. Some 8000 MW of capacity is operational in total.
There is also the potential to generate geothermal energy from hot dry rocks. Holes at least 3 km deep are drilled into the earth. Some of these holes pump water into the earth, while other holes pump hot water out. The heat resource consists of hot underground radiogenic granite rocks, which heat up when there is enough sediment between the rock and the earths surface. Several companies in Australia are exploring this technology.
Definitions courtesy of Wikipedia.com.
On my coming post we will discuss the actual business applications of renewable energy business and the very big opportunities that accompanies it.
Please leave your comments and suggestions below.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
3 Kinds of Basic Renewable Energy
The most dominant and common types of Renewable Energy are as follows :
Wind power
Air flows can be used to run wind turbines. Modern wind turbines range from around 600 kW to 5 MW of rated power, although turbines with rated output of 1.5–3 MW have become the most common for commercial use; the power output of a turbine is a function of the cube of the wind speed, so as wind speed increases, power output increases dramatically.[14] Areas where winds are stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high altitude sites, are preferred locations for wind farms. Typical capacity factors are 20-40%, with values at the upper end of the range in particularly favourable sites
Globally, the long-term technical potential of wind energy is believed to be five times total current global energy production, or 40 times current electricity demand. This could require large amounts of land to be used for wind turbines, particularly in areas of higher wind resources. Offshore resources experience mean wind speeds of ~90% greater than that of land, so offshore resources could contribute substantially more energy.[17] This number could also increase with higher altitude ground-based or airborne wind turbines.
Wind power is renewable and produces no greenhouse gases during operation, such as carbon dioxide and methane.
Hydropower
Energy in water can be harnessed and used. Since water is about 800 times denser than air,[19][20] even a slow flowing stream of water, or moderate sea swell, can yield considerable amounts of energy. There are many forms of water energy:
Hydroelectric energy is a term usually reserved for large-scale hydroelectric dams. Examples are the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State and the Akosombo Dam in Ghana.
* Micro hydro systems are hydroelectric power installations that typically produce up to 100 kW of power. They are often used in water rich areas as a remote-area power supply (RAPS). There are many of these installations around the world, including several delivering around 50 kW in the Solomon Islands.
* Damless hydro systems derive kinetic energy from rivers and oceans without using a dam.
* Ocean energy describes all the technologies to harness energy from the ocean and the sea. This includes marine current power, ocean thermal energy conversion, and tidal power.
Solar energy
Solar energy is the energy derived from the sun through the form of solar radiation. Solar powered electrical generation relies on photovoltaics and heat engines. A partial list of other solar applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, daylighting, solar hot water, solar cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.
Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
Definitions taken from Wikipedia.com.
We'll discuss next other sources of renewable energy which came from the basic forms above.
Don't forget to leave your comments and post below.
Wind power
Air flows can be used to run wind turbines. Modern wind turbines range from around 600 kW to 5 MW of rated power, although turbines with rated output of 1.5–3 MW have become the most common for commercial use; the power output of a turbine is a function of the cube of the wind speed, so as wind speed increases, power output increases dramatically.[14] Areas where winds are stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high altitude sites, are preferred locations for wind farms. Typical capacity factors are 20-40%, with values at the upper end of the range in particularly favourable sites
Globally, the long-term technical potential of wind energy is believed to be five times total current global energy production, or 40 times current electricity demand. This could require large amounts of land to be used for wind turbines, particularly in areas of higher wind resources. Offshore resources experience mean wind speeds of ~90% greater than that of land, so offshore resources could contribute substantially more energy.[17] This number could also increase with higher altitude ground-based or airborne wind turbines.
Wind power is renewable and produces no greenhouse gases during operation, such as carbon dioxide and methane.
Hydropower
Energy in water can be harnessed and used. Since water is about 800 times denser than air,[19][20] even a slow flowing stream of water, or moderate sea swell, can yield considerable amounts of energy. There are many forms of water energy:
Hydroelectric energy is a term usually reserved for large-scale hydroelectric dams. Examples are the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State and the Akosombo Dam in Ghana.
* Micro hydro systems are hydroelectric power installations that typically produce up to 100 kW of power. They are often used in water rich areas as a remote-area power supply (RAPS). There are many of these installations around the world, including several delivering around 50 kW in the Solomon Islands.
* Damless hydro systems derive kinetic energy from rivers and oceans without using a dam.
* Ocean energy describes all the technologies to harness energy from the ocean and the sea. This includes marine current power, ocean thermal energy conversion, and tidal power.
Solar energy
Solar energy is the energy derived from the sun through the form of solar radiation. Solar powered electrical generation relies on photovoltaics and heat engines. A partial list of other solar applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, daylighting, solar hot water, solar cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.
Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
Definitions taken from Wikipedia.com.
We'll discuss next other sources of renewable energy which came from the basic forms above.
Don't forget to leave your comments and post below.
Monday, May 10, 2010
What Is A Renewable Energy?
Now that we have discussed a little bit of the background on the boomed of renewable energy business, let us now define what is a renewable energy and why is it important for the future of mother earth.
Renewable energy is defined as the flow involving natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat.
As the International Energy Agency (IEA) explains :
Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.
Based on it's definition, it is obvious that the use of renewable energy harnesses the natural energies around us. All these energies are readily provided by our mother earth, renewable energy doesn't have any harmful effects on our environment. More importantly, it is very abundant and available to everyone around the world.
With the pollution of our mother earth rapidly increasing, we should be all vigilant to pass on the right kind of information on how to use renewable energy, not only for the government but specially it must be endorsed to businessmen.
Knowing most businessmen (I'm one of them - check my business advice here!), they have already understood the importance of giving back to human life what they have earn through their businesses. Many business gurus like Robert Kiyosaki and Robert Allen now teach the importance of giving back to world.
Once a true entrepreneur is informed of the opportunities in renewable energy businesses, I believe they will not need much convincing. Specifically, real business man understand not only how to earn more money but preparing their future and legacy.
On my next post will talk more on the basic types of renewable energies.
Please leave your comments below.
Definitions take from Wikipedia.com.
Renewable energy is defined as the flow involving natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat.
As the International Energy Agency (IEA) explains :
Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.
Based on it's definition, it is obvious that the use of renewable energy harnesses the natural energies around us. All these energies are readily provided by our mother earth, renewable energy doesn't have any harmful effects on our environment. More importantly, it is very abundant and available to everyone around the world.
With the pollution of our mother earth rapidly increasing, we should be all vigilant to pass on the right kind of information on how to use renewable energy, not only for the government but specially it must be endorsed to businessmen.
Knowing most businessmen (I'm one of them - check my business advice here!), they have already understood the importance of giving back to human life what they have earn through their businesses. Many business gurus like Robert Kiyosaki and Robert Allen now teach the importance of giving back to world.
Once a true entrepreneur is informed of the opportunities in renewable energy businesses, I believe they will not need much convincing. Specifically, real business man understand not only how to earn more money but preparing their future and legacy.
On my next post will talk more on the basic types of renewable energies.
Please leave your comments below.
Definitions take from Wikipedia.com.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Welcome Everyone to the Renewable Energy Business in London
Welcome Everyone to the renewable energy business in London.
Today, many people are already aware of the direction of leading nations like the United States of America and United Kingdom to go green in using energy sources. The "go green" source of energy in my understanding, is getting power sources from nature.
In this current times, the renewable energy concept has vastly grew from "little science projects" to a booming new industry. This was due to a person's diligence in informing more people on the bad effects other energy sources did to our environment. This person was 2000 US presidential candidate Albert Arnold Gore, popularly known as Al Gore.
Just like his father Gore Sr. who served two terms as congressman of Tennessee, Al Gore also started as a politician in the city of Tennessee. Among other things, Gore was particularly active in environmental issues early on his political career. He passed on many bills that catered to the needs of the environment. One popular bill was the 19890 Superfund Bill to clean up chemical spills and dangerous land dumps around America. He also worked for many campaigns in nuclear disarmament through out the world on his days as a senator.
After loosing the 2000 US presidential seat against George W. Bush, Gore did not give up on his mission to pursue environmental issues and started writing a book called "The Inconvenient Truth" which was published late 2005.
Moving to the future....
Even before Al Gore wrote the book, he already took on the path to go around the world to campaign for the Go Green concept, it evidently change many people's approach in using energy.
Now many countries are already evaluating the use of renewable energy as the ultimate and best kind of energy to be used. It is not only very friendly to the environment but also economical in terms of maintenance cost, and other overhead cost since it focuses on harnessing the environment's energy.
Here comes the entrepreneurs...
This on-going industry has not only attracted the attention of government leaders in major countries but many businessmen and entrepreneurs alike have already noticed it as a very lucrative kind of business. It is a growing business that will not only save the future of Mother Earth but also will involve huge chunks in profits as well.
My purpose is to inform and help....
This is what this blog is all about. To inform many business investors out there about the great opportunity the renewable energy business has to offer. It doesn't matter whether you're in California, London, Manchester United, Africa and even in Asia, I will help you in starting a renewable energy business.
Today, many people are already aware of the direction of leading nations like the United States of America and United Kingdom to go green in using energy sources. The "go green" source of energy in my understanding, is getting power sources from nature.
In this current times, the renewable energy concept has vastly grew from "little science projects" to a booming new industry. This was due to a person's diligence in informing more people on the bad effects other energy sources did to our environment. This person was 2000 US presidential candidate Albert Arnold Gore, popularly known as Al Gore.
Just like his father Gore Sr. who served two terms as congressman of Tennessee, Al Gore also started as a politician in the city of Tennessee. Among other things, Gore was particularly active in environmental issues early on his political career. He passed on many bills that catered to the needs of the environment. One popular bill was the 19890 Superfund Bill to clean up chemical spills and dangerous land dumps around America. He also worked for many campaigns in nuclear disarmament through out the world on his days as a senator.
After loosing the 2000 US presidential seat against George W. Bush, Gore did not give up on his mission to pursue environmental issues and started writing a book called "The Inconvenient Truth" which was published late 2005.
Moving to the future....
Even before Al Gore wrote the book, he already took on the path to go around the world to campaign for the Go Green concept, it evidently change many people's approach in using energy.
Now many countries are already evaluating the use of renewable energy as the ultimate and best kind of energy to be used. It is not only very friendly to the environment but also economical in terms of maintenance cost, and other overhead cost since it focuses on harnessing the environment's energy.
Here comes the entrepreneurs...
This on-going industry has not only attracted the attention of government leaders in major countries but many businessmen and entrepreneurs alike have already noticed it as a very lucrative kind of business. It is a growing business that will not only save the future of Mother Earth but also will involve huge chunks in profits as well.
My purpose is to inform and help....
This is what this blog is all about. To inform many business investors out there about the great opportunity the renewable energy business has to offer. It doesn't matter whether you're in California, London, Manchester United, Africa and even in Asia, I will help you in starting a renewable energy business.
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