FAS GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL

PITTSBURGH, April 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WhereverTV Broadcasting Corp. (Pink Sheets:TVTV), a leader in delivering Over the Top (OTT) subscription television services to a variety of devices including Connected TVs, streaming media players, smartphones and TabletPCs, today announced that it has appointed Edward D. Ciofani to the Board of Directors and to lead the company as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Ciofani will serve on the Board of Directors as Co-Chairman. Additionally, Mr. Ciofani provided his immediate strategic initiatives.

As CEO, Edward Ciofani will lead WhereverTV in the development of plans for strategic growth and in the effort to implement and finance those plans. Mr. Ciofani brings 28 years of public company and public market experience including 18 years of experience in Financial Markets with an emphasis on Investment Banking, Mergers & Acquisitions, and the trading of stocks. With personal ownership in 14 US & International corporations, Mr. Ciofani also provides substantial expertise with development, start-up and growth stage companies at the administrative and finance levels. Mr. Ciofani is also a skilled business manager with regards to corporate structure, personnel recruitment, supply chain efficiencies, sales, customer service and contract negotiation in B2B, B2C and B2G business environments.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Ciofani said, "The many benefits of Web TV, including the portability and personalization capabilities, and viable alternatives to traditional cable and satellite is what people want. I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to lead WhereverTV through the important time of corporate positioning and product deployment, and beyond. Our patented, portable and personalized content delivery technology combined with the team of talent I intend to bring will provide us with a unique opportunity to shape the future of live-streaming TV. My immediate goals are to restructure the company, add officers and personnel, expand the Board of Directors and get all filings current in order to up list the company to the OTCQB. Concurrently, I intend to take the steps necessary to deploy marketing, build the subscriber base, and initiate an over-the-top alternative to traditional cable or satellite subscription packages."

In connection with the move, Mark Cavicchia has transitioned from CEO into the new role of Chief Digital Officer. As WhereverTV's CDO, Mr. Cavicchia will be responsible for developing and managing the Company's digital strategy, which encompasses all aspects of technology, creation of subscription packages, customer retention and other matters relating to the Company's products and services. Mr. Cavicchia will also serve as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors.

"We are pleased to have Mr. Ciofani on board to take WhereverTV to the next level," stated Mark Cavicchia. The time could not be riper for Internet television opportunities and Mr. Ciofani has the strategic vision, the drive, and the connections to advance WhereverTV in the industry. And with his focus on building shareholder value, we have never been more poised to create a winning scenario for consumers and shareholders alike," he added.

For more background information about WhereverTV, please click: Internet TV, Over the Top, WhereverTV, or OTC Markets.

About WhereverTV Broadcasting Corporation (Symbol: TVTV)

Founded in 2007, WhereverTV is the next generation subscription television service providing consumers with live-streaming, genre-specific, and in-language viewing choices from around the world, delivered to anywhere in the world, and through any internet enabled device. Programming is identical to existing broadcast and distribution providers with the only differences being that the broadcast signals are accessed through the internet via an over the top (OTT) platform, and channel management is handled by company's patented Interactive Program Guide (IPG) technology. WhereverTV provides an economically beneficial and completely versatile alternative to traditional cable and satellite services, with the added benefits of personalization and portability. Also known as Internet TV, WhereverTV delivers these same channels, shows and events to SmartTVs and digital media receivers including: GoogleTV, AppleTV, Roku, Amazon FireTV, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Droid Smartphone, and TabletPCs. The WhereverTV platform enables subscribers to access licensed and free-to-air content across these devices with the IPG across unlimited geographies, and wherever there is internet connectivity. The customer viewing experiences are based on customer location (geo-targeting) and content-rights management (subscriptions). Current in-language subscription offerings include Arabic TV, French TV, Italian TV, and Moroccan TV. Current genre specific subscriptions include NEWS channels, faith based channels and more. Apps are presently available for free in App Stores for iOS (Apple), Android, GoogleTV and Amazon FireTV devices. DVR functionality to record your shows and view later is presently in the works. Licensed US TV content subscriptions will be available in 2015. Please visit: www.wherever.tv, for more info.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which may not be based on historical facts. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments.

Wind Windmill farms are sprouting up around the world. Australia, Europe and the United States are all investing in wind as a leading source of renewable energy. The business of wind not only includes the generation and sale of power, but also the design and construction of wind turbines. Few countries rely on wind for more than a tiny fraction of their power generation needs, but many countries are interested in the possibility.

 By

Lisa Smith

                                If you are looking for ways to put a little green in your wallet by putting some green in your portfolio, you might be surprised at the wide range of offerings available for your consideration. Let\'s take a look at 10 interesting areas, which are highlighted below. Wind Windmill farms are sprouting up around the world. Australia, Europe and the United States are all investing in wind as a leading source of renewable energy. The business of wind not only includes the generation and sale of power, but also the design and construction of wind turbines. Few countries rely on wind for more than a tiny fraction of their power generation needs, but many countries are interested in the possibility.

If this is of interest to you, look for wind farm companies that sell wind-generated energy or companies that produce the windmill technology. There are few pure play stocks that deal in wind in the U.S., which will likely change over time, but companies like General Electric (NYSE:GE) have a presence in this market.

Water One of the most important natural resources we have is water as it is a necessity in our survival. However, there has been a lot of fear that we are running out of clean water sources as the global population continues to grow. To investors this has created a clear opportunity to invest in companies that collect, clean and distribute water. The largest water utility company in the U.S. is Aqua America (NYSE:WTR), which supplies water to nearly 3 million people. Another company in the industry, on the purification side, is ITT Industries (NYSE:ITT), which produces water purification systems that help to make drinkable water.

To see the power of water, one needs look no further than China\'s massive Three Gorges Dam project. While this $25 billion structure on the Yangtze River will be the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, it\'s sure not the only one. Hydropower involves a lot of technology, a lot of infrastructure and a lot of power-hungry customers. Every one of those areas holds potential opportunities for investors. On the power side, two publically traded producers include PG&E Corp. (NYSE:PCG), which has one of the largest hydro operations and Idacorp (NYSE:IDA), which has 17 hydro projects. (For related reading, see Water: The Ultimate Commodity.)

Solar Energy Solar energy is powering homes, buildings and a variety of other items from lights to radios. As the cost of fossil fuels continues to rise and their availability continues to decline, the future looks bright for solar energy.

If you think the sun is just starting to rise on this industry the companies to look at are those that produce solar energy panels, which will benefit if homeowners and businesses adopt solar technology. Two of the leading producers of solar panals are Evergreen Solar (Nasdaq:ESLR) and Sunpower Corp. (Nasdaq:SPWR), which both develop, manufacture and sell panels and components and will directly benefit from the increased adoption of solar power.

Fuel Cells On a smaller scale, researchers are working with fuel cell technology to develop an alternative method of powering automobiles. The U.S. government hopes that hydrogen powered cars will be commonplace by 2020. If this technology works, there are millions of cars - and millions of consumers - waiting for it.

If you think this is the type of energy is the wave of the future there are a few companies that operate in the space and and develop fuel cell technology. For example, some of the largest producers include Ballard Power Systems (Nasdaq:BLDP), which produces cells that can be used in from cars to power plants, and Fuel Cell Energy (Nasdaq:FCEL), which focuses on providing power options to commercial and industrial facilities.  (For related reading, check out Getting A Grip On The Cost Of Gas.)

Efficiency Just about every aspect of efficiency is good for the environment. Energy efficient construction and appliances reduce home energy use and energy efficient cars reduce our dependence on oil. From efficient lighting to creating the paperless office, innovative companies are developing innovative products that maximize the benefit that we get from the resources that we use. Efficiency is the watchword of the day and a developing field that will create the technologies that we will use tomorrow. (For more insight, see For Companies, Green Is The New Black.)

This area is a little more difficult to invest in as there are no real pure play companies dealing strictly in efficiency. However, there are some companies that have done a great job at leveraging efficiency such as General Electric with its Ecomagination business unit.

Pollution Controls Reduction is the key term here. From reducing green house gas emissions on industrial power plants to minimizing the emissions that come out of the tailpipe of your car, the pollution control industry is on the rise. Every time legislation mandates an improvement in the amount of some harmful chemical that can be released into the environment, the pollution control industry responds.

If this is something you are concerned about, look for companies that develop pollution control technologies such as Fuel-Tech (Nasdaq:FTEK) and Versar (AMEX:VSR).

Waste Reduction Recycling has become a standard practice for many people in recent decades. The stuff that was formerly thrown away and trucked off to the landfill is now turned into useful products. Most people are aware that household products such as paper, metal and glass are reprocessed and reused, but they never stop to consider the business behind these endeavors. Of course, these aren\'t the only items that are reused; waste oil, vegetable oil, batteries, cell phones, computers and even parts from cars can have a second life. Recycling these items involves a business enterprise humming along in the background. (To learn more, see Less Trash For More Cash.)

In terms of your portfolio, waste management companies with a large base of recycling facilities may be of interest including companies such as Allied Waste Industries (NYSE:AW) and Waste Management (NYSE:WMI).

Organics Organic farms eschew the use of pesticides, engage in sustainable farming practices and sell products that are often healthier to eat than the stuff composed of three-syllable words that you can\'t pronounce and a shelf-life measured in decades. They also engage in animal management practices that avoid the use of hormones and antibiotics, keeping those chemicals out of the food chain and out of the ground and water surrounding the farms. It\'s good food - and good business.

With U.S. organic food sales reaching $17 billion in 2006, there is a huge market for organic food producers and grocery stores. Some of the biggest organic food companies include Whole Foods Markets (Nasdaq:WFMI), United Natural Foods (Nasdaq:UNFI) and NBTY (NYSE:NTY) among others.

A solar boom in Asia and record spending on offshore wind projects in Europe helped propel renewable energy investment to $270 billion last year, a 17 percent increase over 2013, according to figures released this morning by the United Nations.

The 2014 spending resulted in 103 gigawatts of new generation capacity, reversed a two-year slump in renewable energy investment and came amid declining oil prices that some experts predicted would further undermine renewables' growth prospects.

In 2012 and 2013, annual renewable energy spending dropped to $256 billion and $232 billion, respectively, according to figures provided to the U.N. Environment Programme by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre and Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Clean energy experts attributed some of the decline to generally falling prices for renewable energy technologies and greater economies of scale.

The 2014 figures show spending on renewables rebounding to within a few percentage points of 2011 levels, when the sector set an all-time investment record of $279 billion, according to the report.

According to the United Nations' findings, renewable energy plants accounted for roughly 9.1 percent of world electricity generation in 2014, up from 8.5 percent of all power in 2013. Renewables also accounted for nearly half of all new generation capacity added worldwide last year, according to the report.

China and Japan led solar boom

Solar and wind energy accounted for 92 percent of all investment in renewable energy for 2014, with spending levels of $149.6 billion and $99.5 billion, respectively. Solar, which accounted for 46 GW of new capacity in 2015, saw a 25 percent increase in investment, while wind energy investment rose by 11 percent with 49 GW of new capacity, according to the UNEP.

"These climate-friendly energy technologies are now an indispensable component of the global energy mix, and their importance will only increase as markets mature, technology prices continue to fall and the need to rein in carbon emissions becomes ever more urgent," said Achim Steiner, U.N. undersecretary-general and UNEP's executive director, in a statement.

He added that "the growing penetration of renewable generation in the world's developing countries is one of the important and encouraging aspects of the 2014 report."

For the year, renewable energy spending in developing countries rose 36 percent, to $131.3 billion, according to the United Nations. In contrast, renewable energy investment in developed economies, including the United States and much of Europe, rose 3 percent to $138.9 billion.

As in previous years, China saw the largest renewable energy investment in 2014 -- a record $83.3 billion, up 39 percent from 2013. The United States ranked second at $38.3 billion, up 7 percent from the previous year, with Japan trailing close behind at $35.7 billion, 10 percent higher than in 2013 and its highest figure ever.

Nearly half of the world's total solar investment in 2014 went to two countries -- China and Japan -- which together spent nearly $75 billion on solar plants. Utility-scale projects represented roughly 75 percent of China's total solar investment, while Japan's solar investment "was dominated by small-scale projects of less than 1 megawatt," the report said.

Biofuels lag behind other renewables

In Europe, offshore wind energy drew billions of dollars in new spending, driven by seven projects that entered the final investment decision stages over those 12 months. Those included the 600 MW Gemini installation off the coast of the Netherlands, which at $3.8 billion was the largest non-hydro renewable energy project funded globally.

The report noted that "a continuing sharp decline in technology costs -- particularly in solar but also in wind -- means that every dollar invested in renewable energy bought significantly more generating capacity in 2014." For example, the money invested to add 103 GW of new renewable capacity last year would have added just 86 GW of capacity in 2013 and 81 GW in 2011.

Moreover, the report said, the 103 GW of capacity added by renewable energy firms last year equals the generating capacity of all 158 nuclear power reactors operating in the United States.

While traditional fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas along with nuclear power, continue to represent the lion's share of global energy production, experts have stressed the resilience of alternative energy sources, even when they are forced to compete against declining oil prices.

"Oil and renewables do not directly compete for power investment dollars," said Udo Steffens, president of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany, which helped compile the data for the "Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investments" report. "Wind and solar sectors should be able to carry on flourishing, particularly if they continue to cut costs per [megawatt-hour]. Their long-term story is just more convincing."

A conservative group is suing the State Department under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for records related to possible involvement by environmental advocacy groups in the department's preparations for this year's high-stakes round of U.N. climate negotiations.

The #Energy & #Environment Legal Institute filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia yesterday to compel the department to produce public records of third-party involvement in a bilateral agreement between the United States and China reached last year and the department's work ahead of this year's talks in Paris.

"This information is of increased importance in the face of Senate opposition to further Executive freelancing on what obviously is a treaty requiring that body's advice and consent," the organization said in a statement accompanying the brief.

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) floated an amendment to last week's nonbinding fiscal 2016 budget resolution opposing Obama's climate advocacy efforts with China, though it did not receive a vote. A similar measure -- also by Blunt -- received a vote in January as part of Senate debate on Keystone XL oil pipeline legislation. The 51-46 tally fell short of the 60 votes needed to attach the measure to the KXL bill.

The Energy & Environment Legal Institute said it has requested information from State under FOIA but has received no assurance that the department is handling its request.

The suit comes as Republicans in Congress continue to pound the Obama administration for information related to its climate agenda.

At a hearing last week, House Science, Space and Technology Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) blasted U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy for "stonewalling" the committee's requests for deleted text messages (Greenwire, March 26).

Smith said today that the White House's release of a new post-2020 emissions reduction pledge to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change showed it was deliberately circumventing Congress.

Ga. presses EPA to reconsider new nuclear in Clean Power Plan                

Kristi E. Swartz, E&E reporter

       Published: Friday, March 27, 2015                               

Advertisement

Georgia is at risk for not meeting interim carbon-reduction targets proposed by U.S. EPA because of additional delays at Georgia Power's nuclear expansion project, according to state environmental officials.

In a letter, the officials again press EPA to credit the state for building two reactors at Plant Vogtle in southeast Georgia. The agency instead has included the emission-free reactors in setting the state's carbon goals (EnergyWire, Oct. 10, 2014).

The issue of not counting nuclear under construction has been a sore spot for officials and electric utilities in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. All three are building nuclear reactors, but those projects can't be included in steps to take to comply with EPA's Clean Power Plan, which aims to trim greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Georgia Power recently revealed another 18-month delay for Plant Vogtle, based on information provided by the project's contractors (EnergyWire, Jan. 30). Vogtle's Unit 3 is now scheduled to start producing electricity in 2019 with Unit 4 scheduled to start up in 2020.

2020 is also the year that states must meet their interim goals for the Clean Power Plan. Vogtle's delays threaten Georgia's ability to meet that goal, according to a letter from Keith Bentley, Air Protection Branch chief of the state's Environmental Protection Division (EPD).

The situation could get worse if there are additional delays or more time is needed to ramp up the reactors to capacity, Bentley wrote.

"The worry is that if these nuclear facilities were delayed or did not achieve their expected performance, Georgia EPD would have no way to make up that zero-carbon emission generating capacity to meet our state goal," he said in the letter.

"Based on these recent developments, we again urge EPA to treat under construction nuclear generation more fairly by excluding it from the calculation of the state goal," he said.

Georgia's emissions level was 1,589 pounds per megawatt-hour in 2012, when it had already cut emissions by 33 percent since 2005. The state has to get down to 834 pounds per MWh by 2030.

In comments to EPA, Georgia's attorney general said the rule's treatment of nuclear power is "illegal, unfair, and unwise." If one nuclear reactor falls through, Georgia will not be able to meet its goal, he said.

For its part, Georgia Power and its parent, Atlanta-based Southern Co., have said they do not think the contractors have done all they can to mitigate the delays at Vogtle. This means there's a chance for the timeline to be shortened.

But company officials have also emphasized they will not sacrifice safety over a schedule. The reactors are the first to be built from scratch in nearly three decades, which means there's also a chance for a protracted testing and startup process.

"Building it correctly and safely, is more important than building it quickly," Georgia Power said in a previous statement.

Southern's comments to EPA last December called for more time and pointed out the potential issues related to the agency's treatment of under-construction nuclear. Georgia Power also has been working with the state EPD on all parts of the Clean Power Plan, company spokesman Brian Green said.

"Even prior to the recent schedule adjustment, the company has communicated that more time is needed at every step of the regulatory process for development of the final guidelines, as well as implementation and compliance with the Clean Power Plan. The Vogtle schedule adjustment just further highlights some of the concerns we've had all along with EPA's proposal," Green said.

Uncertainty for nuclear states

Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee are the only three states currently building nuclear reactors. The Tennessee Valley Authority's Watts Bar 2 reactor is on track to start producing electricity by the end of this year, utility officials have said.

In South Carolina, the schedule for South Carolina Electric & Gas Co.'s twin reactors also has been pushed into 2019 and 2020 (EnergyWire, Feb. 20).

Like Georgia, South Carolina has submitted comments to EPA about its treatment for nuclear reactors, including the V.C. Summer project, which is north of Columbia, S.C. State environmental officials said they will know the impact of V.C. Summer's delays on the state's goals once the final rule comes out.

E&E's Power Plan Hub keeps you up to date on the latest national and state-level developments on EPA's greenhouse gas regulations for the power sector. Go to E&E's Power Plan Hub.

"Until the final rule is released this summer, we are uncertain whether the delays in the construction schedule for the units at V.C. Summer will impact South Carolina's ability to meet the interim or final goals noted in the proposed rule. We continue to be actively engaged in the process," said Cassandra Harris, a S.C. Department of Environmental and Health Control spokeswoman.

South Carolina Electric & Gas and its parent company, SCANA Corp., continue to negotiate the construction schedule for V.C. Summer with vendors in hopes of pushing up the expected startup dates by at least a couple of months.

SCANA's chief concern about the Clean Power Plan is that it penalizes South Carolina and the other states that have already made carbon-free investments, a company spokeswoman said.

"In its proposed rule, the EPA should treat nuclear in the same manner it treats renewables because both are non-emitting generation with equal benefit in reducing carbon emissions," said Rhonda O'Banion, SCANA spokeswoman.

EPA has started to write a federal model rule for the Clean Power Plan that will be released this summer. The model will offer guidance to states trying to figure ways to comply with the rule.

It also will show what EPA would impose on states if they fail to submit approvable plans to meet interim and final goals beginning in 2016. Opportunities for extensions do exist.

Analysts and others have said that EPA's proposed rule would lead utilities once again to consider building nuclear reactors. This is because EPA has named nuclear as one of the four suggested ways to comply with its rule.

But reactors are expensive to build and require a long planning and approval process, which means utilities aren't lining up to build them just yet.

Florida Power & Light Co. is one utility that still plans to add two reactors at its Turkey Point nuclear plant near Miami. FPL has state approval for those reactors but still needs a key construction and operating permit from federal nuclear safety regulators. The utility has said delays at the NRC and changes to Florida law have pushed back the scheduled startup dates of those reactors to 2027 and 2028.

The utility said it still expects the reactors to start producing power before 2030, the year states must meet final compliance goals (EnergyWire, Jan. 27).

The units are needed to meet the clean air standards, FPL spokesman Greg Brostowicz said.

Jean Chemnick, E&E reporter

       Published: Monday, March 23, 2015                               

After years of protesting U.S. EPA not holding hearings on climate regulations in coal-mining areas, West Virginia's junior senator will hold a field hearing today on the Clean Power Plan in Beckley, W.Va.

"In West Virginia, our electricity generation and economic success is closely linked to the health of the coal industry," said Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the new chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety. "While there is no question that we must take steps to protect our environment, it simply cannot be at West Virginia's expense."

Capito and other Appalachian politicians frequently complain that EPA didn't hold listening sessions on its climate change rules in coal-producing states, favoring metropolitan areas far from coal fields. EPA's explanation: The meeting locations were linked to the agency's regional headquarters, all of which are in or near major cities.

Capito said today's hearing will "give West Virginians the opportunity to stand up for our jobs and our vital coal industry."

She devoted much of her maiden speech on the Senate floor this month to decrying EPA's carbon rules, which she said would put unbearable pressure on the coal industry.

"The administration's overreach has contributed to thousands of coal miners losing their jobs in West Virginia and our neighboring states -- devastating local economies and families," she said in the March 10 speech, pledging to use her subcommittee gavel to "lead the fight against excessive government regulation that has been devastating to my state."

Keep up to date on the latest national and state-level developments on EPA's greenhouse gas regulations for the power sector. Go to E&E's Power Plan Hub.

EPA and others also note that coal industry woes have more to do with historically inexpensive and abundant natural gas than with regulatory activities.

The Republican strategy to combat EPA's power plant carbon rules is still in the works, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a recent op-ed that House and Senate majorities are "devising" it. Likely vehicles include riders on spending or budget measures, but Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) has said he will announce details as soon as this week on his own stand-alone measure to contain the Clean Power Plan.

Three of the five witnesses who will address Capito's subcommittee today are drawn from the coal industry or sectors that support it: Eugene Trisko, top lawyer for the United Mine Workers of America; Charles Patton, president of Appalachian Power; and Charles Farmer, president of Rouster Wire, Rope and Rigging.

James Van Nostrand, who directs the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at West Virginia University College of Law, and Jeremy Richardson, senior analyst for the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists, round out the hearing.

Van Nostrand has spoken of the need to invest in clean coal technology, while Richardson has done research on ways his native West Virginia can diversify its economy, according to UCS's website.

Schedule: The hearing is Monday, March 23, at 9:30 a.m. in Burnside Ceremonial Courtroom, Raleigh County Judicial Center, Second Floor, 215 Main St., Beckley, W.Va.

       New financing spurs Ore. project to turn wood waste into jet fuel                

Amanda Peterka, E&E reporter

       Published: Tuesday, March 17, 2015                                

Advertisement

A biofuels company backed by a multi-agency defense program announced plans today to start construction this summer on a biorefinery in Oregon.

Red Rock Biofuels -- the recipient of a $70 million award from the Defense, Agriculture and Energy departments -- also announced that venture firm Flagship Ventures has agreed to support the company, whose planned 15-million-gallon facility would convert wood waste into hydrocarbons.

The private funding will help close the gap between the federal award and the expected $200 million cost of the biorefinery, said Jeff Manterach, co-founder and chief financial officer of Red Rock.

"It's really a matching of public and private capital, and the DOD gets something it wants, as well," he said in an interview. "They're able to get private capital to come to the table to fulfill something they would like to see in the market."

Colorado-based Red Rock Biofuels opened 3½ years ago with the goal of converting wastes left after the timber harvests into biofuels. Harvesting that waste would remove fuel for wildfires.

The company uses technology that converts wood waste into a synthetic gas by heating it up in the absence of oxygen. The mixture of hydrogen and carbon is refined through the use of a catalyst to produce clear synthetic crude that can be used in jet fuel, diesel and naptha.

"We have to do something with that resource that is otherwise burning up," Manterach said. "We can transform that into these high-quality renewable fuels that the military and aviation sector are demanding."

Red Rock Biofuels last year was one of three advanced biofuels companies to receive an award through the Defense Production Act, an effort by the Obama administration to use military purchasing power to spur the creation of a commercial-scale biofuel industry. Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc. and Emerald Biofuels LLC also received $70 million apiece. Total expected production by the three companies is 100 million gallons a year.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus called the awards a "game-changer" for the alternative fuels industry, which has struggled to obtain financing in the face of the economic recession and a proposed reduction in federal biofuel mandates by U.S. EPA.

The award has been a boon for Red Rock. Last September, after the federal announcement, Southwest Airlines announced plans to purchase 3 million gallons a year from the company starting in 2016. At the time, the airline called Red Rock the "first viable opportunity" it has found to power part of its fleet with biofuels.

Commercial airlines are looking to renewable fuels to both reduce emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide and help limit the volatility of jet fuel prices.

Red Rock also plans to sell its fuel to other customers in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest, according to Manterach. He said that other airlines have expressed interest in the company's fuel, but Red Rock isn't ready to publicly release information about other potential customers.

"It's an effort by them to try to control all of that price volatility while at the same time trying to move away from a non-renewable resource toward a renewable fuel," he said. "It's a fairly tall order, but we think we're up to it."

In the investment announcement today, Flagship -- which finances new technologies -- praised the company for creating a "market-leading position."

"Their product saves money for customers and offers a stable alternative to the volatile crude oil market, while reducing carbon emissions -- a growing priority for companies," Flagship partner Brian Baynes said in a statement. "We expect increasing demand for renewable fuels and we are excited to support Red Rock as they bring high quality, domestically produced biofuels to market."

The planned biorefinery in Lakeview, Ore., would convert 140,000 dry tons of woody biomass into biofuels, according to Red Rock. The producer's goal is to sell its renewable jet fuel at a comparable price of petroleum-based jet fuel.

Manterach said that the company is now looking toward the Obama administration to hold firm on the renewable fuel standard, the federal policy that mandates refiners blend conventional ethanol and advanced biofuels into petroleum fuel.

The company is also urging Congress to allow for the removal of woody waste biomass from the floors of federal forests for the production of renewable fuels and as a means of fire suppression. Red Rock is speaking with a number of members of Congress in Western states, Manterach said, to try to rally support for such a provision.