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Green Power
Time Warner Goes Green
Time Warner Communications
in cooperation with Commonwealth Energy Corporation will switch to "green"
power, or energy generated from renewable and environmentally sound sources,
for all of its Los Angeles division accounts. Commonwealth provides service
to approximately 1,700 Time Warner accounts in southern California and
several new accounts were added during the switch to green power to accompany
Time Warner's dedication to earth-friendly electricity. "When business
customers of this caliber choose Commonwealth's green power, it sends a
positive message to other consumers," said Commonwealth CEO Fred Bloom.
"As awareness increases about the environmental hazards of traditional
electricity sources, more and more well-informed businesses and municipalities
will opt for environmentally responsible power." Commonwealth has
over 80,000 customers in California where it operates as an energy service
provider. The company also provides energy-efficient products and performance
contracting services that are all Green-e certified. Source:
Commonwealth Release 11/16 via EIN - Renewable Energy Today 11/17/99.
Green Power for a Green
L.A. -- A Very Successfull Program
The Department of Water
and Power today announced that 20,000 customers had signed up for its Green
Power for a Green L.A. program. Reaching 20,000 customers is important
because the DWP is approved to execute contracts to purchase new green
power, including solar, wind and geothermal resources. "Reaching 20,000
customers is a considerable achievement for DWP. It marks the most successful
green-power program among any utility in the nation. But this is only a
first step. We hope to reach upwards of 200,000 customers in the next two
to three years," said David Freeman, DWP general manager. Customers
who sign up for the program receive two compact fluorescent light bulbs
initially and two more in six months. They also receive a home energy survey
CD-ROM. The light bulbs and CDs are intended to lower customers' electricity
usage. Freeman said, "While the rate for new green power is 6 percent
higher than conventional electricity sources, customers that put the light
bulbs to work and reduce their energy usage will see little or no increase,
and some will experience a reduction in their electricity bills. Customers
pay a bill, not a rate." Ralph Nader endorsed the Green Power for
a Green L.A. program in July, Freeman added, because the program is aimed
at new green sources, ties in with energy-efficiency efforts and is open
to low-income and all classes of customers. Freeman said he is hopeful
that by building a market for green power, manufacturers of clean-energy
services and products will want to relocate their facilities to Los Angeles,
bringing needed jobs. He said that bringing on more green resources will
reduce the need for conventional polluting power sources, will help clean
the air and will lower the risk of global climate change. The Green
Power for a Green L.A. program is DWP's flagship environmental effort,
which also includes a host of other related initiatives, including
the award-winning Cool Schools
tree-planting program, the Solar Photovoltaic Program, the Electric Transportation
Program and numerous energy-efficiency programs. Customers interested in
signing up for the program or learning more about DWP environmental efforts
can call 800/GREENLA, or they can click on to the Web site at www.GREENLA.com.
Customers can also sign up by simply checking off the box on their DWP
bill. Contact: Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles Walter Zeisl,
213/367-1342 213/367-3227.
Source:
Business Wire via EPRI Green Power News 11/19/99.
High Performance Schools
Conference
The Energy Center of Wisconsin
and the Alliance to Save Energy are teaming up to sponsor a High Performance
Schools conference June 14-16, 2000 in Madison, WI. The conference will
highlight energy-efficient schools that provide a healthy indoor environment,
promote learning, and serve as a focus for community education. The
target audience includes: energy educators and curriculum developers (both
K-12 and university), policymakers and program implementers, and national
and state organizations dealing with school construction and retrofit issues.
For more information, contact: Karen Anderson, Alliance to Save Energy,
202/530-2239; kanderson@ase.org ;
Dan York, Energy Center Wisconsin, 608/238-8276, dyork@ecw.org
. Source: Alliance to Save Energy 12/99.
BPA Sponsored Distributed
Resources, Renewables and the Environment Conference
On February 2 of 2000, the
Bonneville Power Administration and a host of energy and environmental
co-sponsors will present a one-day conference entitled "Distributed Resources,
Renewables and the Environment." Its purpose is to examine the ongoing
rush of transformational distributed energy resource products and technologies
in a plus-and-minus context of environmental concerns. This conference
stresses the importance of seeing new distributed dynamics in the context
of three special and related public benefit energy enterprises: 1) Renewable
resources-solar, wind, geothermal and biomass; 2)
Energy efficiency & demand management; 3) Environmental stewardship.
The organizers believe that the diversity of distributed energy resources
and related energy options represents an opportunity to couple meeting
energy demand with net environmental benefit directly and indirectly. Direct
benefit comes from deployment of cleaner & efficient generating hardware;
indirect benefits range from coupling new generating
hardware with energy efficiency & demand-side measures to forestall
(or even eliminate) new power line construction.
For more information on
the conference go to: www.newsdata.com/edonline/groundhog
. Source: Cyrus Noe E-Mail dated 11/24/99.
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For more information on
Green Power go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/
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Renewable Energy Technologies
U.S. LOSING GROUND
IN RENEWABLE
Renewable energy technology
firms in the United States are losing ground to overseas companies, according
to the authors of Renewable Energy Policy Project's (REPP) latest issue
brief, "Renewable Energy Policy Outside the United States." Authors
Curtis Moore and Jack Ihle contend that "U.S. policymakers have chosen
to reject strategies designed to commercialize renewable energy in favor
of continued reliance on fossil fuels, especially oil." Moore and Ihle
also assert that "Europeans have now seized the lead in deploying [renewable
energy technologies]" and Japan has "systematically laid the groundwork
for a possible wide scale deployment of renewable energy." The report
assesses governmental policies and market-driven incentives in Germany,
the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Japan. Evaluated are
guaranteed electricity purchases, green labeling, consumer financing, tax
incentives to suppliers, competitive bidding, and other measures. The report
suggests that renewable energy technologies may soon join the long list
of innovations pioneered in America, but developed into competitive industries
elsewhere. The full text of "Renewable Energy Policy Outside the United
States" is available on the Web at http://www.repp.org.
Source:
AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 11/19/99.
Fuel Cell Conference
to be Held in San Diego
As one of the first conferences
of its kind, "The Business Case for Fuel Cells," presented by the Center
for Business Intelligence (CBI), is designed to the meet the needs of energy
service providers in light of the recent advancements in fuel cell commercialization.
The conference will present the inevitable obstacles that may arise from
such commercialization, including the cost, possible revenue erosion from
lost customers and interconnection to the grid. Fuel cell developers,
however, are on the verge of commercializing, mass producing and marketing
them in the next one to five years. At the conference there will
be many opportunities to hear from professionals in the development of
the technology, testing and application, commercialization, funding and
installation. These professionals will speak on topics meant to inform
energy companies on how fuel cells can be beneficial through emerging opportunities
for applications for remote or critical power needs and distributorship,
testing maintenance, installation and service. Additionally, four
case studies will be presented by ConEdison, GPU International, San Diego
Gas and Electric, and Bonneville Power Administration that will provide
up-to-date information. A pre-conference workshop entitled
"A Primer on Fuel Cell Fundamentals, Applications and Technology" will
present challenges for implementation and its future in a competitive marketplace.
Contact: Kim Hunter, Center for Business Intelligence, phone 781-939-2438,
e-mail cbireg@cbinet.com.
Source: CBI Release
11/8 via EIN - Renewable Energy Today.
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For more information on
Renewable Resources go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/power/
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Legislative
Wind Energy Production
Tax Credit Extended
The U.S. federal wind energy
production tax credit (PTC) will be extended for 2 1/2 years under the
agreement reached this week between Congressional and Administration negotiators
on the federal budget. The credit will be effective retroactively
to June 30, 1999, the date when it expired. "Two years ago, AWEA
set a course to obtain extension of the PTC," said AWEA legislative director
Jaime Steve. "While we have had to tack a bit here and there, we
stayed the course with confidence and determination, and have reached our
destination." The extension will allow the domestic wind industry
to continue growing and producing new jobs, particularly in the Midwest,
often called the Saudi Arabia of wind power. During the 1990s, wind
has been the fastest-growing energy technology in the world, with an annual
growth rate of 22.6%. "Gaining the PTC extension was made possible
by leadership from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.),
both of whom sponsored legislation calling for a five-year extension,"
said AWEA executive director Randall Swisher. "Energy Secretary Bill
Richardson--a strong proponent of wind energy developmentand Treasury Secretary
Lawrence Summers, along with Sens. Jim Jeffords (R-Vt.), Bill Roth (R-Del.),
Connie Mack (R-Fla.), Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), and Byron
Dorgan (D-N.D.) were also crucial players." In the House of Representatives,
key support came from Reps. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.), Tom Ewing (R-Ill.),
Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.), Mark Foley (R-Pa.), Charles
Rangel (D-N.Y.), Bob Matsui (R-Calif.), and Karen Thurman (D-Fla.).
"Particular thanks go to the entire team responsible for this victory,"
Steve said, "including AWEA member companies and legislative committee
members Enron Wind Corp.; FPL Energy, Inc.; Central & South West Services;
NEG Micon, USA; Vestas, USA; Southwest Wind Power; Northern Alternative
Energy; NRG Systems; Global Energy Concepts, Inc.; San Gorgonio Farms,
Inc.; Arcadia Windpower; Kamzin Technologies; M&N Windpower; enXco;
Springhouse Energy Systems; Energy Unlimited, Inc.; Wintec, Ltd.; Springtyme,
LLC; Atlantic Orient Corp.; W.A. Vachon & Assoc.; The Wind Turbine
Co.; the Kotzebue (Alaska) Electric Assoc.; the Kern Wind Energy Association;
the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association; members of the AWEA
Board of Directors; and all who ever wrote a letter or made a phone call
to their member of Congress. "This winning effort has spanned the
tenure of three AWEA presidents: current president Robert Gates (Enron
Wind Corp.) and preceding presidents Karen Conover (Global Energy Concepts,
Inc.) and Brian O'Sullivan (CEO of the former Cannon Energy Corp.).
Each made a significant contribution to this victory." For further
information, contact Jaime Steve or Melissa Santoro at (202) 383-2500.
Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 11/19/99.
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For more information on
legislative activities go to: http://www.kannerandassoc.com/fedenergybills.html
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Marketing & Market Research
UCI Study Evaluates
Wind Energy
A recent study published
by researchers at the University of California-Irvine (UCI) has found that
wind energy is an important natural resource for reducing air pollution
in California. The study, titled "Policy Options for Promoting Wind Energy,"
said that while the wind turbines that are currently used statewide are
helping to curtail the problem, more should be done. In one county,
there are 4,600 wind turbines which produce 650 megawatts of electricity,
which is enough to offset more than a million pounds of pollutants while
providing electricity to half a million people. Across the state there
are more than 13,000 wind turbines which generate almost 3 billion kilowatt
hours of electricity annually, enough to power San Francisco, while ridding
the air of millions of tons of pollutants. Study author Peter Navarro,
an associate professor at UCI's Graduate School of Management, said California's
wind energy capacity has remained stagnant since 1991. However, because
of the environmental benefits of wind utilization, Navarro is pushing for
a new focus on the issue. One option the study proposes is for the
state to instigate a large-scale loan program offering both lower interest
rates and longer debt maturities. According to Navarro, "such a program
can be implemented at very minimal costs to taxpayers while providing a
huge boost to the capital-intensive wind industry." A second option
calls for a commitment by the governor and state legislature to buy at
least 10 percent of state government's power from renewable energy sources
by 2002. The study says that "this 'buy green' policy is perhaps the most
important single action that the governor and legislature can take at this
time to boost renewable energy demand." The third option would ask
for a re-establishing of the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC). The study
notes that the "loss of the PTC has the single largest negative effect
on the economic cost of wind power." Contact: Peter Navarro, UCI, phone
619-850-6751, e-mail pnavarro@uci.edu .
The complete text of the UC-Irvine study is available on the Web at http://gsm.uci.edu/~navarro
. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 11/19/99
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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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Funding News
Energy Efficiency,
Fossil Funds Gain
The energy and water appropriations
bill signed in September by President Clinton includes $362.2 million for
solar and renewable energy programs, down $3.7 million from the FY-99 appropriation
(IE/FL, 4 Oct, 6). Last week, DOE did picked up $65 million more
for energy conservation and fossil energy programs in FY-2000 as negotiators
for the Clinton administration and Congress agreed to split their differences
over the department's share of the Interior and related agencies appropriations
bill. The increase means more money this fiscal year for research,
development and demonstrations in DOE's energy efficiency programs for
the industrial, transportation, building and utility sectors. It
also will help DOE's Fossil Energy division support pollution-reduction
projects for the U.S. paper and pulp industry. Last Thursday the
House approved a $390-billion budget package that includes the Interior
appropriations. As of last Friday, the Senate had not voted on the
budget package yet. Last week's compromise brought to $745.2 million
the FY-2000 appropriation for DOE's Energy Efficiency Program, nearly 8%
more than the $692 million those programs received in FY-99, according
to figures from the House appropriations Committee. The administration
requested $837 million for energy efficiency, the panel said.
Source:
Inside Energy 11/22/99.
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For more information on
funding solicitations go to: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
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