Web exclusive posted March 19, 2009, at 4:37 p.m. CST

Ventyx, the world's largest private software, data and advisory services provider to the energy and utility industry, recently announced the availability of the company's 2009 U.S. Renewable Energy wall map.

The fifth edition of the full-color map displays more than 1,100 existing renewable energy facilities and nearly 750 proposed power plants that will be fueled by renewable resources, including biomass, wind, geothermal, solar and tidal power. In addition to existing transmission lines, the map also identifies more than 40,000 miles of proposed power transmission lines and nearly 400 proposed substation projects.

The new map utilizes information sourced from the Ventyx Velocity Suite energy intelligence solution, a database offered by the company to its customers. According to Will Daily, Ventyx's executive vice president, the map is essentially a snapshot depiction of the database at a single point in time. The information included on the 2009 U.S. Renewable Energy map was accurate as of Jan. 1.

Daily said the Ventyx Velocity Suite database generally tracks any power plant with a planned capacity of 1 megawatt or more. However, some smaller projects are included as well. The company also tracks the progress of these proposed plants. "We have a team of researchers that look at a number of different sources out there that track projects," he said. "When [a facility] begins operations, we are able to collect some information around the operation of the plant." For example, the database will generally include data on plant ownership, proposed power output, expected completion date, and geographic location. According to Daily, data on biomass power plants usually also includes information on the type of feedstock used.

According to information sourced from the Ventyx Velocity Suite database, biomass power projects currently comprise only 1 percent of all active U.S. renewable energy projects. Since 2004, approximately 1,296 megawatts of biomass energy projects have began operations, with an additional 3,143 megawatts proposed to go on line by 2017. Data supplied by Ventyx also shows the following breakdown of feedstocks for current biomass power projects, which have a net total of 2,795.109 megawatts:

• 138.82 megawatts – agricultural byproducts


• 381.74 megawatts – biomass gases


• 128.44 megawatts – biomass liquids


• 1,055.95 megawatts – biomass solids

Access to the database and the map are offered as different products. However, Daily said most customers find the two products complement one another.