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MER - July, 2008

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

From Both Left And Right Intentions Are Good . A Good Sign For Tomorrow's Energy Economy

Our Challenges Are Vast Enough To Pull Us All Together

James A. Croce, CEO NextEnergy

This is not about "left" and "right" presidential candidates. My use of the terms are a little more "macro" and deal with this past month's G8 Summit in Toyako, Hokkaido, Japan which concluded July 11th, (which I characterize for my purposes as "the right") and former Vice President Albert Gore's speech delivered on July 17th in Washington, D.C. on behalf of The Alliance for Climate Protection entitled "A Generational Challenge to Repower America" (which I characterize for my purposes as "the left".)

The goals declared in the two statements by both of these esteemed bodies are completely aligned, with the only basic deviation being Mr. Gore's focus on the United States, while the G8 focused on the entire planet. But the goals are essentially identical; reduce carbon emissions, embrace renewable energy, reduce demand for fossil fuels, recharge both national and international economies with clean energy economies . by now the list of tantalizing benefits slowly coming within reach as the Clean Energy Era struggles to be born is familiar to each and every one of us.

But the approach of the G8 Summit (originally named for and attended by the 8 most developed nations in the world; however, "developed" has expanded into "developed and developing" and July's G8 Summit included 16 nations plus the European Union) in combating climate change is markedly different than Mr. Gore's proposal. The G8 wants to align country leadership; i.e. politicians, business leaders, lending institutions, large corporations, etc. with each other to foster tens of billions of dollars of investment in essentially creating a business market for industries that would mitigate and ultimately reverse climate change. The G8 goal is ambitious; cut carbon emissions in half worldwide by 2050.

Mr. Gore's approach takes another tack. He wants to inspire a citizen army of 10 million Americans to raise their collective voice as one and demand, with the power of the vote I assume, that the United States generate 100% of its electricity from renewable resources in 10 years (or by 2019.)

I call the G8 the "right" because it bypasses citizenry in favor of so-called responsible business builders. I assign Mr. Gore's remarks to the "left" because they bypass so called responsible business builders in favor of the citizenry. Both approaches are outlandishly ambitious and appropriately motivating.

I have to confess, my knee-jerk reaction to Mr. Gore's remarks was somewhat hostile, because his expressed desire for the U.S. to completely disengage from 100's of billions of dollars of fossil fuel infrastructure and invent wholly new technologies to store solar and wind energy at their sources and deliver this stored electricity to U.S. cities all over our country within 10 years was, and is, if not impossible then extremely impractical. And I equated impractical with irresponsible.

But I think I underestimated and underappreciated Mr. Gore's strategy. As he pointed out, in 1960 putting a man on the moon in ten years seemed a very impractical goal, too, if not impossible. But we did it.

I was equally discouraged by the G8 approach, in that it seems like a whole lot of "talk about talking" and not much of a clear road map with assigned tasks and action items. My hope is that the "right" will be pushed into positive action sooner by pressures from the "left" and that the rose-colored dream of the "left" will be made real sooner by the market-driven moneymen on the "right." That's the only way this is all going to work effectively.

We are at a unique point in history. No one asked for the electric light, but we built it and illuminated the world. No asked for the automobile, but we built it, too. Now, for the first time, the world is asking for solutions to mitigate climate change and foster renewable energy. And that's the compelling difference that will make ALL the difference.

Let the "left" chant and vote. Let the "right" plot and profit.

Because the passions from both sides will have to be deeply stirred before we can truly beat this thing.

The problem is . mitigating climate change is going to be a lot tougher than putting a man on the moon.

Michigan Clean Transportation Expo seeks nominations
The Michigan Clean Transportation Expo & Awards Gala has put out the call for award nominations for its upcoming event. The expo is scheduled for 4-9 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi. Keynote presentations include The Greening of Ann Arbor, The Woodward Light Rail Transit System and Ford Motor Co.'s Urban Mobility Network. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 24, and several categories are available. To register or include a nomination, visitwww.mct-expo.com.

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Noble Environmental building Michigan's newest wind farm
The Essex, Conn. wind energy developer Noble Environmental Power announced that construction on Michigan's newest windpark is under way around the Thumb community of Ubly. The Noble Thumb I Windpark will generate 69 megawatts of clean energy using 46 GE 1.5 megawatt turbines, which is enough to power about 23,000 average homes. Noble estimates the project will create approximately 85 new construction jobs, and will result in more than $3.5 million in property tax payments over the next 20 years. The company didn't disclose who would be buying the power it's generating. However, Consumers Energy lists the wind farm as one of the suppliers of its Green Currents renewable power program, which allows customers to select electricity from renewables for an extra two cents per kilowatt hour. For more information, visit www.noblepower.com.

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Granholm plans to boost clean tech job training program
Gov. Jennifer Granhom's plan for the clean tech job training program's second year is to emphasize preparing laid-off workers for "clean green technology jobs" and other alternative energy careers, according to the Traverse City Record Eagle. It also will receive significantly more funding, Granholm said at an event in Traverse City. Granhom's No Worker Left Behind program gives laid-off workers up to two years of free tuition at any Michigan community college or approved training course. The goal is to take laid-off workers from manufacturing jobs or other positions and retrain them for employment in high-demand fields. The About 31,000 people enrolled in the program in its first year, and more than a third have completed training. The Granholm administration couldn't say how many of those trainees have found jobs. Currently, the program has a waiting list of more than 9,000. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/nwlb or www.michigan.gov/greenjobs. See the entire story at http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_208093240.html.

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Azure Dynamics signs three more dealers for its hybrid trucks
Azure Dynamics Corp., the Oak Park developer of hybrid and electric powertrains for commercial vehicles, said it had signed three more sales and service agreements with Ford dealerships. Agreements have been signed with Valley Ford Trucks in Cleveland; East Bay Ford Trucks in Oakland, Calif. and Mission Valley Ford Trucks in San Jose, Calif. The agreements are part of the company's plan to sign approximately 50 dealers over the next year in major metro markets in the United States and Canada to broaden its distribution network for its Balance hybrid electric medium-duty trucks. For more information about Azure Dynamics, visit www.azuredynamics.com.

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Uni-Solar to power GM rooftop solar system, world's largest
Rochester Hills-based Energy Conversion Devices Inc. said its Uni-Solar thin-film flexible solar laminates will power the world's largest rooftop solar power system. The 12-megawatt system is being installed on GM's assembly plant in Zaragoza, Spain and will become operational in the fall of 2008. ECD will supply the solar laminates through its subsidiary United Solar Ovonic LLC. When fully operational, the photovoltaic system will have a peak capacity of 12 megawatts, producing as much as 15 million kilowatt hours of "green" energy annually, enough to power approximately 4,500 homes. The Zaragoza facility marks GM's third major project involving Uni-Solar laminates. The thin-film flexible solar laminates also power GM parts warehouses in Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana, Calif., two of the largest rooftop solar power installations in the United States.

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EcoV electric car drawing investor interest
Electric car entrepreneur Richard Marks says he's finally raising money -- from individuals -- for his EcoV Electric city car. Marks credits both earlier coverage in the IT Report and a visit to the recent Michigan Energy Fair in Onekama with producing 43 potential $2,000 investors in his Grosse Pointe Woods-based Environmental Transportation Solutions LLC. Marks is still looking for investors in his company. More at www.ecovelectric.com or http://ecovelectric.blogspot.com.

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Octillion Seeks Power Generation From Moving Vehicles
Auburn Hills-based Octillion Corp. (OTCBB: OCTL), the alternative and renewable energy technology developer, has expanded its product development pipeline to include the development of safe, economically-viable technologies capable of producing clean electricity from the kinetic energy of moving vehicles, including cars, buses, trucks, trains, and rapid transit. Octillion has formed a new subsidiary, Kinetic Power Corp., focused on harnessing the kinetic energy of vehicles in motion and more broadly working to enhance the sustainability and energy efficiency of transportation systems. Through Octillion subsidiary Sungen Energy Inc., researchers are working to develop technologies with the potential to economically convert glass building facades and skylights into energy-generating resources while preserving the traditional viewscape and day lighting attributes valued by building occupants and architects. More at www.octillioncorp.com.

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UM makes it five solar race wins
The University of Michigan's Solar Car Team won the North American Solar Challenge, crossing the finish line in Alberta, Canada, after more than 50 hours of racing over nine days. The car averaged around 45 mph and led from the first day, besting 15 university teams that raced the 2,400-mile course from Plano, Texas to Calgary. Continuum finished about 10 hours before the second place team. The Michigan team had an advantage in the 2008 North American race because it already had a car built in September 2007 when race officials announced they would hold the challenge in July 2008. Other teams that hadn't competed in the World Solar Challenge in 2007 had only 10 months to design, build and test a car. But Michigan could instead spend time tweaking Continuum. More at www.americansolarchallenge.org or http://umsolar.blogspot.com/.

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'NextCruise' to add green to Woodward Dream Cruise
Nine automakers and the city of Pleasant Ridge will sponsor an inaugural NextCruise during the Woodward Dream Cruise Aug. 15 and 16. The event will feature next-generation, environmentally friendly transportation that is still a great deal of fun to drive. Included will be hybrids, clean diesels and other high-mileage and low-emission designs. It's the brain child of longtime automotive journalist Paul Eisenstein and George Lenko, a Pleasant Ridge city commissioners. The event will offer the public a chance to drive the vehicles, not just look at them.

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He's selling solar power -- one street light at a time
A former manufacturer's representative and stockbroker has found a new calling selling solar electric power -- one light pole at a time. Thomas Wither has created the National Adopt-a-Watt Program, www.adoptawatt.com, and he's busily signing up municipalities, airports and other institutions. The idea is simple, and is modeled on the national "Adopt A Highway" program. The program collects donations from businesses, organizations or individuals. The money is used to buy a solar power array for a street light. And the donor's name and logo are displayed on a nice plaque on the street light pole. There are also sponsorable 500-watt solar energy collection arrays that simply feed power to the grid. Among other institutions, the city of Royal Oak and Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport are exploring the concept.

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Company plans to convert turkey waste into steam, electric energy
Sietsema Farms Feeds in Pierson Township just south of Howard City is preparing to install a biomass facility to convert turkey waste into steam and electric energy for feed production, according to the Greenville Daily News. When completed, the $3 million operation would be a combined heat and power system providing the equivalent of 8,463 barrels of oil annually. Sietsema Farms Feeds owner Harley Sietsema plans to begin work on the new 15,000-square-foot operation by late August or early September. A few years ago, Sietsema wondered what to do with all the turkey waste accumulating at his farms. He began to look at alternative energy prospects - specifically gasification, which converts carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide and hydrogen by reacting the raw material at high temperatures with a controlled amount of oxygen or steam. Gasification is an efficient method for extracting energy from many different types of organic materials and is also a clean waste disposal technique. See the full story from the Greenville Daily News.

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Lawrence Tech's Formula Zero fuel cell race nears
Lawrence Technological University will be among the competitors when the National Hydrogen Association hosts the Formula Zero Student Edition Championship Race at the 20th Anniversary NHA Conference and Hydrogen Expo in Columbia, S.C. March 30 - April 3, 2009. Formula Zero is an international championship race series among six university teams from Europe and the United States. Teams compete in the design, building, and racing of karts powered entirely by zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells. The first race is in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Aug. 22 and 23.

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New ultralight hybrid bus could double miles-per-gallon
Twice the fuel efficiency of current hybrids, plus $480 million and six hundred new jobs for Michigan. According to a report in Crain's Detroit Business, that's what's been projected by Fisher Coachworks L.L.C., a new company that's developing a 40-foot ultralightweight hybrid bus designed for urban use. Fisher, which has its first prototype nearly complete, is searching for a 50,000-square-foot production building in the area and is awaiting the results of a request for a $6 million loan from Michigan's 21st Century Jobs Fund. The company introduced the bus to media on Monday, July 28, and wants to begin production by summer, '09.

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