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EERE NETWORK NEWS -- April 2, 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/>
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Featuring:
*News and Events
Iowa Utility to Build a 310-Megawatt Wind Power Plant
Rosebud Sioux Tribe Installs a 750-Kilowatt Wind Turbine
Solar Power Installations Continue Apace in California
European Wave and Tidal Energy Projects Face Setbacks
University of Idaho Sweeps SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge
*Site News
Energy Trust of Oregon
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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Iowa Utility to Build a 310-Megawatt Wind Power Plant
MidAmerican Energy Company, Iowa's largest utility, announced last
week its intention to construct a 310-megawatt wind power facility in
northwest or north-central Iowa. The project will consist of up to
200 wind turbines and will rival in capacity the largest existing
U.S. wind power plant: the 300-megawatt Stateline Wind Energy Center,
located along the border of Oregon and Washington. Although
MidAmerican expects the first turbines to come online in 2004, and the
entire project to be complete by 2006, the company has not yet
selected a location for the project. See the MidAmerican press release
at:
<http://www.midamericanenergy.com/newsroom/asp/newsdetails.asp?id=196>
Rosebud Sioux Tribe Installs a 750-Kilowatt Wind Turbine
The Rosebud Sioux Indian Tribe installed a 750-kilowatt wind turbine
on its reservation last week, completing a project that began eight
years ago with wind resource monitoring. With half of the project
funded by a DOE Cooperative Grant, the Rosebud Tribe financed the
remainder of the project by obtaining the first-ever loan for a tribal
wind energy project from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural
Utility Service. The project will supply power to the reservation and
will also sell power to the Basin Electric Power Cooperative. "Green
tags" from the project are also being sold through NativeEnergy, LLC.
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is located in south-central South Dakota. DOE
estimates that the 24 reservations in the northern Great Plains have a
wind energy potential greater than 300 gigawatts. See the announcement
on DOE's Tribal Energy Program Web site at:
<http://www.eere.energy.gov/power/tech_access/tribalenergy/>.
Clif Bar Inc., a maker of all-natural energy and nutrition foods, is
the latest buyer of green tags from NativeEnergy. Clif Bar is buying
enough green tags to displace about 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide
emissions. See the press release on the NativeEnergy Web site at:
<http://www.nativeenergy.com/news.clifbar.htm>.
Solar Power Installations Continue Apace in California
California continues to maintain a rapid pace for solar power
installations, judging by recent announcements from Shell Solar and
PowerLight Corporation. In March, the two companies announced a total
of nearly 800 kilowatts of new solar energy installations.
PowerLight Corporation dedicated two solar electric systems in
Vallejo: a 108-kilowatt system on Vallejo City Hall and a 224-kilowatt
system on the John F. Kennedy Public Library. The company also
dedicated a 231-kilowatt system installed on the roof of OK Produce's
distribution facility in Fresno. See the news by selecting the
2003 press releases on the PowerLight Corporation Web site at:
<http://www.powerlight.com/company/co_innews.cfm>.
The Shell Solar announcements include a 150-kilowatt system at Salina
Valley Memorial Hospital in Monterey County, a 73-kilowatt system in
Los Angeles, and a 1.76-kilowatt system that will help monitor the
California Condor at the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in
Southern California. See the Shell Solar press releases at:
<http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=shellsolar>.
European Wave and Tidal Energy Projects Face Setbacks
Two European projects to demonstrate wave and tidal energy production
-- one in Denmark and one in Norway -- have recently encountered
setbacks and delays.
In Denmark, a wave energy system called the Wave Dragon was damaged
during its deployment over the weekend, when high winds caused the
installation team to stop work, apparently before the mooring system
was fully installed. The ensuing storm caused damage to the prototype,
but it remains afloat. See the press release from Wave Dragon ApS at:
<http://www.wavedragon.net/press/index.htm>.
The Wave Dragon is an offshore floating device that captures ocean
waves in an elevated reservoir, then converts that reservoir's stored
energy into electricity by running the water through a hydroelectric
turbine as it is returned to the ocean. See the Wave Dragon Web site
at: <http://www.wavedragon.net/technology/principles.htm>.
In Norway, a tidal energy test program has been "considerably
extended" for reasons that were not disclosed by the developer,
Hammerfest Strom AS. The company originally planned to install its
prototype, which resembles a wind turbine, in a narrow strait in
Kvalsundet in northern Norway. Although the prototype has been built,
its installation in the strait has been delayed indefinitely. See the
Hammerfest Strom Web site at:
<http://www.e-tidevannsenergi.com/index.htm>.
Britain is also supporting wave and tidal energy projects. In January,
the United Kingdom's Energy Minister, Brian Wilson, awarded
3.7 million pounds (nearly 6 million U.S. dollars) to two companies:
Wavegen and Tidal Hydraulic Generators Ltd. See the January 17th press
release from the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry at:
<http://www.nds.coi.gov.uk/coi/coipress.nsf/gti>.
University of Idaho Sweeps SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge
The University of Idaho took first place in the Society of Automotive
Engineers' (SAE) Clean Snowmobile Challenge, held last week at
Michigan Technological University (MTU). The annual event marked its
fourth year of challenging university students to produce a snowmobile
that is cleaner, more fuel efficient, and quieter than existing
models, while still being fun to ride. The University of Idaho took
first place in the event's major categories -- emissions, noise, and
fuel economy -- while also performing well in the performance
categories. The team used a BMW four-stroke motorcycle engine to
achieve its impressive win. See the SAE press release at:
<http://www.sae.org/news/csc2003-final.htm>.
See also the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge Web page at:
<http://www.sae.org/students/snow.htm>.
The SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge holds particular significance in
light of last week's decision by the National Park Service (NPS) to
limit snowmobile use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and
in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, which connects the
two. By the winter of 2004, all snowmobiles entering those parks must
use the best available technology, effectively banning the use of
snowmobiles with two-stroke engines in the parks. See the NPS press
release at: <http://www.nps.gov/yell/press/winteruserod.htm>.
Considered impractical just a few years ago -- when the SAE Clean
Snowmobile Challenge began -- snowmobiles with four-stroke engines are
now being produced by several manufacturers. In fact, Yamaha Motor
Corporation, U.S.A. recently introduced a four-stroke model that won
SnowGoer Magazine's 2003 Sled of the Year award. See the Yamaha press
release at:
<http://www.yamaha-motor.com/news/dynamicnews.asp?aID=196&LID=6>.
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SITE NEWS
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Energy Trust of Oregon
<http://www.energytrust.org/>
The Energy Trust of Oregon strives to change how Oregonians produce
and use energy by investing in efficient technologies and renewable
energy resources. The organization also offers services and incentives
to Oregon businesses and homeowners that invest in energy-efficient
equipment and materials.
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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If you have questions or comments about this
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