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Last October, the Corvallis City Council passed a resolution encouraging residents to switch to “green power” by Earth Day, April 22. The Renewable Energy Challenge called for the city to increase the purchase of renewable energy by bringing the rate up from 9.5 percent of customers purchasing renewable energy to 15 percent. That challenge was met and on Monday, the governor, U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley and the City Council will celebrate Corvallis becoming the first city on the West Coast to achieve the “Green Power Community” designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Corvallis is the third city in the nation to become a “Green Power Community.” Boulder, Colo., and Moab, Utah, are the other two cities.
Although many Oregon communities are also supporting green power, including Hood River, Lake Oswego, Bend and Portland, Corvallis has the highest number of residential and commercial customers in the state participating in the optional renewable energy program. Corvallis partnered with the Renewable Energy Northwest Project, PacifiCorp, and Consumers Power in the renewable energy challenge. Since adopting “sustainability” as one of its two-year goals in 2005, the City Council has promoted and pursued efforts that sustain economic growth and enhance livability without destroying or depleting natural resources — efforts such as the Renewable Energy Challenge. Not only did the council encourage residents to pay the $1.95 per block to purchase wind energy, but also the council approved the city purchasing renewable energy blocks through the Blue Sky program.
PacifiCorp, which does business in Oregon as Pacific Power, had more than 43,000 customers in six states enrolled in the renewable power program at the end of February, an increase from 36,125 customers in 2004. Oregon accounts for nearly half that number, with 21,405 signups, or about 4 percent of Pacific Power customers here.
The company’s renewable sales volume in 2005 was 234 million kilowatt hours, compared to 192 million in 2004, a 21 percent increase. In addition to the Blue Sky program, Pacific Power customers can select a Blue Sky Usage package where they receive their equivalent energy usage from renewable resources or Blue Sky Habitat, where customers purchase renewable energy, plus make a $2.50 monthly donation to the Nature Conservancy of Oregon to preserve native fish habitat. PacifiCorp also encourages the development of wind farms. Source: By Rebecca Barrett, Corvallis Gazette-Times, 4/29/2006.
Polaris Geothermal Inc., a developer of geothermal power projects, is pleased to announce that its Nicaraguan subsidiary, Polaris Energy Nicaragua S.A., is now registered to sell its carbon credits produced from its San Jacinto-Tizate geothermal project. According to Marina Stadthagen, Director of the Clean Development Office of the Nicaraguan Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, PENSA is the only power company in Nicaragua currently registered and officially authorized to sell carbon credits. The registration process took about one year and involved significant investment and effort. Adriana Romero, PENSA's Director of Public Relations, stated that "for the first year of production, which concludes at the end of June 2006, over 20,000 tonnes of carbon credits will be produced. Eventually, when the company generates 66 MW annually, it will sell approximately 340,000 tons of carbon credits".
The carbon credits generated by Polaris Geothermal will be traded in the global market through EcoSecurities Ltd., one of the world's leading companies in the field of carbon credits, who will be responsible for purchasing and selling the credits. Polaris Geothermal's San Jacinto-Tizate geothermal power project is the 157th project in the world to qualify and be registered to sell carbon credits and ranks as the 16th largest to be so registered.
The concept of carbon credits came about during the early 1990's as part of the Kyoto Protocol. In order to comply with the Kyoto Protocol, clean development mechanism projects in developing countries, which capture or cut down these gases, are being granted credits, currently being sold for up to US$20 per tonne depending on the terms and conditions of delivery. Polluting companies, governments and other agencies are able to buy these credits from the companies such as PENSA that qualify as CDM projects and in this manner are able to meet their quota to for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Source: John Clark, Polaris Geothermal Inc.
Sprint Nextel Corp. and Kansas City Power & Light Co. today said they signed a contract in which Sprint will use a significant portion of the electricity generated by the utility’s Spearville Wind Energy Facility. The electricity Sprint will purchase represents more than 75 percent of the average power consumed at the company’s operational headquarters in Overland Park, the companies said in a news release. Sprint’s executive headquarters is in Reston, Va.
The 100.5-megawatt wind facility near Spearville, Kan., northeast of Dodge City, is scheduled to be in service by Oct. 1. The $160 million wind farm will be built by Enxco Inc. and is the first project in KCP&L’s plans to meet increased demand for power— plans that include a new coal-fired power plant near Weston, Mo. The Spearville Wind Energy Facility will consist of 67 General Electric turbines spread out over 5,000 acres. The site is expected to have wind sufficient to power the turbines about half the time and provide electricity for 33,000 homes. Only North Dakota and Texas are considered to have more potential in generating wind power than Kansas. Utilizing wind as an operational power source for Sprint’s Overland Park campus is expected to prevent more than 175 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually, KCP&L said in a news release. The Kansas City Star, 4/28/2006.
Members of the new student group Clean Energy Now plan to present a letter to President Barry Mills and Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer Katy Longley today urging Bowdoin College to purchase 100 percent of its electricity from clean, renewable sources of energy. Such electricity is produced by wind power, hydropower, or biomass, and not by fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases. As of press time, the group had also gathered over 430 signatures for a petition and it plans to soon begin a faculty and staff letter drive. The 13 students from the new group who signed the letter—many of whom have been active with Sustainable Bowdoin and the Evergreens—wrote, "There is no better opportunity to fulfill...our commitment to the common good than through the purchase of renewable energy for the campus." "We ask that the College commit to a purchase of 100 percent renewable energy in its coming contract, which will demonstrate its continuing commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility," they continued.
Ben Smith '06, a member of Clean Energy Now, said there are several ways the College can achieve the use of electricity from exclusively renewable sources of energy, one of them being buying renewable energy credits. The College could also simply switch to an entirely green source of energy for its electricity. "It doesn't matter to us how they do it," he said, as long as they achieve 100 percent renewable-energy electricity use. When contacted by the Orient, Longley said she wanted to see the letter and petition before responding to the group's drive. She did not respond to questions regarding the amount of clean-energy electricity the College currently uses, when its next electricity purchase would be, the potential financial costs of buying 100 percent of the College's electricity from renewable sources, and her views on the feasibility of the plan. "I think we have taken many steps to be more environmentally responsible with our energy purchases and energy use at Bowdoin. But there is more to do," she said.
The College uses oil and gas to heat much of the campus during the winter, and most of its vehicle fleet is gas-powered, though the student plan does not take issue with either of these aspects of Bowdoin's total energy use. The College has also signed Governor John Baldacci's "Carbon Challenge" this year—a voluntary program dedicated to significantly cutting carbon emissions by 2010. In a college press release in January, Longley was quoted using very similar language to that which is planned to appear in the letter to her today.
The students cited as inspirations environmental writer Bill McKibben and New York Times science writer Andrew Revkin, both of whom have spoken on campus recently, as well as articles by New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman that have "emphasized the responsibility of institutions of higher learning to serve as leaders in the fight against global warming, as they did during the struggle for civil rights in the 1960s," said the group in the letter. Members of the group also said they were particularly inspired after attending the Northeast Climate Conference earlier this month at Yale University. The letter said that Colby, Bates, and the College of the Atlantic have all committed to purchasing 100 percent renewable energy electricity.
Kirklin said last year a student group with similar aspirations was unsuccessful in its drive. Associate Professor of Government and Asian Studies Henry Laurence commended the students of Clean Energy Now for their efforts. "I think it's an excellent idea, and I applaud heartily the students for taking the initiative. There's a lot of empty rhetoric about breaking the nation's addiction to oil, but this is a very positive and practical step for the college to take to help tackle a serious issue," he said. Zachary Linhart '07, a member of the College Republicans, was not as quick to jump on board. He said he likes the concept of Bowdoin buying the cleanest energy, but that such a step should not get in the way of top priorities like providing good housing for students. "I think clean energy is a great idea, but we're paying a lot to go here so it may not be worth the money if it [adds pressure to] raise tuition," he said. Source: By Evan S. Kohn, Orient Staff, 4/28/2006.
Ford Motor Co. has announced plans to team with a company called TerraPass to offer Ford vehicle owners the opportunity to offset the climate impact of their driving through the support of projects, such as wind projects, that can offset their greenhouse gas emissions. Ford said that money received will go to the Ainsworth Wind Facility in Nebraska and the Haubenschild dairy farm, near Princeton, Minn. Through the “Greener Miles” program, drivers can calculate the amount of CO 2 emissions they generate in one year of driving. Customers then have the opportunity to purchase an offset that supports the production of renewable clean energy from wind or dairy farm methane. As part of his remarks last September, Ford Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William Clay Ford, Jr., pledged a two-pronged approach to take on the challenge of offsetting carbon dioxide emissions: committing to corporate action, and a pilot program to offset the greenhouse gasses emitted in the manufacture of hybrid electric vehicles with investments in projects, such as renewable clean energy production that reduce emissions elsewhere. Customers receive a vehicle decal as a visual symbol of their participation in the Greener Miles program. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly, 4/28/2006.
Clark Public Utilities is partnering with Burgerville to encourage energy conservation at this year's Home & Garden Idea Fair. Fair visitors who sign up for the utility's Green Lights program will receive a coupon for a free milkshake from any Burgerville restaurant. The partnership results from a contract between Burgerville's parent company, The Holland Inc., and area utility providers. In 2005, the company agreed to pay more for all off its electricity in order to fund Northwest renewable energy sources. This agreement marks the largest commitment to sustainable energy among restaurant chains in the nation. Burgerville's decision to purchase renewable energy stems from a long-standing commitment to sustainability in the Northwest. The energy agreement is an extension of that commitment that the company believes can positively affect the local community. "This is the responsible thing to do," said Jack Graves, The Holland Inc.'s Chief Cultural Officer. "It's really a way of having a positive impact on the community. Maybe by doing this we can make a difference in Clark County, and then Clark County can make a difference in the state of Washington, and Washington can make a difference in the whole USA. In order for our business to thrive and be sustained, we must have sustainable communities in which to operate. We really have no choice".
Burgerville joins companies such as Columbia Credit Union, Hewlett Packard, Wild Oats, Shell Solar Industries, Sharp Microelectronics Technologies and Frito Lay in participating in Green Lights, a program allowing customers to contribute funding to the development of sustainable power sources. Since its inception in 2002, Green Lights has generated more than $160,000 and funded three sustainable energy projects in Clark County.
Utility employees hope Burgerville's participation in Green Lights will motivate other utility customers to support sustainable energy practices. The restaurant chain's involvement in the program has already inspired other businesses to sign up for Green Lights, prompting utility officials to increase the number of green energy units available to customers. "Because of Burgerville, we're actually increasing our annual purchase of renewable 'green tags' for the utility, which is really important to us and to them," said Michelle Missfeldt, Key Accounts Manager for Clark Public Utilities. More than 500 customers are currently signed up for Green Lights. If you're interested in participating, check out the Green Lights booth at the Home & Garden Idea Fair, or visit the utility's webpage for a full description of the program. Source: The Columbian, 4/27/2006
The City of Brockton will build New England's largest solar array at a remediated 27-acre brownfield off Grove Street. The 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array — or "brightfield" — will be installed in an urban park setting with interpretive displays. The brightfield could include as many as 6,720 solar panels connected in strings that span the site. The brightfield will grow incrementally to 1 MW. The Monthly average residential consumption of electricity in the United States in was 866 kilowatt hours. (Source: US DOE)
Brockton Mayor James E. Harrington signed the contract with Global Solar Energy for the company to take the lead on the project. Brockton's brightfield provides a number of unique benefits:
With oil prices hitting near-record highs and hybrid cars speeding out of showrooms, this should be a perfect moment for home solar energy. But people looking to go green in the wake of last weekend's Earth Day are running into a kink in the system: shortages of the solar panels that provide homes with electricity. It's a discomfiting problem for the solar-energy business, which usually gets a bump when there's a spike in oil prices.
David Smith, president of installation company SunWorks Solar in Jacksonville, Fla., says his residential clients are facing a three-month wait for the panels. In North Hollywood, Calif., customers of GO Solar, which installs solar systems, also have a three-month wait. The problem is a run on polysilicon, the efficient material used for the solar panels typically installed on roofs. In the past, polysilicon was used mainly by the semiconductor industry, but a rise in home solar-energy systems has home owners competing for the material. This year, about 50 percent of polysilicon will go to the solar-energy industry, according to Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Shortages are pushing up the cost of the panels. Barry Cinnamon, chief executive of installation company Akeena Solar in Los Gatos, Calif., says that a 16-panel system that sold for about $22,000 in 2004 now costs about $25,500. Still, he says, "solar power systems produce electricity for less than the utilities can deliver it." By Roberta Bernstein, 4/29/2006.
An Irish company wants to erect about 20 wind towers in Saratoga County, the first such power project to be proposed within the immediate Capital Region. Airtricity Inc. wants to build the 40-megawatt project on private land near Lake Desolation, in the town of Greenfield, north of Saratoga Springs. But first the company needs approval from the town to erect two 198-foot test towers this summer to measure wind directions and speeds. The company hopes to gather a year's worth of data before starting the permitting and environmental reviews, said Declan Flanagan, Airtricity general manager for North America. If it likes what it sees, and it gets the necessary approvals, Flanagan said the company could build the roughly $60 million project in 2008.
"New York may not be the windiest state — it's not as windy as Midwestern states," Flanagan said. "'But given the price of natural gas in New York, wind power is very competitive." Town Supervisor Al Janik and other town officials were scheduled to be at a public hearing on the proposed project in the town community center Wednesday night. Wind power has the potential to deliver reliable electricity without any air pollution. The 40-megawatt system Airtricity proposes could power about 40,000 homes. The state already has 246.1 megawatts of wind power online, and another 33 about to be added, said Colleen Ryan, a spokeswoman with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
But towers are not without detractors. Reunion Power LLC wants to install 10 turbines along Pete Gay and Gore mountains, near the Gore Mountain ski resort, in Warren County, but has run into criticism in part over the potential impact the nearly 400-foot-tall towers would have on views and migrating birds. But Flanagan said the company has heard and addressed concerns in projects in Ireland, Scotland and elsewhere in the U.S.
Dublin-based Airtricity is already supplying about 45,000 customers in Ireland with green power and is working on developing more in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States. It has permits in hand for a 40-megawatt project in Madison County. And it erected test towers in the fall in Steuben County for a possible project there. The company is building two projects in Texas and has others in development in Texas, Colorado and Pennsylvania. Source: By Kevin Harlin, Business writer
You've heard environmentalists and politicians (California Treasurer Phil Angelides, for example) argue that investing in green technologies is good for everyone: The earth stays green, and if green companies stay on the cutting edge, they can sell the technology elsewhere, and growth will boost jobs. Turns out, that argument may not be such a stretch. Powerlight, of Berkeley, CA, a large venture-backed solar installer, is the latest to show how it is done. It has just won a contract to help build the world's largest solar photovoltaic power project: a 11-megawatt solar power plant in Serpa, Portugal.
Powerlight won't tell us what portion of the $75 million transaction they pick up (they are in a consortium with GE and others) but the company's engineers figure out the best configurations for the solar project at hand, and so play a key role. Powerlight has been hiring engineers and project managers in Berkeley to keep up with all the work. The company has been growing at a 70 percent clip for the past few few years, has well north of $100M in revenue, and will see similar growth this year, Powerlight Executive Vice President Howard Wenger tells us. They've hired 50 people in the last 12 months, for a total of 140.
Here is the list of the largest installations in the world, and you'll see that this latest Portugal is the biggest by a comfortable margin. Powerlight recently installed the panels at Silicon Valley's largest facility, Microsoft's campus, which we wrote about here. The company scored $3 million last year from San Francisco's Bay Area Equity Fund, which is managed by J.P. Morgan. The company says it is profitable. Source: By Matt Marshall, 4/28/2006.
Caribbean Utilities Company will explore harnessing the geothermal power of the ocean in a prototype programme that is the first of its kind in the Caribbean. The project was outlined at the monthly Cayman Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at the Wharf Restaurant in George Town Wednesday.
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, or OTEC, harnesses the energy generated from turbines powered by the temperature difference between the Carribean Sea’s warm surface layers and the cold water at its bottom depths. The deep waters around Cayman provide an ideal environment for the project. “This isn’t really new, we signed a [memorandum of understanding] with Sea Solar Power several years ago,” said Richard Hew, CUC’s president and CEO. However, Mr. Hew said Sea Solar Power’s technology had progressed, making the project closer to reality. The OTEC system not only produces energy from the condensation and vaporization process involved, but also large quantities of fresh potable water, making it an even more attractive system for the Cayman Islands. The prototype plant will likely be in place within two years. It will be the first such plant in the Caribbean.
Another plant is located in Hawaii, but it only had limited success. It is hoped the Cayman plant, with its ideal location, will be even more successful. If it is successful here, OTEC will produce a steady stream of electricity. On very calm days, wind generators would not generate, and solar generators do not generate at night or on very cloudy days. OTEC generates electricity continually. Mr. Hew emphasised the project had a way to go before it was reality, but it was worth the effort. “Our position is, if this is going to work, we want it here first,” he said.
During the luncheon, Mr. Hew, CUC Customer Service Manager Joey Ebanks, and Edison Electric Institute Media Relations Director Jim Owen also discussed current energy and electricity issues affecting the Cayman Islands during the luncheon. Mr. Hew said the current challenges faced by the CUC in light of rising oil prices which are not anticipated to cease their upward trend. The costs of materials needed for improving Cayman Islands energy infrastructure are also expected to keep rising. “We have even been able to keep costs down during periods of high inflation,” he added. “Electricity costs have not been rising nearly as quickly as the Cayman Islands’ cost of living.”
Efficiency is playing a significant role in the CUC’s ability to meet demand in the Cayman Islands. There has been efficiency improvement on the transmission and distribution side, Mr. Hew said. “We have been able to achieve a six per cent improvement in our generation efficiency – in converting diesel into electricity,” he said. “That may not sound like much, but it’s a significant reduction considering that we use approximately 70,000 imperial gallons of diesel fuel to power our generators every day.”
Furthermore, CUC is now employing high efficiency distribution transformers. Meeting demand and cutting electricity bills, however, is now not only up to the CUC, but to consumers. “We encourage Caymanians to employ what is known as the Energy Efficient Envelope in their homes,” Mr. Ebanks said.
Fuel diversity and the options for energy alternatives in the Cayman Islands are limited at present, but all speakers expressed hope that by working together with consumers and with international partners, CUC will continue to successfully meet the energy needs of the Cayman Islands. Source: By Basia Pioro, 4/27/2006.
The April 2006 issue of the Geothermal-biz.com Newsletter is now available. Source: Liz Battocletti, 4/28/2006.
Evolution Markets announced the results of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's auction of Massachusetts-eligible renewable energy certificates. The MTC sold 3,621 Massachusetts "New" Renewable Certificates generated in the third and fourth quarters of 2005 for an average price of $53.10. Source: Evolution Markets, 4/28/2006
The latest issue of the American Wind Energy Association Windletter is now available. Source: AWEA, 4/28/2006
In a delicate but critical balance, Western Area Power Administration works hard to maintain its relationships with the Indian tribes on whose lands we operate. Western's Natural Resources staff provide employees with advice, procedures and resources. They are experts on the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act and the Archeological Resources Protection Act and they are thoroughly trained and experienced in consulting with tribes.
"First, we must determine what the tribes' interests are," said Western Archeologist Mary Barger. "What solutions to problems do they propose?" For example, Western's Natural Resources staff are working with the Colorado River Indian tribes in planning a construction project to replace about 18 structures on the Parker-Blythe No. 1 transmission line in the Desert Southwest Region. A segment of this line runs through the site of the ancient Blythe intaglios, giant ground drawings on the desert mesa, about 15 miles north of Blythe, Calif.
Both Western and the tribes want to see the most effective solution to the problem of out-dated structures with a minimum of damage to the site. They are comparing the proposed re-route with activities associated with maintaining the transmission line in its current location. Barger met with tribal elders and discussions continue about whether to replace the poles or re-route the segment. The tribes are expected to make a decision during their May 5 Tribal Council meeting.
Because of the historic relationship between the Federal government and Indian tribes, trust must be earned over time. Western staff can earn trust by educating themselves about how tribal governments operate, demonstrating respect for tribal values, having a proactive interest in tribal welfare and following through on commitments. Western representatives who work with tribes are well-trained in how to build and maintain effective government-to-government relationships with tribes to uphold DOE's commitment to ensuring that Indian tribes play an integral role in U.S. energy policy. Whether negotiating on power marketing issues or construction projects with environmental impacts, Western staff integrates knowledge, sensitivity and respect into those interactions. Source: WAPA Closed Circuit, by Deborah Wiig, 4/28/2006.
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards Proceeding DOCUMENTS PAGE – Transcript April 17, 2006.
Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell recently unveiled a model ordinance to assist local governments in deciding how to direct the location and development of wind turbines within municipal borders. According to Rendell, the ordinance, which was developed by state and local governments in collaboration with the private sector, is designed as a template that local governments can adjust to their specific needs. Issues addressed in the ordinance include visual appearance of wind turbines and related infrastructure, sound levels, shadow flicker, minimum property setbacks, interference with communications devices, protection of public roads, liability insurance, decommissioning and dispute resolution. Contact: Kate Philips, Office of Governor Rendell, phone 717-783-1116. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 4/24/2006.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission today approved OG&E Electric Services' request to construct a 120- megawatt wind farm in northwestern Oklahoma. Approved in a 3-0 vote by the Commission, OG&E's Centennial Wind Energy Project is expected to begin production of electric power by year-end.
"We applaud the Commission for taking this important step to increase our state's supply of renewable energy and further diversify our generating portfolio," said Steven E. Moore, chairman, president and CEO of OGE Energy Corp., parent company of OG&E.
The new Centennial Wind Farm, estimated to cost about $200 million, will be built for OG&E in Harper County by Invenergy Wind LLC. Centennial will be one of only a few wind farms in the United States owned and operated by a utility. The electric output will be dedicated exclusively to OG&E's customers for the life of the facility.
In the past, utilities purchased wind energy through long-term contracts with third-party developers who own and operate the facilities. Such is the case with OG&E's existing 50-megawatt power project near Woodward. That program started in 2003 with OG&E offering customers wind energy through a subscription-based program, which was closed to new subscribers in October 2005 when it sold out.
OG&E reviewed the market for purchasing wind energy and determined that owning and operating the new wind farm would be a more cost-effective solution for OG&E's customers. The Oklahoma Commission agreed, and gave OG&E the go-ahead to install the 80 turbines capable of generating 1.5 megawatts each. OG&E is a regulated electric utility with approximately 749,000 customers in a service area spanning 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas. OGE Energy also is the parent company of Enogex Inc., a natural gas pipeline business with principal operations in Oklahoma. Source: OGE Energy Corp., 4/28/2006.
Hoping to make California a world leader in solar power, state energy regulators approved $2.9 billion in rebates over the next decade to encourage people to install solar panels on their roofs. The state Public Utility Commission voted 3-1 to adopt the California Solar Initiative, which will provide the money in consumer rebates between 2007 and 2016. Last month, the five-member PUC approved $300 million in rebates for 2006.
The initiative's goal is to install 3,000 megawatts of solar capacity – equivalent to six large power plants – on 1 million homes, businesses and public buildings by 2017. California currently has about 100 megawatts of capacity from rooftop panels on 15,000 homes and businesses, with solar making up only 0.3 percent of the state's electricity supply, according to Environment California. Solar advocates said the total $3.2 billion program will make solar energy more affordable, create jobs, reduce air pollution and cut emissions of heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming. The initiative incorporates many of the same provisions as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "million solar roofs" plan, which had bipartisan support but died in the Legislature last year due to disputes over its labor provisions.
The initiative includes $2.5 billion in rebates for existing homes, businesses and public buildings that install solar panels. Another $350 million in rebates will be offered for solar installations on new homes. About 10 percent of the rebates will be set aside for installations on low-income or affordable housing projects. Utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric Co. will not be eligible for rebates. The rebate amount will decrease about 10 percent annually over 11 years, but the smaller rebate amounts are expected to be offset by falling solar costs as more people install rooftop panels. Home or business owners who install panels this year will be eligible for a $2.80 rebate for each watt of capacity installed. So a homeowner who installs a typical 2,500-watt system costing $20,000 would receive a $7,000 rebate. The rebate drops to 25 cents per watt by 2016.
The rebates will be funded by a surcharge to residential and commercial gas and electricity customers, based on how much they use. Most residential customers will pay about $12 a year, but they won't see much impact on their monthly bills because a separate surcharge is set to expire next year, according to the PUC.
Critics questioned whether ratepayers should subsidize the most expensive form of renewable energy, and whether the program would drive down the costs of solar energy as backers claim. Solar advocates expect the massive state investment will lead to more solar energy ventures and increased business for existing companies. Source: The Chief Engineer, 5-2-2006.
Not so long ago, the ice turned a cloudy white every winter on Tomahawk Pond in Westport. Despite the deep cold, it never felt lifeless. Instead, it teemed with mitten-clad, red-cheeked kids on ice skates, cutting fast turns or wobbly strides. Regardless of their ability, they were confident that the ice was strong enough to support them – and they'd never fall through. Tomahawk Pond always, always froze in the winter when I was a kid," John Sych, an environmentalist who sells solar heating systems for Sunlight Solar Energy Inc. in Milford, says, gesturing toward the pond near his house. "The ice was so solid you could skate from Tomahawk Pond to Sasco Creek and out to Interstate 95," Sych says.
As the crow flies, it's about half a mile. Those winters that Sych recalls skating on Tomahawk Pond were in the 1960s. It rarely freezes now, and when it does, Sych says, it's a thin, crusty ice. Anyone venturing on it would crash through long before they reached another tributary. "I never see kids skating on Tomahawk Pond now," Sych says. "It's just not cold enough anymore. I think what I see happening is the result of global warming."
A stone's throw from Sych's boyhood ice-skating venue stands the house where he now lives. It's a Dutch colonial that his grandfather, Kostanty Sycz, built a century ago, using stones and rock that he hauled from a local quarry in a horse-drawn wagon. From the street, Sych's home looks like a sprawling contemporary colonial with columns and eye-catching architectural details. Inside, the house has an open, inviting design, energy-efficient low wattage recessed lighting, heat-retaining foam insulation that also provides sound-proofing and, up in the attic, two inverter boxes, about the size of a thermostat that display how much energy the 30 solar panels on the roof are absorbing. From the road, it's impossible to see the solar panels mounted flat on the roof. Sych and his wife, Cathie, obtained the maximum rebate that federal law allows – $25,000 – to install the 30 panels. The Sychs sell the energy they don't use back to local power companies as clean energy. The solar panels don't provide all of their energy needs, they still have some utility bills, but the Sychs say they are "very, very low," between $45 and $90 a month for a house in excess of 5,000 square feet.
The two meters show that the Sychs have saved 15,136 pounds of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the atmosphere. Fifteen-thousand-plus pounds of greenhouse gases might sound like a weighty figure, but compared to the state's 2010 goal of reducing such heat-trapping gases by 6.33 tons, it's piddly. Yet, if there were more Sychs among Connecticut's 1.3 million households "thinking green" and making their homes more energy efficient who generated their own solar, wind-power, Connecticut might save 6.33 tons of greenhouse gases from being emitted even sooner.
Picture 1.1 million cars not being driven for an entire year. Or try to envision 593.1 million gallons of gas lined up side-by-side. Consider the warehouse space needed to store 137.6 million propane tanks. To picture cutting pollution by that much, imagine 4.3 million acres of pine or fir forest, absorbing carbon dioxide and other pollutants like a sponge. Many scientists, environmentalists and researchers agree that the impact of global warming, even on a state as compact as Connecticut, may be profound.
A recent insurance industry presentation to state officials in Hartford forecast that property loss along Connecticut's coastline and in flood-prone inland areas within the next century is at least $40 billion dollars.
Both local and state government, as well as community activists, are coming up with novel ways to address global warming. For instance, New Haven residents who drive hybrid cars now enjoy free parking in the Elm City, where legal spots often are scarce. Ninety-six New Haven residents who drive hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles signed up for decals between last April and now. New Haven's traffic lights are low-diode, energy-efficient lights, saving the city about $4 million a year, while reducing demand for electricity generated at the state's power plants. By installing energy-monitoring devices at government buildings and schools, New Haven saved another $1.3 million. The savings have allowed New Haven to keep 72 million pounds of greenhouse gases from polluting its air.
"Our goal by 2010 is to reduce our carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions by another 180 million pounds," Mayor John DeStefano's Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Smuts says. "By 2010, our intention is to get 20 percent of our energy from clean, renewable sources like solar power."
Many of New Haven's public schools have solar panels, which help the city generate its own "clean" energy. The city also has a project on its drawing boards for a windmill at the harbor, which would generate more electricity than a solar panel.
In downtown Stamford, the city installed 165 new decorative induction lamps that Stamford's Energy Utility Technician Nancy Domiziano, says will last about 14 years, about three times longer than conventional lighting. "They are highly energy efficient and the EPA estimates that we will save 60-to-72-percent of what we're paying now," Domiziano says.
Overhauls to Fairfield's sewage-treatment plant and a new composting facility are helping the town cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 12,000 tons, which is sizeable when one considers that altogether Fairfield's government buildings and schools emit 20,000 tons of greenhouse gases.
Back in Westport, the 15,136 pounds of greenhouse gases that the Sychs keep from spewing into the air are the equivalent of 782 gallons of gas or 16 barrels of oil, 286 propane tanks used for home barbecues, or one and a half cars not being driven for a year. Another way to look at the greenhouse gas savings the Sychs have accomplished in the year they've had their solar panels – according to the U.S. Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway – is that it's like planting 176 tree seedlings or 5.72 acres of fir forests. When a reporter told Sych about these savings, even he was impressed. "Wow, that's incredible. I know what we are doing is good for the environment," Sych says, from his home-office. "I had no idea that what we were doing was that good." Source: Marian Gail Brown, 4/30/2006
Construction continues on a new coal-burning power plant in Pueblo that is expected to cost $1.4 billion and come online in 2010. It will generate 750 megawatts of electricity, two-thirds owned by Xcel. Intermountain Rural Electric and Holy Cross Electric will own the rest. A new coal-burning electricity plant is under construction in Pueblo. To the north, in Frederick, work is under way on another electricity plant, this one fired by natural gas. Solar and wind farms are cropping up in Lamar, Peetz, Grover and the San Luis Valley.
An unprecedented billion-dollar Colorado energy construction boom will add 1,886 megawatts of power through 2012 – barely enough electricity to serve the state's burgeoning population. The good news is, Xcel Energy's customer base is growing, and the cost will be spread out among more homes over the next few years. The utility recently came under fire for not having enough power on Feb. 18, one of the coldest days this winter, and that led to rolling outages in many areas. State regulators are investigating the occurrence, although Xcel has blamed failed power plant units, distribution glitches, natural gas supply constraints and extreme weather conditions.
Xcel also plans to diversify its fuel sources to reduce its exposure to the volatile natural gas market. In the past four years, natural gas prices have more than doubled in the wholesale market because of supply crunches – forcing utilities to increase the electricity rates paid by customers. By 2012, Xcel plans to cut its natural gas-based generation nearly in half, from 30 percent to 17 percent of total power generation. During the same time, it will triple its wind-based generation to 9 percent from 3 percent and hike its coal-based electricity to 73 percent from the current 66 percent of total generation.
Once every four years, Xcel submits a resource plan to the state Public Utilities Commission. In that plan, Xcel forecasts the increase in demand for electricity during the next few years and how it intends to meet that demand. The forecast is based on several factors: the growth of homes and businesses in its service area, the increase in the use of electrical appliances such as air conditioners and the effect of energy-saving programs. For this summer, Xcel predicts demand will peak at 6,550 megawatts – about 100 megawatts lower than last summer's peak on July 19. One megawatt serves the electricity needs of 1,000 households. Xcel made the lower forecast because it will lose a wholesale customer. Even if actual demand exceeds the forecast, Xcel could dip into a reserve of another 1,048 megawatts.
Looking ahead, Xcel estimates it will need a total capacity of 7,843 megawatts in 2012, 245 megawatts more than this year. That long-term forecast assumes Xcel customers will save more than 500 megawatts over the next six years through energy-saving programs. Between now and 2012, Xcel will lose about 1,300 megawatts of generation because many of its supply contracts will expire. Currently, Xcel buys 3,372 megawatts, or nearly half of its total generation, in long-term contracts from private power producers. It also won't have 212 megawatts in short-term contracts that it is counting on this year. Including the demand growth and supply loss, Xcel figures it will need to add 1,816 megawatts by 2012. To plug that shortfall, Xcel has projects in the works that will generate 1,886 megawatts by 2012 — a mere 70 megawatts more than the predicted demand.
The new projects include a $1.4 billion coal-fired plant under construction in Pueblo that will go online in 2010. The plant will generate 750 megawatts of electricity, two-thirds owned by Xcel. The rest will be owned by Intermountain Rural Electric and Holy Cross Electric. Xcel will contract out smaller projects, including one natural gas-fired plant and four wind farms, to private producers.
When the Pueblo plant comes online in 2010, Xcel's power generation that year will exceed demand by 419 megawatts. But by 2012, that surplus likely will be narrowed to 70 megawatts. Xcel could sell the excess power to other utilities and share the profit with customers.
Xcel is being criticized for investing a lot of money on large, costly projects such as the Pueblo plant that take a long time to become operational and might not be needed in the future. "There is always uncertainty about load growth in the future because we don't know if we are going into a recession," said Howard Geller, the executive director of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project who frequently intervenes in Xcel's regulatory cases. "It is better to concentrate on smaller-scale, less costly resources like renewables or energy-efficiency programs that can be added as you need them," Geller said.
By 2012, Xcel will draw nearly three-fourths of its total electricity from coal and the rest from a mix of natural gas, wind, solar and hydroelectric power. Xcel argues that coal is a stable fuel, given that the West has enough coal deposits to supply the nation for a few hundred years. For Xcel, the use of natural gas will be cut in half and will account for only 17 percent of total generation by 2012. With that in mind, Xcel has hired only one private producer to build a new natural gas-fired plant in the next couple of years.
The 269-megawatt plant in Frederick will be owned and operated by Chicago-based Invenergy Wind LLC. Xcel will deliver natural gas to the plant and buy electricity from it in long-term supply contracts. The plant will have the option of running on fuel oil in case there's a blip in natural gas supply, said Doug Carter, Invenergy's vice president of development. Xcel also will renew supply contracts with other producers totaling 964 megawatts. Most of that generation will be from natural gas. The utility plans to add 775 megawatts in wind power from four different farms. Of that, only 78 megawatts will be counted as firm generation since wind is inconsistent. Three of the farms will be built in Peetz, Lamar and Grover; the fourth has yet to be finalized. In six years, wind capacity will triple to 9 percent of generation.
In order to comply with Amendment 37, which voters passed in November 2004, Xcel is planning an 8-megawatt solar project in the San Luis Valley. The utility encourages a matching generation from customers by offering rebates for solar panel installations at homes and businesses. The amendment directs Colorado's top seven utilities to obtain a portion of their electricity from the sun, wind, and plant and animal waste. Utilities would have to get 3 percent of their electricity from renewable sources in 2007 and up to 10 percent by 2015, including at least 4 percent from solar. That means Xcel is mandated to sell 18 megawatts of solar energy by the end of 2007, half of which must come from customer homes or businesses. Xcel already is in compliance on wind generation.
Environmental activists are pushing Xcel to build a clean coal plant using gasification technology. House Bill 1281, which gives Xcel $3 million each year for three years to study the feasibility of coal gasification in Colorado, has passed both the House and Senate, and Gov. Bill Owens is expected to sign it this legislative session. Source: By Gargi Chakrabarty, Rocky Mountain News, 4/29/2006
The Australian company buying NorthWestern Corporation is one of the world's biggest players in wind farms —and officials hope that will translate to greater renewable energy opportunities in the region. Sioux Falls-based NorthWestern announced this week that it has agreed to be acquired by Babcock and Brown Infrastructure in a cash deal worth two-point-two (b) billion dollars. The chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission — Bob Sahr — says Babcock and Brown officials indicated they were intrigued by the region's wind power potential, which is among the best in the world. A company spokesman says there are no existing plans to build wind farms across South Dakota, but such opportunities would be considered. Source: Associated Press, 5/2/2006.
Wind power supporters here and in Grand Forks plan to circulate petitions for local ballot measures that would require the use of renewable energy. The South Agassiz Resource Council is backing a proposal for Fargo's November ballot that would change the city charter to require that 20 percent or more of the city's electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. The percentage would jump to at least 30 percent by 2030, under the measure. At least half the energy would have to be produced in North Dakota. In Grand Forks, a similar measure is backed by a group called Citizens for Affordable Renewable Energy. "This is all about consumers exercising a little choice in what we are buying,'' said Joe Richardson, a member of the South Agassiz Resource Council, which has about 50 members in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Development of wind energy across North Dakota also would boost the area's economy, Richardson said Power companies typically lease land for wind towers, paying as much as $5,000 a year per turbine, he said.
Richardson said his group estimates it needs about 3,000 signatures to put the Fargo measure on the ballot. Its goal is 3,600 signatures by Aug. 1. With its wind potential, North Dakota could theoretically supply a third of the country's total energy needs, Richardson said. A spokesman for Xcel Energy, which has 45,000 customers in the Fargo area, said a comprehensive approach that includes all of North Dakota and the Upper Midwest might be a better way to go. "If it was concentrated just on those two locations (Fargo and Grand Forks), there might be some stability issues as far as the system is concerned,'' said Mark Nisbet, Xcel's principal manager in North Dakota. "We definitely believe renewables have a place. As a general rule, we're concerned with mandates,'' Nisbet said. "Mandates make us nervous because we're not sure what the upper limit is,'' he said. Xcel has 18 wind turbines in North Dakota, providing about 12 megawatts of electricity, he said. Source: By the Associated Press, 4/28/2006.
Tom Kimbis, with the Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program, informs us that DOE has officially released a Request for Information regarding Technology Acceptance activities under the President's Solar America Initiative. The SETP will achieve the goals of the SAI by focusing primarily on two areas: (1) research and development on photovoltaic component and system designs, including low-cost approaches for manufacturing them; and (2) technology acceptance activities that address marketplace barriers and offer the opportunity for market expansion. This Request for Information (RFI) describes preliminary concepts and considerations in the second area, technology acceptance, and addresses one of the planned funding mechanisms for work under the SAI: the Technology Acceptance FY2007 Financial Opportunity Announcement. Work funded through this planned FOA will seek to reduce non-R&D barriers that hinder market penetration of solar electric systems, while accelerating market expansion, to enable SAI to achieve its 2015 mission.
Activities under the planned FOA are targeted to fall into two areas: infrastructure development (activities which provide technical, regulatory, institutional, financial and educational solutions to technology acceptance barriers) and market expansion (activities which accelerate demand for new solar technologies through provision of technical assistance). Each category is divided into Topic Areas. The SETP will also conduct public outreach and communications activities to promote SAI, although such efforts are not planned to be part of this FOA. You can read the entire RFI at the DOE/IIPS Web site.
According to Kimbis, comments, responses and ideas are all welcome, and will be considered as DOE undergoes its strategic planning process before releasing a planned solicitation later this year. "I urge you to take the time to review the RFI and respond — this process is critical to the success of the SAI," says Kimbis. NOTE: all responses should be submitted, per the instructions in the RFI, by email.
DOE plans to issue this FOA in CY2006, providing sixty calendar days for applicants to formulate and submit applications. The SETP plans to evaluate, select, negotiate, and award financial assistance Cooperative Agreements to multiple Applicants on a schedule that permits selection of awardees during the Federal Government’s FY2007 (commences October 1, 2007), with work initiated as soon as possible after funds are appropriated to the SETP. The anticipated size, quantity, and timing of DOE-funded awards will be subject to the availability of funds. Deadline for responses is June 30, but the earlier the response, the more your comments can be used in drafting our strategy, says Kimbis. Source: IREC, 4/30/2006.
This year, the GeoPowering the West Initiative has placed an emphasis on fostering geothermal projects through the state working groups that have been created in 11 states throughout the Western U.S. Throughout this process, the ultimate goal has been to get projects in the ground while developing the efforts in consideration of the states' needs and energy situation. The promotion of emerging technologies is designed to replicate results in this period of high-energy costs. The projects listed below will reduce energy use, save costs, enhance productivity of industries, and maintain or create jobs within the states.
These projects will benefit from the engineering talents of the Geo-Heat Center or Millennium Energy, two organizations that specialize in feasibility and engineering development of geothermal systems. GeoPowering the West is proud to announce the first of two batches of awards as follows:
Source: Roger Hill, Sandia National Labs, 4/28/2006.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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