Green Energy Commitment Part of 10-10-10 Global Work Party

SPRINGFIELD - October 10, 2010.  Governor Quinn today announced plans to install solar panels at the executive mansion in Springfield as part of the 10/10/10 Global Work Party. The Global Work Party, which takes place on Oct. 10, is a day of action to fight climate change. Established by 350.org, the celebration unites more than 7,000 events in 183 different countries to help find solutions to climate change.

"I am pleased to announce plans to bring the Illinois Governor's Mansion into the 21st  century with a new set of solar panels", said Governor Quinn. "We must do everything we can to increase our use of solar energy, which will help us protect natural resources and reduce our reliance on traditional energy sources."

The solar panels to be installed were donated by WindFree Energy Company in Chicago and BYD America in Arlington Heights. The racking and bracketing was provided by B. Weinstein Engineering in Highland Park. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 193 is donating the labor to install this project.

It is estimated that the new, one kilowatt solar array will reduce green house gas emissions by 30 tons of CO2 over the next 25 years, which is equivalent to approximately 100,000 car miles or the planting of 1,100 trees.
Much of the equipment for the solar panels will be manufactured in the U.S. with many of the components manufactured in Illinois. Today's news follows the recent announcement that a solar array will be installed on the White House in Washington, DC.

Governor Quinn previously installed energy efficient LED lighting, rain barrels, and most recently a community vegetable garden to make the executive mansion greener and more sustainable.

For more information about Governor Quinn's sustainability initiatives, please visit Green.Illinois.gov. For more information and photos of the Global Work Party, visit www.350.org.

###

From Senator Tom Harkin:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today applauded the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announcement that it will approve gasoline blends containing up to 15 percent ethanol (also known as E15) for year 2007 and newer vehicles.  Harkin, however, expressed disappointment that a decision has not yet been made on 2001-2006 vehicles and that the agency will deny the waiver for year 2000 and older vehicles and for off-road engines.  In recent months, Harkin has been the lead voice in the U.S. Senate urging EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) to approve E15 for all gasoline vehicles.  

"It is important that we continue our effort to promote biofuels and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.  This is an effort that is good for the environment and for our nation's energy security and one that will grow our economy while creating good, 'green' jobs in Iowa and across the county," said Harkin.  "Today's announcement is a welcome step in this effort - one that has been a long time coming - and I am pleased that EPA and DOE have moved forward and approved E15 for 2007 and newer vehicles.

"In addition to promoting E15 - and even higher percentage blends - for vehicles, there is much more to do as part of our overall strategy to promote and grow the biofuels industry.  I intend to urge action in Congress that will enable expanding markets for biofuels by increasing the number of blender pump stations across the country, increasing flex -fuel vehicles and incentivizing the construction of biofuels pipelines from production states to more populous areas.  I also remain hopeful that the Administration will finish testing soon and announce their decision to approve E15 for use in 2001-2006 vehicles, as well as reconsider its unfortunate decision to deny the waiver for vehicles older than 2000."

As the former Chairman and now senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Harkin has been a long-time leader in promoting the production and use of biofuels as an important part of the nation's energy strategy.  Recent Harkin initiatives and actions aimed at promoting E15 and other biofuels include :

• On August 4, Harkin led a bipartisan group of senators in introducing an amendment to the pending energy bill to expand the U.S. biofuels market by increasing the percentage of vehicles manufactured for sale in the U.S. that are flex-fuel capable; increasing the number of blender pumps at refueling stations so more consumers can buy fuels with higher percentages of ethanol; and authorizing loan guarantees for renewable fuel pipelines.  More information can be found here.

• On August 2, Harkin convened a meeting between a bipartisan group of senators and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Department of Energy Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman to urge prompt approval of E15 ethanol blend for use in all gasoline-fueled vehicles.  At the meeting, Harkin urged for the approval of E-15, as well as E-20, which EPA is also reviewing.  More information can be found here.

• On June 28, Harkin and six other senators wrote to President Obama urging his Administration to move rapidly to integrate biofuels into the nation's transportation fuel supply.  In the letter, the senators expressed concern that the Department of Energy (DOE) had not yet completed testing of higher blends of ethanol in gasoline, which would allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve the use of gasoline containing more than 10 percent ethanol.  More information can be found here.

• On June 23, Harkin spoke on the Senate floor expressing his disappointment in EPA and DOE's delay in making a decision on E-15 and calling for an end to the delay.  Audio of that can be found here.

###

From Senator Grassley:

EPA E15 Ruling Takes a Step Instead of Leap in the Right Direction

WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency decided on a waiver request to allow ethanol to be blended with gasoline at 15 percent, rather than the 10 percent that is allowed today.  Ethanol producers filed the waiver petition back in March of 2009.  A decision was supposed to be made by December of 2009, but it had been delayed again and again.

"While I'm glad to see that at long last the EPA has finally made a decision, I am frustrated that the EPA is approving E15 only for vehicles that are model year 2007 and newer.  The fact is, that covers only about 20 percent of vehicles on the road today," Grassley said.  "The gains, while useful to the industry, are small in comparison to a full and complete waiver for E15 use in all vehicles."

"The announcement unnecessarily complicates the fuel-supply chain and undermines real progress that a waiver for all vehicles would have provided to America's domestic renewable fuel producers.  It's a matter of both energy independence and jobs," Grassley said.

###

CHICAGO - October 13, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today applauded the decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to waive the limitation on selling fuel that contains more than 10 percent ethanol for newer vehicles.

The waiver specifically allows all 2007 and newer model year cars and light trucks to be able to use up to 15 percent ethanol, known as E15. The decision on whether to allow model year 2001 to 2006 vehicles to use E15 is still under consideration.

"This is an important step that will increase our energy security by relying more on the natural resources grown throughout Illinois. This will protect the environment, expand our economy, support our farmers and create more Illinois jobs. We are hopeful that biofuels will continue playing an even larger role in our energy portfolio. It's the right decision for Illinois and our country to lessen our dependence on foreign oil," said Governor Quinn.

The use of gasoline with 10 percent ethanol is widely available and used in Illinois. The state of Illinois also has one of the largest networks of E85 stations that dispense to certain vehicles designed to burn E85.

The Illinois Jobs Now! capital program that Governor Quinn signed into law last year includes $15 million that will improve water and energy conservation, add value to bio-fuel co-products and by-products, adopt fractionation processes, and utilize corn fiber and cellulosic conversion at biofuel facilities.

###

Expert Explains How Limitless Renewable Energy Exists Right Under Our Feet

The discourse on green energy almost always includes the upside of how great it is for the environment and the downside of how much it will cost.

With a stalled Green energy movement that seems to have convinced few people that it can actually replace our dependence on fossil fuels, Tom Rand thinks it's time to move the goal posts. An engineer who is also a venture capitalist who puts his money where his mouth is, his challenge is simple: America can either pioneer green energy as an investment that will pay off for centuries to come, or wind up paying someone else for the same solutions down the road.

That's why Rand, author of KICK the Fossil Fuel Habit: 10 Clean Technologies to Save Our World, from Greenleaf Book Group Press (www.ecotenpublishing.com), thinks that Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) is one solution that we should not overlook.

"EGS is the game changer, and if pursued with vigor, could contribute in a huge way to getting us off oil," Rand said. "I see the solution both as an engineer and as a venture capital specialist, because it's not just about going green -- it's about going green, replacing our dependency on foreign oil and fossil fuels and becoming an energy solutions provider for the rest of the world. Instead of the world's biggest consumer of energy, we could also become the world's largest producer of energy solutions for the world."

Rand said EGS would not require a massive infrastructure overhaul, or the need to develop vastly complicated new technologies.

"The idea is simple," he said. "In most of the world, the ground 6 miles underneath our feet is dry, but as hot as the hottest aquifer. That heat can be mined, brought to the surface, and used to generate electricity. If we are serious about wanting to replace coal, we simply drill EGS holes beside every coal plant. Replace the boiler with a heat-exchanger. Keep the rest of the infrastructure. Turn off the furnace. Done."

Available around the clock, throughout the year, and available almost anywhere, EGS is suitable to be the workhorse of the world's electrical system ? with a constant baseload supply, according to Rand.

"It's got colossal potential," he added. "The ground beneath the US could easily provide all its energy needs for the foreseeable future. EGS is the real deal. If the U.S. energy producers spent a combined $1 trillion to refit the plants around the country, they could replace 75 percent of all U.S. electrical production with a solution that would cost consumers much less for their electricity needs."

How to motivate owners of existing coal assets to drill those holes? "If the capital for the EGS project is provided as low-cost debt", Rand says, "the cost of servicing that debt can made less than the existing coal bill." In other words, the owners of coal plants would see EGS as a benefit, not a competitor.

Drilling has started at two locations in Australia, one at Paralana, and a massive second project at Cooper Basin, according to Rand. There is an operational plant in Soultz, France and another one in Landau, Germany that has been in operation since 2007, producing enough power for more than 6,000 homes. Sweden and Japan are also in on the action. The first commercial plant in the US, partly funded by the US Department of Energy, is planned for Desert Peak, Nevada.

"Unlimited energy supply, lower costs to consumers and zero dependence on any other energy source that's bad for the environment," Rand said. "That's all upside, but the real issue for me as an investor is the fact that those who pioneer this solution will be the one to sell it to other energy firms around the world. We can do it here, or buy it from someone else later."

About Tom Rand

Tom Rand is a Professional Engineer and has Doctorate from the University of Toronto. He currently acts as Lead Cleantech Advisor at the Toronto-based MaRS Institute, which supports the commercialization of Canadian research and development. Before joining MaRS, Tom was a successful entrepreneur, founding Voice Courier Inc. in 1991, a telecommunications software company, leading its expansion to more than 100 employees in three countries, with revenue in excess of $20 million US annually. He sold it in 2005, after leading it for 12 straight profitable years. Tom is currently the Director of VCi Green Funds, a venture firm focused on early-stage low-carbon technologies.

###