The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has guaranteed an $80
million loan to Range Fuels, Inc., which is building a
biorefinery in Georgia to convert wood chips to biofuels using
a two-step thermochemical process. The guarantee is the
agency's first to a commercial-scale cellulosic biofuel plant.
Today’s challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the country’s steadily rising demand for electricity make it essential for legislatures and public utility commissions to shift their focus toward mechanisms that make demand reduction as profitable for utilities as increasing supply. (Source: Institute for 21st Century Energy)
In 2007, renewable sources of energy accounted for about 7% of total U.S. energy consumption and 9.4% of electricity generation. (Source: EIA)
Estimated energy demand is charted to grow by almost 50% in the next 20 years.
In 2007, the average monthly residential electricity consumption was 936 kWh. (Source: EIA)
The United States makes up 5% of the world's population and accounts for 25% of total energy use.
