Energy Services Bulletin, February 2005

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• Approvals keep Nebraska’s largest wind farm on track
  
• New NREL Director Dan E. Arvizu announced
  
• Basalt, Colo., teacher honored for renewable energy efforts
  
• New degree trains graduates for renewable energy careers
  
• Study claims available technologies could reduce greenhouse gases
  
  

Approvals keep Nebraska’s largest wind farm on track

The 60-megawatt wind powerplant Nebraska Public Power District is building six miles south of Ainsworth is moving steadily toward its commssioning date in summer 2005, thanks to a string of approvals from utility and regulatory boards.

RES America Construction of Texas won the contract to install the facility in August 2004. Later in the month, the Nebraska Power Review Board approved NPPD’s application to build 32 MW of wind generation for itself and conditional approval for another 28 MW, once the utility has completed agreements with other participants.

NPPD is finalizing agreements with Jacksonville, Fla., Electric Authority for 10 MW; Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska for seven MW; the city of Grand Island, Neb., for one MW and Omaha Public Power District for 10 MW. OPPD voted to become a participant in October 2004.

New NREL Director Dan E. Arvizu announced

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced the appointment of Dr. Dan E. Arvizu as the new director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The former senior vice president and chief technology officer for CH2M Hill succeeds Vice Admiral Richard H. Truly whose retirement was announced last June. Dr. Arvizu's appointment was effective Jan. 15.

Midwest Research Institute also appointed Dr. Arvizu senior vice president. MRI, headquartered in Kansas City, has operated and managed NREL for the U.S. Department of Energy since the NREL facility opened in 1977. Battelle teamed with MRI in 1998 to manage and operate NREL through an integrated subcontract agreement.

 

Basalt, Colo., teacher honored for renewable energy efforts

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Office of Education Programs presented Jane Douglass, a sixth-grade math teacher at Basalt Middle School, with its first Renewable Energy Teacher Award.

Douglass established the Solar Club for students to learn about the benefits of renewable energy and lead the charge to install a one-kW solar array on the school roof. Students demonstrated the power of learning by helping to install the PV system last April.

Solar Energy International nominated Douglass for the Renewable Energy Teacher Award. She worked with SEI to design the system and also raised $13,000 in local grant money to help buy the panels and data monitoring equipment for the school.

The award was presented at the Colorado Science Teachers Convention Dinner in November. NREL brought its Renewable Energy & Efficiency Education on Wheels vehicle to the convention. RnE2EW is an educational outreach display that brings renewable energy and energy efficiency education programs and information to teachers, students and consumers at schools, special events and public venues.

NREL's Office of Education Programs develops and implements energy science programs, cultivates partnerships with schools and community organizations and offers teachers additional classroom science applications and technical content.

New degree trains graduates for renewable energy careers

Oregon Institute of Technology in Portland, Ore., will offer a bachelor’s degree in renewable energy systems beginning in the winter 2005 term.
The program was recently approved by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, and is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. It is intended to address the issue of sustainability in a substantive way.

According to Program Director John Yarbrough, the degree is built on a solid foundation in physics, chemistry, mathematics and communications, as well as mechanical and electrical engineering principles. The mechanical and electrical course work leads to classes on energy systems, heat pump systems, photovoltaics, energy management and auditing, wind and bio-mass, renewable energy transportation systems, zero net energy buildings and fuel cells.

Part of OIT's Oregon Renewable Energy Center, the program will be delivered in Portland in collaboration with Clackamas Community College. CCC has a longstanding relationship with OIT in sharing an educational facility, OIT's Portland Metro Center.

Study claims available technologies could reduce greenhouse gases

In a report published in the Aug. 13 issue of Science, Princeton University scientists Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow show how 15 technologies ranging from wind, solar and nuclear energy to conservation could prevent one billion tons of carbon emissions per year by 2054. The research counters the common argument that a major new technology would have to be developed to control greenhouse gases.

The report identifies opportunities and difficulties associated with each option and compares alternative combinations of the various technologies. Although the study did not examine the cost of scaling up each technology, the authors point out that implementing the measures would likely generate economic benefits.

The Princeton Environmental Institute funded Pacala and Socolow’s research as part of the carbon mitigation initiative. BP and Ford Motor Co. are providing the project with $20 million in grants. The researchers will continue their work with more detailed study of the challenges and opportunities the 15 technologies present.