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Colorado Awards $1.6 Million in Final Round of Geothermal Energy Grant Program Funding

The Colorado Energy Office  announced $1.6 million in Geothermal Energy Grant Program GP) funding to support geothermal heating initiatives and studies across Colorado. This is the final expected funding round for this program, which has provided a total of $10.3 million in funding for 56 initiatives to advance geothermal technology in Colorado.

The funded  initiatives  will enable awardees to plan and install geothermal heat pumps and thermal energy networks that deliver low-cost, energy-efficient heating and cooling to homes and buildings around the state. Awardees include local governments, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses.

“By better using the heat beneath our feet to help us, we are leading the nation in innovative clean energy technologies that save Coloradans money, and protect our air quality. Investing in Geothermal heating technology increases energy reliability and serves as a low-cost energy source,” said Governor Polis.

CEO made a total of 16 awards through GEGP this funding round. Awards will support five single-structure geothermal initiatives, nine thermal energy network studies, and two thermal energy network installation initiatives. A total of 89.3% of this funding will go to initiatives that serve just transition, disproportionately impacted, or low-income communities.

Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (Nikkiso CE&IG) and WestAir have announced that they are building a hybrid hydrogen trailer and fueling station designed to reduce boil-off gas losses close to zero. While hydrogen fueling stations have been built across the world – including more than 35 by Nikkiso CE&IG – the project in Long Beach, California being led by independent gas distributor WestAir and Nikkiso CE&IG will both fuel vehicles directly via an H35 dispenser and also fill trailers for onward distribution.

New style heat pump lowest cost decarbonisation option for big apartment buildings

Large multifamily buildings with central heating systems that burn fossil fuels are among the hardest to decarbonise, but window-mounted heat pumps now provide a lower-cost option than any previous technology, finds a new study from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Harvesting Energy, Growing Sustainability: Renewable Solutions for Agricultural Decarbonization

American farms stand at a crossroads between feeding a growing population and addressing climate change. Agriculture faces mounting pressure to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining productivity, and renewable energy technologies are emerging as powerful tools to help achieve both goals.

The farming community’s transformation toward sustainable practices represents one of the most significant opportunities for rural economic development and environmental stewardship.

The Current State of Agricultural Energy and Emissions

The agricultural sector’s relationship with energy and emissions presents challenges and opportunities. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, about 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from agriculture. This substantial contribution stems from various sources throughout the food production chain, from fertilizer manufacturing to livestock operations to food processing.

The agricultural sector’s energy landscape is changing quickly, with farmers increasingly recognizing renewables as an environmental imperative and an economic opportunity. This shift is driven by:

• Technological advances
• Supportive policies
• Growing awareness of sustainable energy systems’ long-term benefits

The economic drivers supporting this transition are compelling. Energy costs represent a substantial portion of farm operating expenses, and volatile fossil fuel prices create financial uncertainty. Renewable power offers the potential for more predictable costs and long-term savings while providing new revenue streams through sales and government incentives.

Cero Generation reaches financial close on financing package for UK solar and BESS portfolio

Cero Generation, alongside its UK development partner, Enso Energy, has announced it has reached financial close on a portfolio of three UK-based solar PV and Battery Energy Storage System projects.

GridBeyond leads optimisation of 200 MW energy storage site in California

Smart energy management specialist GridBeyond and international energy storage investment fund Gore Street Energy Storage Fund plc have commenced operation of the Big Rock Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in El Centro, California, which will dispatch power to around 200,000 homes in Southern California during peak times.

Bringing Big Rock live involved a large team of over 20 people coordinating across multiple countries and time zones, comprising data scientists, regulatory analysts and industrial control engineers.  At 200 MW/400 MWh, it is the largest asset managed by Gore Street Capital and GridBeyond.

“This is an enormous battery system and an important source of resiliency to the state of California” said Sean McEvoy, President of North America at GridBeyond. “As CAISO’s daily Regulation Up/Down requirement is often around 500 MW-1200 MW in total, this resource alone can provide up to 15 percent-40 percent of the state’s Regulation Services needs in certain hours.”

To ensure maximum return on investment and grid impact, GridBeyond was selected to provide trading and optimiSation services for the Big Rock BESS. Central to its offering is GridBeyond’s proprietary AI-based Bid OptimiSer, which matches market price forecasts with real-time battery performance simulations to drive optimal bid strategies in the CAISO market.

USDA Invests in Thermal Biomass Projects

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins recently reported the U.S. Forest Service is awarding $80 million in Wood Innovation Grants to spur wood products manufacturing, expand active forest management, and accelerate energy innovation across America’s timber-producing communities.

According to the Alliance for Green Heat, this year, there are a record number of thermal biomass projects, ranging from support for existing and new small wood pellet plants making pellets for domestic heating, expansion of firewood businesses, larger biomass thermal heating plants, etc.  Of the $80 million, at least $12 million went to more than 30 projects in 19 states that involved thermal biomass applications.  In addition, quite a few projects include biomass to electricity.

“The United States is blessed with a bounty of natural resources that we must properly manage to sustain our future economy and boost rural communities.” said Secretary Rollins. “We’re investing in innovation that ensures a steady, sustainable supply of American wood that not only supports jobs and fuels economies, it protects the people and communities we serve, as well as the forest resources they depend on to survive and thrive.”

The program was founded in 2015, under President Obama, in part to mitigate the impacts of climate change, as wildfires began to increase. It also sought to assist using low grade wood as an energy source.

Sulzer and Avalon Energy Group Form Alliance to Advance Global Production of SAF

Avalon Energy Group, a U.S.-based developer of integrated sustainable energy projects, and Sulzer Chemtech, a global leader in separation and mixing technology, have signed a Strategic Alliance and Partnership Agreement to scale up the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

U.S. Congressmen Mike Flood, of Nebraska, and Troy A. Carter, Sr., of Louisiana have introduced the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Information Act. This bill would direct the United States Energy Information Administration to include Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) more explicitly on their weekly and monthly reports, in line with existing standards and consistent with other fuel types

Eco Wave Power signs agreement for feasibility study in South Africa

Onshore wave energy technology developer Eco Wave Power has announced the signing of an agreement with Africa Great Future Development Ltd (AGFDL) to conduct a feasibility study for a potential wave energy power station at the Port of Ngqura, South Africa.

Quaise Energy Achieves Drilling Milestone with Millimeter Wave Technology

Quaise Energy, a leading developer of grid-scale superhot geothermal energy, has successfully drilled to a depth of 100 meters using its proprietary millimeter wave technology at its field site in Central Texas. This achievement sets a record for millimeter wave drilling.

Quaise’s millimeter wave drilling system, developed after more than a decade of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), harnesses a powerful gyrotron to ablate rock for the first time without any downhole hardware. Unlike conventional drill bits, which struggle with hard, hot, rocks like granite and basalt, millimeter wave technology allows access to superhot rock—around 752 degrees Fahrenheit (400℃)—typically found deep within the Earth’s subsurface.

Accessing hotter rock deeper underground enables Quaise geothermal plants to generate many times more energy than traditional geothermal – opening up grid-scale projects that can match the power output of major fossil fuel plants.

“The Earth holds an enormous reservoir of clean energy — energy that could fundamentally change how we power our world if we can reach it,” said Carlos Araque, CEO and President of Quaise Energy.

“Quaise has now demonstrated that millimeter wave technology can do what no other technology can do: drill perfectly clean holes through some of the hardest rocks on Earth in record time. This milestone brings us closer to making geothermal energy a practical solution to power communities virtually anywhere.”