EREN Network News

February 14, 2001

News and Events

• California Crisis Has Mixed News for Renewable Energy
• California Energy Agency Promotes Energy Efficiency
• Wind Power Growth Slows in 2000; Surge Expected in 2001
• California Company Revives Ethanol Production from Whey
• New Plant Begins Producing Fuel from Wood Waste
• "SunRace 21.C" Solar Race Underway in Australia

• Sustainable Energy Coalition

• U.S. Alternative Fuel Vehicles Total Nearly 500,000

News and Events

California Crisis Has Mixed News for Renewable Energy
The tight electricity supplies and high prices in California have spelled both good and bad news for renewable energy suppliers there. The bad news is that sales of green power — electricity from renewable energy sources — have essentially come to a halt, as nearly all green power suppliers have dropped out of the market. According to the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a California-based non-profit organization, a combination of price uncertainties and credit difficulties forced most marketers to retreat from the state, leaving their customers with little choice other than to return to their traditional electric utility. See a summary of the situation on CRS' Green-e Web site.

One of the leaders in the green power arena, Green Mountain Energy Company, noted that despite California's problems, the restructuring of electricity markets in other states — particularly in Pennsylvania — has created a viable market for green power. See the company's press release.

In fact, in recent weeks, Green Mountain Energy Company has received approval to sell green power in Texas and Connecticut, and has applied to sell green power in Ohio. See the company's press releases.

Meanwhile, the threat of rolling blackouts and the high electricity prices in California have spurred new interest in using renewable energy to generate electricity at home. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), a leading manufacturer of residential wind turbines has recently seen a sharp increase in sales. Bergey Windpower Company, Inc. sold 40 home units in California in January alone, compared to just 6 in all of 2000. A California rebate of half the cost of the system is contributing to the increased sales, according to AWEA. Media reports are claiming that solar energy systems and energy efficiency products have also seen a boost in sales. See the AWEA press release.

California Energy Agency Promotes Energy Efficiency
While California's electricity supplies remain tight, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced last week that its $50-million peak load reduction program is on course to save 161 megawatts of peak electricity load by June 1st. Roughly half of the load reductions will come from energy efficiency projects, ranging from efficiency improvements in wastewater treatment and agriculture to improved lighting, heating, and air conditioning systems in state buildings and public universities See the CEC press release.

One example of a CEC grantee is Kmart Corporation, which will use a $2 million grant to retrofit inefficient lighting in 85 of its older stores in California. The energy savings will be enough to provide power to 11,500 residents, according to Kmart. See the company's press releases.

Another part of the CEC program replaces dark-colored building roofs with light-colored materials, thereby cutting cooling costs. The benefit of such programs was verified in a study released last week by the Florida Power & Light Company. The study found that white metal and cement tile roofs reflect 66 to 77 percent of the sun's energy, saving about 23 percent annually on cooling costs for an average Florida home. See the company's press release.

The CEC is also awarding $10 million to 44 public agencies to switch their traffic lights to energy-efficient, light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED traffic lights have proven a popular way to save energy, and are now cropping up in cities throughout the United States. As one indication of this trend, the Energy Star program — a joint program of DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — recently added LED traffic signals as a new Energy Star product category. See Energy Star Labeled Traffic Signals.

Wind Power Growth Slows in 2000; Surge Expected in 2001
Wind power maintained a near-record growth rate in 2000, with 3,500 megawatts installed worldwide, only slightly down from the previous year's record growth of 3,600 megawatts, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Yet 2001 is expected to top all the records, with new additions likely to top 5,000 megawatts.

In the United States, however, the expiration of tax credits cut wind power growth to only 53 megawatts in 2000, compared to 732 megawatts in 1999. The renewal and extension of those tax credits through 2001 is expected to revive growth in the United States, leading to as much as 2,000 megawatts of new capacity this year — enough to power roughly 750,000 U.S. households. See the AWEA press release.

California Company Revives Ethanol Production from Whey
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) noted early this month that Golden Cheese, a California-based cheese producer, has revived its process to produce ethanol from cheese whey residue. The company began producing ethanol in the mid-1980s, but had halted production because of the lack of an ethanol market in California. According to RFA, Golden Cheese restarted production this month in response to the growing California ethanol market resulting from the phase-out of MTBE, a fuel additive. The company creates enough cheese whey to produce 5 million gallons of ethanol per year. See the RFA press release.

New Plant Begins Producing Fuel from Wood Waste
DynaMotive Technologies Corporation announced yesterday that its new facility to produce liquid fuel from wood waste has successfully completed its initial production runs. The 10-ton-per-day plant produces a fuel called BioOil, which is intended to be used for power generation in gas turbines, diesel engines and boilers. The fuel is produced by heating the wood waste in the absence of oxygen, a process known as pyrolysis. BioOil burns clean with low emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides. See the DynaMotive press releases.

"SunRace 21.C" Solar Race Underway in Australia
SunRace 21.C — an 8-day race of solar and electric cars across 2,300 kilometers (1,429 miles) of Australia — is now in its fourth day of racing (day six of the overall event). Today's race covers 297 kilometers (185 miles) from Mildura to Charlton, both in the southern state of Victoria. On Monday, the "Spirit of Canberra" from Lake Tuggeranong College was leading the nine-car field. See the SunRace 21.C Web site.

Be sure to note the "Photos and Commentary" page.

Australia will also host the 6th World Solar Challenge, another solar car race that will leave Darwin on November 18th. The winning teams are expected to arrive in Adelaide about five days later. See the Web site.

Site News

Sustainable Energy Coalition
This site provides reporters and others with a list of expert contacts on a wide range of energy issues from renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency to climate change. In addition, visitors can find background information on the gamut of renewable and energy efficient technologies as well as current news on the subject.

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

U.S. Alternative Fuel Vehicles Total Nearly 500,000
A new compilation of U.S. statistics relating to alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles has been made available by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA). According to EIA, the total number of alternative fuel vehicles is expected to exceed 456,000 this year, using enough alternative fuels to displace about 366,000,000 gallons of gasoline. In addition, more than one billion gallons of ethanol are expected to be used as a fuel additive. See the EIA's alternative fuel statistics.

DOE encourages the use of alternative fuel vehicles and their supporting infrastructure through its Clean Cities program. The program will be holding its 7th National Clean Cities Conference and Expo from May 13th to 16th in Philadelphia. See the press release from DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

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