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In February, the Environmental Protection Agency released a list of the top ten colleges and universities in terms of purchasing green energy. Oberlin College was number nine on that list. With 12,872 megawatt-hours of renewable energy purchased annually — the equivalent of approximately 60 percent of the College’s electricity needs — Oberlin is right behind Evergreen State College (16,250 MWh annually) and in front of the University of Buffalo (12,000 MWh annually).
Oberlin became a member of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership in January 2006. The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary arrangement between the EPA and various organizations to promote and recognize green power purchasing, and Oberlin’s membership made it eligible for recognition in the top ten list. Accompanied mostly by large schools such as Harvard, Pennsylvania State and Syracuse, Oberlin was one of just two liberal arts colleges on the list.
Oberlin buys its green power through Oberlin Municipal Light and Power Services, a non-profit agency managed by the city of Oberlin that provides power to the entire community. The College established its contract with OMLPS in the spring of 2004. “Buying green power” is a simple enough phrase at first glance, but the reality behind it is considerably more complicated. John Petersen, an environmental studies professor who had a leading role in the move to contract with OMLPS two years ago, was able to elucidate the technicalities of green power production and purchase.
An important aspect of Oberlin’s program that differentiates it from that of other colleges is the creation of the city’s Sustainable Reserve Fund. When the green tags were previously sold to Green Mountain Power, the premium paid was given back to OMLPS’ customers as a minute decrease in utility bills over the year; Petersen estimated the decrease per consumer at about five cents per year. As part of Oberlin’s contract with OMLPS and the city, the 3 percent premium, rather than being placed in city coffers or given back to other customers, is placed in a separate fund for community clean energy products. Source: By Nora Sharp, The Oberlin Review, 3/3/2006.
Aspen Skiing Company, which operates four ski mountains and two hotels in Colorado, recently announced plans to offset 100 percent of its electricity use via renewable energy certificates generated from wind farms. According to ASC, the company will purchase the RECs from Community Energy, a marketer and developer of wind energy generation. The purchase supplements earlier wind purchases from Holy Cross Energy, which account for five percent of ASC's electricity usage. ASC noted that it is a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program which seeks to increase the use of green power among leading U.S. organizations. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 2/1/2006.
Connecticut has committed to aggressive energy goals, and Yale has seized the opportunity to be a leader within the state and the nation by investing in clean, renewable energy now. In just the last year, Yale has created and started to fulfill a bold and innovative energy plan that uses funds created from energy savings to support purchases of renewable energy credits. Energy savings in Yale's residential colleges pave the way for Yale to begin purchasing renewable energy for the residential colleges. By combining clean energy projects with energy efficiency in a system-wide policy, Yale will reduce costs and set an example for universities and institutions around the world.
The student response to Yale's efforts has been overwhelming and has played a significant role in developing a renewable energy future for the university. Students realize that energy efficiency and conservation are the best way to reduce energy consumption. Through a campaign managed by New Haven Action, a majority of on-campus students have agreed to support temperature changes in their rooms to conserve energy, The Student Taskforce for Environmental Partnership has distributed energy efficient light bulbs and provided informational e-mails on additional steps that student can take to save energy.
Students living on campus will continue to conserve energy in their residential colleges by controlling temperatures, turning off lights, using energy efficient light bulbs and unplugging appliances. Yale's residential colleges have saved over 9.1 percent compared to the amount of energy used last year. That's the equivalent to preventing over 1,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the air and over 1,800 barrels of oil from being burned.
Last semester, University President Richard Levin outlined the University's short-term goal: a 5 percent reduction in overall energy use by the end of the school year. Not only have students met the challenge set forth by Levin, they have far exceeded it. And students aren't stopping there. For the past week, STEP has led the Yale Unplugged campaign to encourage Yale students to continue conserving energy by unplugging their appliances over spring break. Brightly colored chalkings across Old Campus remind students to ensure that their windows are closed, the heat is turned off and that lights and appliances are turned off while they have vacated the dorms. The Yale Unplugged campaign also proposes ways to save energy while students are still on campus — power management features for computers should be on, washing machines should be run with full loads of laundry and with cold or warm (not hot) water and appliances with an Energy Star denoting efficiency should be used.
But neither Yalies nor university officials should be content to merely commit and conserve; they are seeking to invest in renewable sources of power as well. As non-renewable energy costs rise every year due to dwindling supplies and rising demand, the best way to combat this is to invest in renewable sources. The cost of solar power has dropped by an average of 20 percent each time production doubles, and wind power, the fastest growing electricity source, is becoming cost-competitive with natural gas in states across the country. By maximizing energy efficiency and converting to clean energy, Yale can provide a buffer against future energy crises and budget shortfalls.
Students have responded to Yale's goals with vigor, much in the way that the Yale administration has energetically taken on the proposed goals for clean energy and a sustainable university. In the coming months, Yale students will have the opportunity to completely meet the conservation goals and support additional clean energy purchases. Let's keep going clean. Brittney Hunt is a junior in Pierson College. Rachel Winer is a senior in Jonathan Edwards College. Source: Yaledailynews.com, 3/3/2006.
When sub-zero temperatures hit South Dakota...the cost of heating always seems to sky rocket. But one school in the central part of the state never gets a heating bill. The Midland school district relies on Mother Nature to heat it's classrooms. With the cost to heat buildings climbing, South Dakota school districts are having to pinch pennies to pay the bills. But a system put in place more than 30 years ago in Midland keeps heating costs low.
Principal Denise Fox said, "We heat our building using a geothermal well." Back in 1969, the town of Midland decided to harness the earth's energy by drilling a well to tap into a hot underground water source. School Maintenance Mikel Williamson said, "And the well is about 3,300 feet deep. And that's pretty deep. It's part of the Yellowstone aquifer." It's the water from the aquifer that keeps the buildings warm.
Each classroom has a radiated heater hooked up to the geothermal water pipes; the hot water flows through the pipes to each of the 27 heaters. The building also gets hot water for cooking and drinking from the well, after it's been filtered. This efficient way of heating has been paying off for years. Fox said, "Here at Midland we have two buildings for our school district. And I would say our utilities run about $10,000.00 a year and that's all utilities. That would be phone, light, electrical." In a time when funding issues are taking center stage at South Dakota school districts, the Midland district has one less big bill to worry about.
Fox said, "I tell people that we heat this way and again it's a funding issue right now. It's been discussed during legislation how are we going to afford to heat the schools. So I say hey, come to Midland. We have a nice way to heat." All thanks to energy deep underground. The school isn't the only building that uses geothermal water for heat. Other buildings in town, like the fire hall and city library, are hooked up to the well for heat and water. Source: Keloland.com, 3/3/2006.
Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District and ECO Technology Solutions, LLC have teamed up to develop and construct an innovative renewable energy and water quality improvement project in Auburn, NY. The project includes an advanced bioenergy plant technology that will process organic waste from local dairies and food processors to produce biogas to generate electricity for the various county buildings located on the District campus.
The District project will process waste from approximately 1500 cows and organic waste byproducts from food processors in the area. The 625 kW of electricity and the hot water from the generator will be used by the digester and the buildings on the District campus, with excess electricity being sold to the grid.
The bioenergy facility uses a “community digester” approach to solve manure treatment problems for several small to medium farmers who are not large enough to build a treatment facility on their farm. The manure from the various farms will be trucked to the bioenergy facility by the District. The farmer will receive a truck load of liquid fertilizer from the bioenergy facility after his manure is processed to replace the fertilizer he gave up when he sent his manure to the facility. The liquid fertilizer is a higher quality than the manure currently being spread on croplands by the farmer and has a more “plant friendly” mineralized nitrogen and a lower phosphorus content, which will improve the water quality in the area.
In addition to the electricity, hot water and liquid fertilizer, a solid fertilizer is produced by the bioenergy facility. This fertilizer will be sold by the District to farmers and others. This innovative renewable energy project is expected to be operational by no later than Spring 2007. For more information call Bill Cetti at: 703-669-5221. Source: CCSWCD, 2/28/2006
By spring of 2010, each dawn will see a startling robotic performance in the Mojave Desert, north of Los Angeles. Just before sunrise, thousands of broad, mirrored dishes will wake in unison, their faces to the east. Each will be as wide as a school bus is long; arrayed in perfect lines for miles, they will track the sun all day, feeding power to the hungry city. After sundown, the dishes will pivot back to await the next dawn.
For the first time, solar collectors will generate electricity on a scale only coal, gas, or nuclear plants have managed. Not kilowatts or megawatts, but city-sized gulps of power, hundreds of megawatts.
Stirling, based in Phoenix, appears to have cracked the solar conundrum: how to tap an energy source that's all around us. "This is historic in magnitude," says Gil Alexander, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison. "Assuming Stirling pulls it off—and we believe they will—this facility will be capable of producing more electricity from solar energy than all U.S. solar projects currently in existence combined." San Diego Gas & Electric has also signed up to buy Stirling's solar power.
"The technology works," says Thomas R. Mancini, manager of the federal government's solar power program at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Stirling has a six-dish system up and running. "It's reliable, it's efficient. The question is, How do you make the leap in scale, in manufacturing?"
Stirling plans to quadruple its 30-person staff in the next year and is on track to secure land for the dishes—and the hundreds of millions of dollars needed for initial installations of 32,000 dishes. Once they are up, the units require little to keep them at maximum production beyond routine engine maintenance and a hose, to rinse desert sand from the mirrors. Unlike coal or gas, the fuel is free. Source: FastCompany.com, 2/27/2006.
The Palo Alto Research Center announced a partnership with SolFocus, Inc., a manufacturer of low-cost solar energy systems, which will employ PARC technology to cut the cost of solar power by as much as half.
The venture builds on the original SolFocus design for concentrator photovoltaic technology. CPV technology creates electricity by using precision optical components such as lenses and mirrors to direct and "concentrate" sunlight onto high-efficiency solar cells. SolFocus' prototype solar panels are smaller, cheaper, and easier to manufacture than the flat-plate photovoltaic panels that currently dominate the market.
PARC is contributing core patents and long-term technology development support for current and next-generation product lines in exchange for royalties and equity in SolFocus.
The SolFocus first-generation design for a low-cost photovoltaic module was honored with the grand prize at the recent National Renewable Energy Laboratory's 18th Industry Growth Forum. Production planning for it is currently under way in Shanghai, and it is expected to ship within the year.
The second-generation design dramatically improves cost, durability and scalability. The innovative module design is based on a solid-state, or "one-piece," concept featuring small reflective concentrator elements housed in a flat molded glass tile with mirrors on each side. Among the advantages of the new module: it does not use scarce silicon, it has no moving parts that could lead to mechanical failure, it has minimal components, and assembly technology is automated. Together, these features have yielded breakthrough improvements in cost, size, durability, and scalability.
The first-generation SolFocus CPV prototypes were installed at PARC in January 2006. According to Scott Elrod, head of PARC's clean tech initiative, their installation signaled his program's progress. "We believe there are big market opportunities in clean technology, and we have a half-dozen additional projects under way that could be equally transformative."
Under PARC's clean technologies initiative, research teams identify market opportunities relating to energy or the environment and apply an intensely interdisciplinary approach to develop innovative, market-driven technology solutions. PARC frequently collaborates with industry partners and has addressed solar energy, clean water, energy efficiency, and improved reliability of the power grid. Source: Renewable Energy Access, 2/27/2006.
The brown hills of a sprawling San Antonio landfill are now a source of green power. Since the first of the year, 46 wells have tapped gas from the landfill, and methane that's culled from the landfill gas is combusted in a brand-new power plant. The plant produces electricity that CPS Energy buys. Source: RMEL: March e-Newsletter, 3/2/2006.
Owens Corning recently announced a new single-end roving and knitted fabric, dubbed WindStrand, that is designed to allow turbine manufacturers to increase blade lengths by up to six percent and deliver up to 12 percent more power for up to 20 percent less cost than current carbon-glass hybrid solutions. Compared to conventional E-glass, Owens Corning said WindStrand possesses up to 35 percent higher tensile strengths, up to 17 percent higher stiffness (modulus), and enhanced fatigue, impact, aging, corrosion and temperature resistance.
According to the company, performance statistics for WindStrand are based on in-field beta testing, as well as design blade optimization by an independent research establishment based in the Netherlands Composite Technology Centre (CTC), which studied the effects of replacing E-glass with WindStrand for several components in a 44-meter long rotor designed for a 2.5-megawatt turbine. Owens Corning noted that WindStrand, which is the first application using the company's new HiPer-tex high-performance reinforcement platform, is targeted to be commercially available by the end of the year. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 2/28/2006.
It's no joke - Washington state has become a hotbed for solar energy. And the best way to start is to jump into hot water. For the average Western Washington homeowner, a solar water-heating system has the fastest payback of any solar technology. By greatly reducing the costs of water heating, a solar hot-water system can pay for itself in eight years, says Larry Owens, president of the nonprofit Shoreline Solar Project.
It may not be Southern California, but our climate works surprisingly well for solar. Findsolar.com gives Western Washington a "good" rating for the sun available for home solar-energy projects. Solar hot-water systems make financial sense for several reasons: relatively low cost, new tax credits, improved technology, an increasing number of solar contractors and equipment dealers, and the rising costs of electricity and natural gas. Installing a solar water-heating system may cost $2,500 to $6,000.
Taxpayers can receive the new federal tax credits for residential solar hot-water systems and other solar equipment placed in service in 2006 or 2007. The allowable credit is 30 percent of the qualified solar-system expenditure, up to a maximum tax-credit limit of $2,000. To qualify, your solar water-heating system must produce 50 percent or more of the hot water needed by the residence, and be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corp.
Meanwhile, the Washington Legislature is considering House Bill 2799, which would exempt solar water-heating systems from state and local retail sales tax. If it passes, the exemption likely would go into effect this summer.
Besides hot-water systems, other solar technologies, such as photovoltaic systems for electricity, work well in the Northwest. The federal tax credits have also made those systems more financially attractive, and a pair of renewable energy laws passed in Washington state last year should eventually help even more. But for now, the payback is much longer for photovoltaic and most other solar technologies than for hot-water systems.
For more information visit DOE's Consumer's guide to solar hot water heaters, FindSolar and Solar Rating and Certification Corp..Source: By Tom Watson, Special to The Seattle Times, 3/6/2006.
A proposal by Catalyst Renewables Corp. to construct a $70 million biomass plant in the city would create about 170 direct and ancillary jobs, and generate a market for low-grade wood, the company reported. Dallas-based Catalyst expects the wood-fired biomass plant to open as early as December 2007 near the former roundhouse site in the city's rail yards, although it could be 2008 by the time the project is completed, company President Eric Spomer said.
The plant would employ 20 people, who would be paid an average annual salary of about $50,000, Spomer said. About 150 new logging jobs also are expected to support the facility. Catalyst hopes to draw much of its work force from the Oneonta area. "It's probably the biggest investment in Otsego County in a long time, at least going back to the 1950s, even when you take in inflated dollars," said Rob Robinson, president and chief executive officer of the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the City of Oneonta Planning Commission.
The plant would generate about $1 million in annual tax revenue for the city, Robinson estimated. Catalyst reports it would add about $2 million annually to Oneonta's tax rolls. The project is controversial, Robinson noted, and area residents have questions and concerns about the plant's impact on air quality and the environment, among other issues.
The city's Environmental Board has held several open meetings in recent weeks to educate itself and the general public about power plants and biomass, board Chairman David Hutchison said. The board expects to make a recommendation to the city on the biomass plant after Catalyst submits a formal proposal on the project. Catalyst expects to submit its plans to city officials for approval in about a month, Spomer said. An environmental study is being conducted of the proposed plant location, a brownfield that's in an Empire Zone.
"What we're doing is taking the leftovers from logging operations that would otherwise be left to rot," Spomer said. "Visually, nobody will notice. ... Some experts have told us that there is enough wood for three plants of this size in that area." The plant would use advanced emissions-control technologies and controlled combustion methods that would enable the facility to produce less particulate matter and smoke than one outdoor wood boiler, he said. He cited the company's Lyonsdale plant, a wood-fired biomass facility about 95 miles northeast of Syracuse, as an example of how imperceptible the Oneonta operation would be to the general public.
In addition, steam from the Oneonta plant could be used by area businesses for their processes, reducing their use of fossil-fueled power plants, Robinson said. Discussions also are occurring between Catalyst and local colleges regarding the use of steam power to replace the schools' fuel oil burners. Through the state's Green Power program, Gov. Pataki has supported efforts to generate electricity from renewable energy sources such as biomass, wind, solar and hydropower. Source: By My-Ly Nguyen, Press & Sun-Bulletin, 3/6/2006.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced today it has entered into a renewable power purchase contract for 120 megawatts of geothermal energy resources that will provide enough power to supply 100,000 customers. The contract with Military Pass-Newberry Volcano Project LLC is the final deal originating from the company's 2004 renewable solicitation, and it brings the total amount of renewable power added to 353 MW. The company is now in discussion with market participants that submitted bids in the 2005 solicitation and will be submitting additional contracts for renewable energy in the coming months.
PG&E now supplies 30 percent of its customer load from renewable resources: 18 percent from large hydropower facilities and 12 percent from smaller renewable resources that qualify under California's Renewable Portfolio Standard program. The RPS program requires California utilities to increase their procurement of eligible renewable generating resources by 1 percent of load per year to achieve a 20 percent renewables goal.
PG&E recently filed protocols with the California Public Utilities Commission for its 2006 renewable energy procurement solicitation, in which the company is seeking to raise its renewable portfolio by 1 to 2 percent. The company says it anticipates issuing the solicitation in early summer after getting CPUC approval. The 2006 solicitation will be PG&E's fourth since 2002, and the company since then has entered into contracts for 563 MW of renewable power. Source: By Mary O'Driscoll, Greenwire, 3/6/2006.
The premise of an ethanol plant is to produce and supply a renewable fuel alternative for the vehicles people drive. A long-time criticism of the plants has often centered on the fact that they have to depend on finite fossil fuels to power the operation. Central Minnesota Ethanol Co-op, located north of Little Falls, has taken steps and invested over $17 million to change that fact.
Using a technology that’s been in existence for over 20 years—a biomass gasification system—the plant will be the first in the nation to generate the energy needed in the production of ethanol using a system fueled by wood waste, a renewable fuel source.
In addition, excess energy created will provide about one-third of the plant’s electrical needs, once again lowering its dependence on fossil fuels. The installation of a Heat Recovery Steam Generator on Feb. 28 made this reality one step closer. The Heat Recovery Steam Generator is comprised of a gasifier, which burns wood at 1500 degrees, and a thermo-oxidizer, creating synthesized gas off the wood. The burning is an oxygen-starved burn creating a chemical reaction that produces the synthetic gas. The synthesized wood gas goes into a thermo-oxidizer and that gas is burned just like natural gas would be burned. Generating heat at 2200 degrees makes steam that goes into the heat recovery steam generator.
The system will use approximately 280 ton of waste wood per day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. A lot of waste being put to good use. Is there that much wood waste to be used? You bet, and the plant currently has a 10-year contract with Woodline Industries to attain the waste. Waste wood is comprised of sawdust, branches and tops of trees from forest waste which usually decays on the floor of a forest, or is burned off the land; and those little pieces of tailings and butt ends of lumber left when doors, floors, windows, furniture, etc. are made. These are called off-all, and are normally hauled to landfills. Tree services will also be able to get rid of their wood waste and have it put to good use.
The six tons of ash created every day from the gasification will be used as a land-appliable fertilizer, and a substitute for lime addition. Troy Salzer with the Carlton County Extension Service will perform soil testing for farmers to determine how much should be applied to benefit their land. The ethanol plant isn’t going to be the only beneficiary of the use of this technology.
Since synthetic gas is one-third the cost of natural gas, the economic advantage could be huge. Possibilities include heating an outdoor swimming pool, should that ever come to pass, as well as piping the synthetic gas to homes in the area. There has even been talk of using the heat and carbon dioxide produced to grow vegetables in a large commercial greenhouse. At this point, these are dreams for the future—but that future is one step closer thanks to the initiative taken by the Central Minnesota Ethanol Co-op. Source: By Terry Lehrke, Morrison County Record via HometownSource.Com, 3/2/2006.
The Geothermal Resources Council has announced a call for papers for their premier 2006 GRC Annual Meeting to be held in San Diego, CA September 10 – 13, 2006, at the Town & Country Resort. The proposed 2006 technical program includes:
The GRC invites you to submit a paper related to one of the above session themes or a technical paper in geothermal research, exploration, development and utilization. Deadline for draft technical papers is April 28, 2006. Additionally, the GRC 2006 National Conference will focus on university student participation, with its new “Year of the Student” program. The GRC is encouraging students in the fields of geology, engineering, and environmental sciences to submit draft papers for consideration by it Technical Program Review Committee. With U.S. Department of Energy assistance, the GRC will offer attendance scholarships to any student whose paper is accepted for presentation, and cash prizes for Best Student Oral and Poster Presentations.
Register now for the three-part geothermal webcast series sponsored by Western Area Power Administration and the Utility Geothermal Working Group. The free teleconferences will cover economics, financing, permitting, transmission, environmental impacts, marketing, case histories, program development and project development for geothermal technologies.
Webcast sponsors include the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CRN Program and the American Public Power Association DEED Program, among others. The topics and dates for the three webcasts are:
Each webcast begins at Noon EST (11 a.m. CST, 10 a.m. MST, 9 a.m. PST) and lasts for 2 ½ hours, including at least 30 minutes of questions and answers.
Participation is limited to the first 40 utilities that register. To register, email Debbie Rock. There is no charge for participation. About a week before each webcast, registrants will receive via email the dial-in instructions and the presentation file to follow during the webcast. Questions? Contact Guy Nelson, UGWG Team Leader.
Tucked away in the woods near Tahoe City, Calif., more than 150 decision makers from electric and gas utilities and ancillary organizations will gather for the May 3 to 5 for the 26th Utility Energy Forum. Annually since 1981, the forum focuses on how utilities can help customers meet their energy needs with the emphasis on reducing energy consumption and developing renewable energy resources.
This year’s theme is “Best Practices . . . Running Utility Programs more Efficiently, Economically, and Effectively”. Workshops, panels, and breakout sessions will address ways Electric, Gas, and Water Utilities can cut costs and increase productivity AND help their business customers do the same. In keeping with core concept of providing better service to customers, the forum now also includes sessions on how to run utilities better. Register online. Source: Guy Nelson, 2/6/2006.
The Alliance to Save Energy has produced an electronic newsletter called Green Schools/Green Campus. Source: Ron Horstman, WAPA, 3/2//2006.
The 2006 UWIG Annual Meeting will be held April 5-7 at the Radisson Hotel Reagan National Airport in Arlington Va., across the river from Washington, D.C.
The schedule opens with meetings of the UWIG User Groups on April 5, followed by the main technical program on April 6 and 7. Topics will include high wind penetration, balancing areas, interconnection studies, wind turbine technology update, and updates on integration studies.
A reception to recognize the winner of the Annual Achievement Award will be held on April 6 and the Annual Membership Meeting, culminating with the election of the 2006 class of the UWIG Board of Directors, will take place on April 7. Completing the week will be a tour of the FPL Energy Mountaineer Wind Energy Facility.
Registration is limited to the first 21 participants. For more information, including details on registration and accommodations, contact Sandy Smith 865-691-5540, extension 141. Source: UWIG, 3/1/2006.
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, invested in wind energy more than two years ago as a way to provide energy for its community. Now it's considering expanding to a commercial wind farm and selling the excess, but they are finding that profiting from the energy is a bit more difficult than they first thought.
Before the Hopi Nation finds itself caught in the same gust of producing energy for its community and selling excess energy, the Hopi Tribal Council contacted the Department of Engineering at Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus to study whether the huge investment would be worth it.
The initial area where ASU will be investigating is on a reservation mesa next to land identified as the location for a new Hopi village located in northeastern Arizona. The Hopis are also investigating wind on land between Flagstaff and Winslow, an area that is considered to have wind speeds suitable for wind energy development, based on prior research and studies by the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program.
"We will monitor wind speed, frequency, duration and weather to see if wind energy is an alternate, clean option to power two new villages and older ones, as well as potential for economic viability," said Mark Henderson, engineering professor at the Polytechnic campus.
The Hopi Wind Turbine Assessment Project is an opportunity for the first class of engineering students at the Polytechnic campus to work on a real world hands-on project, where they are analyzing data and providing solutions that address the needs of a community. "The year-long project not only gives an applied experience for students, but it also gives them a short immersion in another culture, one that many know very little about," said Henderson.
On March 3 and 4, 30 ASU students will participate in erecting a metal tower and equipping it with a wireless connection and instrumentation to capture wind speed and direction, temperature and barometric pressure. The data will be collected daily on a computer located more than 150 miles away on ASU's Polytechnic campus in Mesa.
In addition to the wind research, faculty members will visit Hopi High School and teach alternative energy and engineering topics in sciences classes to pique student interest in engineering and alternative energy. If the results of the study and analysis are positive, this could be one of the first wind turbine operated by an American Indian tribe located in Arizona. "There are about 13,000 Hopis living on the reservation and some of the villages have no electricity from the outside; some use solar power. If we prove that their return in wind turbines will be larger than the investment, this will influence the community for generations to come," said Henderson. Source: ASU, 3/3/2006.
The National Wind Coordinating Committee has posted the agenda and presentations from its November 30, 2005, Business Meeting held in Washington, DC. Source: NWCC, 3/3/2006.
Two House committees will hear from Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman this week on the Energy Department's $23.6 billion fiscal year 2007 budget and its most controversial element, the $250 million request in startup funding for the ambitious Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. The House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee will hear from Bodman on Wednesday, and the secretary will return to Capitol Hill on Thursday for a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The DOE budget for fiscal 2007 represents flat funding in comparison to the fiscal 2006 budget, but this year's request itself is crafted in a very different manner from the 2006 package.
Besides the GNEP program — which would expand the department's existing advanced fuel cycle program with $170 million in new money and a renewed commitment to the reprocessing of nuclear waste — DOE's budget promotes President Bush's State of the Union "American Competitiveness Initiative," with a $4.1 billion proposed for science and technology programs, $505 million more than 2006 estimates of $3.6 billion. To help pay for those programs, the budget reduces spending on energy resources by closing out oil and gas research, geothermal and hydropower programs, as well as terminating the university nuclear energy program and refocusing the Clean Coal Power Initiative.
The budget also reduces environmental management spending by cutting that program budget to $5.8 billion, down from fiscal 2006 appropriations of $6.6 billion. DOE notes that the peak year for funding of this program was fiscal 2005, and the funding reduction from 2006 primarily reflects the accelerated completion of the Rocky Flats site in Colorado. Finally, DOE has come under fire from some lawmakers for not fully funding policy items in last year's Energy Policy Act. Lawmakers can be expected to ask about funding levels for renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-income home energy assistance. Source: By Mary O'Driscoll, E&E Daily, 3/6/2006.
Western Area Power Administration’s Administrator testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Resources, Subcommittee on Water and Power, March 1 about how Western is implementing selected sections of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Source: Western Closed Circuit, 3/3/2006.
On Thursday, March 2, 2006, Market Strategies, Inc., a full-service custom and syndicated research and strategic consulting firm, announced key findings from its latest benchmarking study of electric and natural gas utilities which notes that overall customer satisfaction has declined by a significant two points on a national basis through the winter of 2005-2006. Driving this decline is a significant decrease in the level of positive response from customers to the value of the natural gas they use and the perceived reasonableness of natural gas rates.
"The total percent satisfied among both residential and small and medium commercial customers has declined thus far by two points over the period from May, 2005 through February, 2006," notes Dr. Andrew Morrison, MSI's chairman and CEO. Dr. Morrison added, "While a two point decline in overall satisfaction may not seem like a lot, this is on a national basis of over 21,000 consumer interviews and nearly 12,000 business-to-business interviews. Moreover, this winter decline in overall satisfaction may well be exacerbated by continuing high energy prices in general, a hot summer, and the significant electric rate increases anticipated in several markets across the United States."
"Electricity and natural gas customers will be very focused on their home and business energy costs for the foreseeable future," says Dr. Morrison. "The challenge for local utilities is to help their consumer and business customers understand how to use energy efficiently. Customers want to be certain that they are receiving the best possible value and service from their local suppliers." For more information on this study, please contact Dr. Andrew Morrison at 734.542.7670. View MSI's National Energy Benchmarking Results webinar online. Source: PRNewswire, 3/2/2006.
Greenfield Community College is planning a solar installation to supply some of the electricity used by its east building. The project is expected to cost in the low- to mid-$20,000s, according to Development Director Regina Curtis. About half of that will most likely be covered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. That is a quasi-public agency that disperses money that utility companies are required by law to contribute from customer payments.
The rest of the money will come from grants researched by Brian Adams, science department chairman at the college. Two vendors sent bids that were opened Friday, Curtis said. The low bid looks viable, she said, but finance officials for the college have not yet reviewed the bids. The college wants the standard 2 kilowatt system, because that's all it can afford right now, Curtis said.
Two kilowatts means the system can generate a maximum of 2,000 watts of power at any time - when there is light. For a power-conscious homeowner, that's a lot of power. For the college, however, Adams acknowledged, it's just a drop in the bucket. The cost of solar installation is still high, compared to traditional energy sources, such as petroleum products, Adams said.
The small systems can be built with an informational kiosk that gives a running account of the power being generated. That information will likely be posted on the college's Web site, Adams said, for use by other educators. The east building is located in an open location, so adding solar panels will be simple, Adams said. The college will try to keep adding on to the solar array as time goes on. "The plan is just to keep adding," he said. Source: By Betsy Calvert, The Republican, 2/27/2006.
The Albuquerque Tribune reported March 1 that Govs. Janet Napolitano (D) of Arizona and Bill Richardson (D) of New Mexico pledged to work together to slash greenhouse gas emissions and tackle the climate change issue for the Southwest region. Under the Southwest Climate Change Initiative signed Tuesday at the National Governors Association annual conference in Washington, the two states will develop ways to measure, forecast and report greenhouse gas levels and identify options for reducing emissions.
The initiative also calls for the states to promote energy efficient technology and renewable energy sources as well as advocate for regional and national climate policies that reflect the needs of the Southwest. "Southwestern states have particular concerns about the impacts of climate change and climate variability on residents, businesses and the environment, including the potential for prolonged drought, severe forest fires, warmer temperatures, increased snowmelt, reduced snow pack and other effects," the governors said. Source: E&E Publishing, 3/2/2006.
Schools across the state are using solar power to cut energy consumption and save money. Thirty-one California schools were awarded more than $4.2 million from the California Energy Commission's Solar Schools Program.
By harnessing the power of the sun and converting it into clean, renewable energy, California's schools will help the state reach its goal of producing 20 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2010. The Solar Schools Program is a combined effort between the California Energy Commission's Emerging Renewables Program and the California Attorney General's Alternative Energy Retrofit Account.
Public and charter schools who met program eligibility requirements earned a one-time special rebate incentive of $6.40 per watt, which was twice the amount of the standard ERP rebate level offered at that time. Under the Solar Schools Program, qualified schools were required to meet all eligibility requirements for the standard rebate under the Emerging Renewables Program and fulfill the following Solar Schools Program criteria:
The amount of funding requested far exceeded the amount available, with over sixty school districts applying for the special rebate incentive. At this time, the Energy Commission does not expect any future funding for the Solar Schools Program. Any school, public or private receiving electric service from the following utility companies- Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison or Bear Valley Electric-are encouraged to apply for and reserve funding under the current ERP rebate program. Source: CEC Release, 3/6/2006.
On Monday, February 28, the Arizona Corporation Commission voted to require regulated electric utilities to generate 15 percent of their energy from renewable resources by 2025. In addition to utility-owned projects, the Commissioners required a growing percentage of the total resource portfolio to come from distributed generation – residential or non-utility owned installations. The distributed energy requirement starts at 5 percent of the total portfolio in 2007 and grows to 30 percent of the total renewable mix after 2011. If a utility does not meet the standard, it can apply for a waiver and go through a hearing but the Commission may still assess a penalty for non-compliance.
To help offset the increased cost of meeting the more aggressive standard, the Commission will raise the Environmental Portfolio Surcharge sharply, from 0.0875 cents/kWh to 0.4988 cents/kWh. There are monthly caps in place to limit the total impact on customer bills. Currently, residential customers are capped at a total of 35 cents. The new cap will be $1.05. Non-residential customers currently have a cap of $13 but that will increase to a maximum charge of $39. For extremely energy-intensive commercial accounts (mines, heavy-manufacturing, etc.) the surcharge is capped at $117, up from $39.
Before taking effect, the rules must go through a review by the Attorney General’s Office and a formal rulemaking process with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office. It could be late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of 2006 before the regulations are binding. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly, 3/3/2006.
A $10-million small-scale wind power project is being proposed in the town of Freedom that would generate enough electricity to power 2,000 Maine households. Competitive Energy Services LLC of Portland has submitted an application to construct three wind turbines on Beaver Ridge, each with a capacity of about 1.5 megawatts.
The three 250-foot-tall towers would have blades 140 feet across, meaning the structures would reach nearly 400 feet in the air. Lighted at night and located on a ridge roughly 1,000 feet above sea level, the towers would be visible from many points in Freedom, a rural community of 750 midway between Waterville and Belfast.
Town officials plan to hold public hearings to get input from residents. Wind power projects are in the works at a handful of locations in Maine stretching from Aroostook County to the western mountains. None has yet been built, and some are drawing opposition from hikers and conservationists concerned about spoiled views and potential harm to migrating birds.
The Freedom proposal may face fewer hurdles because it's smaller and apparently needs only town approval rather than state permits. Richard Silkman, a partner in Competitive Energy Services, said the company has a long-term lease with the owners of the site, Ronald and Susan Price, who own Craneland Farm, a longtime dairy farm. The couple said the wind turbines offer a way to preserve their farmland.
The company has yet to secure turbines or financing and can't proceed without a permit, but the project could be built next year if the town approves. Power would be sold to institutional buyers interested in renewable power, including colleges, hospitals and government purchasers. Competitive Energy Services is a licensed energy provider that helps Maine companies, institutions and organizations buy electricity, natural gas, propane and fuel oil. The Freedom project would represent its first wind energy venture. Source: Boston.com, 3/3/2006.
The US Department of Energy, Solar America Initiative Technology Pathway Partnership has issued a solicitation for a Phase 1, FY 2007 Grant. Source: Grants.gov, 3/4/2006.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on February 1st that the President's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2007 provides for at least $345 million in loans, grants, and other support for energy projects. The budget will help producers manage the impacts of high energy costs while employing renewable energy resources and energy efficient technologies, in support of a comprehensive energy strategy announced by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns in December 2005.
[**Editor's Note: Howard Barnes, General Field Representative, USDA - Rural Utility Service will be presenting at the Capital Project Financing for Utilities Workshop.] Source: RMEL: March e-Newsletter, 3/2/2006.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the availability of $176.5 million in loan guarantees and almost $11.4 million in grants through USDA Rural Development to support investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency by agricultural producers and small businesses.
The renewable energy and energy efficiency loan and grant program was established under Section 9006 of the 2002 Farm Bill. It's been widely used in Minnesota, where about $14 million in grants has been distributed since the program's inception. Minnesota's total is the most of any state. Iowa is second with slightly under $10 million.
Under the program, the maximum amount of a loan guarantee is $10 million. For renewable energy systems, the minimum grant request is $2,500 and the maximum is $500,000. For energy efficiency improvements, the minimum grant request is $1,500 and the maximum is $250,000.
Grants can be for up to 25 percent of the eligible project costs. Grants can be combined with guaranteed loans up to 50 percent of project cost. Applications for grants must be completed and submitted to the Minnesota state office by May 12. Guaranteed loans are available on an ongoing. Applications are due to the national office by July 3. For more information, call Lisa Noty at 507-373-7960, ext. 120. Source: By Lee Bonorden, Austin Daily Herald, 3/3/2006.
The US Department of Energy has released a solicitation for an Alternative Hydrogen Production Pathway and Hydrogen Utilization Grant. Source: Grants.gov, 3/3/2006.
The US Department of Energy has released a solicitation for an Alternative Hydrogen Production Pathway Grant. Source: Grants.gov, 3/3/2006.
The US Department of Energy has released a solicitation for a Hydrogen Utilization Grant. Source: Grants.gov, 3/3/2006.
On March 3, the Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. issued a request for proposals for community wind projects up to 10 MW in capacity. Community wind projects are locally owned and consist of one or a small group of large-scale wind turbines. According to Alan Cowan, program manager, Energy Trust, Oregon has tremendous potential for wind power generation in all areas of the state. “Projects may be proposed by a group of local investors, a landowner, or a government entity such as a city or school district,” said Cowan.
Energy Trust plans to select a minimum of one project in Portland General Electric and Pacific Power’s Oregon service territory, but more projects could be funded, depending on their size and where they are in the process of development. The Energy Trust Board of Directors has allocated funding of $3.5 million for 2006 and 2007. Oregon state energy tax credits may also be available for qualified projects.
To be eligible, projects must be able to arrange a power purchase agreement with Portland General Electric or Pacific Power. Projects must be less than 10 MW in generating capacity. Contact Alan Cowan, phone 503-459-4074, or e-mail questions about the RFP or the Community Wind program.
To help wind developers assess the wind quality at a proposed site, Energy Trust funds a wind anemometer loan program, administered by Oregon State University’s Energy Resource Research Laboratory. A limited number of anemometers are available free of charge to landowners whose sites meet initial screening characteristics. Energy Trust also offers financial assistance in the writing of U.S. Department of Agriculture Value-Added Producer Grant applications for feasibility studies that support farm- or ranch-generated renewable energy projects, including wind, solar or biomass. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly, 3/3/2006.
Renewable Ventures, LLC recently announced its intent to fund up to $100 million in solar energy and other renewable energy projects across the U.S. According to Renewable Ventures, its first round of funding will focus on investment-grade solar photovoltaic projects. “Although solar energy is soaring in popularity, the upfront cost of installing a system is still a major obstacle for potential customers,” said Renewable Ventures CEO Matt Cheney. “Our financing solutions remove that economic barrier of entry, giving electricity consumers easy access to stable power rates and helping solar developers make the sale.” Renewable Ventures noted that under its third-party finance model, the company owns, operates and maintains each facility and sells power to the site host under a power purchase agreement. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 2/28/2006.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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