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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- November 27, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
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Featuring:
*News and Events
Energy Companies Promise $225 Million for Research Project
DOE Gauges Interest in Climate Change Technology Initiative
San Francisco Launches Solar Initiative with 675-kW System
BP Drops Thin-Film Products to Focus on Crystalline Silicon
Casinos Help Bring Six Zero Energy Homes to New Jersey
Geothermal Power Plant in Northern California Gains Approval
New York Provides $250,000 for Energy Efficiency at Brewery
*Site News
Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy
*Energy Facts and Tips
U.S. Solar and Wind Industries Grow as Hydropower Drops
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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Energy Companies Promise $225 Million for Research Project
Four large energy companies announced last week their plan to
contribute up to $225 million over the next ten years to support a
new energy research project managed by Stanford University. The new
Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) will develop innovative
technologies to meet the world's growing energy needs while reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. The GCEP is expecting to receive support
from the ExxonMobil Corporation, the General Electric Company (GE),
Schlumberger Limited, and E.ON, a European energy supplier. Stanford
University expects to perform much of the research, but will also
join with renowned institutions around the world to work with the
sponsoring companies.
The GCEP will identify the most promising technologies for low-
emissions, high-efficiency energy supplies; identify the global
barriers to deploying those technologies; conduct research into
overcoming those barriers; identify potential solutions to the
barriers; and share and publicize its results to a wide audience.
With regard to energy efficiency and renewable energy, the GCEP's
research agenda definitely includes renewable energy technologies,
hydrogen, advanced transportation systems, and power storage and
transmission technologies. However, the agenda also includes
advanced nuclear power technologies, advanced uses of coal, and
carbon sequestration. See the GCEP Web site (particularly the news
release) at: <http://gcep.stanford.edu/>.
As noted in the ExxonMobil press release, "The announcement of the
project comes as some scientists have begun calling for a research
effort as ambitious as the Apollo project to address both energy
needs and emission reductions." See the November 20th press release
from ExxonMobil, as well as the press releases from GE and
Schlumberger, at: <http://www2.exxonmobil.com/corporate/>,
<http://www.ge.com/stories/en/10877.html>, and
<http://www.slb.com/press/newsroom/index.cfm?prid=13901>.
DOE Gauges Interest in Climate Change Technology Initiative
DOE announced last week its intent to launch its own initiative to
address climate change, and is seeking ideas and statements of
interest from those who may wish to participate. Under the National
Climate Change Technology Initiative, DOE is considering funding
research that could yield reductions or avoidance of greenhouse gas
emissions; greenhouse gas capture and sequestration; capture and
conversion of greenhouse gases to some beneficial use; or enhanced
monitoring and measurement of greenhouse gas emissions, inventories,
and fluxes. For now, DOE is just seeking outlines of ideas,
concepts, technologies, or technical approaches that could meet the
President's climate change goals, but if the initiative is pursued,
it will involve a competitive solicitation involving the award of
tens of millions of dollars over multiple years. See the DOE
press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/novpr/pr02245.htm>.
According to a letter sent in early September to President Bush by
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Secretary of Commerce Donald
Evans, the high-priority items now being pursued by the initiative
include hydrogen-based energy systems, biofuels, low-speed wind
turbines, zero energy buildings, carbon sequestration, forest
management, and agricultural land management. In a separate effort,
the agencies are also aggressively pursing improvements in the
Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases program. See the letter on
the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Web site at:
<http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/climateletter.htm>.
As explained in that letter, the National Climate Change Technology
Initiative is one tine of a three-pronged U.S. strategy to address
climate change, the other two tines being the Climate Change
Research Initiative and increased international cooperation on
climate change and clean energy technologies. One result of that
strategy is a new draft strategic plan for the U.S. Climate Change
Science Program, which combines the new Climate Change Research
Initiative with the ongoing activities of the U.S. Global Change
Research Program. Along with continued inquiries into the science of
climate change, the program aims to develop decision support tools
that include detailed analyses of projected environmental, economic,
and energy system outcomes of various scenarios for the future. The
program is accepting public comments on the strategic plan until
January 13th and is holding a public workshop in Washington, D.C.,
in early December. See the draft strategic plan at:
<http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/default.htm>.
San Francisco Launches Solar Initiative with 675-kW System
The City of San Francisco awarded the first contract under its
voter-approved solar bond initiative last week. PowerLight
Corporation will install a 675-kilowatt solar power system on the
roof of the city's Moscone Center, a convention center, to generate
about 825 megawatt-hours of electricity each year. In addition,
energy efficiency improvements will save about 4,500 megawatt-hours
of electricity annually.
A year ago, San Francisco voters approved Proposition B, which
authorized the city to issue up to $100 million in revenue bonds to
finance renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in city- and
county-owned buildings. Voters also approved Proposition H, which
enables the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to issue revenue
bonds to support renewable energy and energy efficiency developments
in city, commercial, and residential buildings. See the November 7,
2001, edition of EREN Network News at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/archives/2001/nov07_01.html>.
Last week's announcement benefited from some celebrity appeal:
Singer Bonnie Raitt joined Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. and
representatives of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
(SFPUC) on the podium. See the November 22nd press release on the
SFPUC Web site at: <http://sfwater.org/main.cfm/MC_ID/4/MSC_ID/9>.
Anyone wishing to add solar power to a building might want to visit
the redesigned "Photovoltaics for Buildings" Web site, provided by
DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The new, beefier site
provides information on using solar power in homes and commercial
buildings and provides examples through its "feature projects." See
the revised Web site at: <http://www.nrel.gov/buildings/pv/>.
BP Drops Thin-Film Products to Focus on Crystalline Silicon
BP Solar announced last week that it is halting production of its
thin-film solar products in favor of its more traditional solar cell
technologies based on crystalline silicon. BP Solar will stop thin-
film manufacturing at the company's Fairfield, California, facility
and convert it into a warehouse, distribution center, and the base
for the company's West Coast sales and marketing efforts. The
company will also close its Toana, Virginia, manufacturing plant if
a buyer cannot be found by the end of this year, and an associated
technology center will close immediately.
If both plants close, 260 workers will lose their jobs.
BP Solar cited a lack of demand and unfavorable economics as its
reasons for retreating from thin-film technologies, although the
company expects to continue growing its sales at 30 percent per year
through expansion of its crystalline silicon market. Crystalline
silicon currently represents more than 85 percent of BP Solar's
global production capacity for solar products. To grow its business,
the company plans to launch a new sales and marketing initiative in
California in January 2003. See the BP Solar press release at:
<http://www.bpsolar.com/DisplayNews.cfm?id=50>.
Ironically, BP was one of four organizations honored with the 2002
Awards for Solar Business Achievement in mid-November. The Solar
Electric Power Association (SEPA) bestowed the honor on BP Solar in
part because it "continues to seek out innovative uses for
photovoltaics," including the use of its thin-film solar panels on
many of its service stations. SEPA also presented awards to
Commonwealth Edison, the City of Palo Alto Utilities, and the
partnership between Tucson Electric Power and the City of Tucson.
See the SEPA press release at:
<http://www.solarelectricpower.org/press_room/sepa_press_releases.cfm>
Casinos Help Bring Six Zero Energy Homes to New Jersey
Six energy-efficient, solar-powered homes are about to be built in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, thanks primarily to gambling revenues.
The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority announced on Monday
that six homes in the Millennia Square neighborhood, developed by
the authority, will "approach a zero net utility cost to
homeowners." The authority was established by the state in 1984 to
funnel a portion of gambling revenues into projects that revitalize
Atlantic City and other parts of the state.
The six Cape Cod-style homes will each have two baths and three to
four bedrooms. The project is being supported in part by the DOE
State Energy Program's "Zero Energy Home" grant program and the New
Jersey Clean Energy Program. Construction will begin by year-end.
See the press release from the Casino Reinvestment Development
Authority at: <http://www.njcrda.com/news_milennia.html>.
Energy-saving building technologies are gaining favor in the
construction industry. One sign of this growing acceptance are the
"Best Practice" Sustainability Awards, presented by the Sustainable
Buildings Industry Council (SBIC). This year's awards, announced
last week, went to the Cool Metal Roofing Coalition; Sun Plans,
Inc., which markets designs for passive solar houses; Rural
Advancement Foundation International - USA, which built an energy-
efficient office building for its headquarters; and the Center for
Energy Research/Education/Service at Ball State University in
Indiana, which offers interdisciplinary education in energy and
resource use, alternatives, and conservation. See the SBIC press
release, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.sbicouncil.org/about/BP_Award_Winners_2002.pdf>.
Geothermal Power Plant in Northern California Gains Approval
The U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service gave
their approval yesterday for the development of a 48-megawatt
geothermal power plant in Siskiyou County, California, near the
state's northern border. Calpine Corporation will develop the plant,
to be located at Telephone Flat, near Medicine Lake in the Modoc
National Forest. To connect the plant to the power transmission
system, Calpine will also build a 13-mile transmission line. The
route for that line was modified to avoid an area of the Medicine
Lake Highlands designated as a Traditional Cultural District and
considered sacred to local Indian tribes. See the Department of
Interior press release at: <http://www.doi.gov/news/021126a.htm>.
Proposed development of the site dates back to 1997, when CalEnergy
Corporation submitted an application, which was ultimately rejected
in May 2000. Calpine later acquired CalEnergy, which had filed a
lawsuit to continue the project. In April 2002, Calpine and the
U.S. government agreed to stay the litigation and reassess the
decision, which led to final approval of the project. See the Record
of Decision, in PDF format only, on the California Bureau of Land
Management Web site at:
<http://www.ca.blm.gov/news/pdfs/medlake/TelephoneFlatROD_1.pdf>.
Geothermal development in the Medicine Lake area continues to be
controversial with local Indian tribes. In late September, the
International Indian Treaty Council adopted a resolution that
opposed geothermal development in the area. See the resolution at:
<http://www.treatycouncil.org/new_page_571111121.htm>.
DOE and the Interior Department are trying to increase production of
renewable energy on federal lands in support of the President's
National Energy Policy. Working in an interagency task force that
included the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Defense
Department, the two agencies produced a report in August that
recommends updated geothermal resource mapping, promotion of
increased geothermal energy production, and an expedited review of
geothermal lease applications. DOE also committed to updating its
Wind Energy Resource Atlas, and the Interior Department plans to
establish a biomass production initiative. The Bush Administration
is also considering an Executive Order to increase renewable energy
production on federal lands. See the "White House Report in Response
to the National Energy Policy Recommendations to Increase Renewable
Energy Production on Federal Lands," a 3.8 MB document available in
PDF format only, on the Interior Department Web site at:
<http://www.doi.gov/news/pdf/FinalWhiteHouseReportwithAppendicies.pdf>
New York Provides $250,000 for Energy Efficiency at Brewery
The Anheuser-Busch brewery in Baldwinsville, New York, will install
new heat recovery equipment that should save the company more than
$550,000 each year in energy costs, thanks to state incentives. The
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
is providing a $250,000 cash incentive to the brewery in support of
its $1 million project. The project will use an innovative
configuration and underutilized heat recovery technology to recover
25 percent more waste energy from the brewery's four boilers than is
currently recovered. The new equipment should be installed by fall
2003. Located just outside of Syracuse, the brewery produces about
8 million barrels of beer each year. See the NYSERDA press release
at: <http://www.nyserda.org/press/2002/nov19_02.html>.
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SITE NEWS
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Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy
<http://www.unr.edu/geothermal/index.html>
The Great Basin Center at the University of Nevada conducts research
and development in geothermal energy. Its Web site provides
information on current projects and its center resources.
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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U.S. Solar and Wind Industries Grow as Hydropower Drops
The U.S. solar and wind energy industry had banner years in 2001,
but you wouldn't know it by looking at the numbers for overall
renewable energy use. According to DOE's Energy Information
Administration (EIA), a 23 percent drop in production from
hydropower caused the total U.S. consumption of renewable energy to
drop by about 12 percent, providing only about 6 percent of the
country's energy needs. Surprisingly, consumption of most other
renewable energy sources also declined, and only wind power managed
to show a 3.5 percent increase. Total renewable energy generating
capacity grew by about 2 percent -- 1,803 megawatts -- thanks
largely to new wind generation capacity.
But despite those largely discouraging figures, the U.S. solar
energy industry was booming. Shipments of solar thermal collectors
-- mainly for residential pool heating -- increased 34 percent over
shipments in 2000. Domestic shipments of photovoltaic systems shot
up 80 percent, while exports declined about 10 percent, yielding an
overall 11 percent growth in the industry. Shipments of thin-film
solar modules showed the greatest increase, totaling 13 peak
megawatts of capacity, compared to less than 4 peak megawatts
shipped in previous years.
One discouraging note for the U.S. industry: shipments of geothermal
heat pumps dropped by 15 percent, to less than 36,000 units. See the
EIA press release, which links to the full report, at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/press/press202.html>.
While the U.S. solar energy industry is doing well, the worldwide
solar power industry also appears to be booming, according to a
report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) back in
August. The report shows a 35 percent increase in installed
photovoltaic capacity throughout the world in 2001, falling just
short of 1000 megawatts of peak capacity. Annual production of solar
modules increased more than six-fold since 1993, to a production
total of 319 megawatts of peak capacity in 2001. Contrary to recent
reports from some companies, the IEA report concludes that solar
power capacity remains at only 60 percent of the market capacity.
See the IEA report, available as a 5-MB file in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.oja-services.nl/iea-pvps/products/download/rep1_11.pdf>.
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/subscribe/>.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
home page is located at <http://www.eren.doe.gov/>.
If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....
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A fortnightly electronic news bulletin from the Centre for Science and
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interested in environmental issues. If you wish to unsubscribe, please
scroll down to the bottom of this page for more information.
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What's New at CSE?
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LATEST FROM DOWN TO EARTH MAGAZINE
CoP-8: NOTHING'S BREWING
For a fortnight, 1,456 delegates from 167 countries sat in conference
halls, attended plenary sessions and roundtables, and sized each other
up over a cup of coffee. In the end, CoP-8 didn't witness any
scintillating intellectual and moral leadership from a host that often
likes to portray itself as a leader among developing nations. It could
well be said that India passed over a historical moment.
Read the complete cover story:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=1
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ALSO IN DOWN TO EARTH MAGAZINE:
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CONSIGNED TO FLAMES
"Abandon all hope, all ye who enter" This inscription that marks the
gates of hell in Dante’s Inferno could well be true for Jharia town in
Jharkhand. The underground fires that have been raging for several
decades in the coalfields here are now beginning to engulf its thickly
inhabited areas. And for the local people -- trapped between
officialdom and realpolitik -- mere existence now means hell on earth...
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=2 NOTE: For 'Down
To Earth' magazine subscribers only
-------------------------------------------------
>From the DTE Editor’s Desk:
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AFTER OFFICIALDOM
I would love to write a handbook on the Indian bureaucracy. But for
now let me focus on a favourite, the yes-minister technique. Do
nothing, and then when pushed, unleash chaos. Nothing succeeds as
much as failure. Every solution has a problem.
Take the issue of encroachments in forests. The Supreme Court (SC)
is listening to a case on forests and has directed for strong action on
illegal timber smuggling, cutting trees and mining in forest areas. The
court has also appointed a committee of experts to advice it in the
matter -- stocked, unfortunately, with the forest bureaucracy species. In
late 2001, amicus curiae -- friend of the court - filed the committee's
recommendation, arguing that forest encroachments were growing,
and asked to direct state governments to take steps and clear
encroachments which had occurred after 1980 (the year the Forest
Conservation Act was enacted, taking away state government power to
regularise encroachments). Listening to the matter, in early 2002, the
court simply directed state governments to report on the actions taken,
and passed an interim stay on regularisation without the permission of
the court. In so doing, the SC effectively took away powers from the
Central government on this issue.
So what does the forest bureaucracy do? Note that the court's advisers
are also officials in the Union ministry of environment and forests
(MoEF). In May 2002, the bureaucracy issues a directive, clearly
misusing the Supreme Court's authority - it glibly says that the court is
concerned with this "pernicious practice" of encroachments. It
demands that all encroachments, that do not qualify for regularisation
under a specific guideline issued by the ministry as early as 1990,
should be summarily evicted, not later than September 30, 2002.
Amazing. These guidelines were the very ones this ministry had issued
way back in 1990. Why on earth had it waited till 2002 for the
notification to be adhered to? The notification deadline has been
breached for the past 12 years; so why did the new deadline have to
be a draconian four-month one? All of us knew what would happen
next. Utter state mayhem. State governments instantly issued orders to
evict thousands and thousands of families living on forest fringes.
Harassment of the poor, the weaker and the most defenceless. Easy
targets. Good game.
This isn't a new problem. It has festered away in the backyards of all
government departments for the last 30-40 years. These very agencies
estimate that about 0.26 million ha of forest land was diverted between
1950 and 1980 to settle people. Another 0.27 million ha, so-called
encroached before 1980, has been sent to the Central government to
regularise. The latter's hung fire; decision has been pending for the last
20 years. In the meantime, more occupations occurred. The situation
is such that everyone agrees encroachments made after 1980 should
be removed. But nobody knows how to identify who occupied before,
and who after. Nobody even knows who an occupier is. This is
because the land records are completely lousy. The rights of
thousands living in these areas are not recorded, and today they are
called encroachers in their own homes. So, they will be evicted and
forced to scrounge off the land outside the forest fringe -- making their
way into the "protected" land again. Truly brilliant policy-making.
How is this issue to be addressed? In 1990, the MoEF had issued a
series of circulars, with specific instructions on how state governments
should review disputes over forest lands, settle claims and resolve
conflicts. Nothing happened. Perhaps it is time to take up these
circulars again. But that would mean careful and sensitive review,
scrutiny and resolution of each case.
I suggest we also change mindsets, so that what is illegal becomes
legal. Let me explain. First, the real encroachers -- big, powerful and
with political lineage -- must be hauled up and smashed. Then begin to
look at the forest-settlers in a new light: not as forest encroachers or
destroyers, but as protectors. What is illegal will become legal. This
does not mean that forest land is distributed away -- that's something
our politicians have been doing, in any case. What it means is that we
find a way to protect our last remaining commons. It needs redrawing
the forest boundaries so that each village, every settlement is given its
share of forests. What we need is not summary eviction, or a re-
settlement policy. What we need is a real forest settlement policy.
Settle the forests with the people. The matter, I promise, will be settled.
Then we need ways to ensure that these forests are best protected as
forests, and not as desperately poor cultivated lands. For this we will
need serious efforts to build viable forest economies. Of course, we
need ways to make sure that further encroachments are stopped. One
case where encroachments of public lands were vacated and never
occurred again is in Seed, where the village community is in charge of
village records and any regularisation of land within the village
boundary, including forest land, must have its permission. Only it can
make the necessary changes in land records. This is crucial.
Encroachments cannot be stopped, unless villagers are given rights
over the corrupt patwari, politician and bureaucrat nexus. Let us be
clear about this.
Decentralisation needs democratisation as well. Not ham-handed
officialdom. Need I say more?
-- Sunita Narain
Read this editorial online:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=3
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News from CSE
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NOV. 8, 2002: DTE WINS ACCOLADES FOR POPULARISING
SCIENCE
The Kolkata-based Indian Science Congress Association has selected
Sunita Narain, editor of Down To Earth magazine -- who is also
director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) -- for the Dr BC
Deb Memorial Award for Popularisation of Science. The award is in
recognition of the unwavering work done by CSE and Down To Earth
magazine in the fields of science, development and sustainability.
More at: http://www.cseindia.org
-------------------------------------------------
ANIL AGARWAL CLEAN AIR MODEL LAUNCH
To celebrate purer air in Delhi and to set the agenda for a cleaner
tomorrow, the Centre for Science and Environment has planned a
special presentation of the Anil Agarwal Clean Air Model on Dec. 3,
2002 at the WWF Auditorium, MaxMueller Marg, Lodi Estate, New
Delhi.
Taking number crunching out of the control of experts and scientists,
this customisable computer model estimates trends in vehicular
emissions load and impact of different policy measures. With this
model, the common person can now assess what it takes to clean up a
city's air.
Special guests to the presentation that starts at 5 p.m. include Justice
BN Kirpal, former Chief Justice of India, Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister
of Delhi and Bhure Lal, Chairperson, Environment Pollution
(Prevention and Control) Authority.
All are invited.
For more information: http://www.cseindia.org
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CNG BUS SAFETY REPORT
How is Delhi -- home to the world’s largest CNG bus fleet -- coping with
the relatively new technology? Read two reports by international CNG
experts.
Download complete expert reports: http://www.cseindia.org
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PRESS BRIEFINGS
NOVEMBER 22, 2002: TRANSLATING HEALTH CONCERNS INTO
AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS
A CSE roundtable provokes a debate on the urgent need for health
assessments to drive government regulations on air pollution.
For this and other CSE press releases, go to: http://www.cseindia.org
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SOUTH ASIAN JOURNALISTS' WORKSHOP
National and international experts will demystify the science and
realpolitik of vehicular air pollution in a workshop for South Asian
journalists in New Delhi in January 2003.
CSE will support the travel and lodging expenses of a few candidates.
More at: http://www.cseindia.org
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NETWORK WITH CSE
In an effort to build communities of interest, CSE maintains a database
of individuals, organisations and institutions interested in a wide array
of environment and development-related issues. Please log on to the
CSE website (http://www.cseindia.org) to include your name and
contact details.
CSE does not share its database of contacts with other organisations,
other than for networking purposes. CSE will not use the addresses for
any commercial purposes.
More at: http://www.cseindia.org
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Pay for the print edition and get complimentary access to DTE
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=================================================
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- December 4, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
http://www.eren.doe.gov/
=================================================
Featuring:
*News and Events
Honda and Toyota Deliver Fuel Cell Cars to California
Coleman Powermate Launches Fuel-Cell-Powered Generator
Nevada Utility Signs Contracts for Wind, Geothermal Power
Report Shows Large Benefits from Energy Star Program
Projects to Produce Energy from Waste are Gaining Momentum
Religious Groups Seek to Make Driving a Moral Issue
*Site News
Fuelcell Propulsion Institute
*Energy Facts and Tips
Renewable Energy Gains Ground as EIA Looks Ahead to 2025
*About this Newsletter
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS AND EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Honda and Toyota Deliver Fuel Cell Cars to California
Honda Motor Company, Ltd. and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. both
delivered their first fuel-cell-powered cars to customers in
California on Monday.
The City of Los Angeles took delivery of a Honda FCX, a hydrogen-
fueled vehicle that seats four, has a range of up to 170 miles, and
performs much like a standard Honda Civic. Air Products and
Chemicals, Inc. will provide the hydrogen fuel and fueling
infrastructure for the city. Los Angeles is leasing the vehicle for
$500 per month and plans to lease four more in 2003. Honda plans to
lease about 30 vehicles in California and Japan in the next two
years, but has no current plans for mass-market sales of fuel cell
vehicles. See the December 2nd press release on the Honda Web site
at: http://www.hondanews.com/forms/events/index.html?kw=fcx .
Meanwhile, Toyota delivered two of its hydrogen-fueled Toyota FCHVs
to the University of California (UC), Irvine and UC Davis. Based on
the Highlander, a mid-sized SUV, the FCHV combines improved
aerodynamics, aluminum components, and a 109-horsepower motor to
achieve excellent acceleration and a range of up to 180 miles. Both
cars are under 30-month leases to the universities, which are
leaders in fuel-cell research. Toyota plans to deliver four more
FCHVs to the universities next year. The company has provided more
than $2 million in research grants to UC campuses over the past five
years, and plans to double that figure over the next three and a
half years. See the December 2nd press release on the Toyota Web
site at: http://www.toyota.com/about/news/index.html#environment .
The combined efforts of Toyota, Honda, the City of Los Angeles, the
California Fuel Cell Partnership, and state organizations like the
California Air Resources Board and South Coast Air Quality
Management Board are leading to the establishment of hydrogen
fueling infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Los
Angeles and Orange counties. According to Toyota, these two "model
communities" will have a network of six refueling stations up and
running within the next six months. Toyota's contribution includes a
new refueling station at Toyota's national headquarters in Torrance,
40 miles northwest of the UC Irvine campus. See the Stuart Energy
press release at:
http://www.stuartenergy.com/news/press_releases/press_dec2.html .
A fuel-cell-powered bus already hit the streets in Southern
California in mid-November. The SunLine Transit Agency, which serves
the Palm Springs area, is operating a 50-foot "ThunderPower" bus,
built through a joint venture of Thor Industries and ISE Research.
The hydrogen-fueled bus draws on a 75-kilowatt fuel cell from UTC
Fuel Cells and is serving a route that will demand 100 miles of
travel each day. UTC is also working with the Northeast Advanced
Vehicle Consortium to develop a 200-kilowatt fuel cell power plant
for buses. See the UTC Fuel Cells press releases at:
http://www.utcfuelcells.com/news/archive/111402.shtml and
http://www.utcfuelcells.com/news/archive/111102.shtml .
The market for fuel cell vehicles has yielded good news for Ballard
Power Corporation in recent weeks. Ballard received a $1.88 million
order for its Mark 902 fuel-cell engines from an undisclosed
automotive company in late November, then signed a three-year supply
agreement with Honda on Monday. And according to a new study from
Allied Business Intelligence (ABI), the Ballard news is part of a
trend: ABI predicts a rapidly growing market that will reach 800,000
fuel cell vehicles worldwide by 2012. See the press releases from
Ballard and ABI, all in PDF format only, at:
http://www.ballard.com/pdfs/27%20New%20Auto.PDF ,
http://www.ballard.com/pdfs/28%20Honda.PDF ,
http://www.alliedworld.com/pdfs/afc02pr.pdf .
Coleman Powermate Launches Fuel-Cell-Powered Generator
Coleman Powermate, a leading producer of portable power systems and
backup power systems, took a major step toward commercializing fuel
cell systems for everyday use yesterday, as it launched a portable
power generator that draws on a fuel cell. The AirGen fuel cell
generator is built around a 1-kilowatt Nexa power module, which uses
a Ballard fuel cell. The generators are now available for online
purchase by industrial users with access to hydrogen cylinders;
Coleman Powermate plans to expand to residential and commercial
markets in the near future. The units sell for $5,995, but the first
50 sold in California will earn a $1,000 rebate, thanks in part to
the California Air Resources Board. See the new AirGen Web site at:
http://www.airgen.com/ .
New Jersey gained a 200-kilowatt fuel cell system in late October. A
$710,000 rebate from the New Jersey Clean Energy Program and a
$200,000 rebate from the U.S. Department of Defense helped make the
installation affordable to Merck & Company, Inc., which will use it
as a supplemental power source. UTC Fuel Cells provided the system.
See the UTC Fuel Cells press release at:
http://www.utcfuelcells.com/news/archive/103002.shtml .
If Allied Business Intelligence (ABI) is right, we won't be
reporting such installations much longer, because there will be too
many of them! According to an ABI study released in late November,
the global generating capacity from fuel cells will grow from
today's 45 megawatts to 16,000 megawatts in 2012 -- more than
350 times today's capacity. See the ABI press release, in PDF format
only, at: http://www.alliedworld.com/pdfs/fcm02pr2.pdf .
Nevada Utility Signs Contracts for Wind, Geothermal Power
Nevada Power Company, the utility for most of southern Nevada,
signed six contracts last week that will add up to 227 megawatts of
renewable generating capacity to the utility's power supply. More
than half of the new generating capacity will come from wind power,
but the remainder will come from geothermal power. The contracts
include two proposed wind plants in Clark County (on the southern
tip, where Las Vegas is located) and one in White Pine County,
located in the central eastern part of the state. The geothermal
contracts are for binary power plants in Washoe, Elko, and Churchill
counties, which stretch across the northern part of the state, as
well as a flash-steam power plant in Churchill County. The contracts
are part of the utility's efforts to meet its mandatory requirement
for renewable power generation, as specified in a recently enacted
state law. See the press release from Nevada Power's parent company,
Sierra Pacific Resources, at:
http://www.sierrapacific.com/news/releases/1038297600.html .
Among the projects covered by the six contracts are the 40-megawatt
Steamboat IV geothermal plant, to be developed by Advanced Thermal
Systems, Inc. (ATS) and mentioned in the November 6th edition of
EREN Network News, and two geothermal facilities producing up to
60 megawatts of power, to be developed by ORMAT Nevada Inc. See the
ATS and ORMAT press releases at:
http://www.advancedthermalsystems.com/112602.htm and
http://www.ormat.com/news_034.htm .
To help the development of renewable energy resources in Nevada, the
state's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) adopted a temporary
regulation on November 20th that will allow energy providers to buy
and sell renewable energy credits. One credit will represent a
kilowatt-hour of electricity generated from renewable power sources.
Energy providers that generate more renewable power than required
can sell the excess credits to other energy providers within the
state. See the Nevada PUC announcement, in PDF format only, at:
http://www.puc.state.nv.us/news/2002/REC%20Program.pdf .
Nevada offers a number of tax exemptions for renewable energy
installations in the state. See the list of incentives on the Nevada
State Office of Energy Web site at:
http://energy.state.nv.us/renewable/incentives.htm .
DOE is also helping to develop renewable energy in Nevada. A
$3.22 million grant for renewable energy research and development
was awarded to the state in late September. The grant was
administered by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and
supported by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
The funding will support nine projects related to solar, wind,
geothermal and fuel cell applications in Nevada. See the
announcement from Governor Kenny Guinn at:
http://gov.state.nv.us/pr/2002/9-27DOE.htm .
Report Shows Large Benefits from Energy Star Program
A report released in late November by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) shows that Americans have achieved
significant energy and environmental benefits through the Energy
Star program and other voluntary programs. Last year alone,
Americans saved more than 80 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity
and avoided using 10,000 megawatts of peak power, the amount of
energy required to power more than 10 million U.S. homes. Through
voluntary efforts, Americans have reduced greenhouse gas emissions
by the equivalent to 38 million metric tons of carbon, which is the
same as taking more than 25 million cars off the nation's roads.
The Energy Star Program is a joint effort of DOE and EPA. More than
750 million Energy Star-labeled products have been purchased to
date, and more than 1,600 builder partners have constructed more
than 57,000 Energy Star-labeled homes, saving homeowners more than
$15 million in energy costs each year. See the EPA press release at:
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/headline2_112102.htm .
The full report, a 4-MB PDF file, is also available on the EPA Web
site at: http://www.epa.gov/cppd/pdf/cpdann01.pdf .
According to a recent survey by Platts Research & Consulting,
63 percent of U.S. residential consumers say they have implemented
energy-efficiency measures in their homes in the past five years.
Breaking the consumers into segments, the survey found that those
interested most in saving money and in convenience were most likely
to take action to save energy. See the Platts press release at:
http://www.platts.com/pressreleases/pressrelease2002-1024.shtml .
But despite such findings, there is still plenty of room for
improvement. A recent study by the Southwest Energy Efficiency
Project (SWEEP), for instance, found that the efficient use of
electricity in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and
Wyoming could reduce those states' total use of electricity by
18 percent by 2010, and 33 percent by 2020. The slower growth in
electrical load due to energy efficiency would avoid the need to
build 34 power plants (each generating 500 megawatts) over the next
18 years. This would also save 25 billion gallons of water per year
by 2010 and nearly 62 billion gallons per year by 2020. See the
SWEEP study, with links to one regional and several state-by-state
press releases, at: http://www.swenergy.org/nml/index.html .
Projects to Produce Energy from Waste are Gaining Momentum
A growing number of projects throughout the United States are
converting waste products into energy using clean, efficient
technologies. The projects are tackling everything from animal
wastes to cooking oil and grease, and are helping to reduce odors,
solid wastes, and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the country.
The use of anaerobic digesters to convert animal wastes into energy
is receiving growing attention. In recent months, Wisconsin's We
Energies began using an anaerobic digester to convert duck manure
into energy; Environmental Power Corporation and Vermont Public
Power Supply Authority began making plans to build anaerobic
digesters to convert dairy farm wastes into energy; and Guepard
Energy Inc. (GEI) signed a power purchase agreement with Southern
California's Imperial Irrigation District for four facilities that
will convert cattle manure and other animal wastes into energy. Each
of the GEI facilities is expected to process 400,000 pounds per day
of animal wastes. See the GEI press release at:
http://www.guepardei.com/pr01.htm .
See the October 10th We Energies press release by selecting "Go to
News Releases" on the We Energies Web site at:
http://www.we-energies.com/media/ .
See the Environmental Power press release on the right-hand column
of the company's home page at:
http://www.environmentalpower.com/index.html .
Two Wisconsin facilities are trying less conventional energy
sources. Thanks to funding from Wisconsin's Focus on Energy program,
so-called "yellow grease" -- used cooking oil and grease -- is being
used to fire an industrial boiler in Park Falls. The project should
save nearly one million gallons of fuel oil each year. And a dairy
farm in Oshkosh is has installed a wood boiler, allowing it to burn
waste wood and bales of hay grass instead of natural gas. See the
November 26th and December 2nd announcements by selecting "press
releases" on the Focus on Energy Web site at:
http://www.wifocusonenergy.com/page.jsp?pageId=2 .
Religious Groups Seek to Make Driving a Moral Issue
We all know that driving a fuel-efficient vehicle, taking public
transportation, joining a carpool, or walking or biking are good
things to do in terms of traffic, air pollution, and U.S. energy
security -- but does that make them the correct moral choice? That
is, is it immoral to drive an inefficient vehicle? Well, according
to a group called the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), the
answer is "yes." The group has launched a campaign aimed chiefly at
Christians and asking, "What Would Jesus Drive?" The group draws on
its faith to argue in favor of fuel efficiency. See the "What Would
Jesus Drive?" Web site at: http://www.whatwouldjesusdrive.org/ .
Expanding the discussion to a wider interfaith group, EEN recently
joined with the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL)
and other religious groups to ask the top three automakers to make
more fuel-efficient vehicles. The groups gathered signatures from
over 100 senior religious leaders from 21 states and delivered them
to Detroit on November 20th. See the COEJL press release at:
http://www.coejl.org/news/20021119_ccc.shtml .
Such involvement of religious groups in energy efficiency and
renewable energy is a relatively recent and growing trend. As
discussed in the August 21st edition of this newsletter, another
recent example is the installation of a solar power system on a new
Los Angeles cathedral. In addition, interfaith groups in California
and Massachusetts have called for congregations to conserve energy
and use energy efficient and renewable energy technologies. See the
article at:
http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/news_detail.cfm?news_id=295 .
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SITE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fuelcell Propulsion Institute
http://www.fuelcellpropulsion.org/index.htm
The Institute -- a consortium of institutes and industries from
around the world -- facilitates the commercialization of fuel cell
vehicles. The Web site features information on its projects and
industry forums, including those concerning metal and coal mining,
agriculture, and railways.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Renewable Energy Gains Ground as EIA Looks Ahead to 2025
The latest projections for U.S. energy use from DOE's Energy
Information Administration (EIA) present a much more favorable
projection of renewable energy use than last year's report. EIA now
predicts that electricity production from renewable energy sources
will grow 2.1 percent per year through 2025; last year's report
expected only a 1.3 percent annual growth through 2020. The result
is that renewable sources will generate 495 billion kilowatt-hours
of electricity in 2025, or about 9 percent of all power generation.
The projected declines in energy intensity -- the amount of energy
used per dollar of gross domestic product -- remain the same as last
year's projections, dropping 1.5 percent per year, and the total
projected energy use remains roughly the same. But with a dropping
market share for power production from coal, natural gas demand is
projected to grow by 54 percent by 2025. To meet that demand, EIA
projects increased natural gas production in the Rocky Mountains
from unconventional sources such as coalbed methane, construction of
an Alaskan natural gas pipeline, and expanded U.S. facilities for
importing liquefied natural gas (LNG).
But despite all efforts to draw on natural gas, renewable sources,
and energy efficiency, the EIA report projects that U.S. dependence
on oil imports will increase. Imports currently provide 55 percent
of U.S. petroleum demand; by 2025, the country will depend on
imports for 68 percent of its petroleum needs. See the EIA press
release, with a link to the full report, at:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/press/press201.html .
For comparison with last year's projections, see the November 21,
2001, edition of EREN Network News at:
http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/archives/2001/nov21_01.html#energy .
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/subscribe/.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
home page is located at http://www.eren.doe.gov/ .
If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....
Many people have an aversion to wind turbines in urban and residential
settings because of aesthetic reasons. Has anyone proposed disguising
wind turbines as kinetic sculpture?
Granted, the efficiencies of these artistic turbines would be much
lower than those of modern conventional designs, but their aestheitc
appeal would make it easier to place them in urban settings. These
turbines would enhance the quality of the space in multiple ways then.
Architects must consider the functionality of their creations; could
we create a generation of artists with that same goal?
So, does anybody here know of examples where a sculpture has been used
to generate energy? I know that turbine designers have tried to
consider appearance by making their nacelles sleak, and by choosing
colors to complement their surroundings, but how about examples where
turbines have been redesigned specifically with aesthetics in mind?
Thanks for any information you can offer.
Mike Binder
Val Bertoia, of Bertoia Studio, was articulating and experimenting with this
concept in the 1980s. www.bertoiastudio.com for contact info. (I have a
plaque awarded by the American Wind Energy Association in 1989 that he
designed and executed).
Tom Gray
Deputy Executive Director/Director of Communications
American Wind Energy Association
PO Box 1008
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-2112 (voice)
(802) 649-2113 (fax)
tomgray@...
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mbinder2003 [mailto:mbinder@...]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 1:21 PM
> To: tomorrow-energy@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [tomorrow-energy] Kinetic Sculpture as Wind Turbine
>
>
> Many people have an aversion to wind turbines in urban and residential
> settings because of aesthetic reasons. Has anyone proposed disguising
> wind turbines as kinetic sculpture?
>
> Granted, the efficiencies of these artistic turbines would be much
> lower than those of modern conventional designs, but their aestheitc
> appeal would make it easier to place them in urban settings. These
> turbines would enhance the quality of the space in multiple ways then.
> Architects must consider the functionality of their creations; could
> we create a generation of artists with that same goal?
>
> So, does anybody here know of examples where a sculpture has been used
> to generate energy? I know that turbine designers have tried to
> consider appearance by making their nacelles sleak, and by choosing
> colors to complement their surroundings, but how about examples where
> turbines have been redesigned specifically with aesthetics in mind?
>
> Thanks for any information you can offer.
>
> Mike Binder
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> To unsubscribe from this e-mail list send a blank e-mail to:
> tomorrow-energy-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> To subscribe this e-mail lisy please send a blank e-mail to:
> tomorrow-energy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> Please visit our home page at:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-energy
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
Thanks for the info. I didn't really see much info about the generators
on the website, but I have sent an e-mail inquiry and hopefully something
will come of that.
Mike
Tom Gray wrote:
Val Bertoia, of Bertoia Studio, was articulating and experimenting
with this
concept in the 1980s. www.bertoiastudio.com for contact info. (I have
a
plaque awarded by the American Wind Energy Association in 1989 that he
designed and executed).
Tom Gray
Deputy Executive Director/Director of Communications
American Wind Energy Association
PO Box 1008
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-2112 (voice)
(802) 649-2113 (fax) tomgray@...
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mbinder2003 [mailto:mbinder@...]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 1:21 PM
> To: tomorrow-energy@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [tomorrow-energy] Kinetic Sculpture as Wind Turbine
>
>
> Many people have an aversion to wind turbines in urban and residential
> settings because of aesthetic reasons. Has anyone proposed disguising
> wind turbines as kinetic sculpture?
>
> Granted, the efficiencies of these artistic turbines would be much
> lower than those of modern conventional designs, but their aestheitc
> appeal would make it easier to place them in urban settings. These
> turbines would enhance the quality of the space in multiple ways then.
> Architects must consider the functionality of their creations; could
> we create a generation of artists with that same goal?
>
> So, does anybody here know of examples where a sculpture has been used
> to generate energy? I know that turbine designers have tried to
> consider appearance by making their nacelles sleak, and by choosing
> colors to complement their surroundings, but how about examples where
> turbines have been redesigned specifically with aesthetics in mind?
>
> Thanks for any information you can offer.
>
> Mike Binder
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> To unsubscribe from this e-mail list send a blank e-mail to:
> tomorrow-energy-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> To subscribe this e-mail lisy please send a blank e-mail to:
> tomorrow-energy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> Please visit our home page at:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-energy
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
Right, no guarantees. Val was interested in this during the 1980s, but I haven't heard from him for a while.
Tom
-----Original Message----- From: Michael Binder [mailto:mbinder@...] Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 4:23 PM To: tomorrow-energy@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [tomorrow-energy] Kinetic Sculpture as Wind Turbine
Tom:
Thanks for the info. I didn't really see much info about the generators on the website, but I have sent an e-mail inquiry and hopefully something will come of that.
Mike
Tom Gray wrote:
Val Bertoia, of Bertoia Studio, was articulating and experimenting with this concept in the 1980s. www.bertoiastudio.com for contact info. (I have a plaque awarded by the American Wind Energy Association in 1989 that he designed and executed).
Tom Gray Deputy Executive Director/Director of Communications American Wind Energy Association PO Box 1008 Norwich, VT 05055 (802) 649-2112 (voice) (802) 649-2113 (fax) tomgray@...
> -----Original Message----- > From: mbinder2003 [mailto:mbinder@...] > Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 1:21 PM > To: tomorrow-energy@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [tomorrow-energy] Kinetic Sculpture as Wind Turbine > > > Many people have an aversion to wind turbines in urban and residential > settings because of aesthetic reasons. Has anyone proposed disguising > wind turbines as kinetic sculpture? > > Granted, the efficiencies of these artistic turbines would be much > lower than those of modern conventional designs, but their aestheitc > appeal would make it easier to place them in urban settings. These > turbines would enhance the quality of the space in multiple ways then. > Architects must consider the functionality of their creations; could > we create a generation of artists with that same goal? > > So, does anybody here know of examples where a sculpture has been used > to generate energy? I know that turbine designers have tried to > consider appearance by making their nacelles sleak, and by choosing > colors to complement their surroundings, but how about examples where > turbines have been redesigned specifically with aesthetics in mind? > > Thanks for any information you can offer. > > Mike Binder > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > To unsubscribe from this e-mail list send a blank e-mail to: > tomorrow-energy-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > To subscribe this e-mail lisy please send a blank e-mail to: > tomorrow-energy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com > > Please visit our home page at: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-energy > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe from this e-mail list send a blank e-mail to: tomorrow-energy-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe this e-mail lisy please send a blank e-mail to: tomorrow-energy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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=================================================
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- December 11, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
=================================================
Featuring:
*News and Events
GE Wind Energy Tests Prototype of 3.6-Megawatt Wind Turbine
Large Wind Power Projects Slated for California, Minnesota
DOE Grant Supports Development of New Products from Corn
DOE Project to Create New Life Form for Hydrogen Production
Two Solar Cell Companies Cut Costs by Making More from Less
Two Groups to Install Superconducting Utility Cables in 2005
*Site News
BetterBricks
*Energy Facts and Tips
IEA Documents Renewable Energy History, Looks Ahead to 2030
*About this Newsletter
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS AND EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GE Wind Energy Tests Prototype of 3.6-Megawatt Wind Turbine
GE Wind Energy, the largest wind turbine company in the United
States, announced yesterday that it is now testing a prototype
3.6-megawatt wind turbine, which will be the world's largest
commercial wind turbine. The wind machine was installed in Spain in
May, connected to the electrical grid in September, and reached its
nominal power output in October. Designed specifically for offshore
wind installations, the wind turbine has a hub height of 75 meters
(246 feet) and a rotor diameter of 104 meters (341 feet). The
prototype, however, was installed on a farm, so it is mounted at a
hub height of 100 meters (328 feet) to account for the higher wind
turbulence over land. The massive turbine is equipped with an
optional internal 40-ton crane that will allow for the exchange of
the rotor blades, gearbox, and generator without using a separate,
external crane. It can also be fitted with a helicopter-hoisting
platform to allow the use of helicopters when working on the
turbine. GE Wind Energy will manufacture the wind turbines in
Germany and the United States once the test period is complete.
See the December 10th press release from GE Wind Energy at:
<http://www.gepower.com/dhtml/wind/en_us/newsroom/pr.jsp>.
Large Wind Power Projects Slated for California, Minnesota
California and Minnesota will gain a total of 200 megawatts of new
wind power capacity, thanks to plans now underway by several firms.
In southwestern Minnesota, PacifiCorp Power Marketing, Inc. (PPM)
will build the 50-megawatt Moraine Wind Power Project using 34 wind
turbines from GE Wind Energy. GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbines,
manufactured in California, are the largest made in the United
States. Xcel Energy will buy all of the power from the wind
facility, which will begin commercial operation in fall 2003. The
project will produce enough electricity to meet the annual needs of
19,000 average U.S. homes. See the GE Wind Energy press release, in
PDF format only, at:
<http://www.gepower.com/corporate/en_us/aboutgeps/releases/112102.pdf>
Minnesota has significant wind energy resources, but they are
concentrated in the southwest corner of the state. See the high-
resolution wind resource maps on the Minnesota State Energy Office
Web site at:
<http://www.commerce.state.mn.us/pages/Energy/ModTech/windmaps.htm>.
PPM, the developer of the Minnesota project, will also buy the
entire output from the 150-megawatt High Winds wind power project,
to be built in northern California by FPL Energy. Vestas Wind
Systems A/S announced on Monday that the project, to be located in
Solano County, will use the company's 1.8-megawatt wind turbines,
the largest wind turbines sold in North America. The High Winds
project is expected to begin operating in summer 2003. See the press
releases from PPM and Vestas at:
<http://www.ppmenergy.com/rel_02.11.21.html> and
<http://www.vestas.dk/nyheder/presse/2002/UK/fond20021209_UK.html>.
A number of smaller wind projects are now underway across the
country: the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) is
installing two 950-kilowatt wind turbines near Rochester (in
southeast Minnesota); the Palmdale Water District in southern
California, just north of Los Angeles, is planning to install a one-
megawatt wind turbine near Lake Palmdale, with assistance from Black
& Veatch Corporation; and Xcel Energy and Cielo Wind Power, LLC are
planning to add two 660-kilowatt wind turbines to the Llano Estacado
Wind Ranch in eastern Curry County, New Mexico. Among recently
completed projects, Basin Electric Power Cooperative helped dedicate
two new 1.3-megawatt wind turbines near Minot, North Dakota, and
Oncor, the energy delivery unit of TXU, completed two transmission
lines that will help deliver West Texas wind power to customers in
North Texas. See the December 3rd press release from SMMPA at:
<http://www.smmpa.com/atsmmpa/news.asp>.
See also the press releases from Black & Veatch, Xcel Energy, Basin
Electric, and TXU, respectively, at:
<http://www.bv.com/bv/palmdale/index.htm>,
<http://www.xcelenergy.com/NewsRelease/newsRelease111702.asp>,
<http://www.basinelectric.com/news/detail.php?id=627>,
<http://www.txu.com/us/newsroom/pressrel/detail.asp?ID=522>.
DOE Grant Supports Development of New Products from Corn
DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) announced on
Monday its receipt of a $2.4 million research grant from DOE for the
development of new products made from corn fiber. PNNL will work
with the National Corn Growers Association and Archer Daniels
Midland Company for the next two and half years, aiming to
economically derive high-value chemicals and oils from corn fiber.
The researchers will start by purifying and characterizing trace
chemicals within the corn fiber, but hope to progress to designing
and constructing a pilot production plant by the end of the project.
See the PNNL press release at:
<http://www.pnl.gov/news/2002/corngrowers.htm>.
DOE supports the development of such "biobased" products -- products
made from plants or other organic material -- because they often
replace materials made from petrochemicals. In the case of corn
fiber, developing a new biobased product market also improves the
economics of using the rest of the corn to produce ethanol. Archer
Daniels Midland, a partner in the project, is a leading producer of
ethanol fuels from corn. For more information, see the Biomass
Research & Development Initiative Web site at:
<http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/default.asp>.
One company is already producing a biobased product from corn -- in
this case, corn starch. Cargill Dow LLC started making commercial-
grade polylactide (PLA), a polymer, from corn starch at a large-
scale manufacturing plant in April. In November, Cargill Dow teamed
with Fountain Set Limited and Amprica S.p.A. to advance the use of
the material in clothing and for packaging foods. See the Cargill
Dow press releases at: <http://www.cdpoly.com/news_archive.asp>.
DOE Project to Create New Life Form for Hydrogen Production
Producing hydrogen from non-petroleum sources is a difficult,
energy-consuming task. Electrolysis -- the process of applying an
electrical current to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen -- is
usually costly and energy-inefficient. In recent years, researchers
have coaxed algae and even spinach extracts into using sunlight to
produce hydrogen, but these processes still have far to go before
they achieve commercial success. Researchers at DOE's National
Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) even managed to use bacteria to
produce a small but constant amount of hydrogen in recent
experiments -- see the NETL announcement at:
<http://www.netl.doe.gov/newsroom/briefs/rb-0005.html>.
Despite these advancements, researchers have yet to develop a
natural process that efficiently and cheaply produces a large
quantity of hydrogen for use as a fuel source. Those researchers
using algae, bacteria, and other natural organisms must sometimes
think that nature itself is falling short. And that's exactly the
assumption taken by a new DOE project, which aims to make nature
just a little bit better. Under the new project, announced in late
November, DOE is providing a three-year, $3 million grant to the
Institute of Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA), which will
develop a synthetic chromosome as the first step in developing cost-
effective and efficient biological sources of energy. The institute
aims to engineer organisms that could generate hydrogen or serve
other purposes, such as carbon sequestration.
The research builds on previous work at The Institute for Genetic
Research, which found a bacterium with a very small number of genes
-- only 517, compared to roughly 30,000 in the human genome. The
institute's research team estimated that the smallest number of
genes needed to sustain the bacterium could be as low as 265. That
led the team to consider creating artificial chromosomes, which in
turn led to the formation of the IBEA. See the IBEA press release
at: <http://www.bioenergyalts.org/news.html>.
For other recent examples of attempts to use organisms to produce
hydrogen, see the February 23, 2000, and August 29, 2001, editions
of EREN Network News at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/archives/2000/feb23_00.html> and
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/archives/2001/aug29_01.html>.
Two Solar Cell Companies Cut Costs by Making More from Less
Two manufacturers of solar cells recently announced advancements
that will yield lower-cost solar cells by squeezing more solar cell
production out of existing equipment and materials.
Evergreen Solar, Inc. found a way to produce two ribbons of silicon
simultaneously in one crystal-growth furnace, potentially doubling
the company's production capacity. Evergreen Solar uses a
proprietary process that avoids sawing silicon blocks, instead
melting the silicon and drawing it out between two strings at high
temperatures to form a ribbon between the strings. The company has
already boosted productivity by making the ribbons 45 percent wider
and increasing the growth rate by 40 percent. The company now hopes
to introduce "double ribbon" production into its furnaces by late
2003. See the December 4th press release by selecting "News" on the
Evergreen Solar home page at: <http://www.evergreensolar.com/>.
A different approach to the same problem is being pursued by Origin
Energy, an Australian company, which is aiming to make inexpensive
solar cells by using less silicon. The company apparently produces
its new "Sliver Cell" by using micromachining technology, rather
than saws, to slice extremely thin slivers of silicon from a block
of silicon. The resulting product is flexible, translucent, and,
according to the company, uses about one-thirtieth the amount of
silicon used in standard crystalline-silicon solar cells. See the
November 28th press release from Origin Energy at:
<http://www.originenergy.com.au/news/news.php?pageid=10>.
"Micromachining" usually refers to various methods of etching
silicon and other materials to create extremely small structures.
Such methods were recently used to produce a motor that could only
be seen under a microscope. However, Oxford Lasers, Inc. uses the
term to refer to laser cutting of silicon and other materials, a
process that appears more applicable to the process of producing
solar cells. See the Oxford Laser fact sheet on laser micromachining
of silicon, available in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.oxfordlasers.com/Industrial/uchi/CSE3SiliconCutting.pdf>.
Two Groups to Install Superconductive Utility Cables in 2005
Two company partnerships recently announced plans to perform
separate tests of high-temperature superconductor (HTS) cables at
two U.S. utilities. Such HTS cables have high current-carrying
capacity and could potentially transmit electricity with higher
energy efficiency. HTS cable could increase the capacity of existing
utility transmission and distribution systems, particularly in
confined urban locations. DOE is contributing to both demonstration
projects.
Intermagnetics General Corporation (IGC) announced in mid-November
that it plans to install a 34.5-kilovolt, three-phase, 350-meter
length of HTS cable in Niagara Mohawk's distribution system in
Albany, New York, in 2005. An IGC subsidiary, SuperPower, Inc., will
collaborate with Japan's Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. on the
installation. The project will originally use cables made with
so-called first generation HTS wire, which is now commercially
available, then replace part of it with higher-efficiency second-
generation HTS wire. SuperPower, Inc. has been manufacturing second-
generation HTS wire at a pilot facility since January 2002. See the
November 12th press release from IGC at:
<http://www.prnewswire.com/micro/imgc>.
Southwire Company followed up last week, announcing that it has
teamed with nkt cables to form a new company named ULTERA. The new
company will install a 300-meter length of cable in American
Electric Power's electricity distribution system in Columbus, Ohio,
also in 2005. Both the SuperPower and ULTERA cables promise cost
savings and ease of operation and maintenance by combining all three
phases into one power cable. See the Southwire press release at:
<http://www.southwire.com/news/120602.htm>.
Another leader in HTS technology, American Superconductor
Corporation, completed the manufacture and testing of the rotor for
the first HTS ship propulsion motor in November. U.K.-based ALSTOM
is building the motor, which will be delivered to the U.S. Navy in
July 2003. The 5-megawatt (or 6,500-horsepower) motor will be just
one-half the size and weight of a conventional motor of the same
power. See the American Superconductor press release, in PDF format
only, at: <http://www.amsuper.com/press/2002/5MWRotor_110402.pdf>.
GE Power Systems and the GE Global Research Center are also entering
the HTS fray by working on a new DOE program to develop an HTS
generator for the power industry. The GE groups will work with the
National Energy Group, American Electric Power, the New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority, and DOE's Oak Ridge and
Los Alamos national laboratories to develop the generator. The
$12.3-million, 3.5-year program is expected to move HTS generator
technology toward full commercialization. See the GE Power Systems
press release, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.gepower.com/corporate/en_us/aboutgeps/releases/102802.pdf>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SITE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BetterBricks
<http://www.betterbricks.com/>
BetterBricks, an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency
Alliance, was established to help commercial building professionals
use energy efficiency as a design tool and financial strategy. Its
Web site features articles on energy effective design and better
building management, as well as success stories, news, and events.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
IEA Documents Renewable Energy History, Looks Ahead to 2030
The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently published two
documents on renewable energy -- one documenting the past, and the
other looking ahead to the future.
IEA's new "Renewable Energy 2002" is IEA's first comprehensive
report on the progress of renewable energy markets in developed
countries. The report examines renewable energy use from 1990 to
2000, and finds that despite a growing use of renewable energy, the
share of energy provided by renewable energy sources stayed fairly
steady over the ten-year span. Overall, renewable energy use
increased by 1.8 percent per year in developed countries, but with
growing energy use, the percentage of total energy produced from
renewable energy sources only increased from 5.9 percent to
6.0 percent. Wind and solar power are growing faster than all other
renewable energy sources, at annual rates of 22.4 percent and 28.9
percent, respectively. Extensive details are provided in the full
166-page report, which the IEA is making available for free. See the
IEA Web site at: <http://www.iea.org/stats/files/renewables.htm>.
IEA also published a much shorter 12-page booklet in November,
presenting the outlook for renewable energy sources through 2030.
The booklet draws on the IEA's "World Energy Outlook 2002" to conclude
that renewable energy's contribution to energy use throughout the
world will drop from 13.8 percent in 2000 to 12.5 percent in 2030.
This is misleading, however, since much of that energy is traditional
uses of biomass (such as wood) for heating and cooking in developing
countries. In developed countries, renewable energy's contribution
is expected to increase to 8 percent of total energy use by 2030.
See the IEA fact sheet, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.iea.org/leaflet.pdf>.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/subscribe/>.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
home page is located at <http://www.eren.doe.gov/>.
If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....
=================================================
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- December 18, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
=================================================
Featuring:
*News and Events
Tucson Electric Power Activates 2.4-Megawatt Solar Array
NHTSA Proposes Increased Fuel Efficiency for Light Trucks
Toyota Advances Fuel Efficiency While Cutting Energy Use
Nissan Unveils Fuel Cell Vehicle; John Deere in Development
New Biodiesel Facility Begins Operation in Iowa
DOE Awards $4.4 Million for Energy-Saving Technologies
Ocean Power Corporation Declares Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
*Site News
New and Renewable Energy Centre
*Energy Facts and Tips
Multi-Colored LEDs Offer Energy Savings for the Holidays
*About this Newsletter
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS AND EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Editor's Note: Last week's EREN Network News was delayed due to
computer problems that were beyond our control. If you failed to
receive last week's issue, see the online version in our archive at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/>.
The EREN Network News will be taking the next two weeks off for the
holidays. We'll return with a New Year's bundle of clean energy news
on January 8th. Until then, we wish all our readers a joyous,
peaceful, and energy-efficient holiday season!
Tucson Electric Power Activates 2.4-Megawatt Solar Array
The Western Hemisphere's largest solar photovoltaic power system is
now pumping out power near Springerville, Arizona. Tucson Electric
Power (TEP) continues to follow through on its plans to expand the
Springerville Generating Station Solar System, which now has a peak
generating capacity of 2.4 megawatts. TEP plans to expand the system
to 4 megawatts by 2004. Currently, the world's largest photovoltaic
system is a 3.3-megawatt installation in Serre, Italy, although
larger systems are now being planned throughout the world. See the
December 10th press release from TEP at:
<http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/PressReleases/index.asp>.
The TEP installation is rivaling another solar power system being
built in Arizona by APS. As reported in the November 6th edition of
the EREN Network News, the utility hopes to expand the Prescott
Airport Solar Power Plant to 5 megawatts within the next five years.
See the EREN Network News article at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/news_detail.cfm?news_id=391>.
Spire Corporation is providing much smaller solar power systems to
12 homes in the Chicago metropolitan area. The company's Spire Solar
Chicago operation will install 1.2-kilowatt systems on single-family
homes in an affordable housing development in southeastern Chicago.
The systems should provide about one-quarter of the electricity
needs for the energy-efficient homes. See the Spire press release
at: <http://www.spirecorp.com/Spire/news/PV383.htm>.
NHTSA Proposes Increased Fuel Efficiency for Light Trucks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of
the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), proposed new fuel
economy standards for light trucks last week. The new standards will
first take effect during model year 2005 and become gradually more
restrictive until model year 2007. Over those three years, light
truck fuel efficiency standards will increase from today's
20.7 mile-per-gallon (mpg) requirement to 22.2 mpg, an increase of
more than 7 percent, which will save an estimated 2.5 billion
gallons of gasoline. The corporate average fuel economy (CAFE)
standard was last increased in 1996; a final rule establishing the
new standards will be issued by April 2003. See the DOT press
release at: <http://www.dot.gov/affairs/nhtsa7502.htm>.
"Light trucks" refer to pickups, vans, and sport utility vehicles
(SUVs) with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds or less --
some heavy pickups and SUVs exceed this vehicle weight rating and
are exempt from the standard. In submissions to the NHTSA in
May 2002, the three major U.S. automakers said they expected to
increase light-truck fuel efficiency by 2007, with General Motors
Corporation aiming to achieve 19.1 to 20.8 mpg, Ford Motor Company
targeting 22.0 mpg, and DaimlerChrysler shooting for 22.2 mpg. When
the new CAFE standards are in place, manufacturers that fail to meet
the standards will be subject to civil penalties. See the "Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking" on the NHTSA Web site at:
<http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/>.
Toyota Advances Fuel Efficiency While Cutting Energy Use
Toyota Motor North America announced last week that it is not only
improving fuel efficiency in its vehicles, but also increasing
energy efficiency in its factories. According to the Toyota North
America Environmental Report, the company has improved fuel
efficiency by 4 to 8 percent in nine vehicle configurations from
model year 2001 to 2002. Since last year, Toyota has also reduced
energy consumption per unit of production at its North American
plants by 7 percent. See the December 11th press release on the
Toyota Web site at:
<http://www.toyota.com/about/news/index.html#environment>.
Toyota aims to cut its energy use per unit of production to
15 percent below its 2000 levels by 2005. To achieve its goals, the
company is reducing its use of compressed air, developing waste-heat
recovery systems for use in its painting shops, and installing high-
efficiency lighting systems and controls. See the Toyota North
America Environmental Report at:
<http://www.toyota.com/about/environment/news/enviroreport.html>.
Toyota continues to experience strong demand for its hybrid-electric
vehicle, the Prius, in the United States. As of November, U.S. sales
of the Prius had reached 18,329 for the year, up more than 32 percent
from last year's year-to-date sales figures. See the December 3rd
press release on the Toyota North American Pressroom Web site at:
<http://pressroom.toyota.com>.
Nissan Unveils Fuel Cell Vehicle; John Deere in Development
Nissan Motor Company Ltd. unveiled its first fuel cell vehicle in
Japan last week. UTC Fuel Cells, a unit of United Technologies
Corporation, provided the 75-kilowatt fuel-cell power plant that
powers the hydrogen-fueled vehicle. Called the X-TRAIL FCV (for
"Fuel Cell Vehicle"), the prototype vehicle will undergo public road
testing in Japan. See the UTC Fuel Cells press release and
accompanying photo at:
<http://www.utcfuelcells.com/news/archive/121002.shtml> and
<http://www.utcfuelcells.com/news/images/xtrail_500w.jpg>.
Deere & Company, maker of John Deere equipment for agriculture and
industry, will soon join the fuel cell club. The company announced
last week that it is developing a fuel-cell-powered version of its
Pro-Gator Utility Vehicle, which is used primarily for hauling
supplies and equipment around golf courses and other facilities that
feature a large amount of turf. John Deere is working with
Hydrogenic Corporation, a Canadian fuel cell manufacturer, to
develop the vehicle. See the December 11th press release on the
Deere & Company Web site at:
<http://www.deere.com/en_US/compinfo/press_center/index.html>.
DOE is supporting fuel cell vehicles through its FreedomCAR program.
Its latest contribution is the new Advanced Powertrain Research
Facility, located at DOE's Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The
new test facility, unveiled in November, includes state-of-the-art
performance and emissions measurement equipment for testing advanced
engines, fuel cells, electric drives, and energy storage devices.
The facility is capable of testing vehicles fueled with gasoline,
diesel fuel, natural gas, and hydrogen. See the ANL press release
at: <http://www.anl.gov/OPA/news02/news021115.htm>.
Fuel cell vehicles are also advancing in California, thanks to a
public-private partnership called, appropriately, the California
Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP). The CaFCP just released its goals for
2003, which include introducing fuel cell vehicles into fleets,
adding additional hydrogen fueling stations, and operating up to
60 fuel cell vehicles. See the CaFCP press release at:
<http://www.cafcp.org/releases/2002_12-11_2002goals.html>.
New Biodiesel Facility Begins Operation in Iowa
A new facility with the capacity to produce 12 million gallons of
Biodiesel per year started operating in Ralston, Iowa, in early
December. The West Central Soy plant is owned and operated by a
farmers' cooperative and produces the biodiesel from soybeans.
According to the National Biodiesel Board, the new facility is one
of 18 dedicated biodiesel plants in the United States, with more
than a dozen others in the planning stages.
The National Biodiesel Board also noted recently that tests on
biodiesel by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show a
47 percent reduction in particulate emissions compared to diesel
fuel. The test also showed that the emissions benefits from using
B20, a 20 percent blend of biodiesel with 80 percent diesel fuel,
are greater than would be expected from the pure biodiesel results.
As summarized by Steve Howell, technical director of the National
Biodiesel Board, "Using B20 in 100 vehicles will actually reduce
more pollution overall than using B100 (pure biodiesel) in
20 vehicles." See the press releases and the draft EPA report on the
National Biodiesel Board Web site at: <http://www.biodiesel.org/>.
One biodiesel manufacturer that is aggressively pursuing new
facilities and outlets is Southern States Power Company, Inc. The
company is currently planning to develop biodiesel production
facilities in Riverside, California, and Phoenix, Arizona. The
Riverside facility, if built, is expected to produce about
35 million gallons of biodiesel per year. The company is also
working with U.S. Fuel Partners LLC to distribute and sell biodiesel
in Colorado. See the recent press releases on the Southern States
Web site at: <http://www.sspowerco.net/press.cfm>.
DOE Awards $4.4 Million for Energy-Saving Technologies
DOE awarded a total of $4.4 million on December 11th to 18
organizations for the development of energy-saving products and
industrial processes. DOE selected the awardees from 200 proposals
submitted to two programs: the National Industrial Competitiveness
through Energy, Environment and Economics (NICE3) initiative and the
Inventions and Innovation (I&I) program.
The NICE3 initiative awarded more than $2.5 million to five
organizations. The awardees will develop the use of near-infrared
sensors for testing veneer wood strength before it dries, thereby
saving energy costs and reducing wastes; examine a technology that
allows better control of presses to form parts from sheet metal,
avoiding unnecessary sheet-metal wastes; scale-up a manufacturing
process for a novel type of rechargeable battery; demonstrate a new
process for converting biomass to pulp; and examine acid-catalyzed
hydrolysis, which is used to break down biomass into simpler
chemicals.
The I&I program awarded 13 organizations up to $200,000 each to
develop a wide variety of energy-related inventions. The awardees
will examine a wide range of technologies, including ways to convert
wastes into useful products, new processes for making ethanol and
fuel gas, high-efficiency dehumidifiers for air conditioners, and
advanced processing technologies for making "smart" electrochromic
windows. See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/decpr/pr02256.htm>.
See also the full list of awardees, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/decpr/awardees.pdf>.
For more information on these DOE programs, see the NICE3 and I&I
home pages at: <http://www.oit.doe.gov/nice3/> and
<http://www.oit.doe.gov/inventions/>.
Ocean Power Corporation Declares Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Ocean Power Corporation, a U.S. company with a focus on Stirling
heat engines, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. Formed in
1992 to develop modular power plants and seawater desalination
units, Ocean Power has since made a large number of acquisitions and
business arrangements related to such varied advanced energy
technologies as fuel cells, wind turbines, solar dish concentrators,
and external combustion engines, also known as heat engines. The
company aimed to produce integrated units that would generate both
pure water and power.
In 2001, Ocean Power began working with EPRIsolutions, a subsidiary
of the Electric Power Research Institute, to study a Stirling heat
engine that would produce 3 kilowatts of electricity and 9 kilowatts
of heat. In May 2002, the company announced an agreement with a
private real estate management company for the sale of 10,000 such
units, with delivery and installation planned for 2005. The
announcement was covered in the May 29th edition of the EREN Network
News.
In last week's announcement, Ocean Power noted that it has tried to
stem severe cash flow shortages over the past year through workforce
and overhead reductions. Prior to filing Chapter 11, the company
terminated essentially all of its employees, and now intends to sell
off all nearly all its assets. See the Ocean Power press releases at:
<http://www.powerco.com/Corporate/PressReleases/prindex.html>.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SITE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
New and Renewable Energy Centre
<http://www.global-renewables.com/>
The NaREC portal features international resources on renewable
energy, including news, community forums, directories, sub-portals,
and events. NaREC, based in the United Kingdom, strives to create
strong partnerships between academic and industrial research centers
in offshore engineering, power generation, and renewable energy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Multi-Colored LEDs Offer Energy Savings for the Holidays
If you've been procrastinating on hanging up your holiday lights, we
have good news: new LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights are
now available in a wider variety of colors and shapes! You may
remember that as of last December, only red, green, and yellow bulbs
were available, and the fashion-conscious among us probably found
them to be, well, somewhat lacking in aesthetic appeal. This year's
models offer a much wider range of choices, including two new colors
-- white and blue -- and a variety of shapes, such as multi-faceted,
mini-light, globe, and the good-old flame-tip shape. The bulbs use
only one-tenth the electricity used by mini-lights, and one-
hundredth the electricity used by traditional C-7 bulbs. In
addition, they are very rugged, never get hot, last a long time, and
are easy to maintain. And for those who like to cover a lot of
distance with their lights, up to 20 strings of LED lights can be
connected together without overloading a typical U.S. household's
electrical circuit.
The Energy Ideas Clearinghouse recently updated last year's fact
sheet on holiday lights with the latest information on the LED
bulbs. The clearinghouse even found that LED lights will pay for
themselves over five years of use. See the latest "Holiday Lights"
fact sheet, in PDF format only, on the Energy Ideas Clearinghouse
Web site at:
<http://www.energyideas.org/documents/02_122EIC_holiday_fct.pdf>.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/subscribe/>.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
home page is located at <http://www.eren.doe.gov/>.
If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 10:41:05 -0800
From: Rachel Shimshak <rachel@...>
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/100516_inslee19.shtml
Thursday, December 19, 2002
New Apollo Project can help us unplug our need for oil
By JAY INSLEE
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Is it reasonable to worry about perpetual security threats stemming from our
involvement in the Mideast? Yes, we have a right to worry because at the
moment our nation has no plan for breaking the addiction to oil that so
entangles us in this regional quagmire.
Do Washingtonians long to start skiing but cannot because there is no snow
in the mountains this late in the year? Yes, we have a right to worry
because a radical reduction in our snowpack is predicted for the Cascades
due to global warming, a challenge we have no national plan to address.
To that end, Congress should seize the moment to champion a unified and
highly prioritized national program to fulfill America's destiny of leading
the world to a new clean energy future. We should call for a total national
commitment to harness the genius of America's can-do attitude that would
design, invent and deploy the new clean energy technologies that befit this
new century.
No single national endeavor has such capacity to expand our economy by
tapping our innate and unique technological genius for innovation. No single
national priority is so critical to reduce the risks from impending man made
climate change. No single non-military action can be as effective in
avoiding the security challenges that haunt us due to our addiction to
Mideast oil.
Now the laws of economics, the laws of physics and the laws of politics all
are aligned in a possible perfect storm, allowing us to inspire the nation
to achievement just as grand as John F. Kennedy's challenge to the nation in
1961 to put a man on the moon.
This national endeavor needs a name. It needs a name invested with the
historical imagery of American innovation and sense of destiny. We should
call it "the New Apollo Project." What the nation achieved in building the
technologies that took us to the moon now can be matched by technologies
that keep our launching pad, Earth, in healthy condition.
The New Apollo Project will follow the fundamental law of economics in the
new global economy -- the nation with the most advanced technology wins. As
one representing a district that includes Boeing and Microsoft, the benefits
are obvious of leading the world in computer sciences and aerospace
technologies, both of which occurred in no small part due to federal
government investment in the project.
But we are on the cusp of a "clean energy gap" just as worrisome as the
missile gap of the Sputnik era. The dominant wind turbine manufacturer is
Denmark, a country that will produce 50 percent of its electricity by wind
power within the decade. The dominant photovoltaic panel producer is a
German company. The dominant manufacturers of hybrid cars are in Japan.
Why should we, the greatest seedbed of technological innovation in world
history, cede these emerging markets to the rest of the world?
The New Apollo Project will create jobs in the unpredictable but ultimately
wildly beneficial ways that the Apollo project gave birth to a thousand new
products, such as Tang, and to entire new industries, such as the computer
industry. We went to the moon but we ended up on the Internet.
The New Apollo Project is also necessitated by a law of physics, which
states that the presence of carbon dioxide and other byproducts of burning
fossil fuels in the atmosphere traps infrared radiation reflected off the
face of the Earth. This "CO2 heat trap" warms the planet and we are now
seeing the melting of the Arctic ice cap, a harbinger of things to come.
But we are a responsible and innovative people, and solutions to this
man-made problem are surely within our grasp. With the New Apollo Project we
can jump-start the technologies that are close to providing market-based
power, such as photovoltaics, and take on the more visionary horizons such
as the hydrogen-based transportation system. Fear of failure should not stop
us.
Lastly, the laws of politics call upon the Democratic Party to demonstrate
our sense of optimism, expansive can-do Americanism and unabashed confidence
that we can answer the technological call to arms. As long as we are
addicted to Mideast oil, we are slaves to the animosity and backlash against
the repressive regimes, which have now brought Middle Eastern violence to
our own shores.
Since that day in March 1961, when a Democratic president inspired our
nation to seek a higher calling that seemed beyond reach, the moon itself,
our party has not issued a more stirring call.
"That's one small step for a man, and one giant leap for mankind" -- this
time toward a new national energy future.
Democrat Jay Inslee represents the 1st District in Congress.
--
-------------------
Kevin Fullerton
Interim Communications Director
NW Energy Coalition
219 First Avenue South, Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: (206) 621-0094
Fax: (206) 621-0097
Email: Kevin@...
http://www.nwenergy.org
--
-------------------------------------------
Renewable Northwest Project
917 SW Oak, Suite 303
Portland, OR 97205
www.RNP.org
American Wind Energy Association
122 C St., NW, Suite 380
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 383-2500 Fax (202) 383-2505
www.awea.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Christine Real de Azua
(202) 383-2508
December 23, 2002 Jim Caldwell
(202) 383-2517
WIND INDUSTRY SEES PROGRESS, ASKS REGULATORS TO DRIVE AHEAD ON
POLICIES TO OPEN MARKET TO NEW, CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES
Thousands of Megawatts of New Capacity At Stake, Trade Group Says
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) called today for faster
progress on federal policies to ensure that power from new, renewable
sources like wind has a fair chance to compete in the nation's electricity
markets. The wind industry trade group estimates that several thousand
megawatts of "new" transmission capacity could be obtained in the Midwest
alone without building new transmission lines by implementing a series of
reforms outlined in a new white paper.
In the white paper released December 12, the Washington, D.C.-based trade
group analyzes transmission policies that are slowing the development of
wind power and explains how the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC)
can address these in the Standard Market Design (SMD) that the Commission
is currently drafting to guide transmission policy nationwide. The white
paper notes that FERC has taken very positive steps toward resolving
problems identified three years ago by the industry, and stresses the need
for swift progress in following through on those initiatives. The SMD and
two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) on interconnection issues are
currently pending before FERC.
"The utility transmission network is the 'Interstate highway system' our
electricity generating companies must use to 'haul their product to market'
in major population centers," explained AWEA executive director Randall
Swisher. "That being the case, it's absolutely critical (1) that electric
generators be able to gain access to the transmission network on fair terms
along with everyone else, and (2) that the transmission network be big
enough to do the job. Lack of transmission capacity is already holding
back the development of significant amounts of wind power in the Dakotas."
"Clean, cost-competitive wind energy is a domestic energy source that is
renewable, meaning it will never run out. The nation's transmission
policies should treat wind and other renewables fairly, so that these
resources can be developed to their maximum potential for the benefit of
all Americans," said AWEA policy director Jim Caldwell.
The paper addresses three sets of issues, according to Caldwell:
* First, the charge that a wind generator must pay to use the transmission
system. Most of the rates in use across the country were not designed
with "non-traditional" resources like wind in mind, and they impose
discriminatory penalties that can be huge, as much as doubling the
wholesale cost of wind-generated electricity. FERC is dramatically
overhauling the system for setting rates to improve the efficiency of
wholesale electricity markets. Its new approach, called the Standard
Market Design, will treat wind energy fairly, but there remain many layers
of details to iron out for it to work successfully.
* Second, the allocation of "space" among competing users when portions of
the network become "congested," much like a freeway during rush hour.
Today's "congestion management" rules are inefficient, letting capacity
that could be used go to waste while effectively excluding new entrants
like wind energy projects. FERC is proposing a new congestion management
system that would significantly expand the capacity of the system to serve
all users, including wind.
* Third, the way the building of new transmission lines is planned,
permitted and financed. Many organizations, including FERC, the National
Governors Association, the Department of Energy, and most industry
stakeholders, agree that the current process for getting new lines planned
and built is broken, and that the reliability of the nation's electricity
supply could be in jeopardy. Certainly, the pace of wind energy development
will be drastically slowed -- especially in the nation's heartland of the
Midwest and interior West--if the process is not fixed and fails to include
"high-wind scenarios" that benefit consumers and increase system reliability.
The white paper details the significant progress that has been made over
the past two years on these issues, while laying out the remaining work to
be accomplished. "On the first two issues (access charges and congestion
management), the policy debate is essentially over and the new proposed
rules of the road will be much more efficient and treat wind fairly,"
Caldwell said. "The real issue is time. Finalizing the details and getting
these reforms in place will be a difficult and lengthy process. The third
issue, of expanding and managing the nation's transmission system, is only
now coming to a head in many forums across the country."
The white paper is available from the AWEA Web site
at http://www.awea.org/policy/documents/Transmissionwhitepaper12-2002.pdf .
AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind
energy industry. The associations membership includes turbine
manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and
interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at
the AWEA web site: www.awea.org
Hello,
Due to a recent post I thought I may post again about this project...
The GHD is a scalable power mutiplier that uses gravity to generate
about 37.5% more power than is input...
For completeness I will include the webpage here ... I'm not sure how
it will look - apologies for any errors. The actual webpage is @
http://www.optinalreaction.net/nueralheap/ghd/ghd.htm
Thanks for any resonses,
Keith
<p align="center"> </p>
<div align="center"><center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="350" bgcolor="#0080C0">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><h2 align="center"><font face="Arial"><br>
<img src="../../images/ghdlogo.gif" width="161"
height="161"><strong><u><br>
<br>
The GHD (Gravity Helix Drive)<br>
<br>
</u></strong></font></h2>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center></div>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<div align="center"><center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="350" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><p align="center"><font
face="Arial"><strong>The
GHD uses gravity to multiply input power.</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><strong>The idea is
based on infinite slicing and balance.</strong></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center></div>
<p><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><strong><img src="ghd2.gif"
border="1" width="346" height="270"></strong></font></p>
<div align="center"><center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="350" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><p align="center"><font
face="Arial"><strong>When
the weight is at 45 degrees, it has (x, y) vector
components of equal value (atan(0.5 / 0.5) = 45). This
means that half of the gravitational energy is being
pushed forward, the other half directly down. 0.75 of the
downward gravity vector is supported by the base, the
planet earth, where it is cancelled out. </strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><strong>That leaves
0.25 * 0.5 = 0.125 of the gravity vector to balance. A
vector of (0.625, 0) at the base would result in a
balanced weight, as (0.5, 0) is required to match the
forward component of the gravity vector, and a horizontal
force of 0.125 at the base result in a vertical force at
the tip of -0.125 (this is due to a virtual pivot, of
which the position is variable, but at 45 degrees is
central). </strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><strong>Adding the
remaining vectors gives (0.5, 0) + (0.5, 0) = (1.0, 0).
Subtracting the output from the input leaves (1.0, 0) -
(0.625, 0) = (0.375, 0), or 37.5% (lateral kinetic)
energy gained from gravity. </strong></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center></div>
<p> </p>
<div align="center"><center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="350" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><p align="center"><font
face="Arial"><strong>Using
this idea, I suggest a weighted, balanced, spinning arm,
supported by a point contact low friction method (such as
a roller-bearing, or possibly a zero friction magnetic
field), on a 45 degree double helix. </strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><strong>The arm
should be spun, via the helix, using the method described
above, to a speed limit.</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><strong>When maximum
velocity is reached, I suggest locking the arm to the
helix, and allowing the arm to spin the helix. The
kinetic energy stored in the (spinning) arm would be
transferred back into the helix. Energy could be drawn,
by a generator, from the helix. Depending on the weight
of the helix, friction, the efficiency of the generator
etc, the energy gained from the device would be greater
than that put in, discluding gravity.</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><strong>This method
should be cycled.</strong></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center></div>
<p> </p>
<div align="center"><center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="350" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><p align="center"><font
face="Arial"><strong>Forum
Discussions</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><a
href="http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?
topic_id=123683"><font
face="Arial"><strong>http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp
?topic_id=123683
(Top Discussion)</strong></font></a></p>
<p align="center"><a
href="http://forums.delphiforums.com/pfuege"><font
face="Arial"><strong>http://forums.delphiforums.com/pfuege</strong></f
ont></a></p>
<p align="center"><a
href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/free-energy/"><font
face="Arial"><strong>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/free-
energy/</strong></font></a></p>
<p align="center"><a
href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/free_energy/"><font
face="Arial"><strong>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/free_energy/</stron
g></font></a></p>
<p align="center"><a
href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OverUnity-
Free_Energy/"><font
face="Arial"><strong>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OverUnity-
Free_Energy/</strong></font></a></p>
<p align="center"><a
href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-energy/?
yguid=129782258"><font
face="Arial"><strong>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-
energy/</strong></font></a></p>
<p align="center"><a
href="http://www.radicalpress.com/forum/topic.asp?
TOPIC_ID=423"><font
face="Arial"><strong>http://www.radicalpress.com/forum/topic.asp?
TOPIC_ID=423</strong></font></a></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center></div>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></p>
<div align="center"><center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="350" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><p align="center"><font
face="Arial"><strong>I
commit this idea to the world, in the hope that it will
help people. The publishing of this document will prevent
any patent applications.</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial"><strong>If anyone
has any thoughts, comments, suggestions or proposals,
please send an email to </strong></font><a
href="mailto:reaction@n...@..."><font
face="Arial"><strong>reaction@n...@...</strong></fo
nt></a></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center></div>
<p align="center"><br>
<br>
</p>
<div align="center"><center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" width="350" bgcolor="#0080C0">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><h5 align="center"><font face="Arial">12th
November 2002</font></h5>
<h5 align="center"><font face="Arial">Updated 28th
November 2002</font></h5>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center></div>
--- In tomorrow-energy@yahoogroups.com, "peximotubal <reaction@o...>"
<reaction@o...> wrote:
> Apologies ... the webpage is actually
> http://www.optionalreaction.net/neuralheap/ghd/ghd.htm
>
> Keith
I read this page.
There is something seriously wrong with it.
does anybody know?
It does not look like the author got a good grade in physics.
Yomba
--- In tomorrow-energy@yahoogroups.com, "peximotubal" <reaction@o...>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have posted an article at
> http://www.optionalreaction.net/neuralheap/ghd.htm
>
> It's a scalable power multiplier.
>
> Please send any comments to reaction@o...
>
> Regards,
> Keith
Please analize your invention.
Use THE known laws from high school physics.
F=MA acceleration
F=Mg gravity
E=FD Energy
P=E/T Power
Yomba
Hello all
> Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2003 20:30:37 -0000
> From: "peximotubal <reaction@...>"
> <reaction@...>
> Subject: The GHD
>
> Apologies ... the webpage is actually
> http://www.optionalreaction.net/neuralheap/ghd/ghd.htm
>
> Keith
>
Dear Keith
Many thanks for your e-mail.
You say:
When the weight is at 45 degrees, it has (x, y) vector components of equal value
(atan(0.5 / 0.5) = 45).
Remember that a weight (that ended it's a force) always it's directed to the
centre of earth, the centre of our earth it's the source of the gravitational
(and attractive) force.
Then the weight can be at 45 degrees in your reference system, and a reference
system it's a mathematical tool made by us the people.
Do you have a demonstration prototype of your idea?
Regards
Manuel
in Lisbon
1111 spining Ring Magnet explained
Hamel's formost demonstration is used to impress people and who that
he almost understands what he is doing. I bet that this spinning of
the ring magnet is what his thinks is perpetual motion. The Secret is
in the ball bearing. It is doing a dance on the table because it is
being dragged by your hand. Any motion off center and the ball
bearing will spin -- after all it is round. The best surfaces would be
a formica top, because it is non magnetic and hard.
Next question ---- why doesn't he know this?
If the Top ring is suspended by a bracket, it will not move. But when
you hold the top ring with your hand, you can't keep it still. When
you are trying to balance it you keep on going in a circle and pumping
up the bottom ring.
Yomba
--- In tomorrow-energy@yahoogroups.com, "yombalula <yombalula@y...>"
<yombalula@y...> wrote:
1111 spining Ring Magnet explained
David Hamel, who claims to be building a space ship uses a pair of
ring shaped magnets for a demo. The Bottom ceramic ring magnet is
taken from a speaker and placed over a ball bearing. The Demo involves
partially suspending the lower magnet with the magnetic attraction of
the larger ring that is held in a the user's hand with the ball
bearing still touching the table. To everybody's amazement , the lower
ring begins to spin even though nobody is directly touching it.
This is Hamel's formost demonstration, and is used to impress people
with his "technology". I bet that this spinning of the ring magnet is
what his thinks is perpetual motion. The Secret is in the ball
bearing. It is doing a dance on the table because it is being dragged
by your hand. Any motion off center and the ball bearing will spin --
after all it is round. The best surfaces would be a formica top,
because it is non magnetic and hard.
If the Top ring is suspended by a bracket (held steady), the bottom
ring will not move. But when you hold the top ring with your hand, you
can't keep it still. When you are trying to balance it you keep on
going in a circle and pumping up the bottom ring through the ball
bearing. Some people have a knack for this and get it spinning real fast.
In short the demo is a hoax and the people that report this
"phenomena" are naive.
Yomba
PS. Hamel's following is a religious cult. It is based on faith and
not science. If you listen to Hamel or read the descriptions of his
inventions you will find that the guy has no idea about physics and is
nothing but a crackpot. I would not even let him change a spark plug.
Bad_Science
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bad_Science
This group will discuss and make raucus fun of the ravings of the Bad
Scientists, you know the ones that think force = Energy and keep on
trying to make perpetual motion machines and fly saucers out of pie
plates or space drives out of rotating magnets. Unfortunately we have
no lack of objects of our derision.
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 07:55:32 -0500
To: renewable-energy@yahoogroups.com
From: Tom Gray <tomgray@...>
Subject: EREN Network News -- 01/15/03
=================================================
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- January 15, 2003
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
=================================================
Featuring:
*News and Events
Toyota to Produce First Hybrid Electric Luxury SUV in 2005
GM Introduces Hybrid Electric Military Pickup with Fuel Cell
California Proposes Delay to Zero-Emission Vehicle Program
ChevronTexaco to Use Ethanol in Southern California by May
N.Y. Governor Proposes 25 Percent Renewable Power Mandate
Solar Power Installed at the White House and in California
*Site News
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products Association (AACPA)
*Energy Facts and Tips
EIA: U.S. May Draw on Imports for 70 Percent of Oil by 2025
*About this Newsletter
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS AND EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Toyota to Produce First Hybrid Electric Luxury SUV in 2005
Toyota Motor Corporation unveiled a new hybrid electric drive system
last week and promised to use it in the Lexus RX 330, a luxury sport
utility vehicle (SUV), by 2005. Toyota's new hybrid system uses
wheel-mounted electric motors on all four wheels, combined with a
traditional gasoline engine and a nickel-metal-hydride battery pack.
According to Toyota, the hybrid electric Lexus RX 330 will use a
six-cylinder engine to produce the power and torque of an eight-
cylinder engine with "the fuel mileage of a compact car." For now,
the new hybrid drive is featured in Toyota's sport utility hybrid
vehicle (SU-HV) concept car, now on display at the North American
International Auto Show in Detroit.
Toyota also unveiled a new fuel-cell-powered concept car last week.
The sporty concept vehicle, called the "FINE-S," is reminiscent of
the Hywire concept vehicle introduced by General Motors Corporation
in October 2001. Like the Hywire, the FINE-S "reveals the potential
styling versatility for fuel-cell vehicles," making it possible to
"install the technology in a wide variety of vehicle types, shapes
and sizes, based on a shared platform." See the January 7th press
releases from Toyota at: <http://pressroom.toyota.com/>.
The North American International Auto Show is also debuting a new
all-electric vehicle, the Matra P75. Produced by French automaker
Matra Automobile, the working prototype combines a lithium-ion
battery and a 50-kilowatt motor to achieve a top speed of 87 miles
per hour and a range of 124 miles. The car is at the auto show as
part of the Michelin Challenge Design display. See the Michelin
press release and the Matra Web page at:
<http://www.michelinchallengedesign.com/matra.htm> and
<http://www.matra.com/gb/alaune/liste_com.php3>.
GM Introduces Hybrid Electric Military Pickup with Fuel Cell
General Motors Corporation (GM) introduced last week a fuel-
efficient pickup truck for use by the U.S. Army. Based on the
Chevrolet Silverado, the military vehicle is powered by a hybrid
electric drive that features a diesel V8 engine. The truck also
features a 5-kilowatt regenerative fuel cell, manufactured by
Hydrogenics Corporation, that serves as an auxiliary power unit
(APU) for powering equipment in the field. The fuel cell APU
produces hydrogen while the truck is running, then converts the
hydrogen into electricity in the field, serving as a clean and quiet
generator. The hybrid diesel system can also be used as a generator,
providing up to 30 kilowatts of either direct-current or
alternating-current power. According to GM, the diesel hybrid system
reduces fuel consumption by 20 percent compared to conventional
diesel vehicles. The Army is expected to want 30,000 hybrid electric
tactical vehicles by the end of this decade.
GM also generated three press releases on its plans for hybrid
vehicles for consumers, as reported in this newsletter last week.
See the GM press releases at:
<http://www.gmability.com/environment/gm_and_the_env/releases/>.
GM's work for the Army is just one of several projects aimed at
increased fuel efficiency for the U.S. military. For example,
UQM Technologies, Inc. has been developing hybrid vehicles for the
Army and announced in December a new contract to do the same for the
U.S. Marine Corps. In September, that company claimed to have
achieved a breakthrough in electric motor performance. Oshkosh Truck
Corporation is also developing hybrid drives for the Army, while
IdaTech, LLC is developing fuel cell APUs. See the press releases
from UQM Technologies, IdaTech, and Oshkosh Truck, respectively, at:
<http://www.uqm.com/news.html>,
<http://www.idatech.com/media/news.html?article=42>, and
<http://www.oshkoshtruck.com/htm/company/ShowNews.cfm?ID=138>.
Why all the emphasis on military fuel efficiency? One reason is a
report produced by a Defense Science Board task force in January
2001, called "Improving Fuel Efficiency on Weapons Platforms." The
report found that delivering fuel deep into battle areas for the
Army costs hundreds of dollars per gallon. Fuel alone accounts for
more than 70 percent of the total weight of materials needed to
position the U.S. Army for battle. The figures are equally
astounding for the U.S. Air Force, which uses 85 percent of its fuel
budget to deliver, by airborne tankers, just 6 percent of its annual
jet fuel use. Based on these findings, the task force recommended
that the U.S. Department of Defense explicitly include fuel
efficiency in its acquisition requirements, while basing its
decisions on the true cost of delivered fuel. The full report is
available as a 1.12-MB PDF file on the Defense Science Board Web site
at: <http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/fuel.pdf>.
California Proposes Delay to Zero-Emission Vehicle Program
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) proposed new changes to its
Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program last week, delaying the start of
the program until 2005. ZEVs are battery- or fuel-cell-powered
electric vehicles that produce no air emissions while on the road.
First adopted in 1990, the ZEV program was meant to advance
ZEV technologies and improve the state's air quality by phasing in a
mandate for a percentage of cars sold in the state to be ZEVs.
Initially planned to begin in 1998, the program was most recently
modified in 2001 and set to begin this year, but faced both
administrative and legal challenges that delayed its implementation.
An attempt to provide partial credit for hybrid electric vehicles
failed a legal challenge because the rule included references to
fuel economy.
In the new proposal, the ZEV program will begin in 2005, and hybrid
vehicles and vehicles with gaseous storage systems will earn partial
credits regardless of the fuel efficiency they achieve. Automakers
will be able to meet up to three-quarters of their ZEV requirement
by selling these "advanced-technology partial ZEVs" or "AT PZEVs"
through 2011. The estimated result (compared to the 2001
amendments): by 2011, 36 percent more AT PZEVs will be sold in the
state, but the number of true ZEVs sold will drop 57 percent, to a
total of 20,800. A public hearing on the latest proposal will be
held on February 27th. See the "Staff Report: Initial Statement of
Reasons" and the public hearing notice on the ARB Web site at:
<http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/zev2003/zev2003.htm>.
One interesting development: The new ZEV proposal includes higher
credits for hybrid electric vehicles that can be recharged by
plugging them in. That addition stemmed from recent research carried
out by the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Working Group under the direction
of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The research
demonstrated significant fuel and emissions benefits from such
"plug-in" hybrid vehicles. For details, see the December press
release by selecting "News Releases," then "2002 Index" on the
EPRI Web site at:
<http://www.epri.com/corporate/discover_epri/news/index.html>.
The ARB also announced in January that grants of up to $11,000
per vehicle are available to fleets that purchase ZEVs. The vehicles
must be garaged and operated in a community that is not meeting
ozone standards and that is disproportionately impacted by poor air
quality. See the Fleet ZEV Incentive Program on the ARB Web site at:
<http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/fleetzip/fleetzip.htm>.
ChevronTexaco to Use Ethanol in Southern California by May
ChevronTexaco announced last week that it will discontinue its use
of MTBE in gasoline blends sold in southern California by May,
switching instead to ethanol. In northern California, the company
relies primarily on a non-oxygenated blend of gasoline, but plans to
completely phase out its use of MTBE by the state-mandated deadline
of December 2003. With that announcement, ChevronTexaco became the
last major refiner in California to commit to phasing out its use of
MTBE. According to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA),
ChevronTexaco controls 18 percent of the retail gasoline market in
the state, which means that the producers of more than 80 percent of
the gasoline in the state have committed to phasing out MTBE. See
the press releases from ChevronTexaco and the RFA at:
<http://www.chevrontexaco.com/news/press/2003/2003-01-08.asp> and
<http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pr030109.html>.
The U.S. ethanol fuel industry continues to grow. A new farmer-owned
plant capable of producing 45 million gallons of ethanol per year
started up in late November, and construction began in December on a
plant that will be capable of producing 40 million gallons of
ethanol per year. In November, the industry set another production
record, averaging 166,000 barrels per day. See the RFA press
releases at: <http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pr021125.html>,
<http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pr021209.html>, and
<http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pr021218.html>.
N.Y. Governor Proposes 25 Percent Renewable Power Mandate
New York Governor George E. Pataki proposed last week a requirement
for the state to generate 25 percent of its electricity from
renewable energy sources within ten years. Governor Pataki announced
during his annual State of the State Address that he was directing
the Public Service Commission to implement the requirement, which is
known as a Renewable Portfolio Standard. New York currently produces
about 17 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources,
primarily hydropower. The governor also proposed that the state
adopt carbon dioxide emissions standards for motor vehicles, similar
to those proposed in California. See the Governor's press release
at: <http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/year03/jan8_03.htm>.
The proposal came near the end of the governor's address, which is
available at:
<http://www.state.ny.us/03sosaddress/sos2003text.html>.
The news was applauded by the American Wind Energy Association
(AWEA), which estimated that the new initiative will eventually
generate $100 million dollars a year in income, local tax revenue,
and jobs to farmers and communities that host wind power generators
in New York. See the AWEA press release at:
<http://www.awea.org/news/news030801rps.html>.
Solar Power Installed at the White House and in California
A number of large solar power installations have been installed in
recent weeks, including one at a high-profile address:
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, better known as the White House. Evergreen
Solar, Inc. announced last week that it provided a 9-kilowatt grid-
connected solar power system for installation on a White House
grounds maintenance building. Solar Design Associates oversaw the
installation, which also included two solar thermal systems -- one
for the pool and spa, and one for domestic hot water. See the
January 8th press release from Evergreen Solar at:
<http://ir.ccbn.com/ir.zhtml?t=ESLR&s=400>.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, California continues
its leadership in large solar power systems. In late December,
Kyocera Solar, Inc. announced that it will provide 2.4 megawatts of
solar modules to the California Fair Industry for installation
throughout the state. At about the same time, WorldWater Corporation
announced that it sold a total of 600 kilowatts of solar water
pumping systems to the Joshua Water Basin District in Joshua Tree.
Within the next few months, Loyola Marymount University (LMU),
located in Los Angeles, will follow the trend by drawing on
723 kilowatts of solar power provided by the PowerLight Corporation.
The $4.3-million installation will cover 81,000 square feet of
rooftop on three buildings at LMU's Westchester campus. And on a
smaller scale, Prevalent Power recently installed a 37.5-kilowatt
solar power system on the roof of a kennel in San Francisco. See the
press releases from Kyocera Solar, WorldWater, LMU, and Prevalent
Power, respectively, at:
<http://www.kyocerasolar.com/news/news_detail.cfm?key=16>,
<http://www.worldwater.com/htmlpages/worldwaternews.html>,
<http://www.lmu.edu/pages/3.asp?EventID=41>, and
<http://www.prevalentpower.com/business_aboutus_press.html>.
Solar power installations are progressing in other states as well.
In Chicago, Spire Solar Chicago installed two 18-kilowatt systems on
affordable multifamily housing developments in December. In New
Jersey, Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company, installed a
72-kilowatt solar system from PowerLight on a roof at the company's
site in Warren. And on the lighter side, the Florida Solar Energy
Center (FSEC) designed a solar-powered doghouse that won the "Most
Scientifically Designed Pet House" award from the Orlando Science
Center's Pet House Contest. See the press releases from Spire Solar
Chicago, Cordis Corporation and FSEC, respectively, at:
<http://www.spiresolarchicago.com/solar/News/390SSC.htm>,
<http://www.cordis.com/press12-10.asp>, and
<http://dbase.fsec.ucf.edu/pls/operation/press_display?pressid=2106>.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SITE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products Association (AACPA)
<http://www.aacpa.org/>
The AACPA promotes the use of autoclaved aerated concrete, a
structural building material, in North America. Products include
blocks, structural panels, lintels, and cladding panels. According
to the AACPA, these products are energy efficient, reducing heating
and cooling costs by as much as half.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
EIA: U.S. May Draw on Imports for 70 Percent of Oil by 2025
The U.S. dependence on oil imports will grow over the next 22 years,
according to DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Currently, the United States relies on imports to meet 55 percent of
its petroleum needs, but by 2025, the EIA projects that percentage
will grow to at least 65 percent and perhaps as high as 70 percent.
In its Annual Energy Outlook 2002, released last week, the EIA
projects that a growing consumer appetite for large vehicles with
poor fuel economies will cause the U.S. consumption of energy for
transportation to increase 63 percent by 2025, an increase that
cannot be met with domestic energy sources.
A similar trend is evident in residential energy consumption, which
is projected to grow 26 percent by 2025. According to EIA, using the
best available technologies would essentially halt that growth in
energy use. To meet the growing U.S. demand for natural gas, the EIA
assumes that an Alaskan natural gas pipeline and a pipeline in
Canada's MacKenzie Delta will both be built, as well as several
facilities for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG). See the EIA
press release at: <http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/press/press205.html>.
Turning to the full report, the EIA projects that renewable energy
use will grow at an average rate of 2.2 percent per year through
2025, primarily due to state mandates for renewable electricity
generation. About 55 percent of the projected demand for renewable
energy in 2025 is for electricity generation and the rest is for
distributed heating and cooling, industrial uses (including combined
heat and power), and fuel blending with ethanol. See the full
report, a 1.96-MB PDF file, on the EIA Web site at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/0383(2003).pdf>.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/subscribe/>.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
home page is located at <http://www.eren.doe.gov/>.
If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....
*******************************************************
What's New at CSE?
*******************************************************
A fortnightly electronic news bulletin from the Centre for Science and
Environment, India, to our network of friends and professionals
interested in environmental issues. If you wish to unsubscribe, please
scroll down to the bottom of this page for more information.
---------------------------------------------------
LATEST FROM DOWN TO EARTH MAGAZINE
---------------------------------------------------
SAVING INDIA'S DEPLETED SOILS
Bad policies and unsustainable practices have wreaked havoc on
India's soils, robbing them of nutrients. A big little ecological variable —
a basic unit of human-nature interaction — simple clod generates
complex equations of survival and wealth, equity and polity, only to
exist outside all calculations.
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=1
NOTE: For Down To Earth magazine subscribers
------------------------------------------------------------
ALSO IN DOWN TO EARTH MAGAZINE:
------------------------------------------------------------
ALL SMOKE, NO FIRE
Despite its promises to conserve forests and reduce health risks of
rural women; after 30 models and 34 million 'chulhas' (fuelwood-based
cooking stoves) developed over the last 17 years at a cost of more
than Rs 80 crore, the National Programme on Improved 'Chulhas' has
been put on hold. An extensive study by the Delhi-based National
Council of Applied Economic Research NCAER) pointed to rampant
corruption, lukewarm grassroots response and government apathy.
Read the complete article online:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=2
------------------------------------------------------------
WHERE HAVE ALL THE SPARROWS GONE?
The spunky "survivor" house sparrow (Passer domesticus) introduced
by Romans to Europe, from where it spread to the Americas, South
Africa, Australia and South Asia is, like the drongo, bee-eater and
baya, at grave risk
Note: For Down To Earth subscribers
When did you last spot a sparrow near your house? Take the DTE poll:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in
------------------------------------------------------------
>From the Down To Earth editor's desk:
------------------------------------------------------------
DEVOLUTION HAS TO HAPPEN. IT WILL
It has been a year since Anil Agarwal, the founder editor of Down To
Earth, passed away. We remember him every moment. We work as
his proxies. We work his dreams; they have become ours, too. His
ideas changed many around the world. He changed the way we think.
But he also left behind unfinished business. His ideas have changed
policies, but not practices. Not as much as his restless energies
desired to.
For instance, he made us understand that economists often missed
the real measure of poverty. We needed to understand poverty not as
a lack of cash, but as a lack of access to natural resources. This was
because millions of people lived within what he called the biomass-
based subsistence economy. For these millions, the Gross Nature
Product was more important than the Gross National Product. For
them, environmental degradation was not a matter of luxury, but a
matter of survival. Development was not possible without
environmental management. In fact, what was needed was to
regenerate the environment for development. He made us look beyond
‘pretty trees and tigers’ to see environmental issues not as people
versus nature — a conservation perspective — but as people versus
people.
Sustainable development is a fashionable word. Simply because it
means different things to different people — intergenerational equity or
even sustained development. Anil made us understand that
sustainable development was about the process of decision-making.
Every society makes mistakes. The issue is to find ways in which the
ones worst affected by a decision are able to take action to make
changes. Sustainable development was, therefore, not about
technology but about a political framework, which developed power
and gave people — the victims of environmental degradation — rights
over natural resources. The involvement of local communities in
environmental management was a prerequisite for sustainable
development.
Take a reality check. We accept environment and development are
interlinked. We accept environmental management is important for the
economy. But still, we do not accept that communities have to be
involved in securing their present, so that they may secure their future.
Policies on this aspect remain high on rhetoric, and dismal in making
those real changes in the legal and institutional framework that would
allow for effective decision-making by the organisations of the rural
poor.
The history of natural resource use in this country, as in many others,
has been that the state had appropriated resources from local
communities. It used them for extractive purposes — logging or mining
— so that, over the years, there was rampant degradation. But as
environmental consciousness grew, the state gradually moved from
exploiting to protecting natural resources. It was this consciousness
that lead the nation, in the early 1980s, to enact laws to protect forest
wealth. In 1988 the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) was passed, under
which only the central government could allow any forest land to be
converted to non-forest purposes, like building roads or diverting forest
land for power stations or dams. If any forest land was diverted, then
an equivalent amount of land had to be afforested in compensation.
Policies to protect the environment have been enacted in other
spheres as well.
But while we have legislated to protect, we have really not learnt to
manage or regenerate the environment. Take forests again. FCA has
stemmed forest destruction to some extent. But it has not lead to
regeneration in the same measure. If we remember Anil’s words, we
will understand why not. People use the forest land for their survival.
They are also worst affected by its degradation. Therefore, their
involvement in its management is critical.
But our politicians and policy planners, unfortunately, have only
understood this message in half-measures. By the early 1990s, the
joint forest management programmes were launched with much
fanfare. But these programmes, at best, transfer the task of forest
protection to local communities. Not, mind you, forest management or
utilisation. We have to learn to differentiate between forests that need
to be protected at all costs — pristine forests, biological hotspots —
and forests that can be used and then regenerated. It is clear that we
have to still learn to use our resources sustainably for developmental
purposes.
We have not made environment into a development challenge.
Because we have still not learnt how to use it sustainably. Therefore,
environmental protection becomes an invariable conflict with
development. A conflict between nature and jobs. Instead, what we
need is policies and practices to use the environment for the greater
enterprise of jobs and prosperity. Build green futures from the use of
forests, land, water and fisheries. But we don’t know how.
We don’t know how because we refuse to learn the most basic lesson.
We have to really trust people and communities. As yet, all we have
done is use bureaucratic tricks to stall and obfuscate. We will have to
make changes — effective and earnest — to devolve powers in the
practice of managing the environment. Let us remember what Anil
would always say: we will understand that there is no other way. It has
to happen. It will.
-- Sunita Narain
Read this editorial online:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=4
WRITE TO THE EDITOR: editor@...
*******************************************************
News from CSE
*******************************************************
EDITOR'S MEDIA CONFERENCE (Feb. 20-21, 2003)
National and international experts will demystify the science and
realpolitik of vehicular air pollution at a special workshop for South
Asian journalist, from February 20-21, 2003 at the India Habitat Centre,
New Delhi
Learn more at: http://www.cseindia.org
------------------------------------------------------------
‘LESSONS FROM CALIFORNIA CAN EASILY BE REPLICATED'
Leading advocate of clean vehicle technology, Dr Alan C Lloyd,
chairperson of the US-based California Air Resources Board (CARB),
said at a public interface in New Delhi organised by CSE on January
17 that other regions should learn from California’s overwhelming
success in cleaning its air, without having to relearn some of the
painful lessons.
Learn more: http://www.cseindia.org
------------------------------------------------------------
A RICH HARVEST
Startling results from five CSE rainwater harvesting model projects in
Delhi.
More in Catch Water newsletter: http://www.raniwaterharvesting.org
------------------------------------------------------------
HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU USE?
What did 25 students from five Jaipur schools find when they asked
175 households about the amount of water consumed?
Read a special issue of Gobar Times, the environment magazine for
children:
http://www.gobartimes.org
------------------------------------------------------------
JOBS AT CSE
------------------------------------------------------------
CSE is hiring!
• Business Development Manager
• GM, Management Services
• Coordinator, Documentation Services
• Manager, Administration
More job opportunities: http://www.cseindia.org
------------------------------------------------------------
NETWORK WITH CSE
Add your name to our specialised database of contacts working on
environment and development-related issues. Search for experts in
your field.
Learn more:
http://www.cseindia.org
*******************************************************
SUBSCRIBE TO DOWN TO EARTH MAGAZINE!
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Pay for the print edition and get free access to the Web edition.
Browse 10 years of research, exclusive features, and interactive
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Since all of us here are concerned about the environment enough to
want to do something, I would like to inform members about
CTCleanWater Society. It is a grassroots group that organizes river
clean ups in and around connecticut. The group is new thats why the
memebr base is low. Without clean water we cannot live. Visit the
group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CTCLEANWATER
======================================================================
EERE NETWORK NEWS -- February 26, 2003
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
<http://www.eere.energy.gov/>
======================================================================
Featuring:
*News and Events
Report Finds High Potential for Renewable Power in the West
New Nevada Campus to be Fully Powered by Geothermal Energy
Report: More Than 300 Utilities Now Offer Green Power
Ski Areas Buy Green Power, Use Renewables, and Save Energy
Two Large and Innovative Biodiesel Plants Under Construction
Honda, Toyota Continue to Dominate List of "Greenest" Cars
*Site News
ASHRAE Online Journal and Electronic Newsletter
*Energy Facts and Tips
Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reductions Increased in 2001
*About this Newsletter
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS AND EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Report Finds High Potential for Renewable Power in the West
A new report examining the potential for renewable energy development
on public lands finds that all 11 western states have areas with a
high potential for power production from one or more renewable energy
sources. The report, released February 21st by DOE's National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the U.S. Department of the
Interior, studies resources on Bureau of Land Management, Forest
Service, and tribal lands. Titled "Assessing the Potential for
Renewable Energy on Public Lands," the report was prepared in support
of the President's National Energy Policy, which included efforts to
increase domestic energy security by encouraging energy production on
public lands.
The report examines wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy
resources, applying suitable screening criteria such as the distance
to transmission lines and roads. It found areas in seven western
states that hold a potential for power production from three or more
renewable energy resources, plus 35 sites in six western states that
hold a high potential for near-term development of geothermal power
resources. See the NREL press release at:
<http://www.nrel.gov/hot-stuff/press/2003/0703_eval_renewable.html>.
The full report is posted on the EERE Web site at:
<http://www.eere.energy.gov/femp/techassist/publiclands.html>.
New Nevada Campus to be Fully Powered by Geothermal Energy
The University of Nevada, Reno announced last week that it will use
geothermal energy to supply all the energy needs for its new Redfield
Campus in Reno. Advanced Thermal Systems, Inc. (ATS) will build and
operate an 11-megawatt geothermal power plant adjacent to the campus.
Under a 30-year agreement with the university, the power plant will
provide electricity and hot and chilled water to the university, using
an absorption cooling system to produce chilled water from the
geothermal heat. ATS expects to sell excess electricity to Sierra
Pacific, the local electric utility. The new campus is expected to
open next year. See the University of Nevada press release at:
<http://www.unr.edu/nevadanews/detail.asp?id=481>.
The use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies should
accelerate in Nevada, thanks to the Nevada Renewable Energy and Energy
Conservation Task Force. The task force, established in November 2001
to administer the state's Trust Fund for Renewable Energy and Energy
Conservation, released its first legislative report on January 30th.
According to that report, the task force plans to work with the Nevada
State Energy Office to improve renewable energy resource assessment
and examine solutions to power transmission constraints within the
state. The task force will also examine credit trading systems for
renewable power producers, evaluate market incentives, consider new
energy codes for buildings, and expand the state's public outreach
efforts. See the legislative report on the task force's Web site at:
<http://energy.state.nv.us/taskforce/default.htm>.
Report: More Than 300 Utilities Now Offer Green Power
DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released its annual
ranking of utility-sponsored green power programs last week, noting
that more than 300 utilities in 32 states now offer such programs. To
date, more than 425 megawatts of renewable generating capacity have
been installed or are planned as a result of these programs. The
utility-sponsored programs, referred to as "green pricing" programs,
are just one aspect of the green power market, which has resulted in
nearly 1,500 megawatts of new renewable power capacity either planned
or installed. See the NREL press release at:
<http://www.nrel.gov/hot-stuff/press/2003/leading_greenpower.html>
NREL develops "top ten" rankings of these green pricing programs based
on total sales, total number of participating customers, percentage of
customers participating, and lowest price premium charged. The top-
ranked utilities for each of these categories are Austin Energy
(selling over 251 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy each
year), the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water (selling green
power to 71,732 customers), Moorhead Public Service in Minnesota
(selling green power to 5.8 percent of its customers), and
Washington's Clallum County Public Utility District (charging a
premium of only 0.7 cents per kilowatt-hour for green power). See the
complete top ten rankings on the EERE Green Power Network Web site at:
<http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/topten.shtml>.
Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company (OG&E) is currently not on NREL's
top ten list, but it hopes to be eventually: the company is requesting
proposals for 50 megawatts of wind power, to be sold to its customers
through a green pricing program. Proposals are due in March, and the
company plans to choose one by May. See the announcement on the OG&E
Web site at: <http://www.oge.com/>.
Ski Areas Buy Green Power, Use Renewables, and Save Energy
U.S. ski resorts launched a new voluntary initiative last weekend to
reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to address global
warming. As part of the "Keep Winter Cool" campaign, ski areas are
buying wind energy, using solar energy to heat lift shacks, managing
their power consumption, using energy-efficient lights and snowmaking
equipment, and even recovering the heat from snowmaking compressors.
Two California resorts are also using biodiesel fuel in their snow
vehicles and transportation buses. The National Resources Defense
Council is participating in the campaign. See the press release from
the National Ski Areas Association at:
<http://www.nsaa.org/nsaa2002/_media.asp?mode=ss7>.
Two Large and Innovative Biodiesel Plants Under Construction
Two separate companies -- one in California, and one in Utah --
announced in late February their plans to produce biodiesel fuel from
renewable resources using innovative technologies.
In California, American Bio-Fuels, LLC is constructing a biodiesel
production plant that it claims will be the largest in the United
States. According to a press release from Green Star Products, Inc., a
part owner of American Bio-Fuels, the new Bakersfield plant will use a
continuous-flow reactor and separator to achieve a production capacity
of 35 million gallons per year. For comparison, the U.S. production of
biodiesel in 2002 was only 15 million gallons. The new plant is
expected to begin operating by midyear. See the Green Star Products
press release at: <http://www.baat.com/pr03-02-24.htm>.
In Utah, Smithfield Foods, Inc. plans to invest $20 million in a
facility that will convert swine manure into methanol, which will be
shipped elsewhere and used to produce biodiesel. Pending final
approval, construction at the Milford facility will begin in April,
and the plant may be operating as early as October. Smithfield Foods
is the largest hog producer and pork processor in the world. See the
Smithfield Foods press release at:
<http://www.smithfieldfoods.com/news/news_030221.html>.
Honda, Toyota Continue to Dominate List of "Greenest" Cars
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released
its annual list of the most fuel-efficient and least-polluting cars
and trucks last week, a list that continues to be topped by Honda and
Toyota vehicles. The new "ACEEE's Green Book -- Model Year 2003" still
lists the hybrid-electric Honda Insight in first place, followed in
order by Honda's natural-gas-powered Civic GX, Toyota's (now
discontinued) all-electric RAV4 EV, and the two hybrid-electric
sedans, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid. The top-ranked
domestic car, coming in 11th, is the low-emissions version of the Ford
Focus. Riding at the bottom of the list are three 12-cylinder sports
cars from Ferrari and Lamborghini and a slew of sport utility
vehicles: the GMC Yukon, Sierra Denali, and Yukon Denali; the
Chevrolet Suburban and Silverado; the Land Rover Range Rover; the
Cadillac Escalade; the Lexus LX 470; and the Toyota Land Cruiser. See
the ACEEE press release at: <http://www.greenercars.com/pr9.html>.
Although the Green Book is only available for a fee, a summary of the
top-ranked and lowest-ranked vehicles is available for free online at:
<http://www.greenercars.com/bestof.html>.
Missing from the Green Book list are the two fuel-cell-powered cars
that are now being tested in California fleets: the Honda FCX and the
Toyota FCHV. In mid-February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced that the Honda FCX was the first to be certified as a
"U.S. hydrogen fuel cell zero emission vehicle." See the EPA press
release at: <http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/headline_021103.htm>.
The EPA established that the Honda FCX achieves 51 miles per kilogram
of hydrogen in the city, and 48 miles per kilogram on the highway. In
terms of energy, a kilogram of hydrogen is nearly equal to a gallon of
gasoline. The price is a bit greater, though: according to the EPA, a
kilogram of compressed hydrogen currently costs about five dollars.
See the EPA fact sheet, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/f02055.pdf>.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SITE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ASHRAE Online Journal and Electronic Newsletter
<http://www.ashrae.org/template/JournalLanding> and
<http://www.ashrae.org/template/EnewsletterLanding>
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE) has two online news publications about heating,
ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R): the weekly
"HVAC&R Industry" electronic newsletter and the monthly "ASHRAE Online
Journal." The newsletter features news briefs about the HVAC&R
industry, while the Online Journal features more in-depth articles by
top HVAC&R experts. Both often feature news about energy efficiency
issues and technologies.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reductions Increased in 2001
U.S. companies that are voluntarily reporting their cuts in greenhouse
gas emissions were able to eliminate more emissions in 2001 than they
did in 2000, according to DOE's Energy Information Administration
(EIA). Overall, voluntary greenhouse gas reductions increased
5.4 percent over 2000 reduction levels. The 228 participating
companies reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of
316 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, or about 4.5 percent of
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Most noteworthy is that the bulk of
emissions cuts were achieved through direct reductions -- actually
cutting the companies' emissions -- rather than helping to cut
emissions at other facilities or using means of sequestering carbon,
such as tree planting. With power companies dominating the group, most
of the reductions were achieved through improved power plant
efficiencies, increased use of cogeneration and renewable energy
sources, and improved demand-side management programs to help
customers use less electricity. See the EIA press release at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/press/press208.html>.
The EIA also released in mid-February a summary version of its report
on total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2001 (the full report was
released in December 2002). The report shows a 1.2 percent drop in
greenhouse gas emissions in 2001, primarily because of slow economic
growth, reduced manufacturing output, a drop in electrical demand,
and a warm winter. See the EIA summary report at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggrpt/summary/index.html>.
Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
confirmed in late January that 2002 was the second-warmest year on
record, topped only by 1998, when a strong El Nino contributed to
higher global temperatures. In mid-February, NOAA reported that
January 2003 was the third-warmest January on record. See the
NOAA climate reports at:
<http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2002/ann/ann02.html> and
<http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2003/jan/global.html>.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
<http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/about.cfm>.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
home page is located at: <http://www.eere.energy.gov/>.
If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....
************************************
What's New at CSE?
************************************
A fortnightly electronic news bulletin from the
Centre for Science and Environment, India, to our
network of friends and professionals interested
in environmental issues. If you wish to unsubscribe,
please scroll down to the bottom of this page
for more information
---------------------------------------
Latest in Down To Earth Magazine
---------------------------------------
DAMODAR - TEN YEARS AFTER
The Damodar river flows through one of India's most
industrialised regions. Following up on a 1993 study,
Down To Earth revisits the coal dust and slurry-ridden
river basin to see how it has fared since then.
-- Damodar in 1993 - The first visit
(From the DTE archives)
More in the latest Down To Earth edition:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=1
Note: For Down To Earth subscribers only
---------------------------------------
PESTICIDE INDUSTRY THRIVING ON LEGAL LOOPHOLES
CSE's bottled water exposé has again brought to surface
the larger problem of groundwater contamination by
pesticides Read complete article:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=2
---------------------------------------
BUILDING ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOUSES
Most contemporary buildings gobble up energy and spew out
carbon dioxide. Here's how to manage urban 'heat islands'
More:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=3
Note: For Down To Earth subscribers only
---------------------------------------
>From the Down To Earth Editor's desk
---------------------------------------
WHY SHOULD PROGRESS BE PUTRID?
Last time I wrote about the cycle of poison, where one
toxic substance is replaced with another, equally toxic,
one. This cycle, I wrote, is exactly like the modern
economy where business is profitable only when it comes
up with profitable solutions for old problems. It is a
toxic tango, deadly for our health and environment. It
defies the logic of progress.
That’s why we desperately need a global compact on product
impact assessment and liability. Today, the global ecological
regulatory framework does not penalise the producer if his
product is dangerous or toxic. Instead, it actually rewards
him by providing another lucrative market for substitutes.
International agreements do not even begin to address the
principle of liability and compensation – holding polluters
liable to pay damages. Take the Montreal Protocol. Such are
its terms that industries have been rewarded — many times
over — for producing chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), which threatened the ozone layer. Big CFC
manufacturers like Du Pont were gifted huge new markets for
alternative chemicals they produced and the convention
encouraged.
The fact that one of these ‘alternatives’ -- HFC-134a --
could now be banned for its climate change potential has no
material implications for the company marketing the
chemical. The race to find the environment-friendly
alternative chemical is not just never-ending, but also
eternally profitable. In the Montreal Protocol itself, more
and more chemicals are being added to the phase-out list, but
not once has the question of holding the manufacturer liable
been raised, let alone discussed.
It is the same with pesticides. In 1939, Paul Muller of the
Swiss-based Geigy Pharmaceuticals discovered how
effective Dichloro diphenyl trichloethane (DDT) was as an
insecticide. In 1948 he was awarded the Nobel Prize even as
Charles Broley, a Canadian banker, found that the pesticide
sprayed along the coast to control mosquitoes was the
cause of the decline of the bald-headed eagle. By 1972,
DDT’s dangers were known and it was banned in the US.
But markets simply shifted to more lucrative ventures. On
the one hand industry profited by finding substitutes, often
more toxic. On the other, they increased exports of DDT and
many other banned chemicals to developing countries.
Journalists David Weir and Mark Schapiro in their book
'Circle of Poison' show that in the 1980s, over 25 per cent
of the pesticides exported from the US were banned there.
Manufacturing, too, grew in developing countries, along with
consumption. But new problems emerged. By the 1990s
pesticides sprayed in developing countries were making their
way back to the industrialised world. The poison had come
full circle. The return route was multiple. One such route
was food import. In 1996 chlordane -- banned in the US but
exported by its corporations -- was found in carrots imported
from Mexico. The second route was via the oceans and
atmosphere. Pesticides sprayed in the developing world were
found in the waters of even the remote polar regions of the
world.
Global action has been multi-pronged. Firstly, the world
community has negotiated the Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants. Under this, 12 organochlorine
pesticides and industrial chemicals have been targeted for
global ban. A committee reviews and targets more of these
pollutants. Secondly, the Rotterdam convention on Prior
Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade was
adopted. The convention enables countries to express their
“prior informed consent” before receiving imports of a
specified list of hazardous and banned chemicals. Again, a
list – 27 to begin with and 4 added in the last few years.
But the chain remains unbroken. In India, for instance, toxic
organochlorine aldrin was banned. It was replaced by another
insecticide, chlorpyrifos. This insecticide was found in most
samples of bottled water the Centre for Science and
Environment recently analysed (see: Down To Earth, Vol 11,
No 18; Feb. 15, 2003). It is under urgent review the world
over because of its neuroteratogenic properties. But not
in India.
In India, the government does not even think it just or fit
to disclose the known toxicity of the chemicals registered by
the Central Insecticides Board. Science and silence go hand
in hand in a conspiracy that thrills the industry-government
combine.
The problem, scientists will tell you, is that it is
impossible to know everything about a product when it is
introduced. The one option is to invest in science for
ecological security, so that we stay ahead of nasty
environmental surprises. Environmental assessment of products,
and not just projects, must be mandatory and more stringent.
But much more important is to jump ahead. To break the
cycle. To invent and innovate in products outside the toxicity
treadmill. But for this new-generation of products, industry
will need less greed and more foresight.
It will also need the stick of regulation. One key issue is to
build a strong liability regime so that the manufacturer is
warned of the precautions needed to invent products that
could be profitable in the short-run and toxic in the long-run.
This liability regime will force manufacturers to take
life-time responsibility and invest in sustainability.
Otherwise, progress will just be putrid.
— Sunita Narain
To e-mail this editorial, visit:
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=4
WRITE TO THE EDITOR: editor@...
---------------------------------------
Gobar Times - Environment for Beginners
---------------------------------------
AS SIMPLE AS MUD
Mud buildings have stood the test of time. Why then do we
continue to rely on cement & marble?
More in the latest Gobar Times:
http://www.gobartimes.org
---------------------------------------
State of India's Environment: Fifth Report
---------------------------------------
An indispensable guide to researchers, policy analysts and
concerned individuals, the Citizen's Reports on the State of
India's Environment (SOE) series are a comprehensive dossier
on environmental issues and challenges in India.
SOE-5 consists of two parts. The first is a comprehensive
report on environmental issues, events, policies and
practices. The second includes a statistical database on
different aspects of India’s environment.
Order your copy today:
http://csestore.cse.org.in
---------------------------------------
CSE Media Fellows: a Profile
---------------------------------------
CSE Media Fellowships on Making Water Everybody's
Business (October 2002-January 2003) has drawn forth
a varied and interesting selection of news stories and
features. A profile of the 11 CSE Fellows:
http://www.cseindia.org/html/media/making_water.htm
---------------------------------------
Documentaries on Freshwater
---------------------------------------
CSE's Audio-Visual Unit has recently acquired 6 half-hour
television documentaries on freshwater issues. Produced by
TVE international, these documentaries are a part of the
"Changing Currents" series.
To buy or borrow these or other environment-related films,
contact:
Kiran (kiran@...) or Ashwini (ashwini@...)
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We are a social organisation looking into the prospects of installing
small wind mills in the Villages of Coimbatore Dist for farming
purpose etc.,. This area is already identified by local Govt.
authorities as a good site for windmills.
Anyone in this group ca suggest some pathforward for these
installations / cost and any agency willing to give a helping hand.
Looking forward to see a favorable response.
Thanks,
"JBR"
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