>Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 17:00:12 -0600 >From: Kevin Eber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: EREN Network News -- 06/06/01 >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >================================================= >EREN NETWORK NEWS -- June 6, 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/> >================================================= > >Featuring: >*News and Events > DOE Reviews Research Programs in Efficiency, Renewables > DOE Advances Energy Savings in Buildings, Funds New > Energy-Saving Projects, Adds Clean Cities Member > SeaWest Building 50-Megawatt Wind Plant in Wyoming > Carnegie Mellon Makes Large Wind Power Purchase > Californians Cut Electricity Use By 11 Percent in May > >*Site News > Solarbuzz > >*Energy Facts and Tips > EIA Examines Recent and Future Trends for Natural Gas > >*About this Newsletter > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >NEWS AND EVENTS >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >DOE Reviews Research Programs in Efficiency, Renewables > >DOE in recent weeks has initiated strategic reviews of its >research and development programs in both energy >efficiency and renewable energy. The reviews were >recommended in President Bush's National Energy Policy, >and were among the first steps taken by DOE to implement >the policy. The Presidentās energy policy recommended a >review of the current funding and historic performance of >these programs, and based on the reviews, Secretary of >Energy Spencer Abraham will propose appropriate funding >of those programs that are found to be performance-based >and are modeled as public-private partnerships. The reviews >are scheduled to be completed by September 1st. See the >DOE press releases at: ><http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases01/maypr/pr01076.htm> and ><http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases01/maypr/pr01084.htm>. > >As part of the reviews of these programs, DOE is seeking >public input regarding the objectives and achievements of >the current programs, suggested objectives for future >programs, and implementation of current and future >programs. DOE will hold day-long public meetings in June in >the cities of Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, >Seattle, and Washington, D.C. For further information, >including times and locations, see the EREN Web site at: ><http://www.eren.doe.gov/eere/publicmeetings.html>. > >Note that there is also a mailing address to send written >comments to, or you can email comments to: ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. > > >DOE Advances Energy Savings in Buildings, Funds New >Energy-Saving Projects, Adds Clean Cities Member > >In recent news, which ranges from efficient buildings to >alternative fuel vehicles, DOE presents several examples of >the diversity of its current energy efficiency and renewable >energy programs. > >In early May, DOE announced that in partnership with the >building industry, it has developed a 20-year plan to make >buildings more energy efficient, comfortable, and healthy. >The plan specifically addresses the so-called building >"envelope" -- the part of the building that separates it from >the outside environment. This includes the floors, walls, and >ceilings. By 2020, the plan envisions building envelopes that >are net producers of energy, using intelligent features to >provide naturally derived lighting and ventilation. See the >DOE press release at: ><http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases01/maypr/pr01071.htm>. > >Last week, DOE announced that it was helping to fund >164 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects >throughout the country. Through its State Energy Program, >DOE will provide $17.5 million in funds that will be combined >with approximately $22.5 million in funds from states and >their project partners. The projects will run the gamut from >assisting states in developing energy-efficient building >codes, to showing state and local governments methods of >saving energy that were developed for the federal >government, to examining how small, modular power >systems can help meet the nation's energy needs. The >projects are located in 48 states, three U.S. territories, and >the District of Columbia. See the DOE press release at: ><http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases01/maypr/pr01085.htm>. > >More than $4 million of the DOE funds announced last week >will go toward 52 projects to accelerate and expand the use >of alternative fuel vehicles, in support of DOE's Clean Cities >Program. DOE also announced last week that it has added >Minnesota's Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition as its 81st >member of the program. The coalition will serve the >Minneapolis-St. Paul region of the state and is developing >local markets for E85, a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and >15 percent gasoline. Fourteen ethanol plants are located in >Minnesota, and coalition partners have already helped build >an infrastructure of 57 public refueling stations that sell E85. >See the DOE press release at: ><http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases01/maypr/pr01086.htm>. > > >SeaWest Building 50-Megawatt Wind Plant in Wyoming > >SeaWest WindPower Inc. announced Monday that it has >begun construction on a 50-megawatt wind power plant near >Arlington, Wyoming. PacifiCorp, which serves customers in >six western states, will buy all the power from the wind plant. >Called the Rock River I wind project, it will produce enough >electricity to power 27,000 typical homes in the region. The >project will use one-megawatt wind turbines manufactured >by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and is expected to be online >in fall. See the SeaWest press release at: ><http://www.seawestwindpower.com/news/060401.html>. > >Projects like Rock River I may benefit local farmers and >ranchers, who often own the land that the project is built on >and profit by leasing the wind energy rights to the developer. >The wind turbines take up little land and do not impact >surrounding farm and ranch operations. Recognizing these >benefits, the American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) >recently announced a new national program, called "Wealth >from the Wind," to help family farms and rural communities >reap the benefits of wind power. While educating farmers, >the new program will examine new opportunities such as >farmer-owned wind generating cooperatives. The program >will also help individual farmers take credit, through a utility >billing process known as "net metering," for any excess wind >power that they generate See the ACGA press release at: ><http://www.acga.org/news/2001/052201.htm>. > > >Carnegie Mellon Makes Large Wind Power Purchase > >Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, >announced in late May that it will buy 5 percent of its >electrical power needs from wind energy. The university will >buy 4,778 megawatt-hours per year of wind power from the >Exelon-Community Energy Wind Farm at Mill Run, which is >currently under construction. The purchase will exceed the >output from one of the wind farm's 1.5-megawatt turbines, >and will be roughly equal to the annual electricity needs of >650 homes. See the press release on the EREN Green >Power Network at: ><http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/cmu_0501_pr.html>. > >Wind power has also arrived in El Paso, Texas. El Paso >Electric Company, which serves south-central New Mexico >and part of west Texas, announced Monday that its >customers can now buy wind power from its Hueco Mountain >Wind Ranch. The power will be sold in monthly blocks of >100 kilowatt-hours, at an added cost of $1.92 per block for >residential customers. See the June 4th press release by >selecting "News Release -- General" at: ><http://www.epelectric.com/internetsite/www_news.nsf/News?OpenView>. > >Electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind >power is generically referred to as "green power." The >marketing of green power is a topic of great interest to the >electric power industry -- in fact, the Sixth National Green >Power Marketing Conference is coming up this July 31st in >Portland, Oregon. See the announcement on the EREN >Green Power Network at: ><http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/conference/>. > > >Californians Cut Electricity Use By 11 Percent in May > >California Governor Gray Davis announced on Monday that >Californians are meeting his goal for reducing electricity use. >Compared to one year ago, Californians cut their total >electricity use by 11 percent in May, and cut their electricity >demand during peak periods by 10 percent. The governor >had asked for a 10 percent reduction in January. The cut in >peak demand was enough to power roughly 3.6 million >homes. See the June 4th press release by selecting "Press >Releases" on the governor's Web site at: ><http://www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov_pressroom_main.jsp>. > >The governor also signed an executive order on Saturday, >declaring a State of Emergency in the state due to the >energy shortage and ordering a two-day forecast of any >potential rolling blackouts and a one-hour warning prior to >the actual blackouts. See the June 2nd executive order by >selecting "Executive Orders" on the governor's Web site at: ><http://www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov_pressroom_main.jsp>. > >In anticipation of the governor's order, the warning system >has already been put to the test: On May 31st, the California >Independent System Operator (ISO), which operates the >state's power grid, warned of impending rolling blackouts, >which were ultimately avoided. It's noteworthy that the >state's 10 percent cut in electricity use was probably a critical >aspect of avoiding rolling blackouts on this occasion. See the >May 31st press release from the California ISO at: ><http://www.caiso.com/newsroom/releases/>. > >Schools deserve at least some of the credit for the cut in >power use. According to the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), >ten schools in three California school districts have cut their >energy use by 18 percent. The schools were participating in >the ASE's Green Schools program. See the ASE press >release at: ><http://www.ase.org/media/newsrel/gs18percent.htm>. > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >SITE NEWS >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >Solarbuzz ><http://www.solarbuzz.com/> > >This portal site includes a wealth of information on >applications of solar energy, its use by electric utilities, its >role in distributed generation, and the technology behind >photovoltaic devices, including how they are manufactured. >Information about codes and standards, a solar module price >survey, and a worldwide listing of solar manufacturers are >also available. > >For this and other recent additions to the EREN Web site, >see <http://www.eren.doe.gov/new/whats-new.html>. > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >EIA Examines Recent and Future Trends for Natural Gas > >Natural gas has been an increasingly important energy >source for the United States -- most new electric power >plants are fueled by natural gas, and 70 percent of the new >homes built in 1999 were heated with natural gas. U.S. >power companies built 22,000 megawatts of gas-fired >generation in 2000, and plan to build another 25,000 >megawatts this year. > >With these new demands for natural gas, its use in the >United States reached an all-time high last year of >22.8 trillion cubic feet, an increase of 4.8 percent above >1999 levels. Demand outstripped supply, leading to drops in >inventories and increased prices. Given concerns about >future natural gas supplies, DOE's Energy Information >Administration (EIA) has prepared a report that looks at >recent trends and looks toward the future for natural gas. > >According to the EIA report, high prices have encouraged a >boom in drilling for natural gas, and the expected prices for >the coming years make the prospects for adding significant >amounts of new gas supplies between now and 2005 "look >promising." However, the report says that increased supplies >are not likely to bring prices down significantly in the next >two years. See the full report on the EIA Web site at: ><http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/naturalgas/index.html>. > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >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]
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