Transmission projects to deliver renewable power in the Northwest and Southwest are surging forward thanks to recent federal and state action. The Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Ore., plans to build a $246-million, 500-kV transmission line to deliver 870 MW of electricity, including more than 700 MW of wind power, in the Northwest. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act granted BPA and the Western Area Power Administration each an additional $3.25 billion in borrowing authority to develop new transmission lines. Lakewood, Colo.-based WAPA says it is still deciding on projects. Photo: Burns & McDonnell Power line projects to start soon. In

Funds to modify a coal-fired powerplant to capture and sequester carbon dioxide are coming from an unusual source. The Dept. of Agriculture has approved a $300-million loan through its Rural Utilities Program to Basin Electric Power Cooperative, a North Dakota wholesale power power cooperative, for what is billed as the first project of its type in the country to operate on a commercial scale. A 120-MW slipstream of Antelope Valley Station Unit 1, fueled by lignite, will be processed to capture 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide per day at the plant near Beulah, N.D. The carbon dioxide will be piped

The North American unit of U.K.-based BP will spend more than $161 million to resolve clean-air violations at its Texas City, Texas, refinery. It is the same plant for which BP was fined $50 million following a 2005 explosion that killed 15 contractor employees and injured 170 others. Under a new Feb. 19 settlement, BP agreed to invest most of the funds on pollution controls, maintenance and "improved internal management" at the plant. The pact with federal regulators, which also includes a $12-million civil penalty and $6 million to reduce air pollution from diesel vehicles, resolves BP’s noncompliance with a

A new study casts doubt on whether the target energy-efficiency reductions often cited in legislation and other calls for mandatory reductions are economically feasible. The study, released by Herndon, Va.-based NAIOP, a commercial real estate development association, found that although significant energy efficiencies can be achieved, reaching a 30% reduction above the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers’ 90.1-2004 standard is "not feasible" and would exceed a 10-year payback. The standard is usually the benchmark cited by lawmakers and other officials. The study, conducted by ConSol, a California-based energy-modeling firm, used a building energy-simulation program to compare

For years, a higher-speed rail route between Chicago and St. Louis "has been a construction season or two away from reality," says Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. Pleasantly surprised by the $8-billion pot created in the final stimulus package for high-speed rail, he says, "Hopefully this will put it over the edge." Photo: California High Speed Rail Authority High-speed rail projects get $8 billion, up from zero in the House version of the bill. High-speed rail is the surprise winner in the $787-billion package, which includes $48 billion for transportation infrastructure. "It was a

Renewable energy is the big energy industry winner in the stimulus bill signed into law on Feb. 17. By ENR’s estimate, the new law provides $30.6 billion in energy-related spending and tax incentives. But a provision for $50 billion in federal loan guarantees to build new nuclear power plants was dropped from the bill that emerged from the conference reconciling the House and Senate versions. Ties That Bind. Bill aims to stimulate smart-grid development but doesn’t focus on projects. While welcome, cash, tax credits and loan guarantees may not be what’s most needed. “The renewable-energy industry is doing fairly well,

Each year from 1998 to 2004, 59,000 acres of coastal wetlands were lost in the eastern United States, says a new report, "Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Coastal Watersheds of the Eastern United States", from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More than half of the U.S. population lives in coastal counties in densities five times greater than inland counties, says the report. The construction of roads and buildings has accelerated wetlands loss, particularly along the Gulf of Mexico. A case study from Florida illustrates the challenges of restoring coastal wetlands,

Industry sources describe the funds provided in the final stimulus package for the environmental sector as a good start that could help the Obama administration meet its goal of jumpstarting the economy by creating and saving more jobs. But they acknowledge that the $20.6 billion allocated for environmental projects ranging from water and wastewater infrastructure to levees, Superfund and Dept. of Energy nuclear cleanup falls far short of what is needed to address current and long-term needs. Photo: AP/Wideworld While the Corps received $6.4 billion, some say that is not enough. More flexibility has been provided to states in some

Cement scientist Brent Constantz wants concrete to be the "hero" that cleans up dirty coal. "The reality is, coal is not going away," he says. "We need to meet the world’s power demands without emitting more carbon." His answer? A new type of concrete that sequesters carbon without disturbing its traditional binder: portland cement. Slide Show Illustration: Calera Corp. How the Calera Process Works Photo: Tudor Van Hampton / ENR In Las Vegas, Constantz said he can use aggregate to store carbon in concrete. This past summer, the Stanford University professor’s Los Gatos, Calif.-based startup, Calera Corp., began making cement

Members of the International Code Council are all over the map about the revamped model code development process announced by the publisher of the widely adopted International Building Code and a dozen other model codes. Many greet the change with open arms, saying it will streamline the process. Others think the new process will stifle innovation, reduce the quality of the codes and allow special interests to more easily hijack the development process. The biggest change is that there will be one complete code development cycle every three years instead of two. A consequence of that is elimination of the