Resource World Magazine

D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 www.resourceworld.com 59 "green" electronics component, made from renewable, non-toxic materials. They also represent a new part in the growing field of synthetic biology. "Now that we understand better how the nanowires work and have demonstrated that they can be genetically manipulated, engineering 'electric microbes' for a diversity of appli- cations seems possible," says the team. One application being developed is making Geobacter into electronic sensors to detect environmental contaminants. Another is Geobacter-based microbiological comput- ers. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research. A technology demonstration for the new approach recently took place at the Sacramento, California Municipal Utility District's Customer Service Center. "This first-ever test is a critical milestone as we move forward with our collective goal to advance electrification and boost the envi- ronmental benefits that come with that," stated Mike Tinskey, global director of electrification and infrastructure for Ford Motor Company [F-NYSE]. "Our intent is to add more capability to this technology so that it may be used broadly in the future." new tool helps policyMAkers shift to cleAn energy Policymakers and planners may have a new tool to help them determine the most effi- cient and effective means among multiple choices to cut greenhouse gases and shift away from fossil fuel use. Developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and presented at an event at the University of Copenhagen, this tool could help speed up and make more efficient the shift to clean energy. "SWITCH is a tool we can use to exam- ine choices of technologies within the electrical power sector and their locations. This enables us to estimate the impact on regional air pollution emissions, as well as how much land area, and water consump- tion would be needed for each scenario," said a University of Copenhagen press release. "The tool demonstrates that dif- ferent energy scenarios, with the same decarbonization target, can make a differ- ence of 108,000 tons in annual air pollutant emissions or 1.2 million acres of land use." "With this tool we can examine not only carbon emissions, but also those of other greenhouse gases, and as a result tease apart the cost-effectiveness of the scenarios as well as identify what and where impacts are likely to occur for a range of resources," says researcher, Daniel Kammen. At the event, scientists introduced results of the "interconnected grid system that encom- passes the western US, Alberta, British Columbia and northwest Mexico." But the tool has been applied much more broadly already, with versions of SWITCH cre- ated for China, Chile, and Nicaragua; and coming versions for Mexico, India, and East Africa. Incorporating natural gas prices, hydro- power availability, the cost of solar and wind power, and much more, the tool offers a diverse and holistic look at dif- ferent economic and policy options. The SWITCH model can be aimed at iden- tifying the most cost-effective choices, the generation needed, the transmission needed, and the storage options for pro- posed electricity systems. "SWITCH uses time-synchronized load and renewable generation data to evaluate future capacity investments while ensur- ing that load is met and policy goals are reached at minimum cost. The optimiza- tion is formulated as a deterministic linear program, which is solved by standard com- mercial software," the UC Berkeley website connected to the project states. Alexis Laurent, from the Technical University of Denmark states, "We know that carbon footprint, a popular indicator used in environmental policies, does not correspond well with other environmental impacts such as toxicity to ecosystems and humans, depletion of resources, and land use. In a decision-making context, where you are confronted with product A and product B with the same carbon footprint score, you do not have enough informa- tion to choose the most environmentally friendly option," says Laurent. solAr highwAys coMing to MinnesotA The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has released a request for proposal (RFP) and is accepting bids to build and manage solar arrays that would provide the state's grid with a new and reliable source of clean energy for at least 20 years. The solar highways RFP is the result of Minnesota Statute 216H, which obligates the state government to develop a plan to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The law established goals for a reduc- tion in greenhouse gas emissions 15% below 2005 levels by 2015 and 30% by 2025. MnDOT is searching for solar energy installers to design, develop, and oper- ate solar arrays on otherwise unused land within the Land of 1,000 Lakes. According to the Minnesota Post, this project could result in up to 5 MW of power installed along local highways within the next few years, contingent upon finding an optimal amount of space along south-facing highway embankments. The state is leaving it up to bidders to demonstrate what areas are ripe for solar panels. MnDOT says such public rights-of-way need at least one acre to allow for a minimum of 1 MW generation capacity from solar panels. To date, Oregon is the only state that has launched solar arrays using other- wise empty right-of-way space. California also explored developing a solar high- ways project in the Sacramento area, but dropped the plan. Oregon's first array, completed in 2008, generates 104 KW of power, enough electricity for some of the surrounding freeway lights. n

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