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Pearl Jam announced today that Bonneville Environmental Foundation was selected as one of nine non-profit organizations to receive a combined total of $100,000 to launch its 2006 Carbon Portfolio Strategy. The band's initiative is the latest demonstration of its commitment to solve global warming and provide information to music fans worldwide about what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint. The band also is inviting its fans to make their own contributions in support of the initiative, as a way of taking action against climate change. BEF and the other organizations were selected according to their advancement of approaches to develop clean, renewable energy options and other climate change solutions. "We looked for partners to put our contributions towards the greatest use in combating global climate change," said Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard. "BEF was an obvious choice when we considered the renewable energy component."
Pearl Jam has been a supporter of BEF since the 2004 Vote for Change tour, when Gossard organized some of the participating bands to fund the installation of small-scale renewable energy projects in many of the states where it toured. In addition to Pearl Jam and Gossard, participants included Bonnie Raitt, The Dave Matthews Band, and REM. BEF's role was to identify the Vote for Change beneficiary projects, and to manage the ongoing installation efforts.
BEF will use the contributions from Pearl Jam's Carbon 2006 Portfolio Strategy to support its renewable energy initiatives, including its Green Tag programs. The organizations designated as beneficiaries of Pearl Jam's Carbon Portfolio Strategy include: the American Solar Energy Society, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Cascade Land Conservancy, Conservation International, EarthCorps, Green Empowerment, Honor the Earth, IslandWood, and Washington Clean Energy Initiative. Source: Bonneville Environmental Foundation Release, 7/10/2006.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released its first national Top 10 Local Government Partners list highlighting the largest renewable energy purchases made by municipal and local government entities currently in the Green Power Partnership. The Top 10 list reflects Partner purchase information through June 26, 2006. Topping the list is the City of San Diego (Calif.), followed in second place by the Austin Independent School District (Texas). Rounding out the top six local government purchasers of green power are Montgomery County Wind Buyers Group (Md.), East Bay Municipal Utility District's Main WWT Plant (Calif.), the Round Rock Independent School District (Texas), and the City of Portland (Ore.).
Three of these local government Partners also appear on EPA's most recent national Top 25 list: The City of San Diego, Austin Independent School District, and Montgomery County Wind Buyers Group.
The actions of these Top 10 local government Partners are helping to drive the development of new renewable energy sources. Combined, the green power purchases of these Top 10 local government Partners amounts to over 283 million kilowatthours of green power annually.
The Top 10 Local Government Green Power Partners, listed in descending order of purchase size, are as follows:
| Local Government Partner 1. City of San Diego (Calif.) 2. Austin Independent School District (Texas) 3. Montgomery County Wind Buyers Group (Md.) 4. New York State Municipal Wind Buyers Group 5. East Bay Municipal Utility District / Main WWT Plant (Calif.) 6. Round Rock Independent School District (Texas) 7. City of Portland (Ore.) 8. City of Boston (Mass.) 9. Rochester City School District (NY) 10. Inland Empire Utilities Agency (Calif.) |
Green Power Usage (kWh) 65,400,000 48,827,000 40,845,139 31,584,167 26,000,000 18,000,000 17,602,000 17,300,000 8,920,000 8,643,000 |
EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program helping to increase the use of green power among leading U.S. organizations. The program encourages organizations to purchase green power as a way to reduce the risk of climate change and the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use.
EPA updates its Top Partner lists of green power purchasers quarterly. The next scheduled update is set for October 2006 and will reflect information received by Partners as of September 21, 2006. Source: Green Power Partnership, 7/12/2006.
DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory is not only a leading developer of renewable energy, but also a leading user of the technology. NREL's on-site power production from wind turbines and solar power systems contributes 138,000 kilowatthours to the laboratory's power needs, but the laboratory has gone far beyond that. NREL announced in late June that it has purchased enough renewable energy credits to offset not only the total energy use of its buildings, but also all the energy used by NREL vehicles, employee commuting, air travel, and other energy consumed in the operation of the laboratory. By doing so, NREL exceeded its five-year goal as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders Partnership, having cut overall greenhouse gas emissions more than 10 percent since 2000.
NREL was the first federal pilot partner in the Climate Leaders Partnership. It is one of only seven original members to establish initial target reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and one of only five to meet its goals in 2005. Offsetting all its energy use is noteworthy for an institution of NREL's size and scope. NREL encompasses 618 acres on several sites, with 665,000 square feet of laboratory and office space that house more than 1,100 researchers and support staff. Source: DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 7/12/2006.
Salem Mayor Janet Taylor proclaimed July as Green Power Month and challenged residents to sign up for renewable energy. More than 2,500 Salem residential and small-business customers get renewable energy from Portland General Electric. The city's goal is to increase Salem's green-power-participation rate to 3,000 total customers, a 20 percent increase. By enrolling in one of PGE's renewable power options, one average Salem household or small business can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 8,400 pounds per year — as much as a car would produce when driven more than 9,000 miles, PGE says. Sign up by calling (800) 542-8818. Source: Beth Casper, StatesmanJournal, 7/12/2006.
Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. and a leader in energy and energy-related services, announced today that it has been awarded a contract to supply renewable energy credits to the National Geographic Society's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Pepco Energy Services has served as the electricity supplier to the National Geographic Society's headquarters since January 2005, under a contract that was recently extended to mid-2008. The 29-month contract calls for Pepco Energy Services to supply over 39 million kilowatthours of renewable energy certificates. When combined with the cost of electric supply under the existing contract, the National Geographic Society will pay less than the currently effective standard offer service rates for District of Columbia customers.
Under the National Geographic Society's contract, Pepco Energy Services will provide Green-e Certified renewable energy certificates from Sterling Planet, representing wind-generating resources in the United States. Electricity produced from renewable resources reduces the amount of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, as well as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emitted into the atmosphere. Wind energy is particularly effective in reducing greenhouse gases, because there are no air emissions associated with operating wind generators.
Other notable organizations that have purchased green energy from Pepco Energy Services include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior. In addition, Pepco Energy Services currently supplies 100 percent renewable resources to the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum on Ellis Island, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters, located in Washington, D.C. Source: Pepco Energy Services, 7/12/2006.
Soaring oil and natural gas prices have fueled a race to find new sources for chemical intermediates—compounds that are the raw material for many modern plastics, drugs and fuels. But there's a better way to make a chemical intermediate called HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) from fructose, according to James Dumesic, a University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical and biological engineering professor. Dumesic reports in the June 30 issue of the journal Science that HMF can be converted into plastics, diesel-fuel additive, or even diesel fuel. The new process goes beyond making fuel from plants to make industrial chemicals from plants.
The new, patent-pending method for making HMF is a balancing act of chemistry, pressure, temperature and reactor design. After a catalyst converts fructose into HMF, the HMF moves to a solvent that carries it to a separate location where the HMF is extracted. Although other researchers had previously converted fructose into HMF, Dumesic's research group made a series of improvements that raised the HMF output, and also made the HMF easier to extract. Once made, HMF is fairly easy to convert into plastics or diesel fuel. Although the biodiesel that has made headlines lately is made from a fat (even used cooking oil), not a sugar, both processes have similar environmental and economic benefits, Dumesic says. Instead of buying petroleum from abroad, the raw material would come from domestic agriculture. Expanding the source of raw material should also depress the price of petroleum.
Using biomass-waste products of agriculture and forestry-can also cut global warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, says graduate student Yuriy Roman-Leshkov, first author on the Science paper. While burning and otherwise using fossil fuels moves an enormous amount of carbon from the Earth into the atmosphere, the carbon released when a biofuel burns is eventually taken up by growing plants.
Juben N. Chheda, a second graduate student working on the HMF project, sees the work as part of an explosion of interest in finding alternative sources for petroleum-based chemicals. "We need to develop new process technologies, and HMF is a building block that can replace products like PET, a plastic used for soda bottles," he notes.
Dumesic is also exploring methods to convert other sugars and even more complex carbohydrates into HMF and other chemical intermediates. Dumesic's research on environmentally friendly sources of common chemicals is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation. Source GreenBiz.com - 7/7/2006.
Consumers can now harness the power of the sun to juice up their high-tech gadgets with pocket-size technology. Solar power advocates have traditionally focused on large-scale residential projects like adding rooftop solar panels — the fastest-growing segment of the solar industry, according to the Solar Energy industries Association. But the rising cost of fossil fuels that has fired up demand for renewable energy sources like solar also led to a worldwide shortage of silicon, the key material used to make solar panels, slowing growth in the sector. A surplus of materials isn't expected to return to the market until 2008.
In the meantime, green consumers can dabble in solar with the purchase of numerous low-cost, solar-powered products. From power chargers to light-powered watches to backyard lights, solar power is making a push into the residential and electronic markets. Soldius Inc., a privately held Netherlands firm, markets a portable solar charger that weighs barely three ounces. Placing the wallet-sized charger in indirect sunlight for about 3 hours to 4 hours will fully charge a cell phone. An iPod or Blackberry can also refuel using the device. The charger's compact size may be its greatest advantage — it's small enough to slip between an airplane window and shade. The charger sells for between $90 and $110, depending on the model. About 10,000 have been sold in the U.S. since the end of last year. A similar device from London-based Better Energy Systems can turn the sun's rays into power for most handheld electronic devices including iPods, MP3 players, digital cameras and cell phones. The company's $90 pocket-sized Solio charger has three flower-petal shaped solar panels that fan out to soak up sunlight. The light-weight device can store up to 14 hours of power in an internal battery. Each hour in the sun yields about one hour of play time.
The explosion of electronic devices used by the masses has turned solar power into an energy source for urban warriors. For shoppers looking for a fashionable entry into light-powered products there is Citizen's eco-drive line of watches with prices starting around $135. The eco-drive technology in each watch includes a rechargeable lithium ion battery that will automatically charge when it is in sunlight or artificial light. It takes about three to four hours to fully charge a basic woman's watch. If the watch is put in a jewelry box and taken out months later, it will still work.
Consumers looking to make a tiny investment in solar power can purchase a solar battery charger for the collection of AA and AAA batteries found in cameras and remote controls throughout the house. Homeowners can also draw on sunlight to power garden and backyard lights that store up energy throughout the day, light up at a walkway or patio at night, and then automatically turn off' at dawn. Lights and lanterns can be found at lighting, home-improvement, and outdoor stores.
Solar accounted for just 1 percent of the renewable energy consumed by the U.S. in 2004, but interest in solar power peaked recently. Palo Alto-based Nanosolar recently announced plans to build the world's largest solar-power-cell manufacturing factory in California with funding from Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The company's vision is to install solar panels on buildings so they can switch between using solar energy and power from the grid. Big players like Sanyo Electric Co. are also putting more dollars into solar projects. The Japanese electronics manufacturer recently announcing plans to invest more than $350 million in its solar cell business over the next five years. Worldwide shipments of solar devices grew by 32 percent in 2003 and the industry generated $4.7 billion in revenue that year, according to the Solar Energy industries Association. Source: By Stephanie I. Cohen, 7/6/2006.
A local company said yesterday it is leasing office space and hopes to build a test facility to convert green waste, such as tree branches and two-by-fours, into energy. Envirepel, a Vista-based company, said it has leased 40,000 square feet of office space at 1390 Engineer St. for the site. Company officials hope to use about 15,000 square feet for the facility itself, with the rest reserved for manufacturing and office space.
The proposed biomass power plant could produce about 1.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 1,500 homes, according to company founder Anthony Arand. The facility requires a special-use permit from the city and the proposal is expected to go before the Vista Planning Commission in September. The company doesn't have a contract to sell the energy, but Arand said he hopes to sell the renewable energy to a utilities company.
The company is also seeking approval from the state Energy Commission to operate a $130 million, 67-megawatt biomass power plant in Fallbrook. In addition, the company has announced plans to seek “waste-to-energy” sites at the Miramar, Otay, Ramona and Sycamore landfills to convert garbage into energy. The Vista facility would demonstrate how discarded vegetation can be made into power, and groups of public officials and students could visit the site to learn about the technology. The company would truck in discarded items such as grass clippings, yard waste, tree branches and lumbet. The items would then be placed into a “glorified Dutch oven,” Arand said, with ceramic walls. The combustion chamber warms like an oven and transforms the green waste into methane gas. The gas is burned to make heat, which is used in a boiler to make steam. The steam drives a steam-turbine generator to make energy. Company spokesmen say the private company has raised about $4 million in stocks to fund the project. Source: Matthew Rodriguez, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER, 7/8/2006.
A California company has notified Oregon officials that it plans a wind farm covering 32,000 acres with 300 turbines. The Shepherds Flat Wind Farm would be the largest in the Columbia River Gorge. It would generate 750 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 188,000 homes. The developer, LifeLine Development Group of Sacramento, is a newcomer to the wind-energy boom in the gorge and hasn't developed any wind farms. It was formed expressly for Shepherds Flat, said Patricia Pilz, LifeLine's development vice president.
LifeLine told the Oregon Department of Energy last week of its plans. A detailed application is due in September. A review by the state agency is required when wind projects exceed 105 megawatts. LifeLine would be built in phases of 250 megawatts each. The turbines, each with a 2.5-megawatt capacity, would hook into transmission lines leading to a Bonneville Power Administration interconnection that would take the power to population centers to the west.
The first phase of the project wouldn't be completed until 2008, when BPA expects to improve a substation to accommodate the new power generation. The site is near the Columbia River town of Arlington in Gilliam and Morrow counties. Other projects in the area, planned or under construction, are:
• A 450-megawatt farm that Oregon's largest utility, Portland General Electric, hopes to build in Sherman County.
• A planned third phase of the Klondike wind farm in Sherman County, which would bring the capacity to 370 megawatts. The company, Portland-based PPM Energy, is one of the country's largest wind-power developers.
• PPM's 200-megawatt wind farm called Big Horn, in Washington's Klickitat County.
• PPM's 100-megawatt Leaning Juniper wind farm near Arlington.
• The Stateline wind farm developed by Florida energy company FPL Group. It has a 300-megawatt capacity. Plans call for 200 megawatts more.
Source: The Associated Press, 7/5/2006.
Global wind electricity-generating capacity increased by 24 percent in 2005 to 59,100 MW, representing a twelve-fold increase from 10 years ago, according to the Earth Policy Institute. Wind is the world's fastest-growing energy source with an average annual growth rate of 29 percent over the last ten years, EPI said. “Over the same time period, coal use has grown by 2.5 percent per year, nuclear power by 1.8 percent, natural gas by 2.5 percent and oil by 1.7 percent,” said Joseph Florence of EPI. A decade ago, world wind generating capacity stood at less than 5,000 MW.
Europe continues to lead the world in total installed capacity with over 40,500 MW, or two-thirds of the global total. These wind installations supply nearly 3 percent of Europe's electricity and produce enough power to meet the needs of over 40 million people. For more data, go to the Global Wind Energy Council Web site.
The European Wind Energy Association has set a target to satisfy 23 percent of European electricity needs with wind by 2030. EWEA noted that Europe has enough wind resources to meet the electricity demands of all of its countries. Germany, the country with the most installed wind-generating capacity, now gets 6 percent of its electricity from its 18,400 MW of wind power capacity. Spain, in second place with over 10,000 MW of capacity, gets 8 percent of its electricity from wind.
Denmark's 3,100 MW of wind capacity meet 20 percent of its electricity needs, the largest share in any country. It ranks fifth in the world in installed capacity. Denmark is also the global leader in offshore wind power installations, with 400 MW of existing capacity. Globally, over 900 MW of offshore wind capacity will be installed by the end of 2006, all in Europe.
The U.S., meanwhile, has achieved a total cumulative capacity of over 9,100 MW of wind power capacity, with a record-breaking 2,431 MW installed in 2005. Canada's installed wind capacity of 680 MW at the end of 2005 is expected to increase to 1,200 MW by the end of 2006. While Canada's federal government targets the installation of 4,000 MW of wind energy by 2010, its more ambitious provincial governments plan to install a combined 9,200 MW by 2015.
Asian countries have installed nearly 7,000 MW of wind-generated electricity capacity. India has 4,400 MW of capacity, ranking fourth after Germany, the U.S., and Spain. Wind power in China, currently at 1,260 MW, is beginning to flourish due to the country's new Renewable Energy Law. The law provides tax incentives and subsidies for wind power and targets the development of 30,000 MW of wind capacity by 2010. Ambitious as these goals are, experts within the Chinese wind industry report that China could produce 400,000 MW of wind capacity by 2050. China's total electric power generation capacity at the end of 2003 was 356,100 MW. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly, 7/7/2006.
U.K. renewable energy developer npower renewables recently announced a project with wave energy interest Wavegen to develop a new wave power station on the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. When fully operational, the project would harness power from Atlantic waves to generate up to three megawatts of electricity. The project will undergo a feasibility study for approximately six months. Initial investigation will include an on-site survey of the sea bed and examination of the local wave resource, allowing a simulated tank testing to provide a understanding of the likely energy output of the project. Contact: Patrick Spink, npower. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 6/19/2006
BP and The California Institute of Technology have teamed up in a multi-million dollar research program that could open the door to a radical new way of producing solar cells, making the cost of solar electricity more competitive and increasing current efficiency levels. For an initial five year period, BP and Caltech will explore a concept based on growing silicon by creating arrays of nanorods rather than by casting ingots and cutting wafers, which is the current conventional way of producing solar cells. Nanorods are small cylinders of silicon that can be 100 times smaller than a human hair and would be tightly packed in an array like bristles in a brush. A solar cell based on an array of nanorods will be able to efficiently absorb light along the length of the rods by collecting the electricity generated by sunlight more efficiently than a conventional solar cell. Source: Solarbuzz, 7/7/2006.
Near the one-year anniversary of its installation, Metro announced that its huge solar panel project at two bus divisions in the San Fernando Valley has so far saved the agency at least $185,000 in electricity costs. The project, the largest solar power installation of its kind in the transit industry, produces a combined AC 425 kilowatts of clean, renewable electricity — enough electricity to provide up to 20 percent of each bus division's total energy requirements.
Metro Bus divisions in Sun Valley and Chatsworth were outfitted with a total of 1,648 solar panels last May. The panels have enough generating capacity to power more than 100 homes a year for 25 years.
At a total cost of $3.3 million, half the cost, or approximately $1.82 million, was provided through utility company rebates designed to assist companies in meeting some or all of their energy needs through installation of, among others, solar generation facilities.
Southern California Gas Company (The Gas Company) contributed $1.46 million through the California Public Utilities Commission's Self-Generation Incentive Program. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power contributed an additional $357,000 through its Solar Incentive Program.
Metro will recoup its own $1.48 million investment within 7 to 10 years through reduced electricity costs. The system is designed to last 25 to 30 years. Metro is one of the first large agencies to demonstrate the feasibility of leveraging state incentives for solar power generation in California. In February 2006, the California Public Utilities Commission adopted The California Solar Initiative, a 10-year, $2.7 billion incentive program to spur photovoltaic and solar thermal projects.
While other transit agencies have designed solar installations for purpose-built facilities, Metro is the first to design a solar power generation project of this magnitude on existing rooftop space. SolSource Energy, a division of CleanFuel Connections, Inc. of Arcadia, Calif. designed and installed the solar panel system.
SCHOTT Solar, Inc. , of Rocklin, Calif., manufactured the solar modules and supplied the mounting system. The ASE 300 solar modules are the largest, most powerful photovoltaic modules available, designed specifically for commercial and municipal installations. Solar modules located on the roofs of Metro's Maintenance and Transportation buildings at each bus division cover more than 43,000 square feet of rooftop area. The system uses multiple inverters to convert the DC power generated by the solar modules into AC power, which is then fed back into electric utility grid. A reverse meter deducts the amount of electricity generated by the panels from each division’s electric bill. The emissions savings from avoided fossil-fuel generation is equivalent to removing more than 500,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, 1,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide, and 2,500 pounds of sulfur dioxide emissions per year. That is the equivalent to taking 100 cars off the road.
Based on the success of this solar project, Metro may elect to retrofit other transit properties with solar panels. Other possible applications could include solar panels on light rail station platforms, where the photovoltaics could generate power for video surveillance cameras, intercoms and other station equipment. Metro's solar power project is the agency's latest effort to introduce clean, environmentally responsible energy sources for transit and transit-related operations in Los Angeles County. Also notable among these efforts are the agency's ongoing phase-in of 2,100 compressed natural gas buses — the nation's largest clean air bus fleet. Source: SCHOTT Solar, Inc., 7/7/2006.
The Caribbean Islands, we ain't. But, with sun power that compares favourably to some of the world leaders in solar power production, Nova Scotia could find an easy way to wean itself off traditional energy supplies. A Halifax company, Green Power Labs, is teaming up with the Nova Scotia Community College to chart exactly how much sun the province gets and where it hits. The plan is to produce a high-resolution map which shows where Nova Scotia's solar potential lies. It will be done by analyzing historic and current data to predict future potentially sunny spots.
"For a long time, Canadians and the Canadian government had a perception that we don't have enough sun. We're a northern country, it's dark, cloudy and snowy," said Vlad Kostylev with Green Labs yesterday. "However, here in Nova Scotia we have as much sun as there is in Germany, even more, who is the world leader in solar technologies." Kostylev said the message of Nova Scotia's solar potential needs to get out. If so, his company, which sells photovoltaic panels and hot water heating panels, stands to profit.
With the knowledge the map could provide, he said people willing to invest in solar technology could make more accurate estimates of how much energy they could produce each year — and how much less they'd have to buy from Nova Scotia Power. David Colville, a research scientist with NSCC, said data will be accumulated from topography maps and satellite data about cloud coverage. Colville said the data will make it easier to understand the local climate and to create temperature maps. Another side benefit to the maps is a better understanding of provincial sunshine rates, which could help the agricultural industry. The Grape Growers' Association of Nova Scotia, he said, is interested in learning more about heat potential to help them make grape growing decisions. "Whether it's grapes, potatoes or apples or whatever, a lot of those things are based on knowing better where the better temperatures and precipitation are." Source: By Stephane Massinon, The Daily News, 7/12/2006.
Audubon New York, the state’s largest bird conservation organization, is leaving a lighter eco-footprint by choosing to support wind power for 100 percent of the energy used in its New York offices. Audubon supports environmental protection through this commitment to 50 megawatt hours per year of clean, renewable wind energy. Audubon performed thorough due diligence on the selected wind farm and vendor to ensure that it was properly sited with minimal impact to birds, and that it lived up to the standards set forth in Audubon New York’s position on wind power.
Audubon New York will purchase Renewable Energy Certificates through 3 Phases Energy Services, LLC, a national provider of renewable energy solutions. Purchasing RECs supports recently-constructed wind projects, helps provide finance streams for new projects, and creates a base for the construction of new renewable energy generation.
“Reliance on fossil fuels hurts birds, plain and simple,” said, David J. Miller, Audubon New York’s Executive Director. “Pollution, destruction of habitat from mining, and potentially disastrous global climate change are all significant stresses on birds and other wildlife. Wind power, when sited properly after adequate study, is a better option.”
Audubon’s Green-e Certified renewable energy certificates will be sourced from the Ainsworth Wind Energy Center, a wind farm in Nebraska. The Green-e Program certifies that the renewable energy product this customer purchases meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards established by the national non-profit Center for Resource Solutions. This purchase will provide the equivalent environmental benefit of reducing carbon emissions by 91,900 pounds, 34 acres of trees storing carbon for one year, or taking 9 cars off the road annually.
“Modern wind projects undergo a significant amount of review and study for a variety of factors before construction begins,” added Miller. “The wind farm developers at Ainsworth Wind Energy Center conducted extensive pre-development avian and environmental impact studies to minimize any potential bird and wildlife impacts.”
“In our fight against climate change, Audubon New York supports the development of clean renewable energy sources that are ecologically responsible, cost-effective and clean,” concluded Miller.
Source: earthtoys news, 7/11/2006.
Energy companies are measuring the potential for wind power projects on almost all the mountaintops in eastern Lassen County. “You could just about look at all the high points and somebody is looking at putting something there,” said Dayne Barron, manager of the Bureau of Land Management’s Eagle Lake Field Office.
Barron said five or six energy companies have taken out permits in the last year. Some now have equipment in place to measure wind speeds and duration on peaks in eastern Lassen County; others are just starting the application process. The peaks involved include Shaffer Mountain, Snowstorm Mountain, Antelope Mountain, Observation Peak, Beckwourth Pass and the Fort Sage Mountains. “We don’t have any that are going to development at this point,” Barron said. “Right now we’re just doing the permits.”
The permits give the companies Barron declined to name three-year exclusionary rights to explore and test the potential for generating electric power from wind. The BLM gives exclusionary rights on a first-come-first-served basis. If the companies determine they can generate power from wind, they can set aside some acreage, Barron said. “If they want to move toward development, then that would be another (permit) process,” he said.
New energy policies may be the motivating factor behind the recent interest. The state of California now requires renewable energy development and Barron said incentives are built into state and federal energy policy. All California utilities are now required to include increasing amounts of renewable power in their sales. The California Energy Commission’s renewable energy program requires retail sellers to increase the renewable content of their electricity sales by at least 1 percent per year. The goal is to serve 20 percent of the state’s retail electricity sales with renewables by 2010, according to the California Energy Commission.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger expanded the goal to achieving 33 percent renewables by 2020 for both investor-owned and municipal utilities. At the federal level, President Bush’s national energy policy, published in 2001, encouraged federal agencies to expedite permitting of alternative technologies including wind energy. The BLM then developed a programmatic environmental impact statement. Source: By Shayla Ashmore, County Times Staff Writer, 7/11/2006.
At the American Solar Energy Society conference, PowerLight Corporation, a leading global provider of large-scale solar power systems, introduced its new PowerTilt Solar Power System. "PowerTilt draws on the same features as our flagship, groundbreaking solar roof product, PowerGuard – the first commercially available solar power system to be deployed without rooftop penetration," said PowerLight CEO and chairman Tom Dinwoodie. This next-generation product was engineered with a sloped-angle design so that the solar photovoltaic module can leverage maximum exposure to sunlight for increased electrical output.
PowerTilt features pre-engineered solar modules that tilt at a 10-degree angle to maximize energy capture. These non-penetrating modules interlock for secure, rapid installation on rooftops without compromising the building envelope. Made of durable, lightweight materials, the PowerTilt solar array design resists high winds up to 120 mph without securement, and is uniquely flexible to adapt to the requirements of virtually any rooftop. It is also deployable on non-soil ground sites. "Our PowerTilt system is exceeding performance expectations for electrical generation,” said Bob Holmes, General Manager, Wine Service Cooperative. “We're harnessing maximum sunlight to generate clean, reliable and renewable solar energy. We're also very impressed by how quickly it was successfully installed."
Whereas PowerGuard performance is optimized in constrained rooftop environments where it contributes to maximum PV density, PowerTilt performance is optimized for larger roofs with less space constraints as well as underutilized tracks of land, such as ground reservoirs. Source: Powerlight Corp., 7/11/2006.
Beer bottles that use solar power to keep their precious contents cool in the height of summer could be a welcome fringe benefit of thin-film technology currently under development. The material being developed by researchers at the US Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute sticks solar cells and heat pumps onto surfaces, and could ultimately turn walls, windows and even beer bottles into climate control systems.
Rensselaer researcher Steven Van Dessel and his colleagues have been working on the sci-fi technology for the past four years before recently unveiling their prototype Active Building Envelope system. Comprised of solar panels, solid-state thermoelectric heat pumps and a storage device to provide energy on rainy days, the system accomplishes the jobs of cooling and heating, yet operates silently and with no moving parts. Van Dessel said that thin-film advances could lead to functional thermal coatings composed of transparent ABE systems. Such systems might vastly improve the efficiency of temperature-control systems. "The ease of application would make it possible to seamlessly attach the system to various building surfaces, possibly rendering conventional air conditioning and heating equipment obsolete," he said. Van Dessel hopes that a thin-film version of the ABE system will see applications in a range of industries, from advanced thermal control systems in future space missions, to the automotive sector where it could be applied to windshields and sun roofs to heat or cool a car's interior. "It may also be possible to use the ABE system to create packaging materials for thermal control, which could lead to things like self-cooling soda bottles," said Van Dessel. Source: Robert Jaques, vnunet, 7/12/2006.
The state of Nevada is sponsoring a Nevada Wind Workshop at Harrah's Resort in downtown Reno, Nevada, July 26-27, 2006. The Nevada Wind Workshop is a two-day event, sponsored by U.S. DOE Wind Powering America and the Nevada State Office of Energy.
This statewide meeting is designed to:
In addition, participants will also:
Plus, Workshop participants may also stay and attend the National Wind Coordinating Committee's Wind Power & Radar Issue Forum on the afternoon of July 27.
NOTE: A limited block of rooms at Harrah’s has been reserved at a price near the state¹s per diem to encourage participation from across all 17 counties in Nevada. These rooms can be single or double occupancy, and are available first-come, first-served for the nights of July 25-27. See Registration Information for booking details. If you have any further questions after visiting the website, please contact: Pete Konesky, 775-687-9704, or the Nevada State Office of Energy. Source: Nevada State Office of Energy, 7/10/2006.
Mark your calendars for the Southwest Renewable Energy Conference August 2-3, 2006, Flagstaff, Arizona. The Southwest Renewable Energy Conference is a forum for the exchange of ideas and information about renewable energy. The conference program covers a wide range of information to encourage thoughtful evaluation and discussion on the development of wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy on tribal, federal, state and private lands.
Topics will include: Climate change risks, regulations and mitigations strategies, Global energy markets and their effect on renewable energy, The water-energy nexus, Utility acquisition of renewable energy resources: To buy or build, Financing renewables, Making renewable energy projects attractive to utilities, Transmission policy and planning, Tribal energy projects in the Southwest - Lessons learned, Costs of wind project integration, Renewable energy credit markets and solar initiatives, Western Governors' Association - Clean and Diversified Energy Initiative.
Registration is now open. For further information, contact: Kristine Newton at 303-384-0414, or Shelly Collings at 720-233-5590. Source: Southwest Renewable Energy Conference, 6-15-2006.
GRC 2006 Annual Meeting
The Geothermal Resources Council will convene its 2006 Annual Meeting at the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, CA on September 10-13, 2006. Committee organization and planning for the event is underway. Check the GRC website for more information about the meeting — and the companion Geothermal Energy Association Trade Show — as it becomes available. See you in San Diego! Source: Geothermal Resources Council - 6/15/2006.
As a first step, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman cut the ribbon at a new research building on the NREL campus. The last new building on the campus was built in 1994. The $22 million Science and Technology Facility will serve as a meeting place for NREL scientists to work with private-sector companies to advance solar technologies and reduce the cost of photovoltaic panels. NREL Director Dan Arvizu said the lab plans to build three more buildings, at a cost of up to $60 million, beginning next year. The project would be completed in five years and would accommodate more than 500 scientists and support staff, employees who currently work at leased offices in Lakewood and Golden. The buildings also would house the Department of Energy's Golden field office and its 130 employees. "We can't wait 10 years between buildings," Arvizu said. NREL already has $10 million in its budget this year to begin construction on the first building in 2007. About 170 employees would relocate there.
The main lab, currently in a conceptual stage, would be built after that, along with another research building.
The buildings would showcase advanced design and energy efficiency standards aimed at reducing energy costs, officials said. Arvizu said the project has bipartisan support from Colorado's congressmen, including Republican Bob Beauprez and Democrat Mark Udall, and Sens. Ken Salazar, a Democrat, and Wayne Allard, a Republican.
Beauprez and Salazar attended Friday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, at which Bodman said NREL's new building fits in well with President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative. The initiative is a targeted effort to speed the development of clean and renewable sources of energy from the sun, wind, and plant and animal waste.
The Bush administration has set a goal of cutting imports of foreign oil by 5 million barrels a day by switching to renewable energy from the sun and wind, cellulosic ethanol and hydrogen fuel cells. Bodman's visit to NREL follows on the heels of Bush's tour of the campus in February. The Department of Energy, which owns NREL, gave the lab $5 million two days before Bush's visit to help offset a $28 million budget cut sustained this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. The money allowed NREL to hire back 24 of the 32 employees it was forced to lay off. The budget situation for the next fiscal year is unclear.
"We are dependent on Congress for (the budget)," Bodman said. "We are hopeful we will get good support, but I can't be any more definite until I know what Congress has lined up." Source: By Gargi Chakrabarty, Rocky Mountain News, 7/8/2006.
In response to a growing need for comprehensive, up-to-date information on Canada's diverse generation portfolio, the Canadian Electricity Association has released Power Generation in Canada: A Guide. Designed to explain the relative financial, technological, social and environmental issues associated with conventional and emerging sources of electricity, the Guide assesses the potential of each technology to be a contributor to the 20-year generation outlook in Canada.
As Canadians expect more and more that their increasing electricity needs will be met in an environmentally-friendly fashion, the electricity industry's environmental performance continues to improve. Electricity intensity is declining, as are air emissions from fossil generation; waste and hazardous materials are being reduced or more effectively managed; and species and habitat management is an important factor in decision-making on new and existing projects.
In its guide to power generation, CEA provides an unbiased view of the state of electricity generation in Canada while focusing on the industry's ultimate goal: ensuring affordable, reliable, and environmentally-friendly electricity to fuel our economy and support our lifestyle. To obtain a printed copy of the publication, please send a request to CEA or call 613-230-9263. Source: Canadian Electricity Association, 7/10/2006.
Solar Estimator and Installer Directory for Specific Utility Territories
As you know last year we launched FindSolar.com, an online resource featuring a directory of solar installers by county and a cost/benefits estimator customized by locality. The site has gained significant traction, with approximately 25,000 unique visitors using the site each month. We have further developed the site to provide added value to you and your customers.
We have created the ability for you to use a utility/location specific FindSolar estimator and installer directory on your own web site, free of charge. You will need the HTML code for your utility. The estimator is driven by our extensive databases of solar ratings, regional weather conditions, applicable incentives, and utility rates. Please note that the utility rates currently in the database are imported from the most recently available EIA data, which is from 2004. If your utility rates have changed significantly since that time (or you have other requested changes to your estimator), there is a Utility Feedback Form available below the HTML code box. Source: SEPA Bi-Weekly News, 7/7/2006.
The link between climate security and energy security cannot be underplayed, according to WWF. A new briefing from the global conservation organization shows how investing in a secure climate future will also bring benefits to a more secure energy system. The briefing, No Energy Security Without Climate Security, says that G8 nations can best contribute to increased energy and climate security by promoting, investing in, and regulating energy-efficiency measures and renewable energy. This will limit damage to the climate and reduce reliance on long, unsafe links to fossil fuel supplies in a cost-effective way.
“The concept of energy security is meaningless unless it is seen in the wider context of climate security, where the over-riding threat is climate change caused primarily by fossil fuel use,” says Jennifer Morgan, Director of WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme. “The G8 has an enormous responsibility to steer the world away from climate change and energy insecurity, towards a safe and secure future with a stable climate”
Governments should embark on a serious global "climate and energy security plan" similar in dimension to the Marshall plan after the Second World War. The plan would aim at dramatically improving energy-efficiency measures and renewable energy sources to insure global emissions of CO2 and other climate pollutants peak and decline in the next ten to fifteen years.
WWF’s briefing calls on G8 countries to make such a plan possible by switching current subsidies to conventional fuels, currently running at US$250 billion a year, to funding a highly ambitious efficiency and renewables initiative. To avoid dangerous climate change, the consensus is to keep global average temperature below 2°C (3.4°F) above pre-industrial times. Currently the world is already at 0.7°C above that reference. Emissions are growing at a staggering pace: they were at 25 billion tons CO2 in 2003 and could grow to 33.6 billion tons in 2015 if nothing happens (Source: US Energy Information Administration).
The last G8 Summit held at Gleneagles in the United Kingdom put climate change firmly on the G8 agenda, with leaders committing to a series of actions and a continuing dialogue. This year's G8 Summit was held from 15-17 July in St Petersburg, Russia. For further information: Brian Thomson, Press Officer, WWF International, Tel: +41 22 364 9562, or Martin Hiller, Communications Manager, WWF Global Climate Change Programme, Tel: +41 22 364 9226. Source: WWF International, 7/11/2006.
On June 30, pursuant to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, the Department of Homeland Security released a final National Infrastructure Protection Plan, articulating a comprehensive risk management framework that clearly defines critical infrastructure protection roles and responsibilities for all levels of government, private industry, nongovernmental agencies, and tribal partners. The final NIPP builds on the framework established in both the interim and draft versions of the NIPP, issued in February 2005 and November 2005 respectively. In finalizing the NIPP, DHS reviewed nearly 10,000 public comments and collaborated with nearly 300 federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector agencies and organizations. Source: Van Ness Feldman, 7/6/2006.
Electricity use in the U.S. is expected to grow 0.6 percent this year and an additional 1.4 percent in 2007, while residential electric rates are likely to continue rising, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Tuesday. Total U.S. demand for electricity is likely to grow from 3,830.2 billion kilowatthours in 2005, to 3,851.4 billion kWh in 2006, and to 3,904.3 billion kWh in 2007, the EIA predicted in its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook report. U.S. residential customers paid about 5.1 percent more, on average, for electricity in 2005 than they paid the previous year, the EIA said. U.S. residential customers paid, on average, about 9.43 cents per kilowatt-hour, up from about 8.97 cents per kWh in 2004. They can expect their electric bills to rise another 7.8 percent this year - to 10.16 cents/kWh - and an additional 2.9 percent in 2007, to 10.46 cents/kWh, the agency said. Sharply higher prices for natural gas and other fuels used for generating electricity, particularly at peak times, along with high summer demand for those fuels, drove electricity prices higher in 2005, the EIA concluded. The same factors are likely to boost residential electric rates this year, the agency said. The EIA added that "delivered" residential prices - not based on fuel prices - are likely to contribute to higher rates in 2006. Source: By Cassandra Sweet, Dow Jones Newswires, 7/11/06.
If power companies are to meet the ambitious but laudable state-ordered goal of having 20 percent of Hawaii's electricity produced by renewable resources by 2020, a lot of change needs to happen quickly. We're currently at barely 8 percent. So the announcement by Shell WindEnergy Inc., a unit of the international oil company, that they are planning a massive $200 million power-generating wind farm on Maui comes as good news. The 20 turbines planned by Shell would generate 40 megawatts of power and will be tucked away in an isolated section of the Ulupalakua Ranch. Shell is considering an expansion that would include pumping water to tanks for conversion to hydropower during off-peak hours. On Maui, the Shell undertaking, when combined with another 30 megawatt facility just coming on line, will mean that 20 percent of Maui's electricity could come from wind sources. The Shell project will take three to five years to be fully operational and the project still has plenty of permitting hurdles ahead.
Finding new energy solutions, including the use of wind, is difficult because the finish line keeps moving. There's no better evidence of that than the massive propeller-like blade in front of the Hawaiian Electric office on Ward Avenue. When installed on a windmill turbine in 1987, it was the world's largest and hopes were high that wind would soon become an important part of HECO's power portfolio. When dismantled six years later, the experiment was something of an intriguing failure. In spite of the size, it still produced less energy than hoped. Alternate sources of energy are critical for Hawaii because the state receives 95 percent of its electricity from fossil fuels and there is no grid to move power from one island to another.
Hawaiian Electric was an aggressive experimenter with wind energy, financing some of the first projects in the 1980s with all ending up as experiments that failed to fulfill potential over the long run. The current policy is to let someone else build the project, with Hawaiian Electric and its affiliates then purchasing the power from a company like Shell. Projects like the one at Ulupalakua Ranch offer hope that the wind power will produce lower costs. If that happens, the electric company is mandated to pass that onto the customer.
Shell says it's interested in building at least two more wind projects here, but don't expect any announcements until all the details are worked out with landowners and the electric company, just as they were with Ulupalakua Ranch. Other oil companies, flush with a lot of cash and just as anxious as Shell to diversify revenue, can be expected to be checking out other sites. It's great news that renewable energy, especially wind, seems to be gaining traction in Hawaii, where economic development has long been hampered by high electric costs. But not all these projects can be as invisible as the one on the remote Maui ranch. The Leeward Oahu experience demonstrates that even clean energy power can surface opposition. If the 20 percent by 2020 mandate is to be achieved, there has to be broad public support, too. Source: Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - July 7, 2006.
Renewable energy will only meet 10 percent of the UK's power needs by 2020, half the Government's aim, according to a new report today. The Carbon Trust said wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy was being failed by official policies. Targets were being missed and the cost of installing renewable energy sources was higher than necessary, according to the group.
The trust called for a renewed push to promote renewable energy and said it was still possible it could meet almost one-fifth of energy needs by 2020. Offshore wind in particular offered "significant potential" to help fill the gap caused by a reduction in coal and nuclear power. Renewable technologies should also be given more support, said the trust, which campaigned to cut carbon emissions. The report said that if the UK gave wave energy better support it could develop an export industry worth up to £4 billion a year by 2050. A Department for Trade and Industry spokesman said its targets were "deliberately ambitious". Figures show the proportion of renewables broke the 4 percent barrier last year, including the largest increase in new wind energy, almost double the previous year. Source: Ian Morgan, 6/07/2006.
Gov. Jim Doyle, during visits to Green Bay and Madison, issued a call to action for increasing the state's production of renewable energy. In what was billed as a "Declaration of Energy Independence," Doyle initiated a joint public-private effort to generate 25 percent of electricity and transportation fuel from renewable sources by 2025.
Katie Nekola, energy program director for Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, and representatives of the Wisconsin Ethanol Coalition were on hand to lend their support for the initiative. The effort also will involve supporting research and capturing 10 percent of the market share for the production of renewable energy sources by 2030. Doyle predicts that achieving this goal would bring $13.5 billion annually to Wisconsin's economy.
Kevin Reilly, president of the University of Wisconsin System, offered his support by identifying three UW campuses that will be moved "off the grid" and made energy independent within five years. Reilly said university researchers and scientists will work with industry partners to develop solutions to some of the nation's most pressing energy problems, and help produce the next generation of applications in the biofuels arena.
Doyle highlighted a report from the Wisconsin Consortium on BioBased Industry that offers specific recommendations for leveraging Wisconsin's agricultural, forestry, manufacturing, and life sciences sectors to serve as catalysts for what he called the state's "bioeconomy." The report identifies eight key technologies that capture the bulk of biobased opportunities in Wisconsin, including biomass gasification, fermentation of six-carbon sugars and cellulosic biomass, and fiber composites manufacturing. It recommends that the state work cooperatively with bioindustry producers to develop markets and focus on commercialization of "leapfrog" bioindustry technologies. It cites the UW's capabilities in plant genomics and plant biochemistry, and calls for continued investments to strengthen that capacity.
Doyle said that during his push to install more E85 pumps in gas stations across the state, he was stymied by "senseless action by the legislature to back away from the plan," but added that two new ethanol plants in the state will soon come online to double the state's current annual production of 180 million gallons. E85 is the term for motor fuel blends of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 flexible fuel vehicles are designed to run on E85, gasoline, or any blend of the two. Source: Chris Fleissner, 07/07/06.
With the flip of a ceremonial switch, Microsoft Corp dedicated a half-acre of solar panels on its Silicon Valley campus, bringing California closer to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s goal of 1mn solar roofs. That leaves about 980,000 to go. Schwarzenegger, 58, is pouring $3.2bn into solar energy, and investors are snapping up shares of solar-equipment companies. Hedge funds including SAC Capital Advisors LLC and GLG Partners LP have solar-power investments in the state. Even so, solar provides just 0.2 percent of California’s electricity.
“It’s pathetic how few systems we have to date, given that the technology has been around for 30 years,’’ said Bernadette Del Chiaro, 34, clean-energy advocate for the Sacramento-based group Environment California. The state had fewer than 20,000 solar roofs at the end March, according to the California Energy Commission. The panels on those roofs, even when combined with a solar-generating plant in the desert, took all year to provide 660MW-hours of power. It takes 40 minutes for that much electricity to be generated by Rosemead, California-based Edison International’s new natural-gas-fired plant in Redlands.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican running for re-election, says he wants peak solar capacity to reach 3,000MW, giving the state’s panels the power of three new gas-powered plants. Last year, the governor proposed a law to create a retail rebate program that he called the Million Solar Roofs policy. While the plan hasn’t passed the Democrat-controlled Legislature, Schwarzenegger’s appointees to the Public Utilities Commission enacted part of the proposal. They offered $3.2bn in consumer rebates – the biggest solar rebate program in US history, according to the Washington-based Solar Energy Industries Association. Investors, too, see a brighter future for solar. SAC Capital Advisors, an $8.5bn hedge fund in Stamford, Connecticut, founded by Steven Cohen, and GLG Partners, an $11.2bn fund in London, last month joined a group that invested $75mn in Nanosolar Inc, a Palo Alto, California-based company that is developing flexible solar strips.
Q-Cells AG, based in Thalheim, Germany, is up 56 percent from its IPO price in October. Jesse Pichel, a Piper Jaffray & Co analyst based in New York, said the US hasn’t been aggressive in developing solar power, yielding leadership to countries like Germany, which subsidizes the industry. German power distributors must pay consumers for solar power they make, at a higher rate than is paid to electricity-generating companies.
“America isn’t the big driver of solar,’’ Pichel said in a telephone interview from Germany. “It almost doesn’t matter what America decides. It’s happening whether government and business like it or not.’’ Solar power’s year-to-year growth rate in California has slowed since 2002. Last year, the amount of solar power feeding the electricity system increased 46 percent. Growth was 65 percent in 2004 and 91 percent in 2003. The state’s earlier incentive programs repeatedly ran out of money, said Barry Cinnamon, 48, a solar installer and president of the California Solar Energy Industries Association. Installers won’t hire staff and invest in equipment until a program has reliable funding, he said. The state’s new program is to run for 10 years rather than just a year or two. The rebates initially will cut about a third off a system’s cost. The average price for a residential roof system is about $36,000, Cinnamon says. Source: Bloomberg, 7/9/2006.
This farming hamlet is aiming at generating its own electricity and gas, using everything from municipal trash to farm waste, hog manure and even town sewage. If the experiment works, Reynolds and its 500 residents will be the nation's first community to use renewable resources to meet the energy needs of all their homes and businesses.
Dubbed Biotown USA, the project is the brainchild of Indiana's Department of Agriculture. State officials hope to break ground in November on a $10 million "technology suite," a privately funded center that will house the core equipment needed to turn manure and other biomass material into energy. It should generate electricity for the town by July 2007.
From there, state officials hope another $10 million from private investors will upgrade the system so it can also produce natural gas. Much of the technology has been implemented elsewhere in waste treatment centers and industries like paper manufacturing, researchers said. But Biotown would be the first time the machinery is combined and working in synch. Proponents say the project will lower local utility costs and help the environment. Organizers estimate a barrel of biomass will cost about $40. Crude oil edged above $75 a barrel this past week.
If the project succeeds, Reynolds could be a prototype for reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. "This becomes a living laboratory for us," said Bernie Engel, head of the agricultural and biological engineering department at nearby Purdue University.
Farmer Roger Wiese, 65, hasn't decided yet whether to sell 2 million gallons of hog manure to Biotown instead of using it as fertilizer on his fields. He'll agree only if he can make a profit. "There's not enough money in agriculture that we can run it as a charity," he said.
State officials said they don't need total participation from local farmers. A study found there were more than 150,000 hogs within 15 miles of town, and organizers estimate the animals, along with other organic waste in the area, are enough to produce 74 times the energy Reynolds needs. Town fire chief Rick Buschman says Biotown is "the greatest thing to hit Reynolds" in years. His family has bought a half-dozen new flex-fuel vehicles — able to run on various fuels including ethanol-gasoline blends — as part of a deal offered by General Motors. "We want to participate in the program any way we can," he said.
So far, residents have bought more than 100 new cars and trucks under the program. A $400,000 renovation project of the town's single gas station should add a pump for E-85 fuel — 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline — by the end of the summer. "Some people are questioning if we save money," said Christine McGill, a cook, waitress and hostess at USA Family Restaurant. "To me, what if we don't? We're still saving the environment." Source: Associated Press, 7/9/2006.
Harnessing wind power is not new to Hawaii. Since 1980 various wind farm projects have been built in the islands of Oahu, Maui, Molokai and the Big Island, including the world's largest turbine for its time (1987) with mixed results and outcomes.
The Big Island's newest source of power, a 10.5-megawatt wind farm consisting of 16 Vestas turbines have been in operation since mid-May near Upolu Point at the northern tip of the island. Earlier this month, Gov. Linda Lingle signed a bill requiring the state's utilities to have 20 percent of their power come from renewable sources by 2020. The Big Island already has 22 percent, Lee said.
In July 2006, a new wind farm development plan was announced by Shell WindEnergy Inc. at the Auwahi wind project on Maui's Ulupalakua Ranch. If approved, the Auwahi wind project's first phase is expected to be completed by 2008. The first phase is expected to provide up to 40 megawatts of wind power, enough to power thousands of homes on Maui. The total project is expected to cost more than $200 million and take from three to five years to complete. "This is great news for Ulupalakua Ranch, Maui and Hawaii," said Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, a former mayor of Maui County.
Three wind projects coming on line for Hawaii and will add up to more than 60 megawatts, enough power for more than 7,000 homes when all is blowing well.
Besides Hawi Renewable's 10.5 megawatts, Apollo Power Corp. near South Point at the bottom of the Big Island is planning 14 GE wind turbines with a combined capacity of 21 megawatts. They will replace aging machines that produce 7 megawatts at best. On a ridge above Maalaea Harbor on Maui, Kaheawa Wind Power is putting finishing touches on 20 GE turbines with a total capacity of 30 megawatts. Last week, Kaheawa had nine of the 20 in operation, regularly producing 10 megawatts and sometimes up to 13 megawatts, said Maui Electric engineering manager Neil Shinyama.
Besides those projects, the partnership installing Kaheawa, Makana Nui Associates and UPC Wind Partners LLC, has also won the right to build 10 to 15 megawatts for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative at an undecided location. The choice of GE machines for two of the three new sites is due to the fact that they are "more user-friendly.” The GE machines have features that let them stay on line when wind stops, regulate their pace and shut off some while others continue, a GE statement said. Denmark-based Vestas, used at Upolu, is the world's largest producer of wind turbines. HELCO operates its own 2.3-megawatt wind farm at Lalamilo near Waimea, where output is smoothed by a trailer-size PureWave Electronic Shock Absorber. Community All Islands, Big Island, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, 7/7/2006.
Combining farming and energy production is the wave of the future. That's according to California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura, who urged county farmers to get involved in the renewable energy market with biofuels, solar and wind generation, and efforts to extract energy from waste. "We are still in the waste business. We have not yet transitioned to the energy business," Kawamura said, speaking at the county Farm Bureau's 89th annual banquet Thursday night at the Pajaro Valley Rod and Gun Club. "Our waste streams could be a solution, not a problem."
Kawamura described a Kansas cattle ranch and wind farm he visited recently that will supply enough electricity to power 40,000 homes each year. Kawamura also spoke of the challenges California farmers face today, including invasive pests, failing infrastructure and encroaching development. He encouraged specialty-crop farmers to support their interests in pending federal farm legislation and draw support from other interest groups including sustainable energy and nutrition advocates. This year, flood-control infrastructure was pushed to its limits by heavy spring rains, Kawamura said. With California's crumbling and inadequate infrastructure, farmers may not be so lucky next year. "If we're going to have a 21st century society, we'd better have the infrastructure to fit," Kawamura said.
He encouraged investment in many things, from flood control to education and research, to help farmers meet yet unforeseen challenges. Kawamura also stressed the importance of good nutrition and food security programs such as food stamps and school lunches. These programs are funded under the farm bill and account for $52 billion each year nationwide. In California, such programs are severely under-used - only 47 percent of those eligible for food stamps collect them - but Kawamura says this money could be helping low-income families and farmers at the same time. "Over $3 billion would come into the California economy if we were utilizing food security programs," he said. Kawamura congratulated the Pajaro Valley agricultural community for its continued vitality and willingness to take risks and forge new paths for agriculture. Source: By Emily Saarman, Sentinel Correspondent
Utility executives say it could be costly and unnecessary to meet Gov. Ted Kulongoski's call for them to get 25 percent of their electricity from wind, solar and geothermal sources. Private utilities might have to idle plants powered by coal or natural gas, and public utilities might have to give up some supplies of cheap hydropower, their representatives said Tuesday. In a letter to the Renewable Energy Working Group that the governor named to work on the goal, a coalition of public and private utilities said a renewable energy standard "isn't necessary in Oregon at this time," given efforts under way to expand wind and geothermal power generation.
Kulongoski is standing by the goal he established in January, said spokesman Lonn Hocklin. Utility executives told the working group Tuesday they support Kulongoski's goal. But, said Tom O'Connor, executive director of the Oregon Municipal Electric Utilities Association, "We want to come up with a renewable energy policy that works for Oregon."
Jeremiah Baumann of Oregon State Public Interest Research Group, a member of the working group, said he was shocked that utility executives said they didn't think the "renewable portfolio standard" was necessary. Dave Robertson, a PGE lobbyist, suggested capping the costs utilities and ratepayers would have to incur as they develop renewable energy facilities or creating incentives to make the renewable-energy goals more financially palatable. Hoklin said it wasn't surprising that utilities initially would express doubts, given that their counterparts did the same in the 20 other states that have adopted similar standards. Hoklin said Kulongoski was firmly committed to requirements. "Other states have done it. Oregon can do it, too," Hoklin said. Source: The Register-Guard, 7/12/2006.
As part of its regularly scheduled Business Meeting on June 29, 2006, the California Energy Commission adopted the Emerging Renewables Program Guidebook, Seventh Edition (Publication No. CEC-300-2006-001-ED7F), pursuant to Public Resources Code section 25747, which authorizes the Energy Commission to adopt substantive changes to the Guidebook upon providing ten days written notice. Changes took effect upon adoption. The Guidebook provides general eligibility guidelines, program requirements and funding processes for the Emerging Renewables Program.
Effective July 1, 2006, the California Energy Commission maintains the current rebate level for wind systems at $2.50/watt for the first 7.5 kilowatts of capacity and $1.50/watt for incremental capacity above 7.5 kW and less than 30 kW. There are additional changes and updates providing clarification. The Guidebook is available from the Energy Commission's Web site. Source: Bob Aldrich, California Energy Commission, 7/13/2006.
Bank of America Corp.'s increasing interest in environmental issues is pleasing conservation groups and exerting pressure on peers to make similar efforts. The Charlotte-based bank recently generated widespread publicity by offering a $3,000 rebate to employees in Boston, Charlotte and Los Angeles who buy a hybrid vehicle. The move continues steps positioning BofA as environmentally friendly on issues including global warming and sustainable development.
An equally high-profile effort is BofA's 52-story Manhattan office tower. The building, slated to open in 2008, "is a statute to environmental sustainability and by all accounts a model green building," says Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a coalition of environmental and public interest groups that works with companies. Among its features, the building will have no-flush toilets and a system capturing both rainwater and wastewater, saving 10 million gallons annually. BofA also took the lead earlier this year in backing a controversial regional effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Northeast, Lubber notes.
BofA has been involved in environmental issues for more than 15 years, initially considering potential credit risks, says Kaj Jenson, vice president of public policy. In recent years, the effort has expanded to consider broader corporate governance issues, along with internal bank operations and employee programs, he says. BofA has said it plans to reduce its internal greenhouse gas emissions by 9 percent by 2009. It also has said it will cut the greenhouse-gas impact of its portfolio of energy-related loans and investments by 7 percent by 2008, which Jenson says is unique among banks. BofA now has a 22-member Environmental Council that meets quarterly to consider policies.
Among other giant financial services companies, investment bank Goldman Sachs has perhaps been the most aggressive in environmental issues, including major investments in biomass and wind power technology. Wachovia Corp. started an environmental affairs group 18 months ago and now has a high-level, six-person policy committee chaired by Chief Executive Ken Thompson and a broader group that considers key issues and makes recommendations. The bank's new office tower in Charlotte will likely include many environmentally friendly features. Banks' dabbling in social issues angers some critics, who prefer corporations to focus on profits, not politics. But even critics agree BofA is showing marketing savvy.
BofA and other companies too often respond to pressure from activist groups, rather than sticking to their core business. But BofA and others are making wise business moves that are paying off in a better brand identity and improved retention of clients and employees. The strategy inevitably comes from the top. As BofA leads, many others will follow, Lubber predicts. "These things are now being seen as the appropriate financial moves and not just as some sweet icing on the cake." Source: by David Mildenberg, Special Birmingham Business Journal, 7/7/2006.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture requests proposals for Phase I and Phase II of the Small Business Innovation Research Program. The purpose of SBIR is to provide an opportunity for U.S. small businesses to submit innovative, applied, R&D projects that address important problems facing American agriculture and have the potential to lead to significant public benefit if the research is successful. USDA is particularly interested in projects that focus on Alternative and Renewable Energy, such as R&D on new energy crops, improved methods for producing biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, producing hydrogen and other fuel gases from agricultural waste, and more efficient use of energy in agricultural production and in rural communities. $19.2 million expected to be available, grant range $80K to $350K. Phase I (feasibility studies) proposals due 9/1/06, Phase II (RD&D) due 2/1/07. For more info, contact the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Refer to Sol# USDA-CSREES-SBIR-000100 Source: Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., 7/12/2006.
Tucson Electric Power Inc. and UNS Electric Inc. requests proposals for renewable energy and associated credits through power purchase agreements and/or the ownership of generation assets. Eligible renewable generation technologies include: Solar, biomass/biogas, wind, small hydro (under 5 MW), geothermal, other technologies including distributed energy sources alone or in aggregate. Responses due 9/4/06. For more info, contact Michael Bowling. Source: Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., 7/12/2006.
Renewables in CA
Pacific Gas and Electric Company seeks contracts with generators to increase the level of RPS-eligible renewable generation to 20 percent by 2010. PG&E seeks up to 400 MW of renewable power and is interested in power purchases; power purchases and buyout options; purchases and sale of generating facilities; and purchase of sites. PG&E Corporation, serves approximately 15 million people throughout northern and central California. Responses due 9/8/06. For more info, contact PG&E. Source: Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., 7/12/2006.
Renewables in NV & CA
Sierra Pacific Power Company seeks to purchase up to 25 MW of capacity and/or energy from a qualifying facility. Sierra Pacific provides electricity to more than 1 million customers throughout NV and northeastern CA. Responses due 7/25/06. For more info, contact Ron Helbling. Source: Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., 7/12/2006.
Renewables in OR
PacifiCorp seeks to purchase tradable renewable credits, also known as Green Tags, for two Oregon renewable power options. Renewables include electricity generation facilities fueled by wind, waste, solar or geothermal power or by low-emission non-toxic biomass based on solid organic fuels from wood, forest, and field residues; dedicated energy crops available on a renewable basis; landfill gas and digester gas and hydroelectric facilities. Responses due 7/28/06. For more info, contact PacifiCorp. Refer to Sol# Oregon SB1149 RFP). Source: Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., 7/12/2006.
Renewable Energy in HI
Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative requests proposals for small, distributed renewable energy sources. The intent of this RFP is to allow KIUC to continue promoting the installation and development of renewable energy on Kaua`i and to offer KIUC’s consumers a choice in their electrical supply options. KIUC is the exclusive retail electric service provider for Hawai`i’s fourth largest island. Proposals due 7/31/06. For more info, contact Wanda Kabutan. Refer to Sol# R&LA2006-01. Source: Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., 7/12/2006.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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