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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- June 5, 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
Zilkha Plans 250-Megawatt Wind Project in Washington State
Nebraska Wind Project Breaks Ground; Others Advance
Assistant Secretary Garman Addresses WINDPOWER 2002
Green Power Coming to Upstate New York, North Carolina
Largest Solar Power Facility in the Northwest Goes Online
Hawaiian and National Energy Groups to Develop Clean Energy
*Energy Facts and Tips
EU, Japan Ratify Kyoto Protocol; U.S. Still Opposed
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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Zilkha Plans 250-Megawatt Wind Project in Washington State
Zilkha Renewable Energy has announced plans to build a
wind project of up to 250 megawatts in capacity in Kittitas
County, Washington. The company intends to file for a
permit from the county this month. Zilkha plans to install
100 to 150 wind turbines over an area of about 10,000 acres
at the site, which is located about 100 miles east of Seattle.
If the project is approved, construction will begin in early
2003 and will be completed that year.
Zilkha is also planning three other wind projects: a project of
undisclosed size near Lawton, Oklahoma (about 90 miles
southwest of Oklahoma City); a 100-megawatt project near
Meyersdale, Pennsylvania (southeast of Pittsburgh, near the
Maryland border); and a 100-megawatt project in Lewis
County, New York (about 70 miles northeast of Syracuse).
Of those three projects, Zilkha appears likely to start on the
New York project first, with plans to begin construction
before year-end and complete construction in 2003. The
company is also in the process of repowering a defunct
40-megawatt wind project in California's Altamont Pass by
placing new wind turbines on the old project's wind towers.
Zilkha has a track record in the wind industry, including
construction of the 80-megawatt Top of Iowa Wind Farm,
which was commissioned late in 2001. See the Zilkha Web
site at: <http://www.zilkha.com/whatweredoing.asp>.
Nebraska Wind Project Breaks Ground; Others Advance
The Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) broke
ground on its 10.5-megawatt wind facility in early May. The
Kimball wind facility will be the largest in the state. MEAN is
a wholesale electricity supply organization that serves
53 member communities and one public power district in
Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming. See the MEAN
press release at:
<http://www.nmppenergy.org/windgroundbreakingrelease.htm>.
The MEAN groundbreaking seems to belie a report issued in
February by the Nebraska Power Association (NPA). The
NPA was asked to examine the feasibility of creating a public
authority to develop one or more major wind projects in the
state. The report, created at the behest of Nebraska
Governor Mike Johanns, concluded that financing issues
and perceived financial risks were hurdles too high for a
public authority to overcome, but still suggested that its
member utilities might support smaller-scale wind projects.
The NPA represents public utilities in the state. See the
NPA Wind Report at: <http://www.nepower.org/Reports/>.
In the rest of the country, wind projects are advancing
steadily. Ameresco Inc., the majority owner of Montana Wind
Harness, announced in mid-May that a project to develop
150 megawatts of wind power in Montana is on track, with
leasing agreements in hand for a number of key locations.
Alliant Energy-Interstate Power and Light announced in early
May that Clipper Windpower, Inc. was selected to provide
the utility with 150,000 megawatt-hours of new wind energy
by building 29 new wind turbines near Spirit Lake, Iowa.
American Electric Power, which bought the 160-megawatt
Indian Mesa project in West Texas in January, renamed it
the "Desert Sky Wind Project" and held a dedication
ceremony in early May. And Shell WindEnergy bought the
41-megawatt Cabazon Pass wind facility, a project that is
being built in California by the Cannon Power Corporation.
The facility is expected online in August. See the relevant
press releases at:
<http://www.ameresco.com/release.asp?ID=11>,
<http://www.alliantenergy.com/news/news.php?issueID=303>,
<http://www.desertskywind.com/>,
and the May 17th press release from Shell at:
<http://www2.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=media-en>.
Assistant Secretary Garman Addresses WINDPOWER 2002
David Garman, DOE's assistant secretary for energy
efficiency and renewable energy, addressed the
WINDPOWER 2002 conference on Monday, highlighting
President Bush's national energy policy while focusing on
wind energy policy and research.
"Our investments in wind energy so far are paying off," said
Garman. "Thanks to the hard work of many of you at this
conference and research and development efforts of the
Energy Department's Wind Power Program, together we
have lowered the cost of wind energy from approximately
80 cents per kilowatt-hour in current dollars in 1980 to as
little as 4 cents per kilowatt-hour today."
The national energy policy calls for a five-year extension of
the production tax credit and for the reauthorization of the
Renewable Energy Production Incentive. Both measures are
included in energy legislation passed by the U.S. House of
Representatives and U.S. Senate.
See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/junpr/pr02094.htm>
The mission of DOE's Wind Energy Program is to enable the
U.S. wind energy industry to complete the research, testing
and field verification needed to develop advanced wind
energy technologies. See the Wind Energy Program Web
site on EREN at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/wind/>
WINDPOWER 2002, the largest-ever U.S. wind industry
conference, is wrapping up today in Portland, Oregon. The
conference practiced what it preached: it offset any
emissions caused by its energy use through the use of
"green tags" donated by DOE's Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA). The green tags represented the
production of 45,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity from wind
plants in the Northwest, roughly equal to the electricity used
by the conference. In effect, the result was the same as if the
conference had purchased its power directly from the wind
plants. See the press release from the American Wind
Energy Association at:
<http://www.awea.org/news/news020517grp.html>
Green Power Coming to Upstate New York, North Carolina
Innovative new agreements for the marketing of green power
-- electricity from renewable energy sources -- are opening
new markets in upstate New York and in North Carolina.
The New York Public Service Commission approved in late
May a program that allows Niagara Mohawk customers to
purchase renewable energy from independent green power
marketers. Beginning in August or September, at least two
companies -- Green Mountain Energy Company and
Community Energy, Inc. -- will offer green power products to
the utility's 1.5 million electric customers in upstate New
York.
The green power agreement between renewable energy
companies, environmental groups, and Niagara Mohawk
resulted from the Commission's recent approval of the
merger of Niagara Mohawk and National Grid. See the
May 23rd press release on the Niagara Mohawk Web site at:
<http://www.niagaramohawk.com/nimotod/newsindx/newsindx.asp>
See also the press release from the American Wind Energy
Association (AWEA) at:
<http://www.awea.org/news/new020523nyg.html>
A similar agreement is expected to bring green power to the
entire state of North Carolina. The proposed "NC GreenPower
Program" will allow utility customers throughout the state to
pay an additional $4 per month for a 100-kilowatt-hour block
of renewable energy. The funds will be collected by the
state's utilities and transferred to the NC Advanced Energy
Corporation, which will use them to support the production of
electricity from renewable energy resources such as solar,
wind, biomass, and small hydroelectric facilities. The
proposed program is a culmination of a collaborative effort
among the state's electric utilities, state agencies, and other
parties. The utilities expect to offer the program to their
customers beginning six months after approval from the
North Carolina Utility Commission. Toward that end, utilities
began submitting their proposals to the commission in late
May. See the press release from CP&L at:
<http://www.cpl.com/cfusion/news/article.cfm?id=3082>
See also the May 31st press release from Duke Energy by
selecting "Newscenter" on the company's Web site at:
<http://www.duke-energy.com/>
Largest Solar Power Facility in the Northwest Goes Online
The 38.7-kilowatt White Bluffs Solar Station is now online in
Richland, Washington. The largest such facility in the
Northwest, the solar station is owned and operated by
Energy Northwest. DOE's Bonneville Power Administration
(BPA) will integrate the power from the system into its
electrical grid, while the Bonneville Environmental
Foundation will sell green tags from the project. DOE
contributed $30,000 toward the project through its
"Brightfields" program. See the BPA press release at:
<http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/kc/media/NewsRelease.cfm?ReleaseNo=304>
Abandoned or contaminated properties are often referred to
as "brownfields." Building on that idea, DOE coined the term
"Brightfields" to mean brownfields that are redeveloped
through the incorporation of solar energy. See the
Brightfields Web site on EREN at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/brightfields/>.
White Bluffs Solar Station is located adjacent to WNP-1, an
unfinished nuclear plant that sits a mile east of Columbia
Generating Station, the region's only operating nuclear
power station. Energy Northwest was formerly known as the
Washington Public Power Supply System, which developed
WNP-1 and Columbia. The organization recently concluded
that WNP-1 will never be completed as a nuclear generating
facility. See the press release at:
<http://www.energy-northwest.com/Information/02.29.02.html>.
Energy Northwest not only has a new name but is also
pursuing a new image. The organization is currently
developing the Nine Canyon Wind Project and is also
involved with fuel cell and wave energy demonstration
projects. Energy Northwest even has a new Web site. Check
it out at: <http://www.energy-northwest.com/>.
Hawaiian and National Energy Groups to Develop Clean Energy
The Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and the University
of Hawaii's Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) are
teaming up with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
and its affiliate, the Electricity Innovation Institute, to develop
clean energy technologies. The partnership, announced in
mid-May, will focus on emerging renewable, energy efficient
and environmentally sensitive energy applications, including
distributed generation, on-site, central station, and
transportation technologies.
The partners already have a number of projects underway
together. EPRI, for instance, has a microturbine demonstration
underway at a HECO facility, and has a number of solar
energy projects planned or already installed in the state.
And earlier this year, HECO and HNEI announced a joint
venture with UTC Fuel Cells and the Office of Naval
Research to build and operate the Hawaii Fuel Cell Test
Facility. The new facility will be used to test hydrogen fuel
cells, accelerating their adoption for specific commercial and
military purposes.
See the press release, "Clean Energy Research Partnership
Formed," under the "Highlights" heading on the EPRI Web
site at: <http://www.epri.com/>
See also the HNEI Web site at:
<http://www.hnei.hawaii.edu/>
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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EU, Japan Ratify Kyoto Protocol; U.S. Still Opposed
The European Union (EU) and Japan both ratified the Kyoto
Protocol in recent days, increasing the likelihood that the
global warming agreement will take effect. The United States
has no intention of ratifying the treaty, which must be ratified
by 55 countries representing 55 percent of developed
nations' greenhouse gas emissions before taking effect. At
present, 73 countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, but
the developed countries among them produce only
36 percent of developed nations' greenhouse gas emissions.
See the United Nation's "Kyoto Protocol Thermometer" at:
<http://unfccc.int/resource/kpthermo.html>
The EU ratified the agreement on May 31st, committing to
an 8 percent reduction in its emissions of greenhouse gases
compared to 1990 levels. The reduction must be achieved
within the timeframe of 2008 to 2012. To help meet that goal,
the EU plans to implement a union-wide emissions trading
scheme by 2005. See the announcement from the Spanish
Presidency of the EU at:
<http://www.ue2002.es/principal.asp?idioma=ingles>.
Japan followed suit by ratifying the agreement yesterday.
According to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Japan plans
to "foster technological innovation and creative initiatives in
the business circles so that efforts to meet the commitment
under the Kyoto Protocol will lead to economic revitalization
and employment creation."
Acknowledging U.S. reluctance to participate in the treaty,
the Prime Minister noted that "the Government of Japan will
do its utmost to establish a common rule, in which all
countries including the United States and the developing
countries participate." See the June 4th statement by
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on his Web site
at: <http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/koizumispeech/index_e.html>
Asked yesterday if the United States would change its
stance on the treaty, President Bush held firm against it.
"I do not support the Kyoto treaty," said Bush. "The Kyoto
treaty would severely damage the United States economy,
and I don't accept that. I accept the alternative we put out,
that we can grow our economy and, at the same time,
through technologies, improve our environment." See the
President's remarks on the White House Web site at:
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020604-16.html>
The question was prompted in part by a report issued last
week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Climate Action Report 2002, which is an official report to
the United Nations, acknowledges that global temperature
increases are "likely due mostly to human activities" and
notes such impacts as loss of coastal wetlands, reduced
snowpack (which exacerbates water shortages, particularly
in the West), and more frequent heat waves, all of which
have impacts on ecosystems. The report also notes
President Bush's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas
intensity by 18 percent over the next decade. See the EPA
report at: <http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/publications/car/>
DOE took a step toward those reductions in early May, when
it requested public comments on ways to improve its
voluntary reporting program for greenhouse gas emissions.
See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/maypr/pr02078.htm>
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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