MORE NEWS, 1-6 (WIND TO GROW – STUDY; WAVE ENERGY WANTS STIMULUS ACTION; CARBON OFFSETS AT AIRPORT KIOSKS; L I SOUND ALGAE FOR BIOFUEL?)

WIND TO GROW – STUDY
Wind Power Research Report Issued by Emerging Growth Research, LLP
December 30, 2008 (Business Wire)

"…U.S. Wind Power - State of the Industry and 2009 Predictions [from Emerging Growth Research, LLP]…discusses the current state of the U.S. wind power industry and offers specific predictions relative to 2009. Among these predictions are continued wind turbine price reductions and improved availability, continued expansion of community owned wind farms, federal government implementation of an aggressive cap-and-trade program and long term extension of the production tax credit (PTC) both of which will significantly benefit the domestic wind power industry…

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The report…also offers several specific investment recommendations, including community wind farm provider Juhl Wind, Inc. (OTCBB:JUHL) and energy technologies company American Superconductor Corporation (Nasdaq:AMSC). Also included in the report is a detailed analysis of Otter Tail Corporation (Nasdaq:OTTR)…"


CARBON OFFSETS AT AIRPORT KIOSKS
S.F. fliers may pay their way in carbon usage
Michael Cabanatuan, December 24, 2008 (S.F. Chronicle)

“Environmentally conscious travelers flying out of San Francisco International Airport will soon be able to assuage their guilt and minimize the impact of their air travel by buying certified carbon offsets at airport kiosks...scheduled to start this spring, [this] would make SFO the first airport in the nation - possibly the world - to offer fliers the opportunity to purchase carbon offsets…

“...the projects offered will be chosen by the mayor's office, in conjunction with 3Degrees, from a list certified by the city's Environment Department...projects could include renewable energy ventures in developing countries, agriculture and organic waste capture, coal mine methane capture, and sustainable forestry…a portion of each offset purchase would go to the San Francisco Carbon Fund, which supports local projects such as energy-efficiency programs and solar panel installations for low-income housing, as well as efforts to convert waste oils into biodiesel fuels…

“The cost of offsets for SFO travelers is still being negotiated…a two-hour trip uses about 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per person, and the cost to offset that would be about $4. Offsetting a trip to Europe would cost $36…”


WAVE ENERGY WANTS STIMULUS ACTION
Hawaii poised to lead ocean energy wave
Cynthia Thielen, December 21, 2008 (Honolulu Star Bulletin)

“An unusual consortium comprised of large utilities, environmental groups, energy think tanks and ocean energy developers has just written to President-elect Barack Obama about the tremendous potential of wave energy and the role it can play in reducing our nation's dependence upon oil.

“The group includes utilities...environmental groups...and academic entities...the consortium is asking Obama to provide support for wave energy, citing "conservative estimates" that indicate wave energy could "supply at least 10 percent of the current U.S. demand." That's a staggering number for an economically imperiled nation that has spent $700 billion in the last two years on imported oil…

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“The consortium attached a white paper, titled "Ocean Renewable Energy: A Shared Vision and Call for Action," to its letter. Among the guiding principles are encouraging pilot and demonstration scale projects, streamlining regulatory processes and cooperating in preparation of unified environmental documents…”


L I SOUND ALGAE FOR BIOFUEL?
Biofuel from Algae?: Ask UNH
January 5, 2009 (Business New Haven)

“The University of New Haven (UNH) will expand its biodiesel research efforts to explore the viability of Long Island Sound algae as a fuel source.

”UNH received a $135,276 grant from the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology to fund its research…

”Principal investigator Carmela Cuomo, UNH associate professor and coordinator of the school's marine biology program, and her students will collect algae from New Haven Harbor as well as the West Haven, Milford and Bridgeport shorelines. Once the samples [are] collected, Luzik hopes to use an environmentally benign "supercritical fluid extraction system" to extract lipids and test the collected algae's fat content. Researchers will then identify species [of] Long Island Sound algae that could be harvested or cultivated to produce biodiesel…”