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Week of May 4, 2009 |
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To recognize the actions of individuals and organizations that are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources through green power markets, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) are sponsoring the 2009 Green Power Leadership Awards. The Leadership Awards banquet will be held on Sep. 14, 2009, in conjunction with Renewable Energy Markets 2009 in Atlanta, Ga.
Nomination period will open on Tuesday, May 5, and are due by 5:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, May 29, 2009. Please see the 2009 Green Power Leadership Awards & Renewable Energy Markets Web site for more information. Source: Green Power Network 4/29/09
On April Fools’ Day, Daniel Press, the head of the environmental studies department, wrote an opinion piece in the San Jose Mercury News deriding UCSC’s recent purchases of renewable energy certificates, calling them a “feel-good scam” and saying that the school, which purchased certificates for 57,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy in 2007, “was getting fleeced by green-energy scammers.” Despite the cover date, however, his piece was no joke, and it was completely wrong.
In 2006, UCSC students voted to raise their tuition by $3 in order to purchase renewable energy certificates to reduce the carbon footprint of the school’s electricity use. Because its utility, PG&E, doesn’t have a green power program that would allow the school to pay extra for a greener mix, the school chose to buy certificates. In 2006, they were for California-based geothermal power. In 2007, over half came from California wind, the rest from a mixture of biomass in Florida and wind in Oklahoma, Texas, and the Dakotas. Read more. Source: City on a Hill Press, 4/30/09
Purchasing all of their U.S. power from renewable energy sources has earned Dell Inc. and Whole Foods Market Inc. top spots on the latest list of the nation's biggest consumers of "green" energy.
Dell and Whole Foods rank 4th and 5th respectively on the ranking from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership. Also ranking among the top 10 are San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco Systems (No. 9), which has operations in Austin, and the city of Houston (No. 10). Intel Corp. ranked No. 1 overall on the list.
The EPA's Green Power Partnership worked with Fortune 500 companies; state, local and federal governments; colleges and universities; and others to generate the list, which highlights who is purchasing the most green power to run their operations.
The nation’s top 50 purchasers are buying more than 11 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions that would be produced from the electricity used in more than 1.1 million average American homes, the report shows. Source: Austin Business Journal, 4/29/09
The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts purchase more than 54 percent of its power from renewable energy sources, making it the 22nd-largest buyer of "green" power in the country, according to federal officials.
The districts use 157.964 million kWh of green energy annually, coming from onsite generation, according to the list.
Wal-Mart's California and Texas facilities ranked 15th on the April 2009 list, and the California State University System came in at No. 50.
Intel Corp. ranked No. 1 overall on the list.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership worked with Fortune 500 companies; state, local and federal governments; colleges and universities; and others to generate the list, which highlights who is purchasing the most green power to run their operations.
See the complete list. Source: Los Angeles Business Journal, 4/29/09
Kohl’s emerged as the No. 1 retailer purchasing green power on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Top Partner list.
Kohl’s was the third largest purchaser overall, behind Intel and Pepsico, respectively.
Walmart’s Texas and California facilities were 15 on the list of 50 top green energy buyers. And Lowe’s was 32.
The EPA defines green power as electricity generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources like wind and solar. The resources generate electricity with a net zero increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
In 2009, Kohl’s purchased more than 600 million kilowatt-hours of green power through renewable energy credits in areas such as solar, wind and landfill gas. That was more than double Kohl’s previous green power commitment and enough to meet 50 percent of the company’s purchased electricity use.
Walmart’s more than 243 million kilowatt-hours accounted for 8 percent of the company’s energy use, and Lowe’s 101 million kilowatt-hours covered 2 percent. Source: Home Textiles Today, 4/27/09
Replication giant Sony DADC earned kudos from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) April 15 for its green energy ways.
Sony DADC said it is buying more than 83 million kilowatt-hours of green power each year, or 44 percent of the total power the company uses annually. Green power is electricity coming from wind, solar, biogas, geothermal or other environmentally safe generators.
“The purchase of renewable energy is one of many critical initiatives we are doing to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Michael Frey, president of Sony DADC Americas. “Purchasing green power helps our organization become more sustainable, while also sending a message to others across the U.S. that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing climate risk.”
The EPA estimates that Sony DADC’s efforts help eliminate the carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to more than 10,000 vehicles, or the amount of electricity used by more than 8,000 American homes in one year.
“America is shifting to a ‘green culture,’ with more and more businesses taking important steps to combat climate change,” said Kathleen Hogan, director of the Climate Protection Partnerships Division at the EPA. “EPA commends Sony DADC for making a long-term commitment to protecting the environment by purchasing green power.”
Sony DADC has stated before that it intends to reduce its total carbon dioxide emissions by 7 percent by the year 2010. Source: Home Media Magazine, 4/15/09
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has signed an agreement to buy landfill gas from Texas to help meet its long-term goals for expanding renewable energy supplies. SMUD will enter into a 15-year contract with Shell Energy for 6 billion British thermal units (Btu) of gas per day.
Most of that will be natural gas from a landfill near Dallas, supplemented by a variable amount of conventional natural gas. The proportion of renewable gas will increase as the landfill project is fully developed. Landfill gas is produced by the decomposition of garbage, and the California Energy Commission has pre-certified that the power produced by the Shell landfill gas will qualify as renewable.
The gas will be used to fuel the Cosumnes Power Plant, which is SMUD's most efficient source of gas-fired generation. The landfill gas will provide between 200 and 300 gigawatt-hours of renewable power per year, or about 8 percent of SMUD's renewable target in 2010.
SMUD will pay about $21 million a year for the landfill gas, which works out to approximately $90 per megawatt-hour of electricity.
"The cost of this supply is higher than our expected energy prices for non-renewable energy but lower than the expected cost of renewables," said Barry Brunelle, SMUD supervisor for natural gas operations. Source: Sacramento Municipal Utility District, 4/15/09
Visit U.S. DOE EERE Green Power Network for more information.
Video footage from Nevada Geothermal Power's last site visit to Blue Mountain March 27, 2009 is now online.
If you have trouble accessing this video go to NGP's Web site, scroll down to bottom of page and click on second video. Source: Nevada Geothermal, 4/29/09
Four U.S. companies are developing plans for biomass-fueled power plants, relying primarily, if not completely, on wood waste. Read more. Source: Biomass Magazine, 4/28/09
The wind energy industry installed over 2,800 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in the first quarter of 2009, with new projects completed in 15 states and powering the equivalent of 816,000 homes, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced today in its first quarter market report. Read more. Source: American Wind Energy Association, 4/28/09
In recognition of the celebration of Earth Day, New York Power Authority (NYPA) President and Chief Executive Officer Richard M. Kessel today announced a major public-private initiative for the potential development of wind power projects in the New York State waters of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
NYPA today released a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to initiate efforts to develop offshore wind projects in the Great Lakes. A Request for Proposals (RFP) to examine technical issues related to the viability of such projects is expected to be released before the end of the month. Read more. Source: New York Power Authority, 4/22/09
PacifiCorp is leading the way nationally in developing and promoting renewable energy while also keeping prices as low as possible for its 1.7 million customers.
PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, came out on top in an April 13 report of wind power development and ownership for 2008 from the American Wind Energy Association, the leading renewable energy trade organization.
The same week, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory ranked Blue Sky, the company’s consumer-choice based renewable energy program, third nationally in the number of participants and the amount of renewable energy sold. Read more. Source: Pacificorp, 4/16/09
Learn more about renewable resources.
The International Grount Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) announces its first-ever Accredited Drillers Training—Applications of Production Drilling and Borehole Construction for GeoExchange Systems course. This new workshop will train individuals on proper construction and completion methods for vertical GeoExchange boreholes. Currently, drilling contractors searching for industry training on GeoExchange heat pumps must attend a full Accredited Installer workshop. Because certain topics covered within the Accredited Installer course do not pertain to drilling contractors, IGSHPA has formed this training course to provide drilling contractors with information that’s unique to them on a GeoExchange job site. See the schedule for classes in your area. Source: IGSHPA, 4/30/09
The Colorado Governor's Energy Office (GEO) has documented that there are over 1,300 geothermal heat pump system installations in Colorado. Based on these findings, five case studies have been produced to document representative examples of residential, commercial, and institutional system installations across Colorado. See the presentations from the April 28 webinar. Source: Utility Web Exchange, 4/28/09
A searchable global map forms the new heart of www.reegle.info, the specialist search engine for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Users can click on a specific location and get the latest events, news, and a sampling of green energy development projects in that area. There is also a catalogue of stakeholders and an energy-oriented profile of the relevant country, including up-to-date statistics and information on local green energy policies and regulations. Read more. Source: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership, 4/27/09
Welcome to the May 2009 issue of the Small Wind Newsletter. In this issue:
Source: Interstate Renewable Energy Council, 4/30/09
Storage is considered the "holy grail" of clean technologies, especially as it relates to the deployment of renewable energy. If we truly want to clean up the grid and make it smarter, all kinds of storage technologies will need to be considered. Download podcast. Source: Renewable Energy World, 4/27/09
Albuquerque, N.M. – proposed date May 20-21
Rapid City, S.D. – proposed date June 30-July 1
Project planners, developers, utility officials and engineers directly involved with energy projects are invited to learn more about wind energy technology applications at these internationally-acclaimed wind energy workshops.
WEATS provides the opportunity to meet with leaders in the U.S. wind energy industry. Get acquainted with Native American members and participants from other countries. Develop useful contacts and practical expertise that will help bring wind energy projects to fruition and ensure successful, profitable operation for years. Source: Public Renewables Partnership, 4/23/09
American Wind Energy Association issues an annual report on small wind every year. The 2008 study, now online, provides a comprehensive overview of number of units installed, size of units, new turbine models introduced. Source: American Wind Energy Association, 4/22/09
Reliably integrating larger amounts of wind, solar, and other variable generation into the bulk power system will require changes to the way the system is planned and operated, stated the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in the special report “Accommodating High Levels of Variable Generation,” (Executive Summary) released today. The report highlights transmission additions and reinforcements, better forecasting of variable generation output, and access to flexible grid resources (including customer participation in targeted demand management, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and large-scale electricity storage) as key contributors to reliably integrating variable resources into the system. Read more. Source North American Electric Reliability Corporation, 4/16/09
EcoAlign has just released its third report in our Project Energy Code series titled, “Cracking the Green Code: Using a Values-Based Model to Improve Customer Communications and Marketing.” The report was written by renowned applied research psychologist, author and speaker John Marshall Roberts and provides communicators with new thinking, methodologies and relevant examples to hone marketing techniques to drive adoption of green products and services.
The report offers a new perspective on “green” marketing. Today’s marketing messages are often too general and lack sufficient depth to resonate with intended audiences. To assist marketers in their efforts and to help bridge the “green gap” of consumers’ stated intentions and their actual behavior, the report introduces a values-based framework that allows communicators to tap into the psyche of consumers to create action-oriented campaigns and programs. Source: EcoAlign, 4/17/09
The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has announced its next Geothermal Finance, Technology, and Development Workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 3, in Seattle, Wash., at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. The workshop will bring together leading geothermal developers, finance and investment specialists, government officials, lawyers, and technology experts from around the nation. It is the fourth in a series of sell-out workshops sponsored by GEA.
The day-long workshop is being held in cooperation with the Mayor of Seattle’s office and with the support of Gold Level Sponsors Ormat and Pratt and Whitney Power Systems. It will include an update on the U.S. geothermal market and keynote presentations by the Mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels and other notable government and industry leaders.
Panels and discussion will include the major items of interest for those interested in developing geothermal projects:
There will also be attention given to transmission status and outlook for renewable projects, insight on overcoming legal and regulatory hurdles, perspectives from utility companies, and discussion on geothermal power in Washington state.
Registration fees are as follows:
GEA Members $195 (pricing includes light breakfast, lunch, snack, and workshop proceedings)
Non-Members $295 (pricing includes light breakfast, lunch, snack, and workshop proceedings)
Source: GEA, 4/15/09
If you missed the webinar, "Four Primary Ways the Stimulus Bill Will Impact the U.S. Wind and Biofuels Industries," presented by Stoel Rives April 14, you can still register to view the presentations. We hope you enjoyed our event if you were able to attend. View the on-demand webinar anytime! Please e-mail your questions, comments and feedback, or call 800-728-7511. Source: Stoel Rives, 4/15/09
Learn more about educational resources.
In an ongoing effort to expand domestic renewable energy, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced plans to provide $93 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support further development of wind energy in the United States during a visit to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) today.
Secretary Chu also announced more than $100 million in funding from the Recovery Act for NREL facility and infrastructure improvements. Read more. Source: DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 4/29/09
The White House will outline tougher goals for greening federal agencies under an executive order now being developed, the administration’s top environmental policy adviser said last week.
“The order will closely integrate federal greening actions and set new goals for energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy, the purchase of fuel-efficient cars, water conservation, and encourage overall sustainability,” said Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in an April 22 speech at the State Department. Read more. Source: Federal Times, 4/27/09
This week, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) welcomed a report by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA)—the fifth such study in as many years—showing that a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) would reduce fuel prices for all sectors, have minimal cost impact on power prices, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions immediately. Read more. Source: AWEA, 4/29/09
Learn more about legislative activities.
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm joined representatives from Mariah Power and MasTech Manufacturing on April 20 to celebrate the opening of a new wind turbine manufacturing plant in Manistee, near the central eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The plant has hired 30 employees, many of them former auto industry workers, to begin its operations and expects to hire 80 more during the next three years. Read more. Source: DOE EERE News, 4/27/09
Mariah Power Co. this month announced the opening of its first high-volume manufacturing site in Manistee, in partnership with materials handling specialists MasTech Manufacturing. The plant will produce the Windspire vertical axis wind turbine, bringing more than 120 jobs to Manistee over the next three years. Manufacturing will take place in a retrofitted auto parts plant and will employ former auto industry workers who have prior experience working with steel, building auto assembly lines and auto robotics. Hear their stories by watching the video. The 30,000-square-foot plant begins operations with 30 employees and will produce 100 Windspire wind turbines per month. Source: Michigan Energy Report, 4/29/09
Thermal gradient drilling began Monday for six holes to gather information about possible generation of electricity using geothermal energy in Chaffee County.
Personnel at Mount Princeton Geothermal LLC said the first hole will be on land owned by Taylor Adam east of the intersection of CR 289 and 290 at the bridge south of Deer Valley Ranch and west of Dead Horse Lake.
The drilling is the first in several events occurring this week regarding geothermal exploration. Read more. Source: Mountain Mail, 4/28/09
American Council on Renewable Energy reports previous estimates for Kansas’ renewable energy future may be far less than the actual potential.
According to the ACORE study, Kansas could be poised to meet a 200 percent renewable energy standard. The report found the state is currently exploiting less than 1 percent of its wind energy potential. At a peak production rate, ACORE found Kansas could be producing 19 gigawatts of wind-generated power by 2024.
Combined with other means of renewable energy, such as solar and geothermal, and Kansas could reach 20 gigawatts of generation—resulting in a renewable energy standard of 200 percent.
The same report found the economic impact through the manufacturing of the equipment needed to exploit this potential—primarily wind turbines and high-voltage transmission lines—could be and additional 11,000 jobs and $1.97 billion in investments for the state.
Nancy Jackson, executive director of the Climate and Energy Project, said in a written statement that she hopes the report will spark further discussion about how Kansas can reach its renewable potential.
“Previous forecasts for Kansas wind development may have fallen far short of what the nation will ask of the Heartland,” she said. “Certainly we need to know more about the cost to consumers and environmental impacts, ... but at this point it seems clear—if we build it, they will come.” Source: Wichita Business Journal, 4/28/09
Learn more about marketing and research.
Request for Proposal SP0600-09-R-0407-0001, renewable energy certificates (RECs) on behalf of various Federal Civilian customers has been issued. Please direct questions to Cindy Ralph, 703-767-8566; or Leslie Simpson, 703-767-8536.
The DOE Recovery Act Clearinghouse is the online source for information about DOE's Recovery Act activities; and also serves as a diaglogue between DOE and the public. The Clearinghouse will provide initial consultations, and make referrals when appropriate to other information sources (Web sites, documents, DOE staff, etc).
For more information, contact the Recovery Clearinghouse, toll free, at 888-DOE-RCVY, or 888-363-7289. Source: Washington State University, 4/23/09
GTP has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DE-PS36-09GO99019, for up to $10 million in FY2009 and with anticipated additional funds of up to $39 million in FY2010, FY2011, FY2012, FY2013, and FY2014, subject to change and Congressional appropriations.
Through this FOA, GTP is seeking projects in a variety of geologic formations that will quantitatively demonstrate and validate stimulation techniques for application in that successfully sustain sufficient fluid flow and heat extraction rates for five to seven years that produce at least 5 MWe (megawatt electric) per year per project site/geothermal reservoir. GTP will also consider projects to further characterize, stimulate, and validate under-used geothermal resources, particularly in urban and rural regions with high electricity costs such as Alaska, Hawaii, the eastern U.S., Indian Reservations, etc. Source: Geothermal Energy Association, 4/15/09
Learn more about funding solicitations.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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