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Green energy is set to be harnessed for what must be one of its most novel uses so far (to power a North-East cemetery. As more and more wind turbines spring up across the region, the technology is about to be utilised to generate eco-friendly electricity for Northumberland's newest burial site.
Environment-conscious council chiefs plan to erect a 20ft-high mini-turbine and install solar panels so that the wind and sun can provide all the power required for the cemetery at Fairmoor on the outskirts of Morpeth. Castle Morpeth Borough Council claims the green energy plan will save about pounds 20,000 on the cost of installing mains electricity in the cemetery, next to the main A1 road north of the town.
Wind and solar energy will power the fountain in the memorial garden, provide lighting in the lodge and electricity in the cemetery office. The project is expected to cost between pounds 9,500 and pounds 12,000 to install, compared to pounds 25,000-pounds 30,000 to put in a mains supply.
Members of Castle Morpeth's executive board will be recommended to give it the green light at their meeting tonight. Yesterday Coun Doug Phillips, the council's executive member for the environment, said the green energy plan would save on capital costs and reduce the running costs of powering the cemetery to virtually nil.
"In addition, the installation of such a facility sends out a clear statement in support of renewable energy, which is still seen in some quarters as a gimmick. "Fairmoor Cemetery is a sensitive location and any development must be done in a manner which respects that. "We will be consulting with our development control officers to ensure that the 6.5m-high turbine is situated in the most appro- priate location on the site." Source: The Journal - Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 8/4/2005.
The town of Williamstown is one step closer to securing funding to place solar panels atop Milne Public Library, after successfully subscribing enough new green power electric customers to qualify for a state grant program.
The town can now account for about $11,000 of the roughly $20,000 it will cost to place the 2-kilowatt solar panels atop the library.
Paying for air conditioning: Once installed, they are expected to generate enough electricity to cover air-conditioning costs throughout the summer. The money is from Renewable Energy Trust, a program administered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the state agency responsible for, among other things, development of renewable energy. In particular, the fund is from a surcharge on electricity bills.
The program is designed to provide incentives to customers to buy renewable power, which is still not cost-competitive with electricity from nonrenewable sources such as coal, natural gas or nuclear power. The Center for Ecological Technology, a nonprofit organization based in Pittsfield that promotes environmental technology, has been working to get up to 450 households in Berkshire County to sign up for a program offered by Massachusetts Electric Co. that would allow customers to buy electricity solely from renewable sources.
Called New England GreenStart, it allows customers to pay a premium, and all the power they use is purchased from the regional power pool from renewable sources such as wind and hydroelectric sources. CET Director Laura Dubester explained that the purpose of the program is to give people a reason to sign up and pay for premium electricity.
"Electricity is still an abstract to most people," she said. "The program connects the individual decision to pay for clean energy with new, visible renewable energy projects in each community. "In addition, CET officials note, GreenStart customers can deduct a portion of their costs from their federal taxes.
93 green subscribers: Williamstown had 93 customers subscribe, according to CET Marketing Director Peggy MacLeod in an e-mail to the Selectmen last month, just one more than the threshold. That includes what she describes as three "last minute" subscribers.
Williamstown joins Great Barrington, Monterey and Egremont as four of only eight towns across the state that have met the threshold. Williamstown is the only one, though, with a clear goal for the money.
Selectwoman Jane B. Allen, who serves on the town's clean air committee, said that the Selectmen decided several years ago that the town would make itself a clean-air community. Committees were set up to implement a plan and it was decided to work toward installing solar panels on the library roof.
According to the CET, West Stockbridge, Lenox, Sheffield and Stockbridge are close to the 3 percent threshold and will qualify for the bonus if they can reach and maintain that level from the end of September through the end of December. For more information see:
Source: By Christopher Marcisz, Berkshire Eagle Staff, 8/6/2005.
Ten energy agencies and an Army base teamed up to buy renewable energy credits.
They will purchase renewable energy certificates for five years—accounting for 117,825 MWhs each year. The agencies include:
The certificates will come from biomass generation from the Sierra Pacific Industries' sawmill sites in Anderson, Lincoln and Sonora, Calif. Certificates will also come from wind generation from Nebraska Public Power District's wind farm in Ainsworth, Neb., and the Mountain View wind site in Palm Springs, Calif. All certificates are supplied by Sterling Planet, Inc., a third party marketer.
Renewable energy certificates, also known as green tags, are the intangible environmental benefits associated with generating one megawatthour of electric energy by a renewable resource. They don't require the energy to be physically delivered to the buyer, but instead offset the difference between cost of the renewable power and power from fossil energy sources. Purchasing green tags helps to meet the goals outlined in the "Greening the Government Through Efficient Energy Management" initiative. The initiative provides goals for Federal agencies to expand the use of renewable energy.
Western coordinated the requests for proposal for all the agencies and also committed to purchasing some of the green tags. "It's easy and cost effective to get renewable energy certificates through this program," explained Theresa Williams, Western’s Renewable Resources for Federal Agencies project manager. "We, at Western, are pleased to continue our commitment to support renewable energy." For more about Western's renewable resources program, log on to Western's Green Tags Web site.
Western Area Power Administration annually markets and transmits more than 10,000 megawatts of power from hydroelectric powerplants owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 15 western and central states. It is part of the Department of Energy. Source: Western Area Power Administration, 8/4/2005.
Seattle Green Power offers City Light customers the option to increase the development of new sources of renewable energy, including solar projects at local public and non-profit facilities. Join nearly 5,000 customers who make voluntary payments in addition to their regular bills in support of clean energy with no greenhouse gas emissions. Development of new renewable energy sources helps preserve a high quality environment and spurs our local economy.
Seattle's long tradition of clean, renewable energy began in 1905 with the Cedar Falls hydroelectric plant. Later City Light developed the Skagit and Boundary hydroelectric facilities. The Skagit facilities were recently recognized to meet strict "low-impact hydro" certification requirements. In 2002 City Light contracted for one of the largest wind power purchases in the country, currently 175 Megawatts of capacity and enough power to meet approximately 2 percent of Seattle's energy load. Participation in Seattle Green Power adds to this legacy by allowing City Light to go beyond its existing commitments by supporting new sources of renewable energy for the new century.
Customer contributions to Seattle Green Power support local and regional renewable energy projects not currently a part of City Light's resource portfolio. As of May 2005, fourteen solar demonstration projects have been completed at local Schools, Universities, Parks, and Seattle Center, with more in the works. Green Power funds have also supported the development of dairy waste-to-energy and small wind turbine projects in Washington and Oregon.
Interface, Inc. recently announced its contributions to a green power initiative that will fund new solar projects in Maine. The company also announced that its purchase of 30,000 megawatt-hours of Green-e certified renewable energy credits has enabled it to offset 100 percent of the electricity needed for the Interface Flooring Systems carpet production facility in Troup County, GA.
The Flooring Systems division purchased the 30,000 RECs from wind farms in Kansas and Minnesota, as well as a biomass project in Kentucky. Interface noted that its Fabrics division signed a five-year contract in 2003 with Bonneville Environmental Foundation to purchase 12,500 megawatt-hours of RECs at a rate of 2,500 megawatt-hours per year from three U.S. wind farms. Contact: Valerie Benet, Interface, phone 800-336-0225 ext 6. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 8/3/2005.
The Green-e Program of the Center for Resource Solutions announced today that Xcel Energy's Windsource® program in Colorado is now Green-e Certified. Xcel Energy joins the largest network of renewable energy providers to offer its customers assurance from the nation's leading certification and verification program that they are receiving a high quality renewable energy product.
Xcel Energy became one of the first regulated utilities in the U.S. to offer customers a green pricing program. With over 40,000 customers, Xcel Energy's Windsource® program is currently ranked as the number one Utility Green Pricing Program in the U.S. according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Windsource enables customers to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while supporting the continued development and generation of wind power. The program allows customers to support wind power from wind farms in Colorado, displacing energy produced by non-renewable sources such as coal and natural gas. This contributes to a cleaner environment and creates skilled long-term jobs in the local community. To support the demand for Windsource, Xcel Energy has 44 wind turbines at the Ponnequin wind farm (Xcel Energy owns 37) and purchases all the output from 33 wind turbines at the Peetz Table wind farm. Both wind farms are located in northeast Colorado. Continued growth of program participation will lead to additional wind power development.
"Windsource is a simple and affordable way for our customers to demonstrate their support for clean Colorado wind energy. Thanks to ongoing customer support, Windsource continues to flourish in Colorado. We're excited to team up with the Green-e Program and to uphold the high quality standards of excellence for which they are known," said Product Manager Andy Sulkko.
Green-e is the national symbol for renewable energy excellence. As the leading renewable energy certification and verification program in the US, Green-e provides independent, third party certification to ensure certified renewable energy meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards. Green-e's verification protects customers from paying for renewable energy that is "double sold" to other customers or used simultaneously to meet regulatory mandates. Through the placement of the Green-e logo, growing numbers of consumers are able to easily identify high quality renewable energy that they can trust, as well as everyday consumer products that are "made with certified renewable energy."
"Windsource customers are helping create a cleaner energy future in Colorado," said Dan Lieberman, Green-e Program Manager. "Green-e certification means corporate, government and residential customers who buy Windsource can be confident they are receiving the environmental benefits of green power as well as helping to expand the market for clean renewable energy."
Providers of Green-e certified renewable energy agree to abide by the Green-e Code of Conduct, and meet Green-e disclosure and truth-in-advertising requirements. Xcel Energy will undergo an annual verification audit to document that the company purchased or generated enough quantity and type of renewable energy to meet customer demand and marketing claims. Ninety-eight marketers and utilities throughout North America now offer Green-e certified renewable energy products. Collectively these suppliers sold 3 billion kWh of certified renewable energy in 2003. Source: CRS Release, 8/2/2005.
Fourteen municipal utilities served by Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency are offering their customers a renewable energy option. The product offerings differ by utility, but all are supplied by CMMPA. For example, the City of New Ulm offers a Green Energy Program through which customers can purchase 100-kWh monthly blocks of renewable energy for $1.50, or a rate premium of 1.5¢/kWh, whereas the City of Delano charges $2.50 per 100-kWh block, or 2.5¢/kWh in its Renewable Energy Program. And the City of Sleepy Eye Public Utilities Commission plans to re-launch its program after a recent local survey indicated that 56 percent of respondents were willing to pay more for renewable energy.
CMMPA supplies the renewable energy for the programs from its 6-MW share of the 98-MW Hancock County Wind Energy Center in Iowa. In addition, CMMPA plans to add a 2.5-MW wind project in Blue Earth, MN and a 6.25-MW wind project on a family farm in southwestern Minnesota later this year, as well as a 10-MW wind project and a landfill gas project in the near future. A portion of the output from these projects will be used to supply the utility green power product offerings while the remainder will be used to satisfy the state's renewable energy objective. Minnesota utilities are also required by state law to offer their customers voluntary options to purchase power generated from renewable sources or high-efficiency, low-emission distributed generation. The municipal utilities offering green power programs in conjunction with CMMPA are: Blue Earth, Delano, Glencoe, Granite Falls, Janesville, Kenyon, Lake Crystal, Madelia, Mt. Lake, New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Springfield, Truman, and Windom. Source: The Green Power Network Monthly Update - July 2005
Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. today reported that they have acquired geothermal leases on 6500 acres of private land covering the "Crump Geyser" and an extensive hot spring system in southern, Oregon. The leases are on private land and NGP has free access on the surface for exploration and development and the right to lease land required for the plant site, production well field, pipelines and transmission line right of ways.
Geothermal assessments by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Federal Bureau of Land Management in 2003 ranked the Crump Geyser Known Geothermal Resource Area as highly favourable, (a "top pick") for near-term geothermal power development. In the mid 1980's, Gordon Bloomquist visited the site on behalf of the Bonneville Power Administration; at that time geothermometry indicated source water temperatures of 185 degrees C/365 degrees F and the resource potential was estimated at 85 MW.
"The new Crump Geyser geothermal project is a significant acquisition for NGP and a new core holding," said Mr. Fairbank, CEO & President. "The addition of the Crump Geyser geothermal site to our resource base is strategic to NGP becoming a significant explorer and developer of geothermal power in the Western United States. The much anticipated new US Energy Bill which is expected to contain a significantly improved Federal Production Tax Credit for geothermal, allowing a longer time frame to bring new geothermal power to market further enhances the timing of the Crump Geyser acquisition."
At Crump Geyser, a 1680-foot deep well drilled by Magma Power company (in 1959) spontaneously erupted a few days after it was abandoned by Magma. The well flowed 500 gallons/minute (30 litres/second) of boiling water 200 feet into the air continuously for 6 months before reverting to a spectacular geyser erupting at regular intervals. In the 1960's the well was plugged with rocks stemming the geyser flow, however boiling water still rumbles at depth and boiling water bubbles to the surface.
The Crump Geyser is located in the Warner Valley, Lake County, immediately and north of Adel, Oregon, 30 miles east of Lakeview, Oregon or 175 miles north of Winnemucca, Nevada. The Crump Geyser is within the northern part of the Basin and Range rift terrain which also hosts the Blue Mountain geothermal project. The Basin and Range region is characterized by relatively thin earth crust, high heat flow and deep penetrating extensional faults. The Crump Geyser and main hot springs occur on the NGP geothermal leases over a four mile interval at the base of a prominent range front faults scarp along the western edge of Warner Valley and out into the valley a distance of about 3000 feet. A separate 2600 acre area under lease to NGP called the northern geothermal zone covers extensive hot springs also occurring along prominent segmented extensional faults. Regional transmission lines into Warner Valley connect to the Western Area Transmission Grid. The property is readily accessible by a paved highway which runs through the property.
Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. is a renewable energy company developing geothermal projects in the United States to provide electrical energy that is clean, efficient and sustainable. NGP is committed to the geothermal industry and currently owns a 100 percent leasehold interest in four properties: Blue Mountain, Pumpernickel, Black Warrior, all of which are ideally situated in Nevada and Crump Geyser in Oregon. An initial 30 MW power plant is planned to begin generating power at the Blue Mountain site in 2007 subject to further resource drilling and feasibility studies. Source: Nevada Geothermal Power Inc., 8/9/2005.
Princeton Power Systems, developer of AC-link(TM) technology for advanced electrical power conversion and conditioning, has delivered a prototype power converter that has been integrated into the solar pumps at a leading international solar engineering and water management company. The power converter uses Princeton Power's patented AC-Link technology to convert solar power into usable regulated electricity, which is then used to power a large water pump. This is particularly useful in agricultural applications, which consume a great deal of electricity and require reliable water movement.
"We built an integrated unit that could efficiently and reliably maximize the amount of power drawn from the solar panels, and complement it with power from the utility grid whenever necessary," explained Darren Hammell, president and CEO of Princeton Power Systems. "Princeton Power's AC-link performs 'Max Power Tracking' to make the solar panels operate as efficiently as possible, which lowers costs by 30 percent."
The work that Princeton Power has performed is the final deliverable of a subcontract from WorldWater & Power Corp., a prime contractor to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities under its Renewable Energy and Economic Development program. The REED grant has been used to develop power electronics for controlling interaction between the electric grid, solar power, and an electric motor. The REED program provides funding that is focused on growing the renewable energy industry in New Jersey and to make New Jersey the new "Silicon Valley" for renewable energy economic development. Source: Business Wire, 8/8/2005
Long Island Power Authority and FPL Energy recently announced that local governments and businesses have pledged their support for the development of a 140-megawatt (MW) offshore wind project. According to LIPA and FPL, the aim of the project is to help Long Island reduce its dependence on oil and fossil fuels.
“It is only through projects such as these which focus on alternative sources of energy that we will be able to break our reliance on foreign oil and our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels,” said Suffolk County executive Steve Lacy. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 8/3/2005.
Colusa Biomass Energy Corporation, the Colusa County, California-based biomass-to-ethanol company, announced today that they have engaged TSS Consultants of Rancho Cordova, California to provide technical and business assistance for a production plant in the Sacramento Valley to convert rice straw to chemical products and ethanol.
Commenting on this strategic consultancy, Tom Bowers, CEO of CBGY, stated, "We are extremely pleased to have the services of TSS Consulting, namely Dennis Schuetzle, Ph.D., available for the support of this planning effort. Dr. Schuetzle is a recognized authority, worldwide, on the production of fuels and energy from waste biomass, with international expertise in biomass-to-ethanol production. Dr. Schuetzle and his associates at TSS have had great success with assisting numerous private and government organizations in the assessment and development of new technologies and the design of production plants for converting biomass to energy and fuels. We are confident that they will allow us to make tremendous strides toward attaining our goal of being the dominant US company in the field of converting rice straw (waste) into ethanol and other high-value products via our patented process."
Loyd Forrest, President of TSS Consultants added, "We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Mr. Bowers and his staff at Colusa Biomass. They have worked diligently toward helping provide a solution for the State of California with respect to converting the waste from rice production to bona fide commodities (ethanol, high grade silica and lignin) while improving the environment."
James Lucas, Chief Science Officer at Colusa Biomass commented, "That the efficient and economical production of valuable commodities from rice straw will help solve the air and solid waste issues associated with the disposal of over a million tons per year of rice straw, while providing farmers with an additional source of income and the State with an important, renewable alternative fuel. In addition to helping with environmental issues and providing alternative choices for petroleum based fuel, CBGY's planned facility will create numerous jobs in Colusa County, which currently has an unemployment rate of roughly 28 percent."
Tom Bowers added, "I think that our shareholders are going to be quite pleased when they see the benefits that a growth oriented company like ours will receive from working with well established, respected group like TSS Consultants — an organization that has had major successes on a domestic, as well as an international level." Source: Business Wire, 8/4/2005.
Behind the scenes at every commercial wind power facility is often a forecasting service that helps smooth out and coordinate the intermittent nature of wind power's contribution to the electrical grid. After signing a new round of contracts, Washington-based 3TIER Environmental Forecast Group says they will soon be forecasting for more than 2,000 MW of wind energy across the U.S., representing nearly one-third of the total installed wind energy capacity in the country. The new projects 3TIER Group will be forecasting for range in region from the Pacific Northwest to the upper Midwest, the Northeast and into the South. Forecasts that extend from minutes to months into the future can be used for such critical operational concerns as asset allocation, transmission scheduling and long-range planning. Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 8/4/2005.
The Nevada Development Authority recently announced that Solargenix Energy, LLC will locate its new 65-megawatt solar thermal power plant, scheduled for completion by 2007, in southern Nevada. According to NDA, the plant is expected to employ approximately 28 people. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 8/3/2005.
Millions of dollars are likely to be spent as power companies race to develop the Central North Island's geothermal fields to keep the country powered up. The fields in the area are likely to become an increasing source of power in the future as New Zealand realises the need to find more fuel.
While geothermal energy is unlikely to ever be able to supply all the country's power needs, it is becoming more popular and scientists say there is still considerable untapped energy. Rotorua geologist Ashley Cody said he believes up to a third of New Zealand's electricity will come from geothermal sources in the near future. The fields around the Central North Island are capable of producing half the needs, but that would probably have too many negative effects.
Earlier this year Mighty River Power, New Zealand's third-largest electricity generator, announced its plans to investigate new geothermal fields to see whether they are capable of supplying power. About 10 per cent of the company's power comes from geothermal sources. Nationally just over 7 per cent of the total power take comes from it.
Contact Energy is also looking to expand its geothermal take. Mighty River's external affairs general manager Neil Williams said geothermal power was the area the company was "most actively pursuing" as a future power source. But it could be a costly and time-consuming exercise with each exploratory well costing between $3 and $5 million.
"Scientists say there is a lot of potential but we don't know exactly what is there until we drill the hole." Mr Williams said it was a balancing act to expand existing power stations as well as developing new sites. Mighty River Power runs its two Taupo operations in conjunction with Maori trusts.
The Mokai power station's extension has just been completed and can now provide just under 100MW of power - the equivalent for about 110,000 households. The company is also hoping to "at least double" the capacity of its plant at Rotokawa - taking it to 66MW.
It is also looking at two new stations in a move which could create several new jobs. Consultation is underway for a new station at Kawerau while exploratory drilling is underway near Mangakino to see whether a station there would be viable. Results are expected towards the end of the year.
It generally takes 100 people to build geothermal power stations and they are usually operated by about ten staff. Another firm, Contact Energy, has started drilling the first of four new geothermal wells at Te Mihi, north-west of Taupo, in a project expected to add 18MW of extra energy.
A spokesman for Meridian Energy, New Zealand's largest electricity generator, said the company was focusing on wind development and had not thought about getting involved with geothermal power generation at this stage. Source: By Rebecca DeVine in Rotorua, 8/8/2005.
Cargill Inc., the world's largest agricultural company, plans to build a factory in Germany to produce diesel from crops. The biodiesel plant will have an annual capacity of 200,000 metric tons and is scheduled to start production in the third quarter of next year, the Minnetonka-based company said Friday in a prepared statement. The company didn't say how much the plant will cost.
"The new facility will enable us to meet the increasing demand from our customers for biofuels," Jack van den Hoek, general manager of biodiesel and biomass at Cargill's European unit, said in the statement. Cargill's plant would compete with rival Archer Daniels Midland Co., the biggest European biodiesel producer. Biodiesel is cheaper in Germany because the government taxes it at a lower rate than regular diesel. The Mainz plant will produce biodiesel from rapeseed oil and other vegetable oils, Cargill said.
Cargill said in June that it was opening a biodiesel plant in Iowa Falls, Iowa, to take advantage of rising demand for alternative fuels in the United States. Construction will begin this summer and production is expected by April, Cargill said. The plant will produce about 37.5 million gallons of biodiesel a year, the company said. Source: Cargill, 8/6/2005.
The city on Friday dedicated a new solar-energy installation at Islander Park, where dozens of children splashed in two swimming pools seeking relief from a blazing sun. The solar panels that cover the roof of changing rooms and restrooms at the University neighborhood park will generate one-quarter to one-half the energy used by the pools, mostly for their filtration system.
The city will dedicate two similar installations at Shamel and Hunt parks later this month. Together, the three projects generate 30 kilowatts of solar power, bringing to 440 kilowatts the total amount of locally generated solar energy in Riverside.
The city utility is third in the state among municipal utilities for solar-power generation, behind Sacramento and Los Angeles, Public Utilities Director Dave Wright said. And it's the leader among midsize utilities in the use of locally generated power from solar systems installed on public facilities, according to the California Energy Commission. Resident Joe Butler, 65, watched one of his three grandchildren swimming in the main pool at Islander Park and said he was glad to see the solar panels go up. "It tells me the city is taking an interest" in clean energy, he said.
Atoya Mendez, the city's renewable-energy administrator, said, "We want to be known as a green city," meaning environmentally friendly. The three solar installations cost $375,000 combined, Wright said. The money came from Riverside Public Utilities' public-benefit funds, which come from a state-mandated 2.85 percent surcharge that electricity customers pay.
Fourth-graders throughout the city will learn about the solar panels during presentations the utility makes to classes every year, Wright said.
Riverside Public Utilities has installed solar-energy panels in several locations, providing 440 kilowatts as it moves toward a goal of one megawatt of locally generated solar power. For more information see:
Source: Doug Haberman, The Press-Enterprise, 7/16/2005 via The Rahus Institute, 8/8/2005.
Move over, Jersey tomatoes. Some innovative New Jersey farmers are producing a new crop: energy. The farmers are putting solar power systems over barn roofs and fields to make electricity for their homes, farm buildings and irrigation systems while reducing pollution with a clean, renewable energy source.
A further lure for the farmers is a unique program that uses state rebates, credits and investor funds to cover all the upfront costs of the expensive solar systems, including maintenance. The program also guarantees farmers at least 10 percent savings on their electric bills.
"That is just brilliant," said Carol Tombari, a senior project leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. Tombari said she knows of no such programs elsewhere, noting experts consider New Jersey to have the best combination of financial incentives and policies to encourage renewable energy.
Barely a year into what's called the Power Crop Initiative, two dozen New Jersey farms have new solar systems running or are getting them installed soon, and dozens more are planned. "It's a great concept," said Ronny Lee, a sixth-generation farmer and owner of Lee Turkey Farm in suburban East Windsor, which also produces fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Lee, who last fall became the first New Jersey farmer to get a solar system under the project, said on sunny days his system produces more energy than he uses. "What I don't use goes back through my line and into the public grid, and I get credit for it," said Lee, who is hosting agricultural officials at an event Monday promoting the project. "It makes a lot of sense."
Lee had his system installed on a barn roof that faces due south, where it captures the most sunlight and shades the roof, keeping turkeys inside cooler during the summer. He said farmers could also set up solar systems over marshy areas to produce electricity from unusable land.
The initiative is a partnership of the New Jersey Farm Bureau and Flemington-based Sun Farm Network, which designs, installs and maintains solar systems on farms, homes, churches and other buildings.
The partnership uses rebates from the state Board of Public Utilities' Office of Clean Energy to cover about half the system's costs, said Pamela Frank, Sun Farm's director of marketing and public relations. Under a second state program to encourage production of clean energy, credits called renewable energy certificates, for the solar power the farmers produce, are sold to utilities or companies wanting to support renewable energy.
In Lee's case, Frank said, the combined financial incentives covered about two-thirds of the $386,000 price tag for his system and his 20-year maintenance contract with Sun Farm. Credits for the solar power he produces each month will pay off the balance on his system over 20 years. The system could last up to 40 years.
Frank said the first 10 systems alone will prevent more than 4 million pounds of emissions of carbon dioxide, a primary cause of global warming. The New Jersey Farm Bureau notified its 8,000 farmer members about the project 18 months ago, and at least 15 percent have shown interest, said bureau president Rich Nieuwenhuis.
New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Charles Kuperus said a majority of New Jersey farmers eventually might embrace solar power, which he thinks also would work for places such as vegetable and fruit packing sheds and horse barns. "We're going to see this catch on," Kuperus said.
The New Jersey program is unusual in that government support for renewable energy has favored other types over solar, such as wind power and biodiesel, which converts crop wastes such as cornstalks into energy, said Michael Bowman, an eastern Colorado farmer.
Bowman is on the steering committee of an alliance called the Agricultural Energy Group that recently began the "25 X '25" campaign, named for its goal of having farms and ranches produce 25 percent of the U.S. energy supply by 2025 from sources including solar and wind power, and methane from animal manure.
"Solar has a very high value," he said, partly because it's produced during daylight hours when electricity use peaks. But Peter Thomas, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Business and Cooperative Programs, said the other forms of alternative energy still have a faster payback than solar power. He said various USDA agencies have programs promoting solar power.
His program over the last two years has given 11 grants worth about $1.5 million for solar systems, mostly on farms, and this year has 34 applications for grants, far more than it can cover. But funding has been increasing a bit the last few years, and $22.8 million in grants and loan guarantees for solar systems for farms and rural businesses recently became available. For more information go to:
Source: By Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer, 8/7/2005.
Gary Robertson is about to see every inventor's dream come true. The 53-year-old's lifetime ambition of having one of his creations go beyond the drawing board is finally set to be realized. Robertson's invention, called the Solar Tree, has been accepted as an original idea by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
With his patent pending, Robertson is in the process of getting his new product manufactured with the help of a company called Invent-Tech. The Sierra Vista father of five describes his invention as "an innovative new solar-powered home-improvement product that will help lower utility bills."
Robertson was inspired to create the Solar Tree after a tree in his front yard died. "I didn't want to cut it down, so instead I ran PVC black piping up and down it and connected it to the washing machine which, with five kids in the house, was on virtually all day," he said. He filled the PVC pipe with water, then waited. "I got 5 gallons of water out at 108 degrees. I knew then that I was on to something."
Robertson, a disabled veteran who worked on nuclear submarines, then began putting his idea down on paper. He eventually came up with a synthetic, weather-resistant tree with hollow branches that could be filled with water and heated by the sun.
Mounted on the branches like leaves will be 250 tiny solar panels, generating power. "The great thing about this tree is that it can be used to heat water, heat a pool or power lights," said Robertson. "It can also be planted near the house because it has no roots and will provide shade, too.
"This is going to save people money in the long run. After all, the sun is free and it's clean." Robertson came up with his first invention when he was 8 years old, devising a way to flush the toilet with a piece of string. Ever since, he said, he has been coming up with ideas.
Robertson is working with Invent-Tech to complete the patent process on the Solar Tree and to start marketing his invention. The company, which acts on behalf of inventors, also will arrange for the tree to be manufactured. Robertson is hoping to eventually see his unique product in stores across America and is seeking the backing of well-known names such as The Home Depot, Lowe's and Ace Hardware.
"I'm just walking on air at the moment. This is definitely a dream come true," he added. "I have so many other ideas but sometimes it's hard to pick out what you think will make it. But when I stumbled onto the Solar Tree I knew I was on to something." Source: Amanda Baillie, Sierra Vista Herald, 8/6/2005.
With Congress' passage last week of the Energy Bill, CalEnergy Corp. hopes to build the country's largest geothermal facility, a 215-megawatt power plant with the first energy flowing to homes and businesses in 2007. A new tax credit in the bill finally makes geothermal energy production competitive with natural gas and coal-burning power. We hope CalEnergy ultimately pursues the project. Source: The Desert Sun, 8/4/2005 via George Frye.
Edison International subsidiary Southern California Edison, the nation's leading purchaser of renewable energy, and Stirling Energy Systems today announced an agreement that could result in construction of a massive, 4,500-acre solar generating station in Southern California. When completed, the proposed power station would be the world's largest solar facility, capable of producing more electricity than all other U.S. solar projects combined.
The 20-year power purchase agreement signed today, which is subject to California Public Utilities Commission approval, calls for development of a 500-megawatt (MW) solar project 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles using innovative Stirling dish technology. The agreement includes an option to expand the project to 850 MW. Initially, Stirling would build a one-MW test facility using 40 of the company's 37-foot-diameter dish assemblies. Subsequently, a 20,000-dish array would be constructed near Victorville, Calif., during a four-year period.
"At a time of rising fossil-fuel costs and increased concern about greenhouse-gas emissions, the Stirling project would provide enough clean power to serve 278,000 homes for an entire year," said SCE Chairman John Bryson. "Edison is committed to facilitating development of new, environmentally sensitive, renewable energy technologies to meet the growing demand for electricity here and throughout the U.S."
Although Stirling dish technology has been successfully tested for 20 years, the SCE-Stirling project represents its first major application in the commercial electricity generation field. Experimental models of the Stirling dish technology have undergone more than 26,000 hours of successful solar operation. A six-dish model Stirling power project is currently operating at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
"We are especially pleased about the financial benefits of this agreement for our customers and the state," said Alan Fohrer, SCE chief executive officer. "The contract requires no state subsidy and provides favorable pricing for ratepayers because tests have shown the Stirling dish technology can produce electricity at significantly lower costs than other solar technologies." Source: SCE Release, 8/9/2005.
US Geothermal Inc., a renewable energy development company focused on geothermal energy, announced today that it has made the final payment of $125,000 for the remaining 25 percent of a 560 acre property, including surface and geothermal energy rights and associated physical assets. The property contains five geothermal production wells, and two injection wells that form the core of the Raft River geothermal reservoir, and office, maintenance and warehouse buildings. US Geothermal now owns and holds all right and title to 100 percent of this property.
The Company further announced its decision to employ proven organic rankine cycle ("ORC") power generation technology at Raft River, provided by Ormat Technologies Inc. An extensive engineering study, comparison of capital costs and review of lender criteria resulted in the decision to use ORC. Therefore, US Geothermal is unable to accept the US Department of Energy grant that was awarded in January 2005 for the use of a new application of ammonia adsorption for power generation. US Geothermal Inc is currently trading in Canada on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "GTH" and in the U.S. on the OTCBB under the symbol "UGTH." Source: Canadian Newswire via Energy Central, 8/10/2005.
A shareware program developed by the government of Canada has updated five modules on renewable energy systems. A downloadable shareware program that was developed by the government of Canada in 1996 has updated five modules on renewable energy systems and introduced a new module on combined heat & power.
The RETScreen International Clean Energy Decision Support Centre was created to build the capacity of planners and decision-makers for implementing renewable energy projects. The shareware is a decision-making tool that claims to reduce the cost of pre-feasibility studies and to train people to analyze the technical and financial viability of possible projects.
Within the past two months, RETScreen has updated its models on solar water heating, biomass, passive solar, ground source heat pumps and solar air heating, and added a model for combined heat and power (cogeneration). A tenth module on refrigeration is expected soon.
The software has 61,000 users in 207 countries, and can provide comparative assessments of projects using wind energy, small hydro, solar PV, biomass heating, solar air heating, solar water heating, passive solar heating and ground-source heat pumps. The shareware is available in 21 languages and accounts for rules under the Kyoto Protocol (including Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation and emissions trading). It also contains a product database with data for 5,880 power, heating and cooling systems around the world, and its weather database provides access to meteorological data covering the entire surface of the planet, including 4,720 ground-monitoring stations and NASA satellite data.
RETScreen says its software has saved stakeholders C$600 million around the world in the past decade, and has facilitated implementation of 1,000 MW of projects worth $1.8 billion, and reduced CO2 emissions by 630 kilotonnes per year to date, with a projected displacement of 20 megatonnes of CO2 per year by 2012. Source: (PRZOOM - Newswire) – Ottawa, CA, 08/08/2005
Space is still available for the 10th National Green Power Marketing Conference, set for October 24-26 in Austin, Texas. The conference reviews the status of green power marketing in electricity markets and explores strategies to increase the development of renewable energy resources through customer choice programs. Conference organizers include the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Center for Resource Solutions.
This year's conference will celebrate and build on a decade of success by examining the growth of green power markets, with particular emphasis on communicating "best practices" for product design and marketing, and program implementation. Attendees will hear from national and regional experts on important topics such as best practices in green power product design, effective marketing strategies and tools for acquiring customers, defining renewable energy attributes and values, using green premiums to finance renewable energy projects, and the interplay of voluntary and compliance markets. For more information on the conference, access the Green Power Network. Source: Energy Analysis at NREL - August 2005
Plan now to attend the Geothermal Resources Council 2005 Annual Meeting on September 25 through 28 at the Reno Hilton Nevada Conference Center. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, this year’s Annual Meeting theme is Geothermal Energy-The World’s Buried Treasure, highlighting geothermal energy technologies as a premium renewable base-load generation resource in the United States and globally. With its Technical Program and other events, the GRC 2005 Annual Meeting will also provide a unique opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their projects, equipment and services at the Geothermal Energy Association Trade Show.
The GRC 2005 Annual Meeting will feature distinguished Keynote Speakers at its Opening Session, as well as Technical and Poster sessions on a broad range of timely geothermal resource and development topics. This year’s event will also offer Technical Workshops; Field Trips to nearby geothermal projects; the GRC Banquet and Annual Awards Luncheon; and the GRC Golf Tournament.
For more information on the GRC 2005 Annual Meeting visit the GRC web site or contact them at Geothermal Resources Council, 2001 Second St., Ste. 5, P.O. Box 1350, Davis, California 95616 • USA, Phone: (530) 758-2360, Fax: (530) 758-2839.
The Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America program and the American Public Power Association are accepting nominations for the 2005 Wind Power Pioneer Award. All public power utilities are eligible to apply. Entrants will be judged on leadership and innovation in four areas:
All nominations are due by 5 PM EDT, Sept. 1, 2005. Questions can be directed to Randy Manion at 720-962-7423.
The American Wind Energy Association's quarterly market outlook for the end of the second quarter of 2005 remains the same as at the end of the first quarter: i.e., that up to 2,500 megawatts (MW) of new wind generating capacity will be installed in the U.S. during 2005. Source: AWEA, 8/3/2005.
If you missed the EMA’s recent webinar co-sponsored by the EMA, Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Finance, it is now available to view online. The webinar titled “Trends in Climate Change Risks: Investor and Corporate Perspectives” is available to view in streaming audio and presentation slides. It is free for EMA members but registration is required. Visit the webinar to obtain the link and the username/password. Source: EMA Tips, 8/1/2005.
The Department of Energy recently announced the release of its new "Vision and Framework for Strategy and Planning" report. According to DOE, the report supports the department's goals of reducing emissions from energy use and infrastructure; reducing emissions from energy supply; capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide; reducing emissions of greenhouse gases other than CO2; measuring and monitoring emissions; and furthering the contributions of basic science to climate change.
"It has become increasingly clear that meeting the global challenge of climate change will require development and deployment of advanced technology in the energy field," said Climate Change Technology Program director David Conover. DOE said the report was written to provide strategic direction and guidance to the 10 federal agencies involved in the development of new and advanced technologies to deal with climate change. Contact: Anne Womack Kolton, DOE, phone 202-586-4940. Source: EIN Global Warming Today, 8/10/2005.
Policies designed to ensure resource adequacy in electricity markets have been rooted in a disparate set of policy goals. Differences over the appropriate goals and focus off such policies have produced different views about what are the appropriate means for achieving these goals. This paper explores the motivations for resource adequacy policies and discusses how different RA policies address, or conflict, with these goals. Download this paper in Adobe Acrobat format.
The document can be downloaded or viewed using Adobe's Acrobat Reader (version 4.0 or later). If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download it from Adobe. To DOWNLOAD the documents right mouse click on the name and then click again on "Save link as..." All CSEM working papers can be downloaded free of charge from the UCEI Web site. Just follow the link to "CSEM Working Papers." Source: University of California Energy Institute's Center for the Study of Energy Markets Working Paper Series, 8/9/2005.
Here's the August 10, 2005 e-Newsletter from B.I.P.E.R. & iGreenBuild.com. Building Industry Professionals for Environmental Responsibility has joined forces with iGreenBuild.com to deliver this powerful monthly e-Newsletter and web site. Source: Green Building & Sustainability News, 8/10/2005.
The Renewable Northwest Project recently released a new report, titled "Power Choices V," which indicates that utility customers purchasing "green power" in the Northwest has increased by 40 percent from 2003 to 2004. According to the report, 36 northwest utilities are offering such choice of an "environmentally preferred" power sources as wind, solar, landfill gas or "low-impact" hydro power.
RNP noted that since the last report released in 2003, customers purchased more than 550 million kilowatt-hours of green power — an amount 22 times greater than the retail green power sold in voluntary programs from the first Power Choices report in 200. RNP said nearly 24,400 additional customers have signed up for green power since the issuing of its last report. Contact: Diane Zipper, RNP, phone 503-223-4544. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 8/1/2005.
President George Bush today signed into law the comprehensive energy bill conference report, H.R. 6, at a national energy laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The legislation fundamentally alters U.S. motor fuels policy and makes the first ever federal commitment to the use of renewable fuels in our Nation’s gasoline.
“America is addicted to foreign oil,” stated Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen. “And the first step toward recovery is to admit there’s a problem. This legislation does that and more. The energy bill takes the first steps down America’s long road to recovery from foreign oil addiction. The renewable fuels standard alone will reduce foreign oil dependency by 5 percent. By focusing on renewable fuels, we've set a new course for energy policy and significantly widened the role American agriculture plays in providing for our most basic human needs. Without President Bush’s strong leadership, the country would not have its first new energy policy in well over a decade.” Highlights for motor fuels in the energy bill:
The enhanced role for renewable fuels in U.S. motor fuels supplies promises to spur rural economic development from coast-to-coast. According to an analysis by John Urbanchuk with LECG, LLC, establishing an RFS similar to the one contained in the final energy bill between 2005 and 2012 would:
"The Solar Energy Industries Association applauds President Bush and the Congress for producing the strongest national policy for solar power in two decades," said SEIA President Rhone Resch.
"The President toured the National Solar Thermal Test Facility at Sandia National Laboratories today, underscoring the message that Washington wants solar power to play a significant role in our nation's future energy supply. The solar tax provisions in this Energy Bill will help the U.S. solar industry to meet that challenge.
"For the first time since 1985, homeowners who install solar energy systems will receive a tax credit worth 30 percent of the system cost, capped at $2,000. Businesses that purchase solar equipment will also receive a credit worth 30 percent of the system cost. These tax credits will bring solar power costs over the tipping point in many areas of the country, and the United States has the best solar resources of any country in the industrialized world.
"With the solar provisions in this Energy Bill, Washington is supporting individual Americans who make a real contribution towards U.S. energy independence. Installing solar energy on your roof is one of the most meaningful steps an individual can take to reduce our reliance on foreign sources of energy and help declare energy independence. Now solar comes with a more affordable price tag, and more consumers will take a step towards energy independence by choosing solar power. That means cleaner air, more jobs, and greater energy security for all."
The Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of solar energy manufacturers, dealers, distributors, contractors, installers, architects, consultants and marketers. Established in 1975, SEIA works to expand the use of solar technologies in the global marketplace. Source: SEIA, 8/8/2005.
On Friday, July 29, Van Ness Feldman released four issue alerts regarding the status of energy legislation in Congress. Attached are the links to those four alerts, including a corrected version of the alert entitled "Congress Passes Energy Legislation."
Source: Van Ness Feldman, 8/1/2005.
The state's three-biggest utilities will be able raid each other's territories for renewable power for the first time this year as the hunt for clean-energy sources heats up. PG&E officials warn the competition for renewable power will keep electricity prices artificially high. California has mandated its three big utilities produce 20 percent of the power it generates from renewables by 2017.
"This is something we can achieve, but it comes with a cost," says PG&E spokesman Jon Tremayne. "Our prices are higher than the national average. That is the price."
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is seeking 711 gigabits of new renewable electricity sources for 2005 to meet a state mandate that PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. annually find new renewable electricity sources equal to 1 percent of the utility's overall electricity use. PG&E customers used 77,000 gigabits in 2004. Southern California Edison used 79,692 gigawatts in 2004. About 18 percent of Southern California Edison's energy load is from renewables.
The California Public Utilities Commission had restricted utilities to buying renewable power from within its service area. PG&E asked for a wider search area in order ensure that it can find the best deals and still meet the state's renewable energy goals, Mr. Tremayne says.
However, some raiding had been going on before the CPUC decision on a case-by-case basis, says Gil Alexander, a spokesman for Southern California Edison. "This just codifies what is already going on," he says. Giving free reign for utilities to move out of its service area will benefit PG&E more than Southern California Edison, says Jan Smutny-Jones, spokesman for the Independent Energy Producers.
Most of the large new wind farms being developed in California are in Palm Springs, Lompoc and western San Bernardino County, all of which is Southern California Edison territory. Source: By Andrew F. Hamm, Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, 8/5/2005.
Ameren Corp. and Commonwealth Edison agree to buy. Developers agree to expand and build. Federal legislators agree to subsidize. The state commerce commission agrees to require and regulate. Environmentalists agree the news is good. And all are talking about wind energy.
Within the last few weeks, years of negotiations fell into place, positioning the wind industry to explode and bring some 8,000 jobs and $7 billion to the Illinois economy by 2012. "We've passed the point on if (wind energy) is a feasible technology," Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn told the Journal Star. "The question is how fast will Illinois join the rest of the country."
Proponents of wind energy long have said an extension of the federal production tax credit for developers and a renewable portfolio standard for utilities could vault Illinois into the forefront of green energy producing states with 9,000 megawatts of potential wind energy production.
Federal legislators approved a broad energy bill earlier last month that includes an extension of the PTC, offering millions of dollars in tax credits to developers through 2007. President Bush is expected to sign the bill today. On July 19, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved a voluntary RPS that calls for 2 percent of the state's energy supply to come from renewable sources by 2006, increasing each year to 8 percent by 2012.
With about a dozen utility-scale wind projects in activedevelopment stages in Illinois and new interests growing daily since the ICC unanimously approved the governor's Renewable Energy Plan, developers of the giant wind machine farms are optimistic.
Stefan Noe, president of Midwest Wind Energy and co-developer of the 50 megawatt Crescent Ridge wind project near Tiskilwa, said the incentives will push forward the planned second phase of the Bureau County installation before the close of 2007.
"I do believe that the utilities will be buying some wind," Noe said. "I guess time will tell if they are as aggressive with that mandate, as are aggressive the goals set by the governor." Source: By Jessica L. Aberle, The Journal Star, 8/8/2005.
Texas last week signed into law an expanded Renewable Portfolio Standard. Plans are to add 500 megawatts of biomass-generated electric power. The new state law creates a market demand of approximately 10 million tons annually. The news comes on the heals of 20 new biomass power plants planned to go on line in New England in 2006, requiring 10-20 million tons annually. Source: Green Energy Resources, 8/8/2005
You can look but you can't buy. That was the word Friday from the solar energy corner of the Southwest Sustainability Expo at NAU. A worldwide shortage of solar panels has put most local projects on hold. "I get them in and they are sold before I get them in the warehouse," said Ursula Garrett, owner of ETA Engineering in Tempe. "We're back-ordered. The demand increased and the silicon suppliers aren't keeping up."
Garrett said the 200 Sharp 165-watt solar panels in her warehouse are all sold, and more won't be in until the end of the month. The New York Times reported on the phenomenon Friday, even quoting a buyer in Illinois as finally finding some panels at Northern Arizona Wind & Sun in Flagstaff.
But at the company's booth in the NAU Fieldhouse, electrician David Lauzon said supplies were tight and the price was going up. "They're shipping them to Germany," Lauzon said. "Germany's just going real big on solar. I hear they make four times what they make if they sell them over there."
A 120-watt Kyocera photovoltaic module (solar panel) from Japan that was about $400 several years ago now sells on sale for about $550, if you can find one, he added. Other reasons for the backlog of orders include the recent passage in California and other states of generous tax credits for solar energy installation by homeowners.
Wind turbines, however, are not as scarce. "Compared to solar, wind per watt is cheaper than solar, but, of course, you have to have wind and you have to get it above the pines," said John Ervin, another Wind & Sun salesman. Ervin said areas outside of Flagstaff, such as Williams, Winslow, Doney Park and toward the reservation, have pretty good wind resources. Source: By Betsey Bruner, Sun Staff Reporter, 08/06/2005.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce is calling on Xcel Energy to significantly increase the company’s investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The department filed comments today with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in response to Xcel’s proposed resource plan.
In its Integrated Resource Plan filing, Xcel proposed to add 1,685 MW of wind energy by 2020 and 1,496 MW of peaking generation, most likely fueled by natural gas. In reviewing the proposed plan, department analysts concluded that Xcel underestimated the price of natural gas over the planning period and placed an overly conservative cap on the amount of wind energy the utility should have on its system.
Adjusting the forecast for those two factors, the department recommends that the utility add at least 2,800 MW of wind by 2020 – about 1,100 MW more than the utility is proposing – and eliminate any additional proposed investments in natural gas generation. The department is also recommending an increase in conservation and load management efforts.
“These changes to Xcel’s resource mix will result in a more balanced portfolio than that proposed by the utility,” said Edward Garvey, deputy commissioner for energy and telecommunications. “Our proposal demonstrates our commitment to Governor Pawlenty’s (R) energy policy goals of ensuring that Minnesotans receive reliable, low cost, and environmentally superior energy services.”
“This is another example of the commitment of the Pawlenty Administration to renewable energy in Minnesota,” said Mike Bull, assistant commissioner, renewable energy and advanced technologies at the Minnesota Department of Commerce. “Our analysis again shows that wind energy is cost effective and that’s why it was selected. It’s good for the economy, good for the environment, and good for Minnesota’s energy consumer.”
Minnesota regulations require electric utilities to file proposed integrated resource plans approximately every two years. The Commission will ultimately issue an order to decide the level of wind energy Xcel Energy must acquire over the planning period (2005-2019). Although the DOC recommendations are not binding, they usually carry a heavy weight with the MPUC.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce serves as the consumer advocate before the MPUC on issues relating to energy and telecommunications. Several Wind on the Wires members and Wind Energy Works Coalition members, including the Izaak Walton League and Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy (ME3), are parties to the Xcel Energy IRP proceeding at the MPUC. Summary of Xcel Energy’s 2005-2019 IRP:
Summary of the DOC recommendation (Based on forecasted Load Growth of 1.4 percent annually):
Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly, 8/5/2005.
Even if voters reject the town's bid to buy the Bellows Falls hydroelectric dam with the help of two Canadian power companies, those companies might buy it anyway. In December 2004, town officials authorized the companies to buy the dam, if residents turn down the town's plan. The arrangement, which hasn't been publicized, was spelled out in the deal's master agreement.
And this week, Brascan and Emera, working as the joint venture Bellows Falls Power Co., said they will try to exercise that stipulation and assume the plant's license. "We're definitely interested in the event the town is unable to pursue this deal," Jeff Martin, president and CEO of Bellows Falls Power Co., said in a phone interview Friday.
Right now, the town's bid hinges on an Aug. 22 vote. Residents are fiercely campaigning on both sides of the plan, and it's hard for anyone to predict what the outcome will be. So with Rockingham's participation in the deal in question, Bellows Falls Power Co. is taking steps to complete the acquisition on its own.
The Selectboard and the Vermont Hydro Power Authority, the governor-appointed panel facilitating the deal, are also making plans for that outcome. Furthermore, Bellows Falls Power Co. announced this week that if it acquires the dam as a solo entity, it would gift the dam to the town 74 years after it takes ownership, provided the town wants it.
The company also said it would still offer Rockingham a "production royalty" that equals up to $300,000 a year and give the town management of recreational and agricultural land connected to the station. "We think regardless of who owns the facility, the town would still enjoy benefits," Martin said, adding the company is still primarily focused on working with the town as a co-owner.
Apparently, the arrangement that allows Bellows Falls Power Co. to pursue the plant on its own has received little public attention. It was created last year, a month after 60 percent of Rockingham voters endorsed the town's plan to buy the dam and lease it to Bellows Falls Power Co. Richard Saudek, an attorney working for the town in the deal, said the Selectboard consented to the agreement because it didn't seem a likely possibility. Of course, that was before the July 12 vote on the deal, in which 58 percent of voters rejected the deal.
"It didn't appear it would come into play," Saudek said. "Bellows Falls Power Co. committed a huge amount of money to the town. ... As part of the bargain, they asked Rockingham [to] agree that they would be able to own the facility if Rockingham was unable to." The dam's purchase option, pending with current owners TransCanada Hydro Northeast, expires on Oct. 3. That deadline, coupled with Rockingham's tenuous role, is prompting all parties to move forward as though voters will turn down the deal this month.
After the negative July 12 vote, 5 percent of registered voters led a petition drive to get one more chance at the ballots. The Selectboard, which has supported the deal, approved the petition. The upcoming vote is crucial. The state's Public Service Board issued a certificate of public good for the hydro dam deal, but said it was contingent on another townwide vote — now the Aug. 22 vote.
The Vermont Hydro Power Authority, a conduit in the deal, possesses the purchase option on the dam. If residents turn down the deal in two weeks, the power authority is doing the necessary legal work so that it can pass the option to Bellows Falls Power Co., not Rockingham. John Sayles, interim manager for the authority, said the panel is just trying to "fulfill its contractual obligations."
The mandate of the power authority, he explained, is to pursue a public benefit in hydro dams along the Connecticut and Deerfield rivers. "My board made the determination that there was a public benefit to the town if it was the owner of the Bellows Falls dam," Sayles said. "Regardless of the town vote, there is still some public interest in Bellows Falls Power Co. owning the dam.
"We wouldn't continue to participate if we didn't think there was a benefit there." On Friday morning, the Vermont Hydro Power Authority Board of Directors spoke in a telephone conference about alternative ownership of the dam. Judy Lidie, a Rockingham resident who has been critical of the deal, was part of the call.
"To me, it feels like someone's got their hand in the cookie jar here," she said. "It seems like it's a done deal, that Brascan and Emera were going to get it from the start." If Bellows Falls Power Co. tries to acquire the dam on its own, there's no guarantee it will succeed. The company would have to win another certificate of public good from the state and work out pieces of the transaction with TransCanada, the current owners of the hydro plant.
All this news comes on top of a busy week for the dam deal. On Tuesday, Bellows Falls Power Co. released a set of "enhancements" to its agreement with Rockingham. The additions equal another $25 million for the town and guarantees that other payments in lieu of taxes will keep pace with inflation. They were meant to quell concerns raised by critics of the deal.
If Rockingham and Bellows Falls Power Co. still work together, the company would provide $72 million to buy the 49-megawatt plant. In return for the funding, the company would manage and operate the dam and collect profits from it. Rockingham would collect $3 million per year for 10 years in lieu of tax payments; those payments would increase by 1 percent for years 11 through 14 of the agreement. In the 15th year, the town would receive 24 percent of revenues from the plant, which would last through two 30-year leases. In the 74th year, the town would acquire full ownership.
As Saudek, attorney for Rockingham, pointed out: If Bellows Falls Power Co. buys the dam outside the parameters of the deal, residents will not have any guarantees for tax payments. Unreliable and inconsistent tax payments on the dam, Saudek said, are the reasons that the town first considered purchasing the facility years ago. Source: By Kristi Ceccarossi, Brattleboro Reformer Staff, 8/6/2005
A state panel has endorsed a 6.5 million-dollar contract for a wood chip-fired power plant at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, a project that had caused concern among homeowners near the prison in Carson City. The state Board of Examiners approved the contract with APS Energy Services.
Prison system representatives described the biomass power plant as an environmentally sound venture that wouldn't be detrimental to the south Carson City area where it would be located. Financing will bring total costs to just over 16 million dollars over 15 years.
Prison system officials say revenue from power sales could run as high as 17.7 million dollars over the same period. The plant would run on wood chips made from slash left from forest-thinning projects in the Sierra Nevada. Advocates say that would help in limiting the risk of wildfires in the Tahoe Basin and Carson City area. Source: The Associated Press, 8/9/2005.
Idaho Power Co. got a break from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission Thursday on its requirement to buy wind from small-scale wind developers. The commission reduced the size of wind projects the electric utility is required to purchase power from, a move that benefits the electric utility by halting many small wind projects in development.
Idaho Power had requested a temporary moratorium on its obligation to buy the wind power required under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, but the company was satisfied with the ruling. "This order provides us with the opportunity to take the time necessary to assess the benefits and impacts of wind development on our system," said Jim Miller, Idaho Power's senior vice president for power supply.
Idaho Power asked for the moratorium after receiving more applications for wind projects than it had anticipated. It wanted the commission to give it six to nine months to study the cost of buying wind power and the reliability of wind as a power source. The 1978 PURPA law requires regulated utilities to buy renewable energy from qualifying small power producers, including wind developers. The state PUC determines the price the utility must pay for power from the developers.
Last November, the rate was set at $61 per megawatt hour, and Idaho Power was required to buy from wind projects that produced up to an average of 10 megawatts of power. One megawatt is enough to power about 750 homes for one year.
Before the rate was set last November, Idaho Power had less than 1 megawatt of wind power under contract. Since then, the company has contracts for 61.5 megawatts and has applications pending for 21.5 megawatts more, according to Dennis Lopez, a spokesman for Idaho Power. Other developers have shown intentions to pursue about 193 megawatts in the future, he said.
But Lopez said the company is not yet sure how many pending applications will be "grandfathered" into the set rate and how many will be put on hold. Under the new policy, the PURPA rate will apply only to projects under contract before July 1 or 10-megawatt projects that have a backup source of power. If a project does not have a backup source, it can produce only 100 kilowatts or less to receive the $61 rate.
Peter Richardson, an attorney for Montana-based Exergy Development Group, said that change will stop many plans to build small wind projects in Idaho. "It's not economical to build a commercial wind project that is 100 kilowatts," said Richardson, whose company runs Fossil Gulch Wind Park near Hagerman and has other wind projects in the pipeline. A 100-kilowatt wind farm can produce 1 percent of the power of a 10-megawatt operation.
"We have about 70 to 80 megawatts of additional projects we're currently working on that are in jeopardy because of this order," he said. The PUC decided to lower the limit on wind farms rather than instituting a moratorium because it said it wanted to leave the case open until they further studied the cost and reliability of wind power.
Idaho Power has 30 days to file a preliminary schedule for discussing the issues that need to be studied. After that, the utility is required to give the commission status reports every 60 days. Source: By Melissa McGrath,The Idaho Statesman, 8/05/2005.
Nevada Power Co. and affiliated Sierra Pacific Power Co. on Thursday announced they are taking applications for rebates that typically run $12,000 for installing solar power systems at their homes and small businesses. In the first two years of the program, the utilities quickly received more applications for rebates than they could fund. Applicants who missed out last year now are on the list to receive rebates to encourage the installation of solar power systems to generate a total of 760 kilowatts worth of electricity, said John Hargrove, SolarGenerations program manager.
Several people who already indicated their interest in this year's program by registering on the utilities' Web site were notified on Tuesday. As a result, Hargrove estimated that applications to install systems to produce 90 kilowatts have been taken. Many of the applicants will probably drop out of the program and not complete their projects, he said. So interested residents and business owners should still apply.
Qualifying solar systems must use photovoltaic panels that are typically mounted on the roof and convert sunlight into electricity. Only licensed electrical contractors are allowed to install systems for rebates. The company will pay $3 per watt of electricity produced, or $12,000 for a typical 4-kilowatt system. (The rebate was $5 a kilowatt hour in the first year and $4 last year.) A 4-kilowatt system costs between $36,000 and $48,000.
In addition to the rebate, customers can get credits on their power bills for any excess electricity their systems feed back into the electrical grid. They also benefit by reducing the quantity of power they buy from the utility.
Yet, Hargrove estimated that it may take more than 20 years for customers to recover the expense of their system. Financial considerations typically are secondary for many who install the systems on their home roofs, however. "They want to do the environmentally right thing," Hargrove said. Others want to be the first in their block with a solar system.
The utilities will submit the rebate applications for review by the state Task Force for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation. The task force will send the applications along with recommendations to the Public Utilities Commission for approval. The approvals may come next spring, but applicants that win rebates will not be able to install the systems until July 1.
The utilities counted 250 solar projects capable of producing 2.7 megawatts under construction now under terms of the second year. The utilities will continue the rebate program for another three years, under state law, but state regulators have not set the amount of rebate that will be paid in those years.
The two utilities have enjoyed some success encouraging public schools to install solar systems, he said. Earlier this summer, four elementary schools in Clark County were retrofitted for solar systems when they had old roofing replaced, he said. Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal, 8/5/2005.
The City of Palo Alto is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide electric power generated by new renewable resources to meet the City's renewable portfolio and Palo Alto Green renewable retail rate program needs. Renewable electric power includes but is not limited to bundled electric energy, capacity, and environmental attributes.
This Request for Proposal process entails soliciting electric power suppliers with the intent of negotiating and executing one or more Power Purchase Agreements with the highest rated and most qualified vendors for a variety of renewable resources. Renewable resources include wind, small hydroelectric (30 MW peak or less), geothermal, landfill gas, biomass, photovoltaic, solar thermal (with or without natural gas assist), ocean wave, ocean thermal, wave and tidal current. Projects must have an on line date between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2007, must be at least one (1) average MW in size, and can include more than one generator of like kind.
The City seeks to contract for up to 220 GWh/year (average 25 MW) for terms of 5 to 30 years (all eligible resources) and up to an additional 90 GWh/year (average 10 MW) for terms of 5 years or less (wind and solar only). The delivery point is NP-15 or a physical transmission grid connection point within the current NP-15 zone. Final proposals are due by 3 PM on Tuesday, August 30, 2005. If you are interested obtaining a copy of this RFP, please go to the City of Palo Alto's website then to Featured Sites - Purchasing, Current Solicitations and download the PDF for RFP 114134. For all other information regarding this solicitation, contact: Carolynn Bissett, Contract Administrator, City of Palo Alto, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Mailstop B, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Source: Karl Knapp, 8/3/2005.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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