Green Power

Curtis Packaging Purchases 100 percent Clean, Renewable Energy

Curtis Packaging Corporation announced its agreement with Community Energy, Inc. to purchase clean, pollution free, renewable energy equal to 100 percent of its energy usage. This purchase illustrates the company's continued commitment to the environment and the community. Curtis Packaging, one of the nation's leaders in packaging design and printing, will purchase a portion of its clean energy commitment through the CTCleanEnergyOptions Program with the majority of the renewable energy being sourced from wind power. Curtis is one of the first printing and packaging companies in the nation to be both Forest Stewardship Council certified and use 100 percent renewable energy. 

Curtis Packaging, based in Sandy Hook, CT, will buy a total of 4,524,800 kilowatthours of renewable energy per year for the next 3 years. Compared to the average generation mix in the Regional and National electric grids where the renewables are being generated, the estimated environmental benefit from this purchase is equal to offsetting more than 7.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, the impact of which is equivalent to planting more than 480,000 trees or not driving 6.2 million miles per year. This renewable energy purchase follows Curtis Packaging FSC certification, in which the company committed to use paperboard generated by suppliers who practice responsible forestry. Curtis Packaging is also certified by the SmartWood Sustainable Forestry Program of the Rainforest Alliance.  

The majority of the renewable energy mix will be sourced from wind power, the fastest growing energy source in the US today. Approximately 30 percent of the total purchase will be a blend of renewable sources, including locally generated wind power, purchased through the Connecticut Clean Energy Options Program available through Connecticut Light & Power. At that level of participation in the program, Curtis Packaging will help Newtown, Conn., begin to qualify for a free solar electric system and become a Clean Energy Community.

Contacts: Curtis Packaging, Don Droppo Jr., 203-426-5861, or Community Energy, Inc., Paul Copleman, 484-654-0106, or NAK Marketing & Communications, Len Bacharach, 516-443-3194.  Source: BUSINESS WIRE, 8/16/2006.

Consumers Energy Expands Program to Include Green-e Certified RECs

The Green-e Renewable Energy Certification Program of the Center for Resource Solutions announced that Consumers Energy's "Green Generation" Renewable Energy Certificates are now Green-e certified. Michigan-based Consumers Energy is a part of the largest network of renewable energy providers who offer products certified by the nation's leading certification and verification program.

The renewable energy for Consumers Energy's Green Generation program comes from Michigan-based landfill gas facilities and wind generators. This "homegrown" energy meets strict Green-e standards for eligible renewable energy.  Green-e is the leading renewable energy certification and verification program in the U.S. The program provides independent, third party certification to ensure certified renewable energy meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards.

Through the display and recognition of the Green-e logo, the national symbol for renewable energy excellence, a growing number of consumers are able to easily identify high quality, certified renewable energy options, as well as everyday consumer products that are "Made with Certified Renewable Energy."

Providers of Green-e certified renewable energy agree to abide by the Green-e Code of Conduct, and meet Green-e disclosure and truth-in-advertising requirements. All Green-e marketers undergo an annual verification audit to document that the company purchased or generated enough quantity and type of renewable energy to meet customer demand and marketing claims. Over 100 marketers and utilities throughout North America now offer Green-e certified renewable energy products. Collectively these suppliers sold over four million MWh of Green-e certified renewable energy in 2005.   Source: Press Release from Green-e, 8/16/2006.

Renewable Energy Technologies

Biomass Could Displace 30 Percent of U.S. Petroleum Consumption By 2030 

A joint feasibility study conducted by the US Departments of Agriculture and Energy has concluded that the US has the potential to produce a billion dry tons of biomass per year, while still continuing to meet the nation's food, feed and export demands. According to a proposed strategy outlined in the report, biomass from forest and agricultural lands could displace up to 30 percent of petroleum consumption in the US by 2030.  

Download the report, "Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply" (April 2005; 78 pages). Source: Sustainable Energy Network, 7/23/2006.

Wind Turbines Project a Go in Manitowoc County

In most cases, the construction of 49 wind turbines at a price of roughly $200 million would elicit some kind of reaction from the community marked for its development. But Manitowoc County is decidedly quiet at the moment.  "We're waiting to see what's next, and at this point, I don't think anybody has much of a reaction," said Manitowoc County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer.

Navitas Energies Inc. of Minneapolis was recently granted conditional use permits for the construction of Twin Creeks Wind Park in Mishicot and Two Creeks, and a state appeals court ruled on July 5 that the Manitowoc County Board of Adjustment properly approved the company's plan, overruling the appeal filed by community opponents Wisconsin Independent Citizens Opposing Windturbine Sites.  Manitowoc County Corporation Counsel Steve Rollins also said the deadline passed last week to file a petition for the state Supreme Court to review the decision, and all that's left for Navitas now is to get its zoning permits.

 But Christopher Moore, managing director for Navitas, said the company was only recently informed about the passed deadline. "Everything was up in the air because of the court case, and we didn't want to take the next step until we knew everything was finalized," he said.

Moore said that the seasons in this part of the country play a big factor in scheduling. Moore said construction should take about six to nine months, and would ideally start in spring, though he did not specify of which year and said 2007 might still be unlikely.

The turbines will be built on about 5,000 acres and have the capacity to generate 100 megawatts of electricity--enough to provide power to 30,000 homes.

Moore said that in spite of opposition from groups like WINDCOWS, Manitowoc County seemed open to the idea of constructing the park.  And, as in all negotiations, money talked. In addition to Navitas striking deals with private property owners to construct on the land, the state's shared-revenue program will also net both the county and towns some extra money each year. Wisconsin taxes wind projects that generate more than 50 megawatts and returns a portion of the revenue to local units of government hosting the turbines.  Now, it's just a matter of penciling in a start date. Source: Milwaukee Daily Reporter, by ProQuest Information and Learning, 8/15/2006.

No Longer Over a Barrel

In the Grimm Brother's fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin spins straw into gold. Thanks to advances in biotechnology, researchers can now transform straw, and other plant wastes, into "green" gold--cellulosic ethanol.  While chemically identical to ethanol produced from corn or soybeans, cellulose ethanol exhibits a net energy content three times higher than corn ethanol and emits a low net level of greenhouse gases. Recent technological developments are not only improving yields but also driving down production cost, bringing us nearer to the day when cellulosic ethanol could replace expensive, imported "black gold" with a sustainable, domestically produced biofuel.

Cellulosic ethanol shows great promise as an alternative to corn based ethanol. The U.S. Department of Energy released a report on July 7, 2006 with an ambitious new research agenda for the development of cellulosic ethanol as an alternative to gasoline. The 200-page scientific "roadmap" cites recent advances in biotechnology that have made cost-effective production of ethanol from cellulose, or inedible plant fiber, an attainable goal. The report outlines a detailed research plan for developing new technologies to transform cellulosic ethanol -- a renewable, cleaner-burning, and carbon-neutral alternative to gasoline -- into an economically viable transportation fuel. 

While corn and sugar have been used for some time as an addition or replacement for petroleum based fuels, cellulosic ethanol requires less energy to produce and is not dependent on fluctuating corn or sugar prices.

Kansas City-based Alternative Energy Sources, Inc. announced that it has entered into a letter of intent to acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of Flex Fuels USA Inc. and its affiliate ACN Energy Consulting Inc. in an all-stock merger. The parties expect to sign the merger agreement on or before Sept. 15, 2006. Alternative Energy Sources will use the existing technological knowledge of Flex Fuels to achieve production of ethanol at a lower cost and with more input diversity than existing ethanol producers.

Flex Fuels, based in Huntsville, Ala., has developed proprietary technology to efficiently produce cellulosic ethanol using biomass and other forms of waste rather than corn or sugar. As a result, these facilities will not be affected by fluctuations in prices or supplies of corn and sugar, Beemer noted. Alternative Energy and Flex Fuels USA estimate four to five months of design and engineering, with an anticipated construction beginning in the second quarter of 2007. Once processes are finalized, he said the company anticipates building the first cellulosic ethanol facility in the Eastern United States.

As noted in BioCycle, conventional ethanol and cellulosic ethanol are the same product, but are produced utilizing different feed stocks and processes. Conventional ethanol is derived from grains such as corn and wheat or soybeans. Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from a wide variety of cellulosic biomass feed stocks including agricultural plant wastes (e.g., corn stover, cereal straws, sugarcane bagasse), plant wastes from industrial processes (e.g., sawdust, paper pulp) and energy crops grown specifically for fuel production, such as switchgrass. Cellulosic biomass is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, with smaller amounts of proteins, lipids (fats, waxes and oils) and ash. Roughly, two-thirds of the dry mass of cellulosic materials is present as cellulose and hemicellulose. Lignin makes up the bulk of the remaining dry mass.

This method of producing ethanol has less environmental hurdles to overcome. Grain based ethanol utilizes fossil fuels to produce heat during the conversion process, generating substantial greenhouse gas emissions. Cellulosic ethanol production substitutes biomass for fossil fuels, changing the emissions calculations, according to Michael Wang of Argonne National Laboratories. Wang has created a "Well to Wheel" (WTW) life cycle analysis model to calculate greenhouse gas emissions produced by fuels in internal combustion engines. "The WTW model for cellulosic ethanol showed greenhouse gas emission reductions of about 80 percent [over gasoline]," said Wang. "Corn ethanol showed 20 to 30 percent reductions."

Cellulosic ethanol's favorable profile stems from using lignin, a biomass by-product of the conversion operation, to fuel the process.  "Lignin is a renewable fuel with no net greenhouse gas emissions," explained Wang. "Greenhouse gases produced by the combustion of biomass are offset by the CO2 absorbed by the biomass as it grows." 

Perennial grasses, such as switchgrass and other forage crops are promising feed stocks for ethanol production.  "Environmentally switchgrass has some large benefits and the potential for productivity increases," said John Sheehan of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The perennial grass has a deep root system, anchoring soils to prevent erosion and helping to build soil fertility. 

One of the attractions of biofuels such as ethanol is they can be utilized in today's internal combustion engines with little or no changes.  "The only source of liquid transportation fuels to replace oil is biomass," said Nathanael Greene, author of the "Growing Energy" report. "Everyone is excited about hydrogen but there are some very serious technical and infrastructure challenges. If you can stick with a liquid fuel which is compatible with our infrastructure and the vehicles we use, it is an easier transformation."

 Light duty cars and trucks can already run on gasoline containing 10 percent ethanol. There are an estimated 1.2 million flex-fuel cars on the road capable of running on a wide range of biofuels including E85, a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

Alternative Energy Sources is at the forefront of the new wave of biofuel companies that can reduce or eliminate America's dependence on petroleum based fuels.  With the promising new technology of Flex Fuels, AENS is shaping up to be a major player in the interesting field of biofuels.   Source: By Peter Montgomery, Resource Investor, 8/16/2006.

Outreach, Education, Reports & Studies

Annual Installations of Rooftop Photovoltaics Could Power Hundreds of Thousands of Homes and Businesses By 2010: 

In March 2005, the Energy Foundation released a study, "PV Grid Connected Market Potential in 2010 Under a Cost Breakthrough Scenario," prepared for them by Navigant Consulting and Clean Energy Research. The study was completed in September 2004 and claims to be the first of its kind to do an assessment and estimate of the rooftop solar photovoltaic market potential on a state-by-state basis. 

The state-by-state analysis concludes that the potential U.S. market for grid-connected solar rooftop PV could reach 2,900 MW per year by 2010, assuming that the solar industry can achieve a "breakthrough" price of $2.00-$2.50 per installed watt. This would be enough new electricity, brought online in just one year, to power more than 500,000 average U.S. homes.  Moreover, the study found there is enough suitable rooftop space on residential and commercial buildings to sustain this annual level of growth.

Residential and commercial rooftop space in the U.S. could accommodate up to 710,000 MW of solar electric power (if all rooftops were fully utilized, taking into account proper orientation of buildings, shading from trees, HVAC equipment, and other solar access factors). For comparison, total electricity-generating capacity in the U.S. today is about 950,000 MW.

Key findings from the study show that in 2010:

• At $2.00-2.50 per installed watt, the annual market potential for grid-connected residential and commercial building PV applications is estimated at 2,900 MW, representing an annual market of about $6.6 billion (equipment and installations).

• The Pacific and Mid-Atlantic regions together would account for 52 percent of the potential residential and commercial sector demand.

• California alone has the potential for about 40 percent of the total building rooftop market potential--through a combination of favorable sunlight levels and high retail energy prices.

• Other distributed forms of PV electric generation, including ground-mounted PV, car ports, curtain   walls (a type of commercial building window), and awnings could further add to the potential identified by Navigant Consulting.

"Unlike most other power generation technologies, PV can be installed on the existing building infrastructure," said Lisa Frantzis, Director, Navigant Consulting. "This study shows that the available rooftop area can provide enough space to power a significant portion of U.S. electricity needs."  Source: Sustainable Energy Network, 7/23/2006.

NREL Publishes Analysis Work

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently published the report "Incorporating Wind Generation in Cap and Trade Programs." Coauthored by SEAC analysts Lori Bird and Laura Vimmerstedt, this report looks at how cap and trade programs are increasingly being used to reduce emissions from electricity generation in the United States.  While cap and trade programs primarily target emitting generators, some states have included renewable generators to provide an incentive for non-emitting generation, to achieve emissions reductions in non-capped pollutants, and for their local economic benefits. This report explores state policies that have included wind in cap and trade programs, why there has been little participation among wind and other renewable energy generators in cap and trade programs to date, the mechanisms by which wind generators could benefit from participation, and how wind generation can most effectively be included in these programs. Source: NREL Energy Analysis Newsletter--August 2006.

iCAST To Present Colorado Tech Week Event Focusing On Role of Appropriate Technology

International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology will present a special event to examine the role of appropriate technology in moving towards sustainable development.  The event, hosted by Colorado School of Mines, is being presented as part of Colorado Tech Week on Monday, September 18, 2006, sponsored by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

Dan Arvizu, director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., will present the key note address.  He will discuss the role of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in achieving sustainable development.  Other speakers will include Dr. John Trefny, president emeritus of the Colorado School of Mines, and Ron Bills, CEO of Envirofit, Inc. and former CEO of Segway Inc.  They will discuss the role of appropriate technologies in driving innovation and economic development.  Dr. Trefny and Mr. Bills serve on the iCAST board.

Appropriate technologies help communities achieve long-term economic prosperity while improving the health of the environment and contributing to the overall quality of life.  Designed to use local resources sustainably to meet local needs, appropriate technologies are used with great success in developing countries throughout the world.  For the past four years, iCAST has worked with local partners in rural communities in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region to employ these technologies in support of sustainable development.  These projects focus on improving local infrastructure and creating new businesses.

The event will be held at the Lecture Hall in the Center for Technology and Learning Media Building on the School of Mines campus from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.  There will be a reception with refreshments beginning at 6:30 p.m.  A discussion session will follow the presentations.  There is no admission fee but seating is limited.  Additional information and directions will be available on the iCAST Web site. For more information, please contact: Paul Aldretti , 303-273-3044.

State Activities, Marketing & Market Research

Biofuels Industry Battles to Make its Case

Unless the Texas biofuels industry can convince state officials its vegetable-based diesel fuel won't foul the state's air, it risks being forced from the huge Texas diesel market.  Texas is the nation's largest producer of biodiesel, a mix of regular diesel and vegetable oil. A decision to allow or forbid the fuel is expected before year's end.  The state's chief environmental regulatory agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has told the fledgling industry it must prove the fuel is clean enough for Texas.

That position puts Texas in a class all its own; other states are embracing the fuel.  Nationwide, experts agree, biodiesel is a "clean fuel" because it is nontoxic and biodegradable, and because it drastically reduces emissions of hydrocarbons, sulfur, carbon monoxide and particulate pollutants.  TCEQ is concerned, however, that biodiesel may increase tailpipe emissions of one pollutant in particular, smog-producing nitrogen oxide, or NOx. The state must reduce NOx in urban areas to meet federal Clean Air rules.

On Sept. 26, state senators on the Senate Natural Resources Committee will meet in Austin to hear testimony on biodiesel. Expected to testify is a noted expert in biodiesel/NOx research, Robert McCormick with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. McCormick has told the Environmental Protection Agency that preliminary test results show no net NOx increase from biodiesel and, in some cases, a decrease.  If TCEQ approves biodiesel, which has been on the market in Texas for a decade, the fuel can continue to be sold in 110 counties of eastern Texas suffering from polluted air, according to Mike Masi, general counsel to the nonprofit trade group Biodiesel Coalition of Texas. 

Texas is the nation's No. 1 consumer of diesel fuel, with biodiesel now making up a small, but increasing, slice. Besides reducing pollution, fans say biodiesel supports Texas farmers and keeps energy dollars in the state. Made worldwide from oils like soy and canola, biodiesel in Texas comes largely from crushing cottonseed.  Nationwide, biodiesel production has soared since 1999, when it was 500,000 gallons, says the Missouri-based National Biodiesel Board. The board predicts 150 million gallons this year.

Resolving the NOx issue is critical for the Texas industry, including 2-year-old Dallas-based Earth Biofuels Inc. The industry is confident it will convince state officials that biodiesel emits no more NOx than its petroleum counterpart. Newly formed BCOT has been meeting with TCEQ officials to present position papers and technical data to the agency in what Masi characterized as "a very cooperative dialogue." 

While TCEQ struggles with technical aspects, Texas' political leaders are promoting the fuel. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the fall issued a charge to the Senate to evaluate and look at eliminating economic and other barriers to biofuels. Similarly, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, was keynote speaker in May at a Galveston Bay groundbreaking for what will be the nation's largest biodiesel plant. A partnership between Chevron and Texas A&M University, it will have an annual production capacity of up to 100 million gallons.

Biodiesel's NOx emissions came to the forefront Nov. 1, 2005, after TCEQ issued a rule for its Texas Low Emission Diesel program. The TxLED rule mandated, in part, reformulated diesel fuels that are less polluting. TCEQ in a subsequent clarification indicated biodiesel wasn't compliant with TxLED.  "When biodiesel fell into that niche last year, it sent a shock wave through the country," said Jake Stewart with BCOT, who also is vice president of development for Houston-based Organic Fuels. 

The ruling drove consumers away. Demand dropped like a stone. Scrambling quickly, the industry presented initial technical data and, in February, won a stay of execution from TCEQ until Dec. 31. Demand went back up.

BCOT believes biodiesel is compliant. Without approval under TxLED, the industry's manufacturers will either have to mix in additives, or else sell the fuel largely out of state. But the industry in recent months says it's seen hopeful progress. Source: by Margaret Allen, Staff Writer, Dallas Business Journal --8/1/2006.

Scientists Eye Energy-Producing Windmills in Lake

The race to develop more energy from renewable sources could spark proposals to build large wind turbines in Lake Michigan within five years, according to a government energy expert.  Because wind travels faster over water than land, the eastern half of Lake Michigan is considered an ideal place to build turbines that would generate electricity. Winds over the lake have the potential to produce vast amounts of electricity, possibly as much as the entire state currently uses, said John Sarver, technical assistance supervisor for the state of Michigan's Energy Office.  "The biggest potential for wind power in Michigan is along the Lake Michigan shoreline," Sarver said. "There are lots of issues with developing wind energy in the lake, but the potential (power generation) is huge."  Sarver was in Shelby Wednesday with U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra to discuss wind power.

Imad Mahawili, director of Grand Valley State University's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center, also was part of the panel that spoke to about 20 area residents and officials. Hoekstra, who is running for re-election against Muskegon Democrat Kimon Kotos, highlighted wind energy during his annual bike tour of his congressional district.  Hoekstra's decision to address wind power in Shelby was no coincidence. Oceana County residents are divided over a proposal from Mackinaw Power LLC to build 21 large wind turbines in Weare Township.  Mackinaw Power hopes to start building the windmills next year, company President Rich Vanderveen said.  Hoekstra said soaring gas prices and wars in the oil-rich Middle East have made it clear that the U.S. needs to use less oil and reduce its reliance on foreign sources of oil.  "The very narrow silver lining is that with oil at more than $70 a barrel, it may push us toward greater energy independence," Hoekstra said.  The United States uses 21 million barrels of oil per day, 60 percent of which is imported from other countries, Mahawili said. "We're energy gluttons," he said.   Source:  By Jeff Alexander, Press News Service, 8/11/2006.

(Solar) Power To The People

If you're paying triple-digit electric bills this summer to cool your house, consider the relationship Ske and Kitty Boniske have with Progress Energy. They're expecting to roughly break even, and maybe get paid for producing electricity.  The Boniskes are the first homeowners in Progress Energy's western region to employ a "sell all net metering" system that allows residential users to sell electricity to the power company. The couple equipped the home they built in 1993 in Bent Creek with a solar energy system that Ske Boniske helped design. Until recently, they weren't even tied into the electric grid. Their solar system provided all the energy for their household needs using a full array of appliances.  They readily acknowledge the cost of installing the system in 1993 outweighed the economic benefit of not having to pay power bills. They installed it because they didn't want to contribute to the environmental damage that results from air pollution generated by power plants.  

But new state regulations and tax credits are changing the energy landscape for homeowners who want to generate some or all of their own electricity.  With the "sell all net metering" system the Boniskes sell all the power they generate to Progress Energy and buy back the power they use. One meter measures the amount they sell and another measures the amount they use. The utility pays them fewer cents per kilowatt produced than it charges them per kilowatt used.  But in addition to the money paid by the utility, an independent nonprofit organization established to improve the state's environment will also pay them so many cents per kilowatt, meaning they will receive more for the power they generate than they will pay for the power they buy.

The nonprofit, NC GreenPower operates on voluntary contributions. Any customer of one of the state's power companies can contribute by choosing to buy blocks of "green" power. A contribution of $4 per month adds one block of 100 kilowatt-hours of green energy to North Carolina's power supply. The contributions are used to buy "green" energy from producers like the Boniskes.  NC GreenPower is a landmark initiative approved by the N.C. Utilities Commission. It is the first statewide green energy program in the nation supported by all the state's utilities. The contributions are collected by the utilities through monthly power bills, but Advanced Energy, an independent nonprofit corporation in Raleigh, administers the program.  The goal of NC GreenPower is to supplement the state's existing power supply with electricity generated from renewable resources like the sun, wind and organic matter.  NC GreenPower combined with tax initiatives means the cost of building or retrofitting a home to produce green energy is no longer economically impractical. Income tax credits of 35 percent from the federal government and 30 percent from the state now go toward the installation of conservation and renewable energy features and equipment.

The upfront cost are daunting to many, but Ske Boniske points out that adding cost to a mortgage to build a green energy home, or to retrofit one, makes financial sense. The lower energy costs for the house will more than offset the additional amount of the mortgage.  The Boniskes plan to use any money they make from selling solar power to Progress Energy to contribute toward more blocks of green power. It's their hope that contributions will grow to the point that instead of building more power plants, the state's utilities will have to go looking for more sources of "green" energy. With the incentives now in place, there's reason to hope the Boniskes will be the first among many anxious to sign on as green power producers.

The owner of a typical home might, once the impact of tax credits are included, recoup the costs in payments from the utility over about 10 years, said David Wallace, program manager for the state energy office for the western region. If homeowners and businesses need an additional incentive, the rising cost of oil and natural gas and the near-certainty that those increases will translate to higher energy costs over time should be a serious consideration. Producing more green energy also means cleaner air and a healthier environment. And it means that over time, the United States will become less vulnerable to sharp price increases and shortages of the fossil fuel essential to meeting our energy needs at the present time.
Building and retrofitting homes to produce some or all of their own energy from renewable, environmentally friendly sources has always made sense from every other standpoint. Finally, it has become economically feasible.  Source: 8/13/2006.

Sweden Aims To Swap Oil For Renewable Energy By 2020

Sweden is aiming to become the world's first practically oil-free economy by 2020. A committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, carmakers, civil servants and others, who will report to parliament, is planning how to achieve this.  Sweden is the first country to set a target to replace oil. Iceland hopes by 2050 to power all its cars and boats with hydrogen made from electricity drawn from renewable resources, and Brazil intends to power 80 percent of its transport fleet with ethanol derived mainly from sugar cane within five years. 

Energy ministry officials in Sweden expect the oil committee to recommend further development of biofuels, wind and wave power.  Sweden leads much of Europe in renewable energy, with 26 percent of energy consumed came from renewable sources in 2003.

Almost all Sweden's heating has been converted in the past decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat. -- Source:  The Guardian (UK), 8/12/2006.

Solar Company Breaks Ground on $600M Project in Wash. State

Norwegian solar power giant Renewable Energy Corp. yesterday broke ground on a $600 million production facility for granular polysilicon in Moses Lake, Wash. The plant will be adjacent to an existing factory where the company makes solar-grade silicon materials, according to the company.  The new plant will add roughly 6,500 metric tons to the company's polysilicon production capacity, totaling almost 13,000 metric tons.  Solar-grade silicon is used as a raw material in the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic cells. Renewable Energy Corp., the world's top solar company in terms of sales, estimates that more than a fifth of the world's solar cells are made primarily with the company's polysilicon.  The new plant comes amid a boom in worldwide solar energy demand. The U.S. market for all solar technologies, alone, grew from 34,000 installations in 1998 to 67,000 in 2005, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, an industry trade group. Photovoltaic installations, alone, grew at an average rate of 52 percent annually during the past five years. Source: E&E Publishing, Michael Burnham, Greenwire reporter, 8/17/2006.

FPL Energy Extends Its Position as the Leader in Renewable Energy Generation in the U.S.; Assumes Position as World's Largest Wind Energy Producer

FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of FPL Group, said it continues to extend its position as the leader in renewable energy generation in the U.S. with the addition of more than 445 megawatts of new wind capacity added to its portfolio during the first seven months of 2006. In addition to extending its position as the leader of renewable energy generation in the U.S., FPL Energy is now the largest owner and operator of wind power in the world.  FPL Energy, through its subsidiaries, currently operates 47 wind farms throughout the U.S. with a gross capacity of 3,912 MW -- enough capacity to provide electricity for nearly one million average U.S. homes. FPL Energy subsidiaries own 3,703 of the 3,912 MW it currently operates. Since July 2005 FPL Energy has added more than 790 MW of new wind and has more than 310 MW under construction and expected to reach commercial operation by the end of the year. With a strong pipeline of wind projects and corresponding equipment contracts in place, FPL Energy expects to add at least 1,500 MW to its portfolio, excluding acquisitions, over the course of the 2006/2007 period.

FPL Energy's clean energy strategy goes beyond wind and includes other renewable generation sources such as solar energy and hydropower. FPL Energy operates the largest solar field in the world in the Mojave Desert and generates more power from the sun than anyone else in the U.S. In addition, FPL Energy owns and operates more than 360 MW of hydropower in Maine. 

In 2005, FPL Energy operated wind turbines generated nearly 7.3 million megawatthours of electricity. Together these wind projects offset approximately 4.9 million tons of carbon dioxide, more than 13,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and nearly 9,000 tons on nitrogen oxide and had a cumulative direct economic impact of more than $80 million benefiting communities across the country.  During the first half of 2006, FPL Energy's development activities helped Texas supplant historic leader California as the top state in cumulative wind power capacity, according to the American Wind Energy Association. According to AWEA, Texas' cumulative total now stands at 2,370 MW of capacity followed by California's 2,323 MW. All of the megawatts added in Texas during the first half of the year were from FPL Energy projects. By the end of 2006, FPL Energy will operate more than 1,600 MW in Texas.

FPL Energy is a competitive energy supplier utilizing clean fuels such as natural gas, wind, solar, hydro-electric and nuclear to generate electricity. It is the world's leader in wind energy, with 47 projects currently in operation in 15 states. It is a subsidiary of FPL Group, one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $11 billion. FPL Group's principal subsidiary is Florida Power & Light Company, one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving 4.4 million customer accounts in Florida. Source: BUSINESS WIRE, 8/16/2006.

Panhandle Wind Power Could Help Light the Rest of Texas

State Rep. David Swinford said he has a powerful proposal that could prove profitable for one area and shed some light in others.  Wind machines are gaining attention as a renewable energy source because they don't use water or oil, Swinford said. He was guest speaker at the North Plains Research Field 2006 Ag Day near Etter, hosted by Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas Cooperative Extension.  A major problem hindering use of Texas' wind power is lack of transmission lines, he said.  The Texas Panhandle, served by the Southwest Power Pool, has the highest wind factors for the state, but the lowest population, he said. The rest of Texas, served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has the people, but not enough electricity for projected needs.   Transmission lines between Southwest Power Pool and ERCOT, as it is commonly called, cannot exist, because they are set up on two different grids, Swinford said.  But that doesn't mean power generated by Panhandle winds can't be used in the Dallas metroplex or Austin and San Antonio homes, he said.

In Carson and Moore counties in the center of the Panhandle, the wind factor is 44, Swinford said. The state average wind factor is 35.  "All of our wind is in the 42 to 44 percent range," he said. "The area near Perryton could generate 11,000 megawatts per hour if they had transmission lines. The White Deer farm is the No. 1 wind energy place in the state. We have more wind capacity in the Panhandle than they have in the rest of the state put together," Swinford said. 

So why aren't there more wind machines churning out the power?  For supply reasons, a power company doesn't want more than 12 percent of the power being generated by wind, Swinford said. While it seems the wind blows constantly, it doesn't, so coal or natural gas is needed for stability of supply.

Xcel Energy, the power company serving the Texas Panhandle, is the No. 1 power company using wind in the nation, Swinford said. When all the planned wind farms are built in the Xcel service area, it will have reached its maximum 12 percent for the transmission lines here.  "So we have to get some way to hook our wind to a line out of the Panhandle, because we're done," he said. "We don't have the people to justify more production up here."

His proposal is to build transmission lines from the ERCOT region near Vernon to the Panhandle and then back south to near Big Spring.  This would allow many different parts of the Panhandle to build wind farms and tie into the transmission lines. That power could be sent to different parts of downstate Texas, Swinford said. 

Building the transmission network would cost of about $1 billion, which would have to be paid for by ERCOT customers, he said. A company such as American Electric Power could build the transmission line and then amortize it over the next 40 years.  "But because wind has no fuel costs or power costs, it cheapens the overall electricity to the customer," Swinford said.  He explained that ERCOT customers may see a $2 or $3 per month reduction in their bills, even though they have to pay for the transmission line, because the electricity is cheaper.

ERCOTs' natural gas fuel cost used to generate electricity was $4.5 billion in 1999 and has risen to $12 billion in 2005.  "Transmission costs last for a lifetime and don't reoccur, while gas costs are burned up every year," Swinford said.

 A study of statewide electricity needs through 2015 indicate 38,000 megawatts of additional electricity will be needed, he said.  "Some of that can come from wind energy."  And benefits can be found on both ends, Swinford said. For landowners, a profitable wind farm can net $50,000 to $60,000 per section per year. It requires no use of valuable water and has no added fuel costs.  If the wind energy industry was allowed to develop to its full potential in the Panhandle, he said, estimates put its economic impact at $14 billion over a 10-year period.  "We have to remember increasing transmission lines may be difficult," Swinford said, "but increasing fuel costs are automatic."   Source: By Kay Ledbetter, 8/15/2006.