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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- July 3, 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
First Large Wind Plants Planned for Illinois, West Virginia
Toyota to Lease 20 Fuel-Cell-Powered SUVs by Early 2003
DOE Selects Six Projects to Advance Automotive Technologies
DOE Awards $4.6 Million for Alternative Fuels and Vehicles
BMW, GM Draw on Landfill Methane to Power Auto Plants
Habitat for Humanity Builds Zero-Net-Energy Prototype Homes
DOE Awards $79 Million for Efficiency, Home Weatherization
*Site News
EERE Launches Redesigned Web Site to Match New Organization
*Energy Facts and Tips
U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Emissions Decreased in 2001
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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First Large Wind Plants Planned for Illinois, West Virginia
Two of the largest wind power facilities east of the Mississippi
will be built in Illinois and West Virginia within the year,
developers announced last week. The two wind plants will be the
first commercial wind power facilities in each state.
Illinois Wind Energy and Tomen Power Corporation plan to build a
51-megawatt wind power facility near Tiskilwa, Illinois,
approximately 110 miles west of Chicago. The Crescent Ridge wind
energy project will employ 34 of NEG Micon's 1.5-megawatt wind
turbines, providing enough power for roughly 20,000 homes.
Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) is buying all the power from the
project, which should be completed by mid-2003. Unlike most recent
wind projects, the power will be included in ComEd's regular power
supply, rather than sold at a premium as green power. See the ComEd
press release at:
<http://www.ceco.com/news/comed/display.asp?a=ComEd&rec_id=498>.
In West Virginia, FPL Energy is preparing to build a 66-megawatt
wind plant called the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center. FPL Energy
bought the project rights from Atlantic Renewable Energy
Corporation, which had previously pursued it under the name of the
Backbone Mountain Wind Project. Construction will begin this month
on the wind power facility, which will comprise 44 of NEG Micon's
1.5-megawatt wind turbines along Backbone Mountain, located near the
town of Thomas. Construction is expected to be complete by year-end.
See the FPL Energy press release at:
<http://www.fplenergy.com/newsreleases/2002/02078.html>.
According to NEG Micon, the turbines for the West Virginia project
will cost FPL Energy about $40 million. But FPL Energy also has an
option to buy an additional 350 1.5-megawatt turbines -- totaling
525 megawatts of wind capacity -- through the end of 2003. If FPL
Energy exercises that option, it would represent a total purchase
worth roughly $400 million. See the June 26th press release from NEG
Micon at: <http://www.neg-micon.com/press/releases.html>.
While the West Virginia and Illinois projects charge ahead, a
proposed 420-megawatt wind plant in the waters offshore of
Massachusetts continues to advance slowly but steadily through the
permitting process. In late June, the Army Corps of Engineers
released its Scope of Work for the Cape Wind project's Environmental
Impact Statement. See the Corps press release at:
<http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/news/2002-86.html>.
The 7-page Scope of Work is available in PDF format only at:
<http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/projects/ma/ccwf/CapeWindEIS.pdf>.
Toyota to Lease 20 Fuel-Cell-Powered SUVs by Early 2003
Toyota Motor Corporation announced Monday that it will begin leasing
a limited number of its fuel-cell-powered sport utility vehicles
(SUVs) in the United States and Japan around the end of this year.
The announcement follows successful road tests of the company's fuel
cell prototype, the FCHV-1. The U.S. version of the hydrogen-fueled
fuel cell SUV will be based on the Toyota Highlander.
Toyota plans to lease a total of 20 vehicles to entities that have
access to a hydrogen fueling system and to Toyota's service
specialists. Because of the vehicle's high cost and decreased
performance in cold weather, Toyota will only offer the leases to
select private businesses, technology-related companies,
institutional organizations and research facilities. See the Toyota
press release at:
<http://www.toyota.com/about/news/product/2002/07/01-1-fuelcell.html>
DOE Selects Six Projects to Advance Automotive Technologies
DOE announced on June 26th the selection of five small businesses
and one university to develop automotive components and subsystems
for cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars. The projects total more than
$1 million in cost-shared research, of which DOE will provide up to
$900,000 through its Cooperative Automotive Research for Advanced
Technology (CARAT) program. The projects include developing an
advanced diesel injector system, a catalyst for converting diesel
fuel to hydrogen, materials for converting engine waste heat into
electricity, high-efficiency auxiliary motors, controllers for those
motors, and solid oxide fuel cells. See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/junpr/pr02124.htm>.
The objective of CARAT is to tap the creativity and resourcefulness
of the small business and academic communities to overcome technical
challenges and make promising, energy-efficient automotive
technologies a reality. See the CARAT Program Web site at:
<http://www.ipd.anl.gov/carat/>.
CARAT is part of DOE's new "FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies
Program," one of 11 main programs within DOE's reorganized Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. See the program Web site at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/vehicle.html>.
DOE Awards $4.6 Million for Alternative Fuels and Vehicles
DOE announced on June 28th its award of $4.6 million in competitive
grants to 24 states and the District of Columbia to build local markets
for alternative fuels and vehicles. The funds will go to 55 communities
that participate in the department's Clean Cities program. Those
communities will use the funds to purchase alternative fuel vehicles,
develop refueling stations and infrastructure, deploy alternative fuel
school buses, and develop alternative fuel vehicle platforms. See the
DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/junpr/pr02131.htm>.
Clean Cities projects help establish partnerships between federal,
state, and local governments to promote and increase the use of
alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles. About 80
communities participate in DOE's Clean Cities Program, which is part
of DOE's new "Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program," one of
the 11 main programs within DOE's reorganized Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy. See the program Web site at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/weatherization.html>.
DOE's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
(INEEL) has helped develop a technology that may help accelerate the
development of alternative fuel infrastructure. A new small-scale
natural gas liquefaction facility, designed by INEEL, is now being
tested in Sacramento, California. Since typical liquefied natural
gas (LNG) facilities cost about $10 million and occupy up to 6 acres
of land, they tend to be few and far between, requiring LNG to be
shipped long distances to fueling facilities. The new technology is
expected to yield LNG facilities costing only $450,000 and requiring
only 240 square feet of space. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company
installed the new plant, which is now undergoing a 3- to 6-month
startup and operational testing phase. See the INEEL press release
at: <http://newsdesk.inel.gov/contextnews.cfm?ID=332>.
LNG is a clean-burning alternative fuel typically used in heavy
vehicles. For more information, see the Natural Gas page on the
Alternative Fuels Data Center Web site at:
<http://www.afdc.doe.gov/altfuel/natural_gas.html>.
BMW, GM Draw on Landfill Methane to Power Auto Plants
The trash you throw out today may help produce the car you buy next
year, thanks to the recent efforts of General Motors Corporation
(GM) and BMW Manufacturing Corporation.
GM announced in June that it is using landfill methane to partially
power its manufacturing plants in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and
Shreveport, Louisiana. The methane is being burned in the company's
powerhouse boilers at each facility. An 8-mile pipeline carries the
gas from a landfill to the Fort Wayne facility, where it replaces as
much as 70 percent of the powerhouse's natural gas requirements. The
landfill gas provides about 16 percent of the energy needs for the
entire assembly plant.
GM also announced in June that it is buying 8 million kWh of
electricity from a landfill gas facility in Michigan, as was
reported in the June 12th edition of this newsletter. See the May
8th and June 11th GM press releases by selecting "Latest
Environmental News" on the GM Web site at:
<http://www.gmability.com/environment/gm_and_the_env/index.html>.
BMW will soon follow suit: Construction will begin this month on a
project to supply landfill methane to BMW's manufacturing facility
in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Waste Management, Inc. is collecting
the waste gas at its Palmetto Landfill, and a 9.5-mile pipeline will
deliver it to the BMW facility. The gas will fuel up to four gas
turbines, which will generate electricity while producing waste heat
that will be used to provide hot water. Altogether, the landfill gas
will provide about 20 percent of the energy requirements for the
2.5-million-square-foot facility. Ameresco, Inc. will design, build,
and own the pipeline, gas processing and gas compression facilities
for the multi-million-dollar project, which should be complete by
year-end. See the Ameresco press release at:
<http://www.ameresco.com/release.asp?ID=13>.
Waste Management currently supplies landfill gas to 69 gas-to-energy
projects in 21 states with a total capacity of 185 megawatts. A
recent addition is the first landfill gas power plant in Nebraska: a
3.2-megawatt facility in Elk Creek that began operating on April
1st. The new facility is owned and operated by the Omaha Public
Power District. See the Waste Management press release at:
<http://www.wm.com/press/PR/2002/press0218.asp>.
Habitat for Humanity Builds Zero-Net-Energy Prototype Homes
DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced in mid-June
that it is working with Habitat for Humanity to build 20 energy-
efficient houses in nearby Lenoir City, Tennessee. The majority of
the new homes will be prototypes of zero net energy homes -- homes
that produce as much energy as they use. A house now under
construction, for instance, will include structural insulated
panels, a raised metal-seamed roof, a biomass-fired microturbine, a
2-kilowatt solar electric system, and a hydronic heating system.
Four of the energy efficient houses have already been built. See the
ORNL press release at:
<http://www.ornl.gov/Press_Releases/current/mr20020620-05.html>.
The project is being developed as part of DOE's Building America
program, which is aiming to develop zero net energy homes of all
types by 2010. Building America is part of DOE's new "Building
Technologies Program," one of the 11 main programs within DOE's
reorganized Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. See
the Building America Web site at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/building_america/>.
DOE Awards $79 Million for Efficiency, Home Weatherization
DOE announced on June 26th its award of $44.5 million for state
energy efficiency programs, plus an award of $34.5 million to
Colorado, Illinois, and Pennsylvania for home weatherization
programs.
A total of $44,535,000 will go to all states, territories, and the
District of Columbia under DOE's State Energy Program (SEP). Each
state's energy office administers the funds, which are used to
promote energy efficiency and renewable energy. The state projects
include such tasks as improving lighting standards for public
buildings, promoting carpools and public transportation, developing
procurement practices that include energy efficiency, improving the
energy efficiency of homes and businesses, financing energy
efficiency improvements, educating the public about energy
efficiency, and addressing issues such as urban sprawl. See the DOE
press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/junpr/pr02121.htm>.
DOE awarded an additional $34,464,828 in weatherization assistance
funds to the states of Colorado, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. The funds
will be used to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-
income families in the state. Weatherization reduces an average home's
energy cost by $218 each year. For every dollar spent, DOE's
Weatherization Assistance Program returns $1.80 in energy savings over
the life of the weatherized home, based on recent energy prices. See
the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/junpr/pr02120.htm>.
Both the State Energy Program and the Weatherization Assistance
Program are part of DOE's new "Weatherization and Intergovernmental
Program," one of the 11 main programs within DOE's reorganized
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. See the program
Web site at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/weatherization.html>.
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SITE NEWS
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EERE Launches Redesigned Web Site to Match New Organization
DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
launched its redesigned Web site on July 1st as the reorganization
of the office became official. On Friday, June 28th, the U.S.
Congress gave its final concurrence for the new organization,
allowing EERE to proceed with its new program structure. The new
organization is a streamlined, flatter structure that places more
emphasis on the office's 11 programs, while allowing each program to
focus on its technology development or deployment goals.
The new EERE Web site highlights the 11 new programs by placing them
front and center on the home page. The portal aspect of the Web site
-- providing a directory of energy efficiency and renewable energy
technologies and topics -- runs along the left-hand column of the
home page. Regularly updated news items, drawn from DOE press
releases and this newsletter, are posted along the right-hand
column.
Along with the 11 new program Web pages, the new EERE Web site
includes a redesign of each of the portal pages to match the new Web
site's enhanced look and feel. See the new EERE home page at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov>.
To learn more about the office, see the new "Office of EERE" page on
the EERE Web site at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/eere>.
The new organization is presented in detail at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/eere/organization.html>.
Please note that the EREN Network News was relocated in the new
site. See us at our new, easier-to-remember location, at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/news>.
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Emissions Decreased in 2001
There's an ongoing political debate in the United States about whether
or not decreasing our greenhouse gas emissions will be bad for the
U.S. economy. While the outcome of that debate remains uncertain,
here's one thing we can be sure of: a bad U.S. economy certainly helps
to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, at least those related to energy.
Indeed, a slow U.S. economy is being credited by DOE's Energy
Information Administration (EIA) for a 1.1 percent decline in energy-
related carbon dioxide emissions in 2001, the first since 1991. The
EIA's preliminary analysis of carbon dioxide emissions shows a
9.1 percent drop in the industrial sector, which was offset by a
6.2 increase in the commercial sector and small increases in the
residential and transportation sectors.
Meanwhile, U.S. carbon intensity -- the amount of energy-related carbon
dioxide emissions per unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) -- fell from
169 metric tons per million dollars of GDP (in constant 1996 dollars)
in 2000 to 165 metric tons per million dollars of GDP in 2001, a
2.4 percent decrease. A decrease in carbon intensity indicates that the
United States economy is becoming more energy efficient. See the EIA
press release at: <http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/press/press195.html>.
Carbon dioxide is just one of many greenhouses gases, but it tends to
dominate the total emissions. Likewise, most carbon dioxide emissions
are generated by using energy, so energy-related carbon dioxide
emissions are generally a good indicator of overall greenhouse gas
emissions trends. For more information, see the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Global Warming Emissions Web page at:
<http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/emissions/index.html>.
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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