EREN Network News

September 13, 2000

News and Events

• California Holds Firm on Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate
• Blackfeet Tribe to Build First Tribal Utility-Scale Wind Plant
• Natural Gas Trucks to Offset Power Plant Emissions
• Study: Solar Panel "Energy Payback" is Three Years or Less
• DOE Funds Projects for Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy
• American Superconductor Ships HTS Wires for Detroit Grid

• PV-WEB

• A Quick Look at Recent Air Pollution Facts and News

News and Events

California Holds Firm on Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) unanimously decided last week to stay the course with its requirements for the sale of zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs). The ARB regulations require that ZEVs comprise 10 percent of the new light-duty vehicles offered for sale in California for model year 2003. Depending on the size of the company, manufacturers can meet a portion of this requirement through the sale of near-zero emitting vehicles, referred to as partial-ZEVs or PZEVs. These vehicles must meet the state's Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) standard, have zero evaporative emissions, and come with a 150,000 mile warranty. To date, only the Nissan Sentra SULEV has achieved PZEV status.

The ARB noted that 2300 electric vehicles are on the road in California as a result of previous ZEV requirements, and claimed that the need to meet these requirements has led to a number of automotive advances. According to ARB, automakers claim there is little demand for ZEVs, but the hearing drew testimony from many consumers who said they were turned away from auto dealerships when they tried to get ZEVs.

While upholding the mandate, the ARB expressed concern about the current lack of ZEV availability, uncertain market demand, and the need for incentives to offset the higher cost of the vehicles. ARB staff was directed to review the regulation and propose appropriate modifications to address these issues and assure the successful penetration of ZEVs into the market. See the ARB press release.

Blackfeet Tribe to Build First Tribal Utility-Scale Wind Plant
SeaWest WindPower, Inc. announced last week that the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council has agreed to develop a 22-megawatt wind power facility on Blackfeet tribal lands in northwest Montana. The project will be the first utility-scale wind plant to be built on tribal lands. Construction will begin in May 2001 with commercial operation scheduled for October of that year.

SeaWest also announced last week that its 16.8-megawatt expansion of the Foote Creek Rim wind facility in southeast Wyoming is near completion. All 28 turbines are in place, and commercial operation should begin in October. See the SeaWest press releases.

In related news, the developers of the 82.5-megawatt wind project in west Texas, noted in last week's newsletter, have gone public. National Wind Power Limited and Orion Energy LLC will develop the project, to be called the Indian Mesa Wind Farm. TXU Electric & Gas will buy 31.5 megawatts of power from the facility, and the Lower Colorado River Authority will purchase the remainder. According to National Wind Power, the site could eventually be expanded to 150 megawatts. See the TXU press release.

See also the press release from Innogy, the parent company of National Wind Power.

Natural Gas Trucks to Offset Power Plant Emissions
PG&E Corporation and Waste Management, Inc. announced last week an innovative program to minimize air pollution in San Diego, California. PG&E Corporation will build a new gas-fired power plant in San Diego County, but it will offset the emissions from that power plant by working with Waste Management to replace 120 diesel-powered garbage trucks with cleaner trucks fueled with natural gas. This is the first time that emissions from a mobile source (vehicles) has been used to offset emissions from a major new stationary source (a power plant). See the PG&E Corporation press release.

Study: Solar Panel "Energy Payback" is Three Years or Less
One way to compare energy technologies — in addition to obvious factors like cost and environmental impacts — is the time it takes to get back the energy you put into making the technology. Large fossil, hydroelectric, or nuclear plants, for instance, require a significant investment of energy for their construction. Now a new study from Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. has found that solar photovoltaic panels "pay back" the energy used for their production in one to three years. The study examined the manufacture of two types of solar panels at a Siemens Solar Industries facility. Over their lifetime, the panels are expected to generate from nine to seventeen times the energy required to produce them. See the press release and the report on the Siemens Solar Web site.

DOE Funds Projects for Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy
DOE announced yesterday that it is providing $8.4 million in first-year funding for 18 projects to advance the energy efficiency of homes and offices. The projects will last from one to three years at a total federal cost of $18 million. They run the gamut of home and office energy technologies, from advanced high-efficiency lighting to energy-tight windows to improved heating and cooling systems. See the DOE press release.

DOE also announced last week that it is providing $2 million to advance clean energy technologies. Ten projects will tackle a wide range of clean energy issues, from examining possible effects of renewable energy installations on the electric grid, to identifying strategies for using clean energy to meet Clean Air Act requirements. See the DOE press release.

American Superconductor Ships HTS Wires for Detroit Grid
American Superconductor Corporation announced last week that it has completed shipping 18 miles of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire to Pirelli Cables and Systems, which will process the wire into three 400-foot cables. Pirelli has previously produced only one 165-foot HTS cable. Pirelli expects to complete the cables by the end of this year, at which time they'll be shipped to Detroit Edison for an installation as part of the electric grid at the Frisbie Station by mid-2001. The cables will carry 100 megawatts of power and will replace nine copper cables at the station, allowing for possibly adding greater current-carrying capacity in the future. See the American Superconductor press release.

Site News

PV-WEB
Sponsored by the British Photovoltaic Association, this site features an introduction to photovoltaic (PV) technology, explains the components of a typical system, and covers the latest developments in PV technology. Also included is a searchable database of suppliers and installers of PV systems and components in the United Kingdom and a listing of PV systems that have been installed on buildings in that region. Frequently asked questions about buying, connecting and using PV in the British utility environment are also covered.

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

A Quick Look at Recent Air Pollution Facts and News
One clear advantage of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies is their potential to reduce air pollution. This week we're taking a closer look at recent air pollution developments.

Air pollution has been in the news lately — the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently noted that limits on carbon monoxide emissions from vehicles have significantly lowered urban exposures to the pollutant. See the report on the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment Web site.

Environmental Defense recently noted that the EPA's acid rain program has reduced sulfur dioxide emissions to 30 percent below what the law allows, at a fraction of the initially projected price. The group suggests that a similar approach could be used for greenhouse gases. See the report on the Environmental Defense Web site.

How pollutants mix, react, and travel directly affects their impacts on health and visibility. To get a better understanding of these phenomena, an intensive air quality study is currently underway along the Gulf Coast of Texas. See the Texas Air Quality Study 2000 Web site.

But nothing tells the story as well as a picture. The EPA has put a new Web site online that allows users to view current levels of ground-level ozone in many regions of the United States. Animations of the data are available for many cities and states. Ground-level ozone, or smog, forms from nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the air. These pollutants are emitted by vehicles, power plants, and a wide variety of industries. See the EPA Web site.

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