Solar in the Sahara
In Morocco, an expansive solar power complex begins to take shape at the “door of the desert.” Read more athttp://
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Solar in the Sahara
From NASA Earth:
Solar in the Sahara
In Morocco, an expansive solar power complex begins to take shape at the “door of the desert.” Read more athttp://
Solar in the Sahara
In Morocco, an expansive solar power complex begins to take shape at the “door of the desert.” Read more athttp://
Monday, January 4, 2016
Wind Turbine Capacity Increasing
From National Renewable Energy Laboratory:
Great news from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) to start 2016.
At the end of 2015 wind power in the USA passed the 70 gigawatt mark, meaning enough wind turbine capacity is now installed to supply over 19 million typical American homes with low-cost clean electricity.http://bit.ly/1Yyf7fB
Great news from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) to start 2016.
At the end of 2015 wind power in the USA passed the 70 gigawatt mark, meaning enough wind turbine capacity is now installed to supply over 19 million typical American homes with low-cost clean electricity.http://bit.ly/1Yyf7fB
Saturday, January 2, 2016
HISTORY OF FORT GIBSON DAM
From the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
HISTORY OF FORT GIBSON DAM
Purpose: Flood control and hydroelectric power.
Location: On the Grand (Neosho) River at river mile 7.7, in Mayes, Wagoner, and Cherokee Counties, about 5 miles north of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, and about 12 miles northeast of Muskogee, Oklahoma.
History: Construction began in 1942, was suspended during World War II, and resumed in May 1946. Closure of the embankment was completed in June 1949. The project became fully operational when the last of four generators started producing commercial power in September 1953.
Fort Gibson Lake draws its name from the nearby historic town of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. Fort Gibson played a prominent part in the military history of early-day Oklahoma. It was the scene of many important events – from the first appearance of the relocated members of the Five Civilized Tribes through its contacts with the tribes of the western plains and the turbulent years of the Civil War. Union and Confederate forces at different times occupied the post.
Founded in 1824 by Col. Matthew Arbuckle of the 7th Infantry and named for Col. George Gibson, this was the farthest west military outpost in the chain of fortifications stretching from the northern to the southern borders of the United States. Until 1857, it served as the chief military center for the Indian Territory and many treaties with the Indians were signed here. It was the base for the establishment of the subposts of Forts Chaffee, Wayne, Holmes, Arbuckle and Washita. Jefferson Davis, later president of the Confederacy, served here under Gen. Zachary Taylor, who became president of the United Sates in 1849. Washington Irving, accompanying an exploring expedition in 1832, started the trip from Fort Gibson which he described in his book, “A Tour On the Prairies.” It was also from Fort Gibson that George Catlin, renowned painter of the American Indian, set out with the First Infantry Dragoons on their expedition into the Kiowa and Comanche Country in 1834. The name of the first post office at the site, Cantonment Gibson, was changed to Fort Gibson in 1842.
Among the many famous Americans identified with Fort Gibson are Capt. Nathan Boone, A.P. Chouteau, Sam Houston, Gen. Henry Leavenworth, Robert E. Lee and John Howard Payne. Fort Gibson National Cemetery – the only national cemetery in Oklahoma – is located ½ mile east of the town of Fort Gibson.
The old Texas Road, with its traffic of cattlemen, freighters and traders, passed near the fort, but the main communication for the troops and residents of the surrounding country was by steamboat on the Arkansas River. French fur traders of the southwest made it a center for their business transactions, and supplies for a large area were imported and dispersed from this point.
Abandoned by the government in 1857, Fort Gibson was reoccupied during the Civil War. After the war, it continued as an agency, aiding in the civilization of the west, before it was fully abandoned in 1890. Today at the Fort Gibson, a reconstructed log stockade stands on the site of the first log fort. Now a National Historical Landmark, the stockade is owned by the state of Oklahoma and is open to the public year-round.
Other communities near the lake, with the dates their post offices were established include: Wagoner, 1888; Okay, a trading post as far back as 1822, had several names before it officially became Okay in 1919; Mazie, 1905; Chouteau, 1871; Murphy, 1912; and Hulbert, 1903.
Type of Structure: The dam includes two concrete, gravity, non-overflow sections. One section, 285 feet long, extends from the spillway to the earth embankment at the right abutment. The other section, 460 feet long, extends from the intake structure to the earth embankment at the left abutment. The dam also includes two earth embankment sections, one of which extends about 374 feet from the natural ground at the right abutment to the right bank concrete non-overflow section. The other embankment, 63 feet long, extends from the left abutment to the left bank concrete non-overflow section. The powerhouse intake structure is located adjacent to the spillway on the left and is 318 feet long. The total length of the structures, including the spillway, is 2,990 feet, and the maximum height above the streambed is 110 feet. Oklahoma State Highway 251A extends across the top of the structures. There are seven rolled earthfill dikes on the west side of the reservoir which have a total length of 21,678 feet.
Spillway & Outlet Works: The spillway section is a concrete, gravity, ogee weir which extends across the existing river channel and a major portion of the right bank floodplain. Spillway capacity is 986,000 cubic feet per second at the top of the flood control pool. The spillway is equipped with thirty 40- by 35-foot tainter gates operated by individual electric-motored hoists. The total length of the spillway is 1,490 feet. Outlet works consist of ten 5-foot, 8-inch by 7-foot rectangular sluices located through the spillway weir. Capacity of the outlet works varies from 21,000 cfs at the flood control pool elevation with no spillway discharge to 14,400 cfs at the flood control pool elevation with the spillway discharging at full capacity. Flows through the sluices are controlled by a means of hydraulically-operated, cast-iron slide gates. Emergency closure of the sluices can be accomplished using a bulkhead lowered by a hoist into frames provided at the sluice entrances. A 48-inch-diameter pipe is located through the right abutment of the dam for municipal water supply for the city of Muskogee. Bank-full capacity on the Grand (Neosho) River below the dam is about 100,000 cfs.
Hydrologic Data: Estimated peak discharge and volume for the flood of May 7 to June 1, 1943, (with Grand Lake O' the Cherokees in operation) were 400,000 cfs and 5,918,000 acre-feet, respectively. Total runoff from the drainage area above the dam site was 8.88 inches.
Authorization: Flood Control Act approved August 18, 1941; incorporated in the Arkansas River multipurpose plan by the River and Harbor Act of July 24, 1946; Project Document HD 107, 76th Congress, 1st Session; and the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, Public Law 99-662.
U.S. Army photo by Edward N. Johnson
USACE-Tulsa, Public Affairs
HISTORY OF FORT GIBSON DAM
Purpose: Flood control and hydroelectric power.
Location: On the Grand (Neosho) River at river mile 7.7, in Mayes, Wagoner, and Cherokee Counties, about 5 miles north of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, and about 12 miles northeast of Muskogee, Oklahoma.
History: Construction began in 1942, was suspended during World War II, and resumed in May 1946. Closure of the embankment was completed in June 1949. The project became fully operational when the last of four generators started producing commercial power in September 1953.
Fort Gibson Lake draws its name from the nearby historic town of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. Fort Gibson played a prominent part in the military history of early-day Oklahoma. It was the scene of many important events – from the first appearance of the relocated members of the Five Civilized Tribes through its contacts with the tribes of the western plains and the turbulent years of the Civil War. Union and Confederate forces at different times occupied the post.
Founded in 1824 by Col. Matthew Arbuckle of the 7th Infantry and named for Col. George Gibson, this was the farthest west military outpost in the chain of fortifications stretching from the northern to the southern borders of the United States. Until 1857, it served as the chief military center for the Indian Territory and many treaties with the Indians were signed here. It was the base for the establishment of the subposts of Forts Chaffee, Wayne, Holmes, Arbuckle and Washita. Jefferson Davis, later president of the Confederacy, served here under Gen. Zachary Taylor, who became president of the United Sates in 1849. Washington Irving, accompanying an exploring expedition in 1832, started the trip from Fort Gibson which he described in his book, “A Tour On the Prairies.” It was also from Fort Gibson that George Catlin, renowned painter of the American Indian, set out with the First Infantry Dragoons on their expedition into the Kiowa and Comanche Country in 1834. The name of the first post office at the site, Cantonment Gibson, was changed to Fort Gibson in 1842.
Among the many famous Americans identified with Fort Gibson are Capt. Nathan Boone, A.P. Chouteau, Sam Houston, Gen. Henry Leavenworth, Robert E. Lee and John Howard Payne. Fort Gibson National Cemetery – the only national cemetery in Oklahoma – is located ½ mile east of the town of Fort Gibson.
The old Texas Road, with its traffic of cattlemen, freighters and traders, passed near the fort, but the main communication for the troops and residents of the surrounding country was by steamboat on the Arkansas River. French fur traders of the southwest made it a center for their business transactions, and supplies for a large area were imported and dispersed from this point.
Abandoned by the government in 1857, Fort Gibson was reoccupied during the Civil War. After the war, it continued as an agency, aiding in the civilization of the west, before it was fully abandoned in 1890. Today at the Fort Gibson, a reconstructed log stockade stands on the site of the first log fort. Now a National Historical Landmark, the stockade is owned by the state of Oklahoma and is open to the public year-round.
Other communities near the lake, with the dates their post offices were established include: Wagoner, 1888; Okay, a trading post as far back as 1822, had several names before it officially became Okay in 1919; Mazie, 1905; Chouteau, 1871; Murphy, 1912; and Hulbert, 1903.
Type of Structure: The dam includes two concrete, gravity, non-overflow sections. One section, 285 feet long, extends from the spillway to the earth embankment at the right abutment. The other section, 460 feet long, extends from the intake structure to the earth embankment at the left abutment. The dam also includes two earth embankment sections, one of which extends about 374 feet from the natural ground at the right abutment to the right bank concrete non-overflow section. The other embankment, 63 feet long, extends from the left abutment to the left bank concrete non-overflow section. The powerhouse intake structure is located adjacent to the spillway on the left and is 318 feet long. The total length of the structures, including the spillway, is 2,990 feet, and the maximum height above the streambed is 110 feet. Oklahoma State Highway 251A extends across the top of the structures. There are seven rolled earthfill dikes on the west side of the reservoir which have a total length of 21,678 feet.
Spillway & Outlet Works: The spillway section is a concrete, gravity, ogee weir which extends across the existing river channel and a major portion of the right bank floodplain. Spillway capacity is 986,000 cubic feet per second at the top of the flood control pool. The spillway is equipped with thirty 40- by 35-foot tainter gates operated by individual electric-motored hoists. The total length of the spillway is 1,490 feet. Outlet works consist of ten 5-foot, 8-inch by 7-foot rectangular sluices located through the spillway weir. Capacity of the outlet works varies from 21,000 cfs at the flood control pool elevation with no spillway discharge to 14,400 cfs at the flood control pool elevation with the spillway discharging at full capacity. Flows through the sluices are controlled by a means of hydraulically-operated, cast-iron slide gates. Emergency closure of the sluices can be accomplished using a bulkhead lowered by a hoist into frames provided at the sluice entrances. A 48-inch-diameter pipe is located through the right abutment of the dam for municipal water supply for the city of Muskogee. Bank-full capacity on the Grand (Neosho) River below the dam is about 100,000 cfs.
Hydrologic Data: Estimated peak discharge and volume for the flood of May 7 to June 1, 1943, (with Grand Lake O' the Cherokees in operation) were 400,000 cfs and 5,918,000 acre-feet, respectively. Total runoff from the drainage area above the dam site was 8.88 inches.
Authorization: Flood Control Act approved August 18, 1941; incorporated in the Arkansas River multipurpose plan by the River and Harbor Act of July 24, 1946; Project Document HD 107, 76th Congress, 1st Session; and the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, Public Law 99-662.
U.S. Army photo by Edward N. Johnson
USACE-Tulsa, Public Affairs
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Owners of Lehigh Valley Companies and Their Engineer Charged in Green Energy Fraud Scheme
FBI Philadelphia Division #News Release:
Owners of Lehigh Valley Companies and Their Engineer Charged in Green Energy Fraud Scheme
Owners of Lehigh Valley Companies and Their Engineer Charged in Green Energy Fraud Scheme
| U.S. Attorney’s OfficeDecember 21, 2015 |
PHILADELPHIA—David Dunham, 35, of Bethlehem, PA, and Ralph Tommaso, 46, of Warren, NJ, were charged by indictment, unsealed today, with engaging in a multi-million dollar conspiracy to defraud individuals and the United States in a green energy scam involving used cooking oil, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The defendants are charged with conspiracy, providing false statements to the government, wire fraud, tax fraud, and obstruction of an IRS audit and a U.S. Department of Agriculture examination.
From 2010 through 2012, in Wind Gap, Allentown, Bethlehem, and elsewhere, Dunham and Tommaso operated, respectively, the companies Smarter Fuel, Inc. (Smarter Fuel) and Environmental Energy Recycling Corporation, LLC (EERC), coordinating the activities of these companies, and then formally merging under the umbrella of Greenworks Holdings, LLC (Greenworks). According to the 101-count indictment, the defendants falsely claimed to have produced and sold renewable fuel for which they misappropriated approximately $50 million in payments, subsidies, and other benefits. Dunham and Tommaso allegedly defrauded government programs intended to encourage the production of renewable fuel as an alternative to traditional fossil fuel. By claiming credits for renewable fuel they never produced, and that otherwise did not qualify, Duhnam and Tommaso stole tens of millions of dollars from the United States government. It is further alleged that Dunham and Tommaso stole millions more by fraudulently claiming and generating tradable credits that they sold to unsuspecting purchasers who believed these credits satisfied their legal obligation to introduce a certain quantity of renewable fuel per year.
The defendants, through their companies, collected used cooking oil from restaurants and other food service locations, sometimes processing it to remove hard particles, water, and other waste. They then sold this cleaned cooking oil primarily to renewable fuel producers that used it as a “feedstock” ingredient in their production process.
Dunham and Tommaso did not sell their cleaned used cooking oil as a final fuel, but allegedly fraudulently claimed otherwise, applying for and receiving government subsidies for every gallon of cleaned used cooking oil that they produced, plus more. Their claims vastly exceeded their actual production. In 2010, Dunham and Tommaso allegedly claimed subsidies and other payments on more than 917.5 million gallons of product, when they produced less than six million gallons. In 2011, Dunham and Tommaso allegedly claimed subsidies and other payments of more than 18 million gallons, when they only produced about 7.5 million gallons. Of the cleaned used cooking oil they did produce, the vast majority did not qualify for credit or subsidy. The defendants’ allegedly fraudulent claims included more than one million gallons of the wastewater that was the byproduct of their processes to clean debris and pollutants from used cooking oil, the non-fuel sales of their product as a feedstock ingredient to be used by biofuel producers in buyers’ production of biofuel, and transactions that existed on paper only, where the defendants did not produce or even possess the product for which they generated subsidies.
The indictment alleges that Dunham and Tommaso provided false information and altered and forged documents and records to government and private auditors in an effort to conceal their fraud. They allegedly directed employees to alter the documentation of obviously unqualified sales and change them to show sales that qualified for subsidies and other payments.
Dunham is also charged with underreporting his taxable income for the tax years 2009 and 2010. In his filings for these years, Dunham allegedly altered the dates on sales invoices, and delayed generating invoices on other sales, in order to avoid paying taxes on these sales until a subsequent tax year. He also allegedly obstructed an IRS audit of Smarter Fuel.
“According to the indictment, these defendants exploited critical government programs that were designed to encourage the production and use of renewable fuels. Instead of producing the renewable fuel as represented, the defendants lied to the government and stole tens of millions of dollars,” said Memeger. “My office will continue to hold accountable those people who enrich themselves through government fraud and deny the taxpayers the full benefit of effective federal programs.”
“The illegal activity in this case has real consequences, including undermining a law that reduces our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and achieves important greenhouse gas reductions,” said Director Doug Parker, of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “Companies and their managers should think very carefully before taking similar actions that could lead to prosecution.”
“Fulfilling individual tax obligations is a legal requirement and those who willfully evade that responsibility will be prosecuted,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Akeia Conner, IRS Criminal Investigation.
In a related matter, William Barnes, a professional engineer, was charged by information, unsealed today, with two counts of conspiring to provide false statements to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). Barnes was allegedly hired to help the companies in Wind Gap and in Allentown register for the EPA’s program as renewable fuel producers and allegedly conspired with the company owners to provide false Engineering Reports to the EPA.
If convicted, Dunham and Tommaso each face a substantial prison term, supervised release, a possible fine, and potential criminal forfeiture of up to $50 million. Dunham faces a $8,700 special assessment; Tommaso faces a $8,400 special assessment. Barnes faces a statutory maximum possible sentence of ten years in prison, supervised release, a possible fine, and a $200 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Agriculture–Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspector Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Allentown Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy E. Potts and John Gallagher.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This content has been reproduced from its original source.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Honeywell And IFTTT Easily And Automatically Link Your Smart Thermostat With Your Everyday Activities
From Honeywell:
| 12/15/2015 | |
| Honeywell And IFTTT Easily And Automatically Link Your Smart Thermostat With Your Everyday Activities | |
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON), a leader in managing home comfort and security, is announcing a new Channel on IFTTT – the widely-used software application – to help consumers better control their homes and keep them feeling comfortable.
Through the Honeywell and IFTTT integration, consumers can now automatically link and manage their Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostats using IFTTT's simple, DIY (do it yourself) "Recipes." A Recipe is a simple formula built around the idea that "if this" happens, "then that" occurs. Starting today, consumers can visit the Honeywell Connected Thermostat Channel on IFTTT, and begin adding Recipes that will activate custom features and scenarios for free, including:
"We know that 90 percent of Americans* have a desire to automate their homes in some way and are clamoring for new ways to be in control of and in sync with everything that happens with their homes," said Jeremy Eaton, president, Honeywell Connected Home. "With Honeywell Recipes on IFTTT, consumers can now use and connect with their thermostats even more easily, however and whenever they want."
To learn more about which Honeywell connected thermostats are compatible with IFTTT and the Total Connect Comfort mobile app, please visit http://yourhome.honeywell.com. You can also follow Honeywell on Twitter (http://twitter.com/Honeywell_Home), and connect with us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/HoneywellHome). For more information on IFTTT, please visithttp://ifttt.com.
* According toHoneywell Home Connectivity Survey, July 2015
About HoneywellHoneywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.
About IFTTTFounded in December 2010 and launched publicly September 2011, IFTTT (pronounced "gift" without the "g") helps people get the most out of their favorite apps and devices. Based in San Francisco, IFTTT has raised $39 million in funding from top tier investors including Norwest Venture Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, and SV Angel.
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Friday, December 18, 2015
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