EREN Network News

June 2, 1999

News and Events

• Illinois Establishes $250 Million Clean Energy Fund
• Enron Begins Construction of Green Power Wind Project
• BPA to Test Fuel Cells Systems for Powering Homes
• Fourteen Colleges Compete in Ethanol Vehicle Challenge
• DOE Issuing Rules to Encourage Use of Biodiesel

Site News

• Planet Energy
• Building America

Energy Facts and Tips

• Voluntary Greenhouse-Gas Emission Reductions Doubled
• Using Evaporative Coolers to Cool Your Home

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Illinois Establishes $250 Million Clean Energy Fund
The Illinois General Assembly approved on May 27th a new $250 million fund to support clean energy in Illinois. The Illinois Clean Energy Community Trust will be used primarily to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and programs. The trust will be funded by Commonwealth Edison, an electric utility serving the Chicago area, as a condition in the sale of its coal-fired power plants. For more information, see the press release from the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

Enron Begins Construction of Green Power Wind Project
Enron Wind Corporation has begun construction of the first major new renewable power plant since California opened its electricity markets to competition. The 22-turbine wind project will have a capacity of 16.5 megawatts, enough to serve 5,000 households. Scheduled to be completed in June, the wind project is being built solely to supply emerging markets for electricity from renewable energy sources. For more information, see the Enron press release.

BPA to Test Fuel Cells Systems for Powering Homes
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) announced on May 27th that it had agreed to purchase 110 fuel-cell systems from Northwest Power Systems of Bend, Oregon. The 3-kilowatt fuels cells, each of which is large enough to power a home, can run on a variety of liquid or gaseous fuels. BPA will initially test 10 of the systems in the homes of interested customers, make any necessary adjustments, and then install the remaining 100 fuel-cell systems. For more information, see the BPA press release.

Fourteen Colleges Compete in Ethanol Vehicle Challenge
Ethanol-fueled pickup trucks from fourteen colleges competed last week in the 1999 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge, sponsored by DOE and General Motors. The competition challenges student teams to re-engineer Chevrolet Silverados to run on E85 -- 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The Challenge consists of five days of intense vehicle and student testing at GM's Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan, followed by a two-day, 600-mile "victory tour." The winning team, from the University of Illinois at Chicago, took home a prize of $3,500 for building the truck with the best overall performance. The truck performed better than its gasoline-powered counterpart. For more information, see the DOE press release.

DOE Issuing Rules to Encourage Use of Biodiesel
DOE issued an interim rule on May 19th that is likely to increase the use of biodiesel fuel in the United States. Once finalized in fall 1999, the new rule will allow blends of biodiesel and conventional diesel fuel to be considered as an alternative fuel. Federal, state, or utility fleet managers would be able to use blends of 20 percent or greater biodiesel fuel to help them conform to the 1992 Energy Policy Act, which mandates that they acquire a certain percentage of alternative-fuel vehicles each year. Fleet managers could meet up to one-half of their requirements for new alternative- fuel vehicles through the use of biodiesel blends in their heavy vehicles. For more information, see the DOE press release.

Or visit DOE's Office of Transportation Technologies Web site.

Site News

Planet Energy
The Planet Energy site provides information on renewable energy for students and teachers. The teacher section includes an overview of renewable energy technologies and student exercises. The student section, which is divided into pages for 7-11 year olds and 12-16 year olds, provides information about renewable energy technologies, student activities, and a quiz for students to take after they have followed the "Renewable Energy Trail." The site also includes frequently asked questions about renewables, Planet Energy contacts, and a list of related organizations. Planet Energy was developed by ETSU (Energy Technology Support Unit) for the United Kingdom's Department of Trade and Industry.

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

Building America
The Building America Web site was recently redesigned with new content to provide a more in-depth look at DOE's Building America program. Building America works with the residential building industry to produce cost-effective, energy-efficient homes that incorporate passive solar techniques and environmentally friendly building materials. The redesigned site includes an interactive map that links to descriptions of Building America projects nationwide.

Energy Facts and Tips

Voluntary Greenhouse-Gas Emission Reductions Doubled
DOE's Energy Information Administration announced on June 1st that companies had voluntarily reduced their emissions of greenhouse gases by the equivalent of 166 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1997 -- roughly double that reported when the voluntary reduction program began in 1994. Energy-related projects accounted for about 79 percent of the emission reductions. For more information, see the EIA press release.

Using Evaporative Coolers to Cool Your Home
If you live in an arid climate, consider using an evaporative cooler (also called a "swamp cooler") to cool your home. Evaporative coolers literally evaporate water into the air as they blow outside air into your home. Because a large amount of energy is required to convert water to vapor, the evaporating water draws energy from the air, causing it to cool. The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) estimates that evaporative coolers save 50% of the initial cost and up to 80% of the operating cost of air conditioning. See the RMI fact sheet on home cooling.

Evaporative coolers are often roof-mounted and can cause energy leakage from your home in the winter. Be sure to install an insulating cover on your evaporative cooler during the cooler months.

About this Newsletter

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