January 27, 1999

News and Events

• President Proposes Clean Energy Incentives
• UCS Study: U.S. Can Boost Renewables and Cut Costs
• Coalition Urges Aggressive Federal Energy Goals
• Vermont Pledges to Add 1000 Solar Roofs

Site News

• Greenstar Foundation

Energy Facts and Tips

• Wind Energy Incentives
• Setback Thermostats Cut Heating and Cooling Costs

About this Newsletter

News and Events

President Proposes Clean Energy Incentives
In the President's State of the Union Address on January 9th, he proposed tax incentives and investments to spur clean energy technologies. President Clinton also said he would "work with Congress to reward companies that take early, voluntary action to reduce greenhouse gases." Both proposals would encourage the deployment of renewable and energy efficiency technologies.

Background information released by the White House states that the President's proposed fiscal year 2000 budget will include tax credits for consumers who purchase fuel-efficient cars, homes, appliances, rooftop solar systems, and energy from alternative sources. The proposed budget will also include increased spending on research and development for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The State of the Union address (including background materials) is posted on the White House Web site.

The President's mention of working with Congress to reward companies that reduce their greenhouse gas emissions refers to a bill introduced in October 1998 by Senator John Chaffee (R, RI). The bill, S. 2617, is currently under review in a Senate subcommittee.

The full text of the Senate bill can be found on the U.S. Government Printing Office's Access Web site

UCS Study: U.S. Can Boost Renewables and Cut Costs
The United States could increase the share of electricity generated from renewable sources to about 10 times current levels over the next 20 years, while achieving a 13 percent decrease in electricity prices, according to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The study, which examines six electricity deregulation bills introduced by Congress in 1998, can be found at: http://www.ucsusa.org/energy/index.html

Coalition Urges Aggressive Federal Energy Goals
In a letter to Vice President Al Gore on January 19th, 17 member groups of the Sustainable Energy Coalition presented their view of a draft executive order for federal energy management. The draft order includes a goal for the federal government to purchase five percent of its power from renewable sources by 2005 (see EREN Network News, 1/6/99). The coalition recommends a higher goal of 10 percent from renewable sources by 2005, increasing to 25 percent by 2020.

The coalition, which includes environmental and business groups, also proposed tighter rules for reducing energy use in federal facilities, including the purchasing of products that carry the DOE/EPA Energy Star label.

Vermont Pledges to Add 1000 Solar Roofs
Vermont pledged on January 22nd to add 1000 solar energy systems to rooftops by 2010. The pledge supports the President's Million Solar Roofs Initiative, which aims to install solar energy systems on one million roofs by 2010. A total of $90,000 in DOE grant money is available in the New England area to support such initiatives.

See the DOE press release.

And also visit the Million Solar Roofs site on EREN.

Site News

New EREN Link: Greenstar Foundation
According to this Web site, the Greenstar Foundation is "a non-profit organization committed to bringing solar power, telemedicine, distance learning, electronic commerce, manufacturing and agricultural support services to developing countries and to all places where a centralized electrical power grid is not available." The site includes details of the Greenstar self-contained solar-powered health center.

For this and other recent additions see the EREN Web site

Energy Facts and Tips

Wind Energy Incentives
A November 1998 article posted on the Renewable Fuels page of DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) Web site examines incentives for wind energy in the four leading countries: the United States, Germany, Denmark, and India. The article, "Wind Energy Developments: Incentives in Selected Countries," includes useful data on wind capacity in the United States and worldwide. See EIA's Renewable Fuels page.

Setback Thermostats Cut Heating and Cooling Costs
Is your home unoccupied for much of the day while you're at work? Do you prefer to turn your heat down while you're asleep? If the answer to either of these questions is "yes," you should consider installing a setback thermostat in your home.

Setback (or "programmable") thermostats include a timer that allows you to automatically raise and lower your thermostat setting throughout the day. For instance, you can set your thermostat to turn the heat down as you leave for work, but turn back up in advance, so your home is warm when you return. They vary in sophistication; the best models allow you to set different schedules for each day of the week. Look for thermostats that carry the DOE/EPA Energy Star label.

Setback thermostats can also be used with central air conditioners, allowing your house to warm up during the day but cool down before you arrive home.

See the Energy Star Web site.

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC) also has a fact sheet, "Automatic and Programmable Thermostats," posted on the EREN site.

About this Newsletter

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