Sorry I've been busy this week. With Harvesting Clean Energy earlier this week and the National Biodiesel Board's conference starting this weekend I've had time getting posts up.
But a short one worth mentioning. The Le Mans series will showcase not only ethanol but cellulosic ethanol. Raising the profile of ethanol and the potential of cellulosic technologies further into view of the mainstream's awareness.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Fw: [biofuels4oregon] National Algae Association
National Algae Association Being Formed to Advance Biodiesel Production
January 29th, 2008 by Max Lindberg
Several companies are now researching and beginning to produce oil derived from algae, that would replace food crops as a feedstock for biodiesel production. They claim higher oil yields for less water and acreage needed for food crops.
The National Algae Association informed Green Options it has opened its new headquarters in The Woodlands, TX. An article in Biodiesel Magazine quoted the association founder, Barry Cohen of Biofuel Capital Partners, as saying "We've got biodiesel producers that are contacting us every single day because they know they've got a problem", referring to high soybean and vegetable oil biofuel feedstock costs.
In my interview with Glen Kertz, CEO of Valcent Products, Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow? Vertically?, he says one acre of corn will yield about 18 gallons of oil. The same acre of ground would produce about 600 to 700 gallons of palm oil a year, and one acre of algae, with his process right now will produce 33,000 gallons of oil a year, and they are pushing for 100,000 gallons a year. Kertz told me if he were given one-tenth of the state of New Mexico, his process would solve every energy need in the U.S. for one year.
If you'd like to see the process in action and hear from Mr. Kertz, you will find their video at the Valcent Products page.
Check out www.BioEnergyWild.net
The sustainable biofuel wiki.
Recomended by Imperium Renewables resident palm guru and Internat
The sustainable biofuel wiki.
Recomended by Imperium Renewables resident palm guru and Internat
Sorry for the lack of pasts.
I'm at the Harvesting Clean Energy conference here in Portland.
www.harvestingcleanenergy.org
I'm at the Harvesting Clean Energy conference here in Portland.
www.harvestingcleanenergy.org
Friday, January 25, 2008
Oregon Cleantech Investment
The Portland Business Journal lists Oregon Cleantech Venture Capital investment up.
Hitting $16.5 Million in 2007. That's up from a 2006 high of $12.5 Million invested. That's alot of Business Energy Tax Credits. I wonder how much of that was ethanol money?
Hitting $16.5 Million in 2007. That's up from a 2006 high of $12.5 Million invested. That's alot of Business Energy Tax Credits. I wonder how much of that was ethanol money?
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Another Garbage to Energy Company in my Backyard
Never heard of them before but Integrated Environmental Technologies looks interesting.
The article I came across describes it this way:
"Our company manufactures a machine that vaporizes pretty much anything you put into it, and turns it into a product called 'syngas,'"
The describes two processes I know of. Thermal depolymerization and Fischer-Tropsch. Both technologies that deplete an environment of oxygen and then force the stuff inside to burn. My bet is that this technology is Fischer-Tropsch, focused on tires, and chasing BETCs and SELP help from the state of Oregon.
The company itself describes it process as "plasma based gasification" at its website.
The state by the way that is best in the US to demonstrate technologies if you have your financing already worked out.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Lateral Well Drilling and Natural Gas
Saw it at the Energy Blog.
This is the first time I've heard a mention of this technology. Commonly talked about with "low-impact" oil drilling, lateral well drilling is when the oil rig goes horizontal as well as vertical.
Meaning they drill four direction and therefore from one place they could drill for miles around. This being big in two ways. One, more exploration from with one hole. Two, further development of older depleted gas wells.
Little discussed topic. Natural gas production in the US is declining. Natural gas infrastructure on the west coast in particular is aging and investment in new infrastructure is not only unlikely its actually regularly litigated.
This is the first time I've heard a mention of this technology. Commonly talked about with "low-impact" oil drilling, lateral well drilling is when the oil rig goes horizontal as well as vertical.
Meaning they drill four direction and therefore from one place they could drill for miles around. This being big in two ways. One, more exploration from with one hole. Two, further development of older depleted gas wells.
Little discussed topic. Natural gas production in the US is declining. Natural gas infrastructure on the west coast in particular is aging and investment in new infrastructure is not only unlikely its actually regularly litigated.
Monday, January 21, 2008
"Lessons from the Electric Roadster"
I came across this at I-Tunes this weekend.
Martin Eberhard's "Lessons from the Electric Roadster" hosted at the Stanford Technology Ventures Program podcast feed. Being a recent lecture it's currently the first one on the list. Eberhad being a successful tech entrepreneur and co founder of Tesla Motors. Tesla Motors being the manufacturer of a super-sexy electric sportscar shown below.
Listening to his story of why and how he went about building an electric car is worth your time. Its an interesting and fun story. The best part of the pitch is how he muscled his way into the Lotus booth at a trade show and wouldn't leave till he found someone with a name he recognized. I could imagine how hard and odd it would be to pitch an auto manufacturer to build a car with a group of Silicon Valley tech engineers.
If you don't have I-Tunes I also found it via google here.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
EU Proposes Tariff on US Biodiesel
EU fires the first shot in biodiesel trade war (source here).
Taxation on US sourced Biodiesel is now being seriously debated:
The EU might impose a balancing duty on biodiesel coming from the US, trade organization leaders said.
The profits of EU biodiesel producers fell drastically in the past year due to cheap American biodiesel shipments flooding the market. The secret of the lower prices is the considerable state subsidy for the production overseas. The European Biodiesel Board (EBB) responded by requesting the European Commission (EC) to balance these incorrect advantages by imposing an appropriate import duty. The board have also won a number of politicians to lobby for their cause. The EC might have another reason to limit biodiesel import, namely the harmful effects of production on the environment. EC commissioner Stavros Dimas mentioned the extensive deforestation in Indonesia caused by palm-oil based biodiesel production. (Napi Gazdaság)
Taxation on US sourced Biodiesel is now being seriously debated:
The EU might impose a balancing duty on biodiesel coming from the US, trade organization leaders said.
The profits of EU biodiesel producers fell drastically in the past year due to cheap American biodiesel shipments flooding the market. The secret of the lower prices is the considerable state subsidy for the production overseas. The European Biodiesel Board (EBB) responded by requesting the European Commission (EC) to balance these incorrect advantages by imposing an appropriate import duty. The board have also won a number of politicians to lobby for their cause. The EC might have another reason to limit biodiesel import, namely the harmful effects of production on the environment. EC commissioner Stavros Dimas mentioned the extensive deforestation in Indonesia caused by palm-oil based biodiesel production. (Napi Gazdaság)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Fueling Oregon with Sustainable Biofuels
The Oregon Environmental Council has a new report they have recently published. Its an impressive document which covers a great deal of ground in a short number of pages. I'm only half way through it but I can tell you its worth the read if your into the subject.Meticulously researched but easy to read. In depth citation while still being accessible as they compact many complex issues into a few paragraphs each. If you are doing any research paper on biofuels I recommend this document as a starting point. Daniel Gilman, the primary author, did an excellent job.
This pamphlet looks like a great starting off point for something much bigger. I realize that's not the way it normally works with research documents but I really like what I'm seeing and its really relevant to the debate going on nationally now. I also can't help but notice that most of this book could be exported to any state in the U.S. and still be just as relevant as it addresses the technological issues associated with biofuels.
Download the PDF here: Fueling Oregon with Sustainable Biofuels, October 2007.
Also worth checking out are many of the other research and informational projects the OEC has been involved in. Available from their website under Publications as well as the OEC's Biofuels4Oregon page which also offers a listserve for Oregon relevant biofuels information.
NOTE: This post originally released 11-26-07
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Whoa - $.40 a gallon gas tax increase!!!!
Nothing stokes anger, blame, complaint and demand for reform than high fuel costs. Usually the cry is for lower prices with a level of ire that rises to the same level of hot-button politics as property and income taxes. That still doesn't stop Congress from going there in one of the hottest Presidential election years in US history.
See the San Francisco Chronicle Article:
The committee recommends a 5-cents-per-gallon increase in the tax for each of the next five years along with per-container freight fees at ports, ticket taxes for passenger rail systems and the ability for state and local officials to impose congestion tolls and enter private-public partnerships. Absent those other sources, Heminger said, the gas tax would need to rise 8 cents per gallon for each of the next five years.
Either $.25 a gallon or $.40 a gallon. That's a serious hit to consumers and I guarantee it become a highly covered issue if they actually push it forward in Congress. Nothing draws eye balls these days like talking about who to blame for high fuel prices.
Gasoline in particular seems to draw the most fire. Though most gasoline vehicles usually cost more per mile to operate in original equipment cost than gasoline at $3 a gallon, no gas-pot drivers ever seem to make this connection. They will pay $300 a month for a car/truck/SUV that gets poor milleage and blame the supplier of the btu's of energy as opposed to the lot they bought their overpriced energy guzzler from.
It's always comical to talk to a customer of mine driving a $40,000 gasoline fired monster truck as they complain about how its my fault they pay to much for gasoline. As if I control gas costs beyond a few pennies out of over $2 of commodity cost, over $.50 a gallon in taxes, and another $.50 a gallon in supply and uncertainty cost.
It will be nice to have politicians willingly taking the blame for a little while on where to focus fuel cost complaints.
See the San Francisco Chronicle Article:
The committee recommends a 5-cents-per-gallon increase in the tax for each of the next five years along with per-container freight fees at ports, ticket taxes for passenger rail systems and the ability for state and local officials to impose congestion tolls and enter private-public partnerships. Absent those other sources, Heminger said, the gas tax would need to rise 8 cents per gallon for each of the next five years.
Either $.25 a gallon or $.40 a gallon. That's a serious hit to consumers and I guarantee it become a highly covered issue if they actually push it forward in Congress. Nothing draws eye balls these days like talking about who to blame for high fuel prices.
Gasoline in particular seems to draw the most fire. Though most gasoline vehicles usually cost more per mile to operate in original equipment cost than gasoline at $3 a gallon, no gas-pot drivers ever seem to make this connection. They will pay $300 a month for a car/truck/SUV that gets poor milleage and blame the supplier of the btu's of energy as opposed to the lot they bought their overpriced energy guzzler from.
It's always comical to talk to a customer of mine driving a $40,000 gasoline fired monster truck as they complain about how its my fault they pay to much for gasoline. As if I control gas costs beyond a few pennies out of over $2 of commodity cost, over $.50 a gallon in taxes, and another $.50 a gallon in supply and uncertainty cost.
It will be nice to have politicians willingly taking the blame for a little while on where to focus fuel cost complaints.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Mankiw's Blog, the Presidential D's, and Carbon Policy.
I came across Greg Mankiw's blog this weekend.
Mankiw being the author of a really well done intermediate macro econ book I used while in undergrad. I've enjoyed his op-eds in the past and was drawn to his opinion. I was pleasantly surprised by his focus as a conservative economist. Looking at ways for markets to capture CO2 emissions.
It turns out that Mankiw is a well know and leading advocate for capturing the externalities of CO2 emissions. This stance developing while also having been the appointed chair of George W's Council of Economic Advisers.
At his blog Mankiw points out some inconsistent assumptions about the difference in cost allocation of a CO2 cap and trade program as opposed to a carbon tax. Also worth mentioning is his creation of a "Pigou Club" for others who advocate for his stance on taxing CO2 emissions.
This Club being kicked off by a "Manifesto" published as an Op-Ed in the NY Times. Never being one to discount the work done via manifesto I recommend checking it out.
Mankiw being the author of a really well done intermediate macro econ book I used while in undergrad. I've enjoyed his op-eds in the past and was drawn to his opinion. I was pleasantly surprised by his focus as a conservative economist. Looking at ways for markets to capture CO2 emissions.
It turns out that Mankiw is a well know and leading advocate for capturing the externalities of CO2 emissions. This stance developing while also having been the appointed chair of George W's Council of Economic Advisers.
At his blog Mankiw points out some inconsistent assumptions about the difference in cost allocation of a CO2 cap and trade program as opposed to a carbon tax. Also worth mentioning is his creation of a "Pigou Club" for others who advocate for his stance on taxing CO2 emissions.
This Club being kicked off by a "Manifesto" published as an Op-Ed in the NY Times. Never being one to discount the work done via manifesto I recommend checking it out.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Who Will Make the First 100 MPG Mass Produced Car
Or as Wired says: 1 Gallon of Gas, 100 miles = $10 million: The Race to Build the Supergreen Car. A great article on the potential of contests to push forward outside the box innovation.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
CO2 + Sunlight = Liquid Fuels
Saw this bit of news over at Wired.com.
Described as "Sunlight to Petrol" or S2P, this project essentially reverses the combustion process, recovering the building blocks of hydrocarbons. This technology has been demonstrated to create methanol and gasoline. On the drawing board this technology can make a host of other liquid fuels as well.
Originally conceived as a way to generate hydrogen the research took another turn recently. Moving from steam as a feedstock (the source for hydrogen) to CO2. The research and development work is being done at the Sandia National Laboratory. Their press release on this technology is available here.
According to the Wired article this is not a new concept. In fact moving CO2 to CO and then forcing hydrogen into the mix to make a hydrocarbon has been around for some time. The technology and process is described below:
The prototype will be about the size and shape of a beer keg. It will contain 14 cobalt ferrite rings, each about one foot in diameter and turning at one revolution per minute. An 88-square meter solar furnace will blast sunlight into the unit, heating the rings to about 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit. At that temperature, cobalt ferrite releases oxygen. When the rings cool to about 2,000 degrees, they're exposed to CO2.
Since the cobalt ferrite is now missing oxygen, it snatches some from the CO2, leaving behind just carbon monoxide -- a building block for making hydrocarbons -- that can then be used to make methanol or gasoline. And with the cobalt ferrite restored to its original state, the device is ready for another cycle.
Fuels like methanol and gasoline are combinations of hydrogen and carbon that are relatively easy to synthesize, Stechel said. Methanol is the easiest, and that's where they will start, but gasoline could also be made.
The team researching this project are looking to field it in connection with coal fired electricity. This is the market these researchers forsee for the technology. The target market being a CO2 scrubbing application that creates a usable off-take of liquid fuels.
Yet another technology that requires CO2 be regulated to be viable in the US. Seems a great deal of smart people are betting on this assumption. I seem to be seeing alot of those these days. Makes you wonder if all these big DOE dependent mucky-mucks know something I don't.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Algae's Potential Makes the Washington Post
Check it out at WashingtonPost.com. See the article titled A Promising Oil Alternative: Algae Energy.Algae might just become the next hydrogen. The future fuel with the most potential. All it takes is public awareness, which bring policy interest, which brings soundbite politicians, which then brings research dollars, which then brings breakthroughs.
There has been alot of interest in algae to date. All that is left is it to be that holy grail substitute for petroleum to ensure the demonstration projects go easy.
Monday, January 7, 2008
VW's Next TDI
Well here it finally is. The next TDI from VW. Slotted for the 2008 VW Jetta TDI model year. I was told to expect it later this spring as a 2007 but I guess that was pushed back. Either way, hopefully this is the first of dozens of diesel sedans crossing the pond making debuts in the US.
Friday, January 4, 2008
UK Announces "Super Grid" and Massive Wind Power Investments
"Next year we will overtake Denmark as the country with the most offshore wind capacity." - John Hutton, UK Business Secretary
One of wind powers big shortfalls is it's inconsistent nature. The unpredictable speed it blows and therefore the hard to model contribution it might provide to a nation's energy grid are an entry level issue many wind projects deal with. There are several technology fixes for this short coming of wind the most promising being smart grid technologies.
The "Smart Grid" being those electrical grid tying and coordinating technologies that allow a next generation power infrastructure that is much more efficient, distributed, and smart enough to move power to where its needed far more efficiently than it currently is today.
It looks like the UK is moving forward with such a plan to weave distributed wind power generation significantly into the island's energy portfolio. With initial estimates of 7,000 new wind turbines and a willingness to raise the cost of electric bills to do so this is no small undertaking. Read the story at Plenty Magazine's website as well as the BBC.
According to the articles a company called Airtricity is responsible for the actual development and welcomes this type of project as the future path for all of Europe. At Airtricity's news page they have a series of press releases with several discussing the "Super Grid" concept.
For more in depth and easy to follow information about smart grid technologies I emphatically recommend The Clean Tech Revolution. Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder cover this market opportunity smart grid technology offers to today's investors. The authors of this awesome book also have a blog worth checking out as well.
One of wind powers big shortfalls is it's inconsistent nature. The unpredictable speed it blows and therefore the hard to model contribution it might provide to a nation's energy grid are an entry level issue many wind projects deal with. There are several technology fixes for this short coming of wind the most promising being smart grid technologies.
The "Smart Grid" being those electrical grid tying and coordinating technologies that allow a next generation power infrastructure that is much more efficient, distributed, and smart enough to move power to where its needed far more efficiently than it currently is today.
It looks like the UK is moving forward with such a plan to weave distributed wind power generation significantly into the island's energy portfolio. With initial estimates of 7,000 new wind turbines and a willingness to raise the cost of electric bills to do so this is no small undertaking. Read the story at Plenty Magazine's website as well as the BBC.
According to the articles a company called Airtricity is responsible for the actual development and welcomes this type of project as the future path for all of Europe. At Airtricity's news page they have a series of press releases with several discussing the "Super Grid" concept.
For more in depth and easy to follow information about smart grid technologies I emphatically recommend The Clean Tech Revolution. Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder cover this market opportunity smart grid technology offers to today's investors. The authors of this awesome book also have a blog worth checking out as well.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Imperium Backs Off IPO
See Imperium's Press Release here.
My thoughts... Imperium just took itself private before it even went public.
The decision was made a few weeks ago not to go public. Martin Tobias said "Then why am I here if I'm not going to cash out in under 18 months?" Tobias exits, the team retools for a new cash flow and growth business model, and the rest is for the business papers to speculate.
See news below from Fox Business News online:
SEATTLE, Jan 03, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Imperium Renewables, Inc., a leading producer of environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel, today announced that it is delaying its plans for an initial public offering. It has withdrawn its registration statement on Form S-1 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
John Plaza, Imperium's founder, president and interim CEO, said, "Given the current market conditions, our Board has determined that it is not the right time to pursue a public offering. We look forward to building on our success in 2007, during which we constructed and opened the nation's largest biodiesel plant."
In addition to operating its biodiesel plant in Grays Harbor, Washington, Imperium is focused on identifying and commercializing next-generation feedstocks and fuels at its research and development lab located at the original Seattle Biodiesel facility. Imperium is committed to continuing to innovate the renewable fuels industry, demonstrated by its proprietary biodiesel production processes that have been implemented at Grays Harbor, to its new work in alternative feedstocks.
Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel made from oils derived from farm crops, and can be used in any conventional diesel engine. It can be used in pure form (100 percent biodiesel) or in a "blended" form, in which it replaces a percentage of petroleum diesel. A U.S. Department of Energy study determined that biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50 percent compared to petroleum diesel. Imperium's high-quality fuel meets or exceeds ASTM D-6751 specifications.
About Imperium Renewables Imperium Renewables is a leader in the renewable energy industry. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Imperium Renewables currently operates a 100 million gallon per year nameplate capacity production facility in Grays Harbor, Washington, and is the largest producer of biodiesel on the West Coast.
My thoughts... Imperium just took itself private before it even went public.
The decision was made a few weeks ago not to go public. Martin Tobias said "Then why am I here if I'm not going to cash out in under 18 months?" Tobias exits, the team retools for a new cash flow and growth business model, and the rest is for the business papers to speculate.
See news below from Fox Business News online:
SEATTLE, Jan 03, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Imperium Renewables, Inc., a leading producer of environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel, today announced that it is delaying its plans for an initial public offering. It has withdrawn its registration statement on Form S-1 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
John Plaza, Imperium's founder, president and interim CEO, said, "Given the current market conditions, our Board has determined that it is not the right time to pursue a public offering. We look forward to building on our success in 2007, during which we constructed and opened the nation's largest biodiesel plant."
In addition to operating its biodiesel plant in Grays Harbor, Washington, Imperium is focused on identifying and commercializing next-generation feedstocks and fuels at its research and development lab located at the original Seattle Biodiesel facility. Imperium is committed to continuing to innovate the renewable fuels industry, demonstrated by its proprietary biodiesel production processes that have been implemented at Grays Harbor, to its new work in alternative feedstocks.
Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel made from oils derived from farm crops, and can be used in any conventional diesel engine. It can be used in pure form (100 percent biodiesel) or in a "blended" form, in which it replaces a percentage of petroleum diesel. A U.S. Department of Energy study determined that biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50 percent compared to petroleum diesel. Imperium's high-quality fuel meets or exceeds ASTM D-6751 specifications.
About Imperium Renewables Imperium Renewables is a leader in the renewable energy industry. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Imperium Renewables currently operates a 100 million gallon per year nameplate capacity production facility in Grays Harbor, Washington, and is the largest producer of biodiesel on the West Coast.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
US Energy Outlook's Natural Gas Usage
I'm working on a presentation that I will be giving later this month. I just came across an interesting diagram from the DOE/EIA's 2006 Energy Outlook that does a great job of simplifying a complex subject. Where natural gas comes from and goes in the US economy.
It's on page 181 of the 2006 Energy Outlook which is available both on the EIA's site as well as a PDF.
Another great chart as well is a comparison graph of US natural gas usage (see below). This being found on page 190 of the same report. Notice the spike in the 1990's which was a period of relative cheap diesel. Same to be said with the spike of electricity which is the move to cleaner power by utilities moving away from diesel powered generation and to natural gas.
I figured these would be a small piece of google gold for anyone doing a search for just such a simple picture. Whoever designed it did a great job.
The First Wave Energy Project To Get FERC Green Light
Congrats to Finavera. First ever "Hydrokinetic" energy project in the hopper to move past first base.
I saw it first at "The Energy Blog" with more at Finavera's Press Release page, and the FERC Press Release page as well.
The project is described by FERC as follows:
The proposed project, to be located in the Pacific Ocean in Makah Bay 1.9 nautical miles offshore of Waatch Point in Clallam County, Washington, will consist of:
- Four 250-kilowatt steel wave energy conversion buoys and an associated mooring/anchoring and electrical connection system;
- A 3.7-statute-mile-long, direct current underwater transmission cable connecting from one of the buoy’s power cables to the shore station;
- A metal shore station with an access road and parking area; and
- A 20-foot, 12-kilovolt transmission line to connect the shore station to the nearby existing Clallam County Public Utility District distribution line.
Paradigms are shifting no doubt. Now all Finavera and others have to do is make every coastal special interest view their technology as non threatening and safe. Then actually get local permits to build through every litigation hurdle while moving beyond the NIMBY/BANANA stage of development. Oh yeah, and demonstrate that this experimental technology works while not running out of cash.
If it was easy I suppose it would have been done already. I'm excited to see it moving forward and hopefully this will be the first of dozens of new competing tidal and wave technologies competing for ocean resources in the Pacific Northwest.
If your further curious watch a movie short at Finavera's website about their Aqua Bouy generator.
Definitions:
NIMBY - "Not in my back yard"
BANANA - "Build absolutely nothing, at anytime, not anywhere"
I saw it first at "The Energy Blog" with more at Finavera's Press Release page, and the FERC Press Release page as well.
The project is described by FERC as follows:
The proposed project, to be located in the Pacific Ocean in Makah Bay 1.9 nautical miles offshore of Waatch Point in Clallam County, Washington, will consist of:
- Four 250-kilowatt steel wave energy conversion buoys and an associated mooring/anchoring and electrical connection system;
- A 3.7-statute-mile-long, direct current underwater transmission cable connecting from one of the buoy’s power cables to the shore station;
- A metal shore station with an access road and parking area; and
- A 20-foot, 12-kilovolt transmission line to connect the shore station to the nearby existing Clallam County Public Utility District distribution line.
Paradigms are shifting no doubt. Now all Finavera and others have to do is make every coastal special interest view their technology as non threatening and safe. Then actually get local permits to build through every litigation hurdle while moving beyond the NIMBY/BANANA stage of development. Oh yeah, and demonstrate that this experimental technology works while not running out of cash.
If it was easy I suppose it would have been done already. I'm excited to see it moving forward and hopefully this will be the first of dozens of new competing tidal and wave technologies competing for ocean resources in the Pacific Northwest.
If your further curious watch a movie short at Finavera's website about their Aqua Bouy generator.
Definitions:
NIMBY - "Not in my back yard"
BANANA - "Build absolutely nothing, at anytime, not anywhere"
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