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SUWA Announces Wind Power Purchase
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) recently announced it will purchase 11 blocks of wind energy per month from wind power generation facilities in Wyoming. The organization, which is a strong opponent of fossil fuel development in wilderness areas, said that the purchase of the 100 kilowatt-hour (kWh) blocks is consistent with the organization's mission statement and goals. SUWA attorney Heidi McIntosh said the organization wanted to demonstrate that it could maintain operations without contributing to practices that harm public lands through drilling or mining. The purchases will cover half of the organization's electricity demand at its 1,800 square-foot headquarters in Salt Lake City. McIntosh said SUWA has also adopted a plan to eventually purchase all of its power from renewable energy sources. The purchases were made as a part of Utah Power's "Blue Sky" program, under which large companies or organizations commit to the purchase of 100 kWh blocks of renewable energy. The Utah Wind Power Campaign, which is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the Blue Sky program, recently lobbied the state legislature to pass legislation requiring power companies to obtain 20 percent of their electricity from renewable resources. To date, the Blue Sky program has allowed Utah Power to purchase three megawatts of electricity generated from renewable energy sources. Contact: SUWA, phone 801-486-3161, website http://www.suwa.org. Source: Salt Lake Tribune 6/26/2002 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 7/3/2002
North Carolina Utilities File Green Pricing Tariffs
CP&L and Duke Power filed proposed tariffs with the North Carolina Utilities Commission to give customers the option to support the development of renewable energy sources. Called "NC GreenPower," the green pricing program will be the first in the nation to be offered statewide. Pending regulatory approval, utility customers can choose to pay an additional $4 per month to support 100-kWh blocks of green power (or 4¢/kWh). The program will be managed by Advanced Energy, a Raleigh-based, non-profit organization, which will distribute the funds collected by utilities to renewable power producers. The program is expected to begin sometime in 2003. For more information see: http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/0602_ncgreen.shtml. Source: Green Power Marketing Monthly Update - June 2002
SAPC Purchases Green Tags for Headquarters
Solar-electric systems supplier Schott Applied Power Corporation (SAPC) recently announced it has entered into a three-year agreement with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to purchase "Green Tags" for 100 percent of the electricity consumed at the company's main facility in Rocklin, CA. The company said BEF's Green Tags will represent the offset in emissions that occurs when renewable energy is used in place of traditional, fossil-fueled power generation. "As the number-one distributor of solar-electric systems in the U.S., SAPC has an interest in supporting the broader use of environmentally friendly energy," said SAPC president Tom Starrs. "Our customers are making a substantial investment to promote clean power, and our industry should be doing the same." The company said it decided to select BEF as its supplier because the foundation's Green Tags are "certified by leading environmental organizations, its supply comes from new renewable facilities, and it reinvests its net revenues in new renewable facilities." SAPC said it requested that five percent of its Green Tags be derived from new solar electric facilities. "We see tremendous synergies between SAPC and BEF," said Starrs. "The more customers sign up with BEF and similar organizations to support environmentally preferred power, the more renewable facilities that have to be built to accommodate the customer demand." Contact: Mary Shaffner, SAPC, phone 202-939-0819, e-mail mary.shaffner@us.schott.com, website http://www.schottappliedpower.com. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today 7/2/2002.
First Zero Energy Home Set for July Completion
A Zero Energy Home combines solar energy technologies with advanced energy-efficient construction. like virtually all homes, a Zero Energy Home is connected to the utility grid. But because it may produce as much energy as it consumes, the homes are considered to achieve "net zero" energy consumption. With a growing interest among consumers, California is developing a market for solar and high- efficiency energy technologies. "The house that will soon be finished in Livermore clearly demonstrates that state-of-the-art solar energy features can be incorporated into attractive and practical homes," said Tim Merrigan, Zero Energy Homes program manager at NREL. Davis Energy Group, a company specializing in energy-efficient technology development, and Centex Corporation, a major residential builder in Northern California, will market the new model as the "21st Century Performance Home." The house features solar-electric and solar-hot-water systems, high efficiency windows and radiant barriers. The home is also a test bed for a ventilation cooling system developed under a California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) project. "Our Livermore residence is the first of many Zero Energy Homes that will reward their owners with low energy bills, improved comfort and environmental sustainability," says David Springer, president, Davis Energy Group. "We're really pleased with the results of our partnership. We have successfully connected Centex with solar-electricity, solar- water-heating, and energy efficiency product providers. And, best of all, the project has already given Centex a significant marketing advantage." The house also is a showcase for green building practices. Centex has used the project to develop green building guidelines in cooperation with Alameda County. Centex is also planning to two open house weekends July 13th and 14th and July 20th and 21st for the public to view the new ZEH (contact the Los Olivos community at 925-294-9797 for more information).
Two other Zero Energy Homes teams also are at work on California projects. Steven Winter Associates is working with Beazer Homes to develop a demonstration Zero Energy Home in The Greens development in Palmdale. Beazer Homes is planning to build a two-story home using passive solar heating strategies that will also minimize summer heat gains. Other home features include electricity from photovoltaic panels, a solar-hot-water system, high efficiency air conditioning, a programmable thermostat, high-performance windows, fluorescent lighting and efficient appliances. ConSol, a firm with more than 20 years of energy consulting expertise, is collaborating with six volume homebuilders in California and Nevada. ConSol previously developed the Comfortwise Program, which requires participants to build to energy efficiency standards beyond code requirements. All the ConSol team Zero Energy Homes will be built to Comfortwise standards and will incorporate solar energy systems. The ConSol team's first Zero Energy Home will be completed with Pardee Homes in their environmentally- focused Santa Barbara development in San Diego. Furthermore, in cooperation with Builder magazine and the National Council of the Housing Industry, Pardee has decided to build a Zero Energy Home as the Show Home for the 2004 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders' Show in Las Vegas. Elsewhere in the nation, the Zero Energy Homes Program is teaming up with builders on a number of projects. The NAHB Research Center, a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders, is working with homebuilder John Wesley Miller in Arizona. The project team last month selected a design for a Zero Energy Home, which will be built in the Armory Park del Sol community in Tucson. Source: MSR E-News Bulletin 7/4/2002.
Joint Venture Signs Power Contract with Vermont Municipal Utility
Endless Energy, of Yarmouth, Me., said a joint venture between it and Catamount Energy (called Equinox Wind Partners) has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Burlington (Vt.) Electric Department (BED) for a 9-MW wind plant on Little Equinox Mountain in Manchester, Vt. Harley Lee, a principal in the Maine firm and a partner in Equinox Wind Partners, said, "As far as I know, it's the first power contract in New England in a decade." The Burlington City Council approved the contract June 12, and BED said in a news release that the Little Equinox project would provide 7% of the utility's electricity when completed. It said the wind project needed a long-term commitment to buy the power before permitting and building plans could progress. "With Council approval," it said, "Equinox Wind Partners will now seek local input on the proposal before applying for state permits later this summer." Bruce Peacock of Equinox Wind Partners commented, "We still have a lot of work to do to make this dream a reality. First and foremost, we need to continue and expand discussions we've begun with the greater Manchester community. Input from the community is critical to the success of the project, and we want to work with the town, surrounding communities, and neighbors as we move forward. Once that dialogue has developed, we can craft permit applications with those discussions in mind." "Along with being free of pollution, the wind power has the advantage of being generated within Vermont," BED said. "Congestion fees, which can be costly, are imposed when power is brought from long distances. Generating within Vermont mitigates the risk of these fees." The utility said it is also planning to lower the cost to its customers of electricity from the project by selling Green Tags. When BED sold its interest in the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in February and was released from its power purchase obligation, which was between 40% and 45% of Burlington's energy supply, it made a commitment to purchase power from renewable energy projects whenever prudently possible. According to BED's Energy Resource Report, prepared by Patty Richards, director of Resource Planning, "BED's goal is to meet load growth estimates with renewable supplies of energy." The Little Equinox project, the utility said, is a first step toward meeting that goal." In a project update newsletter to residents of Manchester, Lee commented, "Burlington Electric has well-deserved reputation for progressive policies. Their agreeing to buy power from the Equinox project is good news for Vermonters and, indeed, for everyone who cares about clean air and reducing imported energy. It took a year to negotiate this contract, so we're quite happy to have it completed." Lee also outlined the next steps for the partnership, which include developing a photo simulation to give local residents an idea of how the project will look, meeting with local and state regulators to determine their information needs, and completing environmental studies. More information is available on the Web at http://www.endlessenergy.com. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 7/3/2002.
Shell Makes the Switch from MTBE to Ethanol
Shell Oil Products US announced its intent to discontinue using MTBE in the gasoline it supplies to California and switch to ethanol by the end of 2002. Governor Gray Davis has banned the use of MTBE in California beginning December 31, 2003, in an effort to protect California's air and water supply. Shell will beat the official deadline by one year, and it joins BP, California's other major gasoline supplier, in its commitment to also be MTBE-free by the end of this year. Shell currently accounts for approximately 18 percent of gasoline supplied to California, and this switch will create a market for an estimated 150 to 200 million gallons of ethanol. www.ethanolRFA.org. Source: RFA Release 7/5/2002.
Midwest ISO Panel Votes to Consider Plan for 10,000 MW of Wind Development
The Planning Advisory Committee of the Midwest ISO (Independent System Operator) voted June 20 to support a study of transmission planning needed to accommodate 10,000 MW of wind development in the nine-state western Midwest region (Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) by 2007. The panel backed study of the plan, proposed by AWEA and the nonprofit group Wind on the Wires, in conjunction with study of a MISO "base case" expansion plan that includes only reliability upgrades and reinforcements to support generation already under construction in the region. The Committee discussed several other plans that would include wind and a variety of other resources, but, said AWEA policy director Jim Caldwell, "the wind plan is the only expansion plan, other than the base case, that currently has enough specificity and detail to actually be studied by the modelers." Matt Schuerger of Wind on the Wires, an initiative funded by the McKnight Foundation and the Energy Foundation and aimed at overcoming barriers to moving wind power to market in the Upper Midwest (see Wind Energy Weekly #992, April 26), drafted the plan with input and advice from the wind energy industry. AWEA members endorsing the plan included Clipper Windpower, Energy Unlimited, enXco, FPL Energy, GE Wind, Wind Utility Consulting, and Zilkha Renewable Energy.
The purpose of the plan, according to AWEA policy director Jim Caldwell, is "to test MISO's new planning process that is dominated by a 56,000-MW predominantly natural-gas-fired interconnection queue (about 80,000 MW if non-MISO queues in the region are included). These queues represent requests for future transmission service by generation developers in the region, and they include about 6,000 MW of wind." Explained Caldwell, "Unless we can get MISO to break out of simply reacting to projects in the queue in the order in which the projects were posted, major wind development in the region will be stymied for a very long time. Hopefully the output of the MISO study would be a blueprint for the location and rough cost of "network upgrades" to accept 10,000 MW of wind development in the next five years considering both close in but lower wind speed projects, and remote but Class 6 wind speed projects." In assembling the plan, Caldwell said, transmission substation injection points throughout the region and market takeoff points at major load centers were chosen with wind resource quality, known development activities, known power purchase interest, and known transmission bottlenecks in mind. Roughly half of the development in the plan would require upgrades to existing transmission corridors, he said, while half would require major DC and/or ultra-high-voltage AC lines from the Dakotas. The Committee recommendation now wends its way through a convoluted stakeholder process ending in a presentation to the MISO Board in late August or early September, Caldwell said. He added, "Other scenarios are sure to emerge from that process, and there will be pressure to water down the wind plan, but it is reasonably certain that we will not be ignored. Political support for the plan will be crucial this summer. AWEA and Wind on the Wires will be jointly soliciting letters of support, etc., from Senators, Governors, state public utility commissions, and local officials." For further information, contact Caldwell, e-mail jim_caldwell@awea.org. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 7/3/2002.
Million Solar Roofs State and Local Partner Listing
Announced in June 1997, Million Solar Roofs (MSRI) is an initiative to install solar energy systems on one million U.S. buildings by 2010. The initiative includes two types of solar technology: solar electric systems (or photovoltaics) that produce electricity from sunlight and solar thermal systems that produce heat for domestic hot water, space heating, or heating swimming pools. The U.S. Department of Energy, through its Regional Offices, focuses its efforts on national, state and local partnerships, made up of the building industry, other federal agencies, local and state governments, utilities, energy service providers, the solar energy industry, financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations to remove market barriers to solar energy use and develop and strengthen local demand for solar energy products and applications. The Million Solar Roofs Initiative does not direct or control the activities of the state and community partnerships, nor does it provide funding to design, purchase or install solar energy systems. Instead, the Million Solar Roofs Initiative brings together the capabilities of the Federal government with key national businesses and organizations and focus them on building a strong market for solar energy applications on buildings. A listing of all state and local MSRI partnerships can be accessed at: http://www.millionsolarroofs.org/partnerships_statelocal/. For more information on the MSRI see the web site at: http://www.millionsolarroofs.org/about_initiative/.
North Dakota Co-op Completes Wind Turbine
Minnkota Power Cooperative recently announced the construction of a wind turbine that was funded by contributions from the co-op's customers. The company said about 2,100 of its regular customers have been paying an additional three dollars a month since January to help finance the project. The turbine, whose construction cost about $1 million, is expected to begin operating within the next two weeks. Grand Forks Air Force Base will receive most of the electricity generated by the turbine under a Senate Appropriations Bill, which requires the use of renewable energy resources by government agencies. Minnkota spokesman Mike Nisbet noted that the co-op also received government subsidies to reduce the cost of the construction project. While the cooperative will not realize any profit from the wind-generated electricity, co-op officials said the goal of the project was to provide its customers with a wind energy option. University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center engineers conducted an assessment of the wind power potential of the site from January to May. Although the average wind speed is about 20 miles per hour (mph), the turbine is capable of operating at wind speeds ranging from eight mph to 56 mph. Contact: Minnkota, phone 701-795-4000. Source: Grand Forks Herald 7/2/2002 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 7/9/2002.
Powerlight enters Performanced-based Agreement with NEL-Hawaii
The state's marine science incubator will soon be producing almost half its power through a new $8 million state-of-the-art photovoltaic solar-energy system. Last month, directors of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii approved California-based PowerLight Corp.'s bid to design, build and maintain a multifaceted photovoltaic system at no cost to NELHA or taxpayers. "They will pay for construction, maintenance and operation, and we will buy back power from them," said Jeff Smith, executive director of the 870-acre facility, adjacent to the Kona International Airport on the Big Island's Keahole Point. "This will provide $3.5 million in savings to NELHA over the next 25 years or life of the system. We are negotiating rates right now, but it will be less than what we currently pay. We are still finalizing all the contract negotiations." Construction, scheduled to begin in the fall, should be completed within the first quarter of 2003, said John Crouch, PowerLight's Pacific region director. PowerLight has completed similar but smaller projects on the Big Island over the past two years for Parker Ranch and the Mauna Lani Resort.
"NELHA's will be the biggest project we've built in Hawaii," Crouch said. "It's a 1.1-megawatt system, which is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatts. The Mauna Lani's system produces 230 kilowatts of electricity per hour, and Parker Ranch produces 225 kilowatts per hour." NELHA's system will consist of photovoltaic roof tiles on the facility's laboratory building that will generate 50 kilowatts per hour when the sun is shining brightly, Crouch said. A power shade that doubles as a parking lot covering will provide 120 kilowatts of electricity per hour to the laboratory building. "It produces electricity, but it's a shaded area at the same time," Crouch said. "You can either park cars or assemble under it for a meeting. There will also be a parking power shade with spaces for about 20 cars for visitors, adjacent to the administrative building, which will provide 30 kilowatts of power to that building." Three separate Power Tracker stations occupying about seven acres will generate 900 kilowatts per hour to pump deep-cold ocean water throughout the facility, assisting with daytime power requirements. "Power Tracker is the most exciting package we have right now at PowerLight because we already have over half a megawatt of it operating at other installations within the state pumping water," Crouch said. "PowerLight's system won't replace all of NELHA's energy needs, he said. "It simply provides energy during the daytime," he said. "NELHA does a lot of pumping at night for which electricity will still be purchased from Hawaii Electric Light Co." A consortium of private investors, to be announced by the time construction is complete, is financing the deal to build and operate NELHA's system, Crouch said. "The system's ultimate owner will be a third-party investment group, which has not been determined," he said. "They have not made the investment yet, but are lined up and in place to purchase the system. Not all the contracts have been signed yet."
The new photovoltaic system will complement the long-awaited NELHA Distributive Energy Research Center that will test and develop alternative forms of energy, Smith said. Groundbreaking for the center is scheduled for August, with completion in 18 months, he said. The ultimate goal is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and develop an effective means of storing excess energy generated by solar power during the day. "Photovoltaic is great during the day, but what happens at night?" Smith asked. "If someone comes up with a better way to store the energy created during the day, it would help reduce energy needs at night. Science is constantly changing; there's always a better way. "We are looking for batteries that are lighter, less expensive, that store more energy and are made from safe, nonhazardous materials. Researchers are trying all over the world to accomplish this, and very soon NELHA hopes to be a part of it." Source: BizJournals via SolarBuzz 6/26/2002 via Solar e-Clips 7/9/2002.
The Wind Turbine Lightning Protection Project report is now available from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The primary objective of the report is to further the understanding of effective lightning damage mitigation techniques for the U.S. wind industry. McNiff Light Industry prepared the report for NREL. The report lays out the results of three main research efforts: the field testing of some advanced-warning lightning detection systems, the evaluation and documentation of lightning protection measures on selected turbines in the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)/Department of Energy (DOE) turbine verification program (TVP), and a literature search and dissemination of accumulated information on lightning activity and protective measures. The report provides the following recommendations for turbine buyers and site designers:
The entire report is available on the NREL Web site at http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy02osti/31115.pdf. The TVP is a program begun in 1992 to allow utilities to gain experience in system integration, operation and maintenance of wind turbine generators. The host utilities are required to share this experience in the public domain. The program is funded through contributions from EPRI, DOE, and host utilities. EPRI manages the program on behalf of the funding organizations. EPRI and NREL provide technical and management guidance. Host utilities were selected based on site and wind resource documentation, geographic and climatic diversity among selected hosts, evidence of intent to include wind power as a generation resource, and relevance of program to future use of wind power. More information on the TVP and a list of host utilities is available at http://www.eren.doe.gov/wind/weu.html. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 6/21/2002.
White House Details Views on Energy Bill
In what serves as the Bush administration's official line on energy legislation about to be negotiated by Congress, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said among other things in a letter last week that language on electricity regulation could be improved, provisions on climate change need to be tempered and a subsidy to support an Alaska natural gas pipeline needs to be stripped. House and Senate members began meeting last Thursday to splice their competing bills, both known as H.R. 4, and return after the July 4 recess to finish perhaps the most closely watched work of the year. In his Friday letter to Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.), chairman of the conference committee, Abraham said the administration "is pleased that a majority of the provisions of the President's National Energy Policy are included in either the House or Senate versions of H.R. 4." Negotiators have an opportunity to improve U.S. energy and economic security, help consumers by reducing dependence on foreign energy sources, protect the environment, increase conservation and improve energy efficiency, and expand use of new technology and renewable sources, he said. Electricity Abraham said the administration believes a comprehensive energy bill must update old wholesale electricity laws. The Senate's language on that is "a step in the right direction," but conferees should "modify this title to better reach these goals and be consistent with the Administration's objectives," he said. The congressional bills rightly repeal the Public Utility Holding Company Act that restricts utility investment, reform the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, and otherwise improve access for all generators to the wholesale electricity grid and establish rules that will reduce the likelihood of power outages, according to Abraham's letter. The administration also supports the provisions strengthening the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's authority to review mergers and prohibit market power abuses, the secretary said. It also supports protecting consumers against unauthorized disclosure of personal information or switching of electricity service, and strengthening FERC's ability to ensure fair rates. In that vein, conferees should add to their final energy bill the White House's plan to increase criminal penalties for violating the Federal Power Act from $5,000 to $1 million, from $500 per day to $25,000, and prison terms from two years to five, Abraham wrote.
The administration also supports Senate language clarifying the tax implications from sale or transfer of transmission assets companies that will operate under a regional transmission organization (RTO), he said. Likewise, it supports the Senate effort to eliminate provisions jeopardizing the tax-exempt status of electric co-ops when they offer nondiscriminatory access to their transmissions system. Not needed in the bill, however, is the Senate mandate on renewable portfolio standards (RPS), which aims to increase the use of renewable fuels in electricity generation. Such standards "are best left to the states," Abraham said. Whereas the Senate RPS would likely raise costs for consumers, especially in places where such resources are difficult to come by, the administration prefers a three-year extension of the renewable energy production tax credit (a two-year extension was just added to jobs legislation, Abraham noted). Adding the RPS mandate atop the tax credit would be costly and inefficient, he added. Automotive fuels On automotive fuel economy, the House-Senate legislation matches the administration's call to let the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. But the administration is "concerned" that Senate provisions include unreasonable timetables and mandates for the federal government's automotive fleet to adopt cleaner fuels and vehicles, Abraham wrote (he did not ultimately say whether the language is acceptable or not). The administration supports the renewable fuels standard in the Senate bill "and urges conferees to adopt it." That language is expected to triple the amount of soybean-derived biodeisel and ethanol-blended gasoline used in vehicles, to 5 billion gallons per year by 2012. But it could prove among the touchiest of conference issues, as the House bill contains no such language and the California and New York delegations fear farm-state powers are about to foist more expensive fuels on their constituents.
The Senate renewable fuels language also rightly calls for a market-based national credit trading system, but the administration "would oppose changes to [the provisions] that would raise costs and reduce efficiency of the credit-trading program, which is vital to making a renewable energy program for motor fuels economically achievable," Abraham said. Climate change The administration rejects outright the Senate bill's inclusion of a greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting regime that could become mandatory, though not in so many words. Abraham's letter runs through a litany of "aggressive" climate change goals announced by President Bush, including an 18 percent reduction in GHG growth by 2012, new research and technology programs, and improving the existing Energy Department registry for reporting crediting voluntary reductions. "The Administration would support legislation that is consistent with this plan," Abraham said. "The climate change titles of the Senate bill are not consistent with the President's climate plan." Amendments on the Senate floor created a "hard trigger" by which GHG reporting could become mandatory if after five years 60 percent of industry is still not offering the information.
Alaska pipeline Abraham also wrote of the administration's opposition to a "processes tax subsidy provision in the Senate bill and any similar provision because it would distort markets, could cost well over $1 billion in annual lost revenue, and would likely undermine Canada's support for construction of the pipeline and thus set back broader bilateral energy integration." At issue is the Senate's apparent attempt to pre-determine a southern route for a natural gas pipeline through Alaska through tax and other provisions, rather than run the risk of the route going through Canada. The administration strongly supports construction of a natural gas pipeline, but "believes market forces should select the route of the pipeline." On the subject of Alaska, Abraham reiterated that "a national energy policy cannot rely solely on conservation and called for drilling in a "small portion" of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Not only is the House's provision the primary means for increasing domestic oil production, it is the primary means for creating "tens of thousands of new, well-paying jobs for American workers," the secretary wrote. Finally, Abraham said the administration is "concerned" the House bill includes tax incentives of $36.5 billion over 10 years and the Senate bill $20.6 billion in that time. The president's energy plan calls for $9.5