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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- August 21, 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
New York Provides $17 Million for Five Wind Power Facilities
Wind Projects Proposed in West Virginia and Northwest;
Cape Wind to Install Test Tower
New L.A. Cathedral Draws on 66-Kilowatt Solar Power System
Australian Government Backs Kilometer-Tall Solar Tower
ACEEE Names Champions of Energy Efficiency for 2002
Bonnie Raitt Takes the "Green Highway" on her Concert Tour
New Passenger Rail Car Promises Cost-Effective Transit
*Site News
U.S. Fuel Cell Council
*Energy Facts and Tips
U.S. Power Systems Challenged by Heat, Transmission Problems
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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New York Provides $17 Million for Five Wind Power Facilities
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
(NESERDA) will provide $17 million to support the development of
315 megawatts of wind power in upstate New York. New York Governor
George E. Pataki announced yesterday that grants of up to $5 million
will go toward five wind energy projects, including a 100-megawatt
wind power plant in Lewis County, a 75-megawatt wind plant in both
Stueben and Yates counties, a 51-megawatt wind plant in Chautauqua
County, a 50-megawatt wind plant in Erie County, and a 40.5-megawatt
plant in Otsego County. Those counties include two along the eastern
shore of Lake Erie, one about 25 miles east of Lake Ontario, one
about 80 miles west of Albany, and two located in the Finger Lakes
Region, about 45 miles south of Rochester.
NYSERDA will award the $17 million pending successful negotiations
with each of the five developers and upon completion of the site
development. See the governor's press release on the NYSERDA Web
site at:
<http://www.nyserda.org/press/pressother2002.html#WindFarms>.
NYSERDA also awarded $258,000 in late July toward a study of the
potential to develop wind along the urbanized shoreline of Erie
County, which includes the city of Buffalo. The study by Ecology &
Environment, Inc. involves monitoring six shoreline sites to
determine if there is adequate wind speed for a wind power project
and will produce computer simulations showing what an eventual wind
facility might look like along the shoreline. See the governor's
announcement at:
<http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/year02/july22_2_02.htm>.
While New York is a leader in promoting renewable energy within the
state, nearby New Jersey is doing its best to catch up: in early
July, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) awarded
$11.3 million to five renewable energy companies. Four of the grants
were awarded as part of the Board's Grid Supply Renewable Energy
Program and will help PSEG Energy Technologies install a landfill
gas power plant, assist Hoburn Management Corporation with the
installation of solar power systems on 40 to 50 roofs, and aid
Clipper Windpower, Inc. and Community Energy, Inc. in their efforts
to develop wind power projects. The fifth grant will provide
$300,000 to Atlantic Renewable Energy Corporation to determine the
feasibility of offshore wind power development along the New Jersey
coastline. See the BPU press release, in Adobe PDF format only, at:
<http://www.bpu.state.nj.us/wwwroot/communication/20-02.pdf>.
Wind Projects Proposed in West Virginia and Northwest;
Cape Wind to Install Test Tower
Wind power continues to advance in the United States, with a new
225-megawatt wind facility proposed for West Virginia, a request for
proposals for up to 50 megawatts of wind power in the Pacific
Northwest, and approval of a critical step needed to develop the
country's first offshore wind facility in Nantucket Sound.
In West Virginia, wind developer Nedpower is in the process of
performing a resource assessment for its proposed facility near
Mount Storm. The company anticipates a $150 million project using
150 turbines, each with a capacity of up to 1.5 megawatts. See the
Nedpower Web site at:
<http://www.nedpower.com/english/projects_storm.htm>.
Nedpower's planned location may be too close for comfort for another
wind power developer, US WindForce, LLC, which also plans to build a
large wind facility in the same area. See the US WindForce Web site
at: <http://uswindforce.com/default.asp?pg=projects&pg2=mtstorm>.
In the Northwest, the Last Mile Electric Cooperative (LMEC) is
seeking proposals for projects that could provide 25 to 50 megawatts
of wind power to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California by
the end of 2003. LMEC is a cooperative corporation of 16 public
power utilities and other members located in Washington, Oregon,
Nevada, and California. The cooperative is also looking to develop
an additional 25 to 200 megawatts of wind power over the next three
to five years. Proposals are due on September 4th. See the LMEC
request for proposals at: <http://www.lastmile.coop/RFP.htm>.
And in the Northeast, where Cape Wind Associates is hoping to be the
first developer of offshore wind power in the country, the company
has achieved a minor victory: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer has
granted approval for Cape Wind to install a monitoring station at
its intended wind site in Nantucket Sound. A 197-foot pole, to be
installed this fall on Horseshoe Shoal, will monitor wind speed,
wind direction, ocean currents, wave height, water salinity, and
other information. The data will be used to evaluate and design the
400-megawatt wind facility proposed for the site, located more than
five miles off the southern coast of Cape Cod. See the Cape Wind
announcement at: <http://www.capewind.org/reporting/tperm03.htm>.
See also Web site for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England
District at: <http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/>.
New L.A. Cathedral Draws on 66-Kilowatt Solar Power System
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the newest landmark in Los
Angeles, will feature a 66-kilowatt solar power system on the roof
of its conference center when it opens in September. The Los Angeles
Department of Power and Water (LADWP) announced last week that its
Solar Incentive Program helped reduce the cost of the system, which
was manufactured by PowerLight Corporation using Shell Solar
photovoltaic panels.
"It is my hope that this partnership between LADWP and the Los
Angeles Interfaith Environmental Council (LAIEC) will encourage the
creation of similar 'green sanctuaries' throughout the City of
Angels," said Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Archdiocese of Los
Angeles. See the LADWP press release at:
<http://www.ladwp.com/whatnew/dwpnews/081502.htm>.
The new cathedral will open to the public for the first time on
September 3rd. See the cathedral Web site at:
<http://cathedral.la-archdiocese.org/Default.htm>.
The cathedral is not the first example of religion mixing with
renewable energy in California: an organization called California
Interfaith Power and Light (CIPL), formed early this year, aims to
activate California's 50,000 congregations to respond to global
warming by promoting energy conservation, energy efficiency and
renewable energy. The organization plans to sign up 1,000
congregations by year-end. See the CIPL Web site at:
<http://www.interfaithpower.org/index.htm>.
CIPL is an interfaith version of an earlier effort within the
Episcopal Church, called Episcopal Power and Light (EP&L). EP&L was
one of only two U.S.-based winners of the prestigious Energy Globe
Award 2002, which honors sustainable energy solutions. EP&L is part
of the Regeneration Project, a public charity that also co-founded
CIPL. See the Regeneration Project Web site at:
<http://www.theregenerationproject.org/index.html>.
Other states are also starting to create organizations similar to
these California groups: Massachusetts now has its own interfaith
effort, called Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light (MIP&L). See
the Web site at: <http://www.mipandl.org/index.html>.
Australian Government Backs Kilometer-Tall Solar Tower
An unusual proposal to generate power from the sun gained the
backing of the Australian government last week. Australia's Minister
for Industry, Tourism, and Resources granted "Major Project
Facilitation" status to a proposal to build a one-kilometer (3,280-
foot) Solar Tower outside Mildura in New South Wales. The tower will
be surrounded by a transparent "solar collector" (a prototype used a
suspended glass roof) measuring 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) in
diameter. Convection forces will cause the hot air under the
collector to be drawn up the tower, creating a draft strong enough
to power a several air turbines, generating a total of 200 megawatts
of electricity. The government's Major Project Facilitation status
will result in a streamlined decision-making process for required
government approvals and is also meant to enhance the project's
ability to obtain favorable financing. See the August 13th press
release by selecting the list of August 2002 media releases on the
Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Resources Web site at:
<http://www.minister.industry.gov.au/media.cfm?objectid=all>.
The project's champion, EnviroMission Limited, estimates the cost of
the Solar Tower at more than $400 million (in U.S. dollars) and
intends to eventually build five towers across the continent of
Australia. See the EnviroMission Web site at:
<http://www.enviromission.com.au/index1.htm>.
Taking a positive view on the project, it does build on a previous
project constructed in Manzaneras, Spain, by the German firm of
Schlaich Bergermann and Partners (SBP). The project, then called a
Solar Chimney, used a 194-meter (636-foot) tower to generate up to
50 kilowatts of electricity. It operated from 1989 through 1996. See
the SBP Web site at:
<http://www.sbp.de/en/html/projects/detail.html?id=82>.
Taking a more negative view, the proposed tower, made of high-
strength reinforced concrete, would be the tallest tower in the
world -- no doubt a difficult goal to accomplish. At present, the
world's tallest tower (not counting radio towers) is Canada's
National Tower or CN Tower, in Toronto, at a height of about
553 meters (1,815 feet). See the CN Tower Web site at:
<http://www.cntower.ca/information/l3_info_aboutus.htm>.
ACEEE Names Champions of Energy Efficiency for 2002
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) named
the winners of this year's Champions of Energy Efficiency Awards
last week. The five winners include a group of three California
utilities; Blair Hamilton, the managing director of Efficiency
Vermont; Howard Learner, the founder and director of the
Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago; Steve Selkowitz, a
senior scientist at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; and
Linda Wigington, founder of the Affordable Comfort Conference. The
awards were presented at ACEEE's annual Summer Study Conference on
Energy Efficiency in Buildings. See the ACEEE press release at:
<http://www.aceee.org/press/0208eechamp.htm>.
Bonnie Raitt Takes the "Green Highway" on her Concert Tour
Nine-time Grammy winner Bonnie Raitt is bringing the message of
clean energy along on her summer tour, now in progress. Each show
will include a sideshow called "Green Highway" that includes Honda's
hybrid electric cars, the Insight and the Hybrid Civic, as well as
displays of solar power and wind power technologies as well as
energy-efficient doors and windows. But Raitt is also practicing
what she preaches: the emissions from the entire summer tour will be
offset by wind power provided by Green Mountain Energy Company. In
case you're wondering, that totals about 500 megawatt-hours for the
38-city tour. In addition, some of the vehicles on the tour will be
fueled with B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel with conventional
diesel fuel. See the August 9th press release from Green Mountain
Energy Company at: <http://www.prnewswire.com/micro/greenm>.
The Green Highway also has a Web site, which just went live
yesterday. See the new Green Highway Web site at:
<http://www.greenhighway.net>.
New Passenger Rail Car Promises Cost-Effective Transit
Colorado Railcar Manufacturing, LLC announced last week that it is
now producing a passenger rail car that includes a diesel engine and
operates on existing freight train tracks. Called a DMU (diesel
multiple unit) in railroad parlance, the new vehicle opens
opportunities to create cost-effective rail commuter systems using
existing rail lines. Because the unit is self-propelled, it offers
low-traffic rail lines the possibility of running only one passenger
car, but it can also tow multiple cars.
Colorado Railcar says the new rail car is the first and only DMU
that meets all federal requirements and is the first such vehicle
sold in 40 years. A single self-propelled rail car will seat 92
passengers and cost an estimated $2.9 million. See the Colorado
Railcar Web site at:
<http://www.coloradorailcar.com/newdmu/brochures.html>.
And transit authorities are already getting the word: a recent
report from the Regional Transit Commission of Southern Nevada
concluded that light rail service using DMUs on one of the transit
routes would be require much lower capital investments than a bus
rapid transit system that had been proposed. See the Executive
Summary in the "Las Vegas Valley Transit System Development Plan,"
posted on the transit commission Web site at:
<http://www.rtc.co.clark.nv.us/MPO_developmentplan.htm>.
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SITE NEWS
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U.S. Fuel Cell Council
<http://www.usfcc.com/>
The U.S. Fuel Cell Council is an industry association dedicated to
fostering the commercialization of fuel cells in the United States.
Members include the world's leading fuel cell developers,
manufacturers, suppliers, and customers. The Council also produces
two electronic newsletters: the monthly "Fuel Cell Connection" and
the quarterly "Fuel Cell Catalyst."
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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U.S. Power Systems Challenged by Heat, Transmission Problems
By the time many of you were reading last week's "EREN Network
News," which included an article about record U.S. electrical use,
heat waves were already setting new electrical load records. The
heat continued to bring bad news to utilities last week, pushing the
electricity grid in the Mid-Atlantic states to record levels,
according to grid operator PJM Interconnection. The PJM service
area, which includes seven states and the District of Columbia, hit
a record demand of 64,300 megawatts, beating a record set just two
weeks before. See the August 14th press release on the PJM
Interconnection Web site at:
<http://www.pjm.com/about/news/news_articles/2002.html>.
ISO New England, which operates the electric grid in New England,
also experienced a record demand of 25,524 megawatts on the same
day. See the ISO New England Web site at:
<http://wwwsmd.iso-ne.com/>.
The heat wave had a strong impact on New York City, where the New
York Power Authority had to pay customers to reduce demand three
days in a row last week. See the NYPA press releases for August 13th
through 15th at: <http://www.nypa.gov/html/pressnav.html>.
Also hit hard was energy-strapped Long Island, where the Long Island
Power Authority (LIPA) said approximately 18,000 customers
experienced outages last weekend, with the peak number at one time
being 9,426 customers at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 16th. Due to
increasing concerns about high power demand, the utility asked DOE
to step in and order the controversial 300-megawatt Cross Sound
Cable to be energized when power emergencies warranted it. Concerns
about the placement of the cable in Long Island Sound have prevented
its use. On August 16th, DOE issued the emergency order for the
cable to be energized, thereby opening a new path for power to flow
from Connecticut to Long Island. See the LIPA press releases at:
<http://www.lipower.org/newscenter/index.html>.
See also the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/augpr/pr02164.htm>.
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