Green Power

Utility Wants Wind-Generated Power Option

Xcel Energy Inc. wants its North Dakota customers to have the option of paying for more costly wind-generated electricity.  The North Dakota Public Service Commission is expected to review the utility's proposal later this month.  Residential customers who elect to buy at least part of their electricity from wind power are expected to pay a premium of $3 to $10 more on their monthly bills, Xcel spokesman David Sederquist said.  Customers would agree to sign up for at least 12 months, and must purchase wind power in blocks of 100 kilowatt hours per month.  Xcel said its voluntary wind energy program is used by almost 50,000 customers in three states, including Minnesota.  John Dunlop, an analyst for the Minneapolis-based American Wind Energy Association, said Xcel's proposed pricing in North Dakota is much higher than in other areas.   Source: News-State, 01-16-2007.

Where Can You Buy Green Power in the U.S.

To find out what green power options are available in your state, visit Can I Buy Green Power in My State?, a Web page maintained by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Department of Energy. You can click on your state to view available green power products.  Source: The Green Guide, 1/17/2007.

For more information: http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/index.shtml

Renewable Energy Technologies

BPU Announces Wind Energy Contract

BPU announced it has completed negotiations with TradeWind Energy, LLC for the purchase of 25 megawatts of energy generated by wind turbines at TradeWind Energy's Smoky Hills Wind Farm.  The project site is located 25 miles west of Salina, just north of Interstate 70 between Ellsworth and Lincoln, Kansas. The contract between BPU and TradeWind Energy is a 20-year renewable energy purchase agreement. It is anticipated that construction will be completed and energy available to BPU prior to the end of 2007.

The Smoky Hills project will be built in multiple phases and is expected to be capable of generating 250 megawatts of power when completed.  TradeWind has been developing projects in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and other Midwestern states. The company focuses on utility-scale sites characterized by excellent wind potential, interconnection access and deliverability to utility customers.  Their offices are located in Lenexa.  Source: Susan J. Allen, Public Affairs Officer, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, 1/5/2007.

229-MW Utility Owned Wind Farm Goes Online in Washington State

Puget Sound Energy announced January 4 that it brought online its 229-MW Wild Horse Wind Project, Washington state's largest utility-owned wind farm.

The facility, which is located in Kittitas County, began commercial operation for PSE customers in late December.  Together with the Hopkins Ridge Wind Project that PSE built in 2005 near Dayton in southeast Washington, Wild Horse makes the utility the largest producer of renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest, the company said.

Wild Horse's 127 Vestas 1.8-MW turbines spinning atop Whisky Dick Mountain are generating enough wind-fueled electricity, on average, to serve 76,000 of the utility's million-plus electric customers in western Washington and Kittitas County, according to PSE. Wild Horse and the 83-turbine Hopkins Ridge wind farm, combined, can meet the power needs of roughly 125,000 households, the company said.  "Wild Horse showed us what it could do throughout the fall as the project produced increasing amounts of test energy as more and more wind turbines were erected," said Stephen P. Reynolds, PSE's chairman, president and CEO.

That test energy from the facility has already served the utility and its customers well, PSE spokesman Roger Thompson told Wind Energy Weekly. In the immediate aftermath of a national news-making wind storm that cut the lights out on about 1 million customers in the state including virtually all of Kittitas County, the utility reestablished service to the county within hours by performing some transmission re-routing so that it could optimize the use of the strong output coming out of Wild Horse at the time. Thompson said that after the storm, PSE was "pulling within the range of 200 MW" from Wild Horse. "In Kittitas County, we were able to re-energize our customers solely with energy coming off the wind farm," he said. "It was an opportune time to have it up and running."  

PSE's near-term plans call for building the Pacific Northwest's largest solar-powered generating facility at the Wild Horse site. At 500 kW, the pilot solar project would nearly double Washington state's entire solar-powered electricity generation and be four times larger than the biggest individual solar facility now operating in the Northwest. In November, PSE issued a request for proposals for the design and development of the solar project, which will sit on about eight acres of PSE-owned land on the 9,000-acre Wild Horse site. If the solar project meets its goal, it will be generating electricity by late 2007, sending its power output along with Wild Horse's wind-generated power through the PSE transmission system to serve customers. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly, 1/5/2007.

Siemens Wind Power Reaches Over 1,400 Megawatts Worth of Orders in the US

Siemens Power Generation announced today that, since its acquisition of Bonus Energy in 2004, its wind power division has received U.S. orders for over 1,400 megawatts. The company will supply over 600 wind turbine units for wind energy project development, which has the potential to provide power to approximately 400,000 homes across the United States. Total order volume of these projects is in the range of USD1.7 billion.

Recently Siemens has been awarded an order from Airtricity to supply 55 units of its SWT-2.3-93 wind turbine for the Roscoe wind farm in Texas. The turbines will be installed near the town of Roscoe, in Nolan County. Furthermore Siemens entered into a five-year service, maintenance and warranty agreement for the wind farm. The turbine installation will take place from early August through November 2007 and the project hand over is scheduled for mid-January 2008.

Siemens also will supply 26 SWT-2.3-93 wind turbines for a Renewable Energy Systems project. The installed capacity will be approximately 60 MW for the Whirlwind wind farm in Floydada, Texas, northeast of Lubbock.

Additionally, Siemens received contracts for two other projects also located in the state of Texas. Siemens will supply equipment and service agreements to Airtricity for the Forest Creek Wind Farm, to be located in Sterling City. Forest Creek will be Airtricity's first wind farm in the U.S. and will provide enough power for more than 24,000 homes, meeting the annual energy needs of about 56,000 Texas residents. To date, more than half of the turbines have been installed and commercial operation is anticipated in early 2007.

Another order in the state of Texas comes from RES, for which Siemens will supply 46 of its SWT-2.3-93 turbine generators for a total of 106 MW, as well as wind turbine supply, and service, maintenance and warranty agreements. These turbines will be an extension of the existing Sweetwater Wind Farm, located in Sweetwater, Texas, west of Abilene, which will then have a total capacity of over 500 MW. The turbines are currently being installed with planned commercial operation during 2007. RES is the engineering, procurement, construction contractor, while Babcock & Brown, Catamount and DKRW Energy, LLC will own the project. 

With the U.S. Department of Energy's goal of obtaining 6 percent of U.S. electricity from wind by 2020 and the growing public demand for clean energy, it is expected that wind energy will contribute an increasing amount of the nation's energy supply. Siemens announced plans recently to expand its wind power manufacturing capacity in the United States by selecting Fort Madison, Iowa, for its U.S. wind turbine blade manufacturing site. Series production of rotor blades for wind turbines is scheduled to start in Fort Madison in the first half of 2007.  Source: Energy Central, 1/11/2007.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company Delivers New Renewable Wind Power to Its Customers

Pacific Gas and Electric Company this week began receiving renewable power from the Buena Vista Energy, LLC Wind Project located in the Altamont pass area of Contra Costa County. PG&E's second newly constructed renewable project to come on line under California's Renewable Portfolio Standard Program, Buena Vista will provide over 38 MW of wind power to California's electricity customers.

PG&E has a long history of developing, generating and purchasing renewable power. The utility currently supplies more than 13 percent of its energy from renewable resources that qualify under California's RPS Program. In addition, more than 50 percent of the electricity that PG&E delivers to its customers comes from generating resources that emit no carbon dioxide, the primary contributor to global warming. 

Since starting its RPS Program, PG&E has entered into contracts for more than 1,100 MW of renewable energy--wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydro resources--enough power to serve about 800,000 customers. Passed by the Legislature and managed by California's Public Utilities Commission and Energy Commission, California's RPS Program requires each investor-owned utility to increase its procurement of eligible renewable generating resources by 1 percent of load per year to achieve a 20 percent renewables goal. The RPS Program was passed by the California Legislature and is managed by California's Public Utilities Commission and Energy Commission.  PG&E is continuing to increase its renewable energy portfolio under the RPS and is currently finalizing negotiations for its fourth competitive solicitation process. The company expects to procure an additional 1-2 percent of its customers' electricity needs through qualified renewable sources in this round of solicitations.  Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company via Energy Central, 1/11/2007.

Ted Turner's New Venture to Build Onsite Systems, Utility Plants

Solar energy might not be the sexy stuff of a TBS blockbuster, but the network's creator is promising that no less than the planet's future depends on the emission-free power source.  Ted Turner is forming a partnership with Dome-Tech Solar, a New Jersey developer of photovoltaic power equipment for commercial and industrial clients, to create DT Solar. The new Turner-owned company will focus initially on providing onsite solar electric power systems for commercial clients, as well as developing utility-scale power plants in the Southwest.  "Using clean energy technologies, such as solar power, is the right thing to do, and it represents a tremendous business opportunity," Turner said in a statement.   

Turner's initial plans for DT Solar call for expansion into several U.S. markets, including California, whose governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), has set a goal to create 3,000 megawatts of additional solar power there by 2017.  A Turner spokesman said additional expansion and financial details of the company will be made public in the coming weeks.

Solar currently provides less than 1 percent of electricity in the United States. However, the sector has been growing at an average rate of 40 percent globally during the past five years, according to industry statistics.  To help grow the U.S. market, Congress last month passed legislation that would extend a 30 percent solar energy investment tax credit for homeowners and businesses through the end of 2008. The Solar Energy Industries Association and other industry lobbyists are pressing the new Democratic-controlled Congress to pass an eight-year extension of the credit.  "Broadly speaking, Democrats have said they want a carbon-smart, affordable and energy-independent approach to energy," said John Stanton, SEIA's vice president for government affairs. "Given where Democrats are with their platform, we think solar is poised to meet all of those needs."   Source: E&E Publishing,  Michael Burnham, Greenwire, 11/11/2007.

Onsite Power Systems Tests Food Waste Electricity Generation in San Francisco (R&D)

Onsite Power Systems has invested $2,000,000 US in the Biogas Energy Project at the University of California, Davis.  Since October 2006, approximately eight tons of food waste from San Francisco's restaurants have been processed into electricity using a digester licensed from the university.  Onsite Power Systems hopes to refine the technology and prepare it for commercial use.

The California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research program has awarded almost $1,000,000 US in grants to the university.  Norcal Waste Systems of San Francisco is supplying the waste.  (Source:  Plant Services, Jan. 04, '07)   For more information, contact Dave Konwinski, CEO, Onsite Power Systems, at 559-271-2970, or Ruihong Zhang, professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis, at 530-754-9530.  Source: ep-overviews, 1/11/2006.

Laurel Poultry House Powered by the Sun

The crowing of a rooster at dawn at a local chicken house will signify more than the beginning of a new day.  At one particular chicken house near town, the rising sun will help power the building.  The chicken house is part of a research project to determine if solar power is a viable source of energy for poultry houses. The University of Delaware will monitor the house to examine the system's efficiency in collecting and using solar power.  If the pilot program successfully demonstrates that solar power is an economically feasible option for poultry houses, it could provide a boon to Delmarva's poultry industry.

Solar power "has just not been economically feasible" until recently, with the passage of legislation offering rebates and tax credits for green energy, said Robin Morgan, dean of the University of Delaware's Center for Energy and Environmental Policy.  "It's looking as though it will be very economical, a viable alternative to fossil fuels," she said.

The university is putting up a "Cadillac version" of solar panels in order to study all aspects of power generation. The cost of their system is far more than a typical system, Morgan said.  "We will be measuring the energy generated by the solar panels and the energy used," she said. "And how that is reflected in savings to the operating costs, keeping in mind how much it costs to begin with."  The university researchers will also monitor the weather over the two to three years the pilot program will be in place. 

Increasing energy costs have hit the poultry industry hard, said Bill Satterfield, executive director of Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., a nonprofit trade association. Poultry houses must be kept in controlled temperatures with appropriate ventilation.  In addition, the houses need electricity to power the automated food and water systems, Satterfield said. Energy costs are borne by poultry growers, who are independent operators contracted by poultry companies to raise chicks. 

Delmarva Poultry Industry recently created a purchasing pool to help reduce energy costs for its 214 members. Over the six-month term of the purchasing pool contract, Satterfield expects that the pool will save a total of $200,000.  "We recognize that electricity costs are burdensome to many growers," he said. "That's why we put together the buying pool and why we're glad research is being conducted on the solar production of electricity. We're as anxious as anybody to find out what the research results indicate." 

In order to make solar power more affordable, both federal and state levels of government must continue offering incentives for green power.  The pilot program's solar power system will cost $500,000, which Morgan said is at least twice as expensive as it would cost for a typical solar power set-up for a poultry house. The project is eligible for a $250,000 rebate from the Delaware Green Energy program. It will also qualify for state and federal tax credits.  In addition, individual poultry growers can apply for renewable energy grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Charles C. "Chick" Allen III, chairman and CEO of Allen Family Foods, offered the use of one of the company's poultry houses for the pilot study.  "We work with 550 independent contractors on Delmarva who raise our chicks," Allen said in a statement. "I want to do anything I can to maintain the economic viability of the Delmarva poultry industry."  Source: By Sara Smith, The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times, 01/10/2007.

Lakeview Gets $20 Million Biomass Plant

Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced Wednesday that DG Energy will build a biomass power plant in Lakeview, marking the first new biomass facility in Oregon since 1992.   Using biomass from overstocked forests, this innovative project will produce electricity while helping restore forest health, reduce fire risks, and create jobs," said Kulongoski.  

DG Energy will invest $20 million in the facility and it will produce nearly 100,000 MW/hr of renewable energy to the regional Oregon grid annually. In addition, the facility will supply steam to the Fremont Sawmill, owned by the Collins Companies of Portland Ore. Permits for the plant will be filed in mid-spring and the facility is expected to be operational in 2008.

The Lakeview Biomass Project was designated an Oregon Solutions project by Governor Kulongoski in 2005. The Oregon Solutions Process resulted in a collaboration of nearly 70 public, private and community organizations to develop an economically viable, ecologically sustainable power plant. The fuel sources for the plant will become a key part of an integrated solution to a multi-faceted forest health problem.  Key partners include: Oregon State University, Portland State University, The Collins Companies, Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, Oregon Department of Forestry, United States Forest Service, Friends of the Winema/Fremont, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Wilderness Society, Oregon Natural Resource Council and Defenders of Wildlife. The Lake County Resources Initiative is the project sponsor.

The plant will create local jobs in harvesting and hauling the once-unwanted biomass. The salvaged materials that are suitable for solid wood products will be milled, another boon to job development. Additional project benefits will include enhanced water resources, fish and wildlife habitat and renewable energy from a resource that was once a threat to forest health and potentially reduced costs in fire fighting. "The whole community is pleased that DG Energy is going to build the biomass plant in Lakeview. It will mean approximately 15 jobs at the plant and another 70 in the woods and that is considerable for a community of 2600. Just as important, the biomass plant along with Fremont Sawmill provide the necessary infrastructure to restore the local forests and rangelands back to natural conditions," said Jim Walls, Director, Lake County Resources Initiative.  Source:  By KTVZ.com news sources, 1/10/2007.

Latest eNews from North American Windpower

The latest information from North American Windpower is now online.  Source: North American Windpower, 1/16/2007.

Offshore Wind Turbines Proposed for Lake Erie

An energy task force will be recommending to Cuyahoga County, Ohio commissioners that the region pursue a demonstration project of four to ten turbines on Lake Erie.  The turbines' towers would stretch 240 feet above the water three miles out on Lake Erie and their blades, tip to tip, would be longer than a football field.  The recommendations will be presented to the commissioners in February 2007.  (Source:  WKYC, Jan. 12, '07) For more information, contact: Bill Mason, County Prosecutor (Editor's Note: Bill Mason is a member of the energy task force that has been looking at the possibility of wind turbines), 216-443-7800, or Dennis Madden, County Administrator, 216-443-7215.  Source: ep-overviews, 1/17/2007.

BP to Install 550 Megawatts of Wind Power in Four States

BP announced last week that it expects to begin construction on five wind power projects in the United States this year. BP Alternative Energy North America Inc., a BP subsidiary, will erect a total of 550 megawatts (MW) of wind power in five projects located in four states: California, Colorado, North Dakota, and Texas. Construction is already underway on the largest of the projects, the 300-MW Cedar Creek project in Weld County, Colorado. The project is expected to begin producing power in the second half of 2007.

The four remaining wind power projects include a west Texas project "in excess of 100 MW," a 60-MW facility in central Texas, a 65-MW wind plant in North Dakota, and the 20-MW Yaponcha wind power generation project, which involves installing new turbines at an existing wind power facility in California's San Gorgonio Pass. Source:  BP Release, 1/12/2007 via EERE Network News, 1/17/2007.

Biomass Plant Deserves Second Look

City Manager Anita Favors Thompson cannot let her bosses on the Tallahassee City Commission continue to look so myopic and grudging as they did last week. That's when they sent into exile a dream opportunity for diversifying energy sources and boosting economic development here.  Commissioners couldn't seem to work out an arrangement bringing Biomass Gas & Electric, a green-energy firm out of Norcross, Ga., to town. Unless cooler heads prevail, it will build its $100 million biomass plant about 30 miles west of here in rural Liberty County instead of Tallahassee, most likely at Innovation Park.

Economic Development Council Chairman Bill Law said Monday that he wants to pursue "an honest broker's role" for the EDC. "I'd like to drop back and see what caused this to get off-kilter and give everyone a chance to rethink this opportunity," said Mr. Law, who is also the president of Tallahassee Community College. "It would mean a great deal of outside investment coming into the city."  

"This is not an unsalvageable situation if all the players are willing to sit down this week. Their differences are so minuscule," agreed City Commissioner Allan Katz, the board member who most strongly urged commissioners to move forward with the BG&E project and the commission's strongest champion of alternative-energy programs. 

Locating a biomass plant here would, above all, help the commission keep its promise to voters to not only continue probing the possibilities of coal-fired power but also diversify energy sources and encourage demand-side efficiencies from city electric customers, large and small.  But more importantly long term is that, in its willingness to let BG&E walk away, the city signaled Florida State University once again that it doesn't realize what giant economic engines our universities are, and how important to the vitality of this community.

According to FSU President T.K. Wetherell, if BG&E built its plant on publicly owned land at Innovation Park, it would in turn give FSU $2 million to establish the International Alternative Fuel Center here. The donation would be eligible for state matching money.  "Our community could have had the first such center in the United States," Mr. Wetherell said in an e-mail Friday. He said the inability to reach an agreement also means the "loss of (research) opportunities for about a dozen scientists, post-doc and graduate students."

Important opportunity - Unless the parties can mend this rift, our community misses the benefits of a $100 million construction project, with workers and companies coming here for the next two years while it's being built. It stands to lose an estimated $750,000 a year in property taxes on the facility itself, plus perhaps $1 million in sales taxes during construction, an estimated 25 jobs, and quite simply a chance to put some authenticity behind our ongoing drive to diversify our economy as well as our sources of energy.

Mrs. Favors Thompson and City Attorney Jim English know the pragmatic importance of the city's getting along with business partners of a caliber of our universities. Yet they and the commissioners appeared to have gotten hung up trying to force, not encourage, FSU to meet certain demand-side efficiencies?something it and most big institutions are doing anyway as good business sense.  This "green" plant, which feeds on biofuels such as wood chips and grass clippings, will help the city reduce its costs of energy somewhat regardless of whether it's attached to an existing biomass boiler plant site at Telogia in Liberty County or built here.  But BG&E's CEO, S. Glenn Farris, told Mrs. Favors Thompson on Friday that "they still have an interest in staying in Tallahassee if a location can be identified quickly." This according to an e-mail she sent to the mayor and commission.  To not make hay of this opportunity would be a loss in so many ways, from taxes to jobs to research and a greener future. We'd be crazy to let it slip away. To do so would reinforce Tallahassee's image as a place that talks the economic development talk, but doesn't walk the walk.  Source: Tallahassee Democrat, 1/16/2007.

For more information on Renewable Resources go to: http://www.repartners.org

Outreach, Education, Reports & Studies

First 2007 Edition of the ACORE Member Update

View the latest update to the ACORE Member newlsetter.    Source: Tom Weirich, ACORE, 1/11/2007.

Public Forum Focuses on Renewable Energy Solutions

A public forum focusing on renewable energy for Western Maine will be held at the University of Maine at Farmington, Olsen Student Center on Jan. 26, from 7 to 9:30 am.  A panel of experts will present on a variety of renewable energy options for Western Maine: dry corn, woodchips, geothermal, solar and small-scale wind generation. The panelists will utilize interactive displays and questions from the audience. Open to the public, no registration is required and a free breakfast will be provided. The event is sponsored by the Western Maine Legislative Caucus. 

The presenters will be: Bob Lawrence, University of Maine at Farmington--Geothermal system warms the new UMF Education Center; Mike Wiltse--Biofuel project fuels buses at Sugarloaf Ski Resort; Quenten Clark and Bussie York--Corn furnace heats SAD 58 school buildings; Tom Saviello--Update on proposed state legislation to encourage renewable energy projects in public buildings, including schools.

Quenten Clark is the Superintendent of SAD 58.  Clark worked for Great Northern Paper Company for 15 years as system operator of the power system. This involved working to manage six hydroelectric dams, two oil-fired steam plants, a biomass boiler and cogeneration in two large mills. When he left all of that to become a teacher, Clark became involved in education as a school board member, principal and superintendent for 25 years, the last 11 as superintendent for SAD 58. Last year SAD 58 became involved in the PPCOM bankruptcy and Clark decided that they needed to find an alternative to fuel oil. That was the catalyst for SAD 58 to purchase a corn furnace from Bussie York and operate it to heat the school district's bus garage.

Mike Wiltse is originally from Medway, and has lived in Carrabassett Valley for five years. Wiltse worked at Sugarloaf for Ski Patrol for six years. A 2000 graduate of University of Maine at Orono with a degree in Forestry, Wiltse became interested in biodiesel through a friend. Together with a third friend, he came up with the idea of putting a biodiesel processor at Sugarloaf Ski Resort in Carrabassett Valley and made it happen. Today, the project takes waste vegetable oil from restaurants at the resort and processes it into biodiesel, which powers several of busses and hopefully will help heat the Grand Summit Hotel soon. For more information about the public forum, call Western Mountains Alliance at 207-778-3885.  Source:  Western Mountains Alliance, 1/17/2007.

2007 Harvesting Energy Summit

** Early Bird Rates Available Until February 5th **  An early bird registration rate of $120 is now available for the Feb 26-28, 2007 Harvesting Energy Summit, "Rural Prosperity Through Renewable Energy". The Summit will be held at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City and will be an exciting three-day gathering of rural leaders and champions from Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. 

• Feb 26: Farm to Fuel--Get an in-depth look at the latest biofuels and biomass technologies, learn from communities that are putting it to use, and troubleshoot challenges.
• Feb 27: Public Policy to Advance Renewable Energy--Join other leaders from your state to learn about innovative policies that will expand the use of renewable energy, prioritize policy objectives for your state and develop an action plan for the coming year. 
•  Feb 28: Wind for Rural Economic Development--A mix of workshops and speakers that will help rural communities pursue new projects and reap the financial benefits of developing wind power. 
•  

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Salt Lake City Courtyard Marriott at 130 W. 400 S.  To receive the special Summit rate of $90/night, call 1-801-531-6000 and mention the Intermountain Harvesting Energy group (code IHEC).

We'd also like to thank all of the sponsors whose contributions have helped us keep registration costs low. 

Visit Harvesting Energy for more information.  Source: Harvest Energy, 1/17/2007.

CRS Seeking Comments on Draft Green-e GHG Product Standard

Stakeholder comments on the draft Green-e GHG Product Standard are due by January 31st. The draft standard, an introduction to the standard, and an electronic stakeholder comment form are available online. Only stakeholder comments received using the comment form will be entered into the official docket and publicly posted at the conclusion of the comment period.  Source: CRS Release, 1/17/2007.

Geopowering the West and Wind Powering America Webinar Series

Public Participation to Gain Acceptance of Renewable Energy - February 7, 2007 - 9 to 11 a.m. PST.

Discover techniques to determine public opinion, get the public involved and gain their acceptance of renewable energy projects and other utility operations and plans. Also learn about a soon to be released DEED product, "Public Participation for Consumer Owned Utilities: An Implementation Guide." 

• The National Forum Dialogue "The Energy Problem: Choices for an Uncertain Future" ? Laverne Kyriss, Western Area Power Administration
• Public Participation Implementation Guidebook ? Laverne Kyriss, Western Area Power Administration 
• Case History: Palo Alto's Climate Change Task Force ? Karl Knapp, City of Palo Alto, Calif. 
• Case Histories: Redding Electric Utility and City of Longmont ? Guy Nelson, Utility Geothermal Working Group

There is no charge for the webinars.  To register, contact Debbie Rock. See the entire webinar series schedule. Source: Repartners, 01/17/2007.

IREC State & Stakeholder Newsletter- January 17, 2007

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council has just published their State & Stakeholder Newsletter dated January 17, 2007.  Topics covered in this newsletter include: 

• News from IREC Programs
• Schools Going Solar
• Interconnection/Net Metering
• Incentives & Rebates
• Community Outreach
• Training & Certification
• Small Wind Energy
• Grants/RFPs
• Other News
• Upcoming Events
• About this Newsletter/How to Subscribe

Source: IREC, 1/17/2007.

Invitation to Participate in a Public Participation Webinar

The Utility Geothermal Working Group is conducting a Geothermal Power Generation PreConference Workshop as part of the NRECA's Tech Advantage Conference March 15-20.

WORKSHOP G: Geothermal Generation
March 15, 1:00--5:00 p.m.
Registration fee: $100
Class size: 30

This half-day workshop, supported by US DOE's GeoPowering the West Initiative, provides the utility attendees with up to date on the many different geothermal electric generation applications that may be available in their service territories.  It covers both high temperature and low temperature resources that can provide distributive base load utility grade power on your system. Hear from a panel of industry experts as they discuss case studies and issues such as transmission constraints, renewable energy credits and resource portfolio impacts.

The workshop agenda is below.  It follows a half-day Wind Technology Update workshop, supported by US DOE's Wind Powering America Program, from 8 am to Noon.  For more information on either or both workshops, contact Guy Nelson, Utility Geothermal Working Group Team Leader.

For more information on Educational Resources go to: http://www.repartners.org

News from Washington

U.S. Emissions Cap to Spur Modest Price Hikes for Fuels, Electricity--EIA

Draft Senate legislation to regulate greenhouse gas emissions through a cap-and-trade system would raise the cost of burning coal and provide an incentive to lower energy use and shift away from fossil fuels, particularly in the electric power sector, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says in a new analysis.  Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and other lawmakers who requested the EIA analysis say it proves greenhouse gas emissions can be curbed at a relatively low cost without harming the economy.

Bingaman's bill would require suppliers of fossil fuel and other regulated sources of greenhouse gases to submit government-issued allowances based on their products' emissions. Among gases covered in the analysis: energy-related carbon dioxide, methane from coal mining, nitrous oxide from the production of nitric and adipic acids and hydrofluorocarbons.  The legislation would establish annual emissions caps based on targeted reductions in greenhouse gas intensity--defined as emission per dollar of gross domestic product. The targeted reduction of greenhouse gas intensity would be 2.6 percent annually between 2012 and 2021, then increase to 3 percent per year beginning in 2022.

Finally, the proposal calls for allocating 90 percent of the allowances for free to affected groups, but the portion of allowances to be auctioned would grow from 10 percent in 2012 to 38 percent in 2030.  To limit the program's cost, it includes a "safety valve" provision that would allow regulated entities to pay a pre-established emissions fee in lieu of submitting an allowance.  In its analysis, EIA considered both the phased auction case and a full auction case, in which all allowances would be auctioned beginning in 2012.

Among EIA's key findings is that in the early years of the program, when allowance prices are relatively low, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions outside of the energy sector would the predominant source of emissions reductions. By 2020, emissions reductions other than energy-related CO2, would account for almost 66 percent of total reductions.  By 2030, however, the higher allowance prices would lead to a significant shift in energy decisions, particularly in the energy sector, according to the analysis. By then, the reduction in energy-related CO2 would account for almost 58 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

Including allowance costs, the average delivered price of coal to power plants by 2020 would increase from $1.39 per million British thermal units in the reference case to $2.06, an increase of 48 percent, EIA says. The increase would be more dramatic over the ensuing decade; by 2030, the delivered price of coal would increase from $1.51 per million Btu to $2.73.  Source: E&E Publishing Greenwire, 11/11/2007.

Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act Re-introduced (Legislation)

Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Barack Obama (D-IL) and Joseph Lieberman (ID-CN) have re-introduced the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act, a global warming measure that would curb emissions by 2 percent per year.  It would include mandatory caps on emissions for oil refineries, power plants and other industrial sources.  It would cap the global warming emissions of electric power, industrial, transportation and commercial sectors of the economy at  2004 levels by 2012.  It then lowers that cap steadily, to cut total U.S. emissions by two-thirds from 2004 levels by 2050.  (Source:  Norwich Bulletin, Jan. 14,'07) For more information, contact John McCain, Senator, Arizona, 202-224-2235; Barack Obama, Senator, Illinois, 202-224-2824; and Joseph Lieberman, Senator, Connecticut, 202-224-4041.  Source: ep-overviews, 1/17/2007.

Renewables Pushed as Partial Solution to Global Warming

While a cap on carbon dioxide emissions remains a Holy Grail for environmental groups, rather than pursuing one Congress may take interim, and less politically painful, steps to curb global warming.  One of the likeliest options would require electric utilities, which account for about 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted in the U.S., to produce a percentage of their electricity with "climate-friendly" renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass or even tidal power.

The so-called Renewable Portfolio Standard, or RPS, has been a particular point of emphasis for Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), the new chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. A committee spokesman, Bill Wicker, said Bingaman has directed staff to review the progression of renewable fuel technologies to see how aggressive a new mandate should be. Earlier efforts would require that utilities get 10 percent of their power from renewables by 2020.  While the proposal has a few powerful backers, an RPS still would engender the opposition of certain utilities with lobbying power derived from the enormous sums they spend on campaigns and on political advocacy, as well as the number of people who are affected by their business. Supporters of an RPS contend the standard won't appreciably raise consumer electricity bills, but the industry contends certain areas would pay more for power under a portfolio standard.  In addition to the RPS, Congress is also likely to consider proposals to further increase ethanol production and to raise the fuel-mileage standards for automobiles, both of which could have a residual benefit of reducing greenhouse gases.

To accomplish any of the above, Democratic leaders may have to overcome opposition within their own caucus, in addition to peeling off Republican votes. An RPS has passed the Senate but not the House, where Republican leaders blocked it from moving to the floor. Democrats who have opposed an RPS include new Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D) of Virginia, a state heavily reliant on coal to produce electricity. Democratic leadership, however, is likely to support an RPS.  Marchant Wentworth, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, describes himself as "very optimistic" that the change in control of Congress will mean the RPS bill gets through, although the bill remains the "No. 1 bad guy" for utilities.  "An RPS is an example of a climate piece that actually yields a benefit, as opposed to a climate bill that is just painting," the clean-energy expert said.  If it passes an RPS, Congress would be following state governments. More than 20 have implemented an RPS. That fact may have softened utility opposition to the federal proposal, according to one Democratic aide. Businesses dislike mandates, but often prefer one national standard to a patchwork of state regulations. 

Jim Owen, a spokesman for the Edison Electric Institute, a utility group, said the industry is committed to developing environmentally friendly renewable fuels. But Owen added EEI remains opposed to a "one-size-fits-all" federal mandate.  An RPS is likely to raise costs in areas of the country, such as the Southeast, with less access to renewable sources of power, Owen said. Even in areas like the wind-swept Midwestern plains or the sun-drenched Southwest, the renewable power source isn't a constant. Stores of coal can be burned as needed.  "Wind doesn't always blow, the sun doesn't always shine," Owen said. 

But opposition isn't universal within the utility industry. Jonathan Weisgall, a lobbyist for MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., which has supported an RPS, believes one way to further reduce opposition to a renewable mandate is to couple it with a broader production tax credit that makes renewable energy more price-competitive.  The 109th Congress extended a production tax credit as one of its last acts, but Weisgall said a further extension could provide additional financial stability that utilities need to build expensive geothermal plants, for example.  The tax credit would carry a big price tag, however, at a time when Democrats are operating under pay-go rules that require a tax cut be offset with a reduction in spending.  Nevertheless, Owen of EEI acknowledged that the Democratic control of Congress gives an RPS "more traction." 

Currently, only about 2 percent of the electricity produced in the country comes from renewable energy, a figure that's remained constant over the years.  More than 50 percent of the power produced comes from coal, a major emitter of carbon dioxide. Nuclear plants produce about 20 percent of the electricity consumed in this country, with natural gas and hydropower accounting for most of the remainder.  Studies by the federal Energy Information Administration found that utilities would produce less carbon dioxide under an RPS than they would otherwise. But because of the projected increase in energy use, carbon dioxide emissions would still rise well above current levels.  Source: By Jim Snyder, 1/16/2007.

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State Activities, Marketing & Market Research

Democrats Renew Push for Renewable Energy Standard

Democratic leaders on Tuesday renewed their push for legislation to increase the use of renewable energy in Minnesota, saying they will be able to find common ground with a plan set forth by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. 

The Democrats' proposal would require utilities to generate 25 percent of their electricity with renewable sources, such as wind or biomass, by 2020.  The lawmakers, as they have in the past, said such a move away from traditional energy sources would lead to greater energy independence and rural economic development. The difference this year, they said, is Pawlenty's support of renewable energy and a November election that gave Democrats control of both chambers of the Legislature. 

Initially, much of the renewable energy would be generated by wind while other technologies?such as biomass and hydrogen and solar power? are refined. Biomass includes crops, plants and other organic matter that can be turned into energy, such as a plant in Benson that burns turkey manure.  Pawlenty's so-called "25-25" proposal calls for a slightly more gradual shift; it would require utilities to generate a quarter of their power with renewable sources by 2025.  Source:  Associated Press, 1/16/2006.

EDITORIAL: BE A LEADER IN RENEWABLES

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, in her State of the State speech this week, called on lawmakers to "take advantage of the amazing opportunity Kansas has to become a leader in the production of renewable energy."  It is an amazing opportunity--but only if Kansas seizes it. So far, the state has been slow on the uptake.

Case in point: Kansas ranks near the top nationally in wind potential but lags well down the list in actual wind production.  To get Kansas off dead center, Sebelius announced goals to have utilities supply 10 percent of electricity from wind power by 2010 and 20 percent by 2020.  In the absence of renewable mandates, as in other leading wind states, Kansas' challenge is to prove that cooperative, voluntary goals can work.  Sebelius also launched a new effort to develop transmission lines in western Kansas, where wind is abundant but carrying capacity isn't.  Moreover, state Rep. Carl Holmes, R-Liberal, chairman of the House Utilities Committee, is proposing several measures to jump-start wind production, including state incentives for community-owned wind farms.  Working together, state leaders have a chance to get wind up and running at its full potential.

Sebelius also pointed to the promise of biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel as next-generation energy sources and engines of economic growth, especially in rural areas.  But perhaps the most promising energy opportunity for the state is not a fuel--it's conservation, according to the Kansas Energy Council, which develops energy policy for the state.  States are increasingly recognizing energy efficiency as the cheapest new power source. But Kansas ranks near the bottom nationally in energy conservation programs and incentives.  By promoting higher-efficiency appliances and lightbulbs, better building codes, and other best practices, Kansas could significantly reduce and delay its need for new sources of power. 

Kansas renewables must be part of the solution to climate change. Developing new energy and boosting efficiency will not only preserve our environment but lay the groundwork for a vibrant 21st century economy. What is Kansas waiting for?  Source: Wichita Eagle, Randy Scholfield, Editorial Board, 1/13/2007.

Survey Shows Strong Support for Offshore Wind Power  

Delawareans are strongly in favor of offshore wind power as a future source of energy for the state, according to a survey conducted by University of Delaware researchers.  When asked to select from a variety of sources to help the state increase its energy supply, more than 90 percent of the 949 Delaware residents responding to the survey supported an offshore wind option?in which whirling wind turbines as tall as 40-story buildings would be erected off the coast to generate electricity?even if wind power were to add between $1 and $30 per month to their electric bills. Fewer than 10 percent voted for an expansion of coal or natural gas power at current prices.

The results are highlighted in an interim report released today by the study's authors, Jeremy Firestone and Willett Kempton, who are both marine policy scientists on the faculty of UD's College of Marine and Earth Studies, and doctoral student Andrew Krueger.  Their research was supported by a Green Energy Fund grant from the Delaware Energy Office in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and by the college.  The policy scientists began the project last February, developed and pilot-tested the survey questions in the spring and summer, and then mailed the 16-page booklet-sized questionnaire to 2,000 Delaware residents in September. Of the 1,839 valid mailings to Delaware addresses, 949 were completed and analyzed, for a response rate of better than 50 percent. "Based on our results, Delaware could become the Denmark of the United States when it comes to relying on offshore wind power as a major energy source," Firestone said. "Delawareans are amazingly supportive of it."  

And that came as a surprise to the policy scientists.  In 2004 and 2005, Kempton and Firestone had conducted two surveys of residents of Cape Cod about the controversial Cape Wind project, in which Energy Management Inc., a Massachusetts-based company, proposes to establish a wind farm of 130 423-foot-tall wind turbines in Nantucket Sound. They first interviewed 24 Cape Cod residents face-to-face, then did a larger survey of 500 people. "The Cape Wind project has been under considerable public debate," Firestone said. "We found that a plurality of Cape Cod residents was opposed to that project."

However, the researchers found that nearly 78 percent of Delawareans statewide would give a project identical to Cape Wind a thumbs-up if it were located in Delaware, and only 4 percent would oppose such a project, with the remainder unsure.  To compare the Cape Cod and Delaware studies, the researchers included matching questions about the Cape Wind project in the Delaware survey and included photo simulations of how a wind farm at sea would appear at various distances, including from six miles from shore, the approximate distance from Hyannis, Mass., to the proposed Cape Wind project.  "Even in the ocean area, where respondents live, on average, about a half-mile from the coast, support for wind power outnumbers opposition by more than 3 to 1 in Delaware," Firestone noted.

"Interestingly, Delaware respondents who can see the ocean from their home were more supportive of a wind farm, at 59 percent, than all residents of either Cape Cod, at 25 percent, or New Jersey, at 41 percent," he added, noting that the New Jersey statistic is from a recent poll by non-UD researchers.

What accounts for Delawareans' positive opinions about offshore wind power?  It could be due to a range of factors, the scientists say, from "a well-financed opposition" to the Cape Wind project on Cape Cod, to increasing public awareness and concern about changing climate and "global warming," to health impacts and the recent electricity rate hikes in Delaware.  "The short answer is we just don't know yet why Delawareans are so much more supportive," Kempton said.

The Delaware survey also included questions to determine any potential effects on beach visitation by in-state residents if a large, 500-turbine wind farm were installed 6 miles off the state's coast.  "Our questions first placed the wind farm off the beach that an individual last visited and asked whether it would cause the individual to switch to another beach," Kempton said.  While 88.6 percent would continue to go to the same beach they last went to in Delaware even if a large wind farm were constructed offshore there, 5.6 percent said they would "switch" to another beach in Delaware, another 3.5 percent said they would go to a beach outside Delaware and 2.4 percent said they would visit no beach at all.

"A 5 to 6 percent loss of tourism could be a serious impact," Kempton said. "However, we also asked if people would be inclined to visit a Delaware beach that they did not typically visit, at least once, where a wind farm was visible offshore. The high response, at 84 percent, suggests that the wind turbines would actually draw visitors instead of drive them away."

The scientists said one of the reasons they sought to conduct a survey of offshore wind power in Delaware is because there has not been a lot of public debate about the topic here.  "We wanted to study a place along the East Coast where there hadn't been much debate about offshore wind power and compare the results to places like Cape Cod," Firestone noted.  As the UD survey was being administered and analyzed this past fall, Bluewater Wind, a company from Hoboken, N.J., announced that it planned to submit a proposal to Delmarva Power & Light, in response to the utility's solicitation for bids to line up new long-term energy supplies for the state.

The Delaware state legislature had mandated that Delmarva Power & Light solicit the energy bids before the end of 2006 and included preferences for nonpolluting sources of electricity.  "I think interest in wind power and other renewable energy sources is now growing not only in Delaware, but nationally due to the rising cost and long-term supply issues associated with traditional energy sources, as well as other concerns such as global warming," Kempton said.  Kempton and Firestone are part of a research group at the UD College of Marine and Earth Studies that is exploring the science, resource and policy implications of offshore wind power. The group offers a graduate course on offshore wind power, including science, engineering and policy.  Source: University of Delaware, 01/17/2007.

Solar Energy Makes Waves in New Jersey

A refrigerator repairman with a modest home backing onto a spinach farm, Bob May doesn't appear to be the kind of fellow who can afford to go solar.  Renewable-energy advocates love solar energy, but acknowledge it hasn't caught on because it's expensive.  It takes between $50,000 and $80,000 to buy the equipment to power a single-family home.  But last winter, May and his father installed 60 solar panels, largely paid for by the state. These days, the electric meter in front of his house is running backward, as he generates so much solar power he's selling what he doesn't use back to the electric company.  "To some people it's an eyesore," said May. "This isn't anything new. It's been around for a while. It's just become more affordable." 

One of the biggest pushes for solar energy is coming not from the sweltering Southwest, but in the cooler coastal state of New Jersey.  Solar is part of this high-pollution state's plan to reduce price volatility, improve public health and reduce greenhouse gases, which threaten the state's shoreline with a rise in sea levels from global warming.  New Jersey is banking on solar despite averaging more than 160 cloudy days per year. 

Even trees blocking the sun around Franco's Place convenience store didn't stop owner Sebastiano Arcara, who installed solar panels on the building's roof. He said solar is cutting his electric bill by $300 to $500 per month, and he expects to make back his investment in six or seven years.  The state of New Jersey began offering 70 percent rebates on solar equipment in 2001. Five years later, 2,000 homes and businesses have taken advantage of the program, and the waiting list is long. The state gave away $75.4 million in solar energy rebates in 2006, through Oct. 15.  Source: Gannett New Jersey, By AARON NATHANS, 01/16/2007.

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, Staples and SunEdison Install Solar Power System That Will Generate Clean Energy

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, Staples and SunEdison will host a dedication ceremony today to unveil the largest solar power installation in New England at Staples' 300,000-square-foot retail distribution center in Killingly, Conn.  The solar power installation, built at no capital cost to Staples, was made possible through the collaborative effort of CCEF, which provided a $1.7 million grant for the project, and SunEdison, which financed the remaining costs of the project and designed and installed the system. Connecticut State Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) will speak at today's event, as well as representatives from CCEF, Staples and SunEdison.

The Killingly-based solar power installation, a 433-kilowatt DC commercial solar photovoltaic system, is 1.5 times the size of a football field, covering nearly 74,000 square feet of roof space. The solar power system will have a measurable environmental impact and reduce annual carbon emissions equivalent to the amount produced by the average car driving 420,000 miles. The solar power system has the capacity to produce enough energy to cleanly power 14 percent of the distribution center or 36 homes per year.

"We are delighted that Staples chose Killingly, Connecticut, as the site of its largest solar installation in New England and pleased that we could work closely with the company to make the installation possible," said Connecticut State Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn), a former chair of the legislature's Environment Committee. "Staples, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ranked as the fourth largest purchaser of green power among retailers, is a shining example of a national business leader making a positive impact on our climate. This new solar installation is exactly what we are talking about when we urge public-private partnerships to address our energy needs. We need more of these initiatives."

"The solar power system installed at our Killingly distribution center is part of Staples' integrated strategy for a seven percent reduction in the company's U.S. carbon emissions by 2010 on an absolute basis, starting from a base year of 2001," said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs, Staples, Inc. Buckley added, "Through our relationship with solar services provider SunEdison, we're able to purchase solar energy off our rooftop at a rate below or equal to the cost of electricity off the grid. This reduces our operating costs while freeing up more electricity during peak times for use by local homes and businesses."

"SunEdison is extremely proud to have worked closely with Staples and the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund in creating New England's largest solar array. This is a milestone for the local community and for solar in Connecticut," noted Jigar Shah, CEO of SunEdison, North America's first and largest solar services provider. "Although solar is complex, both organizations have a true commitment to improving their local communities and meeting achievable environmental goals. Through the solar services model, Staples is able to achieve predictable pricing in their energy costs and do so without incurring a capital outlay."  Source: WORLD-WIRE, 01/16/2007.

Renewable Energy in the Deseret News

Whether by wind, sun or bio-waste, Utahns overwhelmingly support tax breaks and state investment into alternative, renewable energy sources.  A new Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll shows that 87 percent of surveyed Utah residents strongly or somewhat favor renewable-energy tax credits, and 92 percent favor more investment in energy. The poll of 418 people was conducted by Dan Jones & Associates Jan. 2-4, and has a margin of error of 5 percent. Read the full article. Source: By Josh Loftin, Deseret Morning News, 1/16/2007.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Promises 20 Percent Improvement of State Electricity Use (Legislation)

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has said he will adopt the Western Governor's Association's recent resolution calling for a 20 percent improvement in the efficiency of electricity use statewide by 2020.  He also "is excited about the possible creation of a Colorado Clean Energy Fund that will help with technology transfer of research to the marketplace" and will recognize people, businesses, institutions and nonprofits who work in the renewable energy field through the creation of the Governor's Excellence in Renewable Energy Award.  For more information, contact  Bill Ritter, Governor Colorado, 303-866-2471.  Source: ep-overviews, 1/17/2007.

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Grants, RFPs & Other Funding News

Bioenergy Implications

The U.S. Department of Energy requests proposals for Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications of Research on Alternative Bioenergy Technologies, Synthetic Genomics, or Nanotechnologies.  Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:  Impacts from changing land use patterns; the use of "dual-use" crops (food vs. energy), and implications resulting from the exploration and exploitation of microbes and microbial capabilities which would result from a large biomass to biofuels effort.  $1 million expected to be available, up to nine awards anticipated.  Pre-applications are required and are due 2/8/07, final proposals due 4/19/07.  For more info, contact Deborah Greenawalt. Refer to Sol# DE-PS02-07ER07-16.  (Grants.gov 12/20/06).  Source: Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., 1/16/2007.

GHG Reduction and Pollution Prevention - Region 10

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, seeks proposals for the Regional Geographic Initiative. RGI supports projects that use integrated, collaborative, or community-based approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or prevent pollution by promoting the availability of energy efficiency, renewable energy, or carbon sequestration.  Project examples include but are not limited to:  Promotion and dissemination of carbon footprint calculators as an educational tool, promotion of biodiesel in transportation and residential/commercial heating, and promotion of energy efficient transportation options.  Project implementation must take place in Region 10 which includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.  $400K expected to be available, up to 4 awards anticipated.  Responses due 3/9/07.  For more info, contact Karl Arne. Refer to Sol# EPA-R10-RGI-2007.  (Grants.gov 1/11/07).   Source: Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., 1/16/2007.

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