Dear Colleague:

We are pleased to announce that Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory today released a new report:  "The Cost of Transmission for Wind Energy:

A Review of Transmission Planning Studies." This report summarizes the implied transmission cost per kW of wind from a sample of 40 detailed transmission studies that include wind energy resource areas in their analysis.  This sample of studies, completed from 2001-2008, covers a broad geographic area across the U.S.

February 02, 2009

Technology that promises to economically sequester carbon dioxide by turning it into fuel is poised to make the move from research labs to the development stage.

Carbon Sciences, a California startup, is planning a prototype project for early 2009 that the company will use to evaluate the challenges of commercializing its new conversion technology.

By ANDREA GOODELL
The Holland Sentinel
Posted Jan 21, 2009

Holland, MI — Wind turbines are now much easier to put up in the city, but officials don't expect them to dot the Holland skyline anytime soon.

Before now, the city had no specific ordinances addressing turbines. The new language will allow them to be half as tall as the property up to 60 feet in residential areas. The restriction is designed as a fall zone.

"It's all very dependent on the size of the property," planner Mark Vanderploeg said about height restrictions.

Officials anticipate only a few requests where properties are wide and open.

January 14, 2009

Despite the economic downturn, wind energy has the potential to grow at quite a clip. To do so, though, the in-coming Obama administration must commit to a policy foundation that will allow such expansion to occur.

That's the position of E.ON Climate & Renewables North America's chief executive, who says that the German-based conglomerate that he represents is committed to increasing its wind base around the world and specifically in the United States. Because of its size -- $100 billion in annual revenues and 67,000 megawatts of total generation capacity -- E.ON has the wherewithal to advance the industry, even when times are bad.

January 12, 2009 The Tennessee Valley Authority has a public relations nightmare on its hands. A retention wall used by a steam plant near Kingston, Tenn. has ruptured, pouring out 1.1 billion gallons of fly ash sludge into the neighboring communities.

The nation's largest utility has begun serious outreach programs and clean-up initiatives. But civic and business leaders say that much more is necessary, noting that TVA has skimped on previous modernization efforts. They emphasize that the utility must now reach inside its treasury to safeguard local communities, advance area infrastructure and expand the scope of its green energy endeavors.