http://www.es.wapa.gov/renew/	Week of April 19, 2001

Public Power Utilities Form Group To Boost Renewable Power Development
With factors combining to make renewable resources increasingly cost-competitive in the West and across the U.S., a group of public power electric utilities has formed a new organization to facilitate the deployment of renewable resources.  The Public Power Renewable Energy Action Team (PPREAT) was launched April 3, under the management of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS).  PPREAT's initial collaborators come from California, but participants ultimately hope to work with public power agencies from across the nation. 

The group's stated goals are as follows: Aggregate demand for renewable energy among public power utilities, Move renewable energy into mainstream power planning processes, Identify opportunities for public power joint-ownership of renewable energy projects, Leverage federal and state renewable energy project development technical assistance, Hedge against future volatile electricity prices, Create a common public power branding strategy around renewable energy resources, Develop a replicable model for joint-ownership of renewable energy projects.  Western Area Power Administration's (WAPA) Renewable Resources Program conceived the idea to form PPREAT in November of 2000.  A small group of champions supported WAPA's efforts including representatives from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Anaheim Public Utilities Department, and the Northern California Power Agency.  PPREAT has grown to include more 15 public power utilities in California including two new co-PPREAT members, the City of San Francisco and the City of San Diego.  More information on PPREAT and its activities will soon be available at  http://www.resource-solutions.org .  For further information, contact Kirk Brown at CRS, phone (415) 561-2100, e-mail kirkbrown@resource-solutions.org .
 

Clean Energy Sector Expected to Reach $82 Billion
Clean Edge, a market-intelligence and publishing firm focused on clean energy technologies, recently released a new report which predicts that clean technologies, including renewable energy systems, will grow 28 percent annually to $82 billion by 2010.  The company said the report is the first to define the clean technology market and make market forecasts for 2005 and 2010.  The report said that the clean energy market, which includes fuel cells, microturbines, and solar and wind power, is projected to grow from $7 billion in revenues in 2000 to more than $82 billion in revenues by 2010. 

In addition, the report noted that wind and solar power, as well as microturbines, provide the most immediate and cost-competitive solution to the current "peak demand" energy crisis. "For all the hype about the new economy, a real, sustainable new economy is emerging around clean technologies," said Clean Edge co-founder and principal Ron Pernick. "It is focused not on 'saving the Earth' but on the real business and economic opportunities from providing clean energy, transportation, water and materials on a global scale."  The report can be accessed at Clean Edge's website, located on the World Wide Web at  http://www.cleanedge.com  .   Contact: Ron Pernick, Clean Edge, phone 415-336-8681, e-mail pernick@cleanedge.com.  Source: Clean Edge Release 4/18/2001 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 4/19/2001.

Los Angeles to Purchase Green Power
On March 2, the Los Angeles City Council approved a plan to meet about 10% of the city’s electricity needs with power generated from new renewable resources, representing one of the largest municipal green power purchases in the country. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) will provide the city with approximately 50 million kWh per year of renewable power through its Green Power for a Green LA program. With previous commitments from Los Angeles World Airports and the city’s Water System, the total city government green power purchase will be more than 70 million kWh.  Source: NREL Green Power Monthly Update 4/10/2001.
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For more information: http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/   or   http://www.thegreenpowergroup.org/
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Dairy Farmers Consider Manure-to-Energy Projects
With recent electricity shortages plaguing the state of California, dairy farmers in the Chino Basin have begun examining manure-to-energy projects that will help provide extra electricity. The Ontario, CA-based Milk Producers Council and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency are currently accepting proposals from companies to build several manure-to-energy digesters in the Chino Basin.  In addition, state senator Nell Soto has drafted a bill that would provide $25 million for digester research The digester systems work by combining manure and oxygen in a heated container. Anaerobic bacteria break down the waste, creating carbon dioxide and methane. The methane is then piped to a methane-fired electrical generator. 

Industry officials said it costs about six cents to produce a kilowatt-hour of electricity using a digester. Currently, many farmers in San Bernadino County pay as much as 10 cents for a kilowatt-hour of electricity.  The majority of the 224 dairy farmers in the Chino Basin have purchased backup generators in case of a blackout caused by energy shortages in the state.  "We ought to take advantage of digesters so we could have some alternative so we can stop having these energy producers bringing us to our knees," said Soto. Source: Los Angeles Times 4/3/2001 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 4/16/2001.

Washington Electric Cooperatives Eye Wind Power
Northwest electric cooperatives are prospecting for wind-energy sites, the head of the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association said Tuesday. Aaron Jones said 10 cooperatives have already committed to testing and optioning several sites in the region, and another 10 public utilities may enlist. The cooperatives want to tie up choice sites before private developers lease them all, he said.   "It's kind of a defensive move by nonprofit utilities," Jones said. He said public utilities have traditionally supported electricity rates based on the cost of production. The alternative, he said, is the market-priced power that has driven consumer rates up 50 percent in recent months in some parts of Washington. Jones said 120 utility representatives attended a meeting in Pasco last Wednesday organized to explain the initiative. Although supporters had hoped to develop between 500 and 1,000 megawatts of wind-generating capacity, that goal is unrealistic financially, he said. The rule of thumb in wind-power development is $1 million for each megawatt of capacity, Jones said, adding that testing sites and signing lease options with landowners will probably cost about $1 million.  He said the cooperatives are looking at six sites in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and California. Testing will start next month, he said. Construction could start within a year. 

"We want to move quickly," Jones said. He said renewal of tax credits for wind development are critical.  With credits, wind farm electricity costs about 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, he said. The cost soars to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour without credits.  Kris Mikkelsen, general manager of Inland Power & Light Co., said she and some board members from cooperatives attended the Pasco meeting.  "I think it would be real nice for the cooperatives to have some generation that they own," she said. But for Inland, with a Bonneville Power Administration contract that locks in rates until October 2006, an investment in wind power may not be timely, Mikkelsen said. However, the cooperative could provide some token support, she added. Wind power has captured the attention of many in a region overwhelmingly dependent on hydropower. Low streamflows are starving generators, forcing many utilities to turn to the wholesale market, where prices have skyrocketed. Portland-based PacifiCorp and FPL Energy of Florida recently announced plans to develop 300 megawatts of wind power with a project that straddles the Washington-Oregon border.  To see more of The Spokesman-Review, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.spokane.net  .   Source: Bert Caldwell , The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.                  ( 4/14/2001 via Power Marketing Daily 4/15/2001

Arizona Utility Dedicates 400 Kilowatts of New Solar Power
APS, Arizona's largest utility, dedicated three new solar electric systems early this month, adding 400 kilowatts of new solar energy capacity to its electrical supply. The three new photovoltaic systems -- located in the cities of Glendale, Prescott, and Gilbert -- doubled APS' installed solar generating capacity, which is financed by customers who pay a premium for their electricity. APS has nearly 2,500 participants in its solar energy program, the APS Solar Partners. See the April 2nd press release on the APS Web site at:  http://www.aps.com/general_info/newsrelease/default.html?year=2001 . Source: EREN Network News 4/18/2001.

DynaMotive BioOil Plant Meets Target
DynaMotive Technologies Corporation recently announced its new 10-ton per day BioOil plant has met design production parameters. The company said that fuel quality BioOil has officially been produced from BC wood residue at the facility.  "Meeting the design capacity on schedule confirms the strength of our design," said DynaMotive engineering director Warren Johnson. "These results validate the inherent scalability of the technology. Over the next few months, we intend to optimize the operation and design as well as commence work on our next scale-up to the 25 to 50 ton-per-day capacity."  The new BioOil plant was designed in-house by DynaMotive's Technology Group and constructed at the BC Research complex in Vancouver, BC.  The company said the plant conforms to all applicable safety, electrical and mechanical design standards, utilizing state-of-the-art 'smart' instrumentation and a high-powered industrial-grade distributed control system (DCS). The plant was designed to facilitate easy scale-up to commercial plant capacities. The fully automated plant has a production capacity of 6,000 liters of BioOil per day.  DynaMotive said it intends to become the world leader in the development of technology to produce competitively priced liquid fuels from biomass. BioOil is produced using patented technology that converts forest and agricultural wastes such as bark, sawdust and sugar cane bagasse into a liquid fuel.  Contact DynaMotive at:  http://www.dynamotive.com  .  Source: Dynamotive Release 4/10/2001 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 4/17/2001.

Utility to Finance Landfill-Electricity Project
The Omaha Public Power district board recently announced that the utility will enter into a contract with Waste Management of Nebraska, Inc. to finance construction of a power plant.  The power plant will be a project designed to convert landfill gas into electricity. The agreement calls for the utility to pay Waste Management a little more than $4 million to design and build the methane gas-to-energy plant. The plant will initially produce about 3.2 megawatts of electricity.  The utility said it will sell the power to customers who sign up for a higher priced green energy program. The company said rates have not yet been established for the methane gas-produced electricity, but estimates range from two to three cents more than the current 6.84 cents per kilowatt hour.Omaha Public power will also pay Waste Management $580,000 annually for maintenance and operation of the facility. The power company expects no problem recouping its costs for the electricity, which will be sold in blocks of 100 kilowatt hours.  Source: Waste News 4/6/2001 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 4/13/2001.
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For more information on Renewable Resources go to:  http://www.eren.doe.gov/repis/
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CA Raises Net Metering Limit to One MW
The California state legislature recently passed a law raising the state's net metering size limit from 10 kilowatts to one megawatt (MW). The move was praised by the solar energy industry, which said it would help spur new investment. Net metering laws allow power customers to send excess energy back to the power grid. Industry officials said this could benefit both commercial and residential solar power generators. "By allowing a return on investment, it encourages average customers to invest in their own on-site power generation and reduces the overall load on the electric grid during peak usage hours -- those times when prices are highest and the grid is most vulnerable to statewide supply disruptions," said California Solar Energy Industries Association (CAL SEIA) executive director Les Nelson. The one MW net metering limit will be one of the largest in the U.S. Supporters said the law helps reduce the use of the dirtiest power generation technologies without impacting taxpayers.  Contact: Susan DeVico, CAL SEIA, phone 415-434-8220. Source: Cal SEIA Release 4/13/2001 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 4/18/2001.

Several New Solar Reports Are Now Available Online
Results from PIER (Public Interest Energy Research) include: Solar 2 - the 'power tower'; Edison Tech Solutions - Photovoltaics - Evaluation of 12 systems in Southern California; San Diego Gas & Electric - Chargeport Study; California Renewable Energy Programs; CEC Renewable Energy Program Evaluation - includes a section on Emerging Renewables along with PV performance assessment of initial participants in the Buydown Program go to  http://www.rahus.org  .  Click on Free Downloads and browse.  Source: Tor Allen, CalPVAlliance, 4/16/2001

Interconnection Handbooks Now Available from SEPA
Last year, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) conducted 4 interconnection workshops and developed a comprensive interconnection handbook for the Million Solar Roofs Partnerships.  This handbook is now available on-line in PDF format at http://www.SolarElectricPower.org  .  Click on the "Interconnection Info" link on the left hand side of the page.   SEPA members can secure a copy of the handbook on CD-ROM, they are available for purchase for $25.  To order, contact Nadine Blinn at 202.857.0898.  Source: Julia Judd, Operations Manager, Solar Electric Power Association, (formerly the Utility PhotoVoltaic Group) (202) 857-0898
For more information on Educational Resources go to: http://www.thegateway.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EREN Launches New Consumer Web Guide to Renewable Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) announced a new section on its Web site designed to help electricity customers better understand their renewable energy options.  The new site, Consumer Guide to Renewable Energy for Your Home or Business, at  http://www.eren.doe.gov/power/consumer/ , shows consumers how they can buy electricity made from renewable sources in their state, evaluate the environmental benefits of clean power, and learn how clean power is generated.  In addition, the site helps visitors decide if owning a renewable energy system is right for them by helping to evaluate the available technologies, teaching about connecting to the grid and sizing a system, and presenting the available incentives. A special section on powering a home or small business with a small wind system is also included. The site is provided by DOE's Office of Power Technologies.  For this and other recent additions to the EREN Web site, see http://www.eren.doe.gov/new/whats-new.html .  Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 4/13/2001
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U.S. Department of Energy News
David Garman, chief of staff to Sen. Frank H. Murkowski (R-Alaska), gets the nod as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Oklahoma transportation secretary Neal A. McCaleb is to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. Source: Washington Post 4/18/2001.

President Bush Budget Includes PTC Extension But Cuts Wind R&D
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) was pleased with the three-year extension of the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the level funding for the Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) for municipal agencies in the detailed budget proposal released April 9.  At the same time AWEA criticized the deep funding cuts for the federal wind energy research and development (R&D) program and other renewable energy research efforts.  The budget proposes to extend the wind energy production tax credit for three years, through January 1, 2005.  In addition to extending the credit, the Bush budget would slightly expand the ability of developers to make use of the PTC by allowing the credit to be used by the lessee of the project, rather than only the owner (only for projects put in place after Dec. 21, 2001).  The budget proposes to fund the renewable energy production tax incentive at a level $4 million.  “This budget gives with one hand while it takes away with the other,” said Jaime Steve, Director of Legislative Affairs for AWEA. “Extension of the production tax credit and level funding for the renewable energy production incentive are vital tools for developing our domestic wind resource, but cutting wind energy R&D efforts during an energy crisis is penny wise and pound foolish.  The DOE budget can be viewed at: http://cio.doe.gov/DOEBudget/Highlght.pdf  .  The energy portion of the President's budget can be viewed at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2002/bud05.html  .  For an analysis of the President's budget, visit  http://www.ase.org/policy   .  Source: Alliance to Save Energy and AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 4/13/2001.
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For more information on legislative activities go to: http://www.kannerandassoc.com/fedenergybills.html
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Consumer Information Programs Planned for Virginia Deregulation
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) continues to progress with its five-year, $30 million retail electricity choice consumer education program. Andy Farmer, the SCC staffer in charge of the program, stated, "It's not a very easy concept to present. We have to look at a very broad-based and very thorough multi-year campaign." Consumers in some parts of Virginia will finally have the opportunity to shop for electricity on January 1, 2002. All parties involved readily admit that ratepayers will not fully understand the process. However, the SCC maintains that consumers must understand the process for deregulation to be a success. Farmer added, "This is something that people never had to do before. They've never had to shop. They need to be introduced to the concept and provided with information." The commission has run a series of advertisements in print, broadcast, and other ads and has outsourced a call center to handle volumes reaching 20,000 calls per month. The SCC also plans to hold workshops with community groups to discuss retail choice and will also be conducting surveys. Dominion Virginia spokesman Thomas Kazas noted, "Consumers gained a good understanding overall, but there is still a lot of education that needs to go on."  Source: Utilities Biweekly Report 4/17/2001
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For more information on marketing and research go to:  http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/emaa/index.html
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Biomass R&D
The U.S. Department of Energy announces its intent to request proposals that support the development of advanced biomass power systems offering to diversify the range of products that can be efficiently and cost-competitively produced from biomass by encouraging the co-production of power and heat as an integrated component of biomass processing.  These systems are to be predominantly based on advanced biomass gasification technologies and may incorporate related research in advanced turbine and stationary fuel cell technology for production of electricity from biomass.  $1 million expected to be available, multiple awards anticipated.  20% cost share required.  The solicitation is expected to open in early April and close on or about 5/31/01.  For more info, contact Donna Jaskolka, NETL, at jaskolka@netl.doe.gov.  Once open, the solicitation will be posted at: http://www.netl.doe.gov/business/solicit/index.html  .  Refer to Sol# DE-PS26-01NT41130.  (CBD 3/14/01).  Source: Seattle Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Energy 4/6/2001.

Energy Innovations Small Grant
The California Energy Commission announces their continuing interest in receiving proposals for the Energy Innovations Small Grant (EISG) Program.  The EISG provides funding to small businesses, small non-profits, individuals and academic institutions for establishing the feasibility of new energy concepts.  Qualifying entities outside of California are eligible.  Projects must develop innovative and original energy concepts that address a clear market need, provide benefit for California electricity ratepayers and target one or more areas of interest:  Industrial/agriculture/water end-use efficiency; building end-use efficiency; advanced generation; renewable generation; energy-related environmental research; strategic energy research.  Individual grants NTE $75K.  Proposals due 4/30/01.  For more info on contact the EISG Administrator at (619) 594-1049 or go to:  http://www.energy.ca.gov/research/innovations/index.html .  Source: Seattle Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Energy 4/6/2001.
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For more information on funding solicitations go to: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
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