farm

Deer-vehicle collisions on the rise

The number of vehicles on U.S. roadways has grown by 7 percent over the last five years. But the number of times those vehicles have collided with deer has swelled by much more than that.

Using its claims data, State Farm estimates 2.4 million collisions of vehicles with a deer occurred in the U.S. during the two-year period between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 (100,000 per month). That's 18.3 percent more than five years earlier. To put it another way, one of these unfortunate encounters occurs every 26 seconds (although they are … Read more

From coal mine to wind farm

GLENROCK, Wyo.--Walking across the former site of the Dave Johnston Mine here, about half an hour outside Casper, you'd never know that over the course of 42 years, 104 million tons of coal was taken out of the ground.

But now, instead of having a heavy carbon footprint--and coal certainly does--these rolling hills have a green footprint. Today, the site is home to a 158-turbine wind farm that produces 237 megawatts of power, enough electricity for 66,800 households for a year.

And what's particularly notable about the site is that while the wind farm is among … Read more

Texas set to host largest U.S. wind farms

Energy start-up Baryonyx has won bids for three land leases from the state of Texas to build data centers powered primarily by wind farms.

The Texas-based company's leases include two offshore sites in the Gulf of Mexico and one on land in the Texas panhandle. One of the offshore tracts is submerged land off Mustang Island near Corpus Christi; the other is submerged land off South Padre Island. Both sites are each over 19,000 acres.

According to the Texas General Land Office, the Baryonyx coastal projects are poised to be the "biggest offshore wind farms in the … Read more

N.C. town sweetens pot for an Apple move

The town of Maiden, N.C., really wants Apple to build its data center there.

In addition to the state's promise of an estimated tax break of $46 million over the next 10 years, Maiden and Catawba County are promising Apple a further $20.7 million if the company brings the data center to the town, according to an Associated Press report. The additional tax breaks would also run over the 10 years of the Apple contract.

Scott Millar, president of the Catawba County Economic Development Corp., said the county expects to collect $9.3 million in taxes over … Read more

China bans online 'gold farming'

China has unveiled the first official rule on the use of virtual currency in the trade of real goods and services to limit possible impact on the real financial system. The Chinese government also spelled out the definition of "virtual currency" for the first time, which includes prepaid cards of cybergames, according to a joint announcement from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Commerce Friday. It said:

The virtual currency, which is converted into real money at a certain exchange rate, will only be allowed to trade in virtual goods and services provided by its issuer, not real goods and services.

The ban is primarily aimed at "gold farming," an Internet-age phenomenon in which players in less developed countries collect and sell virtual gold (common to games like World of Warcraft) to wealthier gamers in the developed world. This enables gamers who have the means to buy virtual gold to get ahead in the games without actually having to accomplish the grunt work.

The trading of virtual currency for real cash generates between $200 million and $1 billion annually, according to a 2008 survey conducted by Richard Heeks at the University of Manchester. … Read more

Apple confirms North Carolina facility

After weeks of speculation, Apple on Wednesday confirmed its plans to build a server farm facility in North Carolina. Gov. Bev Perdue officially welcomed Apple to North Carolina after signing a bill giving the company a state tax credit worth $46 million.

"We're looking forward to building a new data center in North Carolina, and we appreciate the efforts of Gov. Perdue and state lawmakers who helped make it possible," Apple representative Susan Lundgren told CNET. "Our teams are getting started right away to acquire a site for the data center, and we plan to begin … Read more

North Carolina House OKs tax break to attract Apple

Lawmakers in North Carolina on Wednesday voted in favor of proposed changes to the state's tax laws, clearing the way for large investments from companies like Apple.

The House passed the bill 80-34, according to a report by the Charlotte Observer. While it was a healthy majority, some lawmakers protested vehemently about being forced to offer huge tax incentives to big businesses.

The bill, modified by the House, is set to go back to the state Senate on Thursday for a vote.

As reported on Tuesday, North Carolina is hoping to lure Apple by offering the company $46 million … Read more

North Carolina hopes for $1 billion Apple investment

Update at 8:25 a.m. PDT: Further attribution has been added.

North Carolina officials are pushing to change state tax law in hopes of attracting new companies, specifically Apple, according to an Associated Press report.

The state is pursuing a $1 billion investment from Apple over a nine-year period to build a server farm, the AP said, citing an anonymous state official. However, the law must be changed to give state officials the ability to attract Apple through tax breaks and other incentives.

The tax breaks offered to Apple would be worth an estimated $46 million over the life … Read more

Google maps draw a line in sand for clean energy

A new set of layers for Google Earth is trying to make it easier for solar and wind farm developers to figure out where they are least and most likely to be challenged.

The Path to Green Energy, as the Google Earth tool is called, provides information on lands legally prohibited from commercial development, on natural habitats of endangered species, and on lands proposed for inclusion into the federal wilderness system.

The tool was developed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the National Audubon Society with sponsorship from Google.org's Geo Challenge Grants. The grants program provides nonprofits … Read more