EREN Network News

July 12, 2000

News and Events

• FPL Energy Buys 200 660-Kilowatt Wind Turbines for 2001
• Ballard, XCELLSIS to Test 25 Fuel Cell Buses in California
• Researchers Find a Sweet Solution for Ethanol Scraps
• Report: Target Air Conditioning, Lighting to Save Energy
• Study: Tree Ordinances Help City Residents Save Energy
• California Pays Consumers $1,000 to Retire Polluting Cars

• WisconSUN

• Fossil-Fuel Carbon Emissions Increased 1 Percent in 1999

News and Events

FPL Energy Buys 200 660-Kilowatt Wind Turbines for 2001
FPL Energy, LLC, announced last week that it had placed an order for 200 wind turbines from Vestas Wind Systems AS. The wind turbines, each of which is capable of producing 660 kilowatts of electricity, will total 132 megawatts of wind power. The company has the option of purchasing an additional 600 turbines, bringing the total wind capacity of the purchase to 528 megawatts.

The turbines will be primarily delivered in 2001. The company says it expects to add 500 to 1,000 megawatts of wind energy to its portfolio by the end of next year. See the FPL Energy press release at: http://www.fplenergy.com/newsreleases/2000/00072.html.

See also the Vestas press release at: http://www.vestas.com/news/press/PressRel2000.html.

In related news, FPL Energy has also purchased the 104-megawatt Lake Benton II wind facility in Minnesota from the Enron Wind Corporation. See the press release at: http://www.fplenergy.com/newsreleases/2000/00074.html.

Ballard, XCELLSIS to Test 25 Fuel Cell Buses in California
Ballard Power Systems and XCELLSIS Fuel Cell Engines Inc. announced last week that they will test 25 fuel cell buses in California over the next two years. The field trials will occur in Palm Springs and Oakland under the auspices of the California Fuel Cell Partnership. The announcement follows the successful conclusion of two-year trials in Vancouver and, earlier this year, in Chicago. See the press release on the Ballard Web site at: http://www.ballard.com/viewpressrelease.asp?sPrID=152.

The California Fuel Cell Partnership is a public-private venture to help demonstrate and commercialize fuel cell vehicles in California over the next four years. Since March, the Partnership has added as partners the U.S. Department of Transportation; Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.; Hyundai; International Fuel Cells; and California's South Coast Air Quality Management District. See the California Fuel Cell Partnership Web site at: http://www.drivingthefuture.org/releases.html.

Researchers Find a Sweet Solution for Ethanol Scraps
The Agricultural Research Service, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced last week that it has developed a process to make the sweetener xylitol from corn fibers left over from the production of ethanol. Xylitol is a high-value sweetener used in sugarless gum, mouthwash, and toothpaste. The process uses a strain of the yeast Pichia guilliermondii to ferment the corn fibers into xylitol, which could lead to improved economics for ethanol production from corn. See the Agricultural Research Service's press release at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2000/000703.htm.

DOE has taken a different approach, developing processes to convert the corn fibers — also called corn stover — into ethanol, thereby boosting the production of ethanol from corn. Last year, DOE awarded $1 million to six partnerships for the development of this and other technologies for ethanol production. See the press release from DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory at: http://www.nrel.gov/hot-stuff/press/899corn.html

Report: Target Air Conditioning, Lighting to Save Energy
A report released last week finds that four programs focused on air conditioning and lighting improvements could eliminate the need for 200 new large power plants — that is, 100,000 megawatts of electrical capacity — by 2010. The report, prepared by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and the Regulatory Assistance Project, finds that simply adjusting the electrical and cooling systems in commercial buildings could eliminate the need for 40 large power plants. The report also recommends tuning up residential air conditioning systems and encouraging the purchase and installation of more energy-efficient lighting and cooling systems. See the press release and report on the Lighten the Load Web site at: http://www.ems.org/lighten_the_load/index.html.

In related news, Carrier Corporation announced last month that it was providing 50 Internet-accessible thermostats to customers of the Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P). The trial system will allow the utility to increase thermostat settings during peak power periods. The homeowners will be able to override the change. The test will run through October 1. See the Carrier press release at: http://www.carrier.com/news/index.html?ARTICLE=64.

Study: Tree Ordinances Help City Residents Save Energy
A recent study by the University of Florida found that city ordinances that preserve trees will result in significant energy savings for city residents. The study compared the Florida cities of Gainesville, which has a strict tree ordinance, with nearby Ocala, which has a looser tree ordinance. The study found that Gainesville not only has twice the tree cover that Ocala has, but its residents on average spend $126 less each year for electricity. See the University of Florida press release at: http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2000news/tree.htm.

The energy advantage of trees has long been known — not only do they provide shade, but the evaporation of water from their leaves helps to cool the surrounding air. To find out how to save energy at home using trees, see the Landscaping section of the Energy Savers Web site, on EREN at: http://www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/.

California Pays Consumers $1,000 to Retire Polluting Cars
The California Department of Consumer Affairs announced last week a new program that will pay consumers $1,000 to remove their polluting cars from the road. The new Consumer Assistance Program will also help pay the cost of repairs for cars that don’t meet California's emissions standards. See the press release at: http://www.dca.ca.gov/press_releases/20000703.htm

Site News

WisconSUN
This site highlights Wisconsin's solar energy initiatives, including funding resources and incentives for PV systems. Also included are case studies of successful solar projects, white papers on a variety of solar topics, a list of upcoming conferences and workshops, current educational opportunities, and news.

For this and other recent additions to the EREN Web site, see http://www.eren.doe.gov/new/whats-new.html.

Energy Facts and Tips

Fossil-Fuel Carbon Emissions Increased 1 Percent in 1999
Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel use increased by 1.0 percent in 1999, according to a preliminary estimate released in late June by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA). The result follows an increase of only 0.1 percent in 1998 and is closer to the decade's average increase of about 1.2 percent. The report found that a warm summer increased carbon emissions by about 3 million metric tons of carbon (MMTC), but this was more than offset by a warm winter, which decreased carbon emissions by about 12 MMTC. The largest gain was in carbon emissions due to transportation, which increased by 2.9 percent. See the EIA press release at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/press/press158.html.

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