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HOK, the designer of such landmark structures as the National Air & Space Museum, Levi's Plaza, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards, has made a landmark purchase of renewable energy credits from wind farms to offset 100 percent of the annual electricity used in its offices worldwide. Coinciding with Earth Day 2006 and its theme of “Climate Change Solutions,” HOK's purchase of more than 4 million kilowatthours (kWh) of wind marks the single-largest commitment to wind energy by an architectural firm. HOK’s investment in wind power will prevent more than 5.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide pollution in the next year. To have the same environmental impact, more than 768 acres of trees would have to be planted.
Through the certified renewable energy credit program, any business—regardless of location—can offset its power consumption with renewable energy. While HOK’s offices will continue to use electricity from their local utility (which comes from a common “grid” via a mixture of sources), buying renewable energy credits ensures that the energy put back into the grid comes from new, cleaner sources.
HOK is purchasing more than 4 million kWh of American Wind, a blend of wind power certificates from new wind farms nationwide. American Wind is Green-e certified, meeting the highest environmental and consumer protection standards.
HOK has chosen Boulder, Colorado-based Renewable Choice Energy as its exclusive supplier of renewable energy credits. Renewable Choice Energy is the leading grassroots renewable energy company.
HOK is a global architectural firm that specializes in planning, design and delivery solutions for buildings and communities. Through its collaborative network of 24 offices worldwide, the firm serves diverse clients within the corporate, commercial, public and institutional markets. HOK is committed to developing resources and expertise to help lead the world toward sustainable communities and building environments. Founded in 1955, the firm’s expertise includes architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, lighting, graphics, facilities planning and assessment, and construction services. Source: HOK Release, 4/19/2006.
The University of Central Oklahoma will be the first university in the state powered totally by wind energy.
The move could save the school more than 250-thousand dollars each year. Officials decided earlier this month to buy U-C-O's 26 (M) million to 27 (M) million kilowatt hours per year in the form of wind power from Edmond Electric. Now, the fuel surcharge on electricity is 2-point-8 cents per kilowatthour, but U-C-O officials say the surcharge for wind energy is 1-point-8 cents per kilowatt hour. The university is Edmond Electric's largest customer. It agreed in October 2004 to have about 5 percent of its electricity generated by wind power, but changed its strategy because of increases in fuel prices. The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority supplies Edmond Electric's wind power from a wind farm near Woodward. Source: kten.com, 4/18/2006.
When Russell Liles showed the new solar panels to a friend recently, he talked not of cost savings but of burning less coal. With the help of the Maryville Electric Department, Russell and Sheri Liles recently hooked the solar panels to a second meter at their home and the Tennessee Valley Authority power grid. On days when the panels produce more electricity than the Liles use at their Tuckaleechee Pike home, TVA buys it back at 15 cents per kilowatt hour— about twice what residential customers pay for it. On average, Russell Liles expects to burn five pounds of coal less per day. He estimated the amount over a year and felt it was worth the cost of the 12-panel photovoltaic system — about $13,000.
The Liles are the first Maryville Electric customers to sign up for TVA's Green Power Switch Generation Partners program. Through 26 TVA distributors, including Maryville Electric and Alcoa Electric, residential and small business customers can sell solar- or wind-generated power back to TVA. That power is sold to its 8,910 Green Power Switch subscribers, most of which are residential. There are no Alcoa customers who have signed on to be TVA Generation Partners. Generation Partners is a pilot program TVA began in 2003, and the Liles are the 15th household to sign on. The Liles' contract is for 10 years and will continue even if TVA decides not to extend the pilot program after 2006.
Of the two options, solar is the one being used most by TVA Generation Partners. Wind-generated electricity isn't feasible in many parts of the TVA service region, according to Ginger Brake, TVA marketing specialist, though two customers have installed wind turbines. She indicated the interest in the program is larger than the number of participating partners reflects.
TVA offers a one-time $500 incentive for people who install the solar panels. A national energy bill also provides up to $2,000 for a tax credit toward the purchase of the residential solar panels, said Brake. For Russell Liles, the hardest part was digging the 150-foot trench for the electrical line from the house to the solar panels. The panels were installed by Chattanooga-based Big Frog Mountain Corp., a partner in the U.S. Department of Energy's Million Solar Roofs Program.
Since installation of the panels, Russell Liles said he's paid more attention to energy consumption in the house. He said it's made him realize he needs to make the house more energy efficient by insulating it better, for instance. He now checks the house's electric meter to see how slowly or quickly it's turning. On bright, sunny days, when the solar panels are generating plenty of electricity and the Liles are using little, the meter runs backwards. Source: By Darren Dunlap of The Daily Times Staff, 4/14/2006.
The John Roberts Company, a full-service web, sheetfed and digital printing company, has recently been qualified as an EPA Green Power Partner with their purchase of wind-generated electrical power. John Roberts has agreed to purchase 1 million kilowatthours, or 1,000 megawatthours of wind-generated power per year for the next three years through Minnesota-based Xcel Energy’s Windsource program. Wind-generated power will represent approximately 9 percent of the total energy used by John Roberts each year; the company currently uses about 11.3 million kWh of electricity per year. All internal John Roberts Company materials will be printed using “green” power, and customers will have the option of specifying the use of green power or wind energy for the printing and finishing of their materials.
The significant purchase of windpower has allowed John Roberts to qualify for the EPA Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program helping to increase the use of green power among leading U.S. organizations. Currently, the Green Power Partnership has over 600 Partners voluntarily purchasing over 5 million MWh of green power. According to EPA calculations, John Roberts’ purchase of 1,000 MWh of green power is equivalent to removing 121 cars from the road for an entire year, or planting 186 acres of trees.
As a manufacturing company, John Roberts has long been committed to minimizing its environmental impact from all aspects of its business. Last month, the company was certified as a SmartWood Chain-of-Custody supplier as part of its commitment to using environmentally-friendly manufacturing practices for paper-based products.
In 1997, the John Roberts Company was one of the first in Minnesota to have achieved the Minnesota Green Star status. Companies are recognized by the Minnesota Green Star program for voluntarily releasing a summary of their environmental audit. John Roberts has continually renewed its status under this program. Source: Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) 4/14/2006.
North Dakotans who signed up for a "green power" plan from Otter Tail Power company will get a refund and lower future rates than expected. Otter Tail had offered a plan, called the TailWinds program, where a customer could purchase wind-generated and other renewable-resource electricity in 100-kilowatt blocks for an extra $2.60 a month. Now the company plans to reduce that charge by $1 a month per block and refund the extra money to customers who paid the extra money since September 2005. "We were able to go get some other renewable energy to put in that program, and it was a lower cost than we had before," Otter Tail spokeswoman Cris Kling said. North Dakota's Public Service Commission approved the lower rate and the refund. Commissioner Susan Wefald said 308 North Dakota customers signed up for the TailWinds plan. The refunds to all the customers will total about $4,400, she said. Source: grandforks.com, 4/13/2006.
Silicon Valley Power announced today that Yahoo!, a global internet service leader, has joined its renewable energy program Santa Clara Green Power. Yahoo! now purchases 804,000 kWh of clean renewable energy credits, derived from new wind and solar generation sources in California, equivalent to one quarter the annual output of one large-scale wind turbine.
This wind and solar energy commitment is in line with Yahoo! for Good, the company's community relations program. In addition to energy conservation programs already in place, renewable energy is a new benefit to Yahoo!’s overall energy footprint. This commitment prevents the annual release of more than 800,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas. The environmental benefit of a purchase this size is equivalent to planting 108 acres of forest or removing 70 cars from the road for a year.
By joining Santa Clara Green Power, Yahoo becomes a member of U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership for its facilities in Santa Clara and enters the growing circle of other large Santa Clara businesses supporting renewable energy, including Agilent Technologies, Cisco, Applied Materials, as well as Santa Clara University. In addition, over 100 small businesses are participating along with 2,300 households.
On behalf of Yahoo!, SVP will purchase renewable energy credits from newly constructed wind farms and solar photovoltaic projects located within California. A portion of Yahoo!’s Santa Clara Green Power rate will support new solar facilities in the City of Santa Clara, such as the Haman Elementary School project, helping to bring new installations into the community. Source: www.3phases.com - 4/18/2006.
In celebration of Earth Day, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation is offering a special promotion. For a limited time, make a purchase of Green Tags for yourself or someone else.
To receive the discount, simply enter the promotional code GreenEarth06 when placing your order online. This special offer ends on May 22. Don't delay, order today! *Limit one model turbine per order.
The six tenants of the Idaho Water Center in Downtown Boise have teamed up to help Idaho Power fund the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, thanks to one woman who calls herself "the queen of green."
Brandy Wilson, who handles workplace environmental issues for engineering firm CH2M Hill, spearheaded the project, bringing together the building's tenants and convincing them to take part. This marks the first time all the tenants in one building have agreed to take part in Idaho Power Co.'s green power program, according to the electric utility that serves southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Wilson makes sure all the CH2M Hill offices in the United States and Canada keep their workplaces environmentally friendly, including her office in Boise.
Under the green power program, customers can choose to add money to their electric bills, and Idaho Power will use those funds to buy renewable energy like solar or wind power. The money is needed because renewable energy usually is more expensive than the hydropower and other traditional sources that Idaho Power uses. About 2,000 residents and businesses currently donate money to the program, but companies that lease space cannot donate to the program because they don't receive their electric bills directly. For example, the property manager for the Idaho Water Center combines all the rental costs into a single bill that it gives CH2M Hill and the other tenants.
The Idaho Department of Water Resources, the Idaho Energy Division, University of Idaho, the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station and Idaho State University's department of geosciences also have offices in the building. "In the first meeting, everyone was like, 'I don't understand this. Why should we pay extra for power?'" Wilson said. But when the green power program was explained in detail during the second meeting, everyone got on board, she said.
The tenants went to Colliers International, the building's property owner, and worked out a deal to tack on certain amounts to their rent each month. Idaho Power is using this example to help other businesses in its service area find ways to donate to the green power program if they want. It is a good idea for companies to follow CH2M Hill's lead and put an employee in charge of workplace environmental issues if they are serious about becoming more sustainable. Source: Melissa McGrath, The Idaho Statesman, 4/19/2006.
Calvert, the nation’s largest family of socially responsible mutual funds, announced today that it is going ‘Carbon Neutral’ for Earth Day. This means that the company will offset its office carbon dioxide emissions, a key contributor to climate change. This year, Calvert will offset 1,485,000 kWh of its annual electric energy usage through Carbonfund, and through this offset, will support an array of renewable energy projects throughout the nation.
This carbon neutral initiative is just one part of a multi-faceted strategy Calvert has created to address the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change. Calvert released today a web-based special report: "Turning Up the Heat on Climate Change" that outlines Calvert efforts to address climate change. These efforts include research and advocacy with companies to raise awareness about the risks and opportunities presented by climate change and Calvert investments in companies with alternative energy projects. To implement the carbon neutral program, Calvert partnered with Silver Spring, MD, based non-profit Carbonfund.org. Calvert is also encouraging employees and shareholders to calculate their carbon footprint, reduce their emissions, and offset the remainder by going carbon neutral themselves.
In this special report, Calvert provides a carbon calculator and a link to allow individuals to purchase renewable energy credits to offset their own emissions. Calvert also provides a practical list of actions each individual can take to reduce their energy consumption. In addition, Calvert is also encouraging shareholders to write Congress to support federal legislation to address climate change and to write to leading companies to congratulate them on taking steps to mitigate their impacts.
Carbon offsets - also called renewable energy certificates or ‘green tags’ - enable individuals and businesses to offset the emissions they are responsible for in their normal activities, like home, office, driving or air travel emissions. For instance, a clean, carbon-free wind farm can offset the carbon dioxide produced by a coal-fired power plant that powers a home. Carbonfund.org is a non-profit organization whose goal is to make carbon offsets and climate protection easy, affordable and a normal way of life for every individual and business. Source: Press Release from Carbonfund.org - 04/19/2006.
When it comes to getting the news in Lawrence and surrounding communities, it’s a good bet the Lawrence Daily Journal World newspaper delivered it. Now, thanks to a purchase of Zephyr Energy Green Tags by The World Company, owners of the Journal-World, it’s an even better bet that the news is “green” too. In fact, it’s a sure thing. Through its purchase, The World Company now offsets 100 percent of the environmental impact of the electricity used in association with the newspaper’s production. Zephyr Energy Green Tags are a new renewable energy credit product available to commercial and residential customers throughout Northeast Kansas.
The decision to invest in regional renewable energy reflects a philosophy that has guided The World Company since its inception in 1891: “to serve the community.” According to Dan Simons, president of the electronic division of The World Company, the company pursued the switch for about six months. Simons said the company may look at expanding its purchase of Zephyr Energy, possibly including enough to power its 6News broadcasts, as well as to power the entire Lawrence Public Library if it were to move to the Riverfront Mall site at Sixth and New Hampshire streets.
“We applaud The World Company for its forward-thinking approach in addressing these issues today,” said Sarah Hill-Nelson of The Bowersock Mills and Power Company. “The World Company is the first national media company to make a commitment of this scale to the use of non-polluting energy and the development of national energy resources.” Source: BEF Release, 4/20/2006.
The University announced this month that is has tripled its purchase of wind energy, ensuring its status as the leading university purchaser of wind-generated power. The new arrangement, which Penn finalized in January, means that Penn will obtain around 30 percent of its energy from wind power. "Penn's purchase really has set a new standard in the higher education field," said Paul Copleman, spokesman for Community Energy Inc., the company from which the University purchases wind energy.
This most recent agreement to buy wind energy is the University's third, said Mike Coleman, director of operations and maintenance for Facilities and Real Estate Services. The contract lasts until 2011. Copleman added the new agreement will enable the University to purchase wind energy from wind farms across the country, rather than just in Pennsylvania.
Many students seem pleased with the recent purchasing increase. Penn Environmental Group co-chair and College junior Nishi Shah said that political controversy over the use of fossil fuels for energy makes wind energy even more desirable. In January, Penn was named the top university consumer of renewable energy in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Penn is a school with a recognizable name, it "really sets the bar high" for other universities that may choose to follow its lead and purchase wind energy, Copleman, the energy company spokesman, said. However, the decision to invest in wind energy is "not an easy business decision" due to the high cost of wind energy over other forms of energy, he added. But Shah said that, though wind energy is initially very expensive, it pays off in the long run. Source: By Laura Mandel, 4/19/2006.
Even if it rains, Oakland will hail the sun April 19 as it dedicates two solar installations during Earth Expo 2006. The solar projects, already up and running, are the city's first as it works toward a goal of deploying five megawatts of solar power. That's a tiny portion of the 341 megawatts used to power all city-owned facilities, but an important step that furthers Mayor Jerry Brown's commitment to sustainability. Brown, a renewable energy advocate, in May 2005 signed the Urban Environmental Accords, laying out goals for energy, waste reduction, urban design, urban nature, environmental health and water. (The accord has yet to be approved by the Oakland City Council.)
PowerLight Corp., the Berkeley-based solar electric system design and manufacturing company, estimates the new systems, combined with energy efficiency and conservation measures at the two facilities, will reduce energy costs by a combined $250,000 annually. The city installed a 372-kilowatt system at the Oakland Ice Center that will generate a third of the electricity used at the facility, and a 760-kW system atop the municipal service center in Coliseum Business Park that will generate 82 percent of the building's energy load. Combined, the systems generate enough energy to power more than 1,000 homes. Alameda County has pursued solar projects, from its rooftop and carport systems in Oakland, Hayward, Fremont and Dublin to its 1.18-megawatt system at the Santa Rita jail in Dublin, the county's largest facility. That rooftop system was the largest in the country when it was dedicated in 2004, generating half the facility's energy and saving the county $160,000 annually, or $360,000 including other energy efficiency measures. Source: East Bay Business Times, By Mavis Scanlon, 4/14/2006
Central Hudson Enterprises Corp. has bought the majority interest in a 19-megawatt upstate New York biomass power plant for $9.8 million, the company said April 13. Central Hudson, a subsidiary of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based CH Energy Group Inc., purchased the interest from Catalyst Renewables Corp., based in Dallas. Catalyst Renewables will continue to own a minority share of the facility. Built in 1992, the Lyonsdale, N.Y., plant uses wood chips from nearby logging companies to generate electricity. The acquisition will help CH Energy extend its renewable energy portfolio, said Steven Lant, chairman, president and CEO of CH Energy. Source: WasteNews.com, 4/13/2006.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company began delivering 75 megawatts of clean, renewable wind energy resources to electricity customers from PPM Energy's Shiloh I Wind Project. The Shiloh project, located in Solano County, is the first newly constructed renewable energy facility to begin delivering electricity to PG&E customers under California's Renewables Portfolio Standards Program. The utility currently supplies 30 percent of its customer load from renewable resources: 18 percent from its large hydroelectric facilities and 12 percent from small hydro and other renewable resources that qualify under California 's Renewables Portfolio Standards Program. Including Diablo Canyon Power Plant, about 50 percent of PG&E's retail load is served from generating resources that have no CO2 emissions that contribute to global warming. PG&E plans to issue its fourth competitive solicitation seeking renewable power later this spring. In this upcoming solicitation for additional renewable resources, the company is seeking to procure an additional 1-2 percent of its customers' electricity needs through qualified renewable sources. Since PG&E began its RPS Program, it has entered into contracts for 563 MW of renewable energy - wind, geothermal, biomass and hydro resources - enough power to serve about 425,000 customers. Source: Construction & Maintenance Technologies, 4/18/2006.
Solar start-up Heliovolt, a company that envisions buildings coated with electricity-generating roofs and sidings, will begin building prototypes later this month. Heliovolt is one of several companies seeking to come up with cheaper ways to build material that can convert light to electricity. Most solar photovoltaic cells are made of silicon, but a shortage of silicon, coupled with the maturity of the traditional solar industry, has made it hard to lower the price of solar panels, according to experts. Companies such as Heliovolt specialize in copper indium gallium selenium, or CIGS, solar technology, which proponents say can be as durable and efficient as silicon cells but can be manufactured for less money.
Austin, Texas-based Heliovolt will start building prototypes at its plant this month and start production of products this fall, said Billy J. Stanbery, president and CEO of Heliovolt. Stanbery said Heliovolt considers its thin-film solar coating a "platform technology" that can be used in a range of applications, including replacements for silicon in solar panels. In addition, he said that the company intends to make "building-integrated photovoltaics" where the CIGS solar films are added onto building materials. "By putting those coatings directly on building material, you significantly reduce the marginal cost of making the solar power and you put it directly where you use it," Stanbery said. He said the thin-film CIGS manufacturing technology is cheaper than using silicon to build energy-harvesting "power buildings." Source: By Martin LaMonica, Staff Writer, CNET News.com - 4/14/2006.
Saving a buck is always a good thing. Saving around $6,000 per month is even better. On March 27, the Fallbrook Public Utility District will receive an award from the San Diego Regional Energy Office for its cost-saving, energy-efficient solar panels at the 4 p.m. board of directors meeting.
The San Diego Excellence in Energy awards are presented annually to outstanding business and government projects or people that achieved significant energy savings in the county. The energy savings could be in the form of energy efficiency, conservation or renewable energy measures.
For FPUD, turning sunlight into electricity has proven to be a smart choice. The 480 solar panels sitting on top of FPUD’s carport generate 63 kilowatts a day — enough juice to supply the office with about 50 percent of all its energy needs, even on a partly cloudy day. That saves the district on long-term energy costs. And what’s even better — the $500,000 project only cost the district $18,000, and that cost was recouped through reduced electric bills in the three months after the panels were installed in August 2004.
The reason the solar panels were such a deal is because during the 2001 energy crisis, an energy provider called Dynegy overcharged the district. Some North County water agencies sued the company and won. FPUD received a settlement of nearly $250,000, and an additional $250,000 was supplied under the California’s solar energy rebate system and paid by SDG&E’s incentive programs. Source: The Village News, 4/14/2006.
Forward-thinking Middleton residents are looking at their town’s hills and seeing dollar signs in their eyes - saved dollar signs, that is. Named CARE - Citizens Advocating Renewable Energy - the group of about 15 residents are working to create local awareness of the savings in both money and energy that using wind and water for energy can create. We started as a Middleton thing because one of the people in our group had a friend who’s trying to do a hydroelectric job where the Ipswich River crosses the Bostik property [in Middleton]," said CARE Co-founder Frank Fitzgerald, former superintendent of schools in Middleton. In tandem with Selectman Bill Mugford, Fitzgerald’s been busy gathering support among town boards and committees to get the word out about renewable energy.
Though the Bostik project involves hydropower - with a plan to use a hydroelectric turbine to produce enough power to light the company’s parking lot - Fitzgerald said the rising number of wind turbines being used in the state has turned their focus to that prospect. A prime opportunity the group sees for wind power is in the proposed new Middleton elementary school, said Fitzgerald. "Maybe we can help out the project by having it designated as a green school and maybe get some state or federal money, which would help create the kind of construction that would constitute a green school," he said.
Green schools are facilities that are cost-effective, conserve energy and use renewable resources, according to the Green Schools Initiative, a pilot program of Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the Massachusetts Department of Education. Town Administrator Ira Singer said the project could be not just environmentally beneficial, but financially beneficial as well.
While no numbers are yet known for the overall cost of the school building project - though Singer said it will be upwards of $20 million based on space needs estimates - the additional green school reimbursement would pay for a portion of a wind turbine, and the later savings passed on from the "free" energy would pay for the rest, he said. CARE is scheduled to meet with the Middleton School Building Committee this month, said Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald’s got ideas for Masconomet too. Earlier this month, he spoke before Masco’s School Committee. "I told them that where the Ipswich River passes under Interstate 95, the flow is big enough to create enough electricity to light their parking lots," he said.
The committee was very interested, he said. Masco Superintendent Claire Sheff-Kohn confirmed their interest and said that the school has investigated other energy alternatives, but found them too costly or they carried considerable legal and/or environmental requirements. "The School Committee supports the efforts of CARE because of their belief that alternative energy sources must be found not only to save money but also to preserve the environment," said Sheff-Kohn.
Mugford wants the group’s growth to continue, as energy needs are only becoming more immanent, he said. "I would like to see the towns of Topsfield and Boxford join in with us in this venture because it is going to be a savings to all the communities," he said. "The big thing is, we do not have to be dependent on foreign oil," said Mugford. Source: By Renee Seymour - 4/14/2006.
If the recent agreement between Portland General Electric and Orion Energy, LLC for development rights to construct a wind farm capable of producing between 350 and 450 megawatts of energy at the proposed 25,000-acre Biglow Canyon Wind Farm in Sherman County, Oregon, is approved by the Oregon Public Utility Commission, it could produce enough electricity to power 100,000 homes, potentially becoming one of the largest wind power projects in the nation.
The proposed acquisition of the development rights would enable PGE to hold wind easements from more than 23 private landowners in Sherman County for a term of 30 years or more. Orion Energy worked with local representatives of these landowners, collectively known as Praise the Wind, Inc., to develop and execute the wind easements. The land is currently used as farm and pasture land and will largely stay that way given the small footprint of modern wind projects. PGE officials said the agreement fits well with what customers want and with the company's goal to minimize energy price volatility by reducing exposure to fuel costs.
"If we get approval to acquire these development rights, we will be taking a significant step toward positioning ourselves to further shift our supply portfolio away from more volatile fuel sources," said Jim Lobdell, PGE vice president of power operations and resource strategy.
PGE proposes to construct the wind farm in three phases during a five-year timeframe. In its first phase, PGE would install enough wind turbines at the site to produce about 126 MW of capacity, which could power up to 32,000 homes. Depending on the availability of turbines and other factors such as regulatory approval, phase one could be completed as early as the end of 2007.
PGE also is active in securing an extension to the federal production tax credit, which helps renewable power producers reduce the price of their power offerings so they are more competitive with the pricing of traditional energy sources on the market. Lobdell said the PTC will be a critical component in the development of the Biglow Canyon project.
Orion Energy is the developer of Biglow Canyon and is working with the Oregon Department of Energy's Energy Facility Siting Council to obtain a site certificate for the project. Orion Energy also has been working closely with Sherman County throughout the development process to ensure the project meets local needs. Additionally, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will provide engineering and construction expertise to develop the transmission infrastructure and connect the project into the region's grid.
At the end of 2005, a total of 40,579 PGE residential and commercial customers participated in one of the company's three retail renewable power options, a 21 percent increase throughout the year and an eight-fold increase since 2001. Source: 4/14/2006.
STEAMING rocks may be the next hot thing in renewable energy in Victoria, with the Bracks Government yesterday inviting bids for 31 exploration permits to find geothermal energy sources. Geothermal energy is generated by pumping water into hot, dryrocks deep underground, producing steam todrive turbines.
Energy Minister Theo Theophanous said the method made it possible to produce power with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions. Several small companies interstate are having success with hot rocks projects, and Portland council uses geothermal energy to heat the town's pool. Source: Herald Sun, 4/15/2006.
Community Energy, Inc., Babcock & Brown and CH Energy Group, Inc. recently announced they have closed term equity financing and begun commercial operation at the Jersey-Atlantic wind farm in Atlantic City, NJ.
According to CEI, the facility, which is sited at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority wastewater treatment plant, is the first commercial wind project in the state and the first coastal wind farm in the nation. CEI noted that the facility includes five 1.5-megawatt GE Energy turbines. The project began delivering energy to the utility grid in January. Contact Paul Copleman, CEI, phone 484-654-0106. Source: EIN STAFF: 4/13/2006.
PacifiCorp Energy has signed a contract to expand its Blundell geothermal electric generating plant by approximately 11 megawatts. Blundell’s current net generating capacity is 23 megawatts. The $19 million contract, with CEntry Constructors & Engineers of Salt Lake City, calls for installation of an Ormat Energy Converter, supplied by Ormat Nevada Inc., of Sparks, Nev.
The Blundell plant, near Milford, Utah, has been operating since 1984. The plant utilizes steam from an underlying geothermal field to power a steam turbine electric generator. The steam is separated from hot, pressurized brine from the geothermal field and delivered to the plant for electric generation. The new energy converter will be installed adjacent to Blundell and will use the heat from the brine to generate additional power. The project is scheduled to be on-line Nov. 1, 2007. Source: Ormat Release, 4/19/2006.
Green Valley Dairy in Krakow, Wisconsin, generates approximately four million kilowatt hours of energy a year, using manure from 2,500 head of cattle. That is enough to power about 400 average Wisconsin homes for one year.
The cost of the anaerobic digestion project exceeded $2 million, and was offset by a $179,700 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture and $45,000 from Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's renewable energy and energy efficiency initiative, which also provided technical assistance throughout installation. "Focus on Energy has a network of experts across the state and offers a variety of programs to help anyone plan, finance and install renewable energy systems like these two impressive digesters," said Kimberly Walker, administrator of the Wisconsin Division of Energy.
By supporting Wisconsin's renewable energy marketplace, Focus on Energy's Renewable Energy Program has made the sun, wind, water and organic materials a bigger part of Wisconsin's energy mix, helping to ensure that Wisconsin's residents and businesses have reliable and affordable sources of energy. Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 4/13/2006.
As Britain 's North Sea oil and gas stocks dwindle, the government is accelerating the search for new renewable energy technologies that could plug the looming gap in supplies and help combat the growing problem of climate change. Now, the energy industry is beginning to look to the sea as a source not of fossil fuels but of renewable wave power that advocates say has the potential to meet a significant share of Britain's, and the world's, energy needs. As an island surrounded by some of the roughest seas in the world, Britain is being viewed as a world leader in the field of wave energy technologies. According to the British Wind Energy Association, wave energy could supply 3 percent of Britain's energy supply by 2020 and 15 to 20 percent in the longer term.
Michael Hay, the BWEA's marine renewables development manager, told United Press International last week that Britain had "massive potential" for wave energy due to its location. Of the various forms of wave energy technology now in development, offshore converters offered the greatest potential, Hay said. The Pelamis model, developed by the Edinburgh-based Ocean Power Delivery Ltd., was "probably the world's most-advanced technology," and was the first full-scale offshore wave converter plugged into an energy grid anywhere in the world.
The Pelamis is a semi-submerged cylindrical structure composed of segments linked by hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of these joints is resisted by hydraulic rams, which pump high-pressure oil through hydraulic motors. The motors, in turn, drive electrical generators to produce electricity, which is then fed down a single cable to a junction on the sea bed. Several devices can be connected together and linked to shore through a single seabed cable; 120-meters long and 3.5 meters in diameter, the Pelamis has the appearance of a giant red sea-snake; but because it is situated 3 to 7 miles out to sea, even a large farm would have a low visual impact.
In March, the first of three 750kW Pelamis machines was delivered to the world's first commercial offshore wave farm in northern Portugal, with the further two to follow this month. They will provide 2.25MW as the first stage of a 24 MW plant. Enesis, the company developing the plant, has signaled its intention to purchase another 28 machines once the first stage is successfully installed. "It's quite a milestone for us," Max Carcas, business development manager at Ocean Power Delivery, told UPI. Ocean Power Delivery envisages future wave farms of interlinked machines occupying approximately 0.4 square miles and generating a total of 30 MW, enough to power 20,000 homes.
While the costs were now high — the BWEA estimates 1 unit of electricity costs around 26 cents to produce, against a current market unit price of 5 to 7 cents — they were lower than almost every preceding renewable technology at opening, around half the initial cost of solar photovoltaics and substantially less than wind technologies.
Wave energy could also be used in tandem with other renewable technologies to provide a stable contribution of renewable energy to the grid, he said. Whereas wind energy, for example, could be unpredictable, wave energy was a "very forecastable resource," as the effects of winds out to sea took two or three days to affect the size of waves closer to the coast. Conditions changed slowly, which enabled for effective planning and integration into the energy grid.
On a global scale, the power of ocean waves could be practically harnessed to provide 10 percent of current energy supply, according to the World Energy Council. It estimates that wave energy could generate 2000 TWh/yr, equivalent to current global nuclear energy production. With the entire export market for wave energy technologies estimated to be worth up to $800 billion worldwide, this is "a very big prize" for investors, Carcas told UPI. Source: By Hannah K. Strange, UPI UK Correspondent, 4/13/2006.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company this week began delivering 75 megawatts of clean, renewable wind energy resources to electricity customers from PPM Energy's Shiloh I Wind Project, LLC. The Shiloh project, located in Solano County, is the first newly constructed renewable energy facility to begin delivering electricity to PG&E customers under California 's Renewables Portfolio Standards Program.
PG&E has a long history of developing, generating, and purchasing renewable power. The utility currently supplies 30 percent of its customer load from renewable resources: 18 percent from its large hydroelectric facilities and 12 percent from small hydro and other renewable resources that qualify under California 's Renewables Portfolio Standards Program. Including Diablo Canyon Power Plant, about 50 percent of PG&E's retail load is served from generating resources that have no CO2 emissions that contribute to global warming. To continue to increase its renewable energy portfolio, PG&E plans to issue its fourth competitive solicitation seeking renewable power later this spring. In this upcoming solicitation for additional renewable resources, the company is seeking to procure an additional 1-2 percent of its customers' electricity needs through qualified renewable sources.
Since PG&E began its RPS Program, it has entered into contracts for 563 MW of renewable energy — wind, geothermal, biomass and hydro resources — enough power to serve about 425,000 customers. California 's RPS Program requires each investor-owned utility to increase its procurement of eligible renewable generating resources by 1 percent of load per year to achieve a 20 percent renewables goal. The RPS Program was passed by the Legislature and is managed by California's Public Utilities Commission and Energy Commission. Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 4/13/2006.
XsunX, Inc., developers of Power Glass, an innovative thin-film solar technology that is intended to allow glass windows to produce electricity from the power of the sun, today announced the appointment of Joseph Grimes to the position of chief operating officer. In his new position reporting to CEO Tom Djokovich, Grimes will focus on developing and managing the necessary programs and infrastructure to prepare for the Company's growth and business development efforts.
Grimes, who brings to XsunX more than eight years direct experience in thin-film technology and manufacturing, was most recently vice president, defense solutions, for Envisage Technology Company where he directed and managed the company's defense group business development process, acquisition strategies and vision for next generation applications. Previously he was co-founder, president and CEO of ISERA Group and established the company infrastructure and guided five development teams, finally selling the company to Envisage. His direct experience in thin-film technology came with Applied Magnetics Corporation as manager for thin-film prototype assembly. Grimes has a Bachelor's degree in business economics and environmental studies, and a Masters in computer modeling and operation research applications, both from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Source: XsunX, Inc., 4/17/2006.
What a dump. That's what Florida Power & Light Co. executives may have said when they first saw Rothenbach Park, site of the closed Bee Ridge Landfill in Sarasota. But the site's dumpy looking days are almost done. FP&L plans to ditch the dump and use Rothenbach for its first solar array. The 250-kilowatt array is to be known as the FPL Solar Array at Rothenbach Park. The Juno Beach-based electric company said the new solar facility will be the largest solar array in Florida and one of the largest in the Southeast. The 1,200 photovoltaic solar panels are each about 31 inches wide and 63 inches long. The facility is to be more than 28,000 square feet, or about half the size of a football field. "We sought a location that had a ground site large enough for 250 kilowatts of photovoltaic panels," said Jeff Bartel, FP&L VP of external affairs.
The landfill operated from 1970 to 1998. Anyone interested in checking out the dumpling of a deal to turn the dumping ground into a sunspot can easily check out the transformation due to start this summer. The solar array is to be mounted ground level and visible from Bee Ridge Road, east of I-75. The utility also said the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners have already approved the location for the site pending final permitting. Once it's up and running, FP&L predicted the solar facility will prevent more than 680,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the air each year.
To put the numbers in perspective, FP&L said that savings is equivalent to not driving nearly 761,000 miles a year or not making the 460-mile round-trip from Sarasota to Miami about 1,600 times or not making the 2,600-mile round-trip from Sarasota to New York about 290 times. Source: By Robin Londner, South Florida Business Journal, 4/14/2006.
FirstEnergy Corporation has entered into a 23-year agreement to purchase 80 megawatts of wind power from the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm currently under development near Altoona, PA. According to FirstEnergy, Phase I of the wind farm project envisions 40 two-MW turbines, with operations expected to commence early next year. "When combined with our existing wind power contracts, FirstEnergy anticipates having more than 360 MW of renewable wind power we can offer our customers...," said FirstEnergy senior vice president of operations strategy and development Guy Pipitone. Gamesa Energy USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Spanish wind company Gamesa Group, is developing the wind farm. Contact: Mark Durbin, FirstEnergy, phone 330-761-4365 website. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 3/27/2006.
While everyone else is concerned about the ever rising cost of power Walter Michielsens sits worry-free in his Grand Bend area home, content with the fact his electricity needs are met entirely by solar and wind power. His house has become so efficient that about a month ago he asked the power company to remove their meter, knowing his own power was more reliable, not to mention free.
For a year Michielsens and his family have been living off the grid, the meter being kept in place as a back-up while they tested their ability to go without. Not once, says Michielsens, in a year of relying on his sophisticated system of 12 photovoltaic solar panels, a 400 watt wind turbine, and numerous batteries to store the energy, has an ounce of power come through the meter. So when Michielsens decided it was time for the family to completely go it on their own, he added 12 more solar panels, to eliminate even further their natural gas usage, and upgraded to more powerful batteries. Last winter, he says the family spent only $130 in fuel for a generator on the rare occasion there hadn't been sun for several days. With his improved system Michielsens has no doubts that number will go down to zero.
Natural gas powers a fireplace, stove, and dryer from mid November to mid May. In the summer the sun and wind make so much extra power that the house runs entirely electrical, with portable electric cooking ranges and an electric dryer. To keep power consumption down the family uses fluorescent lights with timer switches and an Energy Star fridge and washing machine which use significantly less energy than most. One sacrifice is the family's dishwasher which, although being Energy Star, uses too much power. But they do run several electric appliances including a pressure cooker, kettle, stereo and computer system.
Michielsens is experienced at installation and keeping his system up and running. His business, Direct Home Works, is just that. He sets up similar systems for others, suggesting ways to keep power consumption down and designing a system tailored to their needs. He says a person doesn't have to be an expert to use the system, it's all self monitoring.
As far as recent news from the province that small renewable producers will be able to sell power to the Ontario Power Authority for 42 cents per kilowatt-hour for photovoltaics and 11 cents for wind, biomass or small hydroelectric, Michielsens says the news only helps those with larger setups than the usual homeowner's.
While payoff for a renewable energy fitted house today won't come for 15 to 20 years with Michielsens estimated yearly savings of $2000, he says as hydro costs go up and the time period becomes more reasonable, it will be a deciding factor for people to do it. Not to mention the lowering costs – equipment that was $1000 just two years ago is already down to $600 today.
Right now compelling reasons for homeowners to move to renewable power are security, knowing energy costs and wanting to produce environmentally friendly energy. He says some people don't respond to renewable power because of misconceptions they will have to rely on a generator. Michielsens says although users should have one as back-up, they are more likely to have to use one when they are getting their power from the grid. "We don't care as much to leave the light on now," he adds, showing renewable power users don't have to conserve as strictly as people may think. Michielsens is already seeing more interest in alternative power, saying not only does it benefit the homeowner now, but when they sell. He says a solar system up and running is very attractive, adding equity to the house. "It's amazing, almost everyone (is interested) now," says Michielsens. But he adds we are still just catching up to other countries and it's long past due. Source: BY CRYSTAL STEWART, 4/19/2006.
The Clean Power Income Fund recently announced the opening of Ontario's new $186-million Erie Shores wind farm, which will generate 99 megawatts of electricity from 66 wind turbines located along the northern shoreline of Lake Erie. According to Clean Power Income Fund CEO Stephen Probyn, the new facility is expected to help meet the province's growing renewable energy needs. Clean Power Income Fund noted that Toronto-based AIM PowerGen Corporation developed the Erie Shores wind farm, which holds a 20-year, fixed price PPA with the Ontario Power Authority. Contact: Stephen Probyn, Clean Power Income Fund, phone 416-777-2800 ext 224. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 4/13/2006
One man's trash is another man's energy source? That's what Soy Energy plans to do with a 52 (m) million dollar biodiesel plant planned for construction near Marcus in northwest Iowa. The company will turn trash from a local landfill into energy to power the 30 (m) million-gallon production plant. The trash will come from a three-county landfill near Cherokee. The landfill will build a facility to gather paper, cardboard and foods, which then will be turned into pellets. Soy Energy will need about 60 tons of pellets a day. Experts say trash is a novel source of energy for a biofuels refinery. Company officials believe using biomass will offset the high costs of natural gas. Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year. Source: whotv.com, 4/19/2006.
The Geothermal Resources Council has announced a call for papers for their premier 2006 GRC Annual Meeting to be held in San Diego, CA September 10 - 13, 2006, at the Town & Country Resort. The proposed 2006 technical program includes: Business Development and Finance, Direct Use Applications, Utility and Transmission Issues, Government Policies and Incentives, and Geothermal Resource Assessments.
The GRC invites you to submit a paper related to one of the above session themes or a technical paper in geothermal research, exploration, development and utilization. Deadline for draft technical papers is April 28, 2006. Additionally, the GRC 2006 National Conference will focus on university student participation, with its new “Year of the Student” program. The GRC is encouraging students in the fields of geology, engineering, and environmental sciences to submit draft papers for consideration by it Technical Program Review Committee. With U.S. Department of Energy assistance, the GRC will offer attendance scholarships to any student whose paper is accepted for presentation, and cash prizes for Best Student Oral and Poster Presentations. Source: WAPA, 3/30/2006.
Tucked away in the woods near Tahoe City, Calif., more than 150 decision makers from electric and gas utilities and ancillary organizations will gather for the May 3 to 5 for the 26th Utility Energy Forum. Annually since 1981, the forum focuses on how utilities can help customers meet their energy needs with the emphasis on reducing energy consumption and developing renewable energy resources.
This year’s theme is “Best Practices... Running Utility Programs more Efficiently, Economically, and Effectively”. Workshops, panels, and breakout sessions will address ways Electric, Gas, and Water Utilities can cut costs and increase productivity AND help their business customers do the same. In keeping with core concept of providing better service to customers, the forum now also includes sessions on how to run utilities better. Register online. Source: Guy Nelson, 2/6/2006.
The world's first environmental broadband TV channel is now on air — and online — with films and programs on everything from NO2 emissions around airports and offshore wind farms to "carbon speed dating."
green.tv, developed with support from the United Nations, aims to be a one-stop shop for broadcast environmental information, with a searchable database of programs made by NGOs, community filmmakers, and public and commercial organizations. Some of the first films to go on air were produced by environmental organizations like Friends of the Earth, Water Aid, and the European Environment Agency.
"Green TV is a truly innovative project which will no doubt influence the field of environmental film-making and research. It will eventually offer a comprehensive 'one- stop shop' for environmental TV programming — something that has so far not been available," said Eric Falt, director of communications and public information at U.N. Environment Program. Areas covered include climate change, air, water, land and green technologies. As well as making use of the broadcast medium to communicate environmental issues, the channel taps into the potential of the internet, including a chat room and the search facility.
U.K. environment minister Elliot Morley commented on the launch of green.tv: "There are many more people using the internet than watching TV and we also know that there is enormous interest in environmental issues.
"I think green.tv has tremendous potential, bringing together new technology and innovation in terms of how we spread information," he said. The channel can be accessed online. Source: Edie News, 4/10/2006.
Every year, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council recognizes innovative efforts by states, local governments, K-12's, non-profits and community groups to promote and hasten renewable energy technologies. Eligible activities include education, energy policy, legislation, regulatory actions, demonstration projects, research and development or financial incentives. To be considered, projects must have been completed during 2005.
The awards will be made at IREC's Annual Meeting to be held in San Jose, CA, on Monday, October 16, 2006. Up to five national awards will be presented. Winning entries will be posted on the IREC Website and featured in a national press release and other publications. Winners will be notified prior to the event. Entries for the 14th Annual IREC Innovation Awards are due June 30, 2006. Source: IREC Release, 4/19/2006.
As part of its April 26, 2006, Business Meeting, the California Energy Commission will consider adoption of proposed changes to the Renewables Portfolio Standard Eligibility Guidebook, New Renewable Facilities Program Guidebook, and the Overall Program Guidebook for the Renewable Energy Program. Source: Bob Aldrich, California Energy Commission, Web Team - 4/18/2006.
This is the second signature expedition for NOAA's Ocean Exploration 2006 field season, with 6 additional signature expeditions to follow. An international team of scientists will explore the submarine volcanoes lying along the Mariana Arc from April 18 - May 13. Located in some of the deepest parts of the Pacific Ring of Fire, explorers aboard the R/V Melville will focus on interdisciplinary investigations of hydrothermal and volcanic processes on the submarine volcanoes along the Mariana Arc. Beginning in 2002, a series of Ocean Exploration expeditions have undertaken systematic investigations of submarine hydrothermal systems along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The 2002 expedition focused on Explorer Ridge, part of the seafloor spreading center off Vancouver Island, Canada. Source: Marilyn L. Nemzer, Executive Director, Geothermal Education Office,4/17/2006.
Texas had an important geothermal meeting last month. Presentations for this event are available online. Source: Maria Richards, 4/14/2006.
Wind power is today's most rapidly growing renewable power source - up 25 percent from 2004. According to Global Wind Energy Council, installed capacity, worldwide is 59,322MW, in Germany 18,428MW, in Spain 10,027MW, in the US 9,194 MW. Inherent characteristics, such as uncontrollable wind source fluctuations and incompatible turbine speeds requiring different generator types, pose technical issues not encountered with conventional thermal, hydro, or nuclear power. These differences affect wind power's integration into power grids. These difference barriers may be fundamental, or may be technically overcome at higher costs. The debate continues, worldwide, even while installed capacity grows. This is an opportune time for the power engineering community to share theoretical insight and practical experience and to shape wind power's impact on power systems. Recognizing the pressing need for authoritative information, IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion seeks manuscripts submissions for a Special Issue on Wind Power. The complete Call for Papers for preferred subjects, submission instructions and other information are available online. Source: Mike Pehosh, NRECA, 4/14/2006.
Prepared for the American Public Power Association and sponsored by the Western Area Power Administration and Gila Resources, the Guidebook to Expand the Role of Renewables in a Power Supply Portfolio is an excellent resource for SEPA member utilities. Source: CRDC Update Message, 4/18/2006.
The Solar Energy International Renewable Energy Education Program teaches the practical use of solar, wind and water power. Their workshops give individuals the knowledge and skills to design, install and maintain renewable energy systems and to build state-of-the-art solar homes that are efficient, practical and earth-friendly. Source: SEI, 4/18/2006.
Beach First National Bank and Nelson, Mullins, Riley, and Scarborough, L.L.P. are currently building Horry County 's first LEED-certified building. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certifies that a building outperforms and outlasts conventional buildings, saves energy, is healthier to work in, and reduces overall environmental impact. LEED buildings are competitive in first costs to conventional structures, and begin saving significant money from the day the building opens.
The Georgetown Family's new building, scheduled to open in 2007, will also be LEED-certified. Georgetown County Habitat for Humanity has decided to build what may be Georgetown County's greenest house. This house, which likely will cost no more to build than other Habitat houses, will have a drastically reduced monthly electricity bill, improved indoor air quality, and other environmentally friendly features.
Coastal Carolina University recently launched the Campus and Community Sustainability Initiative. Sustainability refers to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The Sustainability Initiative is focusing its activities on campus operations, curriculum, and outreach (like the Y and Habitat projects). Santee Cooper, the only utility in South Carolina to produce green electricity, is partnering with CCU on innovative energy projects (including a solar project set to power up in June) which are significantly lowering electricity costs and emissions.
While the actions of these institutions move the community in the right direction, we must do more, both locally and nationally. Here are a few ideas for our area:
Contact Daniel Abel, associate professor of marine science at Coastal Carolina, at 349-2257. Source: BY DANIEL C. ABEL, 4/17/2006
Heat, from the earth's interior, can be extracted from hot water or rock and used to heat buildings, greenhouses, water and more. Using geothermal heat in this manner is known as "direct use." Heating with renewable geothermal energy can drastically reduce or eliminate natural gas, propane or electricity use.
Arizona possesses a substantial geothermal resource that can be developed for direct use applications, which will stabilize energy bills, reduce energy costs, and increase energy independence. This one-day conference will provide comprehensive information on the state's geothermal resource, potential for development, project examples and steps to getting projects in the ground. For more information contact: Pat Ponce ( mailto: Ponce@nau.edu), 928-523-2380.
While Global Warming will one day become a great threat, please consider a more immediate crisis of rising and high CO2 in the context of this blue planet we call Earth. Over 70 percent of this planet is ocean and since CO2 readily dissolves in water the CO2 already in and pouring into our air is mostly destined to end up our oceans. Why is this the most critical and immediate real and present danger? It's a simple and scary explanation with a basis in first principals chemistry and it doesn't involve complex models subject to debate. We all enjoy the tangy slightly acidic taste of CO2 dissolved in water whether it be trendy mineral water or a soft drink. While this CO2 acidity in water may be good for drinks in the oceans this has produced an epoch crisis. It is a crisis that is already upon us.
Eighty percent of all life on this blue planet lives in the oceans and most of that life is delicately balanced around the solubility of minerals principally calcium and silica. Today the acidity of the ocean due to our higher atmospheric concentration of CO2 has become 10 percent more acidic in just the last few decades. This acidity is making calcium and silica carbonates much more soluble and as a result the organisms that rely on those carbonates are literally dissolving. Many air breathing organisms are already beginning to show clear signs of metabolic stress associated with acidosis due to high dissolved CO2 concentration. The consequence is that of the life in the oceans, 80 percent of life on Earth, of which half are plants like diatoms that require low acidity to be able to maintain delicate carbonate structures are in peril or in many cases doomed. The acidification of the oceans is already at dangerous levels and by the end of this century, by 2050 according to some experts, a majority of plant life in the ocean faces extinction. The most famous ocean scientist Henry Bryant Bigelow was once quoted as saying "All fish is diatoms (amongst the most threatened of the ocean plants)." Like Walt Whitman's observation "All beef is grass" this is a true statement and as go our diatoms so go our fish and all life that feed upon those fish.
There is a solution to this impending disaster, one which was proposed 17 years ago by another giant of ocean science, the late John Martin of California. Martin found that the ocean plants could be enormously stimulated by providing, indeed restoring, iron micronutrients to the oceans in tiny amounts. For over ten years I have worked on this concept and now my company, Planktos, is following in Martin's footsteps and working to restore recently depleted ocean iron micronutrients and in doing so stimulate ocean productivity. Since ocean productivity is shown to be dramatically reduced in recent decades 26 percent in the North Pacific for example there is a huge waiting potential for enhanced ocean biomass sequestration of CO2. We think the ocean plant life we restore might take as much as half (3 gigatonnes/yr) of all the anthropogenic CO2 out of the air and ocean and convert it to stable non-acidic ocean plant biomass. A substantial portion of this biomass will sink to the ocean abyss where it will safely be sequestered for millennia thus reducing CO 2 in air and water, buffering ocean acidity, and buying diatoms and fish and all other life that depends on a healthy ocean time while the world works to stop the madness that is the unabated burning of fossil fuels.
So while you pause to discuss, debate, dismiss, or promote global warming keep in mind it is the last and the least of the impacts this planet will suffer from anthropogenic CO2. A far more urgent clear and present danger is the direct effect of CO2 solubilty on ocean chemistry and the majority of life on this blue Ocean planet we like to call Earth. Source: Russ George, Foster City, CA, 4/18/2006.
The National Hydrogen Association is pleased to announce the return of the Annual H2U Student Design Contest! The H2U Contest supports multi-disciplinary teams of some of the most motivated students around to develop innovative design concepts using hydrogen technologies. This year, the H2U Contest, Sustainable Development with Hydrogen, will give students the opportunity to develop a site, location yet to be determined, with sustainable designs that utilize sustainable building practices and technologies powered by renewable energy and hydrogen.
The NHA is currently accepting recommendations for a site that students can use as a conceptual base for the 2007 Contest. As a part of this H2U Contest, nothing will be built. However, the winning designs from the previous two contests have been funded by hydrogen industry members resulting in multi-million dollar projects and are in the process of being built. This year's topic, Sustainable Development with Hydrogen, will challenge students to take the chosen location and create a new community with an infrastructure that will enable the implementation and use of sustainable energy sources for public and private use. All interested companies, organizations or groups that wish to promote a local area and identify themselves as a leader in sustainable development through financial support of the H2U Student Design Contest should contact the NHA by COB April 21 with an expression of interest.
A successful site might include some or all of the following attributes: highly visible, appropriate for residential and or commercial development, finite size/boundaries and adjacent communities that support the use of renewable/alternative energy technologies.
The H2U Student Design Contest consists of an open ended design problem. The 2007 Contest will feature designs in the following areas: Residential Development, Transportation, Commercial Structures and Infrastructure. The designs will be judged in the following categories: Planning and Design, Environmental Impact, Economic Viability, Safety and Risk Analysis and Marketing.
Each year, the H2U Student Design Contest requires $75,000 in industry sponsorship for administration of the contest and supporting the teams to attend the NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference to showcase their designs. The H2U Contest normally attracts the interest of hundreds of students from around the world and the winning designs will be seen by over 1,500 industry leaders in person and many more through the H2U Website.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to bring international attention to your area by sponsoring the H2U Student Design Contest! Please contact Rex Hazelton at 202-223-5547 x322 by COB, Friday, April 21 to express your interest in sponsorship. We're working hard to pull together the contest guidelines in time for professors to incorporate this competition into next year's curricula. Source: National Hydrogen Association, 4/19/2006.
If you missed some of National Wind Coordinating Council’s recent meetings, be sure to check out the meeting proceedings linked below! NWCC news of note:
Visit the NWCC for updates on all its current activities. Source: Katie Kalinowski, NWCC Outreach Associate, National Wind Coordinating Committee, 4/15/2006.
Several items are now available from the March 27-28 Intermountian Harvesting Energy Summit. Below you will find links to the PowerPoint presentations, summaries of state caucus meetings, and the final registrant list. Source: Intermountain Harvesting Energy Network, 4/20/2006.
A strong gust of wind energy education is about to blow onto the Illinois State University campus. Ever since the university installed a 260-foot meteorological tower in December 2003 at the ISU farm near Lexington to measure wind speed and consistency, educators have been exploring a variety of ways to teach students about wind energy. "We're hoping next spring to build a wind turbine at the new horticulture center. We'll supplement with solar energy when the wind's not blowing," said Randy Winter, ISU agricultural economist.
The turbine will be smaller than those generating power on full-scale wind farms. Winter said the turbine will produce kilowatts of energy, versus megawatts produced on wind farms. A real-time monitoring device on the turbine will allow students to chart wind speed and consistency at kiosks scattered across campus.
In fall 2007, the university will begin offering a renewable energy curriculum with two components being technical aspects of renewable energy and economics/public policy issues affecting renewable energy. "We want to teach renewable energy aspects other than wind. Industry representatives are helping us fashion the curriculum," said Winter.
The university also plans to create a renewable energy center in the Ropp Building on campus. Renewable energy workshops will focus on technology and policy, Winter said. Creating a statewide wind working group constitutes yet another thrust of the renewable energy effort at ISU. Thirty-five states already have organized similar groups. Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, Chris Anderson The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill, 4/19/2006.
Folk singer Dan Berggren's new song inspired by the wind power project proposed for Gore Mountain, is on his soon-to-be-released next album. "I think my job, and the job of a song, is not to convince people one way or the other, but to open something up — to get people to think about it and explore it," said Berggren, a Ballston Spa folk singer who grew up in the Adirondack Mountains. The "it" he's talking about is wind energy, and the song is " Power from Above." The song, which calls on people to embrace wind and rethink oil, came to life after Berggren read a book and took a tour. Source: PostStar.com, 4/19/2006.
The chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today offered measured praise for efforts to connect the Rocky Mountain West to California with a series of large power lines, even as he candidly warned stakeholders gathered here that the regulatory framework that governs transmission siting will have to change to make such projects possible on a national scale.
In a keynote address beamed live from Washington, FERC Chairman Joseph Kelliher identified a number of reasons for the chronic underinvestment in power lines. Chief among them: "our reliance on one fuel, natural gas." Kelliher also expressed a desire to reform how FERC regulates open access to the interstate power grid through its decade-old rule known as Order 888.
"If we're actually going to be direct about it, we're going to need a very different grid," said Kelliher, adding that it "makes sense" to consider rewriting the open-access rule to account for a new electricity market that now appears headed away from gas-fired generation and toward expansion of coal, nuclear and renewable sources of energy. "My personal view is we should not bet everything on one fuel," Kelliher said.
Kelliher faulted his predecessors in the Clinton administration who less than a decade ago determined natural gas would fire close to 95 percent of new power generation in the decades to come. This analysis effectively limited growth in transmission — a sector that grew by less than 1 percent in 2004 and 2005 — as developers shied away from building a network that would facilitate bringing a more diverse fuel supply to market, he said. Kelliher called for a rewrite of federal rules to help connect off-site sources such as wind and nuclear power to dense population centers.
In the case of the "Frontier Line" project, Western governors and utilities envision thousands of miles of power lines that would theoretically bring more coal-fired electricity and wind power from Wyoming, Montana and Utah to the region's economic powerhouse, California.
Five Western governors and seven power companies yesterday signed an agreement to prod the estimated $5 billion to $7 billion project along, over fears from environmentalists that the massive undertaking is something of a cloak-and-dagger attempt to bring cheaper, dirtier power to California from coal-rich states to the east (Greenwire, April 18). Source: E&E Publishing, 4/18/2006.
The American Council On Renewable Energy and PennWell Corporation attracted more than 2,500 utility, industry, national and state leaders at POWER-GEN Renewable Energy & Fuels, the premier all-renewables energy trade show being held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from April 10-12, in Las Vegas.
“We need to make a real difference in the way things are done,” stated Andrew Karsner, new DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “The fastest possible way of market penetration is to move forward and leave outdated thinking and bureaucratic processes behind and redefine the relationship between public and private sectors.”
In addition to Karsner, opening festivities were commenced by a distinguished slate of keynoters including; Henry “Hank” Courtright, Vice President of Environment and Energy Analysis, EPRI; Jeff Sterba, Chairman, President & CEO, Public Service New Mexico; R. James Woolsey, Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton; Lorraine Bolsinger, Vice President, Ecomagination, GE Energy; and Bill Keese, Co-Chair, Clean and Diversified Energy Advisory Committee, Western Governor’s Association.
Highly anticipated sessions led by 120 top industry leaders included:
Hoping to create a bluster for new technology, Gov. Ed Rendell and state legislators are offering municipalities and school districts wind turbines to demonstrate the value of wind power. The mission at hand is a serious one, designed to prevent pollution from coal and reduce American reliance on foreign oil. This can be accomplished with technology that lets nature do all the spinning. And once wind-power equipment is in place, one needs only to watch it whirl. Rather than rely on giant polluting power plants to produce electricity and produce greenhouse gases, pollution and dangerous by-products, the idea is to allow wind, solar and eventually hydrogen power on each property to provide electricity without pollution.
State Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, said the state Energy Development Authority has received 15 small-scale wind turbines it will provide to qualifying municipalities and school districts that agree to put them in an advantageous location with sufficient wind. They also must be in places where the public can see the technology.
The state obtained the 15 turbines through Southwest Windpower, a Flagstaff, Ariz., company which has produced 95,000 turbines the past 10 years that generate electrical power in 120 countries. Southwest Windpower's turbines represent the latest generation of wind-power technology. The turbines in question, the Beta 1.8-kilowatt model, will not be introduced to the public until July. The model is more efficient in producing electricity, more durable and quieter. Interested school districts, municipalities and other public entities must apply for available wind turbines. For an application, call the PEDA at 717-772-8959.
Candidate sites for wind turbines must be studied to determine whether they provide consistent 10 to 12 mph wind, which makes the equipment work efficiently. Successful applicants will receive a turbine resembling a propeller, a 35-foot metal tower, an inverter, a concrete foundation, wiring, an installation manual and technical support from the company. Southwest Windpower wind turbines have a 20-year design life and cost about $5,500, with total costs, including installation, as low as $7,000, said Andy Kruse, co-founder of Southwest Windpower and vice president of business development.
The turbines in California can generate as much as 80 percent of the power necessary for the average house. But in the rest of the country, they usually produce about half the power needed.
And therein lies the problem for Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is a marginal state in terms of having enough wind to make turbines operate efficiently. But Mr. Kruse said southwestern Pennsylvania has plenty of rural land with hilltops and ridges where consistent 12 mph wind is feasible, if not ideal. Properties of at least one-half acre are necessary because the tower must be placed where trees and buildings do not block wind flow. Source: By David Templeton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/16/2006.
Green power projects, including small hydro and wind facilities, comprise the overwhelming majority of private-sector bids submitted to BC Hydro in an ambitious call for new sources of electricity for British Columbia. The amount of proposed firm, or base-line, electricity totals approximately 6,500 gigawatthours per year, enough power to supply 650,000 homes.
That is more than twice the amount Hydro was expecting when it issued an open call for tenders last December, and it is equivalent to about 10 per cent of B.C.'s existing electricity supply. It would come from hydro projects employing dams to maintain steady output, from coal- and wood-fired generators, and from innovative projects harvesting otherwise wasted energy from compressors that push natural gas through pipelines.
There's a further 1,600 GWh available as non-firm, or intermittent, power from sources including run-of-river hydro and wind. Bids from wind proponents should be good news for conservationists who've long lamented the absence of wind power development in B.C.
In previous calls for power, only one wind project was proposed — and the proponent cancelled the project after it was accepted by Hydro. This time around, Hydro will consider six wind projects from three companies.
"BC Hydro has received bids for 53 separate projects from 37 independent power producers," the Crown corporation said in a news release. Even the two coal-fired generation projects on the list have a green tinge, proposing to burn a mix of greenhouse gas-neutral biomass and coal. One would be located near Tumbler Ridge amid the province's principal coal reserves while the other is proposed for Princeton, site of a significant reserve of thermal coal.
Hydro will evaluate the tenders against criteria set out in last December's call documents, including a preference for low-cost energy and a requirement that at least 50 per cent of new power acquisitions are derived from green sources. Contract awards will be announced in late summer 2006. B.C. already has 58 independent power producers under contract to Hydro. Source: Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 4/12/2006.
Installing a solar water heater could do more than just save money on your monthly electric bill, it could also earn you nice tax break. The state already offers a tax credit on solar water heater installation. but with oil prices climbing, lawmakers could be providing an even larger incentive to homeowners who make the switch.
For Cully Judd of Inter-Island Solar Supply, solar power just makes sense. "Something I always believed in. I grew up in a house with solar water heaters," Judd said. These days solar water systems fly out of Judd's Mapunapuna warehouse. Each system will save a homeowner an estimated 30 to 50 percent on their electric bills. "We're selling more and more systems everyday, people are aware of their electric bill," Judd said.
State lawmakers are considering raising the existing tax credit on solar water installation up to $2250. That's an increase of $500. Lawmakers are also considering tax credits for installation of solar panels powering other electric systems such as lights and appliances. Supporters say the state remains too dependant on imported oil. Source: khnl.com, 4/14/2006.
Because the stability of the U.S. economy relies on the nation's ability to meet increasing energy demand, planners likely won't have to choose between fossil fuels and renewable energy. It'll take all sources of energy, according to energy experts at a gathering in Casper. This all-inclusive energy mix means Wyoming has an opportunity to further develop its abundant fossil fuels, as well as its wind, solar and geothermal resources. "We support renewable (energy) knowing we won't see them replace fossil fuels in our lifetime," said Scott Kane, owner of Wyoming-based Creative Energies and board member of the Wyoming Outdoor Council. Kane was a panelist at an energy summit this week sponsored by U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo.
Wyoming officials hope that packaging the state's fossil fuels and renewable energy resources will satisfy greenhouse emission standards that many states are imposing on utilities. Wyoming must meet this challenge if it is to achieve its ambition of becoming a major exporter of electricity for the West. Kane said the Wyoming Outdoor Council supports renewable energy sources, such as wind, although those facilities also have an impact on the environment.
Dan Arvizu, director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said the United States relies on fossil fuels for 85 percent of its energy, and that level of dependence is not expected to decrease for the foreseeable future. Arvizu said energy efficiency must be a priority, and some communities are already realizing the benefits. Denver, for example, recently replaced all of its traffic lights with energy-efficient LED lights. He said the payback on that investment is only 18 months, and the LED lights last four times longer than traditional lights.
University of Wyoming professor Sadrul Ula said many Wyoming ranchers are realizing the benefits of small-scale wind and solar power systems, thanks to federal incentives in the 2002 farm bill. He said simple solar panels and wind turbines help ranchers pump stock water and allow them to open up more grazing land. "So struggling ranchers can have an income stream," Ula said. Source: By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER, Casper Star-Tribune. 4/15/2006.
A wind-power developer is threatening legal action over state recommendations for preserving habitat for rare and endangered species at the company's proposed work site in far Western Maryland. Synergics Inc. says logging and coal mining is already disturbing the environment in and around areas that the Department of Natural Resources has deemed too fragile for wind-turbine construction. In an April 7 filing, the Annapolis-based company asked the Public Service Commission to consider the new information before deciding whether and under what conditions Synergics should be allowed to build its proposed 40-megawatt wind farm in Garrett County.
The company asked the commission to reopen the record, which was closed in December after public hearings and submission of written arguments by Synergics and interested parties. Assistant Attorney General M. Brent Hare, who is representing DNR's Power Plant Research Program and the Maryland Energy Administration in the case, said Thursday that he has asked those agencies to formulate a response to Synergics' document. He said that even if, as Synergics contends, the property's private owner is cutting trees and widening an existing road in one of the proposed "exclusion zones," that doesn't negate the state's obligation under Maryland's Non-Game and Endangered Species Act to deny Synergics a permit that would jeopardize species protected under the act.
Synergics has proposed placing 17 windmills, each 420 feet tall, along nearly three miles of Backbone Mountain, Maryland 's highest ridge. State utility regulators have approved two other such projects in Western Maryland but neither has been built. DNR recommended in a Dec. 5 filing that Synergics be barred from building wind turbines or access roads on large parts of the proposed work site. DNR said disturbing those areas would likely destroy habitat for the state-endangered mourning warbler, the state-endangered Allegheny wood rat, the globally rare timber rattlesnake and 14 other animal and plant species. Synergics has argued that DNR's recommendations are overly broad and that complying with them would force it to redesign a project it already altered, partly in deference to DNR concerns about wildlife. Source: baltimoresun.com - 4/14/2006.
Advocates of renewable energy say federal tax credits for solar and wind power projects will expire next year before Nevada projects can be approved and operating. But the president of Nevada Power Co. said he thinks the Las Vegas-based company and its Reno-based sister, Sierra Pacific Power Co., can beat the deadline for qualifying for the tax credits. "There is enough time to do a project between now and the end of 2007," Nevada Power chief Donald "Pat" Shalmy told the Las Vegas Review-Journal for a Friday report. State Sen. Dina Titus, a Democratic candidate for governor, joined renewable-energy industry officials Thursday in criticizing Nevada's two main electric utilities for what Titus called foot-dragging.
The Nevada Legislature adopted a renewable energy law in 1997 requiring the utilities to get 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2015. But it has been 11 months since the Nevada utilities issued a request for proposals, and no contracts have been awarded.
Tom Fair, named Nevada Power executive of renewable energy in February, said the utilities can beat the 2007 deadline. Fair brings expertise in renewable energy from his previous post at FPL Group, parent company of Florida Power & Light.
Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power have said they hope to present contracts with renewable power plant developers to the state Public Utilities Commission in May or June. But Tim Carlson, president of Powered by Renewables, a Las Vegas company, said that will be too late. Wind farms can qualify for a 1.9 cent tax credit for each kilowatt hour of electricity generated. Businesses and homeowners can claim a 30 percent tax credit for solar power facilities in operation by the end of 2007. Representatives of Sierra Pacific Resources, the holding company for the two electric utilities, noted that Ormat Nevada completed the 20-megawatt Burdette geothermal plant south of Reno last year. Titus said that was a power plant addition rather than a new project. Nevada Power also did not satisfy the state law for minimum quantities of renewable power in 2004. Neither Nevada Power nor Sierra Pacific Power met the requirement for solar power, but they blame a delay in constructing a solar thermal plant.
Solargenix started construction on the Boulder City plant in February and it is expected to start producing power by 2007, satisfying the law's requirement that 5 percent of renewable energy come from solar power. Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal,4/14/2006.
Some of the energy flowing into all homes and businesses in New Hampshire could come from renewable resources if a bill now being considered by a House committee is approved. Environmentalists and some economists are excited about the plan, which they say will boost the market for existing renewable power generators and encourage more to be built, while also decreasing dependency on expensive natural gas and foreign oil. Many aren't excited, however, that the bill classifies trash as a renewable resource and qualifies the facilities that burn it to participate in the program. The bill would require energy distributors like Public Service of New Hampshire and Unitil to either purchase or supply a percentage of their energy from four renewable energy categories.
Because electricity are difficult to track as they come out of the generators and into one New England grid, the generators sell their renewable energy to the distributors in the forms of credits. As the bill is written right now, the program would be voluntary. An amendment proposed in the Senate Finance Committee removed fees that utilities were originally required to pay generators. Some who testified at a public hearing yesterday said the bill wouldn't be worth passing if the compliance fees weren't restored and the program made mandatory.
Members of the Union of Concerned Scientists said the program will save ratepayers money in the long run if it's properly managed. The most expensive fuel source, natural gas, is the one used to set electricity rates in the region. Reduce the demand on natural gas and the price will drop, said energy analyst Jeff Deyette.
Deyette said the real financial advantage would be stability. If the state relies more on renewable energy from local generators, it will be less affected by natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina, or political turmoil in the Middle East.
In the worst case scenario, this bill would increase the monthly bills of a 500-kilowatt customer – slightly smaller than the average single family home – by about 10 cents, said Joanne Morin, an administrator with the Air Resource Division. Morin said the program would also create jobs and encourage high-tech innovation in the state.
Jasen Stock, executive director of the Timberland Owners Association, spoke in favor of the bill. The logging industry, which is New Hampshire's third largest, has been squeezed by the recent closure of the Groveton mill and the planned closure of the Berlin pulp mill. Stock said the renewable portfolio program could encourage developers to build more wood-burning power plants in New Hampshire and rebuild the market. Stock testified against allowing trash to be included in the program, saying waste incinerators have an advantage. Towns pay them to take their waste as fuel. Wood burning plants have to buy timber or chips from the loggers.
Although the Environmental Protection Agency classifies trash as renewable, groups including the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, Clean Water Action and Working on Waste cautioned that including it encourages waste production instead of working to reduce it. The House committee will continue working on the bill next week. Source: By CHELSEA CONABOY, Monitor staff, 4/14/2006.
Seven Western utilities are expected to announce plans today to back plans of four governors to construct large power lines from Wyoming and Utah to Nevada and California, which could slash electricity costs and increase supplies. California Energy Commission Chairman Joe Desmond estimates that the project could save his state $1 billion per year on electricity.
A year ago, governors from four Western states started to develop the ambitious $3.3 billion power transmission line that would send coal- and wind-generated electricity to consumers from Wyoming to California.
The "Frontier Line" is aimed at strengthening the region's transmission grid, protecting consumers from price spikes and power shortages, diversifying power generation and developing new technologies to cut pollution and expand renewable energy projects. The plan springs from the Rocky Mountain Area Transmission Study and initiatives by the Western Governors' Association. The governors — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) of California, Kenny Guinn (R) of Nevada, Jon Huntsman (R) of Utah and Dave Freudenthal (D) of Wyoming — have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining their efforts to pursue the project. The plan calls for the states to act as the project's "surrogate developer" to address the regulatory, engineering and environmental challenges the project is likely to face, and to explore financing options that would attract project sponsors. Source: Greenwire, 4/5/3006.
Kelly Fuller is taking a long walk in the desert for a purpose. The environmental activist today enters the third day of a planned 78-mile hike across desert lands that are part of the route San Diego Gas & Electric says it prefers for the Sunrise Powerlink, a proposed $1.4 billion electric transmission line. Kelly Fuller of the Sierra Club and Becca Arnold of the Religious Circle of Friends continued a 78-mile hike across the proposed desert route of the Sunrise Powerlink. “The Powerlink is an awful proposal that will harm our public lands so we're going into the field to experience and document the desert in its current state,” said Fuller, who is leading the Sierra Club's opposition to the project. Fuller noted that the line would traverse habitats used by bighorn sheep, golden eagles and other wildlife, as well as desert washes.
Environmentalists and a host of community groups that have formed to oppose the project also say the project is unnecessary, too expensive and ill-suited to promote clean, renewable energy sources, a goal both they and the utility say they support. SDG&E says the Sunrise Powerlink is needed to ensure regional electric reliability by 2010, and will be helpful in bringing power from the solar and geothermal projects planned in Imperial County. The project has won the support of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council and Connect, a San Diego high technology entrepreneurship program. The line would trace a route through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, then pass north of Julian and through Ramona and Rancho Peñasquitos.
SDG&E says it is preparing a detailed environmental assessment of the line's potential impact on the desert, which it expects to submit to the California Public Utilities Commission this summer. Kenda Pollio, a consultant to SDG&E on the project, emphasized that the utility has the ability to place poles for the project as much as 1,200 feet apart. “Our goal is to place the poles in the least biologically and culturally sensitive areas, as well as to minimize aesthetic impacts,” Pollio said. “The taller the towers, the further apart you can span the line.”
She also noted that for some of the route – including much of the section proposed through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park – SDG&E plans to use an existing right of way now utilized by a single-strand power line supported by wooden poles. Sunrise would replace those poles with four-footed, lattice towers or steel single poles higher than the existing poles.
Mark Jorgensen, the park's superintendent, noted that the existing power line predates the establishment of the park. Upgrading the line to taller towers would be a concern, he said. In a recent interview, he recalled that the park rebuffed an earlier SDG&E plan to run a power line directly across the park, a project that was ultimately diverted to a route along I-8. Sunrise would bisect the Anza-Borrego park across its northern reaches near state Route 78. “A lot of people have dedicated their lives to protecting this park, and we are doing everything we can to continue to protect it,” Jorgensen said.
Devon Lomayesva, an attorney with the Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueño Indians, said a prime concern of the tribe was the health and safety effect of the proposed line, as well as potential damage to cultural sites. She said large power lines complicate fire fighting by blocking access and making it difficult to use helicopters. She noted that SDG&E's preferred route would put Sunrise adjacent to tribal lands. The trek across the desert is planned to conclude on April 20, near an electrical substation at state Route 79 and county road S2. Fuller is camping in the desert each night and said yesterday that she's planning a modest, if temporary power project of her own, in the sensitive desert region. “I've got a solar cell phone charger,” she said laughing. “Today, I get to use it for the first time.” Source: By Craig D. Rose, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER. 4/13/ 2006.
At the request of the Governor, a number of state agencies were asked to develop a Renewable Energy Action Plan with input from stakeholders. These agencies - Agriculture, PUC, Economic Development, Energy, Environmental Quality, Forestry and Water Resources - prepared several drafts, which were sent to interested individuals, businesses and organizations and posted on the Oregon Department of Energy Web site. Public comment and stakeholder input was taken and a series of public meetings were held before finalizing the document. The final Renewable Energy Action Plan was released in 2005 and contains both short and long-term goals for the state.
The Renewable Energy Action Plan goals - both short term (before 2006) and long term (2007 - 2025) - as well as legislative and Governor's Office initiatives. In addition, the REAP contains a long list of actions for state agencies, the university system, and a new working group focused on renewable energy (see below). These actions are both general in nature (cross-cutting across resources) and resource-specific. Some of the key goals set out in the plan include:
As of the end of March, 2006, the Renewable Energy Working Group has had two meetings. Source: MedfordNews.com - 4/17/2006.
The US Department of Energy, Building Technologies State Energy Outreach and Deployment State Energy Program Special Projects has issued a grant solicitation. Source: Grants.gov, 4/17/2006.
Dairies, cheese makers and greenhouse operators use a significant amount of energy heating water as part of their operations. They have started to look to solar thermal energy to avoid pollution and save money. Current Federal and State support for renewable energy improves the economics. Section 9006 of the Federal Farm Bill provides grants for up to 25 percent of renewable energy installation, and a 30 percent federal tax credit is also available for solar systems. Many states provide additional financial incentives to make the conversion economically viable.
ELPC’s Clean Energy Consultant Gabriela Martin talked with two dairies in North Carolina about their conversion to solar thermal energy. Read the resulting stories about Goat Lady Dairy in Greensboro, N.C. or Tally Ho Dairy in Statesville, N.C. Source: ELPC April 2006 ENews, 4/17/2006.
Arlington, VA-based AES Corporation recently announced plans to invest approximately $1 billion over the next three years in its alternative energy business and the commercialization of new projects and technologies to reduce or offset greenhouse gas emissions.
Through the creation of an alternative energy business group, AES said it intends to expand its existing alternative energy businesses in wind power generation, biomass and the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. The company said it also plans to triple the investment in its wind generation business over the next three years. AES currently operates 600 megawatts (MW) of wind facilities and is pursuing another 2,000 MW of wind projects in development, primarily in the U.S.
AES noted that it is currently evaluating investments in other sources of alternative energy, such as solar power and wave technologies, as well as in ethanol, biodiesel, methane capture and synthetic fuels. The company has entered strategic partnerships with Los Alamos National Laboratory and XL TechGroup to identify, evaluate and bring to market new alternative energy technologies. Contact: Scott Cunningham, AES, phone 703-682-6336. Source: EIS Renewable Energy Today, 4/17/2006.
The US Department of Energy has announced a grant to: Development of Robust, Highly Efficient Fermentative Organisms or Chemical Catalysts for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Biofuels. Source: Grants.gov, 4/19/2006.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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