Two biofuels stories here today

[mahina]

First, the Public Utilities Commission refused to accept a really nutso biofuels source:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=130836658
PUC rejects biofuel plan as too expensive

By Alan Yonan Jr.

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 30, 2011

State regulators rejected Thursday a controversial plan by Hawaiian Electric Co. to buy 16 million gallons of locally produced biofuel a year for electricity generation, saying the high cost of the alternative fuel was too much for ratepayers to bear.

The Public Utilities Commission estimated the difference between the cost of the biofuel — made from plants — and the petroleum-based fuel it was intended to replace would have resulted in utility customers paying at least $100 million more over the 20-year life of the contract.


Next, we have a new agreement to buy biofuels from algae for electricity generation:
http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=130836618

HECO inks biofuels deal with algae-based producer

By Alan Yonan Jr.

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 30, 2011

Hawaiian Electric Co. announced Thursday it has signed a deal to buy up to 150,000 gallons of locally made algae-based biofuel to burn in its Kahe Generating Station as part of the utility's shift away from its reliance on fossil fuels.

HECO has successfully tested other types of biofuel in its electrical generators but this will be the first time the utility will be using fuel derived from algae, which is capable of yielding more oil per acre than any other biofuel feedstock.


Sorry about the paywall; if a real article comes up this weekend and I'm around, I'll post it. You guys can log in to our local paper for something like 10. a year, while we have to pay 20. a month. Sucks ya?

Anyway some good news all around today. I hope the algal based fuel ends up with a reasonable price that the PUC can agree to accept.