Ontario Power Generation to Increase Renewable Energy Use
One of the largest electric utilities in North America will expand its use of renewable energy. Ontario Power Generation has 125 MW of green energy and expects more of its customers to want green
energy under deregulation. http://www.ontariopowergeneration.com/media/News/Newsnov199.asp
Source: Alliance to Save Energy 12/99.

Day Lighting Improves School Performance
Student test scores improved as much as 20 percent in math and 26 percent in reading as a result of maximum exposure to daylight in their classrooms, according to a study by Lisa Heschong of the
Heschong-Mahone Group conducted for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
http://www.pge.com/pec/daylight/valid4.html . Source: Pacific Gas and Electric via Alliance to Save Energy 12/99.

Greening the Government through Federal Utility Partnership Working Group
The goal of the Federal Utility Partnership Working Group is to establish partnerships and facilitate communications between Federal agencies, utilities and energy service companies in order to develop strategies to facilitate the implementation of cost-effective energy efficiency and water conservation projects.  Specifically, the objectives of the Working Group are to Enhance existing or foster new partnerships between Federal agencies and their servicing utilities to identify, develop, and implement all cost-effective energy efficiency, water conservation, and renewable projects at Federal sites; and identify how utilities can work with Federal agencies and specific sites so the mandated energy savings goals set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and Green of the Government Executive Order 13123 can be achieved - http://www.ase.org/takeaction/federal/index.htm;  The 1998 and 1999 Federal Utility Partnership Working Group meeting information and schedules are highlighted at http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp/financing/fupwg.html .  Source: EREN Website 11/17/99.

UPVG Shifts Focus from Technology to Marketing
The Utility PhotoVoltaic Group (UPVG) has elected its second chairman in its eight-year history and voted four new members to its board of directors. The group said the change in leadership accompanies UPVG's shift in focus from solar power technology to solar power marketing.  "For solar electricity to make a meaningful impact as a clean and renewable source of electric power, we must make it a part of a profitable, practical business for the companies that bring power to customers," said Jim Torpey, newly elected UPVG chairman and director of technology ventures at GPU Service of Morristown, NJ.  Torpey replaces former electric utility executive Andrew Vesey as UPVG chairman. "Members of the UPVG are leaders in a revolutionary shift in the marketing of electric power," said Torpey. "In the competitive marketplace, solar energy has benefits and values that customers will pay for, including environmental stewardship, on-site reliability, independence, and the desire for cutting edge technology."  UPVG is non-profit organization made up of more than 90 electric utilities and energy service providers from the United States and six other countries dedicated to making solar electricity a mainstream power choice. Contact: Julia Judd, UPVG, phone 202-857-0898, website http://www.upvg.org/upvg. Source: UPVG News Release via EIA - Renewable Energy Today 11/12/99.

Program Launched to Accredit Utility Green Pricing Programs
The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) has announced the launch of a new program to accredit green power programs offered by regulated utilities. CRS, a non-profit organization, has administered the "Green-e" program to certify green power products in California since the state deregulated its electric industry in early 1998. It later expanded the program to Pennsylvania when that state was
deregulated. But in states that have not deregulated, more and more utilities are offering electricity from renewable energy sources at a premium price, through so-called green pricing programs. The new Green Pricing Accreditation Initiative will verify the environmental performance of these programs and will recognize and accredit those programs that meet stringent standards for consumer and environmental protection. For more information, see the CRS press release at: http://www.resource-solutions.org/press/gppr1.html . Source:  EREN Network News 11/17/99.
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For more information on Green Power go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/
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Photoelectric Power Process Receives Patent
Borealis Technical Limited announced that a patent has been secured for the process the company has developed for manufacturing inexpensive photoelectric Power Chips. The process, which was designed by the company's research and development specialists, enables the Power Chips to be mass-produced with commonly available materials. "This patent extends our intellectual property in this important field," said Borealis president Isaiah Cox. "The demand for inexpensive and efficient power from renewable energy sources has never been greater, and Borealis Power Chips are well-placed to meet that demand."  The Power Chip generates electricity with a solar cell consisting of two closely spaced electrodes separated by a vacuum. The chips do not have to concentrate light to work, instead they can generate electricity at ambient temperatures, which is not typical of conventional solar power cells. However, when solar energy warms the Power Chip, thermionic emission of electrons also contribute to the power generated, adding to the efficiency of the device.  At the same time Borealis secured the patent for the manufacturing process, a patent which covers the construction of thermionic Power Chips using advanced doped diamond films to enhance the performance of thermionic power generators and heat pumps was also received. Full text on both patents can be found on the company website at http://www.borealis.com. Contact: Chris Bourne, Borealis Technical Limited, phone 44-181-571-5216, e-mail pr@borealis.com.  Source Business Wire: 11/11/99 via EIN - Renewable Energy Today 11/22/99.

Microorganisms to Help Convert Rice Straw to Ethanol
DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has signed two agreements with Arkenol Holdings, of Mission Viejo, California, to develop microorganisms that will better convert rice straw into ethanol. NREL holds the patent on a genetically engineered bacterium, Zymomonas mobilis, that
can ferment both glucose and xylose into ethanol. Xylose is a sugar found in woody plants that is usually resistant to fermentation. Arkenol will license the use of the bacterium and will work cooperatively with NREL to develop improved strains of the bacterium. The company intends to use the
technology in an ethanol facility planned for Sacramento, California. For more information, see the NREL press release at: http://www.nrel.gov/hot-stuff/press/5799bugs.html . Source: EREN Network News 11/17/99.

New Booklet Provides Renewable Energy Overview
Renewable energy sources can provide reliable electricity while reducing environmental concerns. But many Americans don't understand how renewable resources can be harnessed to provide them with a clean, never-ending source of energy. A new 32-page booklet from DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges surrounding the greater use of renewable energy in the United States.  "Choices for a Brighter Future: Perspectives on Renewable
Energy" looks at the use of renewable energy in eight regions of the nation, plus Alaska and Hawaii, because each area has its own energy needs, electrical system constraints, policy issues, and environmental concerns. For more information, see the NREL press release at:
http://www.nrel.gov/hot-stuff/press/5699brighter.html . Source: EREN Network News 11/17/99.
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For more information on Renewable Resources go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/power/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DOE Efficiency Programs Get Last-Minute $56 Million Budget Boost
Clinton Administration negotiators emerged on Monday from often contentious negotiations over the Interior Appropriations bill with an additional $56 million for the U.S. Department of Energy's energy-efficiency programs - a 9 percent increase over last year's expenditure on energy-efficiency research, development, and deployment.  For a complete overview of the fiscal year 2000 budget for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy go to:
http://www.ase.org/takeaction/budget/fy00budget.htm .  Source: Alliance to Save Energy 12/99.

Mark-Up 'Mucks Up' Already Bad Restructuring Bill
The House Subcommittee on Energy and Power marked up "The Electricity Competition and Reliability Act" (H.R. 2944), which is opposed by energy efficiency and environmental advocates for its
lack of provisions to address the energy-efficiency and environmental impacts of utility restructuring. During markup, however, several amendments were added that will almost certainly broaden opposition to the bill. http://www.ase.org/takeaction/restructure/index.htm. Source: Alliance to Save Energy 12/99.
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For more information on legislative activities go to: http://www.kannerandassoc.com/fedenergybills.html
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Stay on Top of The Market by Using the Web!
Each year, Web Digest for Marketers (WDFM), selects companies that are successfully maximizing use of the Internet.  Abstracts of a few selected companies are provided bellow.  A complete listing of the best companies of 1999 can be found at: http://www.wdfm.com/bestof4.html#SMARTUSEOFTHENET

INTERNET
WebCriteria, http://www.webcriteria.com .  This newcomer caught our eye with some serious site performance benchmarking. As anyone who has compiled competitive analysis reports for websites knows, it's a tedious process. That's why the free industry benchmark reports available from WebCriteria are so valuable. Each report offers analysis of load time, freshness, composition and ease of navigation for the top 10 sites in 12 different industry groups -- computers, e-commerce apparel, e-commerce brokerage, e-commerce gifts, education US, entertainment, games, health care, hospitality, portals/hubs, software and travel.

COMPETITIVE RESEARCH
Bannerstake, http://www.bannerstake.com .  The Internet is a big place, especially when you are trying to protect a brand name or trademark. That's why we are especially impressed with Bannerstake. Bannerstake is a free online advertising monitoring tool that marketers can use
to find out if their competitors have purchased specific brand names as keywords on leading search engines. Bannerstake works like this -- You enter a brand name, Bannerstake queries
the top search engines, and then Bannerstake delivers to you a page that shows the online banners resulting from that search.

VIRAL MARKETING
Recommend-It.Com, http://www.recommendit.com .  If word of mouth is the best form of advertising, email is the second best. Recommend-It is a free service that helps you help your site visitors tell their friends about your site. To use the service, you add a special button and "spread the word" functionality to your site to encourage visitors to tell others about your home on the Web.

DIRECT MARKETING
MyProspects.com, http://www.myprospects.com .  Every direct marketing effort starts with a list. MyProspects is a slick service that allows customers to create very specific lists from well-known databases. The site enables fine-tuned customization through a series of point-and-click options, the prices are competitive, and your list can be downloaded as soon as it is created. What more can we say?   http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/emaa/index.html
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For more information on marketing and market research go to: http://www.researchinfo.com/  or  http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/emaa/index.html
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SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM
The SBIR program was created by the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P.L.
97-219) and reauthorized until the year 2000 by the Small Business Research and Development
Enhancement Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-564). The purposes of P.L. 102-564 were to: expand and
improve the SBIR program, increase private sector commercialization of technology developed
through Federal R&D, increase small business participation in Federal R&D, and improve the
Federal Government's dissemination of information about the SBIR program.  Federal agencies with extramural R&D budgets over $100 million were required to establish an SBIR program using a set-aside of a stated percentage of that budget. The percentage grew from an initial 0.2% in Fiscal Year (FY) 1983 to the maximum of 2.5% in FY 1997. Funding for the DOE SBIR program totaled nearly $600 million over the first fifteen years. The program's budget for FY 2000 is expected to be about $80 million, based on a set-aside of 2.5%. These funds are used to support an annual competition for Phase I awards of up to $100,000 each for about 6 months to explore the feasibility of innovative concepts. Phase II is the principal research or R&D effort, and the awards are up to $750,000 over a two-year period. The FY 2000 SBIR solicitation will be issued November 29, 1999, and will close February 29, 2000. For information concerning SBIR contact: SBIR Program Office at (301) 903-1414; http://www.zyn.com/sbir/
Source: SBIR Website 11/17/99.
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For more information on funding solicitations go to: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
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