US Congress Deals Blow to Wind Power Industry

The wind industry is predicting massive layoffs and stalled or abandoned projects after a deal to renew a tax credit for wind production failed last week in Washington. The move is expected to have major ramifications in states such as Illinois, where 13,892 megawatts of wind projects-enough to power 3.3 million homes per year-wait to be connected to the electric grid.

Many of those projects will be abandoned or significantly delayed without federal subsidies.

 Illinois is home to more than 150 companies that support the wind industry. At least 67 of those companies make turbines or components for wind farms. Chicago is the US headquarters to more than a dozen major wind companies who wanted to take advantage of powerful mid-western winds and the fact wind power could be fed into the electric grid. Read more ...

China and the US to establish biofuel company in the US

China largest egg producers has agreed to co operate with a major meat supplier in the US to establish a biofuel company in the US, with a total investment of US$1.8 billion (€1.357 billion) Beijing DQY Agriculture Technology Co Ltd (DQY) and Virginia-based Smithfield Foods will set up a joint venture co-run by their subsidiaries, Beijing Helee Bio-Energy (HELEE) and Murphy-Brown, DQY.

The two companies also plan to utilise wastes at more than 2,600 pig farms of the Smithfield Foods over the next 10 years, which will lead to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 21 million tons annually, four times the current yearly emission of Chicago, according to DQY. Read more ...