EREN Network News

January 17, 2001

News and Events

• Oregon-Washington Border to Host World's Largest Wind Plant
• Ford Debuts Hybrid Electric Escape, Plans for Explorer
• GM Shows Advanced-Technology Vehicles and Drives in Detroit
• DOE, Industry Map Out the Future of the Trucking Industry
• DOE Invests $30 Million to Save Energy in Industry
• Four Elementary Students Rewarded for Energy-Saving Ideas

• Next Generation Natural Gas Vehicles

• U.S. Petroleum Use Drives Up 1999 Greenhouse Emissions
• 2000 Marks the Sixth Warmest Year on Record

News and Events

Oregon-Washington Border to Host World's Largest Wind Plant
PacifiCorp announced last week that it will sell the power from a new 300-megawatt wind facility to be built along the Washington-Oregon border southwest of Walla Walla, Washington. FPL Energy, LLC, will build, own, and operate the wind facility, which will be the world's largest. Called the Stateline Wind Generating Project, the facility will draw on 450 wind turbines to produce enough power for 70,000 homes. PacifiCorp Power Marketing, Inc., a subsidiary of Pacificorp, will sell the power throughout the West. Most of the facility should be producing power by the end of 2001. See the PacifiCorp press release.

Ford Debuts Hybrid Electric Escape, Plans for Explorer
Ford Motor Company introduced its hybrid electric Escape early this month at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The hybrid electric Escape features a 65-kilowatt electric motor, regenerative braking to recharge the vehicle's batteries when slowing or stopping, and a highly efficient five-stroke, four-cylinder engine. The sport utility vehicle (SUV) will be able to operate at low speeds using only its electric motor, which will enable it to achieve 40 miles per gallon in urban driving conditions. It will also meet California's strict SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) emissions standard. A demonstration fleet of Escape concept vehicles will be put on the road later this year, and the vehicle will go on sale in 2003.

Ford also announced last week that it will produce a hybrid electric version of its popular Explorer SUV. The hybrid Explorer will include an electrical assist to the vehicle's six- cylinder engine, an "auto stop" feature to shut the engine off while stopping, and regenerative braking to recharge the car's batteries when slowing or stopping. The vehicle will also feature a 42-volt electrical system, rather than the 12-volt system that is the standard on vehicles today. The hybrid Explorer will be available "soon after the Escape hybrid electric vehicle." See the Ford press releases at the new Ford Hybrid Electric Vehicle Web site.

GM Shows Advanced-Technology Vehicles and Drives in Detroit
General Motors (GM) arrived at last week's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit with an impressive array of advanced vehicles, ranging from more efficient models of existing vehicles to its "HydroGen1" hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle.

Along with fuel-efficient models from around the world, the company debuted a concept version of its Chevrolet Tahoe that combines a 6.2-liter turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine with aerodynamic improvements, LED signal lights, halogen infrared headlamps, and narrower tires to achieve a 25 percent increase in fuel economy. GM also displayed a hybrid electric GMC Sierra, which is slated for production in 2004, and introduced its new hybrid electric drive, the "ParadiGM," as noted in last week's newsletter. The hybrid Sierra will achieve a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy. GM Vice Chairman Harry Pierce announced that the company is already building its second-generation hydrogen vehicle, the HydroGen2, while the third-generation HydroGen3 is being designed.

But most impressive is the company's parallel hybrid drive for heavy-duty buses and trucks, also noted in last week's newsletter. The drive combines a 275-horsepower turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine with a continuously variable transmission that has two motors integrated into it, all in a package that is half the size and mass of a conventional engine. For energy storage, the system uses supercapacitors, which are one-third as heavy and half the volume of comparable battery packs. Altogether, GM claims that the system achieves a 60 percent improvement in fuel economy, a 90 percent reduction in emissions of particulates and hydrocarbons, a 50 percent reduction in nitrous oxide emissions, and a 50 percent improvement in acceleration. "I submit that this system is going to redefine commercial transportation worldwide, in time," said Pierce.

To see the GM announcements, you can watch a (very long) streaming video of the announcement at the NAIAS by selecting "Videos/Webcams" on the GM "Experience Live" Web site.

Scroll down to the "GM Advanced Technology Vehicle Announcement" near the bottom of the page.

DOE, Industry Map Out the Future of the Trucking Industry
Changes are coming for the trucking industry: While some may see opportunities such as new hybrid-electric drives, others may focus on challenges such as new emissions standards. To prepare for the coming changes, DOE recently worked together with other federal agencies and a wide selection of industry representatives to map out a reasonable path for the industry to follow over the next ten years. The result, the 21st Century Truck Technology Roadmap, establishes technical targets and fuel efficiency goals for 2010, along with safety-relevant performance targets. Among the goals are the doubling of the fuel efficiency of large (Class 8) trucks, and the tripling of the fuel efficiency of smaller trucks, delivery vans, and heavy-duty transit buses. The work was done as part of the 21st Century Truck Program, a major new multi-agency and industry partnership. See the DOE press release.

DOE Invests $30 Million to Save Energy in Industry
DOE announced last week that it will spend $30 million over the next three years in support of 75 partnerships to develop energy-saving technologies for industry. The partners will perform research, development, and demonstration of a wide range of technologies, from high-efficiency steam turbines to an improved technique for melting aluminum scrap. See the DOE press release.

Four Elementary Students Rewarded for Energy-Saving Ideas
Four elementary students from throughout the United States were awarded last week for their energy-saving inventions. The EnergySmart Schools Contest called on elementary students to devise new ways to save energy, and as part of their reward, the four winners were flown to DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. There the students worked with scientists and engineers to build their inventions, which include an alarm that sounds if a window is opened while an air conditioner is running, a computerized device to hunt down and turn off unnecessary lights, a battery charger powered by running tap water, and a device that alarms when your electricity use goes too high. In addition to the expense-paid trip, the students each received a $250 savings bond. See the announcement on the Energy Smart Schools Web site on EREN.

Site News

Next Generation Natural Gas Vehicles
This DOE Web site features research reports on the development of natural gas engines for medium- and heavy- duty vehicles, supporting the department's goal of creating two prototype next-generation natural gas vehicles by 2004. In addition, the site includes a program overview, schedule of events, and information about request for proposals. It also provides instructions on how people can become involved in and provide feedback about the program.

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. Petroleum Use Drives Up 1999 Greenhouse Emissions
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rose 0.9 percent in 1999, according to a draft report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The growth rate is slightly lower than the average annual rate of increase from 1990 through 1999, which was 1.2 percent. The increased use of petroleum for transportation was the primary cause of the rise in greenhouse emissions. See the EPA Web site.

Looking to the future, DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently pointed out that economic growth is the key determinant for predicting U.S. energy use, which ties directly to greenhouse gas emissions. Although U.S. energy use is expected to increase 32 percent from 1999 to 2020, a slower economy could lower that increase to 24 percent. That would cause the United States to use 6 percent less energy in 2020 — and produce 6 percent less carbon dioxide emissions — than currently projected. See the EIA press release.

2000 Marks the Sixth Warmest Year on Record
Global temperatures in 2000 were 0.39 degrees Celsius above the average for the past 120 years, making it the sixth warmest year on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For the United States, the year was shaping up to be the warmest year on record as October ended, but cool temperatures in November and December dropped the year's ranking to the thirteenth warmest since 1895. See the NOAA Web site.

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