updated: 7/23/2010 2:14:15 PM
InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report
Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative Inc. has agreed to install pollution control technology at its two coal-fired power plants in southwest Indiana. The settlement with the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency also requires the company to pay $950,000 and spend $5 million on environmental mitigation projects.
Press Release
WASHINGTON, July 23, -- Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative Inc., an Indiana electric generation and transmission cooperative, has agreed to install state-of-the-art pollution control technology at its two coal-fired power plants in Indiana, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The settlement, filed in federal court today, will reduce harmful air pollution by more than 24,500 tons per year, and requires Hoosier to pay a civil penalty of $950,000 and spend $5 million on environmental mitigation projects.
The settlement requires Hoosier to reduce air pollution from the cooperative's Merom and Ratts Stations, located in southwest Indiana. Emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) will be reduced by almost 20,000 tons and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by more than 1800 tons. The settlement will also reduce harmful sulfuric acid mist and particulate matter emissions. To achieve these reductions, Hoosier will upgrade existing, and install new, pollution controls at the Merom and Ratts plants, and comply with annual tonnage limitations across its system. Hoosier estimates that it will spend between $250 and $300 million upgrading and installing pollution controls at its coal-fired units through the end of 2015.
The state of Indiana joined in the settlement and will receive $100,000 of the $950,000 civil penalty.
"The large reductions in harmful air pollutants including sulfuric acid mist emissions secured by this settlement will have a significant beneficial impact on air quality in Indiana and downwind states," said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The Justice Department is committed to vigorously enforcing our nation's environmental laws, and we are pleased that Hoosier has agreed to install state-of-the art controls that will significantly reduce harmful emissions."
"This settlement continues our important enforcement initiative to reduce harmful air pollution from coal-fired power plants and provide the public with cleaner, healthier air to breathe," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Pollution from these sources can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog and haze. Coal-fired power plants of all sizes are large sources of air emissions, and EPA is committed to making sure that they all comply with the law."
Hoosier will spend $5 million on environmental mitigation projects in its service territory to address the impacts of past emissions. Hoosier must direct $200,000 for projects to mitigate the harm caused by Hoosier's excess emissions at lands owned by the U.S. Forest Service. The remaining $4.8 million will be spent on one or more of the following projects:
Coal Bed Methane: Hoosier will capture and combust methane from coal beds to generate at least 10 megawatts of electricity. Carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the combustion of methane will be supplied to a greenhouse for use as a fertilizer.
Wood Appliance Changeout and Retrofits: Hoosier will sponsor a wood-burning appliance changeout and retrofit project. Hoosier will provide incentives through rebates, discounts, and in some instances, actual replacement of old, inefficient, high polluting wood-burning technology.
Clean Diesel Retrofits: Hoosier will retrofit in-service, public diesel engines with emission control equipment designed to reduce air pollutants.
Solar Technologies: Hoosier will install solar power systems on public schools or non-profit groups in the company's service territory.
The settlement marks the federal government's 20th settlement under its national enforcement initiative to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act's New Source Review requirements. SO2 and NOx, two key pollutants emitted from power plants, have numerous adverse effects on human health and the environment. These pollutants are converted in the air to fine particles of particulate matter that can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, and premature death. SO2 and NOx are also significant contributors to acid rain, smog and haze. In addition, air pollution from power plants can drift significant distances downwind, thereby effecting not only local communities, but also communities in a much broader area.
The proposed settlement was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
This article brought to you by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Morton Solar & Wind awarded contract for first net-zero school in the U.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2010
EVANSVILLE - Morton Solar & Wind, LLC has been awarded a $2.16 million contract to install a 340KW photovoltaic system on the new Richardsville Elementary School currently under construction near Bowling Green, Kentucky. The system will be the largest photovoltaic system in Kentucky to date and the school is projected to be the first net-zero energy elementary school in the United States. A net-zero building produces as much energy as it uses. Morton Solar & Wind also installed the photovoltaic system for the first net-zero library in the U.S., located in Chrisney, Indiana.
The school will employ various energy efficiency technologies in addition to the photovoltaic system including geothermal HVAC, active solar lighting, efficient kitchen strategies, ICF walls, and energy efficient windows. The photovoltaic system will be a "grid-tied" system that will feed energy back into the power grid. The school will receive $0.22 per kilowatt/hour for the solar energy from the local utility company funded by the Green Power Partners program of Tennessee Valley Authority.
Morton Solar & Wind will install two separate photovoltaic systems on the school. The first system will consist of UniSolar laminate panels which will be adhered to the school's roof. The second system will be comprised of monocrystalline panels mounted on a parking canopy in the parking lot. Morton Solar & Wind will be partnering with Advanced Electrical Systems of Louisville, Kentucky, on the $2.4 million project.
Morton Solar & Wind, LLC is a NABCEP certified renewable energy systems designer & installer based in Evansville, Indiana.
For more information contact Brad Morton, President, at (812) 402-0900.
Morton Solar and Wind is a member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
July 8, 2010
EVANSVILLE - Morton Solar & Wind, LLC has been awarded a $2.16 million contract to install a 340KW photovoltaic system on the new Richardsville Elementary School currently under construction near Bowling Green, Kentucky. The system will be the largest photovoltaic system in Kentucky to date and the school is projected to be the first net-zero energy elementary school in the United States. A net-zero building produces as much energy as it uses. Morton Solar & Wind also installed the photovoltaic system for the first net-zero library in the U.S., located in Chrisney, Indiana.
The school will employ various energy efficiency technologies in addition to the photovoltaic system including geothermal HVAC, active solar lighting, efficient kitchen strategies, ICF walls, and energy efficient windows. The photovoltaic system will be a "grid-tied" system that will feed energy back into the power grid. The school will receive $0.22 per kilowatt/hour for the solar energy from the local utility company funded by the Green Power Partners program of Tennessee Valley Authority.
Morton Solar & Wind will install two separate photovoltaic systems on the school. The first system will consist of UniSolar laminate panels which will be adhered to the school's roof. The second system will be comprised of monocrystalline panels mounted on a parking canopy in the parking lot. Morton Solar & Wind will be partnering with Advanced Electrical Systems of Louisville, Kentucky, on the $2.4 million project.
Morton Solar & Wind, LLC is a NABCEP certified renewable energy systems designer & installer based in Evansville, Indiana.
For more information contact Brad Morton, President, at (812) 402-0900.
Morton Solar and Wind is a member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Abound Energy to Purchase Getrag Plant in Tipton to Manufacture Solar Panels
From Indiana Economic Digest
7/4/2010 12:54:00 PM
Solar company bringing 850 jobs to empty Tipton County's Getrag plant by 2013
Ken de la Bastide, Kokomo Tribune Enterprise Editor
Tipton — The vacant Getrag Transmission plant on U.S. 31 in Tipton County has a new tenant that will bring 850 jobs to the region by 2013.
President Barack Obama announced Saturday that Colorado-based Abound Solar was given a $400 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to expand its operations in Longmont, Colo., and to purchase the Getrag building.
During his weekly radio address, Obama announced $1.85 billion in loan guarantees to two companies. The first went to Abengoa Solar, which will receive $1.45 billion to build a solar plant in Arizona.
“The second company is Abound Solar Manufacturing, which will manufacture advanced solar panels at two new plants, creating more than 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs,” Obama said. “A Colorado plant is already under way, and an Indiana plant will be built in what’s now an empty Chrysler [Getrag] factory. When fully operational, these plants will produce millions of state-of-the-art solar panels each year.”
Abound Solar is expected to provide up to 1,200 jobs when the plant is in full operation. The company makes state-of-the-art solar panels, which are sold for industrial and commercial applications with a large market in Europe.
The company has been negotiating with Tipton County officials for approximately nine months to bring the company to the region.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has worked alongside the Tipton County Commissioners, the Indiana Secretary of State’s office and the U.S. Department of Energy to assist Abound Solar in finalizing its purchase of the more than 800,000 square-foot facility. The move represents a more than $500 million investment in machinery, equipment and building improvements.
“While the loss of Getrag was disappointing after so much work, the region will now add 850 new jobs — what a great way to celebrate Independence Day,” said Gov. Mitch Daniels in a press release.
A new partnership
Abound Solar’s thin-film photovoltaic module manufacturing technology was born out of Colorado State University in the late 1980s. The company, which also has production operations in Longmont, Colo., expects the Tipton site, when complete, will be the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the U.S., producing millions of panels annually.
“State and local representatives from Indiana were particularly instrumental in our efforts to finalize plans for this state-of-the-art facility and create high-paying jobs for Hoosier workers,” said Steve Abely, Abound Solar chief financial officer. “We are excited about the opportunity to make America a global driver of renewable, affordable and abundant solar energy.”
The company intends to hire for positions such as engineers, technicians and production associates once facility renovations begin.
“The addition of solar panel manufacturing builds on Indiana’s strong clean-tech energy sector and provides many new opportunities to the Tipton community,” said Mitch Roob, secretary of commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
Roob said Saturday that talks with the company have been ongoing for 18 months.
“This is a terrific deal,” he said, noting most of the proceeds from the sale of the building will go to contractors who weren’t paid when Getrag filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009.
“We worked hard on the bankruptcy,” Roob said. “The governor wanted to make sure we worked with the contractors. This is not perfect, but we’re pleased with the outcome.”
Roob said the Tipton location met all the criteria Abound Solar was looking for. The building was designed for high tech manufacturing, ready to move in and could address the needs of new environmental issues.
“There is no timetable for them to move in,” he said. “We worked on this a long time. This was a large transaction and the federal government wanted to be sure the technology was plausible.”
Sealing the deal
The IEDC offered Abound Solar up to $11.85 million in performance-based tax credits and $250,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans and will also provide workforce and ombudsman assistance. Tipton County has approved additional incentives, including tax abatement for the company along with tax increment financing dollars to the land trust that owns the building.
The Getrag plant was being constructed as a joint venture between Chrysler and Germany’s Getrag Transmission LLC. The plant was expected to provide up to 800 jobs, but with construction not complete in 2008, Chrysler pulled out of the agreement and filed a lawsuit against Getrag.
The bankruptcy court put the sale of the building in the hands of a trust, which represented several contractors who were unpaid for work performed at the Tipton site. The trust had until September to sell the building.
Tipton County officials provided $13 million as an incentive to lower the cost of the building to Abound Solar.
Tipton County Commissioner Jane Harper said Abound Solar selected Tipton County last September when it applied for the Department of Energy loan.
“I have been working toward the goal of bringing Abound Solar job opportunities to Tipton since April 30, 2009,” Harper, president of the Tipton County Redevelopment Commission, said Saturday. “It has been a long nine months anxiously awaiting the DOE’s decision and I am happy to finally hear the great news. Individuals from the local, state and federal levels all played a specific role in arriving at this juncture.”
Benefits of going green
Harper said Abound Solar is a perfect fit for Tipton County, which will pair superior crop production on re-usable land with “green” manufacturing in a unique form of economic development.
“With our predominant agricultural base, the establishment of Abound Solar at the crossroads of our community and three wind-energy companies with plans to place wind farms in our county, we can create a unique marketing opportunity in selling Tipton County and its products as the ‘green’ capital,” she said. “This combination of distinct resources will perhaps make us the only county in the nation that is prosperous from within.”
Ken Ziegler, president of the Tipton County Commissioners, said Abound Solar’s advanced manufacturing process will bring jobs to Tipton County residents, increase the county’s tax base and allow even more opportunities for additional industrial and commercial development in the county.
“State and county officials have worked for over a year with this company,” he said. “We are grateful that our efforts have paid off, and want to thank all involved that have helped get us to this announcement today. It was a huge team effort and it was worth all the time and energy it took.”
© 2010 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
Feds, state announce plans for Tipton solar-panel plant
Indianapolis Star report
Posted: July 3, 2010
Colorado-based Abound Solar will invest $500 million in an unfinished Tipton, Ind., plant that had once been set for making cars.
The unfinished plant will become a solar-panel manufacturing facility with the help of a $400 million loan guarantee, the state and federal government announced today.
Abound Solar could employ up to 850 people by 2013 at the 800,000-square-foot plant at Ind. 28 and U.S. 31 in Tipton County.
The solar company got its start at Colorado State University. The $400 million federal loan guarantee is expected to create 1,500 permanent jobs in Colorado and Indiana. The loan guarantee is part of nearly $2 billion in stimulus funds approved by the U.S. Department of Energy to Longmont, Colo.-based Abound and Abengoa Solar Inc., President Barack Obama said today in a weekly radio address.
"What a great way to celebrate Independence Day," said Gov. Mitch Daniels in a statement issued today by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. he heads.
Federal loan guarantees help companies gain access to capital from a financial sector that’s still reluctant to lend. They remove the risks for lenders.
The state agency said it has offered Abound Solar up to $11.85 million in performance-based tax breaks and $250,000 in training grants. Also, Tipton County officials approved additional incentives.
The announcement of a solar-panel maker in the plant had been made previously, although the name of the company involved and the amount to be invested in the plant had not been released. Officials in the central Indiana county, north of Indianapolis, in May approved a $13 million incentive package that they hoped would attract the solar panel maker to the sprawling factory that a Chrysler supplier stopped building in 2008. German auto parts maker Getrag had planned it as a 1,400-worker transmission factory.
"State and local representatives from Indiana were particularly instrumental in our efforts to finalize plans for this state-of-the-art facility and create high-paying jobs for Hoosier workers," said Steve Abely, Abound Solar's chief financial officer, in a news release from the state. "We are excited about the opportunity to make America a global driver of renewable, affordable and abundant solar energy."
Indiana officials involved in the effort over the past year included U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; the Tipton County Board of Commissioners; several Indiana congressmen; and representatives of the secretary of state's office, the release said.
No salary amounts were included in the release, but the company plans to hire positions such as engineers, technicians and production workers.
"The advanced manufacturing process of this new business will bring jobs to Tipton County residents, increase our tax base and allow even more opportunities for additional industrial and commercial development in our county," said Ken Ziegler, president of the county commissioners, in the release.
Tipton County's unemployment rate of 10.4 percent in May was above the state rate of 10 percent and the national rate of 9.7 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday the nation's jobless rate dropped to 9.5 percent last month, but June's rates in Indiana are not due out until July 20.
President Obama said the $1.85 billion in loan guarantees to Abengoa SA's Abengoa Solar unit and Abound Solar Inc. will be used to build sun-powered facilities in the U.S. and will create thousands of new jobs.
In his weekly address, Obama said the money from the Department of Energy will help the U.S. transition to a "clean energy economy" that creates hundreds of thousands of jobs in the future.
"We're going to keep competing aggressively to make sure the jobs and industries of the future are taking root right here in America," Obama said.
The loan guarantees will come from money in the $862 billion economic stimulus program enacted early last year, according to Bloomberg News. Obama announced the funding the day after government figures showed private employers adding fewer workers than forecast in June, reinforcing concerns the economic recovery will weaken.
"The recession from which we're emerging has left us in a hole that's about 8 million jobs deep," Obama said. "And as I've said from the day I took office, it's going to take months, even years, to dig our way out."
Abengoa Solar, a unit of the Seville, Spain-based engineering company, will receive a $1.45 billion loan guarantee to build a solar-power plant in Arizona that will create 1,600 construction jobs and 85 permanent jobs, according to White House documents released in conjunction with Obama's address.
The power plant will be the first of its kind in the U.S. and generate enough energy to power 70,000 homes, Obama said.
Press Release of Senator Lugar
Lugar welcomes solar grant for Tipton
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
U.S. Senator Dick Lugar today welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of a loan guarantee for a Colorado-based company to manufacture solar panels in Tipton, Indiana.
The DOE informed Lugar that it will make a conditional commitment of $400 million to Abound Solar Manufacturing, LLC, based in Lakewood, Colorado. According to the DOE, the company will manufacture state-of-the-art thin-film solar panels. This will be the first time this technology is deployed commercially anywhere in the world. The project includes two facilities, one in Longmont, Colorado and the other in Tipton, Indiana. The Indiana facility will occupy a new factory originally constructed for Getrag, a Chrysler auto parts supplier that was never able to move in due to the economic downturn.
When fully operational, the company will produce millions of solar panels annually, the DOE informed Lugar. The panels can be produced at a lower cost than crystalline silicon modules and emit less greenhouse gas emissions compared to existing solar panel manufacturers. The project’s initial annual production of panels will be able to produce 840 megawatts (MW) of power. With future panel efficiency improvements, that number could increase up to 1,100 MW. The project is expected to reach full capacity by 2013.
“I am very pleased to learn that the Department of Energy has approved this loan guarantee which will advance Abound’s plans to manufacture these innovative solar panels in Indiana,” Lugar said. “I am encouraged that the hard work of Tipton County local officials, and the State of Indiana’s Economic Development Corporation, has garnered Indiana a new corporate manufacturer. I believe that this investment bodes very well for future employment and renewable energy sales opportunities from this innovative company.”
The Abound loan application was strongly endorsed by the Indiana Congressional Delegation in a letter of support in October 2009.
These articles brought to you by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
7/4/2010 12:54:00 PM
Solar company bringing 850 jobs to empty Tipton County's Getrag plant by 2013
Ken de la Bastide, Kokomo Tribune Enterprise Editor
Tipton — The vacant Getrag Transmission plant on U.S. 31 in Tipton County has a new tenant that will bring 850 jobs to the region by 2013.
President Barack Obama announced Saturday that Colorado-based Abound Solar was given a $400 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to expand its operations in Longmont, Colo., and to purchase the Getrag building.
During his weekly radio address, Obama announced $1.85 billion in loan guarantees to two companies. The first went to Abengoa Solar, which will receive $1.45 billion to build a solar plant in Arizona.
“The second company is Abound Solar Manufacturing, which will manufacture advanced solar panels at two new plants, creating more than 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs,” Obama said. “A Colorado plant is already under way, and an Indiana plant will be built in what’s now an empty Chrysler [Getrag] factory. When fully operational, these plants will produce millions of state-of-the-art solar panels each year.”
Abound Solar is expected to provide up to 1,200 jobs when the plant is in full operation. The company makes state-of-the-art solar panels, which are sold for industrial and commercial applications with a large market in Europe.
The company has been negotiating with Tipton County officials for approximately nine months to bring the company to the region.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has worked alongside the Tipton County Commissioners, the Indiana Secretary of State’s office and the U.S. Department of Energy to assist Abound Solar in finalizing its purchase of the more than 800,000 square-foot facility. The move represents a more than $500 million investment in machinery, equipment and building improvements.
“While the loss of Getrag was disappointing after so much work, the region will now add 850 new jobs — what a great way to celebrate Independence Day,” said Gov. Mitch Daniels in a press release.
A new partnership
Abound Solar’s thin-film photovoltaic module manufacturing technology was born out of Colorado State University in the late 1980s. The company, which also has production operations in Longmont, Colo., expects the Tipton site, when complete, will be the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the U.S., producing millions of panels annually.
“State and local representatives from Indiana were particularly instrumental in our efforts to finalize plans for this state-of-the-art facility and create high-paying jobs for Hoosier workers,” said Steve Abely, Abound Solar chief financial officer. “We are excited about the opportunity to make America a global driver of renewable, affordable and abundant solar energy.”
The company intends to hire for positions such as engineers, technicians and production associates once facility renovations begin.
“The addition of solar panel manufacturing builds on Indiana’s strong clean-tech energy sector and provides many new opportunities to the Tipton community,” said Mitch Roob, secretary of commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
Roob said Saturday that talks with the company have been ongoing for 18 months.
“This is a terrific deal,” he said, noting most of the proceeds from the sale of the building will go to contractors who weren’t paid when Getrag filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009.
“We worked hard on the bankruptcy,” Roob said. “The governor wanted to make sure we worked with the contractors. This is not perfect, but we’re pleased with the outcome.”
Roob said the Tipton location met all the criteria Abound Solar was looking for. The building was designed for high tech manufacturing, ready to move in and could address the needs of new environmental issues.
“There is no timetable for them to move in,” he said. “We worked on this a long time. This was a large transaction and the federal government wanted to be sure the technology was plausible.”
Sealing the deal
The IEDC offered Abound Solar up to $11.85 million in performance-based tax credits and $250,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans and will also provide workforce and ombudsman assistance. Tipton County has approved additional incentives, including tax abatement for the company along with tax increment financing dollars to the land trust that owns the building.
The Getrag plant was being constructed as a joint venture between Chrysler and Germany’s Getrag Transmission LLC. The plant was expected to provide up to 800 jobs, but with construction not complete in 2008, Chrysler pulled out of the agreement and filed a lawsuit against Getrag.
The bankruptcy court put the sale of the building in the hands of a trust, which represented several contractors who were unpaid for work performed at the Tipton site. The trust had until September to sell the building.
Tipton County officials provided $13 million as an incentive to lower the cost of the building to Abound Solar.
Tipton County Commissioner Jane Harper said Abound Solar selected Tipton County last September when it applied for the Department of Energy loan.
“I have been working toward the goal of bringing Abound Solar job opportunities to Tipton since April 30, 2009,” Harper, president of the Tipton County Redevelopment Commission, said Saturday. “It has been a long nine months anxiously awaiting the DOE’s decision and I am happy to finally hear the great news. Individuals from the local, state and federal levels all played a specific role in arriving at this juncture.”
Benefits of going green
Harper said Abound Solar is a perfect fit for Tipton County, which will pair superior crop production on re-usable land with “green” manufacturing in a unique form of economic development.
“With our predominant agricultural base, the establishment of Abound Solar at the crossroads of our community and three wind-energy companies with plans to place wind farms in our county, we can create a unique marketing opportunity in selling Tipton County and its products as the ‘green’ capital,” she said. “This combination of distinct resources will perhaps make us the only county in the nation that is prosperous from within.”
Ken Ziegler, president of the Tipton County Commissioners, said Abound Solar’s advanced manufacturing process will bring jobs to Tipton County residents, increase the county’s tax base and allow even more opportunities for additional industrial and commercial development in the county.
“State and county officials have worked for over a year with this company,” he said. “We are grateful that our efforts have paid off, and want to thank all involved that have helped get us to this announcement today. It was a huge team effort and it was worth all the time and energy it took.”
© 2010 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
Feds, state announce plans for Tipton solar-panel plant
Indianapolis Star report
Posted: July 3, 2010
Colorado-based Abound Solar will invest $500 million in an unfinished Tipton, Ind., plant that had once been set for making cars.
The unfinished plant will become a solar-panel manufacturing facility with the help of a $400 million loan guarantee, the state and federal government announced today.
Abound Solar could employ up to 850 people by 2013 at the 800,000-square-foot plant at Ind. 28 and U.S. 31 in Tipton County.
The solar company got its start at Colorado State University. The $400 million federal loan guarantee is expected to create 1,500 permanent jobs in Colorado and Indiana. The loan guarantee is part of nearly $2 billion in stimulus funds approved by the U.S. Department of Energy to Longmont, Colo.-based Abound and Abengoa Solar Inc., President Barack Obama said today in a weekly radio address.
"What a great way to celebrate Independence Day," said Gov. Mitch Daniels in a statement issued today by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. he heads.
Federal loan guarantees help companies gain access to capital from a financial sector that’s still reluctant to lend. They remove the risks for lenders.
The state agency said it has offered Abound Solar up to $11.85 million in performance-based tax breaks and $250,000 in training grants. Also, Tipton County officials approved additional incentives.
The announcement of a solar-panel maker in the plant had been made previously, although the name of the company involved and the amount to be invested in the plant had not been released. Officials in the central Indiana county, north of Indianapolis, in May approved a $13 million incentive package that they hoped would attract the solar panel maker to the sprawling factory that a Chrysler supplier stopped building in 2008. German auto parts maker Getrag had planned it as a 1,400-worker transmission factory.
"State and local representatives from Indiana were particularly instrumental in our efforts to finalize plans for this state-of-the-art facility and create high-paying jobs for Hoosier workers," said Steve Abely, Abound Solar's chief financial officer, in a news release from the state. "We are excited about the opportunity to make America a global driver of renewable, affordable and abundant solar energy."
Indiana officials involved in the effort over the past year included U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; the Tipton County Board of Commissioners; several Indiana congressmen; and representatives of the secretary of state's office, the release said.
No salary amounts were included in the release, but the company plans to hire positions such as engineers, technicians and production workers.
"The advanced manufacturing process of this new business will bring jobs to Tipton County residents, increase our tax base and allow even more opportunities for additional industrial and commercial development in our county," said Ken Ziegler, president of the county commissioners, in the release.
Tipton County's unemployment rate of 10.4 percent in May was above the state rate of 10 percent and the national rate of 9.7 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday the nation's jobless rate dropped to 9.5 percent last month, but June's rates in Indiana are not due out until July 20.
President Obama said the $1.85 billion in loan guarantees to Abengoa SA's Abengoa Solar unit and Abound Solar Inc. will be used to build sun-powered facilities in the U.S. and will create thousands of new jobs.
In his weekly address, Obama said the money from the Department of Energy will help the U.S. transition to a "clean energy economy" that creates hundreds of thousands of jobs in the future.
"We're going to keep competing aggressively to make sure the jobs and industries of the future are taking root right here in America," Obama said.
The loan guarantees will come from money in the $862 billion economic stimulus program enacted early last year, according to Bloomberg News. Obama announced the funding the day after government figures showed private employers adding fewer workers than forecast in June, reinforcing concerns the economic recovery will weaken.
"The recession from which we're emerging has left us in a hole that's about 8 million jobs deep," Obama said. "And as I've said from the day I took office, it's going to take months, even years, to dig our way out."
Abengoa Solar, a unit of the Seville, Spain-based engineering company, will receive a $1.45 billion loan guarantee to build a solar-power plant in Arizona that will create 1,600 construction jobs and 85 permanent jobs, according to White House documents released in conjunction with Obama's address.
The power plant will be the first of its kind in the U.S. and generate enough energy to power 70,000 homes, Obama said.
Press Release of Senator Lugar
Lugar welcomes solar grant for Tipton
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
U.S. Senator Dick Lugar today welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of a loan guarantee for a Colorado-based company to manufacture solar panels in Tipton, Indiana.
The DOE informed Lugar that it will make a conditional commitment of $400 million to Abound Solar Manufacturing, LLC, based in Lakewood, Colorado. According to the DOE, the company will manufacture state-of-the-art thin-film solar panels. This will be the first time this technology is deployed commercially anywhere in the world. The project includes two facilities, one in Longmont, Colorado and the other in Tipton, Indiana. The Indiana facility will occupy a new factory originally constructed for Getrag, a Chrysler auto parts supplier that was never able to move in due to the economic downturn.
When fully operational, the company will produce millions of solar panels annually, the DOE informed Lugar. The panels can be produced at a lower cost than crystalline silicon modules and emit less greenhouse gas emissions compared to existing solar panel manufacturers. The project’s initial annual production of panels will be able to produce 840 megawatts (MW) of power. With future panel efficiency improvements, that number could increase up to 1,100 MW. The project is expected to reach full capacity by 2013.
“I am very pleased to learn that the Department of Energy has approved this loan guarantee which will advance Abound’s plans to manufacture these innovative solar panels in Indiana,” Lugar said. “I am encouraged that the hard work of Tipton County local officials, and the State of Indiana’s Economic Development Corporation, has garnered Indiana a new corporate manufacturer. I believe that this investment bodes very well for future employment and renewable energy sales opportunities from this innovative company.”
The Abound loan application was strongly endorsed by the Indiana Congressional Delegation in a letter of support in October 2009.
These articles brought to you by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
POET acquires 90 Mgy Cloverdale plant, will install $30M in upgrades
This announcement from BioFuelsDigest.com .
In Indiana, POET announced the acquisition of the 90 Mgy Cloverdale ethanol plant previously operated by Altra Biofuels. The plant will be POET’s fourth in Indiana and brings the ethanol manufacturer’s overall capacity to 1.7 billion gallons per year.
The company said that it will install $30 million in upgrades, including its proprietary process technology including BPX, POET’s patent-pending fermentation process which uses enzymes instead of heat, reducing energy use by 10-15 percent.
In addition, POET will install a water recovery system and new pollution control equipment. POET expects to reopen the plant in about 9 months. The plant will process 31 million bushels of corn per year and manufacture up to 246,500 tons of Dakota Gold dried distillers grains.
POET’s BPX system has realized up to 3.0 gallons of ethanol per bushel of corn, which would move the nameplate capaciy of the plant from its original 84 Mgy (on its 2008 opening) to as much as 93 Mgy. The plant site is permitted for up to 110 Mgy in production.
The company indicated that it may install other processes, including cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs, at a later date.
Here is the news release from the POET website.
POET acquires Putnam County, Ind. ethanol plant
Plant to reopen after installation of new processes, technology
6/30/2010
Jeff Broin conference call opening statement
POET announced today the purchase of a 90 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant located just outside Cloverdale, Ind. and previously operated by Altra Biofuels.
The transaction closed June 29. Once open, the Cloverdale plant will be POET's fourth in Indiana and 27th overall, putting annual ethanol production capacity at 1.7 billion gallons per year.
POET CEO Jeff Broin said the productive agriculture community in and around Cloverdale, coupled with POET's unique processes and technology, will make POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale a leader in the industry.
"We have been looking at potential acquisitions for some time," Broin said. "This plant, in this community, will be a perfect fit for what we do at POET."
The plant will create 40-45 direct jobs and hundreds of secondary jobs, something Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman said would be a welcome addition for the area.
"Biofuels continue to be a vibrant industry here in Indiana, and we're glad that POET is making another commitment to Indiana and its workers," Skillman said. "These new jobs and the use of this existing facility will be a tremendous boost for Putnam County."
POET will install the company's proprietary process technology and improve the original plant design. The approximately $30 million in upgrades include BPX, POET's patent-pending fermentation process which uses enzymes instead of heat, reducing energy use by 10-15 percent. In addition, POET will install a water recovery system and new pollution control equipment. POET expects to reopen the plant in about 9 months.
Adding BPX to the facility will allow for production of Dakota Gold™ Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles, POET's branded high-protein animal feed. Dakota Gold is the industry leader in feed products due its high nutrient content and the company's commitment to providing a consistent product to the market. The Cloverdale plant will have capacity to produce 246,500 tons of Dakota Gold annually.
A number of other processes could be installed at the plant in the future, including cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs, which POET will commercialize soon in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
"This plant has all the ingredients we need to put together a top operation: a steady corn supply, rail access, a great workforce and productive farmers," Broin said. "The ample corn supply in the area includes significant quantities of agricultural waste, making the plant a likely location for cellulosic ethanol production in the future."
Facts about POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale:
-Opened and operated under Altra Biofuels for a short time in 2008
-Capacity: 90 million gallons per year
-Rail: CSX
-Annual corn consumption: 31 million bushels
-Dakota Gold Brand DDGS produced annually: 246,500 tons
-Jobs at the plant: 40-45 FTE (over 90% local)
-Annual Payroll and Benefits: more than $2 million
-Construction Time Period: 9 months
About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world, is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. The 22-year-old company produces more than 1.6 billion gallons of ethanol and 9 billion pounds of high-protein animal feed annually from 26 production facilities nationwide. POET also operates a pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which uses corn cobs as feedstock, and will commercialize the process in Emmetsburg, Iowa. For more information, visit http://www.poet.com/
This article brought to you by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
In Indiana, POET announced the acquisition of the 90 Mgy Cloverdale ethanol plant previously operated by Altra Biofuels. The plant will be POET’s fourth in Indiana and brings the ethanol manufacturer’s overall capacity to 1.7 billion gallons per year.
The company said that it will install $30 million in upgrades, including its proprietary process technology including BPX, POET’s patent-pending fermentation process which uses enzymes instead of heat, reducing energy use by 10-15 percent.
In addition, POET will install a water recovery system and new pollution control equipment. POET expects to reopen the plant in about 9 months. The plant will process 31 million bushels of corn per year and manufacture up to 246,500 tons of Dakota Gold dried distillers grains.
POET’s BPX system has realized up to 3.0 gallons of ethanol per bushel of corn, which would move the nameplate capaciy of the plant from its original 84 Mgy (on its 2008 opening) to as much as 93 Mgy. The plant site is permitted for up to 110 Mgy in production.
The company indicated that it may install other processes, including cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs, at a later date.
Here is the news release from the POET website.
POET acquires Putnam County, Ind. ethanol plant
Plant to reopen after installation of new processes, technology
6/30/2010
Jeff Broin conference call opening statement
POET announced today the purchase of a 90 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant located just outside Cloverdale, Ind. and previously operated by Altra Biofuels.
The transaction closed June 29. Once open, the Cloverdale plant will be POET's fourth in Indiana and 27th overall, putting annual ethanol production capacity at 1.7 billion gallons per year.
POET CEO Jeff Broin said the productive agriculture community in and around Cloverdale, coupled with POET's unique processes and technology, will make POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale a leader in the industry.
"We have been looking at potential acquisitions for some time," Broin said. "This plant, in this community, will be a perfect fit for what we do at POET."
The plant will create 40-45 direct jobs and hundreds of secondary jobs, something Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman said would be a welcome addition for the area.
"Biofuels continue to be a vibrant industry here in Indiana, and we're glad that POET is making another commitment to Indiana and its workers," Skillman said. "These new jobs and the use of this existing facility will be a tremendous boost for Putnam County."
POET will install the company's proprietary process technology and improve the original plant design. The approximately $30 million in upgrades include BPX, POET's patent-pending fermentation process which uses enzymes instead of heat, reducing energy use by 10-15 percent. In addition, POET will install a water recovery system and new pollution control equipment. POET expects to reopen the plant in about 9 months.
Adding BPX to the facility will allow for production of Dakota Gold™ Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles, POET's branded high-protein animal feed. Dakota Gold is the industry leader in feed products due its high nutrient content and the company's commitment to providing a consistent product to the market. The Cloverdale plant will have capacity to produce 246,500 tons of Dakota Gold annually.
A number of other processes could be installed at the plant in the future, including cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs, which POET will commercialize soon in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
"This plant has all the ingredients we need to put together a top operation: a steady corn supply, rail access, a great workforce and productive farmers," Broin said. "The ample corn supply in the area includes significant quantities of agricultural waste, making the plant a likely location for cellulosic ethanol production in the future."
Facts about POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale:
-Opened and operated under Altra Biofuels for a short time in 2008
-Capacity: 90 million gallons per year
-Rail: CSX
-Annual corn consumption: 31 million bushels
-Dakota Gold Brand DDGS produced annually: 246,500 tons
-Jobs at the plant: 40-45 FTE (over 90% local)
-Annual Payroll and Benefits: more than $2 million
-Construction Time Period: 9 months
About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world, is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. The 22-year-old company produces more than 1.6 billion gallons of ethanol and 9 billion pounds of high-protein animal feed annually from 26 production facilities nationwide. POET also operates a pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which uses corn cobs as feedstock, and will commercialize the process in Emmetsburg, Iowa. For more information, visit http://www.poet.com/
This article brought to you by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Cummins CEO Solso part of American Energy Innovation Council
This article suggested by Hannah R. Peterson who works for Cummins and is an individual member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
June 17, 2010
Mark Land, Executive Director - Corporate Communications, Cummins
Cummins Chairman and CEO Tim Solso joined Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt and other business leaders last week in calling for the U.S. government to significantly increase support for clean energy research and development.
Solso is part of a seven-member group called the American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC), which is funded by the non-partisan ClimateWorks Foundation. The organization came together a few months ago to begin discussing how best to ensure that the United States has a consistent energy policy that allows the country to become a leader in emerging energy technologies.
According to AEIC, such leadership will “foster strong economic growth, create jobs in new industries and re-establish America’s energy technology leadership.” AEIC members unveiled a series of recommendations, including a tripling of the country’s annual public investment in energy technology research and development, at a press conference in Washington D.C. on June 10.
AEIC members spoke at the event, which was followed by meetings with President Barack Obama and key members of Congress. During his remarks, Solso stressed the value of private-public partnerships to developing environmentally friendly technologies and cited Cummins’ longstanding research partnership with the Department of Energy as evidence that such partnerships work.
“We have been working with the Department of Energy on clean engine technology for the past 20 years,” Solso said. “In fact, many of the technologies used in our engines today were developed in partnership with the DOE, our national labs, universities and other research institutions.
“But it’s not just about doing research. Innovation without implementation has no value. Our technology development is focused on delivering products that will work well in the hands of the customer. This flow of technology to commercialized product requires at the outset strong public-private partnerships.”
Among the recommendations made by AEIC:
To learn more about the American Energy Innovation Council, go to americanenergyinnovation.org.
To see and hear Tim Solso discuss the importance of clean energy technology to the United States, go to americanenergyinnovation.org/tim-solso-bio .
To read the transcript of Tim’s speech at the AEIC press conference, click here.
June 17, 2010
Mark Land, Executive Director - Corporate Communications, Cummins
Cummins Chairman and CEO Tim Solso joined Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt and other business leaders last week in calling for the U.S. government to significantly increase support for clean energy research and development.
Solso is part of a seven-member group called the American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC), which is funded by the non-partisan ClimateWorks Foundation. The organization came together a few months ago to begin discussing how best to ensure that the United States has a consistent energy policy that allows the country to become a leader in emerging energy technologies.
According to AEIC, such leadership will “foster strong economic growth, create jobs in new industries and re-establish America’s energy technology leadership.” AEIC members unveiled a series of recommendations, including a tripling of the country’s annual public investment in energy technology research and development, at a press conference in Washington D.C. on June 10.
AEIC members spoke at the event, which was followed by meetings with President Barack Obama and key members of Congress. During his remarks, Solso stressed the value of private-public partnerships to developing environmentally friendly technologies and cited Cummins’ longstanding research partnership with the Department of Energy as evidence that such partnerships work.
“We have been working with the Department of Energy on clean engine technology for the past 20 years,” Solso said. “In fact, many of the technologies used in our engines today were developed in partnership with the DOE, our national labs, universities and other research institutions.
“But it’s not just about doing research. Innovation without implementation has no value. Our technology development is focused on delivering products that will work well in the hands of the customer. This flow of technology to commercialized product requires at the outset strong public-private partnerships.”
Among the recommendations made by AEIC:
- Creation of a “politically neutral” national Energy Strategy Board, which would be charged with developing and monitoring a comprehensive national strategy for energy technology development and overseeing a program to develop large-scale next-generation energy projects.
- Invest at least $16 billion annually in public funds in clean energy innovation, three times the current investment in such projects.
- Create and fund “centers of excellence” to address different clean energy technologies.
- Provide at least $1 billion funding each year (from the $16 billion recommended) to the recently created Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program, which has provided a significant boost to energy innovation. ARPA-E focuses exclusively on high-risk, high pay-off technologies that can change the way energy is generated, stored and used, and has challenged innovators to come up with truly novel ideas.
- Establish and fund a New Energy Challenge Program to turn large-scale ideas such as fourth generation nuclear power and carbon capture and storage coal plants into viable commercial technologies.
To learn more about the American Energy Innovation Council, go to americanenergyinnovation.org.
To see and hear Tim Solso discuss the importance of clean energy technology to the United States, go to americanenergyinnovation.org/tim-solso-bio .
To read the transcript of Tim’s speech at the AEIC press conference, click here.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
ETHANOL: Vilsack urges swift EPA approval of E15 blend
06/30/2010
Allison Winter, E&E reporter
The Obama administration should approve higher blends of ethanol in gasoline as quickly and broadly as possible, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told a Senate panel today.
Raising the amount of ethanol blended in gasoline to 15 percent from 10 percent would support the industry, meet the U.S. biofuels mandate and revitalize rural economies, Vilsack said.
"We are very, very close to hitting the E10 wall, which is why this is important," Vilsack told the Agriculture Committee. "The sooner it is made, the better, the more expansive it is made, the better."
All signs point to EPA approving the higher blends, according to Vilsack, although it may exclude older cars or certain types of automobiles.
"They have indicated that they are prepared in the fall to authorize E15; the question is, what level?" he said.
Without higher ethanol blends, the United States will struggle to meet mandates for renewable fuels, Vilsack said.
The national renewable fuel standard, which goes into effect next month, mandates that the United States produce 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022 -- with 15 billion gallons of that coming from ethanol.
Biofuels trade group Growth Energy petitioned EPA for the waiver in March 2009. The agency officially had 270 days to decide.
EPA officials had said they would have a decision this summer, after the Energy Department completes more tests on vehicle safety. But agency officials said this month that the decision would not come until fall -- inciting the ire of biofuels advocates and lawmakers from Midwestern states.
EPA said last December that cars from 2001 or newer can accommodate E15 but raised questions about whether older engines can handle the mix.
Bill would support blender pumps
In a bid to expand the market for ethanol-rich fuels, two Midwestern lawmakers introduced legislation today that would offer incentives to help increase the number of pumps that offer higher blends of ethanol.
The bill from Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) would subsidize half the cost of installing blender pumps and storage tanks.
A "blender pump" is a fuel pump capable of dispensing at least three different blends of gasoline and ethanol, as selected by the pump operator. It could cost gas stations more than $100,000 to install new blender pumps, according to USDA.
There are currently about 165 stations across the country with blender pumps -- most of them in the Midwest.
USDA called for more support for blender pumps as part of the road map for renewable fuels it released last week. In rolling out that strategy, Vilsack said he plans to roll out new plans to support new blender pumps.
This article brought to you by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
Allison Winter, E&E reporter
The Obama administration should approve higher blends of ethanol in gasoline as quickly and broadly as possible, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told a Senate panel today.
Raising the amount of ethanol blended in gasoline to 15 percent from 10 percent would support the industry, meet the U.S. biofuels mandate and revitalize rural economies, Vilsack said.
"We are very, very close to hitting the E10 wall, which is why this is important," Vilsack told the Agriculture Committee. "The sooner it is made, the better, the more expansive it is made, the better."
All signs point to EPA approving the higher blends, according to Vilsack, although it may exclude older cars or certain types of automobiles.
"They have indicated that they are prepared in the fall to authorize E15; the question is, what level?" he said.
Without higher ethanol blends, the United States will struggle to meet mandates for renewable fuels, Vilsack said.
The national renewable fuel standard, which goes into effect next month, mandates that the United States produce 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022 -- with 15 billion gallons of that coming from ethanol.
Biofuels trade group Growth Energy petitioned EPA for the waiver in March 2009. The agency officially had 270 days to decide.
EPA officials had said they would have a decision this summer, after the Energy Department completes more tests on vehicle safety. But agency officials said this month that the decision would not come until fall -- inciting the ire of biofuels advocates and lawmakers from Midwestern states.
EPA said last December that cars from 2001 or newer can accommodate E15 but raised questions about whether older engines can handle the mix.
Bill would support blender pumps
In a bid to expand the market for ethanol-rich fuels, two Midwestern lawmakers introduced legislation today that would offer incentives to help increase the number of pumps that offer higher blends of ethanol.
The bill from Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) would subsidize half the cost of installing blender pumps and storage tanks.
A "blender pump" is a fuel pump capable of dispensing at least three different blends of gasoline and ethanol, as selected by the pump operator. It could cost gas stations more than $100,000 to install new blender pumps, according to USDA.
There are currently about 165 stations across the country with blender pumps -- most of them in the Midwest.
USDA called for more support for blender pumps as part of the road map for renewable fuels it released last week. In rolling out that strategy, Vilsack said he plans to roll out new plans to support new blender pumps.
This article brought to you by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
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