Energy Roundup: Aquamarine's Big Catch, Power Grab For Grid, and More

Aquamarine lands massive ocean power deal — Aquamarine Power will develop 1,000 megawatts of wave and tidal power by 2020 in a joint deal with Airtricity, the renewable energy development division of Scottish and Southern Energy. Edinburgh, Scotland-based Aquamarine’s plan to build two different prototypes — one using tidal and the other using wave technology — would greatly increase the amount of ocean-generated power in the world, which currently has less than 10 megawatts of installed capacity. [Source: Greentech Media, Renewable Energy World]

Reid bill gives feds more power over electricity grid — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will introduce legislation this week to hasten approvals of transmission lines that send renewable energy across the country, giving the federal government new authority over how the U.S. generates and uses electricity. The proposal will be introduced separately from other energy policy legislation. Reid’s legislative plans come on the heels of a power grid study estimating more than $80 billion in new transmission infrastructure would be needed to retrieve 20 percent of the electricity in the eastern half of the U.S. from wind generation. [Source: WSJ's Environmental Capital, Bloomberg]

Govs urge Obama to tear down barriers to alternative fuels industry — A coalition of Midwestern governors pressed the Obama Administration to make it easier to develop alternative fuels including the approval of 13 percent ethanol blends in gasoline and the promotion of wind energy. The 35-member coalition, which includes a number of Midwestern states hard hit from declines in the auto and manufacturing industries, said the biofuels industry will spur job growth and provide energy independence for the U.S. [Source: Domestic Fuel, BusinessWeek]

ZeaChem begins biorefinery project in Oregon — Construction on ZeaChem’s first biorefinery will begin this summer near the GreenWood Resources poplar tree farm, which is expected to supply feedstock for the plant. ZeaChem CEO James Imbler has touted the cellulosic ethanol plant’s processing capabilities, apparently 135 gallons of ethanol per bone dry ton of feedstock, a 40 percent increase compared to its competitors. [Source: Cleantech]

China’s investment in electric grid slows — State Grid, China’s monopoly power distributor in all but five provinces, plans to invest $38 billion this year to upgrade its electric grid including the development of ultra-high voltage transmission lines. The figure is markedly lower than in previous years — only about 0.8 percent more than 2008 spending — when State Grid experienced double-digit growth in investment in each of the past four years. [Source: Cleantech, Dow Jones]

Chevron discovery fuels liquefied natural gas strategy — Chevronhas found large natural gas resources in its Wheatstone and lago fields in northwest Australia, which is estimated to have enough to support a two-train, Wheatstone liquefied natural gas and domestic gas project. The discovery is important for Chevron, which plans to develop its resources in Australia in its bid to become a leading supplier of liquefied natural gas. [Source: EnergyCurrent]