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Green Pricing at Public Utilities
The Public Renewables Partnership, managed by the Center for Resource
Solutions, has recently produced a report entitled: Green Pricing at
Public Utilities: A how-to Guide Based on Lessons Learned to Date. The report
was funded by the U.S. DOE Wind Powering America Program and the U.S. DOE
GeoPowering the West Program through the Western Area Power Administration's
Renewable Resources Program. More than 46 utilities participated
in this project. The report offers public utilities background on lessons
learned from public utilities that have implemented green pricing programs
and offers recommendations to consider when implementing a green pricing program.
To download a free copy of this report, go to: http://resource-solutions.org/pdf/PRP.Green.Pricing.Report.10.29.02.pdf.
To learn more about the Public Renewables Partnership go to: www.resource-solutions.org/prp.htm.
For more information on wind, geothermal and other renewable energy technologies,
go to Western's Renewable Resources Program web site at: http://www.wapa.gov/esresources/.
For more information: http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/ or http://www.nwlink.com/~van/greenlnk.html
Oak Hills, California, Residents Throw Electric Bills to the Wind
Oak Hills resident Joseph Guasti remembers watching his father's face when the blades on his wind turbine blew the numbers on his electric meter backward. The two were timing the meter to see how long it would take to get to zero. After about six or seven minutes, the elder Guasti jumped back and shouted: "Yes! We finally got Edison." "That's a big deal," Guasti said. "His whole life, he's always paid an electric bill. Now he realizes he's not going to pay anymore." Starting earlier this month, a handful of High Desert residents have been able to enjoy cheap if not free electricity thanks to the power of the wind and a recent decision by the Board of Supervisors. By using one of new generation of windmills -- or wind turbines as they're called -- homeowners in breezy areas of the county, such as the High Desert, can generate their own juice and say "No thanks" to Southern California Edison. The downside can be initial cost and installation. Not every homeowner will be able to afford a wind turbine at $20,000 each. But for those who can afford the energy-spewing devices, the bonus is that they essentially pay for themselves in about five years, said Patrick Egle, a planner for the county's Land Use Services department. "I normally use 300 kilowatts (of power) a month," said Phelan resident Romeo Bartholomew, who has owned his wind turbine for three weeks. "I've already accumulated 420 kilowatts, and it's only been three weeks." In response to last summer's energy crisis, the state passed legislation in July to allow counties too loosen height restrictions on wind turbines, Egle said. In October, supervisors voted to allow turbines in some areas to be up to 20 feet higher than it had in the past. The physically higher a turbine, the more efficient it is in converting wind energy into electrical energy, Egle said. In a desert rural location, a wind turbine can be as high as 80 feet on less than 2.5 acres of land, 100 feet on 2.5 to less than 5 acres, and 120 feet on 5 or more acres of land. Egle has been working for about a year on getting the height restrictions loosened in a way that would both benefit the county and turbine owners. Source: Daily Press, Victorville, California, 12/17/2002.
For more information on Renewable Resources go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/repis/
The above information is protected by the copyright laws of the United States.
The copyright laws prohibit any copying, redistributing or retransmitting of any copyright-protected material. Western provides this information to you for educational purposes towards the advancement of green power. To unsubscribe from the Green Power and Market Research News service, send a message to Randy Manion at "Manion@wapa.gov" In the body of the message type "unsubscribe" and "your email address." The mention of any service, product or technology does not constitute an endorsement by Western. Neither Western, the Department of Energy nor the United States Government can be held responsible or liable for use thereof.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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