News stories tagged with "alternative-energy"

(02/13/12) The U.S. government supports renewable energy with money for research and tax breaks. But as the Innovation Trail's Matt Richmond reports, that backing has come under political fire, and the industry is already feeling the effects. more

(07/04/11) New York's Labor Department says the transition to an economy more reliant on green jobs make look a little different than expected and take a little longer. more

(05/25/11) As summer driving season gets underway, researchers at SUNY's College of Environmental Science and Forestry continue work on a greener alternative to power your car. Emma Jacobs took a bio-fueled test drive for the Innovation Trail. more

(06/02/10) While the debate rages over pollution of outdoor wood boilers, a new generation of wood heat systems is already being rolled out.

Scientists and manufacturers say so-called "wood gasification" boilers burn much more efficiently with far less smoke and ash. A new, state-of-the-art boiler is now on-line at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, burning wood pellets produced in Massena.

As Brian Mann reports, the manufacturer hopes to sell similar systems to businesses and government offices across the North Country.

(01/29/10) "Clean coal" got a mention in President Obama's State of the Union address this week. Along with nuclear power and alternative energy sources, the President listed clean coal as an important sources for energy for the country.

He also promised to move forward on climate change reductions. And here, America is in a bind. Almost half of our electricity comes from coal. But compared to other power sources, coal produces the most carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

Industry is testing new technology in hopes of fulfilling the promise of "clean coal." Shawn Allee has this update on a test project that has some hard work left to do. more

(12/07/09) An energy efficiency not-for-profit best known for its annual alternative energy fair is closing. Community Energy Services was based in Canton and employed eight people. It was dropped from a state contract that provided most of its income. David Sommerstein reports. more

(05/27/09) President Barack Obama's visit to Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas today has more to do with what's on the ground than it does the fighter jets in the air. Lester Graham reports on the base's solar energy project.

(09/12/08) High heating fuel prices, especially home heating oil prices, are adding urgency to routine preparations for winter. Counties and communities are trying to get ahead of what's expected to be a very tough winter. Jeff Loomis of Energy Answers in Massena, has been conducting energy audits since 1983. His business now is primarily energy conservation, wood pellets, wood gasification. He's the keynote speaker at a a one day heating and energy fair at SUNY Canton from 1 to 5 tomorrow. He told David Sommerstein he hopes to help people struggling with some very practical decisions.

(06/04/07) An influential congressman from West Virginia could play a role in the North Country's growing wind industry. The Democrat who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee says the government should tighten regulations to protect birds, bats and other wildlife killed by the giant turbines. Brian Mann has details.

(05/31/07) Ethanol fuel is grain alcohol blended with regular gasoline. The most common blend, 10% ethanol, 90% gas, accounts for about a third of the gas sold in America. The alcohol is now made mostly from corn. It's big business for American corn farmers. But some people are warning there are costs to the drive for ethanol, and we will all pay. Yesterday, dairy market forecasters warned that consumers can expect a sharp increase in dairy prices this summer. The milk futures market predicts that by June, the price paid to farmers will have increased 50% this year, partly due to increased costs of corn to feed their cows. But it's more than just cheese and milk. Rebecca Williams has the first of a two-part series on the hidden consequences of ethanol.