EREN Network News

December 15, 1999

News and Events

• Los Angeles to Pursue Fuel Cells, Electric Cars, and Trees
• Study: Efficiency, Renewables can Achieve Kyoto Goals
• Study: E-Commerce is Energy Efficient
• DOE Funds Alternative Fuel Vehicles in 32 National Parks
• Enron Wind Dedicates California Wind Power Project

Site News

• earthsmartcars

• Electric Rates Took a Big Drop in 1998
• Energy and the Y2K Problem

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Los Angeles to Pursue Fuel Cells, Electric Cars, and Trees
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) last week received approval to initiate several energy efficiency projects, including a fuel-cell system, an electric car program, and the planting of trees at schools throughout the city. The DWP Board approved the installation of a 250-kilowatt molten carbonate fuel cell plant, to be manufactured and installed by Fuel Cell Energy, Inc.

DWP will also work with the U.S. Postal Service to support the use of 100 electric-powered delivery vehicles at four Los Angeles Post Offices. DWP may provide charging stations, training, or partial funding for the vehicles. The Postal Service announced its plans to buy electric vehicles in August 1999.

DWP will also extend its "Cool Schools" tree planting program to plant 4200 trees at 35 Los Angeles schools. DWP has already planted 3500 trees, with plans for 500 more, in the first phase of this project. The trees provide shade and natural cooling to reduce energy use in the city's schools.

For more information about these projects, see the DWP press release.

Study: Efficiency, Renewables can Achieve Kyoto Goals
A new study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) finds that a combination of 10 policies to improve U.S. energy efficiency and encourage the use of renewable energy could achieve the U.S. greenhouse gas emissions targets that were stated in the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement on climate change, sets a U.S. target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by roughly 2010. Rather than costing money, the study finds that achieving the Kyoto targets would save the United States $200 billion by 2010. See the ACEEE press release and a summary of the report.

The ACEEE report stands in contrast to the recently released "Annual Energy Outlook 2000," produced by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA). The new Outlook predicts that economic growth will spur an increase in U.S. energy-related carbon emissions (the primary greenhouse gas) to nearly 33 percent above 1990 levels by 2010. A renewable energy requirement and energy efficiency standards for appliances would cut the increase in carbon emissions by about 2 percent, according to the EIA report. However, EIA acknowledges that a rapid adoption of energy efficiency technologies could cut the increase by an additional 5 percent — still leaving an increase of 26 percent over 1990 carbon emission levels, far above the Kyoto target. For more information, see the EIA press release.

Study: E-Commerce is Energy Efficient
The use of the Internet is saving energy and helping the environment, says a new study by the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, a non-profit organization. For example, compared to typical brick-and-mortar bookstores, on-line bookstores use only one-sixteenth of the energy for their buildings per book sold. Internet shopping also uses less energy to get a package to your house: shipping 10 pounds of packages by overnight air uses 40 percent less fuel than a typical roundtrip drive to the mall. The study claims that e-commerce could eliminate two-thirds of the projected increase in U.S. energy-related carbon emissions through 2010. For more information, see the press release, including a link to the report, on the Center's "Cool Companies" Web site.

DOE Funds Alternative Fuel Vehicles in 32 National Parks
DOE last week awarded a total of $460,000 to fleet managers in 32 national parks to support the use of alternative fuel vehicles. The grants will fund the construction of new refueling stations, the purchase of new alternative fuel vehicles, and the evaluation of emerging engine and fuel-system technologies. The awards are one component of the Green Energy Parks program, which uses U.S. national parks as a setting to demonstrate and promote the use of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies. For more information, see the DOE press release.

Enron Wind Dedicates California Wind Power Project
Enron Wind Corp., a subsidiary of Enron Corp., last week dedicated its new California wind power project, the Green Power I Wind Power facility, near Palm Springs. The project, which was built solely to supply emerging green power markets, is the first major renewable energy power plant to be built since California opened its markets to competition in 1998. The 22 turbines at the 16.5-megawatt facility began generating power in June 1999, producing enough clean electricity to supply the annual residential needs of 6000 typical U.S. households. For more information, see the Enron Wind press release.

For data on this and other U.S. renewable energy projects, check the newly updated Renewable Energy Plant Information System (REPiS) on the EREN Web site. This database contains information on nearly 113,000 megawatts of grid-connected renewable energy plants, including all renewable power technologies in use in the United States.

Site News

earthsmartcars
This Natural Resources Defense Council site provides a comparison between the "dirty burning" cars of today with the "clean burning" gasoline-electric hybrid cars of tomorrow. The site includes frequently asked questions about hybrid vehicles and provides current news about the use of cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars.

For this and other recent additions see the EREN Web site.

Energy Facts and Tips

Electric Rates Took a Big Drop in 1998
U.S. consumers paid 1.6 percent less for electricity in 1998 -- a drop greater than the total drop in the previous four years -- according to a new report by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA). The "Electric Power Annual 1999, Volume 2," found that the average U.S. price for electricity was only 6.74 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Of all the states, New Hampshire had the highest average price, at 11.93 cents per kWh, and Idaho had the lowest price: just 4.02 cents per kWh. For more information, see the EIA press release.

Energy and the Y2K Problem
How will the Y2K (Year 2000) computer bug affect U.S. energy supplies? To track any potential problems, DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) has created a Y2K Web site with the latest energy-related information, plus links to other government Web sites. EIA is publishing an "Energy Situation Analysis Report" every Tuesday and Thursday and posting it on this Web site. The report takes an international look at all types of energy supplies. See the EIA Web site.

The President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion has found that significant Y2K problems are unlikely in the United States. However, the Council also says that temporary disruptions can't be ruled out, so people may want to take some simple precautions. See the Council's Web site.

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