Archive for August, 2009
An E-Fuel MicroFueler Dealer Responds
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
After publishing the previous story, I went back and searched through my Gmail to see when I had first heard about the E-Fuel MicroFueler. It turns out that about a year ago a regular reader of my blog - and someone I had exchanged a number of e-mails with - sent [...]
An E-Fuel MicroFueler Dealer Responds
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
After publishing the previous story, I went back and searched through my Gmail to see when I had first heard about the E-Fuel MicroFueler. It turns out that about a year ago a regular reader of my blog - and someone I had exchanged a number of e-mails with - sent [...]
Have You Heard the Good News about Honeywell, Eaton, Nissan, Martek, and Enova?
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
With so much financial news being reported these days, it can be tough to spy the stories that really matter – stories that suggest a big payday awaits shareholders of certain firms. When it comes to alternative energy, EnergyTechStocks.com has found that nobody is better at spying stories that matter than Mike Millikin [...]
Another Journalist Fails Due Diligence 101
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I have had a number of people ask me about the E-Fuel MicroFueler, so at one point I did a bit of investigating. It is essentially a small still, but apparently has a fermentation capability if the feedstock contains sugar. However, they stress that it works best with wastes that contain [...]
My Point Exactly
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I missed this story when it came out last week:
Hydrocarbon biofuels’ promise tops that of ethanol, gasoline
John Regalbuto, a chemical engineer at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and director of the NSF catalysis and biocatalysis program, wrote in Science that biomass-derived fuels are not far from being part of the energy [...]
Disruptive Technologies Are So Overrated
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
It’s the end of a very long day, but I couldn’t resist commenting on the recent story from Joule Biotechnologies:
Joule Biotechnologies Introduces Revolutionary Process for Producing Renewable Transportation Fuels
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Joule Biotechnologies, Inc., an innovative bioengineering startup developing game-changing alternative energy solutions, today unveiled its breakthrough Helioculture™ technology—a revolutionary process that [...]
Rentech Making Waves
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
The following story posed a bit of a dilemma for me. In my new role, there will be potential conflicts of interest in some of the stories I may post, and until I elaborate on what I am doing, I am trying to avoid posting anything that might fall into that [...]
Notes on Energy Efficiency
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I arrived in one piece in Hawaii a few days ago, and have been settling in. It is still hard to believe I am here, and I plan to elaborate a bit on why I am here in the near future.
In the interim - and because I haven’t posted anything new [...]
The Best Way to Play Upcoming Senate Brawl Over Cap & Trade May be Loading Up on Coal
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
At the rate things are going, the best way for investors to play the upcoming brawl in the U.S. Senate over cap-and-trade may be to buy shares of the very companies this carbon-busting legislation is intended to squeeze out of business.
We’re talking the big coal-mining companies: Peabody Energy Corp. (Symbol BTU), Arch Coal [...]
A Better Alternative to Cash for Clunkers
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Today is my last day of work as Engineering Director for Accsys Technologies/Titan Wood. After today, I will continue to maintain an advisory relationship with the company, as I still thoroughly believe in the company and the technology, and I want to help them succeed.
However, tomorrow I board a plane to [...]
Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 4
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
This marks the final installment of answers to questions recently submitted by readers. This final installment covers the impact of E10 on fuel efficiency, my general optimism (or lack thereof), algal fuel, thermodynamics and energy limitations, Accoya, and litigation. Once again, thanks to the readers who submitted questions, and thanks [...]
Our Ironic Energy Policy
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Energy policies in the U.S. often seek to punish our domestic oil and gas producers, while at the same time we work hard with foreign producers to ensure that the oil continues to flow. I noted in a recent essay:
It is ironic that Steven Chu doesn’t seem to feel the need [...]
Running the Electric Grid with eSolar
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
As I often do on a Saturday morning, I was up early reading through energy headlines. I happened across this story on eSolar:
Bill Gross’s Solar Breakthrough
“We are producing the lowest cost solar electrons in the history of the world,” Bill Gross is telling me. “Nobody’s ever done it. Nobody’s close.”
“We have [...]
Britain’s Impending Energy Crisis
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
In case you missed the story yesterday in the Economist:
How long till the lights go out?
North Sea gas has served Britain well, but supply peaked in 1999. Since then the flow has fallen by half; by 2015 it will have dropped by two-thirds. By 2015 four of Britain’s ten nuclear stations [...]
Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 3
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
This was supposed to be the final installment of answers to the questions recently submitted by readers, but the answer to the first question went a little long. Here are the links to the previous installments:
Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 1
Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 2
This installment covers advice to prospective [...]
Will Dynegy Become a Takeover Candidate? Will NRG or Exelon Be Its Suitor?
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Having correctly predicted that Exelon Corp.’s (Symbol EXC) attempted takeover of NRG Energy Inc. (Symbol NRG) would fail and that both firms’ share prices would then rise (See Prediction: Exelon’s NRG Takeover Bid Will Fail; Both Firms Will Then See Their Stock Prices Rise), Daniel Scotto of HFP Capital Markets is back with another [...]
Rate Crimes: Impeding the Solar Tipping Point
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
The following guest essay was written by Paul Symanski. Paul is an electrical engineer with expertise in solar energy, and shares his views on why solar power often faces unnecessary headwinds.
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To anyone who has ever spent a day in Arizona’s Valley of the Sun, it is obvious. The sunniest state in [...]
What’s 72 Million Gallons Anyway?
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I just read a story this morning suggesting that the “Cash for Clunkers” program is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by only a trivial amount:
‘Cash for clunkers’ effect on pollution? A blip
While the focus of the story is that this won’t do much for climate change, this is the piece [...]
Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 2
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
In this installment, I continue to work my way through the list of questions recently submitted by readers. This post picks up where Part 1 left off, and covers coal-to-liquids, technology hype, green gasoline, refining improvements, allocation of money toward renewables, electricity consumption, the Automotive X Prize, Big Oil, cellulosic ethanol, [...]
Bloggers Go to Billings
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I should have Part 2 of the series of answering readers’ questions posted by tomorrow, but until then I was just sent the following link, which was of great personal interest to me:
A Green Refinery?
The gist is that last year the American Petroleum Institute flew a group of bloggers up to [...]
Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 1
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Before I took a recent trip to Canada, I opened up the floor for questions. Getting them answered has taken longer than I intended. Fortunately, other readers answered a lot of them in the comments of that thread. So I have sifted through the list, trying to find questions that were [...]
Investor Alert: Why Toyota is a ‘Smart’ Housing Play for All Long-term Investors
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Stop thinking of Toyota Motor Corp. (Symbol TM) as just a car company.
Henceforth, think of Toyota as both a car manufacturer and a key supplier of what may well become THE component of the coming “smart” energy revolution.
Oh, and in case somebody in Washington is listening: unless you want billions of taxpayers’ dollars [...]
