EREN Network News

October 25, 2000

News and Events

• GM Precept Hits PNGV Fuel Economy Goal of 80 MPG
• Hyundai to Develop Microturbine-Powered Hybrid Vehicle
• California to Buy Only Low-Emissions Vehicles for its Fleet
• BP to Build New Cogeneration Facilities in Houston Area
• New Projects Convert Poultry, Cow Manure into Energy

• Solar Decathlon

• Report: U.S. Power Plants Cause 30,000 Annual Deaths
• New EPA Web Site Ranks Cars by their Emissions

News and Events

GM Precept Hits PNGV Fuel Economy Goal of 80 MPG
General Motors Corporation announced last week that its "Precept" prototype vehicle has achieved the gasoline equivalent of 80 miles per gallon (mpg), which is the fuel efficiency goal set by the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV). The Precept is a hybrid diesel-electric sedan that seats five. It achieves an average fuel economy of 90.4 mpg using diesel fuel, which is the energy equivalent to achieving 79.6 mpg using gasoline. See the GM press release.

The PNGV is a joint effort between the U.S. government and the auto industry, with the goal of building a vehicle with lower emissions and up to three times the fuel efficiency of conventional cars without compromising safety, performance, affordability, or utility. See the PNGV Web site.

President Clinton lauded the accomplishment, saying the Precept is "further evidence that the investments in clean energy technologies we have made over the last eight years are paying off." See the October 20th press release on the White House Web site.

Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson seconded that sentiment, calling the achievement a major breakthrough and "the automotive equivalent to breaking the four-minute mile." See the DOE press release.

Hyundai to Develop Microturbine-Powered Hybrid Vehicle
Enova Systems announced last week that it has teamed up with Hyundai Motor Company and Capstone Turbine Corporation to develop a hybrid electric drive system that uses a natural-gas-fueled microturbine as its electrical source. Hyundai plans to install a prototype drive system in its Santa Fe sport utility vehicle early in 2001, with the intent to make vehicles available commercially by 2002. See the Enova press release.

Enova also announced an agreement with Gillig Corporation to develop a 240-kilowatt hybrid propulsion system for use in Gillig's 40-foot transit buses. See the press release.

California to Buy Only Low-Emissions Vehicles for its Fleet
California's Department of General Services (DGS) announced last week that from now on, it will only buy ultra- low-emission or super-ultra-low-emission vehicles — ULEVs or SULEVs — for the state's vehicle fleet. DGS is also providing zero emission electric vehicles, compressed natural gas vehicles, and hybrid electric-gasoline cars to California's state and local agencies. See the DGS press release.

In related news, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) adopted two measures to encourage the use of cleaner vehicles in Southern California. One measure requires government fleets of 15 or more heavy-duty vehicles to buy only alternative-fueled, gasoline-powered or dual-fuel models starting July 1, 2002. This measure is aimed at reducing the use of diesel fuels. Another measure requires taxi operators at airports to purchase only ULEVs starting January 1, 2002. See the AQMD press release.

BP to Build New Cogeneration Facilities in Houston Area
BP announced last week that it plans to build new facilities to produce both heat and power at two of its refineries in the Houston area. Such combined heat and power, or "cogeneration," plants operate efficiently because they make use of the excess heat from electricity production. BP's two new facilities will produce 805 megawatts of electricity and 3.5 million pounds per hour of steam. By replacing older, less efficient power units, the new facilities will reduce smog- causing nitrous oxides while cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 727,000 tons per year. BP is also working with the city of Houston to provide ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel for testing this fall. See the BP press release.

New Projects Convert Poultry, Cow Manure into Energy
DukeSolutions announced Monday that it will work with Harmony Products Inc. to jointly develop four processing plants that convert poultry manure into energy and fertilizer. Harmony Products uses an energy-intensive process to convert poultry manure into fertilizer. DukeSolutions, an energy company, uses a gasification process to convert some of the poultry manure into a gas similar to natural gas. The gas is then burned to create steam for the fertilizer production process. The companies are currently building a $7 million facility in Harrisonburg, Virginia, that will process 10 tons of poultry manure each hour. The four new facilities — planned to be built in the Southeast and Midwest — could each process up to 100,000 tons annually, according to DukeSolutions. The companies plan to finish the current plant this year and construct the new plants by 2001. See the DukeSolutions press release.

Cow manure is also being converted into energy, but on a smaller scale. Alliant Energy announced last week that it has entered into an agreement with Top Deck Farms of Westgate, Iowa, to produce electricity from livestock manure. A "digester" will convert the manure from 700 dairy cattle into methane gas, which will fuel a reciprocating engine to produce electricity. Top Deck Farms will use about one third of the electricity generated and sell back the remaining power to Alliant Energy. The facility will produce enough electricity to power roughly 50 homes. See the October 23rd press release on the Alliant Energy Web site.

Site News

Solar Decathlon
In 2002, college and university student teams from across the United States will gather in Washington, D.C., to build a community of energy-efficient, completely solar-powered homes as part of a competition to see which team can capture, convert, store, and use the most solar energy. Each team will build a 500-square-foot house and will be judged over the course of a week on their entry's performance in ten decathlon "events": design, building-performance modeling, space conditioning, domestic hot water, refrigeration, appliances, lighting, transportation, home business, and communications. The site includes the contest schedule, a full description of each event, a downloadable Request for Proposal, and contest rules and regulations. Potential sponsors can also learn how they can participate.

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

Report: U.S. Power Plants Cause 30,000 Annual Deaths
A report released last week by several environmental groups charges that fine particle soot from U.S. power plants shortens the lives of 30,000 people each year, while causing 603,000 asthma attacks annually. The report finds the highest per capita impact in the states of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Alabama. It estimates that 18,700 deaths and 366,000 asthma attacks can be avoided each year by reducing power plant emissions by 75 percent. See the press release on the "Clear the Air" Web site.

New EPA Web Site Ranks Cars by their Emissions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made available last week a Web site that ranks all new U.S. car models based on their tailpipe emissions. The site ranks vehicles on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the cleanest vehicles. Certain models of the Nissan Sentra, Toyota Prius and Honda Accord rated a 10, but those models are only available in California and some states in the Northeast. Of the vehicles available nationwide, the highest ranking is 7. See the EPA press release.

Or go straight to the EPA Vehicle Emissions Guide.

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