Renewable energy projects... will make a differance

All around us and in our back yard, millions will be spent on manufacturing and research and development. This week, Middleborough based Mass Tank Sales announced they will build and supply Cape Wind with the pilings that hold the turbines to the sea floor. They will partner with EEW Group from Germany, the worlds biggest manufactures of structural parts for wind turbines. They expect 100 jobs here in Mass and will begin marketing their products world wide. Siemans, the manufacture of Cape Wind turbines will also be opening an office in Boston... more jobs for Mass residents.

Google and a New York financial firm have announced they will invest heavily into a proposed 5 Billion dollar transmission line, 10 miles off the east coast and run from Virgina to New Jersey. This transmission line will enable wind turbine farms to cost less to build and operate, thus making electricity from their facilities, cheaper to the consumer. The construction is due to start in 2013 and will help navigate around permitting, which has been the reason many projects take years to approve.

This week UCONN has received a 1.8 million dollar grant from the DOE to build a bio refinery capable of making 200,000 gallons a year of bio diesel from hemp. This award signals the administrations willingness to incorporate hemp into the green energy program. And if our state can pass the Massachusetts Hemp Farm Bill, we would be able to supply UCONN with the necessary feedstock to make bio diesel. I will seek out grant opportunities for Massachusetts to build one in western mass.

On a not so brighter note, the Feds have given approval for blending more corn-based ethanol, from 10% now, to 15% for new cars. The new blend will be for cars and light duty trucks built after 2007. More testing is ongoing to see if the higher percentage ethanol can run in cars and trucks made from 2001 to 2006.

Not only does ethanol drive up the costs of food for humans and livestock, but now will obsolete many of our vehicles. Perhaps many of you will remember when un-leaded cars hit the market in 1974/75 and we were scrambling to find Getty stations for un-leaded gas.