July-August 2004
Conservation Update
Feature Article
Safeguarding the Nation's Energy
by Matthew Brown, National Conference of State Legislatures
The September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., forced the nation's energy business and the policy bodies that oversee the nation's energy establishment to reassess many old assumptions. For the first time, a relatively small number of people who had concerned themselves with securing the nation's energy infrastructure were thrust into prominence. Energy security had entered the lexicon of all those involved in the energy industry. Soon after, policymakers, state energy officials, public utility commissioners and emergency management and law enforcement officials discovered a renewed drive to cooperate with electric, gas and petroleum companies to improve the security of systems that generate, transmit and distribute energy.
(The following article is re-compiled and reprinted with permission from the National Conference of State Legislatures [NCSL] from a report titled "Energy Security" written by Matthew Brown, Christie Rewey, and Troy Gagliano; 113 pp.; Copyright NCSL April 2003. The entire report is available from the NCSL bookstore.)
Energy security affects all facets of the energy policy environment; therefore it is important for individuals and policymakers who focus on seemingly unrelated aspects of energy policy to also understand the overlapping dimensions of these issues.
- Energy security affects utility commissions and rate regulation because the commissions will have to decide whether the utility or its customers will pay for a increasing energy security investments. It also affects the many local governments that operate municipal utilities that might be in need of security investments.
- Funding for research and development may be shifted to support investments that bolster energy security.
- Policymakers also may need to develop plans that address potential conflicts between simultaneously complying with environmental regulations and restoring power during a crisis.
- Energy security involves economic development and the economic health of the United States. Terrorists have demonstrated through actions and words their intent to damage the U.S. economy. The health of the U.S. economy is intimately linked with energy resources and assets such as power plants, power lines and fuel pipelines, and fuel processing and storage centers. These assets comprise a large portion of the nation's critical infrastructure, and any disruption to these assets could adversely affect the economy.
- Energy security affects freedom of information policy, since the United States has had a long tradition of providing a great deal of information to as many people as desire it. Protecting vulnerable infrastructure also may involve reassessing what information to make public under what circumstances.
- Finally, energy security affects numerous other broad energy policy debates and concerns, such as the state energy planning process or state energy emergency plans.
The threat to the U.S. energy system cannot be taken lightly. Critical points within the energy infrastructure—such as electricity distribution networks, gas transportation and storage facilities, or certain power plants—could give terrorists an opportunity to cause catastrophic damage to the economy and to the health and safety of people. The combination of today's current level of security with an already vulnerable energy infrastructure makes energy security one of the highest national and state policy priorities. Energy resources are increasingly complex, interconnected and vulnerable. Owners and operators of energy assets and the federal, state and local policymakers who oversee those assets are generally ill prepared for a large-scale terrorist attack, although they are currently better prepared than before September 2001.
Jurisdiction Over Energy Security
| Function | Local | State | Federal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear power plant oversight. | X (For emergency response.) |
X (For emergency response.) |
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| Ongoing guarding of energy facilities. | X | X (If National Guard.) |
X (In rare circumstances.) |
| Freedom of Information requests. | X | X | X |
| Awareness of energy system vulnerabilities. | X | X | |
| Pipeline safety. | X | X | |
| Retail electricity products and fuel diversity. | X (For municipally owned utilities; for government purchases.) |
X (Through utility commissions, portfolio standards, incentives, funding, and state purchases.) |
X (Through tax incentives and federal government purchases.) |
| Energy system planning. | X | X | X |
| Siting certification. | X (In home rule states.) |
X | X (For interstate pipelines only.) |
| Emergency management and response. | X | X | X |
| First response to emergency. | X | ||
| Oversight of energy security costs. | X (For municipal utilities.) |
X (Through utility commissions under statutory authority.) |
X (For FERC jurisdictional costs.) |
| Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, 2003 | |||
Energy Infrastructure and Levels of Risk
The nation's energy system of power plants, power lines, gas pipelines and power facilities is uncomfortably exposed to terrorist threats. The scope of the threat is great, but lawmakers can take steps to reduce the risks.
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 The mainland United States is divided into three separate power grids that are electrically separated from each other. This separation allows power system controllers to stop a potentially cascading power outage from spreading across the country. |
The bulk of the nation's energy infrastructure has some level of risk. The question that legislators and industry need to address is: What risks are unacceptable? The country relies on thousands of miles of pipelines and power lines and a multitude of facilities, such as compressor stations on gas pipelines or substations for electricity transmission and distribution. Protecting each mile of these facilities would be impossible and impractical. Disruptions to small distribution pipelines or power lines might qualify as acceptable risks because the effects would be limited and repairs could be easily made. Attacks on some other facilities such as large power generators, major pipelines and transmission lines, or fuel storage facilities may qualify as unacceptable risks.
Information systems. Information systems control much of the electric power and many of the pipelines. A National Security Agency mock attack on systems that control the power grid in the late 1990s found that a cyber attack could bring down the grid. As a result, the industry and federal government have been working to reduce the vulnerability of the grid to cyber attack. But Internet-based control systems are still vulnerable, and the nation continues to rely heavily on them. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, for instance, established an Internet-based system through which owners can sell access to the transmission grid to power generators.
Large Power Generation Stations Power generating stations could also be targets for attack. The effects would multiply in situations where plants are located near cities. Two types of power plants deserve special attention: dams and nuclear facilities. Policymakers and industry representatives have recognized that a security breach at a nuclear power plant poses dangers not only to the reliability of the energy system, but also to the safety of large regions. As a result, many nuclear plants are built to sustain a direct hit from a small airplane. They are not built to sustain the force of a large plane. Nor are they impervious to direct attacks from hostile groups. Although protected by well-trained, armed guards, Nuclear Regulatory Commission simulated attacks found some security shortcomings. Unlike nuclear facilities, which are constructed and operated with the threat of an attack in mind, dams are built to withstand direct forces that result from the movement of water—not from explosives. A breach to a dam would not only disrupt the electricity system for a region, but would pose dangers for downstream populations.
Power Transmission Lines. The vast majority of power lines fall into the category of an acceptable risk. Even if one power line went down, power could be shipped over other lines while that one was repaired. Utilities regularly deal with weather-related disruptions to their power systems. What has become clear, however, is that certain congested power lines are critical—not only to the operation of the power grid, but also to its security. A prominent example is Path 15, which carries power between northern and southern California. The scarcity of energy in California's system during 2000 and parts of 2001 highlighted the inadequacy of this transmission line and also how critical it is to the system.
 The U.S. gas pipeline system is built to transport natural gas from producing states located mostly in the South—Texas, Louisiana, and surrounding states—to consuming states in the Northeast, Midwest, and West. |
Gas Pipelines. California alone consumes close to 6 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day—much of it imported from out-of-state sources. The Northeast relies on natural gas for home heating and its electric generating plants. More than 90% of the new power plants proposed in this country rely on natural gas. Although much of the gas pipeline is underground, those elements above-ground are vulnerable.
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 The nature of the oil industry reflects its perspective on security. Over the years the relative size and capacity of each of the oil refineries have grown. This means that an outage at an oil refinery affects the market more today than it would have 50 years ago when there were a larger number of smaller refineries in operation. |
Oil Refineries and Pipelines. Like power plant regulations, rules governing oil processing and pipeline infrastructure focus on mitigating environmental problems, not defending against terrorist attack. Oil refineries in the United States are probably not well prepared to defend against such an attack. And many of these facilities are concentrated in just a few states. Texas, Alaska, California and Louisiana house not only the refineries, but also pipelines and storage.
Policy Issues. There is a range of security threats to the nation's energy infrastructure. Certain parts of the infrastructure are both more vulnerable to attack and more important to defend. State policymakers may want to:
- Develop or update a plan that defines ways to respond to an energy emergency. Many states have plans, but some are in need of updating.
- Ensure that there is a plan for communication among law enforcement and industry.
- Recognize that enhanced security costs money. Some—particularly regulated—industries—may ask for assistance in terms of either tax relief or rate hikes.
- Build a system that incorporates a reasonable level of redundancy. For instance, if a pipeline is breached, the product can be moved through another line while the breach is fixed.
- Move to a less vulnerable infrastructure. Some states now have policies that encourage small-scale generation that does not rely heavily on transmission of either gas through pipelines or electricity through transmission lines from large central station facilities. However, such systems—known as distributed resources—often have a higher up-front cost than would the existing system.
(Note: this section of this article was taken from a series of briefs published by NCSL and titled "Protecting Democracy: States Respond to Terrorism.")
Energy Security Recommendations and Options for State Legislatures
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has developed the following list of recommendations and options for state legislatures regarding energy security.
Seek information and education about energy systems and energy security. Through this process, identify vulnerabilities in the energy system.
Provide for sharing of information and coordinating responses between federal, state, and local government agencies as well as the energy industry.
Review utility commission enabling statutes.
- Determine if the state utility commission has sufficient authority to collect information on security from regulated entities and to oversee and approve utility security plans where deemed necessary.
- Determine the sufficiency of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemptions for data submitted to the utility commission regarding the security of critical infrastructure.
- Determine if the utility commission has sufficient guidance, authority and oversight related to pass-throughs of security related costs.
- Determine if the commission has sufficient guidance related to disclosure of such costs on consumers' bills.
Identify opportunities for energy efficiency and encourage demand response programs.
Examine the security implications of state siting laws.
Analyze statutes governing the state energy office and its duties. Determine how to integrate the state homeland security office with the state energy office and if the state energy office has sufficient authority and budget to:
- Provide technical assistance to policymakers on energy security.
- Manage state and federal grants that strengthen energy security.
- Oversee energy emergency management function.
- Oversee an energy analysis and planning function.
Study statutes to determine the diversity and redundancy of the energy system. Focus on the potential role of renewable energy and distributed generation in bringing this diversity, thereby creating a more secure energy system.
Review statutes governing freedom of information laws (FOIA).
Reassess laws and procedures governing open meetings.
Evaluate state liability statutes.
Ensure that industry and state agencies have conducted appropriate vulnerability studies.
Update statutes governing emergency response.
Examine legislation regarding "unfair pricing" in emergencies.
(This list of recommendations is re-compiled and reprinted with permission from the National Conference of State Legislatures [NCSL] from a report is titled "Energy Security" written by Matthew Brown, Christie Rewey, and Troy Gagliano; 113 pp.; Copyright NCSL April 2003. The entire report is available from the NCSL bookstore.)
State Energy Offices Bulletin
Stories submitted by state energy offices about their projects.
Alabama
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Geoff Schaff, a peanut and cotton producer in Baldwin County, Alabama shows County Extension Agent Marla Faver how a GPS receiver saves him time in the field. |
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Alabama Funds Agriculture Efficiency Program
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs - Science, Technology and Energy (ADECA-STE) Division, which serves as the energy office for Alabama, has developed a new program to help the agriculture industry reduce energy costs and increase production. The Agriculture Energy Efficiency Program provides education and financial assistance for implementing energy efficiency technologies and equipment, and renewable energy solutions for farms, rural businesses, and agricultural processing industries.
One of the first actions of this program was to form a steering committee that consists of major agricultural interests. Based on input from the committee, ADECA-STE developed and solicited proposals to demonstrate energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that have the potential to significantly improve the energy efficiency of agricultural operations. This spring, ADECA-STE selected ten projects from a pool of applicants, who will receive a total of $449,269.
ADECA-STE plans to host an agriculture energy efficiency conference in the near future to disseminate information about these projects to the agricultural community and to further develop the program.
Arizona
Arizona Governor's Energy Efficiency Awards
The Arizona Governor's Office presented its 2003 Governor's Awards for Energy Efficiency to Arizona cities, educational institutions, and state government agencies on March 31. Lynette Evans, policy advisor from the Governor's Office for Regulatory Affairs, and George Seitts, director of the Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office, presented 26 awards at the 2004 Energy Management Conference in Mesa. The awards recognize public agencies for excellence in and commitment to energy efficiency.
Arkansas
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Congressman Mike Ross gave the keynote address for the Industrial Strategies for Coping with Arkansas' Energy Future. Chris Benson (seated at left), director of the Arkansas Energy Office of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development, provided an overview of energy office issues. |
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Arkansas Energy Office Holds Industrial Seminar
The Arkansas Environmental Federation and the Arkansas Energy Office sponsored a daylong seminar in Little Rock on June 28 that dealt with the critical relationship between energy and industry. More than 60 facility managers, chief executive officers, facility engineers, attorneys, environmental and energy consultants, and employees of government agencies attended. They heard presentations on trends in energy markets and the potential economic impacts of supply and price changes. You can see the speakers' presentations online published by the energy office.
Colorado
Colorado Helps Ski Company Employ Micro-Hydro
The Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) and the Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) unveiled a new micro-hydropower plant at ASC's ski resort at Snowmass. The plant generates approximately 250,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year by using the ski resort's underground pipes (which the resort uses to make snow during the winter) to channel springtime runoff through a conventional turbine. The resort, which is located just outside Aspen in the central Rocky Mountains, will earn about $15,000 from the sale of electricity to the local utility, Holy Cross Energy in Glenwood Springs.
"This project would not have been possible without overwhelming support from our partners. Now, it's a successful, transferable, and eventually profitable example of on-slope renewables for the whole ski industry," said Auden Schendler of Aspen Skiing Company. If this micro-hydro plant proves successful, ASC will replicate it at its other four mountains to provide power to 400 homes.
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C-WADE |
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Colorado Wind and Distributed Energy Conference
OEMC and DOE's Wind Powering America hosted the second biennial Colorado Wind & Distributed Energy: Renewables for Rural Prosperity Conference 2004 on April 13 - 14. DOE Deputy Secretary of Energy Kyle McSlarrow and U.S. Representative Bob Beauprez addressed the attendees. The conference focused on wind energy the first day, supplying a step-by-step "how to" guidance and tools for successful wind project development and operation, including public ownership, local equity, and public and private partnerships. The second day featured distributed generation topics such as creating power from forest thinnings, hydrogen projects, anaerobic digestion and different distributed generation devices, such as fuel cells and microturbines.
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Lamar |
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Governor Proclaims "Colorado Wind Day"
Colorado Governor Bill Owens proclaimed May 14 as "Colorado Wind Energy Day," to commemorate the grand opening of the Colorado Green wind farm in Prowers County in southeast Colorado. The 162-megawatt (MW) wind farm is the fifth-largest wind farm in the nation and has the ability to power over 75,000 homes. Colorado, with a total of 223 MW of wind power, serving nearly 103,000 households, is now the eighth largest producer of wind in the nation.
DOE
Federal Register Listing for $280 Million of Oil Overcharge Funds
As announced in the May-June 2004 issue of Conservation Update, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) announced the availability of approximately $280 million in oil overcharge (PVE) funds in the Federal Register on May 21. This is the final distribution of PVE funds.
OHA informed all prior successful applicants by mail of their eligibility to apply for a share of these new funds. According to OHA, most states are included in this group; however, the agency listed as the applicant is not always the state energy office. To receive new funds, claimants must apply by December 31; OHA estimates that funds will be distributed beginning in February 2005. For eligibility and application details, see OHA's oil case database downloads.
After prior claimants are paid, OHA estimates as much as $7 million may remain for distribution to all the states according to the Stripper Well formula. State energy offices with questions may contact OHA director Tom Mann by phone at 202-287-1449, or by email at: Thomas.Mann@hq.doe.gov.
Hawaii
Hawaii Governor Lingle Expands Net Metering, Renewable Portfolio Standards
Hawaii's replaced its renewable portfolio standard (RPS) with a higher, enforceable standard on June 2. Under the new standard, which was enacted by the legislature and signed by the governor, 20% of the state's electricity is to be generated from renewable resources by 2020. Under the RPS, each electric utility in the state is required to establish the following percentages of its net electricity sales by the end of the corresponding year:
- 8% by 2005
- 10% by 2010
- 15% by 2015
- 20% by 2020
Generation from renewable energy, which in 2003 accounted for 8.2% of the statewide total, counts toward the RPS requirement. In addition, an electric utility and its (utility) affiliates may combine their renewable portfolios to achieve the goals.
Hawaii defines renewable energy as electricity produced by wind, solar energy, hydropower, landfill gas, biomass (including municipal solid waste), geothermal resources, ocean thermal energy conversion, wave energy, biofuels, hydrogen fuels derived from renewable energy, and fuel cells (if the fuel is derived from renewable sources). If biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, or if fossil and renewable fuels are cofired in the same generating unit, the project receives credit in proportion to the percentage of electricity derived from renewable energy.
Hawaii also defines renewable energy as electrical energy savings brought about by the use of solar and heat pump water heating, seawater air conditioning, district cooling systems, solar air conditioning and ice storage, quantifiable energy conservation measures, use of rejected heat from small-scale cogeneration, and customer-sited combined heat and power systems.
The new RPS also requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to establish that the rate paid to a renewable energy generator may not be more than 100% of the avoided cost. The PUC has been directed to adopt rules and implement a rate structure by December 2006, to provide incentives that encourage utilities to achieve the RPS standard, and to determine its impact on utility profit margins. The PUC can issue a temporary waiver if it determines a utility cannot cost-effectively meet the standard.
The statute requires the PUC to contract with the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to conduct a peer-reviewed study every five years and to recommend whether to revise the RPS. It empowers the PUC to review and revise the RPS every five years, and does not set 20%, or the year 2020, as a final limit (or "sunset") for the measure.
On the same day the RPS bill was signed, Governor Lingle also signed measures to raise the net metering limit for renewable energy systems from 10 kilowatts (kW) to 50 kW and extend the limit on performance contracting from 15 years to 20 years. The governor also enacted laws that will cut state alternative fuel taxes by 50% and clarify eligibility for renewable energy technology income tax credits.
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Attendees at Hawaii's Green Hotel Forum gather at the Grand Wailea Resort and Spa on Maui. |
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Hawaii Greens Businesses
Hawaii's energy office works closely with the private sector to promote energy-conscious and environmentally responsible building design, construction, and operation. Recent events include the Hawaii Green Business Forum, held at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, and the Green Hotel Forum, held at the Grand Wailea Resort and Spa on Maui. Local hotels, electric utilities, and representatives of county and state governments discussed greening efforts and environmental best management practices. The forums were cosponsored by the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the State Department of Health, the Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association, and others.
Hawaii Greens Homes
Residential measures to improve energy efficiency, lower bills, and increase comfort were emphasized at recent events such as the Hawaii BuiltGreenTM Home program for the Pacific Exposition "Home & Garden Show," the "Building Green Business Workshop," and the "Remodel It Right Seminar." The three most effective measures to improve a home's energy, comfort, and value in Hawaii are solar water heating, cool roofs (which usually include insulation and radiant barriers), and natural ventilation.
Honolulu Adopts Solar Bond
The City and County of Honolulu has established a solar bond for $7.85 million for solar and energy efficiency projects in public buildings across the Island of Oahu. Priority projects include solar water heating on fire stations, energy efficiency upgrades, and cogeneration. The bond will be retired through energy savings from the projects. Honolulu also expects to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for financing 2 MW of photovoltaics this fall.
Iowa
Iowa Educates Energy System Owners on Interconnection
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is working to educate consumers and utilities about their interconnection responsibilities in a changing state and federal regulatory environment. DNR used DOE grant funding to commission a study on the status of interconnection in Iowa. Then DNR organized a series of workshops to reach utilities and potential owners of renewable energy systems. DNR hosted the first workshop on July 21 in association with the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities and representatives of municipal utilities.
DNR is also developing an information packet on interconnecting customer-sited renewable energy systems to the electricity grid. The packet will include a summary of the requirements for interconnection, discuss technical issues, and list various resources for assistance. Finally, it will include interconnection guidelines for Iowa utilities and utility associations.
Source: August 9 edition of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's newsletter, "IREC Interconnection."
Kansas
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A flexible-fuel Ford Taurus that runs on both ethanol and gasoline exhibits at the fifth anniversary dedication of the Kansas City Clean Cities Coalition. |
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Kansas City Rededicates Clean Cities Coalition
The Kansas City Clean Cities Coalition (KCCCC) celebrated its fifth anniversary in a ceremony at the Woodlands Race Track in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 16. The event drew more than 300 special dignitaries and alternative fuel advocates. KCCCC coordinator Benjamin Watson said, "This represents the new beginnings and re-education of the groups that have recommitted to the goals and objectives of alternative fuels and vehicles." Also attending was Cindy Carroll of the Missouri Energy Center, who said, "The five year re-designation ceremony for the Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coalition marks a major milestone for the organization's efforts to advance alternative fuels and cleaner air for the Kansas City area."
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This solar car from Kansas State University finished in third place in the 2004 Formula Sun Grand Prix in Topeka. |
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Kansas Hosts 2004 Formula Sun Grand Prix
This year the solar car from the University of Missouri Rolla (UMR) won at the checkered flag. Once again Kansas hosted the annual Formula Sun Grand Prix on May 19-21 in Topeka, which becomes a solar capital for a week. The grand prix features full-size solar cars built by teams of North American college and university students. The race lasts three days and challenges students to achieve educational and technological excellence. The UMR team completed 413 laps on the 2.1-mile road course.
The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), the New Resources Group, Crowder College, and DOE sponsor the race.
Two days later in Topeka, KCC sponsored the tenth annual Solar BikeRayce USA, a 100-kilometer course that features solar-charged electric bicycles and small cars that are built and raced by teams from high schools around the country. Saint Thomas Academy of Minneapolis, Minnesota, garnered first place with a record-breaking time of 1 hour, 52 minutes.
Maine
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It is more expensive to supply electricity to inhabitants of remote islands, which makes solar systems comparatively more attractive. |
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Maine Cooperative Moves Solar to Islands
One of Maine's most exciting solar initiatives involves the Fox Island Electric Cooperative. The cooperative serves about 1,000 customers through submarine conductors to Vinalhaven and North Haven Islands in midcoast Maine. The conductors are nearing the end of their useful lives, and the cooperative plans to eventually install new ones. This year the cooperative decided to install photovoltaic (PV) systems rated at 17.8 kW and solar thermal collectors that occupy an area of 128 ft2.
Renewable energy systems provide short- and long-term benefits. For the utility, distributed generation from PV provides local voltage support, which can lower line losses and delay the need for circuit upgrades. Solar thermal collectors installed on a home displace 50%-75% of the fossil fuel needed to heat domestic water over the course of a year.
Contact: Dave Folce, manager, Fox Island Electric, 207-863-4636
Nevada
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Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn worked with his state energy office director to develop and propose a plan to help the state meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard. |
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Nevada Governor Puts Renewables Initiative Back on Track
Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn proposed regulatory changes to the Nevada Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and legislative proposals to the Nevada Legislature on July 9 to help the state meet its renewable portfolio standard. The purpose of the proposals was to give investors in Nevada renewable energy projects reasonable guarantees of a fair return. And he said, "We are giving our utilities a chance to use more renewable energy sooner."
According to Nevada State Energy Office director Richard Burdette, the proposals involved commitments from individuals and organizations that usually have no need to work together. Burdette said, "Nevada's renewable energy development was interrupted by financial events of 2002, but will be put back on track by this initiative."
North Carolina
North Carolina Surveys Attitudes toward Wind Power
The Energy Center at Appalachian State University (ASU) in Boone published a survey and report in March about North Carolinians' attitudes toward wind power. The study was supported by the North Carolina State Energy Office because it has several wind energy projects under way and because recent resource assessments have discovered significant electricity generation potential from wind along the eastern coast and in the western mountains. Wind power plants have a potential impact on aesthetics, environment, and economy, and the energy office feels that public opinion affects potential installations.
University surveyors covered 24 western counties in 2002 and 18 eastern counties in 2003, and obtained 804 completed surveys from a sample size of 6,016. These results are large enough to be statistically significant, and ASU publishes both the the survey and final report online.
Some results: 75% of western residents and 90% of eastern residents support small turbines (usually 5-50 kW) for residential use. More than two-thirds also support utility-scale turbines even if they are visible from their homes.
South Carolina
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William Culler, director, DHEC's Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling; Reneé Daggerhart, public information coordinator, South Carolina Energy Office; Kevin Fisher, Fisher Communications; Holly Storey, program coordinator, DHEC's Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling; and Richard Chesley, manager, Education and Technical Assistance Section, DHEC's Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling. |
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Earth Today Wins Emmy Award
Earth Today is an environmental education program produced by Fisher Communications of Columbia for the South Carolina Energy Office and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). It won the 2004 Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Television Programming by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The 30-minute program is modeled after NBC's Today show and targets middle school students. Earth Today presents students as anchors and reporters who provide segments on a variety of environmental issues, including energy conservation, air and water quality, recycling, and litter prevention. It even features an environmentally themed "Concert on the Plaza" with Eartha and the Recycle Guys. Schools may order video copies by calling 800-768-7348.
Public Schools Garner $6.8 Million Savings
Twenty-five school districts have received School Initiative grants for lighting retrofits and other energy efficiency improvements. Fourteen have completed project. They received $1.6 million in grant funds and will realize $4.1 million in energy savings over the expected lives of the projects. Once the remaining eleven school districts complete their projects, the expected total energy savings will increase to $6.8 million.
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The Energy Tower |
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South Carolina Energy Office Part of EdVenture
Visitors to the EdVenture Children's Museum in Columbia don't even have to walk in the door to begin learning, thanks to the South Carolina Energy Office. Just to the left of the entrance, a three-story Energy Tower gives kids and adults a hands-on learning experience.
The tower was built with federal funding obtained by the South Carolina Energy Office and includes:
- A demonstration of the energy savings of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) over incandescent light bulbs
- A hand pedaling station where kids try to light an incandescent bulb
- A photovoltaic cell
- An explanation of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources
- Information about sustainable or green building practices
- Visible circuitry, wiring, and metering that show how solar energy is collected, stored, and routed to an appliance.
State Agencies Enjoy Financial Benefits
ConserFund, the South Carolina Energy Office's low-cost financing program for energy efficiency improvements in public institutions, has saved taxpayers approximately $17.7 million thus far. Since its inception, ConserFund has loaned approximately $7.2 million to state agencies, colleges and universities, school districts, and local governments for energy-saving improvements.
ConserFund is available to finance a variety of energy conservation improvements such as replacing and installing chillers of all sizes, implementing or upgrading a energy management and control systems, modifying or installing heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, and installing light switch systems.
Utah
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The Energy Hog squeezes an energy inefficient icemaker out of a refrigerator. |
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Governor Launches Energy Efficiency Campaign
Utah Governor Olene Walker launched helped launch a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign on April 21 with sixth-grade students from the Peruvian Park Elementary School in Salt Lake City. The campaign is designed to engage children and their parents in energy efficient behavior through a new spokes-villain, the Energy Hog. The Advertising Council, creator of Smokey the Bear and the "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" campaign, developed Energy Hog together with the Utah Energy Office and other national and local partners.
"Energy conservation is an effort that simply must be a priority for all of us," Walker said. "I'm excited about this new campaign, designed to motivate children to practice energy-saving activities with their parents, making their homes more energy efficient. Not only will this make a difference in all our homes individually, but the results will be felt throughout our communities and our state."
Utah Taps Geothermal Reservoir under Prison
Utah discovered an unexpected underground bonanza last year. It's a geothermal reservoir—an aquifer of hot water at about 185°F—about 1,000 feet below the Wasatch Unit of the Utah State Prison in Draper. Working with the Utah Energy Office, the Department of Corrections entered into an energy services contract with Johnson Controls, Inc., in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to provide heat and hot water to the facility.
The project is being constructed in two phases; the first phase was completed in July. This phase involves pumping water from the geothermal reservoir to the surface where heat is extracted in a heat exchanger to heat several buildings. Under the terms of the contract, Johnson Controls guarantees the state will save $190,000 per year. This way, the project will pay for itself in 16 years. For more information, read the article by Dave Anderton in the July 14 edition of the Deseret Morning News.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Residents Trim Annual Energy Costs by $20.2 Million
A statewide initiative that focuses on renewable energy and energy efficiency is saving Wisconsin residents $20.2 million per year in energy costs. This is according to Focus on Energy, a public-private partnership that offers energy information and services to energy utility customers throughout Wisconsin. The savings occur through Focus on Energy's programs for residential energy users, which help residents install ENERGY STAR® appliances and lighting; upgrade insulation, water heaters, and heating and cooling systems; build high-performance homes; and install residential renewable energy systems.
More than 3,000 Wisconsin ENERGY STAR homes have been built since the Focus on Energy program's inception in 1999, and the City of Madison and Dane County bought more than 4,500 compact fluorescent light bulbs at a Focus on Energy sale earlier this year. For details, see Focus on Energy's August 9 press release (PDF 133 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.
Source: August 18 edition of EERE Network News.
State Energy Information
New state Web sites and publications, and DOE pubs dealing with energy efficiency and renewable energy in the states.