Renewable Energy Resources

Electric Car Nissan Leaf Already Sold Out

Some six months before the all-electric Nissan Leaf is set to hit the market, it has already sold out. That's right, according to Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, as reported by the Detroit Free Press, the car has received 13,000 orders for the car that is set to release by the end of 2010, the total allotment of Leafs headed to the U.S.

This fact, certainly good news for Nissan, may perhaps lend some weight to argument that there is a demand in this country for an affordable electric vehicle. But does it mean long-term success for other such vehicles? That is obviously the big question for car makers, scrambling to find their own place in this select niche, but this early success doesn't tell us much.

Moving Beyond Ethanol - Better Biofuels

Most experts agree at this point that ethanol--at least that which is derived from food products such as corn--is simply not a viable alternative to gasoline as a fuel source for vehicles. Of course the corn industry, especially giants like Archer Daniels Midland, the country's largest producer of ethanol, would have us believe that ethanol is still a legitimate product, but, according to this article, even they are moving away from corn as the feedstock for fuel.

Jenna Scatena, over at Alternet.org, writes about the ethanol disaster, noting that "critics have argued that corn ethanol's "green" image is only a façade and the conviction that it can alleviate our energy problem is a false hope, blown out of proportion by the media and America's eager desire for a cure-all."

We don't really need to repeat the score of reasons why ethanol from corn is not a good idea, in fact we've already covered why ethanol is a scam, but it's worth repeating that the production of corn for ethanol use has a host of environmental problems. Namely, as Scatena point out, "the monoculture corn is cultivated in requires immense amounts of herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and petrochemicals. And the fertilizers used contains high levels of nitrogen, contributing to mass soil erosion and 'dead zones.'"

Additionally, the harvesting of the corn requires a great deal of energy, and then transporting ethanol causes further problems. All told, we need to look beyond ethanol if we want anything approaching a "green" fuel. Of course, electric vehicles have a lot of potential, although unless renewable resources are used in the production of electricity, this alternative has it's own negatives.

We have previously discussed some viable alternatives to corn produced ethanol, namely a produce derived from a cellulosic material such as switchgrass. Scatena, quoting Larry Walker, the director of Biofuels Research Laboratory, notes that "Cellulosic ethanol emits 82 to 85 percent fewer greenhouse gases than gasoline (compared to 12 percent fewer with corn ethanol). It also doesn't harm the soil or interfere with the food market as much as corn does."

The recent decline in gas prices has certainly reduced the urgency we felt this past summer for a solution in replacing fossil fuels, but these low prices will be most likely short-lived. The lull, however, does afford us the chance to step back from our fascination with ethanol from corn and explore more viable, long-term solutions. It's likely that a better biofuel--perhaps one derived from a cellulosic material or, moving towards a diesel alternative, algae and the like--will appear shortly on the horizon.

Aptera Reveals a New Website and a New Look

Aptera has updated their website recently with some great new information on their Aptera electric car, or the Aptera 2e, as well as some great new shots of the car. We've seen some key changes to the car as well, most pronounced from the exterior by the addition of sideview mirrors. Gone, now, are the rear side cameras and triple-screened viewing system, replaced by a single camera and screen.

As Aptera mentions in their most recent newsletter, "As many of you noted, we have consolidated the three body-mounted cameras, into a single "fin" style camera on the roof. While the initial setup couldn't effectively show the body as a point of reference, the new position and better camera technology provide the driver with an unimpeded view of the surroundings."

This really doesn't seem to detract from the look of the car at all, and will most likely lend itself to a more familiar driving experience. Aptera Electric Car

Check out their new website at Aptera.com and if you like what you see you can put in your reservation for their electric model, due out in 2009, or their hybrid version, the Aptera 2h, due to hit the roads in 2010.

Ranchers Turned Wind Farmers

The evolving world of alternative energy is, among other things, an interesting venue in which many disparate players play a part. We find traditional environmentalists, energy companies, and a wide array of land owners and interested municipalities.

Wind Turbines

The interesting thing about wind energy is that the power source is rarely near the energy need. Thus you find wind farms in the middle of absolutely nowhere--more specifically, in those windy environs that people generally try to avoid. The NY Times has a short little feature on the developing wind power industry in Wyoming and the ranchers on whose land this windy area sits.

Nice to see the participants in this case not only accepting but profiting from this alternative energy power source. The formation of associations, groups of landowners in this case, generally insure a more equitable deal for the people living there than the somewhat impersonal and often unfair right-of-way deals otherwise offered.

As the Times puts it: "This allows them to bargain collectively for a better price and ensures that as few as possible succumb to high-pressure tactics or accept low offers. Ranchers share information about the potential value of their wind."

Can Low Gas Prices Kill the Electric Car?

One of the few beneficial consequences of the high gas prices these last few years, at least for electric car and alternative fuel vehicle enthusiasts, is a strong interest in developing and producing cars that don't rely on expensive and dirty fuels. What we've seen in the last few months, owing to falling oil prices combined with an economy that has completely imploded, are gas prices that have fallen even quicker than they rose. In fact, gas prices are levels not seen since at least 2004, and they're continuing to fall.

These might be great news for consumers looking to save money on fuel, and perhaps car makers who have seen the demand for their products nearly dry up completely. But, will these low gas prices once again kill any prospects for a viable market of electric vehicles?

The LA Times recently reported that these falling prices can be both a blessing and a curse for automakers. They mention that "costly gasoline has pummeled vehicle sales in the U.S. this year and forced automakers to dramatically rejigger their lineups. They are closing truck factories, racing out small cars and investing in expensive alternative-fuel vehicles like hybrids and electric cars." However, these changes were brought about with the expectation that gas would be in the $5-$6 a gallon range soon. Now that we've seen gas fall below $2 a gallon, consumers with short memories and a lingering desire for big trucks and SUVs may abandon their quest for fuel efficiency and return to their old ways.

Production of fuel efficient cars and development of electric and hybrid vehicles may come to a standstill. Bob Lutz, General Motors Vice-Chairman and face of the companies electric car the Chevy Volt, was quoted as saying that although "we may hate high fuel prices, but they've been driving us in the right direction when it comes to fuel economy. If we suddenly went to $1 or $1.50 a gallon, that would be really bad." And by bad he means the need to develop of fuel efficient cars and electric vehicles would simply evaporate. Bye, bye Chevy Volt.

More Solar Plants Everyday

The conditions this year--including those economic, political, social, cultural and otherwise--have created a situation where the alternative energy industry is perhaps set to break through into the mainstream. You can't go more than a day without hearing about some new technology set to change our future, or some commercial touting an amazing product or industry that will finally make alternative energy positively viable.

The truth is, though, that a lot of the good news for alternative and renewable energy seems to still be dreams and fantasies. Ideas and fancy proposals are cheap, but it's not until we see some actual results that we can begin--just barely begin--to celebrate the possibilities of new and emerging technologies.

It's good to hear, then, that two new solar plants, enormous plants, "that will cover 12.5 square miles of central California with solar panels, and in the middle of a sunny day will generate about 800 megawatts of power, roughly equal to the size of a large coal-burning power plant or a small nuclear plant" are planning to be built soon. Of course, these too are just plans, and there are a host of things that could derail the construction, but it's a very good sign for solar energy advocates.

The Atlantic on the Chevrolet Volt

Pretty nice overview and insight into the Chevy Volt over on the Atlantic Online. Most of this will be old news for anyone following the development of this plug-in series hybrid, but there are some good nuggets in there for everyone.

One of the things the article does very simply, is clearly define what the Volt is. This is important since a lot of the mainstream media get in wrong when describing the Volt. As the author defines it, the Volt "if it meets specifications, will charge up overnight from any standard electrical socket. It will go 40 miles on a charge. Then a small gasoline engine will ignite. The engine’s sole job will be to drive a generator, whose sole job will be to maintain the battery’s charge—not to drive the wheels, which will never see anything but electricity. In generator mode, the car will drive hundreds of miles on a tank of gas, at about 50 miles per gallon."

The author's take, after meeting with several key players in the development of the Volt is that "battery glitches have reduced the odds of GM’s having the Volt in showrooms by late 2010, but advances in the underlying technology have increased the odds of its producing the Volt early in the decade. In other words, delay on the order of months is looking more likely, but delay on the order of years is looking less likely. I’d also guess that the car’s sticker price will be higher than GM initially hoped, maybe north of $35,000."

BLM Reverses Position on Solar Energy Applications

Recently, in fact just last week, the BLM announced a moratorium on all new solar power projects on Federal land, citing the need for further environmental impact studies. We even talked about it in a recent blog post on solar power.

Now, the BLM has announced it was going to continue accepting solar energy applications for solar power plants on BLM land.

“We heard the concerns expressed during the scoping period about waiting to consider new applications,” said BLM Director James Caswell, “and we are taking action. By continuing to accept and process new applications for solar energy projects, we will aggressively help meet growing interest in renewable energy sources, while ensuring environmental protections.”

Although the BLM needs to move carefully in granting any type of project on federal land, this is great news for renewable energy and solar power specifically.

The Fed Freezes Solar Power Projects

Update: The BLM has reversed this prior decision. Read more about the decision to grant solar power applications.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has recently put a moratorium on all new solar power projects on Federal land, citing the need for further environmental impact studies. According to the NY Times, "The Bureau of Land Management says an extensive environmental study is needed to determine how large solar plants might affect millions of acres it oversees in six Western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah."

This decision comes at a particularly tough time for the solar industry as public interest, and demand, for solar power are on the rise. Rather than encouraging the relatively nascent industry, this move may diminish some of the headway the industry has been making. According to one solar industry person, Lee Wallach of Solel “the problem is that this is a very young industry, and the majority of us that are involved are young, struggling, hungry companies. This is a setback.”

The freeze is set to last two years and will allow time for the government to evaluate the environmental damage that may occur from solar power plants, electrical transmission lines, the necessary water usage impact and so forth.

This decision leaves the environmental community in a unique position as it pits different factions against each other. Some conservation groups laud the move and welcome the studies as crucial to maintaining the habitat for many desert creatures while renewable energy interests are frustrated with the move to stall solar power.