EREN Network News

October 24, 2001

News and Events

• Nike to Use Energy Efficiency, Green Power to Cut Emissions
• New Solar Power Sites Installed in Chicago, Coming to Texas
• Xcel Energy Debuts Colorado's Second Commercial Wind Plant
• Conservation Helps Northwest Power Outlook, But at a Price
• White House, DOE Honor Federal Energy Savers
• Alliance to Save Energy Hosts Energy Summit Tomorrow

Site News

• Improved Electricity Restructuring Web Site

• IPCC Releases Synthesis Report on Climate Change

News and Events

Nike to Use Energy Efficiency, Green Power to Cut Emissions
Nike Inc. has committed to work with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions to reduce its worldwide emissions of greenhouse gas emissions. As announced by WWF early this month, Nike plans to use energy efficiency and green power purchases to reduce greenhouse emissions from Nike-owned facilities and services. The company aims to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions caused by its owned facilities and services and from its business travel to 13 percent below 1998 levels by 2005. See the WWF press release.

New Solar Power Sites Installed in Chicago, Coming to Texas
Spire Corporation announced early this month the installation of three 50-kilowatt solar power systems in Chicago. Spire installed the systems on the roofs of three major Chicago museums — the Art Institute of Chicago, the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, and the Chicago Historical Society — as part of a commitment by a number of organizations to produce clean energy in Chicago. According to Spire, each system can produce enough electricity to power up to 10 homes. See the Spire press release.

Texas will also be graced with two new 50-kilowatt solar electric systems by year end. Green Mountain Energy Company (GMEC) announced last week that it will install one 50-kilowatt system on the roof of the Winston School in Dallas, and a second at an undisclosed location in Houston. The systems will be supported by customers through membership in the company's "Big Texas Sun Club." See the GMEC press release.

See also the Big Texas Sun Club page on the GMEC Web site.

A solar electric system was also installed in Lime Village, Alaska, last month. The 106-panel system works in conjunction with a diesel generator to provide power to the remote rural village. The photovoltaic system is expected to displace more than 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year. See the Alaska Energy Authority press release (PDF 85 KB) Download Acrobat Reader.

And finally, ten high schools in Wisconsin will each receive a 2.5-kilowatt solar electric system in the near future. The Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE) Foundation is donating more than $300,000 to purchase, install and maintain the photovoltaic electric systems. See the MGE press release.

If the environmental group Greenpeace is correct, these installations are just the beginning of something much bigger. According to a report released last week by Greenpeace and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, solar energy could meet 26 percent of global energy needs by 2040. See the Greenpeace press release.

Xcel Energy Debuts Colorado's Second Commercial Wind Plant
Xcel Energy announced last week that a new 30-megawatt wind power plant is now generating electricity near the town of Peetz in northeastern Colorado. The new Peetz Table Wind Power Plant — the second commercial wind facility in Colorado — is owned by Cinergy Global Power and was developed by enXco Inc. It features 33 NEG Micon turbines, each capable of generating 900 kilowatts of electricity.

Xcel Energy is buying the power from the project through a 15-year contract in support of its customer-supported Windsource program. Participants in the program purchase wind power in 100-kilowatt-hour blocks each month, at a premium of $2.50 per block. Xcel Energy now has more than 17,000 customers participating in its Windsource program in Colorado, including more than 400 businesses and four wholesale customers. See the Xcel Energy press release.

Wind power is experiencing somewhat of a boom in the West, particularly in Oregon and Washington, where developers are currently negotiating with DOE's Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to provide up to 2,600 megawatts of wind power. BPA recently warned landowners to be sure they're getting a good deal before they sign contracts allowing developers to install wind turbines on their land. See the BPA press release.

Conservation Helps Northwest Power Outlook, But at a Price
The Pacific Northwest has sufficient power supplies this winter, according to the Northwest Power Planning Council (NWPPC), and actions to reduce electrical demand are largely responsible. However, some of those actions came at a high price. Although the region reduced electricity demand by roughly 20 percent — about 4,000 megawatts — since last year, the council estimates that 60 percent of that reduction is due to the idling of the Northwest aluminum industry, resulting in layoffs. The council also credits consumer energy efficiency for contributing to the reduced energy demand, although the extent of that contribution is not known.

On the supply side, more than 900 megawatts of new generating capacity have been added, and hydroelectric storage reservoirs have been filled to normal levels. But that reservoir filling came at the cost of lost water for irrigation and reduced water spills for fish migration. Temporary power generators also helped boost the energy supply over the summer, but most of them burned diesel fuel and contributed to air pollution in the region. Yet because of these combined efforts, the NWPPC predicts less than a 1 percent probability of power deficits this winter. See the NWPPC press release.

Despite seeing the down side to electricity demand reductions, the NWPPC still advocates energy efficiency as a positive way to reduce demand. In fact, a new analysis released by the council last week challenges the region's utilities to implement new energy-efficiency programs. The council estimates that such programs could reduce the region's electrical demand by another 300 megawatts within three years. See the NWPPC press release.

This summer's reduced spills definitely had an impact on fish populations — the Fish Passage Center estimates that 30 percent of the chinook salmon survived their journey down the Snake and Lower Columbia rivers, compared to 49 percent in 2000. Steelhead trout had it worse: their survival rate dropped from 39 percent in 2000 to only 4 percent in 2001. See the Fish Passage Center's preliminary analysis.

The problem of balancing water spills against the need to generate power may be alleviated in coming years through new hydropower turbine technology, according to the National Hydropower Association (NHA). Testing is now underway at Alden Research Laboratory, Inc. on a three- bladed corkscrew-shaped turbine intended to pass more fish safely. While today's turbines typically pass between 85 to 95 percent of fish, DOE's Advanced Hydropower Turbine Systems Program seeks to boost that range to at least 98 percent fish survival. See the NHA press release.

See also the DOE Advanced Hydropower Turbine Systems Program Web site.

White House, DOE Honor Federal Energy Savers
Vice President Dick Cheney presented awards last week to four federal-agency energy management teams whose projects will result in millions of dollars of energy cost savings. The ceremony followed similar awards presented by DOE earlier in the week.

Vice President Cheney presented the Presidential Awards for Federal Energy Management on Thursday to teams from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), and the U.S. Department of the Navy. The NASA Energy Team negotiated six large energy-saving contracts while pursuing NASA's use of wind, solar, geothermal, and landfill-gas energy. The USPS Southeast Area instituted a "Stamp Out Energy Waste" program to encourage employees to save energy. The USMC Air Station at Iwakuni, Japan, cycled waste steam through buildings throughout the station, thereby reducing boiler loads and saving about $340,000 per year in energy costs. The Navy's Regional Energy Program Office for the Southwest Region worked with the local utility, the state of California, and private sector companies to install a 21.6-kilowatt photovoltaic system. See the DOE press release.

Last Wednesday, DOE presented the 2001 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards to 43 groups and individuals from federal agencies whose efforts during the past fiscal year saved the federal government more than $33 million in energy costs. The awards recognize efforts that have achieved significant progress toward energy efficiency goals set for the government by the President and Congress. Preliminary fiscal year (FY) 2000 data indicate that the federal government exceeded energy reduction goals by 3.1 percent. In real dollars, the government spent $2.4 billion less for energy used in buildings in FY 2000 than in FY 1985. See the DOE press release.

DOE also honored its own last week, awarding nine DOE organizations and two individuals with the DOE Energy Management Awards. Awardees are named each year by DOE's Federal Energy Management Program to recognize outstanding achievements in energy and water management. Such efforts have helped DOE exceed the federal government's energy goals, reducing FY 2000 energy use in DOE buildings by more than 40 percent compared to FY 1985. See the DOE press release.

Alliance to Save Energy Hosts Energy Summit Tomorrow
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham will be the keynote speaker at tomorrow's "Summit on Energy Efficiency," sponsored by the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) and held in Washington, D.C. Secretary Abraham will be joined by several prominent policymakers and energy experts during the summit, which will examine energy security, the national energy policy debate, current trends in energy markets, the impact of the energy situation in California, and new challenges in energy supply. The summit will follow tonight's "Alliance Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner," which will honor New York Governor George E. Pataki, the energy service company industry, and Howard S. Geller, former Executive Director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. See the ASE press release.

Site News

Improved Electricity Restructuring Web Site
This newly redesigned site includes an in-depth description of DOE’s Electricity Restructuring Program, an updated timeline charting each state’s restructuring activities, and new reports on DOE-funded restructuring projects throughout the country. These reports address an array of topics related to electricity restructuring, from creating standard performance contracts for energy efficiency services to assisting state legislators on electric restructuring issues.

For this and other recent additions to the EREN Web site.

Energy Facts and Tips

IPCC Releases Synthesis Report on Climate Change
In late September, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved the final volume of its Third Assessment Report, which is IPCC's third effort to gather all known scientific information about climate change and compile a consensus report about the state of the science. Previously released are the three main volumes of the report, which look at the scientific basis for climate change, the anticipated impacts of climate change, and potential mitigation strategies. The new Synthesis Report summarizes the findings of the previous three volumes in a straightforward question-and-answer format. Although the full report will not be available until year end, a 26-page Summary for Policymakers is now available. Accompanying the summary is a set of 11 color figures that illustrate key points from the Synthesis Report. See the IPCC announcement, the Summary for Policymakers text and the accompanying illustrations on the IPCC Web site.

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