EREN Network News

July 28, 1999

News and Events

• Green Power Market Gaining in California
• Colorado Wind Energy Site Completed
• Planning Underway for Green Power in Nevada
• Senate Bill Extends Wind Energy Production Tax Credit
• NREL Director: "Energy Future at Risk"
• DOE Announces $1.8 Million in Native American Grants

Site News

• Biomasster—Bioenergy in the Netherlands

Energy Facts and Tips

• U.S. Coal Use, Resulting Air Pollution On the Rise
• Keep Cool By Avoiding Heat-Producing Activities

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Green Power Market Gaining in California
The market for green power -- electricity generated from renewable energy sources -- is picking up speed in California. The non-profit Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) reports that customer requests for green power are up nearly 90 percent from early in 1999. Of all customers that switch from their utility to another electricity provider, more than 90 percent switch to green power, according to CRS. For more information, see the CRS press release.

The latest example of green power purchasing in California is Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc., which is buying 100-percent green power for its corporate headquarters and distribution center in Marin County, as well as its prime San Francisco retail outlet. Greenmountain.com, which is providing the green power, will construct sufficient new wind turbines to produce 25 percent of the electricity purchased by Birkenstock. For more information, see the story on EREN's Green Power Network.

Colorado Wind Energy Site Completed
Public Service Co. of Colorado (PSCo) announced last week that it had completed construction of its northern Colorado wind energy plant. The facility includes 29 wind turbines with the capacity to produce 20 megawatts of electricity. More than 12,000 residential customers and 250 businesses have signed up for a total of more than 19 megawatts of wind power. The company is continuing to sign up customers for wind power and will generate a waiting list when the 20 megawatts is fully subscribed. Customers pay an additional $2.50 per 100 kilowatt-hours for the wind power. For more information, see the PSCo press release.

Planning Underway for Green Power in Nevada
Nevada has the best solar energy resource in the nation, so when electric restructuring legislation was approved in June, some organizations immediately began planning for the coming green power market there. Composite Power Corporation (CPC) of Las Vegas recently signed an agreement with the Nevada Science and Technology Corridor (NSTC) to generate, transmit and market green power in Nevada. The NSTC is a quasi-public entity created to promote economic development in Nye County, near Nevada's Death Valley. CPC had previously signed agreements with Desert Research Institute, an environmental research organization, and MinneSolar Manufacturing Company, a supplier of solar photovoltaic electric systems. For more information, see the CPC press release.

Senate Bill Extends Wind Energy Production Tax Credit
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) noted last week that the latest Senate tax package includes a five-year extension of the wind energy production tax credit. The credit, first enacted in 1992, provides a credit of 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour to wind power producers. The credit expired in June of this year, creating a last-minute rush to bring wind power plants on line before the expiration date. The House-Senate conference on tax legislation is expected in August to resolve differences in their respective tax bills. The House version does not include the wind energy credit. For more information, see the AWEA press release.

NREL Director: "Energy Future at Risk"
The United States needs to invest in its energy future now, says Richard Truly, director of DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Speaking before the National Press Club on July 27th, Truly emphasized that today's investments in energy technologies would avoid future energy shortages and help fend off foreign competitors. "Now is not the time to pull back once again on our commitment to a strong energy efficiency and renewable energy program," Truly said. For more information, including the text of the speech, see the NREL press release.

DOE Announces $1.8 Million in Native American Grants
DOE announced last week the award of $1.8 million in grants to eight renewable energy projects on Native American-owned lands. The projects include solar photovoltaic electric, solar hot water, and wind energy systems, and are located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin. For more information, see the DOE press release.

Site News

Biomasster—Bioenergy in the Netherlands
The Biomass Information Centre provides project support and information dissemination for Dutch biomass research programs and industry. Their "Biomasster" Web site provides an overview of biomass activities in the Netherlands, including sources of biomass, definitions, facts and figures, and local and international government policy. In addition, the site includes contact information, descriptions, and project lists for bioenergy research institutes in the Netherlands.

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

Energy Facts and Tips

U.S. Coal Use, Resulting Air Pollution On the Rise
A recent report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an environmental think tank, found that the use of coal for electricity production increased 16 percent from 1992 to 1998. The added coal use caused emissions of smog- producing nitrogen oxides to increase by 755,000 tons per year, equivalent to the nitrogen oxide emissions from nearly 37 million cars. Carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to the greenhouse effect, increased by 298 million tons per year, equivalent to the emissions from nearly 44 million cars. EWG attributed much of the added coal use to an increased use of older plants that are exempt from the Clean Air Act. See the report on the EWG Web site.

Keep Cool By Avoiding Heat-Producing Activities
With a heat wave gripping much of the United States, minimizing your energy use while keeping cool will help your electric company avoid brownouts and blackouts. One way to help is to avoid generating heat within your house.

Ovens and stovetops produce a lot of heat, so try to microwave your food or grill outside whenever possible. Wait until the cooler nighttime hours to do your laundry or to run your dishwasher, and try not to do both at the same time. Take showers at night or in the early morning, and if you have a ventilation fan in your bathroom, use it to exhaust most of the hot, humid air outside your home.

For other cool energy tips, a series of useful fact sheets are available from DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC). See "Cooling Your Home Naturally" and other EREC fact sheets on EREN.

About this Newsletter

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