================================================= EREN NETWORK NEWS -- September 18, 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 California Mandates 20 Percent Renewable Power by 2017 California Trends Toward Half-Megawatt Solar Power Systems DOE Welcomes Solar Decathletes to Washington, D.C. Nevada BLM Offers 130,000 Acres for Geothermal Development Detroit Picked as Location for Michigan's NextEnergy Center Army Corps Selects "Adaptive Mitigation" at Snake River Dams Prototype Tidal Power Plant Installed Off U.K. Coast *Site News Texas State Energy Conservation Office *Energy Facts and Tips EIA Anticipates Higher Fuel Bills This Winter *About this Newsletter ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS AND EVENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- California Mandates 20 Percent Renewable Power by 2017 California has committed to double its use of non-hydro renewable energy for electricity production within the next 15 years. Governor Gray Davis signed the state's new "renewable portfolio standard" (RPS) into law last week. The state will require all retail sellers of electricity to increase their use of wind, geothermal, biomass, and solar power by 1 percent per year until they reach the required 20 percent. All electricity providers must achieve the 20 percent goal by 2017. Governor Davis also signed a bill into law that will continue the state's funding for renewable energy projects and energy research and development for the next five years. See the September 12th press release by selecting "Press Releases" on the governor's Web site at: <http://www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov_pressroom_main.jsp>. Although roughly one third of the U.S. states have RPS legislation in place, California's RPS law is arguably the strongest. Maine, for instance, requires that 30 percent of its electricity comes from renewable power sources, but the state includes hydropower in that definition. Maine already draws on hydropower for more than 25 percent of its electricity needs. See the state-by-state summaries by selecting "Rules, Regulations & Policies" on the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy Web site at: <http://www.dsireusa.org/summarytables/index.cfm>. California Trends Toward Half-Megawatt Solar Power Systems The U.S. solar power industry, which once prided itself on 5-kilowatt installations, is seeing an encouraging trend toward projects closer to a half-megawatt (500-kilowatt) in peak capacity. Although such large installations have cropped up in a number of states, recent news of large solar power projects have all come from California. Among the recent announcements is a 520-kilowatt solar power system now being installed at a wastewater treatment plant in Oroville by Sun Power and Geothermal Energy. The company broke ground on the project in late August; when the system goes online in November, it will provide enough electricity to treat 80 percent of the wastewater at the facility. See the company's press release at: <http://www.sunpowergeothermal.com/solarwastewater.html>. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. is following suit with a 501-kilowatt system at its headquarters facilities in Torrance. PowerLight Corporation will provide the solar power system; Think Energy, Inc. brought the two companies together. The system will be installed this fall. See the September 16th press release on the Think Energy Web site at: <http://www.thinkenergy.net/pressroom/press_releases.htm>. Meanwhile, the City of San Francisco is planning to install two large solar power systems: a 688-kilowatt system at the Moscone Center (a convention center) and a 600-kilowatt system at the city's Southeast wastewater treatment plant. Those details are included on page 7 of the Executive Summary for the state's Electricity Resource Plan, which also includes energy efficiency measures and plans to encourage the use of distributed energy resources. The plan, released in late August, is posted on the city's Department of the Environment Web site at: <http://www.sfgov.org/sfenvironment/aboutus/energy/policy.htm>. DOE Welcomes Solar Decathletes to Washington, D.C. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham extended his welcome last week to the "solar decathletes" -- fourteen teams of college students from around the United States and its territories that are now arriving in Washington, D.C., for the first-ever Solar Decathlon. Each team has the daunting task of transporting a solar-powered home to the nation's capital and constructing it within six days. The Solar Decathlon is a team competition among universities to design and build the most energy-efficient solar-powered homes. The partially constructed homes are expected to arrive on the National Mall by today in preparation for the construction phase, which runs from tomorrow through the 24th. The competition officially begins on September 26th and continues until October 5th. The winning team will be the one that most successfully blends aesthetics and modern conveniences with maximum energy production and efficiency in their solar-powered home. As the name implies, the Solar Decathlon includes 10 events on which each team will be judged: graphics and communications; design presentation and simulation; design and livability; "The Comfort Zone" (maintaining indoor comfort during the competition); refrigeration; hot water; lighting; home business (the homes must include an office space with working home-office equipment); "Getting Around" (excess power from each home is used to charge an electric car); and "Energy Balance" (homes should ideally end the contest with the same charge on the home battery system as when they started). The so-called "Solar Village" on the National Mall will be open for public tours throughout the competition and on the following Sunday, October 6th. Sponsors of the Solar Decathlon include DOE, BP Solar, Home Depot, EDS, the American Institute of Architects, and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. See the DOE press release at: <http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/seppr/pr02182.htm>. See also the Solar Decathlon Web site at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/solar_decathlon/>. Looking for a solar event closer to home? The 2002 National Tour of Solar Buildings is coming your way on October 5th. Tours are organized locally and are available in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia (you can guess where they're going!). The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and DOE are the main sponsors of the event. See the ASES Web site at: <http://www.ases.org/hometr/>. Nevada BLM Offers 130,000 Acres for Geothermal Development The Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Monday that it is offering geothermal leases on 67 tracts of land covering 130,537 acres in central and western Nevada. The leases include land in six "Known Geothermal Resource Areas" -- areas considered rich in geothermal energy and prime for energy development. Bids must be received by September 23rd. The lease offering is a significant increase over last year, when the Nevada BLM offered 28,111 acres for lease. That offer led to seven successful bids on a total of 11,428 acres. See the September 16th press release on the Nevada BLM Web site at: <http://www.nv.blm.gov/News.Releases/>. See also the Nevada BLM Geothermal Web page at: <http://www.nv.blm.gov/minerals/geothermal/index.htm>. The bids on the geothermal leases will be opened on September 24th at the annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC). The meeting runs from September 22nd through the 25th in Reno. See the GRC Web site at: <http://www.geothermal.org/2002mtg/index.htm>. Nine geothermal plants with a total capacity of 165 megawatts are currently operating on federal lands in Nevada. That represents most of the geothermal power capacity in the state, which totals about 196 megawatts. But the state holds the largest untapped geothermal resources in the country, with a potential for at least 2,500 megawatts of geothermal power production. For more information, see the "Geopowering the West" Web site on EREN at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/geopoweringthewest/>. Detroit Picked as Location for Michigan's NextEnergy Center The Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced Monday that its NextEnergy Center will be located in Wayne State University's Research and Technology Park in Detroit. The new center will serve as the nucleus for the NextEnergy Initiative, which is intended to help Michigan become a world leader in the research, development, commercialization, and manufacture of alternative energy technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. The news comes as a disappointment to York Township, which was originally slated for the center. See the announcement on the NextEnergy Web site: <http://www.nextenergy.org/020916NextEnergy.htm>. Announced by Governor John Engler in April, the NextEnergy Initiative is taking form through a package of six legislative bills introduced to both chambers of the Michigan legislature in May. Of the six bills, three -- House Bill 6071, House Bill 6074, and Senate Bill 1322 -- have passed into law. The first bill allows the NextEnergy Center location to be designated as a tax-free zone for the next 20 years for alternative energy companies located there. The second bill exempts alternative energy systems, vehicles, and businesses throughout the state from personal property taxes for the next 10 years, although local authorities can override the exemption. The third bill provides tax credits for all alternative energy companies in the state, with additional credits for those located within the NextEnergy Center. See the announcement, with links to each of the bills, on the NextEnergy Web site at: <http://www.nextenergy.org/020510NextEnergy.htm>. Additional information is available on the NextEnergy Web site at: <http://www.nextenergy.org/Default.htm>. Army Corps Selects "Adaptive Mitigation" at Snake River Dams The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has chosen a combination of operational and structural changes to improve the survival of salmon on the lower Snake River. The Corps announced the decision last week, concluding a process that began in 1995. Alternatives examined by the Corps ranged from doing nothing to breaching the dams, options that were explored extensively in public meetings held by the Corps. The Corps' chosen approach, called "adaptive mitigation," includes operational changes to improve the coordination and implementation of spilling water past the dams, improved efforts to maintain minimum stream flows, and increased transportation of juvenile fish around the dams. Near-term structural changes include spillway improvements, upgraded fish passage systems, improved facilities for juvenile fish, and additional fish transportation barges. Proposed long-term improvements include turbine upgrades, removable spillway weirs, and new surface bypass structures. See the Corps' Lower Snake River Study Web site at: <http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/lsr/>. According to a July report from the General Accounting Office, 11 federal agencies have spent roughly $3.6 billion since 1982 in efforts to recover salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River Basin. Despite these efforts, the number of salmon and steelhead returning to the basin has averaged only 660,000 per year in recent years, compared to an estimated 16 million in the early 1800s. See the GAO report, in PDF format only, at: <http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02612.pdf>. GE Hydro, a unit of GE Power Systems, is helping DOE with its efforts to develop "fish friendly" turbines, which reduce fish mortality and injury when they pass through the turbines. GE Hydro announced in late August that DOE's Idaho Operations Office has chosen its fixed blade propeller turbine design for further development. The company estimates that the turbine could reduce fish mortality and injury by 50 percent or more. See the GE Power Systems press release, in PDF format only, at: <http://www.gepower.com/corporate/en_us/aboutgeps/releases/082802.pdf> Although the Snake River dams have been spared, American Rivers, a non-profit conservation organization, noted in July that 63 dams in 15 states plus the District of Columbia are scheduled for removal in 2002. But although there are 75,000 dams greater than 6 feet in height in the United States, less than 3 percent are used to generate electricity. Most dams that are being removed no longer serve an economic purpose. See the American Rivers press release at: <http://www.amrivers.org/pressrelease/damremoval071802.htm>. Prototype Tidal Power Plant Installed Off U.K. Coast A 150-kilowatt generator powered by tidal streams was installed in about 120 feet of water in Yell Sound in Scotland's Shetland Islands on Friday. The $2.8 million project marks the world's first offshore installation of a full-scale tidal stream power plant. According to The Engineering Business Limited, which designed and built the generator, tests of the generator over the weekend produced "significant power output." The tidal power generator, called the Stingray project, features a 15-meter-long (49-foot) hydroplane mounted on a supporting arm that pivots on a large support structure. To draw power from passing tidal streams, a device constantly changes the tilt of the hydroplane, causing its supporting arm to oscillate. Each oscillation extends and contracts hydraulic cylinders in the supporting arm, pumping oil to drive an electric generator. Yell Sound, a north-facing inlet at the extreme northern tip of the United Kingdom, is expected to be an excellent site for tidal flow energy, with spring tide velocities in excess of 5 knots. The demonstration project is receiving support from the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry and is expected to operate for one year. See the Engineering Business Web site, particularly the "EB News," "Renewable Power," and "Stingray Project" sections, at: <http://www.engb.com>. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SITE NEWS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Texas State Energy Conservation Office <http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/> The office administers and delivers a variety of energy efficiency and renewable programs, which strive to significantly impact energy cost and consumption in Texas. Programs focus on alternative fuels, buildings, renewable energy demonstrations, schools, and transportation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EIA Anticipates Higher Fuel Bills This Winter Fall begins next Monday, so the time is right to look ahead to this winter's heating bills. DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) gave a preview of its winter outlook in this month's "Short- Term Energy Outlook," and while the news isn't too bad, it's not good, either. EIA expects a colder winter and higher demand to cause this winter's energy bills to be higher than last winter's. Illustrative numbers provided by the EIA report show that a Midwest user of natural gas might pay 17 percent more for energy this coming winter; those using propane might pay 21 percent more. And those fuel-oil-burners in the Northeast could see a 42 percent increase in their energy bills. The report predicts sharp increases in demand for natural gas this winter, but thanks to large inventories of natural gas in storage, this is not expected to cause drastic spikes in energy prices. See the EIA report at: <http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html>. Want to buck the trend? Try making energy efficiency improvements to your home to minimize your energy bills. See the Energy Savers "Hot Winter Tips" from DOE at: <http://www.energysavers.gov/winter/winter.html>. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/subscribe/>. This Web page also allows you to update your email address or unsubscribe to this newsletter. 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