QUICK NEWS, October 28: U.S. OFFSHORE WIND EMERGES; ELECTRIC ROADS FOR CARS WITH PLUGS; NYC WANTS BIOFUELS FOR HEAT, SCHOOL BUSES

U.S. OFFSHORE WIND EMERGES The U.S. dips a toe in the offshore windfarm water

Aaron Heinrich, October 15, 2015 (GizMag)

“Offshore wind farms have been creating electricity off the coast of [Europe] since 1991…[but] until recently there were no [U.S.] offshore wind farms…[but last summer the] 30 megawatt, 5 turbine Block Island Wind Farm project [started construction] in Rhode Island…[It is] scheduled to go online next year, producing enough electricity to power 17,000 homes…US projects [are] currently in various stages of proposal, review, and approval, mostly off the East Coast, and [a few off the California and Hawaii coasts]…The reasons for the lag by the US…can roughly be attributed to the high cost of construction, changing regulations, and personal lobbying…[but the] National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates a gross wind potential of 4,223 gigawatts (GW) off the coast of the United States alone – roughly four times the generating capacity of the entire US electric grid…Many industry experts and government officials say that the potential for increased energy production inherent in offshore wind farms would offset those costs. This argument, which appears to have held up in other parts of the world, is about to be tested in the US…” click here for more

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ELECTRIC ROADS FOR CARS WITH PLUGS Researchers developing roads that charge your electric car while you're driving

Lucas Merian, October 27, 2015 (ComputerWorld)

“At least two universities are testing or preparing to test wireless charging stations embedded along roadways that will incrementally recharge vehicles as they drive over them…Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) in Greenville, S.C., has been testing stationary wireless vehicle charging and is now preparing to test mobile wireless recharging for vehicles…[Its] stationary wireless charging technology uses magnetic resonance to create a field between a ground charging coil and a copper coil embedded in a vehicle through which electricity can pass. Key to the technology is the Wi-Fi communications system, created by researchers at Oak Ridge that allows the ground and vehicle charging systems to talk to one another…

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“Stationary wireless vehicle charging is an emerging technology already commercialized by Evatran and Bosch. The two companies unveiled their PLUGLESS vehicle charging system at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The PLUGLESS charger is available for the Chevrolet Volt for $2,998 and the Nissan LEAF for $3,098…In the U.K., the government is expected to perform off-road trials of dynamic wireless charging that it acquired from researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU)…The NCSU research suggests that vehicles driving on roadways with dynamic wireless charging stations could increase their driving range anywhere from 62 miles to about 310 miles…” click here for more

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NYC WANTS BIOFUELS FOR HEAT, SCHOOL BUSES Council members, oil lobby square off in tense hearing on biofuel bills

David Giambusso, October 26, 2015 (PoliticoNewYork)

“Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration tacitly endorsed two bills to increase the use of biofuel citywide…[but] oil lobby representatives showed up to challenge them…Intros 642 and 880 would expand the use of biofuel — a plant-based fuel that can be mixed with petroleum-based products and is responsible for lower greenhouse gas emissions — in home heating oil and city school buses respectively…[The currently-used 5-percent biofuel blend vehicle fuel and 2 percent heating biofuel introduced under former mayor Michael Bloomberg have] reduced greenhouse gas emissions…the equivalent of taking 30,000 cars off the road…[The two new bills mandate] that all buildings still heated by oil must use at least 5 percent biofuel by 2016 and 20 percent biofuel by 2030, and that the city's school buses use ultra low-sulfur diesel with at least 5 percent biodiesel…[But the New York State Petroleum Council argued] the biofuel bills would pose a costly alternative to traditional petroleum-based products and would expose consumers to higher fuel prices and more expensive food…[I]t set off a shouting match between Council members and panelists…” click here for more

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