MORE NEWS, 4-27 (MILITARY SALUTES NEW ENERGY, PT. 1; MILITARY SALUTES NEW ENERGY, PT. 2; WOULD-BE CA GOV VISITS ALGAE BIOFUEL MAKER)

MILITARY SALUTES NEW ENERGY, PT. 1
Pentagon Prioritizes Pursuit Of Alternative Fuel Sources
Steve Vogel, April 13, 2009 (Washington Post)

"For the Defense Department, the largest consumer of energy in the United States, addiction to fuel has greater costs than the roughly $18 billion the agency spent on it last year.

"By some estimates, about half of the U.S. military casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are related to attacks with improvised explosive devices on convoys, many of which are carrying fuel. As of March 20, 3,426 service members had been killed by hostile fire in Iraq, 1,823 of them victims of IEDs…"

A personnel energy system. (click to enlarge)

"Spurred by this grim reality, the Pentagon, which traditionally has not made saving energy much of a priority, has launched initiatives to find alternative fuel sources. The goals include saving money, preserving dwindling natural resources and lessening U.S. dependence on foreign sources…

"Other than fueling jet engines, the largest drain on U.S. military fuel supplies comes from running generators at forward operating bases. The Pentagon says that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have required more fuel on a daily basis than any other war in history. Since the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq began in 2001 and 2003, respectively, the amount of oil consumption at forward bases has increased from 50 million gallons to 500 million gallons a year."

The Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery (TGER). (click to enlarge)

"To help reduce consumption, the Pentagon is using $300 million of the $7.4 billion it received from the economic stimulus package to accelerate existing programs for developing alternative fuels and saving energy…"

"Garbage, for example, is a commodity never in short supply when the Army goes to the field. A battalion-size forward operating base generates a ton of trash a day. The Pentagon is developing mobile units -- small enough to fit on a five-ton flatbed trailer -- that use an anaerobic microbial process to convert garbage into oil."

TGER at Camp Victory in Iraq. (click to enlarge)

"Two prototypes -- known as the Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery -- were deployed to Iraq in the summer and were initially successful, converting field waste -- paper, plastic, cardboard and food slop -- into biofuel to power a 60-kilowatt generator…

"But the units were not particularly hardy and soon broke down. The stimulus money includes $7.5 million to develop a more rugged model…


MILITARY SALUTES NEW ENERGY, PT. 2
Pentagon Prioritizes Pursuit Of Alternative Fuel Sources
Steve Vogel, April 13, 2009 (Washington Post)

"…The Pentagon is also investing $15 million of the stimulus money into developing lightweight, flexible photovoltaic mats that could be rolled up like a rug and used at forward bases to draw solar power for operating equipment…

"About $6 million is aimed at improving a program run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to convert algae into jet propulsion fuel 8, or JP-8, that could power Navy and Air Force aircraft.

"Other initiatives include $27 million to develop a hybrid engine the Army could use in tactical vehicles and $2 million to develop highly efficient portable fuel cells that could reduce the battery load carried by infantry soldiers. "

Algae could be a sun-grown truck and jet fuel. (click to enlarge)

"The Pentagon is also testing the use of solar and geothermal energy to provide power at installations. The Army, for example, is partnering with a private firm to build an enormous, 500-megawatt solar farm at Fort Irwin, Calif. The farm would supply the 30 to 35 megawatts needed to operate the installation, with the remaining available for sale to the California electrical grid.

"Fort Irwin's desert location is particularly well suited for solar energy, but the concept of using buffer land for energy production could be applied at many installations, said Keith Eastin, assistant secretary of the Army for installations and environment…"

A foam-insulated tent in Iraq. (click to enlarge)

"For all the emphasis on new technologies at the Pentagon, one of the most successful initiatives involves decades-old technology: insulating thousands of tents in Iraq and Afghanistan with a two-inch layer of foam. The foam is sprayed like shaving cream from 55-gallon drums and hardens in about 20 minutes.

"A $95 million program to spray-foam tents in Iraq has dramatically reduced the amount of fuel needed for heating and cooling, saving $2 million in energy costs per day, Anderson said. It is also reducing the Army's logistical footprint, which includes roughly 900 trucks per day moving in and out of Iraq…

"A $29 million contract has been signed to insulate tents in Afghanistan, where vulnerable land supply routes pose serious challenges as the United States attempts to build up its forces…"


WOULD-BE CA GOV VISITS ALGAE BIOFUEL MAKER
S.F. mayor makes campaign stop at biofuel company
Ronald W. Powell, April 23, 2009 (San Diego Union Tribune)

"San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom took an Earth Day tour of [Sapphire Energy, a company launched in 2007 that is working to convert algae to an environmentally friendly biofuel for use in autos and airliners]… on his first full day of campaigning after formally announcing… for the 2010 California governor's race.

"Newsom…[a] 41-year-old Democrat [and] the youngest San Francisco mayor in a century, touted his green credentials following the tour that ended in a room where algae, as green as pea soup, sat in agitating beakers and bubbled in long cylindrical plastic bags."

An algae farm. (click to enlarge)

"He said his city has reduced greenhouse gases, partially blamed for global warming, by 6 percent below 1990 levels. The city has aggressive environmental building standards, a slew of solar projects, and is the first U.S. city to ban plastic shopping bags in large supermarkets and chain pharmacies…[H]e said companies like Sapphire Energy have the possibility of creating “green-collar jobs” that improve the environment and the struggling economy…

"But Newsom said he will not be a one-issue candidate as he seeks to replace Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. His competition on the Democratic side includes former two-time governor and current state Attorney General Jerry Brown and possibly Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, both of whom were leading Newsom in a Field Poll released last month."

A picture of Newsom and Governor Arnold that says more than words. (click to enlarge)

"He also must look over his shoulder to see if well-respected U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor, chooses to enter the race. Polls show she would be the favorite…

"Newsom said his city is the only one in the country to approve universal health care and… he will work to improve access to health care statewide…[H]e will support budget-fixing Propositions 1A and 1B on the May 19 ballot…[S]ome voters will not accept his support for same-sex marriage but hopes they analyze his positions…"