Driving a Volvo? Not for These Swedes

October 26, 2011 By

Driving a Volvo? Not for These SwedesBY CHARLES DUXBURY

STOCKHOLM—a weak dollar and Sweden’s relative economic strength are pumping new life into an old obsession here: classic American cars from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

From Malmo in the south to Kiruna in the north, old Chevys and Fords sweep along the country’s well-kept roads, their retro lines contrasting with the boxy, locally built Volvo station wagons that account for one in every five new cars sold in the Nordic state.

and while fans kept a tight hold on their wallets during the recent financial crisis, a stronger economy and a resilient local currency got them buying again.

BY CHARLES DUXBURY

STOCKHOLM—a weak dollar and Sweden’s relative economic strength are pumping new life into an old obsession here: classic American cars from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

From Malmo in the south to Kiruna in the north, old Chevys and Fords sweep along the country’s well-kept roads, their retro lines contrasting with the boxy, locally built Volvo station wagons that account for one in every five new cars sold in the Nordic state.

and while fans kept a tight hold on their wallets during the recent financial crisis, a stronger economy and a resilient local currency got them buying again.

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Creating earthen lamps enchants them

October 24, 2011 By

Creating earthen lamps enchants them

It was a delight for the children to watch the potter turn the wheel to churn out ‘diyas’ (earthen lamps). how many urban children have the privilege of watching a potter at work?

Siva Sivani School provided the unique opportunity to its students through a one-day workshop on ‘earthen lamp making’ at the school premises at Kirlampudi on Thursday. the open stage, where the potter made the diyas, provided the right atmosphere for the children to relax and watch him engrossed in his work. the children were sent in groups to watch the lamp making process.

The enthusiastic children looked in awe at the dexterity of potter Atcha Rao of Kummari Veedhi, Dondaparthy, who turned out lamp after lamp in a matter of minutes. Many of the boys and girls vied with one another to try their hand at the wheel. “we are organising the workshop for the last five years. the objective is to create awareness among the children on the art of making earthen lamps besides enabling them to know our rich tradition and culture. the joy they experience in turning the wheel and turning out diyas is inexplicable,” says Headmistress Y. Surekha.

“This apart, the children are also told about the benefits of using eco-friendly materials like clay and the invention of the potter’s wheel. After the diyas dry up, the children colour them with water colours,” she added.

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Algae eyed as biofuel, animal feed

October 17, 2011 By

Algae eyed as biofuel, animal feed

the lowly algae may soon be a useful biofuel and a source of animal feeds but only if the agricultural and energy sectors focus their efforts on tapping it.

Sen. Edgardo Angara made the call after Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said government is looking into algae as a possible biofuel substitute for jatropha.

“a lot of research still needs to be conducted before algal biofuels can be as cheap as fossil fuels. But algae are already utilized for nutraceuticals and animal feeds for their proteins and omega-3 fatty acids. we may not have to put up subsidies for algal RD in biofuels, because a processed algae industry in the country may already be lucrative in itself,” said Angara, who chairs the Senate committee on Science and Technology (COMSTE).

Besides, he pointed out algae does not immediately draw away from the arable lands used in growing food.

He noted the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2011 showed pro-biofuel policies, particularly those from the US government in support of corn ethanol, were a major factor in food price spikes that exacerbated world hunger.

“the report called for the removal of the biofuel subsidies that had made prices more volatile. for sure, any effort to find alternatives to fossil fuels should not jeopardize any attempt at staving off hunger,” he said.

Earlier this month, Almendras indicated the Philippine National Oil co.-Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC) had scrapped plans to cultivate jatropha as a biofuel source.

COMSTE proposed the establishment of the Philippine Institute for Algae Research and Commercialization (PINARC).

The PINARC will become an innovation cluster, a three-way partnership between government, the academe and industry, in algal RD.

During their respective Senate budget hearings, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) pledged to devote funding to the creation and operations of PINARC.

“Our climate is literally ripe for an algae industry. But the only way for such an industry to grow is through synergy among our government agencies, universities and private sector players,” said Angara. — RSJ, GMA News

Article source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/235619/technology/algae-eyed-as-biofuel-animal-feed

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Controls on Natural Gas Prices Should Be Ended – Robert Dudley

October 16, 2011 By

Controls on Natural Gas Prices Should Be Ended Robert Dudley

Robert, Mukesh Ambani, Anand Sharma at New Delhi discussed in a meeting about Gas Price Controls to attract the investment. Robert Dudley and Mukesh Ambani interacted with Oil Minister Jaipal Reddy and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma in meeting in New Delhi regarding this issue. Robert Dudley, who is Chief Executive Officer of BP Plc said that India should move towards ending controls on natural gas prices which will encourage investments in offshore energy explorations. Other statement of Robert Dudley in meeting in New Delhi was in general, deepwater requires a lot of capital, it’s a lot of risk, you obviously need to develop mechanisms that’ll create the rewards for all that risk. over time, free-market systems are what any economy needs to be able to ensure efficient development. Dudley further said that a $7.2 billion acquisition of a 30 percent stake in 21 fields operated by Reliance Industries ltd. (RIL) was completed by BP, including KG-D6 which is the country’s largest gas deposit. the companies have sent applications to the government to develop new areas in the block for reversing a slump in gas production from the main reservoir.

According to Dudley D6 is a golden block, it’s a great resource in India. He continued We’re working with the government now for additional approvals. We’re hoping by 2014 the gas production will go back up again.

This meeting has opened a new hope for the companies. If government approves the applications then it will help in encouraging investment in offshore exploration as Robert Dudley in meeting in New Delhi, stated. If prices are increased, they will cover deepwater drilling and pipeline costs.

Mukesh Ambani and Robert Dudley Discussed Issue of Gas Price Control with Ministers

Issue of Gas Price Control was discussed by Robert Dudley and Mukesh Ambani in meeting in New Delhi. these two businessmen met Oil Minister S. Jaipal Reddy and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma in a meeting. Robert Dudley discussed about a lot of things regarding this issue.

First thing that was told by Dudley was that price control should be ended by the government of India which will provide the opportunity to explore the offshore energy. Dudley said that companies have applied to government for developing new areas in the block to reverse a slump in gas production from the main reservoir. He said, We’re working with the government now for additional approvals. We’re hoping by 2014 the gas production will go back up again.

Chokkalingam, who is chief investment officer at Mumbai-based Centrum Wealth Management ltd. and owns the shares of Reliance, also gave some good ideas in meeting. He said that prices are required to be increased in order to cover deepwater drilling and pipeline costs.

Chokkalingam further said over telephone that Free pricing of commodities, including gas, is essential and the government needs to slowly move toward that process. He continued that will attract more global companies to invest in India, increase production and achieve demand to meet the economic growth targets.

The meeting proved to be good source to raise some significant issues. Robert Dudley and Mukesh Ambani may also meet Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, according to the reports of Economic Times. If this meeting with Prime Minister and Finance Minister remains successful then it may open some new hopes for the companies. Offshore Energy Exploration will be much easier than before.

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Alternative Energy

October 15, 2011 By

Alternative Energy

Let’s start first by talking about 2 different categories of alternative energy.

The first is Renewable Energy. Renewable can be defined as energy that does not deplete natural resources. You may have heard the cradle to cradle analogy. Simply put it is reusable. Solar Power, Wind Power, Geothermal and Biomass are all forms of renewable energy, and they are alternatives.

The sun comes up most every day. the wind blows a good portion of the time. more in some places than others. Geothermal is right below our feet, and biomass is usable trash that otherwise clogs up our landfills.

These are the most talked about renewable energy forms. Solar has been used by the US government to operate satellites since the 1960s. Wind power has been used in the Midwest US farms since the 1920s.A geothermal system was first patented in 1912. Biomass is gaining in popularity. so it is not like these are secret technologies being pioneered in our time.

They are being perfected though and that is the thing to be aware of. the efficiency of these systems improve while the costs to buy them are coming down.

Now let’s talk about the other Alternative Energy Sources. First is Hydro Power. the US has about 2,000 operating plants. Boulder Dam was built back in 1936 and the name was changed to Hoover Dam in honor of Herbert Hoover. it was the largest at the time. nine years later the Grand Coulee dam was completed. although bigger than Hoover Dam it now ranks 38th in the world. the current largest dam in the world is the three Gorges Dam in china.

Nuclear energy is probably the most debated source of alternative energy.one side points out that it is a highly efficient means of generating electricity.It’s emits Carbon Dioxide which is good for plant life. the other side sites the accidents at Chernobyl and three Mile Island as being good reason to stay away from nuclear. Also the radioactive waste that can stay in the ground if buried for over a thousand years. in it’s defense safety issues are in place and nuclear plants still in operation appear to be safer than ever.

It is up to us to make wise decisions going forward so that our children can pass along a clean environment to their children. the buck stops here with us. Knowledge is power and what we do with this power will determine the quality of life for future generations. We can not stand blindly by and watch our world natural resources being depleted at record rates. There are Alternative Energy Resources.

Some of us are already working in these fields. Green Jobs are on the rise. Solar and Wind power installers. You can get online training for all sorts of things. Are you thinking of a career?

How about becoming a Certified Energy Auditor? this course takes home inspection to a new level. You can get training online. You can become a certified solar installer as well. Remember Knowledge is Power

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Under The Hood: Engine work could result in a rattle

October 13, 2011 By

Under The Hood: Engine work could result in a rattle

QUESTION: A friend put new motor mounts in my car and changed the fluids. when I got my car back, it sort of growled when I pushed on the gas to start. That was about a month ago, and now it is not as bad. Can you tell me what is wrong? is it a problem?

ANSWER: it sounds like you have a good friend – replacing motor mounts isn’t a very pleasant job to do. Replacing the mounts requires the engine and transmission to be lifted and shifted around a bit in the engine compartment, which may have flexed an attached pipe, hose, or heat shield slightly out of position. during operation, especially under load, an engine wiggles around, perhaps an inch or more in several possible directions. this may be allowing one of the above parts to come into contact with the body or chassis structure, creating an annoying but probably harmless rattle. It’s also possible one of the replacement engine mounts may be of inaccurate shape, allowing contact between the engine and chassis mount brackets as the engine twists in its mounts during acceleration.

Another possibility is during the fluid-changing process, the power-steering fluid somehow wasn’t fully refilled. should the power-steering pump gulp a little air due to low fluid level, a loud buzzing sound occurs, typically as the steering wheel is turned.

why might the growling noise lessen with time? My hunch is that a flexed or slightly bent hose, pipe or heat shield may be relaxing towards its original shape and has moved further away from whatever it’s rubbing against. Damage could occur to a part that’s rubbing, depending on what the item is and what it’s rubbing against. You wouldn’t want an aluminum air conditioning pipe or fuel line to be chafing against something, as it may eventually wear through. for this reason it would be best to have the car looked over by your friend or a professional technician, after demonstrating the noise you are hearing.

Q: What’s your take on power steering flushing? I was just told I should do this at 48,600 miles, and I’d never heard of it.

A: There’s no question every automotive system can benefit from periodic fluid renewal, but there needs to be a balance between what’s good to do and remaining financially solvent. Power-steering fluid renewal is in my opinion, of less importance that renewing engine coolant, brake fluid and transmission fluid at approximately this mileage. Preventing corrosion of expensive engine and antilock brake parts and protecting your transmission from the effects of oxidized fluid – they can run $2,000 to $8,000 for replacement – is a higher priority to me than the typically trouble-free power-steering system.

If you have already addressed these other fluid needs and plan to keep the car for a long time, go for it. Another option is to renew most of the fluid yourself. using a turkey baster – one that remains in the garage thereafter – suction out as much fluid as possible from the power steering fluid reservoir. Refill with new fluid, and drive a mile or more with turns in both directions. Repeat this procedure four or five times at your convenience, and you’ve likely displaced 75 percent of the old fluid. I’m not convinced “flushing” does more than exchange 90 percent to 100 percent of the fluid.

Brad Bergholdt is an automotive technology instructor at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif. Readers may send him email at [email protected]; he cannot make personal replies.

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Kleiner-Backed BioFuels Startup Unveils Technology To Make Sugar The New Crude

October 7, 2011 By

Kleiner Backed BioFuels Startup Unveils Technology To Make Sugar The New CrudeA startup backed by a prominent Silicon Valley investor emerged from stealth Tuesday with a technology that converts wood waste into cellulosic sugar for use in biofuels and biochemicals.

The company, Renmatix, has developed a water-based process it calls Plantrose that deploys hydrolysis to extract cellulosic sugar from wood waste, agricultural waste and other biomass at a price competitive with Brazilian sugar cane, Mike Hamilton, the startup’s chief executive, said in an interview.

Brazil is the world’s largest sugar cane producer and the current high price of the commodity – around $600 a ton – has proved problematic for refiners of ethanol, biodiesel and other biofuels that use sugar as a feedstock. that has prompted renewable fuels companies like Amyris and Solazyme to focus on higher-profit biochemical markets.

“What we’re trying to do here with Renmatix and the Plantrose process is have alternatives to imported oil,” says Hamilton, a veteran of chemicals manufacturer Rohm and Haas.

Or as John Melo, Amyris’ chief executive, put it at Renmatix’s unveiling Wednesday, “Sugar is the new oil.”

Renmatix has raised $21 million from Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

“Unlocking sugar from cellulosic biomass is one of the most important steps we can take,” Kleiner partner John Doerr said at the press event in King of Prussia, Penn., where Renmatix is relocating from Georgia. “Sugar is the new crude that will transform the American economy.”

Amyris, for instance, is a San Francisco Bay Area company that bases much of its operations in Brazil, where the government and private sector have developed an infrastructure to grow and process sugar cane for biofuels and biochemicals.

“I would love to make products in the U.S.,” said Melo, who sits on Renmatix’s board. “To do that we need infrastructure and we need investment and we need good technology to be able to actually turn the biomass into very cheap sugar.”

Hamilton says Renmatix is able to drive down costs by using water as it’s main solvent rather than bioengineered organisms, acids or other expensive agents that take time to transform biomass into sugars.

“The beauty of the Plantrose process is that speed wins,” he says. “We do not add any other significant consumables other than water.  we use a significant amount of water but recycle the bulk of it.”

Renmatix currently is operating a small demonstration plant in Georgia and expects to begin construction in 2012 on a full-scale commercial facility to produce 100,000 pounds of cellulosic sugar annually.

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NHRA drag races begin today at the Texas Motorplex

September 24, 2011 By

NHRA drag races begin today at the Texas Motorplex

By Mike Haag – San Antonio Express-News

DALLAS – the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to Texas this weekend for the AAA of Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex near Ennis.

The event will feature professional drag racing in the top Fuel Dragster, Nitro Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle classes. There will also be sportsman racing in several divisions.

The first Pro qualifying session will be held at 2:15 p.m. the second round of qualifying is set for 5:15 p.m.

On Saturday the action begins at 8 a.m. with sportsman elimination rounds. the third qualifying round for the Pro classes will be held at 11 a.m. and the final round of qualifying is set for 2:15 p.m.

On Sunday, the pre-race ceremonies are set for 10 a.m. and the final elimination rounds begin at 11 a.m. the event will air on ESPN2 on a tape-delayed basis.

This weekend’s race is the second in the Countdown to the Championship.

Antron Brown, who won the top Fuel race in Charlotte last weekend, enters the event with a 16-point lead over Spencer Massey.

“That car is still good,” Brown said, talking about Worsham’s Al-Anabi Racing dragster. “They just missed it in the first round, if it wasn’t for that, they’d be in the second round and maybe even further. They’ll be back and it’s far from over, but I think we’ll be in it in Pomona.”

Del Worsham, who experienced a rare first rounds loss last weekend, is 22 points back in third and is followed by Larry Dixon, Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta, Brandon Bernstein, Shawn Langdon, Morgan Lucas and Dave Grubnic.

In the Nitro Funny Car division, Mike Neff, who has been driving for Ashley Force Hood this season, has a 22-point lead over Matt Hagan in the standings. Jack Beckman is 31 points back in third, followed by Cruz Pedregon, Robert Hight, Ron Capps, Jeff Arend, John Force, Bob Tasca III and Tim Wilkerson.

“It’s anybody’s ballgame right now, and I’m just excited to have a competitive race car underneath me,” Hagan said prior to this weekend’s event.

In the Pro Stock class, Jason Line leads his teammate Greg Anderson by 31 points in the rankings. Vincent Nobile is 23 points back in third, followed by Mike Edwards, Erica Enders, Allen Johnson, Greg Stanfield, Rodger Brogdon, Shane Gray and Ron Krisher.

In the Pro Stock Motorcycle division, Eddie Krawiec has jumped out to a 63-point advantage over Karen Stoffer. Matt Smith is 53 points back in third and is followed by Andrew Hines, LE Tonglet, Hector Arana Jr., Hector Arana Sr., Jim Underdahl, Jerry Savoie and Michael Phillips.

Legends visit: As part of the NHRA’s 60th anniversary celebration, legendary drivers Kenny Bernstein, Billy Mayer and Raymond Beadle will be honored at this weekend’s drag races at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis. All three drivers will be available throughout the weekend for autograph sessions, along with meet-and-greets.

NHRA officials said that all three legends will participate in the popular Legends Track Walk program on Sunday morning before the pre-race ceremonies. Any fan who purchased a ticket for Sunday’s race will be able to participate in the event.

First race: NHRA officials said that Alexis DeJoria will be making her professional debut at the Texas Motorplex this weekend. DeJoria will be driving a nitro-powered Funny Car. she has recently worked her way up through the Super Comp and top Alcohol Funny Car ranks to finally get into her dream car, her Patron Tequila Toyota Camry, which is a product of Kalitta Motorsports.

Solid contender: Melanie Troxel, who drives the In-N-Out Burger Toyota Funny Car, has put up some impressive numbers in qualifying during her last two races.

Troxel qualified second at Indianapolis in hot conditions and was third in the cool weather last week in Charlotte.

“We’ve still got five races left this season to learn a lot,” Troxel said. “We’ve got a good chance to win a race before it’s all done. We’re going to keep picking away at the performance of the car.

“We’ve got one of the best cars out here, we just need a little more consistency at this point.”

Troxel has experienced several set backs on the circuit this season, but she feels like the program is starting to turn the corner and improve.

“We’re solving one problem at a time,” Troxel said. “It’s unfortunate it didn’t come together sooner and we’re not a contender for the championship, but I think we’ll play a role on how things hammer out in the class the rest of the season.

“We’ve been through so many changes this year,” Troxel said. “You don’t want to lose sight of the fact we’ve made so much progress through the course of the season. We expect a lot of ourselves. Aaron Brooks, John Medlen and the rest of the guys have put in a lot of meticulous effort to work all the bugs out of the car.”

Langdon looking ahead: last year at the AAA of Texas Fall Nationals, Shawn Langdon and his Lucas Oil/Speedco top Fuel dragster qualified No. 9 and ended up with a runner-up finish.

This year, Langdon enters the race ranked eighth in the Countdown to the Championship and is hoping to take what he learned last year and apply it to this year’s race.

“Dallas is a place where I’ve had a lot of success in the past,” Langdon said. “We’re not out of anything right now when it comes to the championship, but we’ve got to start making things happen. It’s going to be put up or shut up time real soon.

“It’s probably going to be hotter down there than it was in Charlotte last week, which should work in our favor,” Langdon said. “It tightens up the pack a little and things like getting an edge at the starting line become a bigger deal.”

A strong finish on Sunday would move Langdon up in the rankings. He currently is 33 points behind seventh place Brandon Bernstein.

“We need to keep at it,” Langdon said. “We need to change things, shake things up. It’s never too late in the season to get better and it’s something we always strive for.”

Stoffer is revved up: last week in Charlotte, GEICO Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer qualified third and race her way to the finals. Unfortunately, she red lighted and she is hoping to redeem herself in Dallas this weekend.

“You don’t have time to dwell on anything because you’ve got to get right back on the bike and prove you can do what you’ve got to do.” Stoffer said. “It probably helps in this case that Dallas is so soon.”

During the 2011 season Stoffer has shown the guys in the class that she is a definite contender for the championship this season. she enters this weekend’s race trailing points leader Eddie Krawiec by 63 markers.

“We both have to work at pulling the best out of the Charlotte weekend and putting the bad stuff behind us,” said Stoffer, whose husband serves as her crew chief. “We’ve had red lights during qualifying, but we fixed it during elimination rounds. I know how to fix it, and I think I know what happened in the final round. I need to go out and fix it, and hopefully, I’ll get another shot in the final round to prove that I fixed it.”

Earlier this year, Stoffer recorded her first victory of the season at Denver. she has reached the final five times in her GEICO Suzuki and has qualified fourth or better in all but two races.

“It’s nice to start off well,” Stoffer said. “if you have to do well at a race, it’s nice to do it at the first race. They bunched us all together with the new point change, and this gives us a little more breathing room.

“But you know what? Every single race in the Countdown is important. That’s what it comes down to. We’ve got to go to Dallas and have our consistent bike and program and hopefully go four rounds on Sunday again.”

Capps needs a crucial win: Ron Capps, who drives the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, is hoping he can pull off a crucial victory to keep his hopes alive in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship.

“It seems this race has always been a pivotal one in the championship picture,” said Capps, who is sitting sixth in the standings after the first of six Countdown races. “And this year, I look for it to be pivotal for our NAPA team.

“We didn’t do as well as we expected last week in Charlotte (a first-round loss), but, as I’ve said, you can take a Mulligan in the Countdown if you then go out and start beating the other cars in the playoffs.

“Last week wasn’t the start we wanted, for sure as it put us a little bit more behind in the points. if we can’t win two or three of the six races in the playoffs, then we don’t deserve to be 2011 Full Throttle Champions – I sincerely feel like we can win at least that many – and it would be great to start in Texas.”

Looking for a collection: Jack Beckman is hoping to collect a victory this weekend in the NHRA Nitro Funny Car competition at the Texas Motorplex.

“I made my Funny Car debut here in ’06 and, besides the runner-up finish in 2009, I’ve not had much success,” explained the 45-year-old Don Schumacher Racing driver. “I think Dallas owes me something and I’d like to collect this weekend to help our championship effort.”

Beckman enters the weekend event ranked third in the standings. He is less than three rounds behind points leader Mike Neff in the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship standings after a close side-by-side semifinal loss to DSR teammate Matt Hagan in last week’s initial contest of the six-race playoffs.

“We have every reason to be optimistic right now; the Aaron’s/Valvoline Funny Car is really close to reaching the winner’s circle again,” said the two-time 2011 victor. “The way this car is running – it took a great pass on a monster day by Hagan to beat us in Charlotte – is making everyone on the team more confident, which helps me as the driver, which makes us a tough car to beat.

“I think, considering my history, Dallas would be a perfect place to get our third victory of the year and make the Championship competition even more interesting. I’ve been saying throughout the year: we always want to win the race, for our sponsors, our team and ourselves, but the real prize we are after is the championship.”

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Arizona ‘sitting on a hydropower gold mine’

September 24, 2011 By

Arizona sitting on a hydropower gold mine

WASHINGTON – Arizona is “sitting on a hydropower gold mine” butneeds the government to streamline regulations to turn that powerpotential into a reality, a Phoenix lawyer has told a congressionalsubcommittee.

Robert Lynch was one of two Arizonans testifying last week insupport of the Bureau of Reclamation Small-Conduit Hydro-powerDevelopment and Rural Jobs Act of 2011, which they said would helpgenerate clean energy, as well as income to help water districtspay their bills.

The bill is aimed at prompting private-sector development ofhydropower plants on federally owned canals and pipelines, saidRep. Paul Gosar, R-Flagstaff, one of the sponsors. It would exemptsmall plants – those generating less than 1.5 megawatts – fromrequirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, among otherchanges.

“Hydropower is a … clean, renewable, emissions-free source ofenergy that provides low-cost electricity and helps reduce carbonemissions,” said Gosar, who also said such projects could createjobs in rural areas. the bill was heard before the House NaturalResources subcommittee on water and power, of which Gosar is amember.

Grant Ward, a former general manager of the Maricopa-StanfieldIrrigation and Drainage District, testified on behalf of the FamilyFarm Alliance. He said his district has the potential for 14 to 17hydropower units that could generate up to 2,200 kilowatt-hours,enough to supply electricity to more than 550 homes or power six orseven deep-well pumps for irrigation.

But he said the district spent two years trying to get answersfrom federal agencies, often getting conflicting information thatstymied the project.

Lynch, who represented the National Water Resources Associationat the hearing, said the bill would eliminate waste and red tapeand lead to the creation of jobs.

“We are literally sitting on a hydropower gold mine waiting forthe needed clarifications and streamlining that will cut costs andmake this program more attractive,” Lynch said.

A Bureau of Reclamation official testified that while the agencysupports the intent of the bill, it has problems with some of thespecifics. David Murillo, the bureau’s deputy commissioner ofoperations, said his agency opposes the move to exempt smallprojects from environmental regulations.

“The department believes that environmental protections shouldcontinue to apply in the context of new construction undertaken onfederal lands,” he said in prepared testimony.

He noted that the bureau and the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission, which also has the power to approve hydropowerlicenses, have several agreements in place to clarify authorityover the process. He said language in the bill that would specify abureau power resources officer as the lead point of contact on aproject could remove field-level employees, who have the bestknowledge of the situation, from the process.

Murillo said the bureau remained committed to “potential newhydropower projects that provide a high economic return for thenation, are energy-efficient and can be accomplished in accordancewith protections for fish and wildlife, the environment orrecreation.”

But Gosar said current regulations “create man-made shortages,which in turn lead to high unemployment and increased water, energyand food prices.”

Ward said the benefits of hydropower are too great not to takeaction that will clear the way for more projects.

“In the middle of the 110-degree summers in Central Arizona, wecan use the systems to reduce the requirement from the electricaldistrict so they can avoid overloads,” he said. “We can alsogenerate some income from the sale of the power to offsetoperational costs to the district.”

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Kane working out details of electric car regulations

September 23, 2011 By

Kane working out details of electric car regulations

By Matt Brennan For The Beacon-News September 20, 2011 6:20PM

Updated: September 22, 2011 2:19AM

If electric vehicle owners in Kane County went to a movie, and they plugged their car in to charge in a hypothetical charging station, would they be required to move their vehicle the moment it was done charging? What if they plug in while they take a train ride to Chicago?

Government officials and private industry experts grappled with this and other questions at the electric vehicle infrastructure ordinance work group meeting on Tuesday at the Kane County Government Center in Geneva.

The task force is in the early stages of developing an electric vehicle ordinance for the county. they are hoping to have something by May of next year, according to Mike Donahue, R-Geneva, task force chairman.

Brian Levin is vice president of Carbon Day Automotive, a company that produces charging stations. In the private sector, they are placed where companies and municipalities know people will be there for a significant amount of time — such as a movie theater. The charging station has the capability of sending the owner of the car a text message after they “fill up.” if ordinances require people to move their cars immediately, the county would be sending them mixed signals, he said.

Donahue stressed that the county needs to address the issue of electric vehicles now, instead of reacting when there is a complaint or a problem.

The group began its meeting by watching a video of a Nissan Leaf commercial that aired during a Sunday football game. The commercial is an example of the mainstreaming of electric vehicles, Donahue said.

“Billions of dollars are being spent by corporate America on this,” Donahue said. “Once the technology comes, and the early adopters start to use it, it is going to take off quickly.”

The task force began the process of reviewing the language in a model ordinance from the Puget Sound area of Washington. The group will be meeting again soon to address more details in creating the ordinance, and bring updates back to the larger task force.

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