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Iowa to Fund Renewables Using Settlement
Iowa governor Tom Vilsack recently proposed that the state spend part of its share of a national tobacco settlement on alternative energy projects across the state. Under the governor's plan, the state would allocate approximately $50 million in settlement funds for the construction of renewable energy facilities.
"This plan will create new jobs and new revenue for the state that can then be reinvested in other economic development efforts," said Vilsack. The governor said the goal of the plan is to reduce the amount of energy that Iowa imports from other states, while developing electricity as a viable commodity for the state. However, Doug Gross, the Republican gubernatorial nominee who will face Vilsack in state elections later this year, criticized Vilsack's suggestion for the settlement funds, questioning the legality of transferring the funds. "The real problem with using those funds is you use them one time and they're gone," said Gross. "What would happen in year two?" A Vilsack official noted that building renewable energy plants will not require recurring sources of funding. As an alternative to Vilsack's plans, Gross has suggested creating a "Manhattan Project" that would develop biomass energy. The Republican nominee noted that he also supports providing subsidies to businesses that develop biomass technology. Source: OINES Register 7/17/2002 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 7/23/2002.
New Mexico Considers RPS
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) is considering a renewable portfolio standard that would require utilities to produce 2% of their electricity from renewables by September 1, 2003; 5% by September 1, 2005; and 10% by September 1, 2007, and thereafter. New Mexico utilities El Paso Electric, Public Service of New Mexico, Texas New Mexico Power, and Xcel Energy-who are pushing for a voluntary standard-do not believe that the PRC has the authority to make such a ruling and think the decision should be made by state lawmakers. The PRC held public hearings on the issue in May and may plan follow on workshops. Sources: Restructuring Today, June 4; Commission Proposed Renewable Energy Rule for Utility Case 3619, New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. Source: AWEA Utility Electricity Restructuring - Weekly Update June 07, 2002
HELCO to Purchase Wind Power from Hawi
Hilo, HI-based Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) recently announced it has reached an agreement to purchase wind-generated electricity for the next 15 years from a three-megawatt (MW) wind farm being developed by Hawi Renewable Development. Hawi officials said the new wind farm will be able to power more than 600 homes. "These machines will provide years of reliable low-cost, non-polluting energy for HELCO customers, and help reduce the reliance on imported fossil fuels," said Hawi vice president David Absher. HELCO currently owns and operates the 2.3-MW Lalamilo wind farm in Waimea and has signed another agreement to purchase 10 MW from a wind farm project being developed at Kahua Ranch. Additionally, HELCO is negotiating with Apollo Energy Corporation to use up to seven MW of electricity from a wind farm at South Point. Upon approval from the state Public Utilities Commission, the Hawi wind farm will be built at Upolu Point at a cost of approximately $5.3 million. HELCO president Warren Lee said 28 percent of the company's electricity is currently derived from renewable energy sources. Source: Pacific Business News 6/7/2002 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 6/12/2002.
Waverly Light and Power Wins First Rappaport Award
As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) named Waverly Light and Power as the first winner of its new Paul Rappaport Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Award last week. The national-level award goes to an individual, team, or organization that has contributed to NREL's mission of advancing energy efficiency and renewable energy. Waverly Light and Power was the first utility in Iowa to install a utility-scale wind turbine and has also pioneered green marketing approaches to provide financial support for the wind turbine installations. See the NREL press release at: http://www.nrel.gov/hot-stuff/press/2002/2902_innovative_wind.html. See the Waverly Light and Power Web site at: http://www.waverlyia.com/WLP/Wind/skeets_search_wind.html. For more information about the Paul Rappaport Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Award, see the NREL Web site at: http://www.nrel.gov/rappaport_award/. Source: EREN Network News 7/23/2002.
For more information: http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/ or http://www.nwlink.com/~van/greenlnk.html
State Signs on For Wind Power Study
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is partnering with Erie County and Ecology & Environment Inc. to study the potential for developing the nation's first urban-integrated, shoreline wind farm along Erie County's shoreline. NYSERDA will provide $258,000 toward the $288,000 study to facilitate the development of a wind farm that could provide clean, renewable energy while stimulating economic development through increased tourism. The study will monitor six shoreline sites to determine if there is adequate wind speed to economically justify development of a wind farm and will produce computer simulations showing what an eventual wind farm might look like along the shoreline.
Based on the results of the wind monitoring effort, Erie County and E&E will identify viable sites where a wind farm will stimulate other economic development activity and explore wind farm ownership and development scenarios. Every megawatt of power generated from the wind equates to more than 1,000 tons of avoided carbon-dioxide emissions annually. To date, NYSERDA has helped install 41.5 megawatts of wind power in Central New York, avoiding 45,430 tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions or about the equivalent of the annual emissions from 9,000 vehicles. Based on NYSERDA's experience with the existing wind farms, each installed megawatt wind power stimulates about $1.2 million in capital investments.
ATS to Commercialize New Solar Technology
ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Inc. recently announced plans to begin the commercial manufacture of "next-generation" solar cells utilizing a proprietary photovoltaic technology known as Spheral Solar Technology (SST). ATS said the solar cells, comprised of thousands of small silicon beads bonded in an aluminum foil, are expected to "dramatically" reduce the cost of solar energy and open a range of new uses of solar power by industrial, commercial and residential users. We fully expect [SST] to revolutionize the solar energy industry for two reasons," said ATS president and CEO Klaus Woerner. "First, the SST's unique design only requires a fraction of the raw materials...used in traditional multicrystalline solar cells to produce the same amount of energy. Second, SST is lightweight, pliable and break resistant, which means it can be formed into a variety of shapes and sizes to develop innovative new products that can be seamlessly and attractively integrated into consumer products and even the most complex building designs." Te company said it has begun the design of a new 120,000-square foot, highly automated commercial SST production facility and intends to begin commercial production of the solar cells by the fall of 2003. ATS also said it is nearing completion of a pilot production line at its main Cambridge, Ontario-based facility and will begin producing small quantities of the solar cells for testing and product development purposes later this year. Additionally, ATS said the Canadian government, through Technology Partnerships Canada, has entered into a $29.5-million research and development investment agreement with ATS to undertake a full-scale manufacturing system for SST. Contact: Ron Jutras, ATS, phone 519-653-6500. Source: Canada Newswire 7/17/2002 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 7/23/2002.
New Research Turns Sewage Farms Into Power Plants
Researchers at the University of Warwick's Warwick Process Technology Group have devised a process to extract very pure levels of hydrogen from wet bio-matter, such as sewage or paper mill waste. This pure hydrogen can then be used in fuel cells to power homes, factories and cars. Eventually the research team's "plated membrane reactors" could be built as small industrial units, no bigger than a large room in some cases, and added directly to the sites of sewage plants or paper mills. This process is clean, it produces no more CO2 than would be produced naturally from the material biodegrading and it produces no other emissions such as nitrous oxides. For more information: http://www.spacedaily.com/news/energy-tech-02m.html. Source: June 2002 Biobased Fuels, Power and Products Newsletter
Second Wind Develops Wind Forecasting Interface
Second Wind, Inc. recently announced the development of a new forecasting interface component to its Advanced Distributed Monitoring System (ADMS) for wind farms. Prior to the availability of the company's ADMS forecasting interface, wind farm operators had to manually transmit site data to forecasters. Second Wind said the ADMS forecasting interface allows data to be entered electronically and automatically for the forecasters, eliminating much of the forecaster's manual work and providing more accurate forecasts. With the emergence of wind power as a reliable and affordable means of power generation, the company said effectively integrating wind power into the grid is the industry's next challenge. Because of the variance in wind strength and the consequent energy produced by wind power generation, the resource cannot always be connected to the energy grid, which requires stable energy flow, according to Second Wind. "We believe this forecasting interface software will enable our customers to more efficiently manage their facilities as well as reduce the risk of penalties from inaccurate forecasting," said Second Wind president Walter Sass. Second Wind said the ADMS Supervisor software groups turbines by terrain and number and provides specific dates for each group based on planned turbine availability and substation power output. Contact: Kenneth Cohn, Second Wind, phone 617-776-8520, fax 617-776-0391, website http://www.secondwind.com. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today 6/7/2002.
Shell Buys More Wind
Continuing its new romance with wind-powered electricity, Shell Renewables announced Tuesday it has acquired Whitewater Hill Wind Partners LLC and the 61.5 megawatt wind park that company is developing west of Palm Springs, Calif. July 24, 2002. Source: Energy Daily via Western Newsclips, Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Whistler Signs Agreement With VITA-Sun
Whistler, Inc. recently announced it has signed a co-development agreement with Viable International Technology Associates-Sun, Inc. (VITA-Sun), which is currently manufacturing its second-generation photovoltaic (PV), solar-powered "Energy Management Smart System." Whistler said the new agreement will allow both companies to explore numerous applications for the PV system. Additionally, VITA-Sun and VITA Group Development Company, Inc. are undertaking pilot projects in Las Cruces, NM that will integrate Whistler's one- to five-kilowatt fuel cells with the VITA-Sun system. Whistler develops and manufactures alternative energy solutions for integration with mass-market commercial products. The company said it will continue to establish relationships, agreements and contracts with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) whose products are suitable for fuel cell integration. Contact: Tony Perri, Whistler, phone 604-694-0440. Source: Business Wire 6/5/2002 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 6/11/2002.
For more information on Renewable Resources go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/repis/
Co-op America Green Pages
Co-op America presents thousands of socially and environmentally responsible products and services. From green retail stores, food co-ops and local service providers; to products and services from all 2,000 green companies in the Green Pages Online. See the Green Pages at: http://www.greenpages.org/
BP Brings Renewable Education, Solar Power, and Low-Sulfur Gasoline to Colorado
BP announced on Monday that it plans to invest $125,000 in a partnership with DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop education and public awareness programs in Colorado that focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency. The company has already constructed 16 of its "BP Connect" gas stations in the state. The new gas stations incorporate thin-film solar power
modules in their canopies, allowing the stations to draw on solar energy for a portion of their power needs. BP also announced that it is starting to deliver low-sulfur gasoline to cities along Colorado's Front Range as part of the company's global Clean Cities Initiative. The company's lower-sulfur Amoco Ultimate blend contains 85 percent less sulfur than previous Ultimate blends. BP has introduced cleaner fuels in more than 110 cities worldwide, including lower-sulfur premium gasoline in more than 40 U.S. cities. Within the next three years, 50 percent of BP's global fuel sales will be cleaner fuels, including new zero-sulfur fuels. See the BP press release at: http://www.bp.com/centres/press/p_r_detail.asp?id=902. Source: EREN Network News 6/12/2002.
History of Solar: Making Electricity Directly from Sunlight
Providing power to every satellite in space has made solar cells indispensable. Since the war in the Persian Gulf, solar-powered satellites have directed battle operations in all of America's conflicts including the present one in Afghanistan. Information from GPS (Geographical Positioning Systems) satellites and spy satellites gathered and relayed to Command and Control by military satellite communication networks
direct precision bombing. On the ground, Special Forces depend on these satellites to carry out their missions. Spy satellites serve as the eyes and ears of Intelligence. Secure, high-speed communications via satellites between forces in the field and those in command allow for better-informed split-second battle decisions. In the words of General Lester Lyles, Air Force Material Command Commander, "No American military force could fight without the use of space based assets." Satellites run much of civilian life as well. They control a multitude of disparate networks providing seamless wireless communication.
Satellites have contributed to the increased use of electronic money by allowing companies to bypass slower and more tedious phone links. Mass transportation uses satellites to stay on course. Operators at fixed sites can stay in touch with mobile resources while data control by satellites keeps companies in intimate contact with their far-flung holdings throughout the globe. Live television footage from across the sea did not exist until communication satellites came of age. Now, all on-the-scene live TV reporting feeds into satellites. Satellites will soon speed up the internet by unclogging portions of the information highway prone to gridlock. PV in Space: When you see an image of a satellite, look for the extended flat blue surfaces radiating from the payload - those are the solar modules. These modules consist of many solar cells, which convert sunlight directly to electricity. Thickness of the solar material ranges from several to a few hundred microns. Within this small area, photons - packets of energy from the sun - silently push electrons out of the cell and generate electricity. No moving parts come in to play. Here we have the first true quantum power device. New Yorker Charles Fritts built the world's first solar electric module using selenium in 1883. He optimistically believed that his "photoelectric plate" would soon compete with Edison's newly installed coal fired electrical generating plants. Though 117 have elapsed since Fritts made his bold challenge, solar cells have yet to economically compete with electricity produced from centralized power plants.
Much has happened in the field of solar cells, though, turning Fritts' lone module into a multi-billion dollar business producing the world's most versatile means of generating electricity. Fritts' published account of producing electricity by exposure of sunlight without combustion or movement of gears elicited much skepticism. His purported discovery ran counter to the physics of that day which still debated the reality of atoms and believed that the generation of power could only occur by consuming fuel and in the process, dissipating heat. A few of the best scientists realized that something significant had happened inside Fritts' module that the science of their time could not explain. Werner von Siemens, whose reputation ranked alongside Edison's among those studying electricity, remarked that the direct conversion of sunlight by selenium ranked as "scientifically of the most far-reaching importance." James Clerk Maxwell, one of the great scientists of all time, wondered, "Is the radiation the immediate cause or does it act by producing some change in the chemical state?" Their bafflement regarding the conversion of light into electricity in selenium and related matters led to a whole new realm of physics called quantum mechanics. Its discoveries included the bold and novel description of light as containing packets of energy - called photons and electrons and their behavior. These new concepts explained how solar cells worked. Scientists called the phenomenon the photovoltaic effect and the technology behind it photovoltaics. Increased PV Research: Scientific understanding of solar cells sparked a bevy of interest and research. But more thorough investigations in the 1920s and 1930s led experts like E.D. Wilson of Westinghouse Electric's photoelectric division to dismiss selenium as a power converter of solar energy because it could only change about one tenth of one percent of the incoming sunlight into electricity. "The photovoltaic cell will not prove interesting to the practical engineer until the efficiency has been increased at least fifty times," Wilson argued. A solar cell meeting Wilson's criteria of changing enough sunlight into electricity for practical applications emerged in 1953 from semiconductor research at Bell Laboratories. Calvin Fuller, a Bell chemist, had developed the first working silicon transistor. He discovered how to control the introduction of impurities necessary to transform silicon from a poor to a superior conductor of electricity. Working on a hunch, a colleague, Gerald Pearson, hooked one of Fuller's creations to an ammeter and then shined lamplight on it. The needle jumped significantly. Further investigations confirmed that Fuller had inadvertently constructed a very good solar cell. Pearson rushed down the hall where his good friend Daryl Chapin, working on remote power devices, struggled with little success to wring more power out of selenium. Handing Chapin the silicon solar cell he had just tested, Pearson advised Chapin, "Don't waste another moment on selenium." Tests confirming silicon's superiority led Chapin to drop further research into selenium and concentrate on improving silicon's efficiency.
More than a year later and after untold hours of surmounting endless hurdles, Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson presented to the world on April 25, 1954 the first solar cell that could generate useful power. The New York Times rhapsodized that the work of the Bell scientists "may mark the beginning of a new era, leading eventually to the realization of one of mankind's most cherished dreams the harnessing of the almost limitless energy of the sun for the uses of civilization." U.S. News & World Report speculated that the silicon solar cells discovered at Bell Laboratories "may provide more power than all the world's coal, oil and uranium." Despite such rosy expectations and the Bell team doubling cell efficiency over the following eighteen months, nothing of commercial significance transpired. And small wonder! Chapin calculated that with a one-watt cell costing US$286 a homeowner would have to pay US$1,430,000 for an array of sufficient size to power the average American house. Although Chapin despaired over the fate of the new device, a colleague, Gordon Raisbeck, offered a more realistic appraisal. "It would be a great mistake to jump to the conclusion, on the basis of such" a discouraging example, he wrote in a 1955 article in Scientific American, that the solar cell "would be of little practical use." The Bell invention, according to Raisbeck, would first find use where power is needed "in inaccessible places where no lines go" and "in doing jobs the need for which we have not yet felt." True to Raisbeck's prophecy, Air Force and Army scientists eyed the Bell solar cell to power a top-secret item never before put to use an earth-orbiting satellite - something for the 1950s more novel, and more remote from the power grid than ever thought of before. But when the Navy got the nod to launch America's first satellite, it eschewed solar cells as "unconventional and not fully established" and chose, instead, limited-life chemical batteries to supply electricity for the satellite. The Navy's decision enraged the Army's lead researcher on power devices, Dr. Hans Ziegler. Ziegler fought the Navy's decision and won the support of the nation's preeminent civilian scientists overseeing America's nascent space program. They, too, favored a power source that would last indefinitely so they and their colleagues could conduct meaningful experiments in space. Under pressure from these scientists, the Navy relented but skepticism of the solar element's capability led for the launch of a dual-powered satellite. Nineteen days later the chemical batteries died and the solar took over. Its long life enabled geophysicist to discover our planet's true shape. The stellar performance of the cells broke down the prejudice which existed against solar energy in space.
By the 1960s both Americans and Soviets came to regard the solar cell as one of the critically important devices in their space programs. From milliwatts on the Vanguard to kilowatts for the International Space Shuttle, photovoltaics have powered almost every satellite ever launched. The urgent demand for solar cells above the earth opened an unexpected and relatively large business for companies manufacturing solar cells. Its unbridled success in space led many to ask why couldn't the technology help on Earth.
Addressing Costs The high price of solar cells remained the primary obstacle to terrestrial applications. Despite dropping in price from nearly US$300 per watt in 1956 to US$100 a watt in 1970, a survey taken in the late 1960s suggested that technologists had to shave another US$80 per watt for solar cells to compete against chemical batteries and generators for the off-grid market. Dr. Elliot Berman, an American industrial chemist, with the help of Exxon Corporation, found that he could drastically reduce the cost of modules without any major breakthroughs. Instead of competing with the semiconductor industry for the very expensive high-grade silicon, Berman and his team chose to purchase much cheaper reject wafers as they found that the discards worked perfectly well for generating power. Nor did a terrestrial photovoltaic manufacturer, Berman's group proved, have to trim the cylindrical wafers into rectangles as they did for satellites. Changing their shape gave a more compact fit to lighten the payload and open up more area on the satellite for its mission, great concerns for space but having no relevance for power needs on Earth. Hence, Berman and his group could save a lot of expensive silicon by maintaining the wafer's original form. Furthermore, the packaging of terrestrial cells did not demand the same rigor as those in space required contending with meteorites and radiation. Changes such as these reduced the price by early 1973 to the magical US$20 per watt for large orders, bringing to earth a formerly space-based enterprise. New Uses: Berman's company, Solar Power Corporation, began business selling modules to offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Pre-marketing research revealed that though the rigs required small amounts of electricity for warning lights and horns to prevent boats and ships from running into them, few had their own power. Instead, huge autonomous non-rechargeable batteries supplied the necessary electricity. Maintaining and replacing them every nine or so months proved expensive, labor intensive and time consuming. Much lighter, longer-lasting solar panels combined with smaller rechargeable batteries saved the oil industry time and money. For these reasons, by 1980 solar-powered navigation aides had become standard fare in the Gulf of Mexico, and because of the international nature of the oil business they soon became a common sight on off-shore rigs worldwide.
The Coast Guard did not make the change to photovoltaics as quickly as did the oil industry even though the cost for periodically replacing the buoys' batteries exceeded the purchase price of the buoys. The Coast Guard's reluctance to make such an obviously positive change compelled a young lieutenant commander, Lloyd Lomer, to secretly initiate a photovoltaics program for that agency. Lomer established testing to develop design criteria for robust solar panels that would withstand the pummeling of waves and immersion in seawater. He then had a prototype built and placed it in one of the least sunny areas served by the Coast Guard. Though it operated successfully in the most trying of conditions, still, his superiors would not budge. Lomer than went above their heads, convincing their superiors to begin in earnest a photovoltaics program. By the 1980s, due to Lomer's maverick efforts, the Coast Guard decided to convert all of its navigation aids to solar power. The rest of the world has followed suit.
The availability of a relatively inexpensive module gained the attention of Telecom Australia, the quasi-public agency in charge of the nation's communication networks. The government had ordered the telecom group to provide the most remotely situated Australians access to the same high quality telephone and television service those living in the urban centers enjoyed. Finding a reliable off-grid power supply became the chief obstacle to fulfilling the government mandate. Telecom Australia's power engineers looked into windmills and generators but they proved too unreliable. Solar modules, in contrast, when attached to batteries did not demand refueling visits as did generators and unlike windmills or generators, which needed periodic upkeep, the solid-state construction of solar cells made them as long lasting as the transistorized phone transmitters and receivers they would power in the Outback. The solar phones connecting those in isolated situations with telephone exchanges tied to the national telephone system worked so well that by 1976 the government chose to run entire telecommunication networks with the sun. Multiple solar-driven repeater stations spanned thousands of miles so that people along the way had instantaneous long-distance calling and television programming. The Australian experience gave people all over the world greater confidence in photovoltaics. As one Australian Telecom engineer put it, "We showed the world how solar power could be used in a big way out in the field." About the Author: The article is a synopsis of John Perlin's book, "From Space to Earth: The Story of Solar Electricity," which describes the step-by-step development of photovoltaics. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has agreed to produce a traveling outdoor exhibit based on the book. For more information on the book and/or exhibit, please contact John at solarperlin@aol.com. Read more Solar History accounts by John Perlin on the California Solar Center website Source: Solar e-Clips 7/9/2002.
For more information on Educational Resources go to: http://www.thegateway.org
Superconductivity Cited As "Enabling Technology" In EPA Climate Action Report
The "U.S. Department of State, U.S. Climate Action Report 2002" was recently released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Constituting the "Third National Communication of the United States of America Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change," this document takes a close look at the climate-change issue and various technological and policy approaches.
Along with a number of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, the report calls the high-temperature superconductivity program out for special attention, noting on page 56 of the report that superconductivity "would allow more electricity to reach consumers and perform useful work with no increase in fossil CO2 emissions." In a special summary sheet on superconductivity, the report notes on page 188 that the program [also] "has non-greenhouse gas environmental benefits, such as reducing SOx emissions; improves energy reliability; reduces strain on the electric grid infrastructure; cuts transmission losses by half; and allows electrical equipment to be reduced in size dramatically (which opens more potential site applications)." Review this EPA report. Source: Superconductivity News Update dated 11 June 2002.
63 Dams Slated for Removal in 2002
A record number of dams - 63 dams in 15 states and the District of Columbia - are scheduled for removal in the 2002 calendar year, says the conservation group American Rivers. The nation's aging dam infrastructure, combined with a growing appreciation of the ecological impacts of dams, provided the impetus for the growing movement to remove unneeded dams, says American Rivers, which has been tracking planned dam removals since 1999. About 40 dams have been removed since 1999 when the breaching of Edwards Dam on Maine's Kennebec River captured national attention. Another milestone was reached in October of 2001, when conservationists celebrated the completion of a series of dam removals that restored 115 miles of the Wisconsin's Baraboo River, the longest stretch of river ever returned to free flowing condition in America. "It's an exciting trend for our nation's rivers," said Elizabeth Maclin, director of American Rivers' Rivers Unplugged program. "The number of voluntary dam removals is clearly accelerating as the word gets out about the ecological and economic benefits." The dams slated for removal this year represent a small fraction of the dams in place across the country. There are about 75,000 dams taller than six feet high and many thousands of smaller obstructions. The vast majority of the dams were built to run mills, control floods and create municipal and agricultural water supplies; less than three percent generate hydroelectricity. While dams can provide valuable services, American Rivers argues that they come at a price - dams drown valuable habitat under reservoirs, block the annual migrations of fish, and can create downstream conditions that cannot support native fish and wildlife. As dams age, their benefits often diminish while maintenance costs and safety hazards increase.
The Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that about 30 percent of America's dams have reached the end of their useful lives. "Many dams have outlived their intended purpose and no longer provide any economic benefit," said Leon Szeptycki, eastern conservation director for Trout Unlimited. "Many communities have looked at their local dams and realized the dams provide virtually no benefits. Communities that do look at dam removal soon learn that a healthy river can enhance quality of life and be a tremendous economic asset." "In Wisconsin, dam removal is, on average, three to five times less expensive than dam repair. And if you're a small town or an individual owner, that price difference can be the straw that breaks the dam's back," explained Helen Sarakinos, small dams program manager for the River Alliance of Wisconsin. Source: ENS 7/23/2002.
Green Issues Could Hurt Energy Firm Stocks-report
If the stock slump wasn't bad enough, shareholder value at some top oil and natural gas companies could fall by another 6 percent because of environmental costs and risks in the coming decade, according to a Wednesday report by an environmental think tank. The World Resources Institute (WRI) warned that future actions to curb global warming and limit drilling for oil and gas in environmentally sensitive areas could cause investments in energy companies to drop. "Investors ignore environmental issues at their own peril," said Duncan Austin, WRI economist and co-author of the report. "Environmental issues can have a significant impact on a company's bottom line and stock price." The report looked at 16 leading oil and gas companies. Unocal ((UCL.N)), Occidental Petroleum ((OXY.N)) and Repsol YPF ((REP.MC)) all stand to lose more than 6 percent of shareholder value as global warming and drilling access issues unfold over the next decade, the report said. For example, the international Kyoto treaty that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could eventually dampen sales of oil, which is a major cause of the heat-trapping gases. Kyoto Said a Factor: The Bush administration has rejected the treaty but Japan, Europe and Russia have embraced it. Meanwhile, nearly a dozen U.S. state attorneys general have called for a national program to set specific targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "Even without U.S. participation in the (Kyoto) protocol, U.S.-based companies could be affected by it," the study said. "Changes in the global oil market, transmitted by price, will be felt throughout the industry." In contrast, Burlington Resources ((BR.N)), Sunoco ((SUN.N)) and Valero Energy ((VLO.N)) are relatively insulated against these environmental issues and should see little or no change to their shareholder value, the report said.
Another risk to balance sheets is growing opposition to drilling in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the think tank said. ChevronTexaco ((CVX.N)), Conoco ((COC.N)), Phillips Petroleum ((P.N)), TotalFinaElf ((TOTF.PA)), Apache Corp ((APA.N)), Repsol, Occidental and Unocal have a larger share of their oil and natural gas reserve in environmentally important areas, and are more at risk, according the report. "Past troubles encountered by Texaco in Ecuador, Shell in Nigeria and other companies may be a precursor to future, more systematic difficulties," it said. Exxon Mobil ((XOM.N)), Royal Dutch/Shell Group ((RD.AS)), Burlington and Eni Spa ((E.N)) have few of their energy reserves on environmentally sensitive lands and offshore waters. Disclosure Limited: The report found that energy companies have made limited disclosure on the relevance of environmental issues on their future financial performance. "At a time when investors have significant doubts about the quality of information put out by companies, this type of objective information and analysis is exactly what investors need to make accurate judgments about the value of their investments," said WRI President Jonathan Lash. BP ((BP.L)), Conoco and Phillips were the only companies reviewed that indicated in their annual reports to shareholders that climate change policies may have an impact on future business operations, according to the study. "However, no company attempts to quantify in financial terms the potential environmental risks that it faces," the report said. Energy companies are not the only ones to face financial risks linked to the environment. On Monday California's governor signed a landmark law requiring automakers to limit carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants. Gasoline fumes from cars and trucks are a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. The auto industry has vowed to dismantle the California measure in federal court by invoking federal laws that reserve for Congress the power to set fuel economy standards. Source: Reuters 7/24/2002 via Powermarkets.com 7/25/2002.
For more information on legislative activities go to: http://thomas.loc.gov
CISWorld Spans the Globe
New developments in the area of customer system solutions within the utility and emerging energy industry are covered extensively at www.CISWorld.com. The web site includes posting of requests for proposals; news items; and detailed vendor listings of those who offer billing systems and the like. The site was started by TMG Consulting in 1994, and today receives between 3,000 to 5,000 visits a month.
Greg Galluzzi of TMG Consulting is a prominent presenter at the Annual CIS Conference and other national and regional events. His two Powerpoint presentations from the recent event in Baltimore - "CIS Industry Update" and "ASP CIS Outsourcing" are now available at the site. TMG Consulting is a vendor-neutral consultant to utilities and municipalities that are considering or undergoing a customer system upgrade. TMG recently launched an email newsletter to their clients and prospects entitled, appropriately enough, "TMGWorld." Ed Thomas helps draft their newsletter, which includes a customer case study in each issue along with other company and industry news. See the CISWorld Top Stories at: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vqnrfsn6.ippopee6.9wx9fsn6&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cisworld.com. Source: Market Developments 2002.
City of Portland Sweetens Offer for Vestas
As Danish wind-power turbine maker Vestas apparently has shifted its focus from Portland, officials here are swiftly sweetening their proposal. The new offer--by the City of Portland to slash development fees $1.7 million from $2.4 million to $700,000--likely is a result of pressure from increasing competition.
The announcement follows news several weeks ago that Vestas officials toured a 300-acre development site at the Port of Longview, Wash. Vestas officials won't discuss the search but acknowledge negotiations with Portland officials continue. City Hall, however, released documents July 24 that spell out a plan by Mayor Vera Katz to significantly reduce development permitting and systems development fees in an attempt to be competitive with the Port of Longview. "At a time when our region is struggling through a major recession, and facing the worst unemployment in 20 years, I believe we need to be able to provide incentives to businesses that are willing to make a major local investment that produce significant numbers of new jobs," Katz wrote in a July 11 memo to City Council. To see detailed information about LEED, go to http://www.usgbc.org/programs/leed.htm. Environmental Building News, June 2002, at http://www.buildinggreen.com/news/leed_streamlining.html. Source: The Portland Business Journal 7/25/2002.
Portland's Environmental Design Standard Approved
The U.S. Green Building Council has approved Portland Green Building standards, the first local version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system to be approved. Portland LEED tailors the national building standards to the city's needs, while the USGBC verifies and officially certifies projects that meet LEED standards. "Portland LEED will make the process easier for local developers and project managers seeking LEED status," said City Commissioner Dan Saltzman. "[This] should streamline the design and documentation phases necessary to become certified as a LEED building." Although only two buildings in Portland have been certified by the LEED 2.0 system--the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center earned gold and Viridian Place in Lake Oswego was certified--25 projects in the Portland metropolitan area have registered for future certification. The Portland Office of Sustainable Development led the charge to develop a Portland LEED. Source: The Portland Business Journal 7/25/2002.
For more information on marketing and research go to: http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/emaa/index.html
Perryton, TX Approves Grant For Fiberboard Plant
The Perryton, TX City Council voted to approve a $275,000 economic development grant that would bring a $200 million plant to town. All Fiber Group, an Atlanta-based firm, will build a facility that will manufacture fiberboard from wheat straw, process ethanol from corn, deliver food for livestock and grow hydroponic crops. The plant will produce about 130 jobs, and All Fiber Group expects construction to
begin within 120 days. The facility will take in 30 million tons of wheat straw per year and produce 40 million square feet per year of fiberboard, which would be used for flooring and other construction uses. The ethanol plant will be a cutting-edge facility and will produce 100 million gallons of ethanol per year from corn. For more information: http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/050902/new_grantfor.shtml. Source: June 2002 Biobased Fuels, Power and Products Newsletter
State Gets Fewer Federal Fuel Cell Dollars Than Sought
A $150,000 federal grant will help the state take the first steps toward installing infrastructure to produce hydrogen for use in fuel cells. The money is one-third the amount requested by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism for the hydrogen-power-park project slated for the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority on the Big Island's Kona coast. In all, the state received $450,000 for five energy projects, according to an announcement last week from the U.S. Department of Energy "These awards rank us among the top states in the nation in dollar amounts rewarded," DBEDT Director Seiji Naya said. "We were successful in obtaining funds for every project we proposed." The scope and time frame for the fuel-cell project may have to be altered because the amount of funding is less than requested, said Maurice Kaya, head of DBEDT's energy, resources and technology division. Formal negotiations with the energy department still must be concluded, he said. The three-year project was to include a technical engineering analysis in the first year, with the following two years spent on acquiring an electrolyzer and a state-of-the-art fuel cell, Kaya said. "If everything goes right, that will allow us to produce hydrogen for applications or for transportation uses," he said. "With the $450,000 we would have been able to do engineering and feasibility studies. "We're going to have to reduce some of that [and wait to see what future funding comes]." Fuel cells use hydrogen to produce electricity, leaving water as the sole byproduct. Depending on how the hydrogen is produced, the entire process can be pollution-free.
"Most fuel cells and hydrogen-development work rely on natural gas," Kaya said. "Our proposal focused mainly on opportunities with non-polluting renewables like water, solar, geothermal and wind." Hawaii was one of three states to get money for fuel-cell research -- Michigan and North Carolina are the others -- but the government needs to spend more money if it wants to see progress in this area, said Rick Rocheleau, director of the University of Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, which manages the program. "There are lots of issues to address in addition to the technology, and $150,000 won't come close," he said, adding that other funding is being sought. "These are expensive projects." He said he has corporate commitments to work on the program from Hawaiian Electric Co. and its Big Island subsidiary, Hawaii Electric Light Co.; The Gas Co.; Connecticut-based UTC Fuel Cells; Canada-based Stewart Energy; Sunline Services Group of California and Maryland-based Sentech, two consulting firms; and the California Energy Commission. While NELHA is the first site choice for the research, engineering and permitting issues need to be squared away before a location is finalized, Rocheleau said.
Toronto-based Stewart also is working with HNEI to use wind to improve technology on electrolyzers, which process hydrogen into electricity, he said. A proposal for funding is before federal energy officials, and one of the wind farms on the Big Island likely will be home to the project, he said. The state also received $100,000 from the Department of Energy to allow HELCO to work with the state to increase development of renewables and distributed-energy resources. Another $70,000 grant will look for new ways to store this energy, Kaya said. "Both have the intent of looking at whether or not there are ways to overcome technical issues to increase the amount of renewable and distributed-generation resources," he said. "We want to develop renewables first, then ultimately go into hydrogen. Hydrogen is the ultimate storage technology since it is so flexible." The state also received $100,000 to continue community partnerships to improve productivity through increased energy efficiency, and $30,000 to encourage compliance with residential codes that reduce energy usage in new construction. "These special energy projects will help conserve energy, provide jobs, increase our national energy security and reduce the need for new electricity-generating plants," U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said last week in announcing the awards. In all, the awards totaled $123.6 million for 138 projects in 47 states and three territories. Reach Ben DiPietro at 955-8039 or bdipietro@bizjournals.com. Source: Pacific Business News 7/19/2002.
DOE Awards $19.1M to National Center for Genome Resources, Sandia
The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $19.1 million Genomes to Life (GTL) program grant to the Santa Fe-based National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR) and Albuquerque-based Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) for a post-genomic research project. NCGR will receive $1.3M over three years for their contribution in creating systems biology models for the "Carbon Sequestration in Synechococcus: From Molecular Machines to Hierarchical Modeling" program spearheaded by Sandia. Over the next three years NCGR will create a computer simulation model that will simulate the role of the marine organism, Synechococcus, in the carbon cycle and how it uses carbon. SNL, in collaboration with ten other institutions, including Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will use the rest of the funding to develop and apply experimental and computational methods to the study of proteins and their role in the earth's carbon cycle. The newly GTL program, part of the DOE's Office of Science, was established to help solve problems in energy production, environmental cleanup and carbon cycling. "Through a systems approach to biology at the interface of the biological, physical and computational sciences, the program seeks to understand entire living organisms and their interactions with the environment," said a DOE spokesperson, in a prepared statement. The National Center for Genome Resources is a non-profit institute for discovery-driven research in computational biology, medicine and bioinformatics. Its scientists have research interest in both systems biology and the development of novel methods for integrating software applications and data. Sandia National Laboratories is operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) company, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia has major research and development responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness. Its facilities are located in Albuquerque and Livermore, Calif. Source: New Mexico Business Weekly 7/25/2002.
SEPA Awards Solar Power Grant to TEP
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) recently announced it has awarded Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and the city of Tucson, AZ a $75,000 grant to provide photovoltaic (PV) modules to a municipal water treatment facility. "In light of the country's increasing concern about energy security, this project is an excellent example of utilizing PVs to ensure that essential services have a reliable power supply," said SEPA general manager Jeffrey Serfass. "The evaluation committee found that the ease of replicating this system design for applications in other municipalities added to this project's value as a showcase project."
TEP said the grant will be used to install two 17-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic arrays at the Hayden/Udall Water Treatment Facility. In addition, the company said it will provide project coordination and contracting for construction of the solar electric systems through its sister company Global Solar Energy. TEP said it will also provide technical expertise for system maintenance. The project is currently slated for completion before October. Contact: Art McDonald, TEP, phone 520-884-3628. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today 6/5/2002.
For more information on funding solicitations go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/solicitations.html
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