CleanTech OC Daily - 4/3/12

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

How Electricity Gets Bought & Sold in California (and how do wind & solar fit in?)
The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) has sole responsibility for managing California’s wholesale energy market under the direct jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) - but how will the ISO include 33 percent renewables by 2020?

Opower has just announced a Facebook app that allows people to track their electricity use, compare to national averages, and communicate/compete with friends about home energy. Sixteen utilities in the U.S. (see list here) are participating in a program which uploads utility bill information directly to Facebook. The information sharing will hopefully encourage people to become more aware of their personal electricity consumption and promote efficiency.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute have discovered a new source for biofuel - methyl ketones, originally found in the fragrant plant, rue. While the discovery shows quite a bit of promise, researchers are still a long way from powering your engine with methyl ketones and are currently working on increasing production and perfecting the fuel properties.

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