UF graduate students Jason Harrington(left) and Ben Swanson joke around with a methanol fuel-cell bus

Fletcher spent much  of his career developing fuel-cell  technology. He’s also on staff at the University of Florida with the Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy. The JEA Clean and Renewable Energy Lab on the UNF campus is a mish-mosh of various projects, one of which is a methanol (not HYDROGEN) fuel-cell for bus transportation systems.

The New York Times announced Friday, May 8,  the government’s  decision to drop hydrogen fuel-cell funding.

“Developing those cells and coming up with a way to transport the hydrogen is a big challenge, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in releasing energy-related details of the administration’s budget for the year beginning Oct. 1. Dr. Chu said the government preferred to focus on PROJECTS THAT WOULD BARE FRUIT MORE QUICKLY.”

Obviously,  the energy secretary has never heard of methanol fuel-cells — or Georgetown University’s Advanced Vehicle Program. Its major funding is through the FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION and the U.S. DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION. Fletcher “works with Georgetown University Advanced Vehicle Development as part of the DOT Fuel Cell Bus Program.”

So again,

Jim Fletcher may, or may not be, having a heart attack at the moment. We won’t know for another month, however, because he’s in Australia. The program may have to be put on the back-burner.

Fletcher may not mind though. The lab has received funding for direct methanol fuel-cells, WHICH POWER LAP-TOP COMPUTERS.

We’ll have to wait until he returns from the “land down under” for an update on that …

-k.a.gardner

The Institute for Energy Systems, Economics and Sustainability‘s  David Cartes is annoyed.

He had sincerely hoped that Sen. Jim King, Chairman of  Florida’s Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee, would  deliver a clean energy strategy and not simply a renewable portfolio standard. Cartes clearly mentioned this in an April 4 Letters to the Editor in the Florida Times-Union.

Prof. David Cartes

But earlier this week,  the Senate and Gov. Charlie  Crist, were suddenly attacked by H.R. 1219, the House’s off-shore drilling bill – too complicated, they said, to consider by Friday, the scheduled end of this year’s legislative session.

In all fairness, however,  Gov. Charlie Crist said on Monday that he was not willing to tie the oil-drilling proposal to his own plan which would require 20 percent of Florida’s power to come from renewable sources by 2020.

“This is pushing me over the edge,” Cartes said on Tuesday.  “We had the opportunity to drill for natural gas.” Cartes had just spoken with Energy and Utilities Policy Committee Chair Rep. Paige Kreegel and apparently was still on edge.

UPDATE: “Drilling is a necessary evil, because of our huge need for cleaner natural gas energy,” Cartes wrote in an  e-mail clarification, “… this is pushing me over the edge [towards accepting drilling].”

Cartes is a smart guy, being a mechanical engineer, which is probably why he’s director of Florida State University’s IESES. For those who might not know, FSU is in Tallahassee, just a  stone’s throw from both the Executive and Legislative branches.

It’s not like Gov. Charlie Crist or Sen. Jim King of JACKSONVILLE, weren’t able to ask Cartes for his opinion or anything.

Sen James E. "Jim" King (904) 727-3600 9485 Regency Square Blvd.

Cartes also is Associate Director of  the Center for Advanced Power Systems.   CAPS is basically “an academic-industrial consortium focused on the application of recent advances in power semiconductors, materials, advanced controls and superconductivity to advanced power system technologies.”  The Center works in co-operation with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. CAPS also has the co-operation of the Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium. The “ESRDC brings together in a single entity the combined programs and resources of leading electric power research institutions for research on near to mid-term electric ship concepts.”

The Office of Naval Research manages the ESRDC. And as EVERYONE knows, the U.S. Navy is especially well-liked in Jacksonville.

Cartes is absolutely convinced Florida needs a “smart” energy grid. This means a diversified energy portfolio. In his opinion,  SOLAR is a key player of that portfoliolio. He’d like to see SOLAR PANELS on Florida rooftops.

Much like what JACKSONVILLE ELECTRIC AUTHORITY,  the “largest community-owned utility in Florida,”  is attempting to do with it’s Solar Incentive Program.

The environmental performance of the GE units burning natural gas makes JEA's Brandy Branch one of the cleanest electric generation plants in the world. courtesy JEA

Cartes said a combination of NUCLEAR and solar should play a strategic roll in Florida’s DIVERSFIED energy mix to include NATURAL GAS because (of something extremely complicated) – no energy storage capacity and peak operating times.

For those who don’t have a doctorate in mechanical engineering or run an electric system serving more than 360,000 418,000 customers, like the Florida Executive and Legislative branches,  OFF-SHORE DRILLING FOR NATURAL GAS  might be taken up for consideration in the next legislative session.

– k. a. gardner

In remembrance: Florida State Senator Jim King,  1939 – 2009

SO FAR …

Jacksonville, Fla. (July 28, 2008) – City of Jacksonville, Landfill Energy Systems, and Waste Management. JEA will purchase from

courtesy of Landfill Energy Systems

Landfill Energy Systems the power generated from methane, the landfill gas.  …

Bill Owen, vice president of Landfill Energy Systems (LES) said, “We’re very excited about building one of Florida’s largest landfill gas-to-energy plants right here in Jacksonville. This project is unique in that it involves many parties working together to achieve a common goal of creating an environmentally beneficial project for the citizens of Jacksonville. JEA, the City of Jacksonville, Waste Management and LES are working together to make this project a success.”

MEANWHILE …

Cash for Gas

Mar 1, 2009 -Phoenix-based Republic Services has sold the right to purchase landfill gas from its Hickory Ridge Landfill in Conley, Ga., to Global Energy Systems (GES), Summerville, S.C.

“Republic is very excited to add this project to our portfolio of more than 80 landfill-gas-to-energy projects,” said Bill Held, senior director of renewable energy for Republic, in a press release.

TO ADD TO THE CONFUSION …

IStockAnalyst on March 13, 2009, reported that the Florida Times-Union’s Tia Mitchell’s on March 13 reported:

Landfill Trash to Light Up City JEA Would Convert Trail Ridge Methane into a Renewable Energy Source.

... The city [COJ] has received nearly $1 million under the agreement [with LES] and will receive $193,500 for the next 22 years under the contract terms.

OUR NEXT CHAPTER … Trail Ridge Biomass War!

– k. a. gardner