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More companies are learning that being good to the environment is also good for business. Portland General Electric's new Clean Windsm product, 100 percent wind power, offers that opportunity to medium and large businesses, with lower prices and flexible purchases. NIKE, Inc., a longtime user of renewable power, plans to buy Clean Wind. ";Our customers and our employees want to live in a cleaner environment, and this is something that NIKE can do to show that we are committed to making a difference," said Jim Petsche, director of corporate facilities.";Buying green power is another way to show that the triple bottom line of 'natural capitalism' really matters: What is good for people and the planet can also be good for business." The Hillsboro-based manufacturing plant, Epson Portland, Inc., will buy Clean Wind at the highest or Patron level. Randy McEvers, assistant corporate secretary, says the purchase was the logical next step for Epson Portland, a company that has not sent any waste to a landfill since February of 2000. McEvers sees the purchase as a demonstration of leadership that may eventually benefit all customers.";If we inspire other businesses to buy 'green' energy, more wind power plants will be built, and that will draw the cost down for everybody."
PGE renewable power products manager Thor Hinckley pointed out that Clean Wind is a very cost effective, predictable and flexible way for companies to use renewable power. The price, a 1.7 cent per kilowatt-hour premium, is half the rate of a previous program that ran from 2000 until March 2002. Mid-to-large-sized businesses may purchase the amount that meets their needs and budgets, with a minimum purchase of $17 per month.* ";All of the purchases support new wind power generating plants in Oregon and Washington, so the benefits stay close to home," said Angus Duncan, president of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. This nonprofit foundation supplies PGE with its wholesale wind power product. Any company which uses more than 30 megawatts is eligible for the new program. Smaller businesses are already eligible for a variety of green power products under Oregon's electricity industry restructuring law. The new program's customers also receive marketing support from PGE, ranging from window decals to promotion of their names in advertisements. ";Buying renewable power offers proof of a company's commitment to the environment and a sustainable future," said PGE's Hinckley.";It's an act of good corporate citizenship." Businesses or organizations of any size should contact Hinckley at 503-464-8089 for more information on Clean Wind or other renewable power options. Portland General Electric is a recognized leader in the utility industry with more than a century of experience delivering safe and reliable electricity. PGE serves more than 742,000 retail customers in northwest Oregon. The company supports the community through a variety of innovative philanthropic, volunteer and environmental stewardship efforts. Visit PGE on the Web at PortlandGeneral.com. Source: E-mail from Thor Hinckley, PGE, 2/20/2003.
The recently released Green-e Verification Report reveals in 2001, Green-e certified renewable energy products were sold in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In total, 26 separate Green-e certified retail products were offered across the country, and over 120,000 electricity customers chose Green-e certified products in 2001. For the fourth consecutive year, Green-e Verification results also document that certified products met and exceeded the program's strict environmental and consumer protection standards. In all regions, the renewable energy content exceeded Green-e's minimum requirements substantially- a benefit for consumers, renewable power producers and the environment. Despite the collapse of the California energy market, the retention of direct access customers in California was higher then expected in 2001. Verification results, however, were lower overall in 2001, down from numbers reported in 2000. Green-e Program staff report certifying 10 new providers in 2002, including 8 new Tradable Renewable Certificate (TRC) providers. Factors such as these, an increasing trend of large institutional purchases of green power and TRCs, and increased consumer demand in newly restructured states such as Texas could lead to a growth in green power demand in 2002 outside of California. The Green-e Verification Report is available for download on our website at: http://www.green-e.org/pdf/01vr.pdf. For more information, please contact Jennifer Martin, Verification Manager, at jmartin@resource-solutions.org. Source: E-mail from CRS 2/18/2003.
Kinko's, Inc. today announced a series of agreements that increases its projected annual use of green power by 37 percent to approximately 11.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh). The move is part of the company's on-going efforts to integrate sustainable business practices into its operations. Sixty-six Kinko's® locations in California, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington have joined the company's on-going efforts to support the development and use of renewable energy. Kinko's new purchases will help avert more than three million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. That's equivalent to taking more than 250 cars off the road this year or planting more than 270,000 trees during the same period. "Caring for the environment is part of Kinko's culture and our core values. Our recently adopted Kinko's Global Commitment is driving us to identify and integrate more sustainable business practices," stated Larry Rogero, director of environmental affairs for Kinko's. "Using renewable power is a necessary step for our business to take on its journey to becoming a more sustainable business. This action delivers the lasting environmental, economic and social benefits derived from using clean, renewable and locally produced energy." "Kinko's has consistently shown its dedication to building the business case for and the creation of new, cost-competitive green power," said Jonathan Lash, President of World Resources Institute (WRI).
WRI is an environmental think tank that convenes the Green Power Market Development Group (www.thegreenpowergroup.org http://www.thegreenpowergroup.org ), a collaboration of WRI, Kinko's, and nine other leading corporations dedicated to building corporate markets for green power. "Kinko's new agreements are yet another example of the company's continued leadership in the pursuit of sustainable business practices, and we at WRI encourage other companies to explore the potential for their businesses." Kinko's new agreements include new purchases in and around Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle. In Southern California, 19 Kinko's locations have joined the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's Green Power Program. Participating branches will purchase between 10 and 20 percent of their electricity needs in the form of renewable energy through the Green Power Program, a part of LADWP's Green LA Program. In the Philadelphia area, Kinko's has expanded its existing renewable energy relationship with Green Mountain Energy Company. Kinko's has upgraded 10 stores to 100 percent renewable energy and added four participating locations in Philadelphia and Greensburg, Penn. Kinko's also recently added to its green power purchases with Portland General Electric in Oregon by becoming one of the first commercial customers for PGE's Clean WindSM product, a new wind power product designed to meet the needs of medium and large businesses. Five Portland-area locations signed up to purchase 20 percent of their power needs through this new program. They join seven locations that qualified for PGE's Green Mountain EnergySM electricity program last year.
Twenty-nine Kinko's locations in the Seattle/Puget Sound area have begun purchasing renewable energy to fulfill between five to 25 percent of their power needs. The new agreements were made possible by Seattle City Light's Green Power program, Snohomish County PUD's Planet Power, and Puget Sound Energy's Green Power Plan, which is supplied by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Buying renewable power through agreements like these is not new to Kinko's. Kinko's made its first two renewable energy purchases in Pennsylvania and California in 1999 and now buys green power at more than 150 branches in 13 states. Continued efforts in this area resulted in Kinko's being recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency and United States Department of Energy as the 2002 Green Power Partner of the year. Kinko's is also a founding member of the Green Power Market Development Group. Kinko's concern for the environment is a natural fit for a company that was founded in 1970 - the same year as the first Earth Day celebration was held. The company has grown its environmental initiatives over the years. In 1997, Kinko's adopted an Environmental Vision Statement that identifies the environmental performance targets the company aims for as it serves customers. In 2003, the company adopted the Kinko's Global Commitment. With this commitment, Kinko's recognizes the need to embrace sustainable business practices that not only generate economic, social and environmental value today but also for future generations. Other sustainable initiatives underway at the company include energy conservations, use of recycled products, incorporating green building concepts into its retail locations, product stewardship guidelines for suppliers, and waste minimizing and recycling programs. For more information, please visit http://www.kinkos.com. Source: E-mail from Kinko's 2/12/2003.
Out in the far dirt-road reaches of northern Los Angeles County, the five-member Scott family relies on electricity more than most -- in fact, three times as much. The Scotts' five-acre spread in Acton consumes triple the power of the typical household in Southern California Edison territory, partly because of the property's size and the need to pump well water. So when rate increases pushed the monthly electric bill over $600 two years ago, Daniel Scott went way beyond the usual energy-efficiency measures: He installed three windmills in his yard. With a new breed of small, efficient wind turbines, homeowners such as Scott can shrink their electricity bills and provide a tiny assist with California's energy problems. But as Scott found out, getting a home windmill up and running in Los Angeles County is anything but a breeze. Among the places that permit small wind turbines, the county stands out as having some of the toughest rules, despite a 2001 state law to encourage windmills, according to alternative-energy firms.
Los Angeles County calls for special fencing, lights, bonding and studies that can add thousands of dollars and months of delay to the windmill approval process, manufacturers and dealers contend. In Kern County, by comparison, a homeowner needs only engineering plans, a few hundred dollars and a few days to get a wind system permit. "Los Angeles County is the worst place in the entire country to try to put in a small wind system," said John Supp, sales director for Southwest Windpower of Flagstaff, Ariz., one of the nation's largest manufacturers of small wind turbines. "You have to jump through hoops of fire with a blindfold on and shell out lots and lots of money." Supp's criticism is echoed by other companies, and although state officials say they don't keep close tabs on local zoning laws, they hate to hear of anything that might be slowing the growth of wind power. "We are concerned when any kind of unnecessary barriers are put in place for any kind of renewable energy," said Tim Tutt, technical director of the California Energy Commission's renewable energy program. "The aim is to expand the market for these ... renewable energy sources."
Los Angeles County officials say their conservative approach is appropriate because turbines must coexist with homes. In fact, wind turbines are banned in several spots around the state where the population is too dense, such as San Francisco, and in environmentally sensitive areas. Other places, including Orange County, don't get enough strong wind to make turbines an issue. Much of north Los Angeles County, however, is considered prime wind-energy territory. The Energy Commission has been targeting homeowners across the state with slick brochures on the benefits of backyard windmills, but it has paid special attention to Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties because of strong winds (averaging 10 mph) and clusters of people with the land and money to install turbines. These are not the giant commercial wind contraptions of the San Gorgonio Pass and other blustery areas, which soar 200-plus feet in the air and have rotor blades more than 80 feet long. Home models are usually less than half as high, with rotors under 12 feet long.
Home wind systems cost $5,000 to $50,000 to install, but Energy Commission rebates can trim that bill in half. Add in tax credits, and the windmill can pay for itself in seven years, according to the commission. Results vary, but Scott said his windmills have cut his family's power bills in half. Still, the big picture on home wind power is small. The Energy Commission said its incentives have helped generate less than 1 megawatt of wind energy capacity, compared with 15 megawatts of solar capacity. One megawatt is enough to power about 750 homes. A big reason for the disparity is that solar energy works for more homeowners in sunny California. Solar systems also come with fewer permit hurdles. Yet windmills are cheaper, and manufacturers say there would be more turbines up and spinning were it not for bureaucratic roadblocks in Los Angeles County. At this point, the county has only a handful of home windmills operating. The windmill law, AB 1207, was designed to eliminate onerous local restrictions, such as the 35-foot backyard windmill height limit that was common around the state. Under AB 1207, residents can erect towers at least 65 feet high on parcels of one to five acres.
But the law still gives local governments leeway to impose other restrictions. Los Angeles County's windmill ordinance, adopted last year, requires lights approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to ward off aircraft and fencing or other measures to ward off climbers. The ordinance also requires homeowners to post a bond to cover the cost of removing their windmills should that become necessary. The county's restrictions are "expensive and kind of silly," and getting a permit alone can cost $4,000 or more, said Mike Bergey, president of Bergey Windpower, a Norman, Okla., manufacturer. In addition, Los Angeles County forbids placing the turbines on ridges -- the best spots to generate wind power, said Supp of Southwest Windpower. Los Angeles County officials call their ordinance a compromise between the desire to encourage alternative energy and the need to protect neighbors from unsightly views. "There have been concerns raised by neighbors and others in the community about having them all over the hillsides, and we want to be sensitive to that," said Conal McNamara, land-use deputy to county Supervisor Mike Antonovich. Antonovich represents most of the north county.
County regional planner Lee Stark said the old rules "were much more onerous," requiring homeowners to pay $6,000 merely to apply for a waiver of the 35-foot height limit -- and with no guarantee of getting it. The county is willing to work with homeowners to meet the requirements, said wind energy consultant Bruce Hatchett, who works for a Quartz Hill contractor called Energy Plus, the only dealer to have obtained county permits under the new law. But none of Hatchett's customers were willing to be interviewed for fear of angering county planners and jeopardizing their projects. The American Wind Energy Assn. is concerned that restrictions such as those in Los Angeles County will discourage homeowners, and the trade group is preparing a handbook to guide planning department officials. "For a lot of us who think that wind energy is the way of the future, the turbines certainly are a lot less ugly than some people's lawn furniture or other things they put in their yard," said Heather Rhoads-Weaver, small-wind-system advocate for the Washington-based organization.
When Daniel Scott installed his windmills, the county's 35-foot height limit was in place. But the wind is not as strong that low, so Scott needed three turbines to make the project worthwhile. Then he had to convince county planners that he was not building a commercial wind farm. In all, it took nine months for Scott to get the approvals. "I had to educate them," said Scott, a power plant supervisor for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The wind turbines began generating electricity in March, and several months later Scott decided to boost his system's output with solar photovoltaic panels and a solar hot-water heater. The solar permits were granted after only one month. At times, the meter actually runs backward, he said, meaning that the system has covered his family's needs and is sending extra power to Edison for use by other customers. The family's electricity bill now averages about $80 a month after Edison credits the Scotts for the power they produce with their hybrid wind-solar system. "When the wind blows and the sun shines, this thing really gets cranking," Scott said. "I'm really happy when that happens." Source: Los Angeles Times 2/11/2003.
After decades in dormancy, the solar industry has reawakened in the Philadelphia area, and is showing signs of really taking off. In the first year of the Sustainable Development Fund's (SDF) solar Photovoltaic Grant program, 200 kilowatts (kW) of solar PV capacity have been built or committed to in the PECO service area. This is more solar electricity than Pennsylvania has developed in its entire history! Since SDF increased its maximum solar PV grant from $8,000 to $25,000, the number of applications to the program have increased significantly. Grants can support PV systems for any customer class: residential, commercial or industrial. So far two commercial systems have been funded: the largest, a 75 kW system was installed in April 2002 on the Ortho McNeill facility in Springhouse, PA. The second, a 10 kW system, is scheduled to be installed this spring on the City of Philadelphia's new Police Forensics Science Center on 7th Street in Philadelphia. The majority of the currently installed systems are residential, ranging in size from 1.5 to 5 kW, and located in Chester, Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties. SDF is in discussion with housing developers in the region, who are interested in incorporating solar PV into all of the new homes they build. Schools, child-care centers, and affordable housing developments are also among the applicants. Another exciting development is the commitment from Home Depot and Astropower to include the Philadelphia area in their solar PV program. This program allows Home Depot customers to purchase Astropower solar PV systems with a full warranty on all aspects of the system, and financing from Home Depot. It has been operating in California for almost two years, and in Delaware and parts of New Jersey and New York for six months. Current plans are to roll this program out in April in the Philadelphia Home Depot stores.";The pace of change is accelerating as more and more people learn about the SDF solar grant program," according to Liz Robinson, Director of the Energy Coordinating Agency. For more information on solar energy check out www.phillysolar.org and www.trfund.com/sdf/solarpv.
Source: PennFuture's Green Power Update 2/24/2003.
WIND ENERGY IS NO LONGER A SCIENCE project," says Steve Zwolinski, president and CEO of GE Wind Energy, a subsidiary of GE Power Systems, Atlanta. Zwolinski, above, expects the wind energy sector to grow 20% per year with an emphasis on Europe, the U.S. and Latin America. To meet demand for larger, more efficient wind turbines, GE Wind Energy is field-testing the first commercial unit rated over three megawatts. "Turbine size is what has really driven down the cost of wind energy." Government policies (tax structure and subsidies) and issues such as the Kyoto treaty are encouraging fossil fuel alternatives. For example, the European Union's goals by 2010 include having 22% of its electrical power come from renewable sources. Zwolinski thinks similar gains are possible in the U.S. with the right incentives and technology gains. "There's enough wind power potential from North Dakota to Texas to feed the entire U.S."
GE says Europe in 2001 acquired nearly two-thirds of the total wind power capacity added globally-- about 4,500 megawatts. The U.S. grew by 1,700 megawatts, more than double its previous record in 1999, says the American Wind Energy Association. Already close to 30 million Europeans use wind-generated power with Germany being the largest producer, says GE. In Denmark wind turbines generate close to 20% of the electrical power. Thus far GE claims more than 5,500 installations with a rated capacity exceeding 3,000 megawatts. Its top customers include EHN in Spain, Umweltkontor in Germany; and Florida Power & Light, American Electric Power, and PacifiCorp in the U.S. Zwolinski says the new turbine will become commercially available in 2004. His current line-up has wind generators rated at 750 and 900 kilowatts and 1.5 megawatts. A single 1.5-megawatt wind turbine can supply about 400 American households, says the American Wind Energy Association. The prototype's design is based on GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbine, a series introduced in 1996. More than 1,150 of those units are in operation, says Zwolinski. To produce the prototype, designers increased the generator size and upped the rotor diameter to 104 meters with a swept area of 8,495 square meters. Those used offshore will have a 75 meter hub height because wind shear is less of a factor in that environment. GE's wager on wind power started in May 2002 with the acquisition of Enron Wind by GE Power Systems. Source: Industry Week 2/21/2003.
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) recently announced it will increase the total generating capacity of its Solano Wind Project near Rio Vista, CA by 10 megawatts (MW) after it completes the installation of 15 new, 660-kilowatt (kW) turbines at the wind farm later this year. The utility said the $20-million project is part of an energy supply plan adopted last year that will increase SMUD's total wind power production to 50 MW by 2006. "Moving forward with the wind turbine [project] provides a diverse resource of power generation and a clean source of renewable energy for [California's Central Valley region]," said SMUD assistant general manager Jim Shelter. SMUD said the 15 new turbines, which will cost $1.2 million each, will be sited next to existing turbines at the facility. According to SMUD construction manager Russell Morris, the new 241-foot-tall turbines are able to begin generating power at wind speeds of seven miles per hour (mph) and will continue to operate in winds up to 58 mph. Source: Sacramento Bee 2/17/2003 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 2/21/2003.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council invites non-federal government agencies, K-12 educational facilities and other not-for-profit organizations to submit entries in its 11th annual IREC National Renewable Energy Recognition Awards competition. Eligible programs or topics include education, energy policy, legislation, regulatory actions, demonstration projects, research and development, or financial incentives. Projects must have been completed during 2002. Entrees are due by March 15, 2003. The awards will be made in conjunction with the IREC Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas in June 2003. Up to five awards will be made nationally. A Review Committee appointed by IREC's Executive Committee will judge the entries. The recipients will be recognized during IREC's annual meeting and will receive a commemorative plaque from IREC. The winning entries will be posted on the IREC website and will be featured in a brochure to be distributed to all attendees at the annual meeting. Download application form at: http://www.irecusa.org/articles/static/1/1044380909_987098175.html . Source: IREC / MSR Newsletter 2/21/2003.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has recently released four case studies on photovoltaic applications in the Midwest:
The four case studies include details on system design, installation, production data and emissions avoidance and can be found at: http://www.state.ia.us/dnr/energy/programs/solar/index.htm. For a CD containing copies of all four case studies, or for more information, contact Dave Evans at (515) 281-6150. Source: IREC / MSR Newsletter 2/21/2003.
Governor and Legislature on how to utilize the Renewable Energy Program funds allocated for the Customer Credit Renewable Resources Account most effectively. Under the direction of the Energy Commission's Renewables Committee, the staff drafted a report, Customer Credit Renewable Resources Account, Report to the Governor and the Legislature. A staff workshop will be held March 3, 2003, to solicit public comments on the staff draft report. For details, please go to: http://www.energy.ca.gov/renewables/02-REN-1038/notices/2003-02-20_notice.html. Source: E-mail from CEC 2/21/2003.
There's been a lot of talk about wind farms being hazardous to birds. But a new study proves that it is just talk. According to the study just completed for the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy, windmills and birds can live in harmony after all. Potential impacts on birds are often cited as a primary concern in environmental reviews of proposed wind farms, but data in the new study says windows of buildings and cats kill more birds than windmills. The reason, the study suggests, is that wind turbine developers have learned how to design wind farms with larger slower-moving blades and tubular rather than lattice towers to avoid attracting birds. And they've learned not to build turbines in places where birds are abundant. Despite the minimal impact on birds of wind farms, wind farms should not be built close to endangered species or in sensitive bird habitat areas.
The study compared both seasonal and landscape avian and bat use with mortality. Information was compiled with data from more than 30 study areas at 15 wind projects. The level of impact claimed by opponents (tens of thousands of dead birds per year) is far beyond what the evidence supports. The national average for all wind turbines in the U.S. (15,000 recently) is about 2.2 bird deaths per turbine per year. The opponents' claim translates to many hundreds of deaths per turbine per year, which is ten to many hundred times more than any actually experienced at any wind site, even those in major migratory pathways. For comparison, consider the following statistics:
If you consider the above scientific study and statistics, the choice for clean electricity is an obvious one. But perhaps you're still not convinced. If not, take a moment to consider the devastating effects of the conventional alternatives (coal, gas, nuclear) on birds, not to mention the contributions these old power plants make to acid rain, smog, mercury deposition, and global warming – which option would you choose? Source: PennFuture's Green Power Update 2/24/2003.
The Government will today deliver its strongest warning yet on the state of the world's changing environment. The long-awaited White Paper on Energy is expected to warn of catastrophic climate changes over the next six decades. Thousands of square miles in the UK will disappear under rising sea levels and freak weather patterns are likely to become the norm, according to the report. The document is being published on the same day scientists are pointing to the spread of a natural phenomenon which they claim is concrete proof of global warming. The appearance of dazzling electric blue clouds on the edge of the Earth's atmosphere is a tell-tale sign of the effect of global warming on Earth's weather patterns. The thin wispy glowing clouds, known as "night shining", or noctilucent clouds, have been seen from Earth and photographed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Until recently, night shining was only visible in northern countries such as Britain, Scandinavia and Russia, but now they have been spotted as far south as Utah and Colorado in the US.
Professor Gary Thomas, from the University of Colorado in Denver, said: "The clouds were first spotted during the industrial revolution in the 19th century, a time of rising greenhouse gas production. But in recent years they have been seen in parts of the world they have never previously been associated with." Meanwhile, today's report from the Department of Trade and Industry is expected to warn that temperatures across the globe could rise by as much as 6 C over the next 60 years, compared to 0.6 C over the past century. The dramatic warming would result in the West enjoying a Mediterranean climate in the summer and milder, wetter winters. But flooding and storms would also become a regular occurrence, while deserts would spread into the south of Europe. Farming in the UK would have to undergo fundamental changes, with summers become much drier and hotter. Today Tony Blair will warn Britain about the dire consequences of failing to deal with the looming crisis. The Prime Minister is expected to say that the time has come to get serious about changing the way we produce and consume energy. And he will argue the current crisis has been caused by our continuing "addiction" to fossil fuels over the past 200 years in the face of all the scientific warnings. As well as the catastrophic effect on the climate, Mr Blair will also point to the fact that the UK's continuing reliance on fossil fuels will make the country vulnerable on the world political stage. A reliance on imported fuel leaves the UK exposed to changing prices and unstable political conditions in oil-producing nations.
A spokesman for the Department of Trade and Industry refused to comment on the White Paper ahead of its publication. But he acknowledged the key document would look at issues such as Britain becoming a net importer of gas and oil, renewable energy and climate change, as it was addressing all future energy policy. Last week Energy Minister Brian Wilson hinted that current Government targets for increasing the use of renewable energy sources, including wind and wave power, would be dropped. But it now appears tough new targets will be introduced. Mr Wilson will launch the White Paper today alongside Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt. He said: "I am less interested in setting targets than in creating the conditions which will ensure that there will be an increasing share of the market taken by renewable energy." A spokesman for Friends Of The Earth said the White Paper's predictions on energy supplies and climate change were likely to prove accurate. The organization said the bleak picture painted in the White Paper shows the need for a shift in emphasis towards renewable energy. "It is dangerous to be addicted to fossil fuels and that addiction is already a source of conflict around the world," a spokesman stated. "It shows the need for a large-scale shift to renewables and a more energy efficient economy." The Government is expected to pledge that 10 per cent of all of the UK's electricity should come from renewable sources by 2010, and targets for 2020 should be "around" 20 per cent. Hundreds more wind farms in locations such as the Bristol Channel will be built, and tidal control systems given the go-ahead. Source: Western Daily Press 2/24/2003.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Finance Committee, has introduced legislation to extend the production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy for three years. The bill was introduced with a bipartisan group of 12 bipartisan co-sponsors, including Max Baucus (D-Mont.), John Breaux (D-La.), Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Michael Crapo (R-Iowa), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine). "The potential for wind energy in Iowa is unlimited," Grassley said. "Wind is a clean, abundant natural source of energy. Cultivating this resource makes perfect sense for Iowa, especially in these times of energy shortages and soaring prices." Iowa ranks third nationally in terms of installed wind power capacity, with 423 MW, behind only California and Texas. From 1999 to 2001, wind energy capacity in Iowa grew by 33%. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources estimates that Iowa has the potential to produce nearly five times its own annual electrical needs through wind power. Grassley's statement outlines the case for government support of wind power, saying that greater reliance on wind energy reduces carbon emissions by displacing fossil generation, increases U.S. energy independence, and produces substantial economic benefits for farmers in rural areas. Grassley said that Iowa's major wind farms already pay more than $640,000 per year to land owners. AWEA executive director Randall Swisher commented, "We are extremely grateful for Chairman Grassley's strong leadership in pursuing this legislation. The wind industry urgently needs a multi-year extension of the PTC in order to avoid layoffs and lost business and investment, and we look forward to working with Chairman Grassley to secure it." For further information on the status of PTC extension legislation, contact Jaime Steve or Jon Chase of AWEA's legislative staff, phone (202) 383-2500. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly 2/21/2003.
Seattle City Light paid consultants almost $50,000 last year to run and analyze focus groups that were asked to rate the utility's performance and the performance and credibility of local politicians, newspapers and Gogerty Stark Marriott, one of the city's top lobbying firms, was paid $26,500 to give advice to City Light based on comments by those in the focus groups, which were conducted last April by another consultant who was paid $22,600. Critics call the project a waste of ratepayer money and a prime example of City Light worrying more about image than performance under Gary Zarker's watch. "It looks overtly political to me," said City Councilman Jim Compton. "How did that $50,000 really benefit the ratepayers?" Zarker, City Light's superintendent, said it was not unusual for utilities to perform market research to know what customers were thinking. He denied any political motivation. Don Stark of Gogerty Stark Marriott called the criticism of the focus groups "the most tired, silly thing I have heard." He said City Light had been battered unfairly by bad publicity, including "a campaign on the part of The Seattle Times" and the Municipal League to "inflame" public opinion against City Light. The utility wanted to find out "where do we stand with the public."
City Light is the nation's ninth-largest publicly-owned utility. It has an annual budget of $1 billion, which includes $2.5 million for public relations. Bob Royer, the utility's director of communications, said he viewed the focus groups as "one of the ways of talking to our customers." He said past focus groups had been convened to assess the utility's messages on energy conservation and deregulation. The $50,000 came out of City Light's public-relations budget, which covers $849,000 for salaries and wages, $535,000 for advertising and consulting, $632,000 for printing and $488,000 for other expenses. Rather than have the salaried City Light PR people do the focus groups and draw the conclusions, Royer said, the utility wanted outside expertise, "a fresh set of eyes." The four focus groups consisted of about a dozen people each. They were culled from City Light's residential and business customers, and had lengthy discussions of their feelings about City Light's service and performance. As part of that, the focus groups were asked to rate the job performance of several utilities and elected officials, including Mayor Greg Nickels, the Seattle City Council, the state Legislature, City Light and Puget Sound Energy. Nickels got the highest rating, while the Legislature came out the lowest. City Light fell in the middle. Later, the focus groups were asked to gauge the credibility of City Light compared with local newspapers, politicians and community groups. Of groups that were recognized by most focus-group participants, "an independent auditor" was rated highest. The Seattle Times came next, just ahead of City Light, which ranked slightly above the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Nickels and Seattle City Councilwoman Heidi Wills, head of the committee that oversees City Light, ranked last. (The Seattle Times published a series of stories last year that called into question the utility's performance during the energy crisis of 2000-01.) Based on the focus-group comments, Stark wrote a three-page letter last August summarizing his advice to the utility. Stark wrote that the groups were encouraging, and that participants showed "goodwill" toward City Light and didn't seem interested in "rehashing the causes of rate increases." Instead, people wanted to hear steps the utility was taking to ensure the problems of the energy crisis "would not reoccur." Stark advised the utility to focus on ways to get its message out to the community, including efforts to seek "well informed" media coverage as well as talks with business groups and utility employees. Gogerty Stark Marriott is one of the city's premier lobbying and public-affairs firms, employing former journalists and ex-city officials to influence public policy and opinion. When news of the firm's hiring was reported last year, some critics questioned the utility's motives. Suspicions deepened when it was learned the focus groups had been asked to rate local politicians -- questions that some said sounded like political polling.
The Municipal League of King County, a civic watchdog group that has been critical of City Light, also was the subject of focus-group questions. Though many didn't recognize the group, those who did ranked it as a more credible source of information on energy matters than City Light. Despite that compliment, one Municipal League official said he was disgusted with City Light spending ratepayer dollars on the project. "If they want to compare their credibility with Heidi Wills and the Municipal League, they shouldn't pay for that with public money," said Bruce Carter, chairman of the league's energy committee. Source: The Seattle Times 2/20/2003.
Colorado power companies would be required to acquire some of their energy from alternative, renewable sources under a bill that passed on a voice vote in the House on Thursday afternoon. House Bill 1295, sponsored by Speaker Lola Spradley, R-Buelah, and co-sponsored by Minority Leader Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, now heads to the Senate. It is meant as a boost to alternative energy sources, including wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy. The bill directs the Public Utilities Commission to set standards and prices for that energy and also increases every year the amount of renewable energy that power companies would be required to produce or buy from other companies. Spradley said time and technology have driven down the price of nonfossil fuels to the point where they are feasible. "Would I have carried this bill 10 years ago? No," she said. "This is a declining-cost industry, and the cost has come down far enough." As power companies use renewable sources for an increasingly large percentage of the state's overall power, the cost will continue to fall, which will benefit both consumers and the environment, she said. Rep. Tom Plant, D-Nederland, agreed. "We are excessively reliant on one form of energy," he said. "It makes sense to work on the overreliance of our energy sources." Source: Denver Post 2/11/2003.
The 72-page Report to the 2003 Nevada State Legislature and to the Governor of the State of Nevada was issued on January 30, 2003 by the Nevada Renewable Energy & Energy Conservation Task Force (see .pdf download below). This effort begun on November 16, 2001 by Gov. Kenny Guinn (R) was staffed by the office of Nevada's Chief Deputy Attorney General & Consumer Advocate Tim Hay and his representative on the 9-member Task Force, Bob Cooper, Senior Regulatory Analyst. Task Force Chair Rose McKinney-James said the Report would "move Nevada to an unprecedented level of energy independence and national leadership." In its description of Nevada's solar resources, the report notes:";In December 2002, Sierra Pacific Resources announced that its two Nevada-based utilities have signed long-term contracts with Duke Solar Energy LLC to supply 50 megawatts of electricity generated by solar thermal power from a plant to be located in Eldorado Valley, near Boulder City, Nevada. Nevada Power Company contracted for approximately two-thirds of the power and Sierra Pacific Power Company contracted for approximately one-third." The Report's 15 Recommendations (following a set of Findings) are part of 7 Mandates.
Task Force Mandates: In order to fully address each mandate it was given, the Task Force prioritized the mandates it would address in its first year. Mandates not fully addressed in the first year will be addressed in subsequent years. The Task Force heard 12 months of presentations from –and held conversations with—renewable energy and energy conservation stakeholders. The findings and recommendations are broken out by mandate. Here are the topic areas of the more detailed Mandates, Findings, Task Force Activities and Recommendations in the Executive Summary and Full report.
For more information, contact Bob Cooper at rccooper@ag.state.nv.us in the Nevada Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer protection. Source: IREC E-mail 2/21/2003.
Officials with Maryland's general assembly recently announced that the legislative body is currently considering a bill that would require 7.5 percent of the state's retail electricity to be produced using renewable energy resources by 2013. Under the proposed legislation, known as House Bill 370, the state would be required to generate 0.5 percent of its electricity using renewables beginning in 2006, gradually increasing to 7.5 percent within 10 years. Lawmakers said the bill, which has been introduced in the assembly for the past four years, is supported by a number of state delegates and state senators, including delegate George Edwards and senator John Hafer. "I am definitely in favor of wind power," said Hafer. Officials with the environmental coalition Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) said the bill is primarily intended to support wind energy projects, but includes such renewable energy resources as solar, biomass, geothermal, tidal and wave energy. "Pretty much everybody agrees that this is a wind bill, though," said CCAN official Mike Tidwell. CCAN noted that the bill must be approved by the state senate's finance committee and the house of delegates' economic matters committee. Source: Cumberland Times News 2/13/2003 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 2/20/2003.
Cedar Falls, IA-based Cedar Falls Utilities (CFU) recently announced it has reached a six-megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement with the Hancock County Wind Energy Center near Garner, IA. CFU general manager Jim Krieg said the agreement increases the amount of renewable energy in the utility's total portfolio to 5.5 percent. Krieg noted that the price of the power generated by the facility is similar to that offered by other wind energy facilities in the surrounding area. "At this time, it is still somewhat more expensive than power generated at our coal facilities," said Krieg. "Overall we think diversifying our generation mix is the best strategy for the future." Although CFU's board of trustees voted to participate in the Hancock project, the utility said it does not currently plan to participate in other renewable energy projects. CFU spokeswoman Betty Zeman said there are currently no renewable energy requirements for utilities of CFU's size. However, Zeman noted that the company expects a bill requiring such utilities to develop renewable energy resources to be introduced in the Iowa legislature later this year. CFU said the Hancock Wind Energy Center, which is owned and operated by FPL Energy, has a total generation capacity of 98 MW. Source: Cedar Falls Courier 1/5/2003 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 1/7/2003.
Exploratory Drilling Program to Evaluate the Lifetime and Current Potential of the Florida Canyon Geothermal System, Pershing County Nevada; Submitting Organization: UNR - Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy; Industry Partner: PRESCO Energy LLC (Englewood, CO), Apollo Gold Inc./Florida Canyon Mining Inc. (Imlay Nevada); Amount Requested: $499,494; Cost Share: $10,170 (Apollo Gold) $64,900 (Presco Energy); Total Proposal Amount: $574,564;
Project Description: The objectives of this project are to develop new methods to evaluate the lifetime and resource potential of geothermal systems in general and to develop the geothermal resources within the Humboldt House Geothermal Area (HHGA). (The HHGA resource area shows promise for becoming the single largest geothermal production field in Nevada.) The project will perform geochemical and petrographic analyses and provide preliminary interpretation of all data in terms of a geologic model of HHGA. Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
Please find below the link to the California Energy Commissions (CEC) Notice of Awards Energy Innovations Small Grant Program Solicitation 02-02, Approved by the California Energy Commission on February 19, 2003. See the CEC Energy Innovations Small Grant Program information at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/contracts/smallgrant/2003-02-21_awards_02-02.html. Source: E-mail from CEC 2/21/2003.
Oklahoma City, OK-based OG&E Electric Services recently issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking a "large-scale" wind power producer to provide 50 megawatts (MW) of wind-generated electricity for purchase by OG&E customers by the fall of 2004. The utility noted that the wind purchase agreement is subject to approval by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. "We believe that many of our customers are interested in purchasing electricity generated from renewable resources, even if it means paying a bit more," said OG&E spokesman Brian Alford. "This program will give our customers a renewable energy option." OG&E said all proposals must be submitted in March, with the selection process to take place in April or May. Contact: OG&E, website http://www.oge.com. Source: PR Newswire 2/19/2003 via EIN Renewable Energy Today 2/21/2003.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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