EREN Network News

June 9, 1999

News and Events

• Executive Order Issued for Federal Energy Management
• DOE Supports Executive Order with Renewable Energy Funding
• EPA Laboratory Signs Up for 100 Percent Green Power
• DOE Awards $17 Million to State Energy Projects
• New 2.25-Megawatt Wind Facility Dedicated in Iowa

Site News

• Pyrolysis Network
• Concentrating Solar Power

Energy Facts and Tips

• Toxic Chemical Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants
• Should You Use Central or Room Air Conditioners?

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Executive Order Issued for Federal Energy Management
Federal agencies are required to cut their energy use under a new Executive Order, issued by President Clinton on June 3rd. The new Order mandates a 35 percent cut in building energy use relative to 1985 levels by 2010, and a 30 percent cut in building-related greenhouse gas emissions relative to 1990 levels by 2010. By meeting these goals, the federal government expects to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2.4 million metric tons, which is equivalent to taking about 1.7 million cars off the road.

As an example of the energy-efficiency improvements that can be made, the White House announced that the Pentagon will soon award the largest federal energy-saving contract to date, upgrading 837 buildings on five military installations in the Washington, D.C., area. The 18-year contract will reduce annual energy consumption by 17 percent, saving roughly $219 million over the life of the contract.

In addition to making energy-efficiency improvements, the Order calls for federal agencies to make new investments in renewable energy. These investments may include applications of solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass technologies at federal facilities and purchases of electricity from renewable energy sources.

For more information, see the Executive Order and the press briefing by Todd Stern, the President's Coordinator for Climate Change.

DOE Supports Executive Order with Renewable Energy Funding
In support of the President's Executive Order, DOE announced the award of more than $1.5 million to support the use of renewable energy at government facilities across the United States. Twenty-six projects will result in 109 renewable energy systems that will save $400,000 annually in energy costs, avoiding 1,700 tons of carbon emissions each year. For more information, see the DOE press release.

EPA Laboratory Signs Up for 100 Percent Green Power
In what may be a sign of things to come, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Richmond, California, laboratory has arranged to buy all of its electricity from renewable sources. The EPA is the first federal agency to purchase 100 percent green power for one of its facilities. The three-year agreement with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) will provide about 1.8 million kilowatt- hours of green power each year -- enough to power roughly 200 homes. SMUD will draw roughly 60 percent of the power from geothermal resources and 40 percent from a landfill- gas resource. The landfill gas project captures methane emitted from a landfill and burns it to produce power. For more information, see the SMUD press release.

DOE Awards $17 Million to State Energy Projects
DOE announced on May 31st the award of $17 million in funding for 168 energy-saving projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia. The awards run the gamut of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, including such diverse projects as building energy codes, industrial technologies, alternative fuels, and solar energy installations. For more information, see the DOE press release.

New 2.25-Megawatt Wind Facility Dedicated in Iowa
A new 2.25-megawatt wind facility was dedicated on June 4th in Algona, Iowa. The three-turbine Iowa Distributed Wind Generation Project is owned by a consortium of seven Iowa municipal utilities. The turbines have been online since November 1998, and have performed exceptionally, generating enough power to supply 830 households. DOE and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) provided $2.8 million in funding for the project. For more information, see the EPRI press release.

Site News

Pyrolysis Network
The Pyrolysis Network (PyNe) is a global network of researchers and developers of fast pyrolysis of biomass established "to discuss and exchange information on scientific and technological developments on biomass pyrolysis and related technologies for the production of liquid fuels, electricity, and chemicals." PyNe is coordinated by Aston University. The site includes information about PyNe; information about pyrolysis technology, applications, and developments; a listing of pyrolysis events, newsletters and bulletins, and Internet sites; issues of the PyNe Newsletter; and a jobs and opportunities section.

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

Concentrating Solar Power
The Concentrating Solar Power Web site was recently redesigned with new content to provide a more comprehensive view of DOE's Concentrating Solar Power Program. The site includes a description of the program's current projects and areas of focus (or "technology paths"). It also includes frequently asked questions, technology descriptions, and information on industry partners. The roadmap for advancing parabolic trough technology is currently being featured on the site.

Energy Facts and Tips

Toxic Chemical Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants
In 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started requiring industries to report their annual emissions of toxic chemicals. Starting in 1998, electric utilities were also required to report toxic chemical emissions, to be reported to EPA by July 1st of this year. On June 4th, American Electric Power (AEP) reported its emissions for the company's 16 coal-fired power plants, located in five states, which have a total capacity of nearly 21,000 megawatts.

AEP's total toxic chemical emissions from its coal plants totaled 113.2 million pounds in 1998. This does not include such emissions as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, or sulfur dioxide. Roughly 96 million pounds of toxic chemicals were released to the air, of which about 80 percent was hydrochloric acid aerosol. About 17 million pounds of solid waste were generated, and about 347,000 pounds of liquid toxic chemicals were discharged into the water. In addition, AEP estimated that its coal-fired plants emitted 13,000 pounds of mercury, of which 9,000 pounds were air emissions. For more information, see the AEP press release.

For more information on EPA's Toxic Release Inventory, see the EPA Web site.

Should You Use Central or Room Air Conditioners?
Despite the many approaches available for low-energy home cooling, air conditioning is still a necessity in many parts of the country. Those choosing to air-condition their homes may wonder whether central air conditioners or room air conditioners are the better choice.

For cooling an entire house, central air conditioning is the more energy-efficient choice. However, you may find that you only really need to air-condition one or two rooms -- maybe you only need to cool your bedroom at night, and perhaps your living room in the evening. Assuming these constitute at most half of your total living area, room air conditioners are probably a better choice.

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