================================================= EREN NETWORK NEWS -- June 19, 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 NAFTA Commission Calls for Carbon Trading, Renewable Energy DOE Aims to Buy Nearly 5 Percent Green Power by 2005 BLM Finds Renewable Energy Potential in 11 Western States Shell to Develop Multi-Megawatt Fuel Cells for Oil Platforms EPA Launches Energy Star Rating for Hotels Successful Test of Solar-Grade Silicon Production Process Wind Energy, Cogeneration Developer Files for Bankruptcy *Energy Facts and Tips U.S. Struggles to Upgrade its Electrical Transmission System *About this Newsletter ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS AND EVENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NAFTA Commission Calls for Carbon Trading, Renewable Energy The countries of North America should develop a carbon emissions trading system and promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, according to a report issued on Monday by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The CEC was established by Canada, Mexico and the United States to build cooperation among the partners in implementing the environmental accords included in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The new report, "Environmental Challenges and Opportunities of the Evolving North American Electricity Market," was prepared for the CEC by an expert advisory board. The board specifically recommends forming a North American fund to promote the adoption of best available emission control technologies, energy efficiency measures, and energy conservation within the NAFTA countries. It also urges the NAFTA countries to promote the development and use of renewable energy through increased market-based incentives and funding. And in addition to a carbon emissions trading system, the board recommends continent-wide trading systems for emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxides. See the CEC press release at: <http://www.cec.org/news/details/index.cfm?ID=2483>. See the full report, as well as nine background papers (including one on renewable energy) and comments from the three governments, on the CEC Web site at: <http://www.cec.org/pubs_docs/documents/index.cfm?ID=842>. The United States is committed to expanding energy trading with its North American neighbors and to strengthening North American energy markets. The North American Energy Working Group, formed to help meet these commitments, issued its first report last week. "North America -- The Energy Picture" presents an overview of the energy situation on the continent. See the DOE press release, with a link to the full report, at: <http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/junpr/pr02101.htm>. A North American trading system for carbon emissions would represent a significant step toward addressing climate change issues and (as noted in the CEC report) would promote energy efficiency and renewable energy. Although President Bush has rejected the Kyoto Protocol, which would have mandated some form of carbon emissions trading, the United States is taking action at the federal and state levels to address climate change. According to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the business community is also doing its part. See the June 11th report, "Climate Change Activities in the United States," on the Pew Center's Web site at: <http://www.pewclimate.org/projects/us_activities2.cfm>. DOE Aims to Buy Nearly 5 Percent Green Power by 2005 DOE intends to draw on renewable energy sources to provide at least 140 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for the department by 2005, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced last week. That represents nearly 5 percent of DOE's electricity use, which totaled about 3 billion kilowatt-hours in 1999. DOE will also help people throughout the West buy green power by offering a "green tags" program through its Western Area Power Administration, which markets federal hydropower in 15 western states. The program will allow Western's customers to support renewable energy projects by buying their environmental attributes, while the actual power from the projects will be sold into the traditional power market. Speaking at the 13th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Secretary Abraham noted that DOE used 43.5 percent less energy in 2002 than it did in 1985, and expects to further increase its energy efficiency by 2 percent per year in the years ahead. Secretary Abraham noted that high-efficiency lighting using solid- state light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, shows significant potential for future energy savings. To advance LED lighting technology, Secretary Abraham announced that DOE will soon formalize a new partnership with industry for the development of next-generation solid-state lighting. See Secretary Abraham's June 12th speech on the DOE Web site at: <http://www.energy.gov/HQDocs/speeches/hqspeeches.html>. Do you know any leaders in the green power field? Consider nominating them for the Green Power Leadership Award, sponsored by DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Center for Resource Solutions. Nominations are due June 28th. See the EPA Web site at: <http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/gpleadership/gpleadership.htm>. BLM Finds Renewable Energy Potential in 11 Western States The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently issued its draft report on the renewable energy resource potential for power production on federal lands. The report notes 64 public land areas in 11 western states that have a high potential for power production from one or more renewable energy sources, and of those, 19 land areas in 6 western states could draw on three or more renewable energy sources. The report, prepared in partnership with DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, examined the potential for power production using concentrating solar power, photovoltaic solar power, biomass power, wind energy, and geothermal energy. As part of the report, BLM identified 31 "top-pick" geothermal energy sites located in 17 land areas in five western states. The BLM released the report for public comment in May, and comments are due by July 12th. See the draft report on the BLM Web site at: <http://www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/energy/>. Shell to Develop Multi-Megawatt Fuel Cells for Oil Platforms The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies has launched a project in Norway to explore multi-megawatt fuel cells. Shell is partnering with Aker Kvaerner and Statkraft on the $125 million project, which is expected to be finished in 2010. Shell intends to develop fuel cells as large as 10 to 20 megawatts in capacity, which could provide the power needs of offshore oil or gas platforms. See the June 10th press release on the Shell Web site at: <http://www2.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=media-en>. While Shell looks to the future, today's fuel cell companies continue to advance their products. H Power Corporation installed a 4.5-kilowatt fuel cell system at Yellowstone National Park in early June. The propane-fueled system provides power to ticket kiosks and an office at the west entrance to the park, and its waste heat will be used for space heating. H Power recently sold 50 500-watt systems to Energy Co-Opportunity, an energy services cooperative. See the H Power press releases at: <http://www.hpower.com/cgi-bin/pr.cgi?idPressRelease=67> and <http://www.hpower.com/cgi-bin/pr.cgi?idPressRelease=66>. Another fuel cell company, Plug Power Inc., announced yesterday that its 5-kilowatt fuel cell system has been certified for grid interconnection in California. The Plug Power system is the first fuel cell system certified by the California Energy Commission. See the June 18th press release on the Plug Power Web site at: <http://www.plugpower.com/news/>. EPA Launches Energy Star Rating for Hotels The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week its latest Energy Star product, a rating system for hotels. Hotels can use Energy Star tools to benchmark their performance on a scale from 1 to 100. Top-performing hotels can earn the Energy Star label. In its announcement, the EPA named the Courtyard Indianapolis Capital, owned by White Lodging Services Corp., and the Sheraton Boston Hotel, owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, as the first two hotels to earn the label. Energy Star is a joint project of DOE and the EPA. See the EPA press release at: <http://www.epa.gov/epahome/headline_061202.htm>. See also the Energy Star for Hospitality Web site at: <http://yosemite.epa.gov/Estar/business.nsf/webmenus/Hospitality>. Successful Test of Solar-Grade Silicon Production Process AstroPower, Inc. announced last week that the initial tests of its proprietary purification process to produce solar-grade silicon were successful. The company has entered into a joint development agreement with Elkem to convert quartz into silicon, providing a dedicated source of silicon at the purity level needed for the production of solar cells. The process should help relieve the solar cell industry of its reliance on scrap silicon from the semiconductor industry, which has constrained the growth of the industry. AstroPower expects the new process to reach full industrial scale in 2005. See the AstroPower press release at: <http://www.astropower.com/press_releases.htm>. Wind Energy, Cogeneration Developer Files for Bankruptcy York Research Corporation, a developer of cogeneration and wind energy facilities, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy early this month. York developed the 46-turbine Big Spring Windpower Project in Texas in 1999, a project that earned the company the coveted Powerplant Award from Power Magazine. Problems began to appear in late October 2001, when the company defaulted on some of its bonds and admitted to using project income for general corporate purposes, in violation of the provisions governing the bonds. The company has since been fighting off bankruptcy filings by its creditors. To see the June 7th bankruptcy announcement, select "SEC Filings" at: <http://199.230.26.96/cgi-bin/ir/york/keystat.html>. See also the York press release page at: <http://www.prnewswire.com/micro/YORK>. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Struggles to Upgrade its Electrical Transmission System The U.S. electrical transmission system -- sometimes described as the largest machine in the world -- is an engineering marvel, providing a reasonably reliable source of power, with multiple backup systems, to the entire lower 48 states. When it works as planned, it tends to get taken for granted, but when it fails, it gets people's attention very quickly. One part of the system that received a lot of attention in the past year is called Path 15, a bottleneck in the transmission of power between northern and southern California. That bottleneck is partly to blame for rolling blackouts in northern California in early 2001, and that is why DOE was pleased when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a plan last week for a project to relieve that bottleneck. See the DOE press release at: <http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/junpr/pr02103.htm>. Unfortunately, the Path 15 bottleneck is just one of many modernization projects needed in the country's transmission system. In May, DOE released a report containing 51 recommendations for modernizing the U.S. transmission system. Many of the recommendations aim to encourage investment in the system and to help prevent bottlenecks. See the DOE press release at: <http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/maypr/pr02080.htm>. Long Island has the misfortune of being one of the geographic areas now facing transmission constraints. Two of the island's major transmission lines failed recently, and although one is back in service, the other is still undergoing repairs. That cuts the Long Island Power Authority's ability to import electrical power by about 500 megawatts. Meanwhile, a new cable running across Long Island Sound may not be available until late July. To cope with the problem, the power authority announced yesterday that it will install 200 megawatts of temporary emergency stand-by generators for use as a last resort to keep Long Island's lights on. See the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) press release at: <http://www.lipower.org/newscenter/pr/2002/june18_02_a.html>. Wind power may eventually help out Long Island, if supporters of the Long Island Offshore Wind Initiative are successful. The initiative is holding a symposium in Smithtown on June 25th. See the initiative's Web site at: <http://www.lioffshorewindenergy.org/>. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/newsletter/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 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------ Yahoo! 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