Green Power

Constellation NewEnergy Signs Renewable Energy Agreement With The City of Evanston, Illinois

Constellation NewEnergy has entered into a green electricity purchase agreement with the City of Evanston.  As part of the agreement, Constellation NewEnergy will secure approximately 5.5 million kilowatts hours of Renewable Energy Credits to offset 20 percent of the City's electricity usage. The secured RECs will help the City of Evanston replace the carbon emissions produced during the combustion of fossil fuels with clean, renewable wind generation. For example, one certified REC has the environmental impact of eliminating the emissions associated with one megawatt hour of electricity produced by a fossil fuel generator.  Constellation NewEnergy will serve the City's combined peak demand load of approximately 4,000 kilowatts (19 million kilowatt-hours annually), which is required to power several high-profile municipal facilities including the Robert Crown Ice Arena, Evanston Art and Cultural Centers, the Ecology Center, the municipal water pumps and the City's parks and recreational facilities.  

The City of Evanston's decision to purchase RECs is another step in the City's ongoing efforts to pursue environmentally-friendly solutions. In 2005, the City was promoted to Silver Status by Clean Air Counts, a Northeastern Illinois regional initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Evanston has also taken steps to replace city traffic lights with energy efficient bulbs, and power city vehicles with cleaner burning bio-diesel fuel.

Based on a national average utility emissions rate, diversifying the City's electricity supplies with alternative fuel sources will keep more than 7.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year. That amount is equivalent to avoiding the CO2 emissions produced by 300 passenger cars and is the same amount of electricity needed to power more than 500 average American homes annually.  Source: Evanston, IL News Release via Energy Central, 2/12/2007.

Green Tags: A Small Step to Halt a Large Problem

Like most Americans, Jim Hartman finds it difficult to give up driving.  But he and his wife, Maggie, have come up with a way they believe reduces their greenhouse gas footprint. They pay $220 each year for Green Tags.  

The tags, known as renewable energy credits, represent the environmental benefits associated with generating electricity from renewable sources such as wind or solar. The tags are a voluntary subsidy for pollution-free electricity generators.  "It's hard to give up driving your car," said Hartman, an environmental science teacher at Ashland High School. "But this is something we can do to help (offset it). I have been studying this issue of global warming for 20 years," he said. "I couldn't sleep at night if I felt I was helping accelerate the problem. I don't mean to be doom and gloom, but we have to start changing how we live."

He is a member of the fledgling Ashland Climate Change Education & Solutions group.  Although he knows buying the tags to make up for his four-member family's two vehicles, a minivan and a compact car, in which they travel fewer than 20,000 miles per year, won't make the Hartmans a "carbon neutral" family, he figures it's a start.  His family also pays an additional $12 a month in the electricity bill to support "green power" in a program known as Blue Sky, he said.  "It's a step in the right direction -- it's a beginning," he said.  He will tell you the more Green Tags are purchased, the quicker green energy producers become a financially viable source for producing energy for large segments of the population. About 50 businesses in Ashland now sell the tags, he said.

Fellow Ashland resident Jim McGinnis, a forest ecologist by training, became active in the global warming issue after seeing the controversial documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth" by former Vice President Al Gore. McGinnis now makes presentations about the threat of climate change at schools, churches and clubs in the region.  "It has become a passion for me," he said, noting he has studied reports both supportive and dismissive of Gore's work.  "There is a lot of skepticism whether humans have caused it and whether CO2 is a bad thing. It's a very complex and fascinating topic. I want people to become informed, to look at their own beliefs and take action." 

So does Lesley Adams, outreach coordinator for the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center. She is helping organize a meeting Monday for Step Up Climate Action, part of a nationwide effort targeting April 14 as a day to call on Congress to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. "We want to brainstorm what individuals can do," she said. "We want to offer a chance for diverse interests to get together and try to make a change for the better."  For more information, contact Adams at 488-5789.  Source: LOCAL, 2/11/2007.

For more information: http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/index.shtml

Renewable Energy Technologies

Wood Chip Ethanol Plant in Works for Georgia

Range Fuels Inc. will soon unveil plans for the nation's first commercial-scale plant to make ethanol fuel from wood chips.  The project could be a significant breakthrough in order to begin weaning the US from imported petroleum, according to the company.  Range Fuels Inc., formerly Kergy Inc., will build the ethanol plant in east-central Georgia's Treutlen County, a major timber-producing area. The facility will use wood chips from timber harvesting.  Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 2/8/2007.

Renewable Energy at Your Doorstep

Puget Sound Energy became the largest producer of renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest with the completion of the Wild Horse Wind Project near Ellensburg, Wash. The project was declared fully operational in December, bringing 127 turbines online with the capacity to generate 229 megawatts of energy. Additionally, PSE's first 83-turbine wind facility, Hopkins Ridge, became operational in 2005 near Walla Walla, Wash.  Together, the two wind facilities are expected to generate enough energy to power 125,000 households in Washington State.  In building the Wild Horse facility, planners took into account wildlife-migration patterns, local livestock grazing, and the flight paths of winged animals. Native plants were protected or relocated and today cattle, elk, deer, and other wildlife continue to graze on these lands.

The Project's developers, Horizon Wind, explained:  "Wind farms are perhaps the most environmentally benign source of utility-scale power generation, because operating wind farms produce no air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, or carbon dioxide. Furthermore, wind farms do not consume cooling water, and they do not interfere materially with the existing land use, which typically use under two percent of the land they occupy. As a result, wind farms tend to preserve open space and protect it from urbanization and other development." 

In Washington, wind energy costs $45 to $65 per megawatt, a less expensive option than other types of power generation.  Coal, natural gas, and hydro energy generation all cost more per MWh than wind energy.

Finding new cost-effective, renewable energy-generation methods is critical to for the Puget Sound region, whose population and power consumption continues to grow.  PSE, with 1 million customers currently, expects their customer base to continue growing at a rate of 20,000 customers per year.  PSE is not the only entity committed to renewable energy, Governor Chris Gregoire, who was also present at the Wild Horse Project Dedication, promised to help Washington State produce clean, environmentally responsible energy.  Her vision includes private investments and legislation in the areas of biofules, wind and solar energy, and "smart" energy grids, to name a few.  Source: By Worldchanging Seattle Blogger, Serena Batten, 2/10/2007.

Show Me Energy Cooperative Begins Equity Drive

Show Me Energy Cooperative in Centerview, Mo., is beginning its equity fund drive for the first phase of its building project. Show Me Energy Cooperative is a farmer-producer owned cooperative organized to produce alternative fuels from renewable biomass inputs.  Five years ago a group of producers got together to form Missouri BioEnergy that would use biomass to create a new form of clean energy. Steve Flick, president of the cooperative, said they looked at other energy delivery systems in this country as well as South America and Europe. "What we have done is take corn stover, switchgrass, seed waste from processing plants, even coffee and tea grounds and tested them to see if they can be used to create clean energy," Flick said.  

Flick said their model is a little different from other new-generation cooperatives that have formed in recent years. Rather than go out and solicit funds for a plant yet to be built Missouri BioEnergy received a loan and built three-fourths of the plant to show how serious they are about their plan. To date this group has already constructed a large warehouse and bagging facility, three Quonset style storage huts, a truck weigh scale and a temporary office building.  "The project is small and we are going in phases," Flick said. "We are not spending $50 million right off the bat, we are spending six and a half million in the first phase and $12 million in the second phase."

Memberships are $2,500 each with a minimum purchase of two memberships. Each membership requires the delivery of 500 to 1000 pounds of biomass to the processing plant in Centerview. They will grind about 30,000 bales a year for pellet production. The plant is not dependent on corn stover but will use biomass from a wide range of sources including wheat straw, switchgrass, milo stubble, out of condition hay, seed hulls, even wet distillers dried grains from ethanol plants.  "We don't want to put all our eggs in one basket," Flick said. "We are creating markets for products that have no market."

J.D. Dowell, secretary of Show Me Energy Cooperative and owner of Lick Skillet Seeds in Gallatin, Mo., will be hauling seed waste from his processing plant to Centerview. "We have hauled it to the ditch and fed it to cattle -- anything to just to get rid of it," Dowell said.

In the first phase they will produce pellets from biomass grown in a 100 mile radius of the plant located in Centerview, Mo. These pellets will be sold in 40 pound bags for use in pellet stoves and also sold in bulk to a local electric utility company where they will be burned along with coal to fire the burners. Flick said the utility will burn about five pounds of pellets for every 95 pounds of coal.  At full capacity the plant will be able to produce about 100,000 tons of fuel pellets a year. This represents only 10 percent of the total volume of pellets sold during the 2005 heating season. Chris Short, general manager of Show Me Energy Cooperative, said that there were 61 pellet fuel manufacturers in the U.S. in 2005 and there was still a nationwide pellet shortage.

The second phase of the project will involve the construction of a facility to produce cellulosic ethanol. This will be a relatively small plant by current industry standards producing five to eight million gallons of ethanol on an annual basis. Their goal is not to compete with ethanol from grain but to complement it.

Flick said their facility is small by design. They hope it will serve as a model for similar projects around the country. It is expensive to haul biomass material which means these plants need to be close to the source.  The small central Missouri community of Centerview has welcomed the cooperative with open arms. Flick said Centerview was selected because affordable land was available, the proximity to biomass material needed for the pellets, access to highway and rail lines, and available resources at nearby University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo., for on-going training and affiliation with scientific and academic communities. Source:  By Doug Rich, High Plains Journal, 2/13/2007.

Nevada Utilities to Increase Geothermal Energy Usage

Nevada utilities will be using more steam to generate electricity.  State regulators have approved contracts for 73 megawatts of new geothermal power from three rural northern Nevada generating sites.  Nevada, especially the northern end of the state, holds some of North America's largest reservoirs of geothermal energy.  The three contracts include Nevada Geothermal Power Company's 25-megawatt Faulkner 1 power plant in Humboldt County, Ormat Nevada's 24-megawatt Buffalo Valley project in Lander County and its 24-megawatt Carson Lake project in Churchill County.  Full production is slated to begin in 2010. One megawatt is estimated to power about 650 homes.  The contracts are for the purchase of renewable energy credits by Las Vegas-based Nevada Power Co. to help meet state standards requiring, by 2015, that 20 percent of a utility's energy portfolio be renewable-based.  Nevada Power's sister subsidiary in Reno, Sierra Pacific Power Co., will receive the energy from the three plants until late 2011 when a transmission line connecting northern and southern Nevada is expected to be completed.  Source:  Reno Gazette-Journal, 2/9/2007.

For more information on Renewable Resources go to: http://www.repartners.org

Outreach, Education, Reports & Studies

GRC 2007 Annual Meeting

The Geothermal Resources Council invites you to present your latest technical work in geothermal research, exploration, development and use at the 2007 GRC Annual Meeting at the John Ascuaga's Nugget Resort in Sparks, Nevada, on Sep. 30 to Oct. 3, 2007.  The GRC deadline for receipt of draft papers is May 11, 2007.  Visit the GRC Web site to access to our Call for Papers, Paper Submission Deadlines, Session Themes, Author Instruction's and GEA Geothermal Trade Show link.  Source: Geothermal Resources Council, 2/7/2007.

Clean Energy Project Financing Conference April 3-4, '07 in San Francisco (Conference)

The Clean Energy Project Financing for California and International Markets conference is scheduled for April 3-4, 2007, in San Francisco. This conference is sponsored by the California Energy Commission and will discuss how to seek sources of capital for energy projects under $100,000,000 US.  Projects include renewable energy, energy efficiency, industrial cogeneration and emerging transportation fuels. Contact Tambu Kisoki, California Energy Commission, at 916-654-4719.  Source: epOverviews, 2/8/2007.

Clean Renewable Energy Bonds Teleconference Scheduled for Wednesday, April 4, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm CST. 

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the American Public Power Association, APPA's Demonstration of Energy-Efficient Developments Program, the U.S. DOE's Wind Powering America Program, Bonneville Power Administration, Utility Energy Forum, Northwest Public Power Association and Western Area Power Administration invite you to participate in the upcoming Clean Renewable Energy Bonds Teleconference scheduled for Wednesday, April 4 between 11 am and 1 pm CST. 

There is no charge to participate in the teleconference, but the sponsors ask that you reserve a spot beforehand so that the maximum number of participants can be accommodated (with preference given to electric cooperative and public power personnel). Please sign up for the teleconference by contacting Debbie Rock at 720-962-7271. 

Registrants will receive a link to the presentations on the web along with call-in information a week prior to the teleconference. Bob Putnam of CH2M HILL, Technical Support contractor to NRECA, will be moderator for the teleconference. Participants will be able to ask questions of each speaker following their presentations, or e-mail questions to Bob for the general session following all of the individual presentations.  Participants will learn about previous awards to consumer-owned utilities and application procedures, qualifications, funding limits, etc. for the current solicitation.  Speakers include Susan Petit, NRECA; Claude Boudreau, APPA; and Timothy Jones, Internal Revenue Service (invited).  Source: Randy Manion, Western Area Power Administration, 2/7/2007.

Transmission Opportunities and Constraints Teleconference Scheduled for Wednesday, March 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CST.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the American Public Power Association, APPA's Demonstration of Energy-Efficient Developments Program, the U.S. DOE's Wind Powering America Program, Bonneville Power Administration, Utility Energy Forum, Northwest Public Power Association and Western Area Power Administration invite you to participate in the upcoming Transmission Opportunities and Constraints Teleconference scheduled for Wednesday, March 7, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., CST.

There is no charge to participate in the teleconference, but the sponsors ask that you reserve a spot beforehand so that the maximum number of participants can be accommodated (with preference given to electric cooperative and public power personnel). Please sign up for the teleconference by contacting Debbie Rock at 720-962-7271. 

Registrants will receive a link to the presentations on the web along with call-in information a week prior to the teleconference. Bob Putnam of CH2M HILL, Technical Support contractor to NRECA, will be moderator for the teleconference. Participants will be able to ask questions of each speaker following their presentations, or e-mail questions to Bob for the general session following all of the individual presentations.  Participants will learn about transmission issues impacting the expanded use of renewable energy technology in the West.  Speakers include Mike Sloan of Virtus Energy (Texas), Beth Solholt of Wind on the Wires  (Upper Midwest) and Doug Larson of Western Interstate Energy Board  (Western states) (invited).  Source: Randy Manion, Western Area Power Administration, 2/7/2007.

Geothermal-biz.com Newsletter

The January 2007 issue of the Geothermal-biz.com Newsletter is now available.  Source: Liz Battocletti, 1/31/2007.

Utility Wind Integration Group Announces Wind-Hydro Integration Workshop

The Utility Wind Integration Group, along with the American Wind Energy Association, Canadian Wind Energy Association, Bonneville Power Administration and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will present a Wind/Hydro Integration Workshop on March 21-22 in Portland, Ore. at the Doubletree-Lloyd Center.  The agenda is posted with speaker commitments to date. 

The event is timely. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council has been working with BPA to develop a regional Wind Integration Action Plan. This plan identifies key steps to effectively integrate large amounts of wind power and other renewable resources into the Pacific Northwest power system. In other areas, most notably the Nordic countries, Canada, and the Western US, significant studies are or have been conducted on integrating wind and hydropower.

Workshop topics include operational studies, technology status and developments, the Northwest Wind Integration Action Plan, and opportunities for regional cooperation. In addition, there will be an introductory background session covering the basics of hydro system planning and operation from around the world. This special session will cover hydro system scheduling and operational fundamentals, regional operational practices, system flexibility considerations, and identification and resolution of technical limitations.

Complete information on this event can be found on the UWIG Web site or contact Sandy Smith, 865-691-5540, ext. 141.  Source: Michele Suddleson, American Public Power Association, Program Manager, DEED, 2301 M Street N.W., Washington, D.C., 2/9/2007.

EE/RE Can Displace 1.2 Billion Tons of Carbon Emissions by 2030, According to Report

The American Solar Energy Society recently unveiled a 200-page report, Tackling Climate Change in the U.S.: Potential Carbon Emissions Reductions from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by 2030. The result of more than a year of study, the report illustrates how energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can provide the emissions reductions required to address global warming.  To develop the report, ASES recruited a volunteer team of top energy experts. These experts produced a series of nine papers that examined how energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions-the main cause of global warming.  The results indicate that these technologies can displace approximately 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions annually by the year 2030-the magnitude of reduction that scientists believe is necessary to prevent the most dangerous consequences of climate change.  Source: GEA Update Attached, 2/9/2007.

Carrots and Sticks: Trends in Mandatory and Volunteer Reporting

Compiled as a joint project between the UN Environment Programme and KPMG's Global Sustainability Services, this report published late last year highlights the current trends and approaches in mandatory and voluntary standards for sustainability reporting and corporate responsibility around the globe. It includes summaries of environmental and social reporting laws across 18 markets. According to the report, companies producing voluntary sustainability reports are likely to integrate them into their financial reporting in the future. The report also found that the harmonization of voluntary standards and mandatory regulation will lead to higher quality and more useful corporate sustainability reporting. Source: GreenBiz.com, 2/12/2007.

Over 500 Attend California Solar Forum in California

Over 500 utility representatives and interested parties attended the recent CA Solar Forums in Burbank, San Diego, and Pleasant Hill, California.  The presentations available are now posted online, along with links to each respective organization's Web site.  Source: Tor Allen, The Rahus Institute/ Martinez, California, 2/12/2007.

Renewable Energy Institute to Call Austin Home

Directors of the Renewable Energy Institute plan to make a permanent home for the nonprofit organization in Austin this spring.  The goal of the group that formed four years ago is to bring together scientists and academics studying various forms of alternative energy and allow them to share information without the risk of losing intellectual property rights.  "Our objective is to facilitate the transition of these technologies to the private sector as quickly as possible," says Mike Logan, one of the directors of the institute.  At least 14 scientists, many with Texas universities, are currently involved with the institute, Logan says.

The institute was one of the supporters of Sunday's protest at the capitol against TXU Corp. and other energy companies' plans for at least 15 new coal-fired power plants in the state. The protest drew hundreds from across the state who say energy companies should explore other means of creating power in lieu of coal plants that harm the environment. The companies counter that the plants are necessary to keep pace with the state's rapid population growth. 

Logan says many of the best successes in the alternative energy arena are taking place in Texas, such as the massive wind farms in the western part of the state. "The fact is there is enough available, renewable energy out there for us to tap right now," he says.  Logan says the initial office is likely to be located downtown within close proximity to government offices and the capitol. But in the future, the institute will probably seek land for a more permanent campus somewhere in the Austin area with space for experimentation.  Source: Austin Business Journal, 2/12/2007.

For more information on Educational Resources go to: http://www.repartners.org

News from Washington

Department of Energy FY 2008 Budget Information

The Department of Energy budget request for FY 2008 totals $24.3 billion, a 3 percent increase above the FY07 request. Key priorities in the budget are tied to President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative, Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, and American Competitiveness Initiative.

The initiatives would affect most directly the department's four energy offices, which together would receive a 20 percent boost in funding under the proposed budget and the Office of Science, which would receive a 7 percent increase. The Office of Fossil Energy and the Office of Nuclear Energy are expecting the biggest gains, at 33 percent and 38 percent, respectively. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy would receive a 5 percent increase, and the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability would see its funding reduced by 8 percent.

The FY08 request includes $2.7 billion for the second year of the Advanced Energy Initiative, an initiative to promote the development of cleaner sources of electricity production. Areas of research targeted for increased support in FY08 include energy research and the commercialization of biomass, hydrogen, solar, cleaner coal and nuclear technologies. The new budget also requests $8.4 million to create an Office of Loan Guarantees  to spur the commercial development of new clean energy technologies.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy would receive $1.24 billion under the proposed budget, and would dedicate $756 million to AEI-related projects. EERE conducts research, development and deployment activities to advance energy efficiency and clean power technologies and practices. EERE programs that would receive a boost under the new AEI-related funding include: 

• Hydrogen and fuel cell technology -- $213 million to expand research on the production, storage, and delivery of hydrogen.
• Biomass and biorefinery systems R&D -- $179 million to increase biomass R&D and additional support companies that intend to commercialize small biorefineries and validate new biomass conversion technologies.
• Solar america initiative -- $148 million to accelerate the commercialization of solar energy technologies, particularly for heating and lighting systems.
• Wind energy -- $40 million to increase wind energy use while scaling back on research into the viability of wind energy technologies. 

Source: SSTI Weekly Digest, 2/12/2007.

For more information on legislative activities go to: http://www.repartners.org

State Activities, Marketing & Market Research

Minn. Senate Passes Country's Strongest RPS

Most Minnesota utilities would have to derive 25 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025 -- and Xcel would have to generate 30 percent -- under a bill passed by the Minnesota Senate yesterday.

Backers said the bill would set the most aggressive renewable portfolio standard in the country. There are about 15 states with such mandates. The state House might adopt the Senate's version of the bill, state Rep. Aaron Peterson (D) said.  Under the bill, utilities would have to meet incremental goals between now and 2025. If they fall short, the state Public Utilities Commission could order them to pay penalties, build new facilities or buy and trade renewable power credits. The permissible technologies are wind, solar, hydroelectric and biomass power.

The state Senate Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications Committee voted unanimously to forward the proposal to the full Senate last week (Greenwire, Feb. 2).  The PUC also would have the power to modify the timeline if meeting it "would cause significant rate impact" for customers. "Significant" is not defined in the bill (Brian Bakst, AP/St. Paul Pioneer Press). 

A Colorado Senate committee yesterday passed a bill to encourage wind farms, spurred by the support of Xcel, the largest utility in Colorado as well as Minnesota.  The bill would allow investor-owned utilities Xcel and Aquila to charge ratepayers for the costs of new transmission lines while they are being built, rather than after they are completed. Transmission lines cost about $1 million per mile. Xcel said the bill would encourage more wind farm development, as well as other alternative energy projects.  Utility officials said that while customers could see new charges on their bills, the proposed law would save them money in the long term because it would allow utilities to avoid interest payments on construction loans (Steve Raabe, Denver Post).

Meanwhile, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved a $60 million solar power plant to fill Xcel's demand, despite acknowledging that Xcel did not fully comply with state bidding rules in its contract to buy the power from SunEdison LLC.  The 8-megawatt plant will be able to supply electricity to 1,650 homes, making it the largest photovoltaic-powered plant in the country. The PUC said it approved the contract despite Xcel's failure to consider an alternate technology, solar thermal, which uses solar heat to spin turbines.  Xcel said it did not consider solar thermal because a tax credit for that type of technology was due to expire Dec. 31. When Congress extended the expiration to 2008, Xcel said its proposal was too far along to switch technologies (Steve Raabe, Denver Post).  Source: E&E Publishing, Greenwire, 2/8/2007.

Texas Grants Underwater Geothermal Exploratory Lease to Ormat Technologies (G&C)

Texas has awarded a lease for geothermal energy production to a company planning to explore the renewable energy's potential along seven Gulf Coast counties.  Ormat Technologies, Inc. paid $55,645US, or $5 an acre, for the right to explore 11,129 acres for pockets of hot water and steam under the ocean floor.  The company will consider using capped oil and gas wells on submerged state coastal properties. The company hopes to find adequately hot temperatures between 4,000 and 6,000 feet below the surface, said spokesman, Paul Thomsen.  (Source:  Mercury News, Feb. 07, '07) Contact Paul Thomsen, Ormat Technologies, 775-356-9029.  Source: epOverviews Daily Report, 2/9/2007.

Colorado Explores Uses for Geothermal Energy Resources

Recent studies by the Colorado Geological Society indicate that Colorado's geothermal energy resources may be much greater than previously known. The Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation and the Colorado Geological Society have partnered to best map the state's geothermal potential and tests reveal Colorado has the nation's 4th largest geothermal resource. With the advancement of geothermal technologies, Colorado may now be able to produce electricity which has not been previously considered.

Geothermal energy is an enormous, domestic, underused heat and power resource that emits little or no greenhouse gases and is a reliable resource. Geothermal resources range from shallow ground to hot water

and rock several miles below the Earth's surface. It is accessed similar to drilling for oil and can be used for direct applications and power generation.  CGS has identified several areas of the state where geothermal energy may be abundant. These locations include areas near Mt. Princeton outside of Buena Vista, the San Juan mountains near Ouray and Rico, and areas of the San Luis Valley near Trinidad.

Expanding Colorado's geothermal energy resources was the topic of discussion by community, energy, private industry, utility, and government leaders at "Colorado's GeoPowering the West" conference held in Lakewood on January 31. The geothermal energy state working group was organized by the OEMC and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.  "Geothermal energy presents an opportunity to expand renewable resources in Colorado that is often overlooked. This opportunity fits perfectly with Governor Ritter's promise to add a full mix of renewable energies for our state," said Tom Plant, OEMC director, while delivering the conference opening address.  

"Geothermal energy is currently used in a few Colorado locations for direct applications, such as heating swimming pools or buildings, but no electricity is being generated," said Plant. "The Workgroup will deliver a Strategic Plan in June that identifies challenges and opportunities for geothermal power production and direct use."  For more information on GeoPowering the West, contact Angela Crooks at 303-866-2309.  Source: Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation, 2/8/2007.

48-MW North Dakota Facility Announced

North Dakota Governor John Hoeven (R) joined officials of FPL Energy in announcing plans to build the 48-MW Oliver II Wind Energy Center near the town of Center, N.D.  With the company's adjacent 50.6-MW Oliver Wind I Energy Center, which went into service in December, the expanded facility will have nearly 100 MW of capacity. The electricity generated will go to Minnesota Power under the terms of a long-term power purchase agreements with the utility.  "FPL Energy is a world leader in wind energy, and we're proud to partner with them on their latest North Dakota project," Hoeven said. "Cooperation between the state, FPL Energy, and power companies, like Minnesota Power, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, and Otter Tail Power, is producing jobs for North Dakotans and clean, efficient renewable power for thousands of customers in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota." 

"It's the result of strong partnerships between the public and private sector, in which Governor Hoeven and his administration are blazing the trail," said Mike O'Sullivan, the company's senior vice president for development. With this expansion, our total investment in North Dakota will be approximately $300 million.  Oliver Wind II will consist of 32 1.5-MW turbines. The combined facilities will generate enough electricity to power nearly 30,000 homes. Construction will begin in the spring and is expected to be online by the beginning of 2008.  Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly, 2/9/2007. 

Task Force Says Sun is Economic Powerhouse: Utilities Teaming on Solar Project

Can solar power have the same economic impact on the state's economy as biosciences? The answer is yes, according to a recent study by the Western Governors' Association Solar Task Force, which maintains the world's most abundant renewable energy source is the key to both preventing an Arizona energy crisis and boosting jobs.  The study, which was released last week, said if Arizona built a series of 1-gigawatt concentrating solar power plants, the state could generate nearly 5,000 constructions jobs, 250 permanent solar plant jobs and up to $4 billion in private investment over the next 30 years.  The study did not include an additional 10,000 manufacturing jobs that could be added, said Kate Maracas, director of Energy Resources Inc. and presenter of the WGA's findings.

The projections fell in line with a similar study conducted by the Arizona Department of Commerce, which estimated a 250-megawatt solar facility would create 3,000 new jobs and add $1.2 billion in funding by 2025.

At least six Arizona energy utilities are partnering to potentially build a 250-megawatt solar plant, which would be the largest renewable energy plant in the state. The utility companies expect to have a site for the project determined by March, and a request for proposals as early as July, Barbara Lockwood told the Arizona Corporation Commission in a special Feb. 1 meeting following a report by the WGA.  Lockwood is the manager of renewable energy at Arizona Public Service Co., which is leading the effort.

Concentrating solar power plants are the least expensive technology for making solar energy. APS has a 1-megawatt plant in Southern Arizona. Like others, its solar panels follow the direction of the sun, transforming solar energy into electricity.   Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power Co. are two of the other companies involved, along with an unnamed Nevada firm and other smaller Arizona electric cooperatives, Lockwood told the committee. 

The project is estimated to cost $2 billion with the potential to power about 31,500 homes, said Lori Singleton, SRP's manager of environmental initiatives. The cost is a bargain compared to the price of smaller solar plants or residential solar panels. Using concentrating solar power plants could drop energy prices dramatically, she said. 

The coalition hopes to build the plant in Arizona, although it has not ruled out southern Nevada, Lockwood told the commission.  "We are very interested in seeing this plant in Arizona," she said.

While applauding the effort, the commission raised concerns about the plant being built outside of Arizona. "I find it hard to swallow the notion that (Arizona) utilities would put these renewable energy facilities in other states," said Commissioner Kristin Mayes.  But in order to build a large-scale solar power plant or a series of plants in the state, Arizona must continue to make itself more marketable to companies building concentrating solar power plants in other states and countries, proponents say.

California built the first large-scale plant in 1984 and has become the leader in solar energy in the country. In the past two decades, California has offered numerous tax exemptions for solar power builders, customers and utilities.  If Arizona is to compete, it must continue to improve upon its tax credits for companies that use solar energy, according to both the WGA and ADOC studies. Source:   By Ty Young, The Business Journal of Phoenix - February 9, 2007.

Oklahoma House Bill to Provide Consumer Credits for Solar and Wind Power (Legislation)

Oklahoma House Bill 1387, introduced by Rep. Terrill and Nations, offers Oklahoma consumers tax credits for installing solar energy equipment and small wind turbines.  The measure gives consumers a nontransferable tax credit equal to 40 percent of the total cost of installation for solar and wind energy systems, including construction and equipment costs.  (Source:  AP, Feb. 06, '07) Contact State Rep. Randy Terrill at 405-557-7346 or State Rep. Bill Nations at 405-557-7323.  Source: ep Overviews Daily Report, 2/12/2007.

Clean and Renewable, but Untested

With the frigid late-January wind whipping off the ocean, it wasn't much of a day to stroll the boardwalk or sit on the beach.  But it would have been a great day to generate electricity from the first offshore wind farm in the country.  If 200 wind turbines had been sitting offshore, the wind would have spun them at maximum speed, generating in 24 hours about 500 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 500,000 homes for one day. 

Bluewater Wind, a New Jersey company, wants to build such a wind park 10.5 miles off the coast of this seaside city or seven miles off Bethany Beach to provide Delaware residents a new source of electricity. Supporters point out that production would be free of the pollutants or heat-trapping "greenhouse gas" emissions associated with conventional power plants, and fueled by abundant, and free, Atlantic Ocean winds.  "You have the Saudi Arabia of wind off your shores," said Peter Mandelstam, the company's president.

The project, now competing with two other power plant ventures, has developed a following across Delaware and would be one of the largest in the world, if approved. Supporters include some of the top politicians and many environmental groups, backed by a University of Delaware-sponsored survey that found broad support for wind energy.  But others warn that offshore wind ventures, generally, and Bluewater in particular are sailing into uncharted regions. Bluewater has drawn criticism for submitting a bid based on undisclosed or unproven answers to questions about costs, reliability and effect on birds, fish and other aquatic life and environments.  "It's not so much the prediction that something drastic is going to happen, but not enough information has been gathered to even do a logical risk assessment," for offshore wind farms, said Susan Nickerson, executive director of the Massachusetts-based environmental group Nantucket Soundkeeper.

Offshore wind power involves "a range of issues -- fishing, tourism, economics, visibility, environmental impacts on bird life, fish, marine mammals," Nickerson said.  Bluewater and wind power advocates generally say wind power already has proven itself a good neighbor. 

American wind power production ranks third globally, trailing only Germany and Spain, and accounts for about 20 percent of the world total, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, based in Belgium.  Denmark, the world's fifth-largest wind energy producer, has meanwhile sunk billions of dollars into offshore wind and late last year published a study that found wind farms can be developed without significant harm or risk to birds or aquatic life, provided sites are chosen carefully and with adequate precautions.  Wind advocates say the findings add to wind power's allure as a way to make energy without the pollutants and carbon-dioxide emissions of conventional power plants. "It's made people sit up and put wind into a whole, fresh, new point of view," said Guy Dauncey of British Columbia, president of the Sustainable Energy Association and author of the book "Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Climate Change."

Delaware found itself looking for a new approach last year after alarming increases in costs following deregulation of the wholesale electricity market in 1999. The deregulation lifted price caps in May, leading to a 59 percent increase in the cost of residential electricity.  The bid is one of three for the Delmarva project. The others are a coal gasification plant proposed by NRG Energy, and a natural gas plant proposed by Conectiv. Four state agencies, advised by Delmarva, are expected to make their final decision by late spring or early summer.  "We have a huge stake in this decision. We can set an example for the rest of the country by selecting the one energy option that provides the greatest long-term financial and environmental benefits," Delaware Audubon Society, one of the state's oldest environmental groups, said in a position paper supporting Bluewater Wind, released last month. 

If it opened today, Bluewater Wind's project off Delaware would rank as the largest offshore wind farm in the world. If completed as company officials hope in 2012, it would likely be the second largest, behind a planned project off the coast of the United Kingdom. There are 17 offshore wind farms worldwide, all off the coasts of Europe. 

Bluewater Wind made the bid in response to a request for proposals to provide 400 megawatts of electricity to Delmarva Power. The state required Delmarva to seek the bids as part of an effort to provide a long-term, Delaware-produced source of energy.  "We've looked carefully at it," said Tim Brown, spokesman for Delmarva Power. 

One concern: Wind turbines rely on weather, operating at full capacity only part of the time. Company officials say the average electricity output throughout the year, including the less windy summer months, would be less than half of what it was on that day last month.  Critics say the link to weather forces overinvestment. Wind farms have to be large enough to collect sufficient electricity even when winds are light, pushing developers to plant hundreds of turbines to assure minimum output.  "What's happening is people don't understand how you can 'firm up' wind energy," Dauncey said. "If you have hydropower, you can store water behind a dam." 

Yet details about Bluewater's capacity plans remain out of reach to the public, as do the details of the two power plants competing for the lucrative deal. Although confidentiality claims are now under review by all three bidders, Bluewater excluded information about the generating capacity and costs of its project from public versions of its application. 

Other storms lie ahead. Around Nantucket Sound, some opponents say a project to put 130 turbines in federal waters would mar the offshore horizon and disrupt fishing, ferry traffic and navigation.  Similar complaints have come ashore in Delaware.  "A lot of people are against it because it will ruin the view of the horizon," said Robert Littleton, co-owner of Clarksville-based Bobs Marine Service Inc. "I would think the wind mills would be a better way to go because you get rid of all the coal ash."   Littleton referred to huge old and new stockpiles of ash at NRG's Indian River power plant near Millsboro, where DNREC recently announced plans for a major, utility-financed cleanup to stop pollution from trickling into the river.

Company officials aren't afraid to talk up the dire consequences of global warming to help make their case. If the current projections are right, one-third of Delaware could someday be under water.  Mike McCabe, a former deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a consultant to Delmarva Power, said if Delawareans want to stop global warming, they have to start making changes.  "Delaware has a tremendous amount to lose, if the projections are right," McCabe said.  Contact Aaron Nathans at 324-2786 or Jeff Montgomery at 678-4277.    Source: By AARON NATHANS and JEFF MONTGOMERY, The News Journal, 2/11/2007.

Oil Patch Turning to Renewable Energy Sources

The turbine blades spin silently atop a metal tower that rises 100 feet above the headquarters of the Bergey Windpower Co., quietly turning its mechanical motion into electric power by harnessing one of the most reliable energy sources in Oklahoma ? the wind.  For much of its 100-year history, Oklahoma's economy and culture has been fueled by oil and natural gas. But pollution-free wind power and other renewable energy sources like solar power and biofuels are gaining popularity as fossil fuel costs rise and concern grows about the nation's dependence on foreign oil and the impact of greenhouse gases on global warming.

The new interest in renewable fuels is reflected at the state Capitol, where Gov. Brad Henry and lawmakers have proposed legislation to encourage development and use of alternative energy sources and help transform Oklahoma's oil patch into a prairie of renewable energy.  The wind that blows across Oklahoma and other plains states -- Kansas among them -- is capable of producing far more energy than the entire nation consumes, said Karl Bergey, chairman and chief executive officer of Bergey Windpower, the world's largest manufacturer of small wind turbines.  Kansas has three operational wind farms, two in the southwest part of the state and one in the Flint Hills.  "All of the states from Texas up to the Dakotas are the Saudi Arabia of wind," Bergey said

"The time is right," said David Fleischaker, an oil and gas producer and Oklahoma's energy secretary. Fleischaker helped develop Henry's plan to spend $40 million over the next four years to develop the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center to study and develop biomass feedstocks, like perennial prairie grass that is native to Oklahoma, and create a commercial bioenergy industry in the state. The proposal could provide a significant economic boost to farmers and ranchers in rural Oklahoma, Fleischaker said.

In announcing the plan, Henry said renewable energy was a national security issue because 60 percent of the nation's oil supply comes from foreign countries, many of which are openly hostile to the U.S.  Separate legislation filed in the Oklahoma House would offer tax credits to encourage Oklahomans to buy solar or wind power generators for their homes and businesses.  "In addition to oil and gas, among our natural resources is a plentiful supply of wind and sun," said Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, author of the tax credit bill.  "In the future perhaps we can have another energy boom," Terrill said. 

Renewable energy is not a new concept in the state. Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co.'s wind power program is one of the largest in the country with 50 megawatts of power, according to the company's Web site. This year, OG&E plans to have 170 megawatts of electricity generated by wind -- enough electricity to power about 51,000 homes. 

Bergey said sales at Bergey Windpower, founded almost 30 years ago, have doubled in the past six months as the company enjoys wind power's status as the world's fastest growing energy source. The company produces 1 kilowatt and 10 kilowatt wind power turbines and has sold them to consumers in all 50 states and more than 80 foreign countries. 

"Oklahoma has a huge role to play nationally in terms of advancing alternative energy technologies," Terrill said. "These are homegrown technologies. We ought to be in the business of creating jobs for homegrown industries." 

Research is under way at universities and research institutions in Oklahoma to develop biofuel feedstocks and ways to convert them into usable transportation fuels, Fleischaker said. The U.S. consumes over 210 billion gallons of transportation fuel a year, including gasoline and diesel fuel. Fleischaker said the national goal is to substitute 65 billion gallons of biofuels, particularly ethanol, by the year 2030.  Researchers are concentrating on a genetically improved variety of perennial switchgrass as a dedicated energy crop. Natural and abundant in Oklahoma, switchgrass is drought resistant, requires little fertilization and would be less expensive to grow than other bioenergy crops like corn, Fleischaker said. 

"Switchgrass has all the attributes that you're looking for," he said.  Also needed is a way to harvest and transport the crop to refineries. "We don't have that. And there hasn't been much work on that," he said. 

Transportation methods may include reducing biomass material to a slurry or powder and transporting it by pipeline to refineries. 

At the refinery, the material would be converted to simple sugars and exposed to enzymes and microbes to create ethanol.  Oklahoma is not the only state working to develop a biofuels industry. Last month, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed spending $73 million to develop alternative fuels. Anchored by a $40 million pilot plant for making biomass ethanol from switchgrass, the plan could generate 4,000 new jobs in rural communities and $100 million in new farm revenue.  Source: TIM TALLEY, Associated Press, 2/11/2007.

Tax Breaks Approved for Wind Power Developer

That chilly arctic wind that has people cringing and shivering this week could be warming homes and delivering hot water in Western Massachusetts in future years, with the help of Gov. Deval L. Patrick, who approved local tax breaks for what would be the state's largest wind project.  The legislation will allow the small towns of Florida and Monroe to exempt the project developer, PPM Energy, from local property taxes on the 1,500 acres that will be used for 20 large wind turbines planned along the ridge lines of Bakke Mountain and Crum Hill near the Vermont border.  The bill will allow the towns to negotiate payments in lieu of taxes with the developer.  

The project, in the planning stages for several years, initially was expected to be built in 2004, but has been delayed by complicated environmental and financing issues.  Last year the project was sold by the original developer to PPM Energy, which is a well-established wind farm operator with many larger projects in other parts of the country.  It would generate enough electricity for almost 10,000 homes, but would be very visible with 340-foot-high turbines perched on elevated sections of the hillsides and rising far above the tree lines.

The legislation for the local property tax exemption was approved by the House and Senate at the end of last year, but did not get to the Gov. Mitt Romney's desk in time for a standard review by the governor's office before his term ended Jan. 2. That left the legislation to lapse unsigned by Mr. Romney into a pocket veto, meaning it would have to be re-filed and reconsidered by the Legislature.

Both chambers however made quick work of the bill during its initial informal sessions last month, including it in a group of other minor bills that were among the first to make it to Mr. Patrick's desk.  Mr. Patrick, who promised to try to make Massachusetts a leader in alternative energy technology during his campaign and was the first candidate for governor to back the controversial Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, signed the bill for the Berkshire project with little ceremony and no public announcement. 

While both host communities endorsed the Hoosac Wind farm, it has struggled getting to the construction phase, with financing plans and environmental hurdles. Besides the impact on the treasured Berkshire scenery, the project has raised concerns among some environmental groups over the construction of four miles of roads needed to access the facilities.  Renewable energy surcharges on most electric bills in the state that go into the state's Renewable Energy Trust are helping finance the project.

The Trust has awarded the project $17,075,000 in guarantees for renewable energy certificates the facility will generate, which ensure a floor price and a market for those certificates if the developer is unable to sell them on the open market. That will help ensure the project is able to secure financing.

Warren Leon, director of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, said the local tax measure will help advance the project, which is ready for construction once a pending legal challenge to state permits for the wind farm is resolved. Initially the project was planned for construction in 2004, but the permitting issues have held up the schedule. Once approved, construction is expected to take six months.  Mr. Leon said while some opposition to the project is rooted in concerns about the general idea of installing large wind turbines along the elevated sections of the Berkshires, some people, he said, "don't believe building wind turbines in the Berkshires is a good idea."    "One of the important things about getting a project like this up sooner than later is giving people an opportunity to see what a significant wind project looks like, so they can make informed decisions in the future," he said.

Quick action on the bill by the Legislature and Mr. Patrick, he said, sends a message to alternative energy developers that the state is welcoming their business. "It's a good sign that the governor is going to act promptly and strongly to support renewable energy," Mr. Leon said.  By John J. Monahan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF, - Source: By John J. Monahan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF, 2/10/2007.

Braley Introduces Renewable Energy Education Bill

Community colleges would receive funding for programs that promote training in bioenergy and renewable fuels under legislation introduced Wednesday by Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa.  The National Endowment for Workforce Education in Renewables and Agriculture, or NEW ERA, Act would give the U.S. Department of Agriculture oversight of the program. It's designed to give community colleges funding for programs that help prepare people for careers in the renewable energy industry.  "It combines two of my principal areas of interest in my district -- education and agriculture," Braley said on Wednesday. "This bill combines the strong move toward renewable fuels with our need to provide greater funding and opportunities to our community colleges."

If Braley's legislation becomes law, the USDA would determine funding for the program through Congressional appropriations. According to the bill, Iowa and other Midwestern states specified by the Secretary of Agriculture would benefit from the funding.  Braley said that increased attention toward renewable fuels and bioenergy could help prepare people for "the jobs of tomorrow."  Braley said the legislation had developed from contacts with community colleges in Iowa.  "I think that what has happened is that there's been such an explosion in the development of our schools who felt there was an unmet need," he said.  The NEW ERA act is the first piece of legislation Braley has introduced since being elected in November. Aides said he chose the legislation as his first bill because it encompassed issues he is passionate about, and because he believes renewable energy will be an important part of the future of Iowa's economy.  Source: Sioux City Journal, 2/13/2007.

Richardson, Power Companies Agree on Need for More Clean Energy

Turn on a light in your house, and on the other end of the electric line, more often than not, coal is burning.  While not as obvious as smoke spewing from an old car or bus, electric power generation is one of the major contributors to America's carbon emissions, and hence to global warming.  That's the motivation for a new trend in energy policy across the country: requiring electric utilities to sell "clean power" -- power derived from renewable resources such as wind or sunlight -- to their customers.  New Mexico is already on the bandwagon, requiring such big utilities as Public Service Company of New Mexico to sell 5 percent renewable power starting last year. The amount rises to 10 percent by 2011.

Gov. Bill Richardson, however, wants more. A bill he's hoping to get through the Legislature calls for the number to rise steadily before topping out at 25 percent in 2021. Smaller utilities and rural electric cooperatives are also included in the legislation, with their quota jumping to 5 percent by 2015 to 10 percent by 2020. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have renewable energy standards, with California leading the way. Such quotas are meant to unleash the free market, as entrepreneurs looking to develop a wind farm or a solar array suddenly have customers.  Power companies can also do their own projects. One solar array built by PNM as a demonstration project sits next to I-25 in Algodones, north of Albuquerque. It generates about 40,000 kilowatt hours per year, enough to power several homes.

For all the regulation, the idea of imposing percentages on electric companies doesn't seem to have generated any organized opposition.  "We're in support of it," said Keven Groenewold, the general manager of New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperatives, an association of small power companies around the state.

Larger utilities seem supportive as well. PNM declined to comment at length for this story, citing a need to wait and see a more final version of the legislation. But spokeswoman Susan Sponar said that, in general, "PNM does support legislation that encourages the development and use of renewable energy sources, clean energy and energy efficiency."

Besides clamping down on global warming, communities around the state could get jobs out of the deal, as solar panels and biomass plants are constructed and maintained, said Luis Reyes, the CEO of Kit Carson Electric in Taos.  Ratepayers may not even notice the increase, Reyes said. The laws would allow him to boost rates by 1 percent to pay for the extra renewable capacity, but last year his regular power supplier raised rates by 13 percent.  Especially in the long term, Reyes said, renewable power may be as cost-effective as it is environmentally friendly.  "As you gain economies of scale and the technology starts to catch up, I think renewable resources are going to be very competitive with fossil fuels," he said.  "Wind is a technology that can compete head-to-head with fossil fuels right now."  

New Mexico is in a good position to capitalize on both wind and solar. Sun is in plentiful supply, and wind is a constant fact of life on the eastern plains.  Richardson is so confident in New Mexico's potential to generate renewable power that he's pushing a companion proposal that would encourage the development of a clean-power export business.  Under the plan, the state would create a power transmission authority to act as a sort of coordinator and possibly builder of new power lines. The lines would deliver the juice to the West Coast and create industry here.  Source: By Peter Rice (Contact), 2/12/2007.

Turbine Plant Gone With the Wind

Wind-turbine giant Vestas Wind Systems is poised to announce the selection of Colorado to build the company's first U.S. manufacturing plant, dashing any remaining hope that Portland might get the nod for a multimillion dollar facility likely to employ more than 500 workers.  Four years ago, Portland was considered the front-runner for Vestas' North American plant, but an industry retrenchment prompted the Denmark-based company to scrap its expansion plans. The company did, however, establish its U.S. headquarters in Portland and employs about 200 people in offices along Southwest Naito Parkway.  The apparent winner this time around is Windsor, Colo., north of Denver. Vestas has its eyes on a 100-acre site in an industrial park just east of Windsor and has been in talks with landowner The Broe Group for months. The company manufactures blades and other turbine parts used in wind farms, a rapidly growing sector of the power industry.  Vestas officials declined to say whether Windsor is the chosen site. They acknowledged only that an announcement will be made soon, perhaps within days.  Source:  The Oregonian, via Energy Central Daily, 2/13/2007.

For more information on marketing and research go to: http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/

Grants, RFPs & Other Funding News

For more information on funding solicitations go to: http://www.repartners.org/grants.htm