Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto

Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet

Turning Oil Into Salt: Energy Independence Through Fuel Choice

Science as a Contact Sport: Inside the Battle to Save Earth's Climate

Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider Hofmeister writes with refreshing directness and lack of pretense about two key ideas: the disconnect between "political time" and "energy time" that drives legislative dysfunction in energy and environmental planning; and his own proposal for an independent Federal Energy Resources Board to fix it. Most of the book is a walkthrough of the current US energy business and infrastructure ... the "straight talk from an energy insider" part. He convincingly lays out an array of problems with the approaches advocated by just about everyone, from left-wing environmentalists, to right-wing "infotainers", to the energy and utility power industry itself ... with special scorn for the disastrous and long-running failure of our elected officials of all stripes to address our energy needs in a serious manner. The book provides a prescient and unnerving in-depth background to current newspaper reporting on the BP spill disaster in the Gulf (it went to press just before the explosion and blowout). Hofmeister is on less firm footing, however, when he switches to his proposal for an independent energy regulatory agency modeled on the Federal Reserve. While he surely gets an 'A' for boldness and for thinking outside the box, how this is supposed to work and how we are supposed to get there in advance of a national energy disaster akin to the Great Depression, are both left up to "grassroots pressure." All I can say is that I hope his non-profit, Citizens for Affordable Energy.org, is successful at pushing his ideas onto the national stage, and helping to build a consensus focus on practical solutions. Highly recommended ... wherever you stand on these complex issues, Hofmeister will push your buttons and make you think about what a real solution might look like. 

marcus evans, will host the 2^nd Annual Substation Management and Reliability Conference from September 30-October 1, 2010 in Atlanta, GA. The annual conference will target Heads, Vice Presidents, Director and Managers from Electric Utilities Companies with responsibilities in Substation Engineering and Automation.

 

By attending this premier conference, delegates will learn how to align substation operations with NERC regulations and will be provided with updates regarding environmental initiatives. Attendees will also gain end user perspectives from companies leveraging the latest Smart Grid technologies to increase efficiency, improve operations and cut costs.

 

Current speakers include leading experts such as Don Angell, Director of Substation Engineering Services at National Grid, Mark Bruckner, Manager of Transmission Standards & Technology at Entergy Corporation and Ginger Whitaker, Manager of Transmission Substation and Protection at E.ON US.

 

With a one-track focus, the 2^nd Annual Substation Management and Reliability Conference is a highly intensive, content driven event of case studies and panel discussions over two full days. This conference targets leaders of substation management functions in order to provide an intimate atmosphere for both delegates and speakers.

 

Previous conference attendees provided us with the following feedback:

"It was good to hear from speakers who have hands-on experience", - Toronto Hydro

“One of the best conferences I have attended in the past five years", - First Energy

 

Attending this Premiere Conference Will Enable Attendees to Hear Valuable Insights From:

• BC Transmission on conducting a maintenance assessment to maximize existing assets
• Seattle City Light on further automating substation processes for increased reliability
• Northeast Utilities on navigating the requirements and benefits of IEC 61850
• National Grid on determining a proactive plan for maintenance initiatives
• Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative on enhancing communication systems for the collective of real-time data impact substations down the line

 

For more information on this conference or to get a complete list of speakers, sessions or past attendees, visit http://www.marcusevansch.com/substationmanagement or email Michele Westergaard, Michelew@marcusevansch.com

 

About marcus evans

marcus evans conferences annually produce over 2,000 high quality events designed to provide key strategic business information, best practice and networking opportunities for senior industry decision-makers. Our global reach is utilized to attract over 30,000 speakers annually, ensuring niche focused subject matter presented directly by practitioners and a diversity of information to assist our clients in adopting best practice in all business disciplines.

 

Contact:

Michele Westergaard

312-540-3000 ext. 6625

Michelew@marcusevansch.com

www.marcusevans.com

July 30th, 2010, 2010 New York, NY – Novo Energies Corporation (OTCBB: NVNC) (“Novo” or the “Company”), an alternative energy company, announced today that it has entered into a Technology Collaboration Agreement (“Agreement”) with Colorado based Precision Pipe and Vessel, LLC (“Precision”).
Novo Energies has been granted a worldwide exclusive license to use Precision’s proprietary gasification technology to convert plastic and tire waste into energy products including electricity, synthesis gases and other valuable commodities such as recovered steel. Novo and Precision have agreed to collaborate to enhance and augment Precision’s existing operating pilot plant in Colorado, at which time Novo will seek multiple facilities in the United States and oversee the development of energy projects outside of North America through its partner, Novo Energies International, Ltd.

Antonio Treminio, CEO and Chairman of Novo Energies stated, “This is a major milestone for Novo Energies, its team, and our shareholders. In our search for the most efficient and economical methods to convert plastic and used tires into valuable energy products, we have spent the last 12 months evaluating several technologies, including pyrolysis, gasification and microwave based systems. As a result of such efforts, we have selected Precision’s gasification technology based on the following:
• Allows efficient conversion of tires and plastic feedstock to energy
• Environmentally friendly – the process produces zero toxic emissions,
making it a green energy technology
• The preliminary synthesis gas resulting from conversion of tires and plastic meets strict standards on quality and consistency
• Has the highest carbon conversion of any known gasification system on the
market
• Self sufficient by using the produced syngas to power the process
• Low cost of production

We are extremely confident that this collaboration between Novo Energies and Precision will allow us to develop the first commercially and economically viable tire to energy facility in North America.”

“Precision Pipe has successfully developed and operated the only known facility of this kind in the World. Our plant is capable of efficiently and effectively converting tire and plastic feedstock into high quality syngas. In addition, we are able to reliably accomplish this on a consistent basis with no process emissions. Based upon our many years of experience in designing, building, and operating other gasification technologies and gas production facilities, we recognize that we have invented a truly disruptive, clean, and renewable energy technology. We look forward to collaborating with Novo to develop the first commercial tire to energy plant in North America,” stated Ken Klepper, President of Precision.

Novo plans to demonstrate the pilot facility in Denver, Colorado as a showcase unit for government officials, institutions, utility companies, and the investment community, as well as augment it’s output to reach fully commercial quantities. “The showcase of the presently operating technology in Colorado is an important step towards our goals for commercialization. We aim to present a unique solution to government officials and the investment community by simultaneously solving
their waste issues and creating a new class of energy sources, previously
unavailable. As we will confront these issues on a truly local level, we will be able to control costs, allow scalability and reduce time to market. By offering a cost effective solution for a regional socio-economic issue, the Company has defined its goal as the replication of these plants world-wide, thereby successfully reducing waste while producing an alternative source of energy”, sated Mr. Faisal Butt, VP Corporation Communications & Finance.

About Novo Energies Corporation:
Novo Energies Corporation (“Novo”) is an alternative energy company publicly trading on the OTC Bulletin Board market (OTC BB: NVNC). Based upon proprietary technology, Novo intends to own and operate recycling plants that will efficiently, economically, environmentally and profitably recycle scrap tires and plastics into energy and other commodities. The core of Novo’s technology to recycle tires and plastics into energy is a Multi Stage Hybrid Gasification System, which undertakes the conversion of carbonaceous feedstock to a clean synthesis gas (“syngas”) with an upgraded heating value in an environmentally friendly manner. Such process which does not involve combustion or other reagents and pollutants. As an interim step, Novo will transform scrap tires and plastics into syngas, which will be used as a fuel for engines and turbines to produce electricity and heat in a cogeneration facility. The syngas may also be converted into transportation fuel or other fuel additives through the use of a standard catalystbased process such as Fischer-Tropsch.

About Precision Pipe & Vessel, LLC
Precision Pipe & Vessel, LLC, a Denver based fully qualified ASME welding and vessel fabricator is a family owned and operated business. Precision Pipe has extensive experience in natural gas and oil. In addition, Precision Pipe has thirty years experience developing and fabricating other process equipment, including heat exchangers, boilers, and pressure vessels that serve in many fields of application, such as: pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food services, distillation, breweries, clean-tech, , textiles, ink, renewable energy, bio-fuels, and many others. Precision Pipe’s Multi-Stage Hybrid Gasifier requires no external fuel sources and it creates zero green house gas emissions.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation expectations, beliefs, plans and objectives regarding the development, use and marketability of products. Such forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on Novo’s predictions with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences and timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to fund operations and other factors over which Novo has little or no control. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Novo assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in
Novo’s Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, and other documents filed from time to time by Novo with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, please contact:

Novo Energies Corporation
Mr. Antonio Treminio, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, NVNC.
New York Tel: +1-212-315-9705
Montreal: +1-514-840-3697
Email: atreminio@novoenergies.com

Precision Pipe & Vessel, LLC.
Mr. Kenneth Klepper, President
Tel: +1-303-287-5138

So Hayward will be stepping down. I guess we all saw that one coming! http://themoderatevoice.com/80865/bp-pr-challenged-ceo-tony-hayward-to-leave-company-shortly/

Today Petrobras and BIOeCON announced their partnership in the joint development of a novel process for enhanced conversion of biomass, as found in agricultural wastes such as sugarcane bagasse, into chemicals that can be used to produce green plastics, or further transformed in next generation advanced biofuels.

The new technology, called BiCHEM (Biomass Chemical Conversion), was developed by BIOeCON together with a team of top class scientists from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and the Universidad Politecnica of Valencia in Spain. It represents a significant opportunity of having a lower cost, high conversion, selective, completely chemical process.

Petrobras and BIOeCON will work together to further develop this technology and establish proof of concept on pilot and demonstration scales. The first part of this work, including the pilot phase, will be performed in The Netherlands, while the demonstration plant is envisioned to be constructed in Brazil. A joint venture will be established to license the technology once it matures.

According to Carlos Tadeu da Costa Fraga, executive manager of Petrobras Research Center (Cenpes), the participation in technology based companies, such as BIOeCON, is part of the company’s strategy for innovation that involves a strong internal infrastructure for R&D and several technology partners in Brazil and abroad, including universities and research centers, suppliers and even other energy companies. Recently, this strategy has lead Petrobras to be the number one of Petroleum Industry in the attribute “Innovativeness”, in Fortune’s ranking of World’s Most Admired Companies. “We seek innovation where ever it is, for solutions that fit our business. In this case, we foresee the use of the chemicals obtained through BICHEM process to produce advanced biofuels such as diesel components of high cetane, higher than ethanol energy density and zero smoke emission. Such technology has the potential to be to diesel what ethanol is nowadays to gasoline.”

Rogerio Mattos, executive manager Petrobras New Business Development points out that “this technological-business association with top scientists and renowned foreign technical institutions aiming to accelerate the R&D for the commercial production of renewable fuels is a landmark for Petrobras as it opens new frontiers for the biggest investor in R&D in Brazil”.

As stated by João Norberto Noschang Neto, Technology Manager of Petrobras Biofuel “this is an important partnership to accelerate the research and development of second generation fuels, which will have a positive impact in increasing the productivity with better usage of agricultural wastes.”

The BICHEM Technology - "One of the key technical problems in the conversion of cellulosic biomass is how to open up the inaccessible solid fibrous 'woody' material, so that it can be effectively transformed. Most of the existing processes to unlock those structures are quite costly and intensive of energy or chemicals," says Paul O'Connor, founder and president of BIOeCON.

BICHEM technology uses a recyclable inexpensive solvent to dissolve a significant part of biomass. In such homogeneous phase, cellulose and hemicellulose are quickly converted to its simplest, sugar constituents. Those sugars are further hydrogenated and then finally converted to the chemicals of interest, which can be easily separated from the recyclable solvent. The approach allows to use the biomass to its fullest by converting all the carbon available in cellulose and hemicellulose to products and using much less energy.

Jacob Moulijn, Emeritus Professor of TU-Delft and Director of Science and Technology of the joint development effort, teaches that “the combination of biomass dissolution and the use of a hydrogenation step in the process allows to attain maximum conversion, high selectivity without undesired side-products.”

PETROBRAS S.A - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Petrobras is a major integrated oil, gas, and energy company operating in the following segments of the industry: exploration and production; downstream, marketing, transportation and petrochemicals; distribution; natural gas, energy and biofuels. Established in 1953 as Brazil’s National Oil Company, Petrobras today is a publicly traded company whose principal operations are still in Brazil, but where it now competes under an open and competitive regulatory framework. Recognized by its massive resource base and its global leadership in deep and ultra-deep water exploration, Petrobras is now one of the world’s ten largest companies by market capitalization. The company operates in all five continents and in 29 countries. The company has also activities in renewable energies, especially in biofuels, for which Petrobras established a subsidiary company, Petrobras Biofuel.

BIOeCON International Holding NV - Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
BIOeCON is a privately funded company formed in 2006 with the vision to develop breakthrough technology for the production of economical and ecological friendly second generation biofuels and chemicals from non-edible biomass. BIOeCON’s research utilizes a creative network of international experienced scientists and universities from amongst others The Netherlands, Spain, U.K and the USA. The BiCHEM process is the second breakthrough technology originating from this creative network. In 2007 BIOeCON and Khosla Ventures launched a joint venture (KiOR) to commercialize Biomass Catalytic Cracking a biomass conversion process based on the well-known Catalytic Cracking process used for many years in Oil refineries.

What are your habits of energy use at home?

The survey we propose, together with laboratory studies, users tests and field observations, aims at the development of the EnergyLife Software (by BeAware).

EnergyLife allows the user to control the level of energy consumption of each single appliance by mobile phone, thus improving the management of one’s own energy consumption. The system is currently being tested in 8 households in Europe: your answers (anonymous) will provide additional information to improve the system. The survey requires about 10 minutes to fill in, and you can find it following this link, in 4 different languages:

 

www.energyawareness.eu/beaware/research/survey.

 

EnergyLife has been developed by European research project "Beaware” (Boosting Energy Awareness), which lasts 3 years (May 2009-2011) and is carried out by a consortium of European partners including the Human Technology Lab, Dept. of General Psychology, University of Padova (htlab.psy.unipd.it) that promotes - among other things - this online survey.

Further information, downloadable material and the updated description of current activities of the consortium can be found at www.energyawareness.eu. A recent television report presenting the project was broadcasted by Euronews and you can watch it on the Internet following the link (http://www.euronews.net/2010/02/12/energy-saving/).