EREN Network News

November 22, 2000

News and Events

• Report: Clean Energy Policies Can Help Meet Kyoto Goals
• PG&E Corporation to Build Wind Plant Near Palm Springs
• First Solar Seeks Partners for Photovoltaic Product Rollout
• Hawaii to Test 15 Hyundai Electric SUVs Starting in 2001
• Thirteen States to Pursue New Standards on Diesel Trucks

• British BioGen

• IEA: Energy Use, Carbon Emissions to Grow Through 2020
• U.S. Year-to-Date Temperatures are Hottest on Record

News and Events

Report: Clean Energy Policies Can Help Meet Kyoto Goals
A report released last week by five DOE national laboratories finds that the United States can meet up to three-quarters of its emissions reductions goal under the Kyoto Protocol by instituting policies that encourage the use of clean energy technologies. The report finds that the economic benefits of such policies would be essentially equal to their costs.

According to the report, the most important policies in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions are enhanced appliance efficiency standards, a domestic carbon cap and trading system, electric industry restructuring, increased research and development, and voluntary agreements to promote energy efficiency in vehicles, buildings and industrial processes. See the press release from DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with a link to the full report.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. A meeting is currently underway at The Hague in the Netherlands as an attempt to finalize the climate change agreement. See the United Nations Environment Programme Web site.

PG&E Corporation to Build Wind Plant Near Palm Springs
PG&E Corporation and SeaWest WindPower, Inc. announced last week the construction of a new wind facility near Palm Springs, California. The San Gorgonio Pass — the site of several wind energy installations in the early 1980s — will be the location for the new 44.4-megawatt facility, which is expected to reach commercial operation in April 2001. SeaWest will build the facility, then PG&E Corp. will buy it. See the PG&E Corp. press release.

Like PG&E Corp.'s wind facility in New York State, the power from the California project will be sold into the electrical grid as regular power, and the environmental benefits of the power will be sold separately, as wind energy "certificates." See the story from the September 20th edition of the EREN Network News.

In related news, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dedicated its new Buffalo Mountain Wind Park in Tennessee last week. The 2-megawatt facility will produce enough power to serve more than 400 households in the Tennessee Valley. See the TVA press release.

First Solar Seeks Partners for Photovoltaic Product Rollout
First Solar — the producer of thin-film photovoltaic products that is starting up a 100-megawatt facility in Toledo, Ohio — is now looking for "charter partners" to develop solar electric projects in 2001. First Solar's Charter Partner Program is intended for solar original equipment manufacturers, integrators, utilities, and government agencies with grid- connected and hybrid projects ranging in size from 30 to 100 kilowatts. First Solar claims it will provide its photovoltaic products at $2 per watt for charter partners. See the First Solar Web site.

In related news, Siemens Solar announced last week that it has hit a milestone of having produced 200 megawatts worth of solar cells and solar modules. In the photovoltaic industry, production is typically measured by the total peak capacity of all the photovoltaic products sold. Siemens Solar, in business for more than 20 years, only achieved the 100-megawatt milestone in 1996. The growth of the industry is demonstrated by Siemens Solar's ability to double that number in just four years. Of course, once the First Solar facility is able to achieve its full capacity, it will take only one year to achieve the 100-megawatt milestone. See the Siemens Solar press release.

Hawaii to Test 15 Hyundai Electric SUVs Starting in 2001
The State of Hawaii announced Monday that it will test 15 electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in four fleets on the island of Oahu. The electric Santa Fe SUVs, produced by Hyundai Motor Company, will be delivered in June 2001 for a two-year trial run at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaiian Electric Company, the City and County of Honolulu, and the State of Hawaii. The state's High Technology Development Corporation will manage the project and Enova Systems will maintain the vehicles. See the Enova press release.

In related news, General Motors Corporation (GM) announced last week that it has successfully tested a new gasoline processor that produces hydrogen at 80 percent efficiency. GM says the accomplishment will help the company put a fuel-cell-powered vehicle on the road by 2002. GM credits a new catalyst for cutting the processor weight and size in half while reducing the startup time to about three minutes. See the GM press release.

Thirteen States to Pursue New Standards on Diesel Trucks
Thirteen U.S. states — including all of the Northeast plus Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas — announced Monday that they are prepared to follow California in enacting tough clean-air restrictions on diesel trucks and buses. Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, only California can set its own emissions standards, but other states can adopt California's programs once they are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The thirteen states are aiming to sharply reduce soot emissions from diesel engines starting in 2004. See the press release from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

To learn more about California's plans to control diesel emissions, see the California Air Resources Board Web site.

In related news, New York has adopted California's new, cleaner low-emissions vehicle standard, called LEV II. The standard will apply to all light- and medium-duty motor vehicles, starting in model year 2004. See the press release from Governor George Pataki.

Site News

British BioGen
British BioGen is the trade association to the United Kingdom's bioenergy industry. The site provides an introduction to bioenergy, including how it works, its role in sustainable development, how it fits in the global energy market, and its future outlook. It also offers specific information on energy crops, anaerobic digestion, and using bioenergy as a source of heat and electricity.

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

IEA: Energy Use, Carbon Emissions to Grow Through 2020
Despite current efforts to limit carbon emissions, the world's energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are expected to increase 60 percent above 1997 levels by 2020, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The "World Energy Outlook 2000," released yesterday, attempts to account for current policies and measures to combat climate change, but still predicts a steady 2 percent annual growth in world energy use through 2020. Although renewables other than hydropower are projected to be the fastest-growing energy source during this period — averaging 2.8 percent growth per year — their share of the world energy supply climbs to only 3 percent from today's 2 percent share.

Noting that these are "sobering statistics," the IEA report also examines additional policy options for reducing carbon emissions, including emissions trading schemes, efforts to reduce emissions from transportation, and efforts to reduce emissions from power generation. See the IEA press release.

The full report is available for a fee, but the executive summary and several summary charts are available on the Web.

In related news, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has released a new report on U.S. international activities related to climate change. "Climate Technology Cooperation Activities" summarizes projects underway by a number of U.S. agencies, including DOE, in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. See the report on the USAID Web site.

U.S. Year-to-Date Temperatures are Hottest on Record
Although cold weather is currently gripping most of the United States, the year from January to October is the warmest yet on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Every state in the contiguous United States was warmer than normal for this ten-month period. See the NOAA press release.

On a global scale, October was the eighth warmest on record, at 0.35 degrees Celsius (0.63 degrees Fahrenheit) above the average. See the NOAA Web site.

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