biofuels

Utilities are scrambling to find partners to help them achieve REPS-mandated conversion of hog waste into energy:

The state's electric utilities are looking for business partners that will convert swine waste into electricity. They'll pay more than they spend, themselves, to generate power from coal, natural gas or nuclear fuel. But the cost will hardly be recognizable on utility bills.

If the whole process works, everyone wins. The swine waste now stored in lagoons, which is an environmental disaster waiting to happen, will be put to a good use producing clean electricity. The air around farms will not smell as bad because the lagoons will be capped. And farmers should generate new cash from the sale of both electricity and fertilizer.

I understand that we are on the cusp of a very important Primary election, and there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to promote our favorite candidates and fire digital arrows at those who dare to oppose them. But I've had an issue hovering just inside my awareness for some time now, that's been yammering for me to write about it, so please bear with me.

I have heard from a very reliable source, that Sen. John Snow will be interviewed for Marketplace on NPR. I have no idea when this program will air, but it looks promising for the biofuels industry in this State. During this interview, Sen. Snow will be discussing Biodiesel and North Carolina. It appears that the recent article in the Charlotte Observer (A Price to Pay for Alternative Fuels) has pull farther away than just North Carolina. OPEN THREAD

It is past time to get Special Interests out of Energy Policy. Currently, we are reaping the works of the Cheney Energy Policy Taskforce, in which, the energy Policy of the United States was developed by special interests, Big Oil.

Senate Bill 1272 has passed third reading.

Senate Bill 1277 has passed its second and third reading and is heading to the House.

Things are starting to pick-up.

by Sam Gray
Director of Operations
Smoky Mountain Biofuels

To say the condition of North Carolina's biodiesel producers is "critical" would be an understatement. There are four main producers of biodiesel in our state: Smoky Mountain Biofuels, Foothills Bio-Energies, Piedmont Biofuels, and Blue Ridge Biofuels.

Cross Posted From NC Consumers for BioFuels