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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- December 12, 2001
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
State of Pennsylvania Makes Large Green Power Purchase
Iowa Project Tests Switchgrass for Power Production
Seed Corn Production Plant Tests Waste Seed as Heat Source
DOE Selects Companies to Test Ultra-Low Sulfur Fuels
NC State University to Develop Molecular-Based Solar Cells
Eleven Large Geothermal Projects Planned for New York
California PUC Opens Efficiency Programs to Non-Utilities
*Site News
DOE's Office of Distributed Energy Resources
*Energy Facts and Tips
EIA Publishes State Electricity, Energy Cost Facts
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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State of Pennsylvania Makes Large Green Power Purchase
Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker announced last
week that Pennsylvania will buy enough electricity from
renewable energy sources to meet 5 percent of the state
government's power needs for the next two years. The state
awarded a contract to Community Energy Inc. for the
purchase of 100 million kilowatt-hours of green power from
the start of 2002 through the end of 2003. Twenty percent of
this green power purchase will be supplied by the new
Exelon-Community Energy wind facilities in Fayette and
Somerset counties (thereby using 5 percent of the output
from those facilities), and the remainder will be generated
from hydroelectric sources, landfill gas power plants, and
solar power. See the governor's press release at:
<http://papress.state.pa.us/ctc/data/20011205.001.htm>.
Iowa Project Tests Switchgrass for Power Production
John Deere announced last week its support of a
groundbreaking project in central Iowa to generate electricity
from switchgrass. Switchgrass is a common prairie grass
grown on marginal farmland throughout many parts of North
America. Its high energy output per acre of harvested crop
makes it an attractive crop for energy production.
The Chariton Valley Biomass Project involves more than
80 farmers managing 7,000 acres of switchgrass. The
project is managed by Chariton Valley Resource
Conservation & Development, Inc., a non-profit corporation
helping southern Iowa farmers. John Deere provided
equipment to harvest and bale the switchgrass, and the
company provided expertise on when to harvest and how to
store the crop. Iowa State University is testing the impact of
harvests on the environment, including water runoff, wildlife,
and soil stress. Alliant Energy is testing small portions of the
switchgrass at its coal-fired Ottumwa Generating Station in
Chillicothe, Iowa, which is co-owned with MidAmerican
Energy.
If the project reaches its goal, five percent of the fuel burned
at the generating station will be switchgrass, eventually
adding up to 200,000 tons burned annually at the site. A final
report on the project is expected next year from DOE's
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. See the John Deere
press release at:
<http://www.deere.com/deerecom/_newsroom/grass.htm>.
John Deere also provided some support for the biodiesel
industry last week when the company announced that the
use of soy-based biodiesel is approved for all of its diesel-
powered products. However, the company cautions against
possible fuel degradation and water absorption if the fuel is
stored improperly. To demonstrate further support for the
use of farm-based products, the company is exploring soy-
based resins to replace sheet metal on its products, and
expects to use corn- and soybean-based plastic panels on
its combines built in 2002. See the John Deere press release
at: <http://www.deere.com/deerecom/_newsroom/ecofriendbio.htm>.
Seed Corn Production Plant Tests Waste Seed as Heat Source
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. has a waste problem at its
Toledo, Iowa, seed corn production plant: unsold seed that is
returned and cannot be resold. But Pioneer is turning that
problem into an opportunity, as it is now investigating high-
temperature gasification to convert the waste corn into a gas
that can be burned as a heat source. Pioneer hopes to
eventually reduce its use of natural gas -- it uses a lot of it to
dry seed corn each fall -- and also hopes the process may
be used on farms. The company is working on the project
with Iowa State University and Carbon Energy Technology,
Inc. See the December 5th press release on the Pioneer
Web site at: <http://www.pioneer.com/media/releases.htm>.
DOE Selects Companies to Test Ultra-Low Sulfur Fuels
DOE announced yesterday its award of $10.7 million to four
firms for research and testing of ultra-low sulfur fuels, which
can yield lower air emissions in advanced engine systems.
The firms will test emissions and emission control systems
when using low-sulfur fuels in light-duty passenger cars,
light-duty pickup trucks, and heavy-duty engines. In addition,
one firm will examine the effects of oil and fuel additives on
emissions. DOE's contribution will be matched by other
federal agencies and private firms for a total investment of
$21.5 million. See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases01/decpr/pr01206.htm>.
NC State University to Develop Molecular-Based Solar Cells
North Carolina State University (NCSU) announced last
week that SolarAmp, a North Carolina solar energy
company, is providing $500,000 for NCSU and other partner
universities to develop a molecular-based solid-state solar
cell. SolarAmp is also providing funding for the purchase of
research instrumentation. One of the targets of the research
is to develop a flexible, lightweight solar cell. See the
December 4th press release by selecting "See All Current
NC State News Releases" on the NCSU Web site at:
<http://www.ncsu.edu/news/>.
Eleven Large Geothermal Projects Planned for New York
Ten companies and institutions on Long Island, and one in
the New York City borough of Queens, plan to install
geothermal heating and cooling systems in the near future,
thereby saving a total of $200,000 per year in energy costs.
The projects will reduce peak electrical use by about
500 kilowatts while cutting total energy use by roughly
1.4 million kilowatt-hours per year -- enough to power about
175 homes. Governor George E. Pataki announced the
projects last week during a visit to Atlantis Marine World in
Riverhead, which has completed its geothermal installation
and is using it to control the water temperature in a shark
tank.
The geothermal systems qualify for a rebate from the Long
Island Power Authority's (LIPA) Clean Energy Initiative --
the 11 combined projects will earn nearly $1 million in
rebates. The five-year, $170-million initiative provides
rebates and incentives to residential and commercial
customers to save electricity, and helps promote the
development and use of clean energy alternatives such as
fuel cells and wind, solar, and geothermal energy. See the
governor's press release at:
<http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/year01/dec1_01.htm>.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems, also called
geothermal heat pumps, provide an efficient means of
heating and cooling buildings. For more information, see the
Geothermal Heat Pumps page on the DOE Geothermal
Energy Program Web site at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/geothermal/geoheatpumps.html>.
Another example of the benefits of the Clean Energy
Initiative is LIPA's Solar Pioneers program, which just began
its second phase. The program now offers a higher rebate
for solar power systems installed on homes and businesses.
For systems installed and operating by July 31, 2002, the
rebate is $6 per watt up to a maximum of 10 kilowatts, which
would earn the maximum rebate of $60,000. After July 31st,
the rebate drops to $4 per watt. LIPA is also giving away
30 solar electric systems, each with a capacity of 500 to
600 watts. See the LIPA press release at:
<http://www.lipower.org/newscenter/pr/2001/dec5_01.htm>.
California PUC Opens Efficiency Programs to Non-Utilities
The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) announced
new rules for its energy efficiency programs in late November.
Among the changes is a new provision that allows non-utility
parties to make proposals directly to the PUC for a portion of
the funding. For example, local governments, community-
based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and
for-profit energy service providers would all be eligible for
funding. Statewide programs will be funded at $160 million in
2002, and local programs will be funded at $75 million; non-
utility parties will be eligible for approximately 65 percent of
the local program funding. See the PUC press release at:
<http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/published/news_release/11339.htm>.
Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the state's largest
utilities, responded politely to the news, although it made a
point of listing the past successes of its utility-managed
residential rebate programs. See the SCE press release at:
<http://www.edison.com/media/indiv_pr.asp?id=2888>.
Californians may also benefit from an additional $20 million
in state funds for the Zero-Emissions Vehicle (ZEV)
Incentive Program, or ZIP. The ZIP program currently offers
grants of up to $9,000 for the purchase or lease of ZEVs.
The staff of California's Air Resource Board (CARB) is
currently deciding how best to use the new funds, and will
hold a public workshop on the subject next week. Scroll
down to "ZIP II" on the CARB ZIP Web page at:
<http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/zip/zip.htm>.
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SITE NEWS
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DOE's Office of Distributed Energy Resources
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/der/>
DOE's Office of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) has a
fully redesigned Web site that showcases the growing body
of information the office has to offer on these rapidly
developing energy systems. The site contains detailed
background information on distributed energy resources --
small, modular power-generating technologies that can be
combined with energy management and storage systems
and used to improve the operation of the electricity grid. The
site explains DER applications and issues, gives information
on the DER office, and provides links to all of the DER
programs. While the site is already robust, content will
continue to be added during the next year -- including in-
depth information on DER projects, resources, suppliers,
project financing, and regulatory and policy issues. DER
companies and organizations wishing to be listed on the
DER Web site can send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For this and other recent additions to the EREN Web site,
see <http://www.eren.doe.gov/new/whats-new.html>.
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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EIA Publishes State Electricity, Energy Cost Facts
Do you know where your state stands in terms of energy
costs? The answers might surprise you. In 1999, out of all
the U.S. states, residents of the District of Columbia paid the
highest price for energy (there's some folks working in that
district that they might want to complain to!), but the
residents of Wyoming paid the most per person for energy --
a whopping $3,861 for the year. Those cold Wyoming
winters and the long drives to Cheyenne obviously come at a
price. Meanwhile, residents of Louisiana received the best
energy bargain -- less than half the cost paid in the District of
Columbia -- and Florida residents paid the least per person,
a mere $1,674. To see how your state stacks up, check out
the "State Rankings" section of the "State Energy Price and
Expenditure Report 1999," published by DOE's Energy
Information Administration (EIA) and posted on the EIA Web
site at: <http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/seper/contents.html>.
If you're more interested in electricity facts, try the State
Electricity Profiles, also published by EIA. The report profiles
the electricity generation of each State, with information on
generating capability, electricity generation, fuel use, retail
sales, nuclear power, capacity factor, and pollutant
emissions. For instance, you can easily find out that the
largest power plant in Colorado is the Craig power plant,
which can use coal, gas, or petroleum to generate up to
1,264 megawatts of electricity. See the EIA Web site at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/toc.html>.
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
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