Alternate Energy Secrets

The following article reports that Convential Vehicles are still cheaper than a Hybrid vehicle. But it is encouraging that the early adopters of the hybrid vehicle technology are driving up demand, volume and as a result lowering the price and increasing public awareness.

Some of the current available hybrid automobiles are the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Lexus Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Saturn Vue Hybrid. By creating a vehicle for markets such as Hybrid Mini Van, Hybrid SUV, Hybrid Truck, and Hybrid Bicycle; the consumer will have many choices to purchase the hybrid automobile that works for their application.

The extra cost for choosing the Hybrid vehicle is (more…)

Claypool, Indiana / Indiana Governer Mitch Daniels announced this week the world’s largest biodiesel plant, capable of making 250,000 gallons a day of the fuel using Indiana-grown soybeans.

The plant, to be built in Claypool, Indiana, by a subsidiary of Louis Dreyfus Corp., will be the third biodiesel facility in the state. Indiana also has six ethanol plants under construction.

“In just one year, we’re growing from one alternative fuels plant to nine, with more to come,” Daniels, the Republican former director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, said in a statement.

President George W. Bush has called for increased use of ethanol and biomass fuels to reduce by 75 per cent the nation’s dependence on Middle East oil by 2025.

About 75 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in the U.S. last year, 21 per cent of total capacity of 354 million gallons, according to Amber Thurlo-Pearson, spokeswoman for the National Biodiesel Board.

The Indiana plant would be capable of producing 80 million gallons a year.

Bill has access to some of the best advisors in the world. He doesn’t make a move unless he knows something the rest of us don’t. Read the report of his investment.

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Cascade Investment LLC, a firm owned by Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, agreed to buy an $84 million stake in Pacific Ethanol Inc. to help fund construction of fuel-additive plants on the U.S. West Coast.

Cascade will buy preferred stock convertible to 10.5 million common shares, Fresno, Claifornia base Pacific Thanol said today in a statement. Pacific Ethanol has 28.7 million common shares outstanding, according to a public filing.

The new shares would give Gates a 27 per cent stake.

Pacific Ethanol will become the largest West Coast ethanol producer with completion nex year of the first of five plants the company is developing.

Ethanol prices surged after U.S. energy legislation enacted in August 2005 mandated increased use of the grain-based fuel additive in gasoline. Pacific Ethanol plans to sell spent grain to dairy farms as cattle feed.

U.S. ethanol futures have jumped 83 percent in the past six months to $2.12 a gallon.

Pacific Ethanol’s first plant, which is under construction at a railroad grain terminal 10 miles from Fresno, is expected to produce at least 35 million gallons of fuel a year, Hartwig said.

Article appeared in Edmonton Journal on November 17, 2005 as reported from New York

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Anyone know how the small investor can get in on the action? See my post from earlier today about the sugar prices sky-rocketing as a result of more demand for ethanol. The middle class guy always seems to get the short end. Is solar and wind power the only energy that won’t be affected by the markets? Share your thougths!