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Panda Power finances conversion of retired coal plant to natural gas; one of largest power conversion projects in US

Green Car Congress

Panda Power Funds has financed the 1,124 megawatt Panda “Hummel Station” power plant—one of the largest coal-to-natural gas power conversion projects in the United States. The turbines for the Hummel generating station will be manufactured at Siemens’ manufacturing facility in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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USDA provides $91M loan guarantee to Cool Planet for biogasoline blendstock plant; biomass pyrolysis and catalytic conversion

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Cool Planet has devised a biomass-to-liquids thermochemical conversion process that simultaneously produces liquid fuels and sequesterable biochar useful as a soil amendment. One of the catalytic conversion processes creates the high-octane gasoline blendstock. Earlier post.).

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NC State team develops new Si/C inverter; 12.1 kW/L & greater efficiency in a smaller, lighter package

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Researchers at the Future Renewable Electric Energy Distribution and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center at North Carolina State University have developed an inverter for hybrid and electric vehicles using off-the-shelf components made of the wide-bandgap semiconductor material silicon carbide (SiC). kW/L by 2020.

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Punching above its weight

Electric Auto Association

If you want to have an in-depth discussion about EVs, solar installation, or anything environmental, you don’t need the usual 5-minute pre-conversation. Lightning formula Erb is a professor emeritus at University of North Carolina Asheville , where he taught mechatronics engineering.

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DOE BETO awards $10M to 7 advanced biofuels projects

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Metabolix in collaboration with North Carolina State University. Develop a cellulosic butanol production process with high productivities, yields, and carbon conversion through novel metabolic engineering of two different pathways. These newly selected projects are intended to support this effort. BETO awards. Organizations.

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Start-up commercializing NC State technology for drop-in biofuels; full commercial production targeted for 2016

Green Car Congress

A parallel step to the fuel conversion is the separation of the by-product of hydrolysis, glycerol, from the sweet water. These aromatics formed are necessary to meet specifications for jet fuel and are also a common component in gasoline to raise the octane rating. Then the glycerol is combusted to provide energy for the entire process.

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USDA to invest up to $100M to boost infrastructure for renewable fuel use; seeks to double number of higher blend ethanol fuel pumps

Green Car Congress

Through its Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), for example, USDA is incentivizing more than 850 growers and landowners farming nearly 48,000 acres to establish and produce dedicated, non-food energy crops for delivery to energy conversion facilities.

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