GreenFuel Technologies Corp., the Cambridge, Mass.-based company that wants to use super-algae to suck up CO2 from coal and natural gas plants, has revealed some details of a field test to take place at a coal-power plant in western New York State. Hat tip to Jim at The Energy Blog for putting me on to this. The company has partnered with NRG Energy Inc. and the NY State Energy Research and Development Authority on the project.

(Click here for past post and column for background on GreenFuel, whose CEO I’ve had the opportunity to interview).

To be clear, NRG is a $6-billion player in the U.S. power-generation market, with a number of baseload, intermediate, peaking and co-gen facilities throughout Texas, the Northeast, South Central and Western regions of the United States. The fact that GreenFuel is getting an opportunity to test out its technology with such a major player is an incredible opportunity as far as I’m concerned.

My personal hope and vision is to see Ontario Power Generation incorporate GreenFuel’s bio-reactor technology into its new Portlands Energy Centre to be built in Toronto. This would be a perfect opportunity, close to the city’s core, to show how serious the provincial-owned power generator is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The natural-gas plant that’s part of the centre would be a perfect fit for GreenFuel’s technology, there’s enough land (presumably the city will want a buffer zone around the plant), and the algae could be harvested as part of a separate biofuel experiment. This would have the added benefit of attracting tourism.

Oh, wait a second… I’m dreaming. Who am I to think that an Ontario utility or power generator is willing to take a risk by trying something innovative?

I’m hearing this is a match made in cleantech heaven. MuniMae, a major provider of debt and equity financing for real estate developers, has purchased clean-energy project financer/operator Renewable Ventures LLC.  (See this post about RV’s launch in February of a $100-million U.S. fund). The buzz about this deal, according to a Red Herring story, is that it will accelerate the availability and increase the options for financing clean-energy projects for businesses and other organizations. Perhaps it will also trigger similar deals/arrangements in the U.S. and even Canada.

Just an FYI if you happen to live in Toronto: A group called Toronto Green Drinks meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month for drinks at the lovely Bedford Academy at 36 Prince Arthur Avenue (near my old stomping grounds at the University of Toronto). Anyway, anyone interested in chatting with other greenies and cleanies about related issues and technologies should drop by. I’m hoping to make it out one night.

Just an FYI if you happen to live in Toronto: A group called Toronto Green Drinks meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month for drinks at the lovely Bedford Academy at 36 Prince Arthur Avenue (near my old stomping grounds at the University of Toronto). Anyway, anyone interested in chatting with other greenies and cleanies about related issues and technologies should drop by. I’m hoping to make it out one night.