Is the Flathead still threatened by methane drilling? February 28, 2008
Posted by Gary Glynn in Fossil fuels.Tags: Flathead, coal-bed methane, Glacier National Park, BP Canada
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The Missoulian today reported that despite an announcement last week by Sen. Max Baucus, BP Canada is still interested in drilling for coal-bed methane in the Flathead Valley just north of Glacier National Park. A Baucus spokesman hinted that the company may have “lied to two US Senators.” BP Canada plans to drill in the adjacent Elk River drainage, in hopes of proving that they can one day drill in the pristine Flathead without impacting water quality. In the meantime, they plan to continue with environmental studies in preparation for future drilling. A subsidiary of British Petroleum, BP Canada is headquartered in Calgary. The Missoulian article quoted Canadian lawmaker Bill Bennett as saying ”the decision to remove the Flathead from the tenure process signals a recognition by our government that there is a difference between the Flathead drainage and the Elk drainage.” He went on to say The Flathead is, in fact, a very special place. I know that.”
Biomass Conference Saturday February 27, 2008
Posted by Gary Glynn in Alternate energy, energy technology.Tags: Alternate energy, biomass, cellulose, ethanol
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The Big Sky Coalition, a Bitterroot-based organization that advocates large scale thinning on National Forest lands, plans to host a daylong symposium in Hamilton on March 1 to examine the conversion of woody biomass into ethanol and methanol, as well as burning it to generate heat and electricity. Executive Dir. Sonny LaSalle reported that the Darby school district is on track to save $100,000 on their energy bill this year by using biomass to heat their building. In Colorado, a plant is already being planned that will begin converting beetle-killed trees into cellulosic ethanol by 2012. The conference will take place all Saturday at the Hamilton, Montana fairgrounds.
Large wind farms on the drawing board February 22, 2008
Posted by Gary Glynn in Alternate energy, Uncategorized.add a comment
Montana ranks fifth among the states for its potential wind power. Only the Dakotas, Texas, and Kansas are windier. The largest wind farm in the state opened in 2005 at Judith Gap. This farm has 90 1.5 megawatt turbines which extend more than 260 feet in the air. A Texas company is proposing a 300-megawatt wind farm near Martinsdale with more than 100 towers. At least 6 other major wind farms are being planned for Montana, with a total production of 900 megawatt if all of the projects are approved. Large wind farms are also being considered for Shelby and Glasgow.
New ethanol plant planned for Butte February 22, 2008
Posted by Gary Glynn in energy technology.add a comment
A new biofuels demonstration plant will be go online near Butte, MT later this year. The plant will be built by AE Biofuels of California, and will use proprietary enzymes to convert starch to sugars at ambient temperatures, eliminating the cooking process normally used in corn ethanol plants. The plant will produce ethanol using a variety of non-food cellulose starches from straw, corn stalks, and switch grass.
Ethanol may actually worsen global warming February 8, 2008
Posted by Gary Glynn in Uncategorized.Tags: Alternate energy, ethanol, global warming
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The Associated Press is reporting that a new research study claims that widespread ethanol production will lead to more global warming, due to an increased amount of land converted from forests and grassland into crop production. Researchers from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs estimated that using corn to produce ethanol will lead to an increase in greenhouse gases of 93%. The impact of using switchgrass to produce ethanol is less, but still significant. A spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association called the study by “simplistic.”
MECA plans for future February 7, 2008
Posted by Gary Glynn in Uncategorized.add a comment
The Montana Electric Cooperatives Association, which represents 29 coops and 250,000 customers, has a plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions back to 1990 levels using alternate energy, increased efficiency, carbon capture, clean coal plants, and light-water nuclear reactors.
Air Force plans synthetic fuel plant February 3, 2008
Posted by Gary Glynn in Uncategorized.Tags: synthetic fuels
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The U.S. Air Force proposes to spend between $1 to 4 billion to build a synthetic fuel plant at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls Montana. The Air Force has a goal of using 50% synthetic jet fuel within 8 years. Assistant Air Force Sec. William Anderson said that whoever builds the plant would need to be able to capture the CO2 given off. Companies interested in building the plant include Chevron, Shell, Rentech, ConocoPhilips and Sasol, a South African company. Only 3 synthetic fuels plants are in operation worldwide, and all are in South Africa, although a plant is under construction in China.
Cascade coal plant is rezoned February 1, 2008
Posted by Gary Glynn in Uncategorized.add a comment
A proposed 250-megawatt coal-fired plant planned east of Great Falls won rezoning approval from the Cascade County Commissioners. The Montana Historic Preservation Review Board is concerned that a portage route used by Lewis and Clark will be endangered by construction of the $720 million plant. It would provide power to 120,000 residentsinn central Montana and northern Wyoming.
