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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- September 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/>
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Featuring:
*News and Events
California Mandates 20 Percent Renewable Power by 2017
California Trends Toward Half-Megawatt Solar Power Systems
DOE Welcomes Solar Decathletes to Washington, D.C.
Nevada BLM Offers 130,000 Acres for Geothermal Development
Detroit Picked as Location for Michigan's NextEnergy Center
Army Corps Selects "Adaptive Mitigation" at Snake River Dams
Prototype Tidal Power Plant Installed Off U.K. Coast
*Site News
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
*Energy Facts and Tips
EIA Anticipates Higher Fuel Bills This Winter
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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California Mandates 20 Percent Renewable Power by 2017
California has committed to double its use of non-hydro renewable
energy for electricity production within the next 15 years. Governor
Gray Davis signed the state's new "renewable portfolio standard"
(RPS) into law last week. The state will require all retail sellers
of electricity to increase their use of wind, geothermal, biomass,
and solar power by 1 percent per year until they reach the required
20 percent. All electricity providers must achieve the 20 percent
goal by 2017.
Governor Davis also signed a bill into law that will continue the
state's funding for renewable energy projects and energy research
and development for the next five years. See the September 12th
press release by selecting "Press Releases" on the governor's
Web site at:
<http://www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov_pressroom_main.jsp>.
Although roughly one third of the U.S. states have RPS legislation
in place, California's RPS law is arguably the strongest. Maine, for
instance, requires that 30 percent of its electricity comes from
renewable power sources, but the state includes hydropower in that
definition. Maine already draws on hydropower for more than
25 percent of its electricity needs. See the state-by-state
summaries by selecting "Rules, Regulations & Policies" on the
Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy Web site at:
<http://www.dsireusa.org/summarytables/index.cfm>.
California Trends Toward Half-Megawatt Solar Power Systems
The U.S. solar power industry, which once prided itself on 5-kilowatt
installations, is seeing an encouraging trend toward projects closer
to a half-megawatt (500-kilowatt) in peak capacity. Although such
large installations have cropped up in a number of states, recent
news of large solar power projects have all come from California.
Among the recent announcements is a 520-kilowatt solar power system
now being installed at a wastewater treatment plant in Oroville by
Sun Power and Geothermal Energy. The company broke ground on the
project in late August; when the system goes online in November, it
will provide enough electricity to treat 80 percent of the
wastewater at the facility. See the company's press release at:
<http://www.sunpowergeothermal.com/solarwastewater.html>.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. is following suit with a 501-kilowatt
system at its headquarters facilities in Torrance. PowerLight
Corporation will provide the solar power system; Think Energy, Inc.
brought the two companies together. The system will be installed
this fall. See the September 16th press release on the Think Energy
Web site at:
<http://www.thinkenergy.net/pressroom/press_releases.htm>.
Meanwhile, the City of San Francisco is planning to install two
large solar power systems: a 688-kilowatt system at the Moscone
Center (a convention center) and a 600-kilowatt system at the city's
Southeast wastewater treatment plant. Those details are included on
page 7 of the Executive Summary for the state's Electricity Resource
Plan, which also includes energy efficiency measures and plans to
encourage the use of distributed energy resources. The plan,
released in late August, is posted on the city's Department of the
Environment Web site at:
<http://www.sfgov.org/sfenvironment/aboutus/energy/policy.htm>.
DOE Welcomes Solar Decathletes to Washington, D.C.
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham extended his welcome last week
to the "solar decathletes" -- fourteen teams of college students
from around the United States and its territories that are now
arriving in Washington, D.C., for the first-ever Solar Decathlon.
Each team has the daunting task of transporting a solar-powered home
to the nation's capital and constructing it within six days.
The Solar Decathlon is a team competition among universities to
design and build the most energy-efficient solar-powered homes. The
partially constructed homes are expected to arrive on the National
Mall by today in preparation for the construction phase, which runs
from tomorrow through the 24th. The competition officially begins on
September 26th and continues until October 5th. The winning team
will be the one that most successfully blends aesthetics and modern
conveniences with maximum energy production and efficiency in their
solar-powered home.
As the name implies, the Solar Decathlon includes 10 events on which
each team will be judged: graphics and communications; design
presentation and simulation; design and livability; "The Comfort
Zone" (maintaining indoor comfort during the competition);
refrigeration; hot water; lighting; home business (the homes must
include an office space with working home-office equipment);
"Getting Around" (excess power from each home is used to charge an
electric car); and "Energy Balance" (homes should ideally end the
contest with the same charge on the home battery system as when they
started).
The so-called "Solar Village" on the National Mall will be open for
public tours throughout the competition and on the following Sunday,
October 6th. Sponsors of the Solar Decathlon include DOE, BP Solar,
Home Depot, EDS, the American Institute of Architects, and DOE's
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/seppr/pr02182.htm>.
See also the Solar Decathlon Web site at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/solar_decathlon/>.
Looking for a solar event closer to home? The 2002 National Tour of
Solar Buildings is coming your way on October 5th. Tours are
organized locally and are available in all 50 states, plus the
District of Columbia (you can guess where they're going!). The
American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and DOE are the main sponsors
of the event. See the ASES Web site at:
<http://www.ases.org/hometr/>.
Nevada BLM Offers 130,000 Acres for Geothermal Development
The Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Monday that
it is offering geothermal leases on 67 tracts of land covering
130,537 acres in central and western Nevada. The leases include land
in six "Known Geothermal Resource Areas" -- areas considered rich in
geothermal energy and prime for energy development. Bids must be
received by September 23rd.
The lease offering is a significant increase over last year, when
the Nevada BLM offered 28,111 acres for lease. That offer led to
seven successful bids on a total of 11,428 acres. See the September
16th press release on the Nevada BLM Web site at:
<http://www.nv.blm.gov/News.Releases/>.
See also the Nevada BLM Geothermal Web page at:
<http://www.nv.blm.gov/minerals/geothermal/index.htm>.
The bids on the geothermal leases will be opened on September 24th
at the annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC). The
meeting runs from September 22nd through the 25th in Reno. See the
GRC Web site at: <http://www.geothermal.org/2002mtg/index.htm>.
Nine geothermal plants with a total capacity of 165 megawatts are
currently operating on federal lands in Nevada. That represents most
of the geothermal power capacity in the state, which totals about
196 megawatts. But the state holds the largest untapped geothermal
resources in the country, with a potential for at least 2,500
megawatts of geothermal power production. For more information, see
the "Geopowering the West" Web site on EREN at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/geopoweringthewest/>.
Detroit Picked as Location for Michigan's NextEnergy Center
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced Monday that
its NextEnergy Center will be located in Wayne State University's
Research and Technology Park in Detroit. The new center will serve
as the nucleus for the NextEnergy Initiative, which is intended to
help Michigan become a world leader in the research, development,
commercialization, and manufacture of alternative energy
technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. The news comes as a
disappointment to York Township, which was originally slated for the
center. See the announcement on the NextEnergy Web site:
<http://www.nextenergy.org/020916NextEnergy.htm>.
Announced by Governor John Engler in April, the NextEnergy
Initiative is taking form through a package of six legislative bills
introduced to both chambers of the Michigan legislature in May. Of
the six bills, three -- House Bill 6071, House Bill 6074, and Senate
Bill 1322 -- have passed into law. The first bill allows the
NextEnergy Center location to be designated as a tax-free zone for
the next 20 years for alternative energy companies located there.
The second bill exempts alternative energy systems, vehicles, and
businesses throughout the state from personal property taxes for the
next 10 years, although local authorities can override the
exemption. The third bill provides tax credits for all alternative
energy companies in the state, with additional credits for those
located within the NextEnergy Center. See the announcement, with
links to each of the bills, on the NextEnergy Web site at:
<http://www.nextenergy.org/020510NextEnergy.htm>.
Additional information is available on the NextEnergy Web site at:
<http://www.nextenergy.org/Default.htm>.
Army Corps Selects "Adaptive Mitigation" at Snake River Dams
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has chosen a combination of
operational and structural changes to improve the survival of salmon
on the lower Snake River. The Corps announced the decision last
week, concluding a process that began in 1995. Alternatives examined
by the Corps ranged from doing nothing to breaching the dams,
options that were explored extensively in public meetings held by
the Corps.
The Corps' chosen approach, called "adaptive mitigation," includes
operational changes to improve the coordination and implementation
of spilling water past the dams, improved efforts to maintain
minimum stream flows, and increased transportation of juvenile fish
around the dams. Near-term structural changes include spillway
improvements, upgraded fish passage systems, improved facilities for
juvenile fish, and additional fish transportation barges. Proposed
long-term improvements include turbine upgrades, removable spillway
weirs, and new surface bypass structures. See the Corps' Lower Snake
River Study Web site at: <http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/lsr/>.
According to a July report from the General Accounting Office,
11 federal agencies have spent roughly $3.6 billion since 1982 in
efforts to recover salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia
River Basin. Despite these efforts, the number of salmon and
steelhead returning to the basin has averaged only 660,000 per year
in recent years, compared to an estimated 16 million in the early
1800s. See the GAO report, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02612.pdf>.
GE Hydro, a unit of GE Power Systems, is helping DOE with its
efforts to develop "fish friendly" turbines, which reduce fish
mortality and injury when they pass through the turbines. GE Hydro
announced in late August that DOE's Idaho Operations Office has
chosen its fixed blade propeller turbine design for further
development. The company estimates that the turbine could reduce
fish mortality and injury by 50 percent or more. See the GE Power
Systems press release, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.gepower.com/corporate/en_us/aboutgeps/releases/082802.pdf>
Although the Snake River dams have been spared, American Rivers, a
non-profit conservation organization, noted in July that 63 dams in
15 states plus the District of Columbia are scheduled for removal in
2002. But although there are 75,000 dams greater than 6 feet in
height in the United States, less than 3 percent are used to
generate electricity. Most dams that are being removed no longer
serve an economic purpose. See the American Rivers press release at:
<http://www.amrivers.org/pressrelease/damremoval071802.htm>.
Prototype Tidal Power Plant Installed Off U.K. Coast
A 150-kilowatt generator powered by tidal streams was installed in
about 120 feet of water in Yell Sound in Scotland's Shetland Islands
on Friday. The $2.8 million project marks the world's first offshore
installation of a full-scale tidal stream power plant. According to
The Engineering Business Limited, which designed and built the
generator, tests of the generator over the weekend produced
"significant power output."
The tidal power generator, called the Stingray project, features a
15-meter-long (49-foot) hydroplane mounted on a supporting arm that
pivots on a large support structure. To draw power from passing
tidal streams, a device constantly changes the tilt of the
hydroplane, causing its supporting arm to oscillate. Each
oscillation extends and contracts hydraulic cylinders in the
supporting arm, pumping oil to drive an electric generator.
Yell Sound, a north-facing inlet at the extreme northern tip of the
United Kingdom, is expected to be an excellent site for tidal flow
energy, with spring tide velocities in excess of 5 knots. The
demonstration project is receiving support from the U.K. Department
of Trade and Industry and is expected to operate for one year.
See the Engineering Business Web site, particularly the "EB News,"
"Renewable Power," and "Stingray Project" sections, at:
<http://www.engb.com>.
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SITE NEWS
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Texas State Energy Conservation Office
<http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/>
The office administers and delivers a variety of energy efficiency
and renewable programs, which strive to significantly impact energy
cost and consumption in Texas. Programs focus on alternative fuels,
buildings, renewable energy demonstrations, schools, and
transportation.
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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EIA Anticipates Higher Fuel Bills This Winter
Fall begins next Monday, so the time is right to look ahead to this
winter's heating bills. DOE's Energy Information Administration
(EIA) gave a preview of its winter outlook in this month's "Short-
Term Energy Outlook," and while the news isn't too bad, it's not
good, either. EIA expects a colder winter and higher demand to cause
this winter's energy bills to be higher than last winter's.
Illustrative numbers provided by the EIA report show that a Midwest
user of natural gas might pay 17 percent more for energy this coming
winter; those using propane might pay 21 percent more. And those
fuel-oil-burners in the Northeast could see a 42 percent increase in
their energy bills.
The report predicts sharp increases in demand for natural gas this
winter, but thanks to large inventories of natural gas in storage,
this is not expected to cause drastic spikes in energy prices. See
the EIA report at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html>.
Want to buck the trend? Try making energy efficiency improvements to
your home to minimize your energy bills. See the Energy Savers "Hot
Winter Tips" from DOE at:
<http://www.energysavers.gov/winter/winter.html>.
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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