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September-October 2004

Conservation Update

Feature Article

Is Our Power Grid More Reliable One Year After the Blackout?

by Larry Mansueti

Photo of New York skyline on the afternoon of August 14, 2003 that shows traffic backed up on a large thoroughfare.

With the lights out in New York City, traffic grinds to a halt.
Credit: DOE's Office of Electric Transmission & Distribution

The electric power grid collapsed on August 14, 2003 — a gritty summer afternoon in Cleveland. It happened so fast that 50 million people in the northeastern United States and Canada did not know what hit them or why their lights went out.

Before it was over, three people were dead. One and a half million people in northern Ohio had no running water for two days. Twelve airports closed in eight states and one Canadian province. The estimated economic damage was $4.5-$10 billion.

The speed at which the outages cascaded over such a vast area — more than 1 million square miles — is sobering. Between 4:05 p.m. and 4:13 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, more than 250 power plants — with a total 61,800 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity — experienced emergency shutdowns. This made the 2003 blackout twice as large as any in American history.

Photo of people walking across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.

Commuters walk home across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City during the August 14, 2003 blackout.
Credit: DOE's Office of Electric Transmission & Distribution

This extraordinary event focused the nation's attention on the reliability of the power grid. In April 2004 a joint task force of U.S. and Canadian regulators, in conjunction with the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), completed a massive analysis of the blackout, identified its causes, and made 42 recommendations for improvements. The events are documented by a massive investigation by the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force titled, Final Report on the August 14 Blackout in the United States and Canada: Causes and Recommendations.

The task force also brought to light some of the institutional pressures on the power industry. After the initial phase of restructuring in the 1990s, industry investment in transmission and distribution (T&D) decreased dramatically despite continued growth in electricity generation and consumption. As a result, the T&D system operates very close to its margins. Today there is widespread agreement that the grid is in need of modernization.

How the Blackout Cascaded across the Northeast

A normal summer day in Ohio quickly soured for power system operators as small problems grew into bigger ones. By themselves, these problems were not enough to cause a catastrophic failure. But they confused system operators who had computer problems and did not understand what was happening until it was too late.

Power System Basics

The North American power system is an engineering wonder. Every second of every day, power generators produce exactly the amount of electricity that consumers require when they turn on lights. With a miniscule amount of storage on the system, electric utilities and grid operators continuously perform a balancing act. Grid operators schedule power flows across transmission lines to meet the supply and demand of the market.

The Eastern Interconnection is perhaps the world's largest synchronized machine. Spread across the eastern half of the United States, hundreds of large and small generating stations (all of which are connected electrically and spin in perfect unison) generate electricity at 120 volts and 60 hertz (cycles per second). Any deviance from this cyclical unison causes grid instability that could damage power plant and transmission equipment. Obtaining custom-built replacement parts for some of this equipment, such as large steam or generating turbines, can take months or longer.

Damage occurs very quickly and all this equipment is expensive, so complex computer and management systems are in place to guard against damage. The primary protections are breaker switches that trip offline automatically if electrical parameters such as frequency or voltage stray outside narrow boundaries. Electric power grid operators manage all this by calling for power plants to come online and cycle off to meet the ebb and flow of demand. They also direct traffic on the transmission system for a specific territory. Their work is much like that of air traffic controllers, who are bombarded with data and must make quick decisions based on computer simulations and on their understanding of the system. In a nutshell, their job is to detect the conditions that cause blackouts, implement steps to avoid them, and restore normal operations as soon as possible. In regions that have them, regional transmission organizations provide input to system operators about conditions outside their control areas that might affect operations.

Headaches for System Operators

The first hint of trouble came just after lunch when the Eastlake 5 power plant on the shores of Lake Erie tripped offline. FirstEnergy of Akron, Ohio, operates the power grid in northeastern Ohio and provides electricity to customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. FirstEnergy immediately began to import power across northern Ohio from power plants along the Ohio River Valley to the east to supply Cleveland.

Then computer problems began. The Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) in Carmel, Indiana, was dealing with a power line outage south of Dayton, Ohio. The system simulator was experiencing problems that day, partly because of faulty data updates, and the operator booted the computer. Unfortunately, he forgot to turn the computer back on when he went to lunch. Meanwhile, FirstEnergy operators also began to experience their own computer problems as their emergency management system, which provides a visual and audible alarm when a serious problem occurs, went down for almost an hour.

By 2:30 p.m., the aura of a migraine had settled around the control room when another 345-kilovolt (kV) power line sagged into a tree near Canton, Ohio, and shut down from a ground fault, which caused electricity to reroute to other power lines that attempted to carry the load. Within an hour, two more 345-kV power lines touched trees and faulted offline. System operators in surrounding states telephoned FirstEnergy to sound an alarm. By now the entire transmission system in northern Ohio was on serious overload. But lacking alarms, FirstEnergy operators waited instead of taking decisive action.

Power Surges across the Northeast

The fate of the blackout was sealed once the Sammis-Star 345-kV transmission line went down at 4:05 p.m. because of an overload. To this point, FirstEnergy operators might have been able to avert the blackout by dropping part of their load off the system.

Four illustrations show power surges across the northeastern United States after the Sammis-Star transmission line went out of service on August 14, 2003.

Reacting to the outage of a critical transmission line that tripped offline because of an overload, power surges west and east around the line try to load centers in Cleveland and Detroit. The power surges take out all the electrical equipment in their paths, which overloads other parts of the system.

With Sammis-Star out, power from the south had to reroute around central Ohio to try to reach Cleveland. This in turn overloaded the 138-kV lines across northern Ohio, and line outages formed across the entire northern third of the state. The lights went out in Cleveland and the breakers on the Pennsylvania border opened and disconnected from Ohio.

By 4:09 p.m. the system was in full collapse. Within seconds, power surged back across central Ohio and up through Michigan as it tried to reach demand centers around Detroit. This surge, in turn, opened the breakers to all the electrical equipment in its path. The blackout now encompassed Detroit to the west and the entire area south of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

But Detroit was still connected to Canada, which in turn connected with New York and the East Coast across Niagara Falls. Now a great power surge that consisted of tens of thousands of megawatts swept toward the coast and then north and east through upstate New York as it tried to reach the Great Lakes region. By 4:13 p.m. the lights were out across the Northeast and Canada (see map).

Why did the blackout stop where it did? Like a ripple from a stone falling in a pond, the intensity of the disturbance lessened the further it traveled from the center. System operators in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states were able to stabilize their systems and prevent blackouts from overtaking them.

The Causes: "Tools, Trees, and Training"

The task force report points out the complexity faced by grid operators and notes that "planning and reliable operation of the power grid are technically demanding." Thus, U.S. and Canadian electricity experts needed to understand what happened and take steps needed to prevent a recurrence. They collected data, analyzed the events, and recommended possible solutions. The Final Report is the culmination of that effort. It points out that the blackout had three main causes: "tools, trees, and training."

They concluded that that system operators in and around Ohio:

FirstEnergy and all the system operators in the region did not identify the Sammis-Star transmission line as critical to the T&D system. If they had, they would have acted within seconds to contain the disturbance.

Although significant efforts have been made to make the grid more reliable, increased involvement by the electric industry and local, regional, state, and national agencies is needed to ensure systems function properly, operators are fully trained and ready, and trees in transmission corridors are trimmed properly.

Graph shows that power flows from New Jersey into New York over the PJM lines experience radical fluctuations first in one direction (positive to overload), then back again (to negative), and then to zero within one minute on the afternoon of the blackout.

PJM Interconnection in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania recorded radical fluctuations in power flows over its system seconds before it disconnected from New York. Credit: U.S. Canada Power System Outage Task Force

What's Been Done Since the Blackout?

Reliability Standards

Photo of cover of Final Report on the August 13, 2003 Blackout in the United States and Canada — Causes and Recommendations.

The U.S. Canada Power System Outage Task Force conducted a massive investigation into the causes of the blackout and made 42 recommendations to improve power system operations.

The U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force publication, The August 14, 2003 Blackout One Year Later: Actions Taken in the United States and Canada to Reduce Blackout Risk (PDF 236 KB) Download Acrobat Reader, details the actions taken to improve grid reliability. For example, shortly after the Task Force identified direct causes of the August 14 blackout, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and NERC set to correct them.

In December 2003, FERC ordered FirstEnergy to study the adequacy of transmission and generation facilities in northeastern Ohio. The results were submitted in April 2004 and recommendations are now being incorporated into FirstEnergy's operations and strategic plan. In February 2004, NERC directed FirstEnergy, the MISO, PJM Interconnection, and the East Central Area Reliability Coordination Agreement on actions each organization needed by June 30, 2004, to reduce the potential of future blackouts. NERC then approved and verified their compliance plans.

In response to the April 2004 Final Report, FERC took the following actions to clarify and develop reliability standards:

Meanwhile, NERC strengthened its policies on emergency operations, operations planning, and reliability coordinator procedures and will include compliance metrics in its operating policies and planning standards by February 2005. New standards for managing vegetation and calculating transmission line ratings are also being developed; procedures for training and certifying operators are being revised.

To better ensure compliance with reliability standards, the report recommended that reliability monitoring capabilities be improved. NERC has taken the following steps to fulfill this recommendation:

FERC declared in April 2004 that adherence to reliability standards is required under its Open Access Transmission Tariff.

Since systems protection plans and practices are essential to grid reliability, NERC now:

Training Requirements

Map of the United States outlines North American Reliability Council areas.

The North American Reliability Council has primary responsibility for ensuring grid reliability.

NERC requires power system operators to provide their staff with five days of emergency preparedness training. This work had to be completed by June 30, 2004. FERC and NERC are currently designing parallel and coordinated studies of operator training requirements, which will include reviews of training practices used in other industries. The results of this study will help NERC determine how to revise requirements for grid operator training and certification.

NERC recently created a Real-Time Tools Best Practices Task Force to identify best practices and develop relevant guidelines. The group's recommendations will be presented in April 2005. Additionally, NERC is implementing a plan to provide operators with hourly updates about unplanned equipment outages.

Security Concerns

NERC is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, and DOE to strengthen the physical and cyber security of bulk power systems. The groups have implemented procedures that reduce the risk of inadvertently disclosing sensitive infrastructure information and are studying ways to mitigate infrastructure vulnerabilities. The agencies are also developing the electricity sector component of the U.S. National Infrastructure Protection Plan to increase grid security, and are working with industry to design an educational program on physical and cyber security and establish a database of spare transformers.

Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution

DOE's Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution (OETD) was formed in 2003 to help ensure a robust and reliable U.S. transmission grid. It combines DOE's electricity T&D R&D programs with electricity policy analysis in a single, focused office.

OETD's mission is to lead a national effort to modernize and expand America's electricity delivery system to ensure economic and national security. Broadly, that effort will:

OETD's primary functions involve R&D; modeling and analysis; electricity import and export authorization, and a power marketing administration liaison. In fact, OETD's first major task was to lead the U.S. part of the U.S.-Canadian investigation into the August 2003 blackout. Today we are following up on the report's 42 recommendations.

OETD's research portfolio includes longer term technologies such as superconducting cables and equipment, medium-term work in storage, and nearer term work in transmission reliability. OETD develops grid monitoring and visualization systems that can give early warnings of danger to grid operators and works with the electric industry to adopt them. For example, DOE-funded researchers developed a Synchronized Phasor Network, which was installed after the 1996 West Coast Blackout, to provide early warning to operators in the western grid.

Eastern Interconnection Phasor Project

The phasor network measures the heartbeat and vital signs of the Eastern Interconnection and communicates those data to system operators in time for them to make important operating decisions (PDF 304 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.

Before the blackout in the Eastern Interconnection, OETD worked with industry to develop and install a similar grid early warning network on the East Cost, known as the sponsored Eastern Interconnection Phasor Project. This phasor network is being installed through a cooperative project involving the U.S. Department of Energy and the power industry. All of the major transmission corridors in the Eastern Interconnection will have data collection devices and computer software in place by the end of this year, and the entire system should be fully operational by the end of 2005.

A new area for DOE is the coming identification of "National Interest Transmission Bottlenecks." This designation is expected to spur interest and investment in transmission and transmission alternatives in key locations of the grid.

State Energy Offices—What Is Their Role?

State energy offices need to ask (and answer) two critical questions about their power systems:

  1. Is there enough power?
  2. Can the grid deliver stable service to customers even if the most important element of the system (the largest generator) fails?

State energy offices also deal with the larger issue of the equation:

Reliability = Generation + Transmission + Distribution + Demand

By influencing components of this equation, state officials can greatly increase grid reliability. But reliability is not just power plants and power lines. It is also influenced by demand. Energy offices historically encourage and deliver energy efficiency, which directly reduces demand and improves reliability. Energy efficiency work can be targeted to high-growth areas that can help utilities avoid costs.

State energy offices may wish to work with other state agencies, such as public utility commissions (PUCs) or legislatures, to address issues such as:

Working with groups that address regional electricity issues is increasingly important, and FERC and OETD are helping to build regional support for collaborative regional planning activities. For example, OETD supports work to improve regional coordination and planning in the West.

Of course, each state's PUC helps ensure grid reliability. Each state affected by the August 2003 blackout had a representative from their commission on the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force. PUCs use their oversight and regulation over their jurisdictional electric utilities to influence investment decisions and operational practices. These commissions, or sometimes state siting bodies, can determine whether and where new generation and transmission are built. After the blackout, PUCs began to increase their oversight of tree trimming practices near transmission lines, especially in storm-prone locations.

Jimmy Glofelty, former director of DOE's Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution and co-chair of the official U.S.-Canadian investigation into the blackout, said about the process, "I think NERC and industry have made great strides in improving grid reliability. Audits have been completed for more than 80% of the many control areas across the United States, and corrective actions have been taken. In addition, every utility and control area has been required to provide additional training for their operators, vegetation management budgets are increasing, and the system is being operated more securely and conservatively. All this will help provide a more reliable grid."

Links to Other Sources



State Energy Offices Bulletin

Stories submitted by state energy offices about their projects.

Alabama

Alabama City Makes Fuel for Schools

The city of Eufaula, Alabama, is using recycled restaurant grease to make biodiesel fuel for city school buses. The Fuel for School project is funded by a grant from the Science, Technology and Energy Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

The city collects waste vegetable oil from restaurants at no cost and processes it into biodiesel. The initial cost of producing the biodiesel is $0.48/gal, according to project manager William Clark. The city hopes to operate its entire school bus fleet on biodiesel.

Producing biodiesel from restaurant waste grease "just makes good sense," said Clark. "Eufaula can turn a local waste product into a usable fuel for buses. The project reduces emissions from school buses, saves the city money on its fuel bill, and allows the city to provide another service to merchants."



Arkansas

Three men cut a ceremonial ribbon.

A September 13 ribbon-cutting for the West Memphis, Arkansas idle reduction project was attended (from left) by Marcus Devine, director of Arkansas Environmental Quality; EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt; and Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Winthrop Rockefeller.
Credit: Arkansas Energy Office

Arkansas Partners for Idle Reduction

The Arkansas Energy Office has partnered with IdleAire Technologies Corporation to reduce truck idling in West Memphis, Arkansas. IdleAire, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, makes and sells idle reduction devices that are typically installed at truck stops. The devices make extended idling unnecessary by providing parked trucks with 110-volt power for appliances, heating and air-conditioning, and lighting. It also has a touch-screen computer that enables truckers to use the Internet and telephone service. For more information, visit the IdleAire Technologies Corporation Web site.



Colorado

Coloradans Gauge Wind for Small Power Projects

Colorado's anemometer loan program has completed its first year of collecting wind data at selected sites around the state. OEMC installed seven anemometers in 2003 in a program conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Wind Powering America Program to gather and analyze wind data across the state.

"The interest in wind energy in Colorado is very strong and keeps growing. The anemometer loan program was designed to help rural Coloradans determine the feasibility of small wind power," said Rick Grice, OEMC director. "Small wind power can help farmers and ranchers save energy and reduce the demand on the grid, all with a clean, renewable fuel."

After the data were gathered, each site received a technical report that summarizes all the collected data during the monitoring period, all the raw data collected, and guidance in installing and dismantling the anemometer and tower. All the data collected are available from the OEMC.

Source: September 3 edition of Wind Energy Weekly.



Students and teachers gather in a school gymnasium.

The winning team of student energy auditors was honored in a ceremony in the Penrose Middle School gymnasium.
Credit: Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation

Colorado Students Investigate Home Energy Efficiency

This year's Home Energy Investigation Contest, conducted annually by the nonprofit Colorado Energy Science Center, attracted 25 middle school and high school teams from across the state. The winning team, from Penrose Middle School in southern Colorado, received a photovoltaic (PV) system from the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC). The PV system was installed over the summer and will provide power during the 2004-2005 school year.

The contest required that the student teams study the utility bills from at least five local homes and rank the homes from least to most energy efficient. (The Penrose team studied seven homes.) A regional weatherization agency conducted a free home energy audit on each. Six of the seven homes received free weatherization upgrades such as new windows, sealing measures, crawl space perimeter insulation, and compact fluorescent lights.



Florida

Florida Receives E-Visionary Award

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection received the national "E-visionary" award from the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) on September 22. EDTA in Washington, D.C., is an international organization that represents the interests of those involved in developing, producing, and using battery, hybrid electric, fuel cell, and electric drive vehicles. EDTA selected Florida for the honor because of the state's leadership role in purchasing and operating more than 900 alternative fuel vehicles.

Florida's energy office, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), owns 45 hybrid electric vehicles; 17% of its fleet is alternative fuel vehicles. In addition, the state demonstrates hydrogen-powered vehicles at Wekiwa Springs State Park in Orlando through a partnership with Ford Motor Company and Progress Energy.

Governor Jeb Bush said, "Florida is leading by example by purchasing hybrid and clean fuel vehicles." Florida ranks third among states in the number registrations for hybrid electric vehicles. For more information on the award, see DEP's August 22 press release.



Hawaii

Hawaii Governor Boosts Ethanol Fueling

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle signed new administrative rules to implement a 10-year-old law mandating that ethanol be added to gasoline sold in Hawaii. The new regulations call for at least 85% of Hawaii's gasoline to contain 10% ethanol beginning in April 2006. An exemption is allowed if competitively priced ethanol is not available, or in the case of undue hardship.

"Implementing ethanol blending rules is another step toward our commitment to creating greater energy self-sufficiency for our state," said the governor. At least 40 million gallons of ethanol per year will be required to meet the mandate. Studies have pegged Hawaii's ethanol production potential at 90 million gallons per year in the short term and more than 400 million gallons per year as a mature industry.

More information is available from the Office of the Governor.



Hawaii Highlights Energy Opportunities

The Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism has published an assessment of renewable energy opportunities in the state titled, Select Hawaii Renewable Energy Cost and Performance Estimates 2004 (PDF 1,220 KB).

This report was produced by the consulting firm Global Energy Concepts. It contains information on cost-effective renewable energy resources that can help meet Hawaii's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) mandate and the governor's goal of 20% renewable energy by 2020. The report updates cost and performance estimates for selected projects originally identified in a 1995 report, but it does not represent an exhaustive list of possible projects.



Hawaiians Eye Distributed Generation

Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism conducted a DOE-funded workshop in combined heat and power (CHP) and distributed energy resources. Approximately 150 participants in the August 24 event learned how those resources can provide reliable, efficient, cost-effective energy.

Specifically discussed was a hydrogen-fueled CHP system under construction for the City and County of Honolulu. Also covered was California's experience in encouraging and regulating distributed generation.



Illinois

Illinois Enacts Energy Efficiency Building Code

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich recently signed House Bill 4099 to create the Illinois Energy Efficiency Commercial Building Act, which requires the state to draft and enforce its first statewide energy efficiency code. The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will work together to implement the legislation.

The requirements include the development of a statewide energy efficiency code for all new commercial buildings and all commercial buildings that are undergoing renovations, alterations, repairs, or construction of an addition. CDB will adopt (and possibly modify) the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and its 2001 supplement as the new statewide code for Illinois. The IECC establishes minimum design and installation standards for a building's lighting; windows; walls; roofs; insulation; heating, cooling, and ventilation; and other building systems.

Blagojevich said, "We expect this new, statewide energy efficiency code to not only reduce energy costs but also to reduce air pollution and lead to a healthier state for all of us." DCEO will provide energy code education programs for local government code officials and for building designers, engineers, and contractors. For more information, see the governor's August 13 press release.



Kansas

Kansas Governor Signs Biofuel Proclamation

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed a proclamation that marks September 15 as BioFuel Awareness Day in the state. It was signed in a ceremony at the entrance to the Pride of Kansas Building at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson.

The proclamation was supported by the state's Commerce and Agricultural departments and its soybean, corn, and grain sorghum commissions. Its purpose was to increase consumer awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of using alternative, biobased fuels. In addition, the proclamation was intended to encourage state employees to purchase biofuels when traveling on business.



Kentucky

Photo of a framed house with many instructional displays inside.

Home Model of the Healthy Homes Exhibit, which features 70 ideas for saving energy.
Credit: Kentucky Division of Energy

Exhibit Brings Energy Savings to Kentucky Fairgoers

An exhibit at this year's Kentucky State Fair, coordinated by the Kentucky Division of Energy and the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, was designed to help state residents reduce energy costs and make their living environment healthy.

The exhibit featured a 12-ft2 home construction model that shows what can be done during construction to reduce energy costs. The model presented 70 energy-saving ideas that affect ventilation, rough-in wiring, insulation, ductwork, weatherization, framing, and heating and air conditioning.



Kentucky Schools Hire Energy Managers

To help schools reduce energy costs and improve their indoor environments, the Kentucky Division of Energy secured grant funding for two energy managers. One works for the Fayette County School District and one serves the Department of Education for all Kentucky schools.

Chuck Effinger, energy manager for Fayette County public schools, aims to reduce energy use by 25% over the next five years. Effinger created a database that looks at the energy use per building, so those that waste the most energy can be targeted.

John Noel, energy manager for the Kentucky Department of Education, wants to reduce Kentucky schools' annual energy bills of $107 million. "We're beginning with a pilot project that focuses on 10 school districts," he said. "We are looking first at improvements that have no cost, such as turning off lights, shutting down computers, and adjusting temperatures for after hours."

More information on school energy efficiency is available from the Kentucky Division of Energy.



Kentucky Teachers Take Energy Field Trip

A group of 18 Kentucky teachers spent five days in June visiting important energy-related sites, including a coal mine and a hydropower plant. The trip was led by the Kentucky NEED (National Energy Education Development) Project to give teachers a firsthand look at the energy sources in Kentucky.

"We wanted teachers to have an opportunity to see real-life applications of the science of energy that they are teaching in the classroom," said Karen Reagor, Executive Director of the Kentucky NEED Project. This is the third summer workshop hosted by NEED; more than 60 teachers participated.

More information is available from the Kentucky Need Project and the Kentucky Division of Energy.



Maine

Reproduction of a print advertisement for Clean Energy Maine. It all comes down to three little words, Clean Energy Maine.

Print advertising, as well as broadcast and Web communications, will promote the Clean Energy Maine campaign.
Credit: Maine Green Power Connection

Maine Offers Clean Energy Alternatives

Clean energy in Maine received a boost on September 14 with the statewide kick-off of the Clean Energy Maine campaign. Prominent energy officials spoke at the Worumbo Dam in Lisbon Falls, which was recently certified as Maine's first low-impact hydropower facility. The campaign will include broadcast, print, and Web promotions.

Clean Energy Maine is coordinated by the nonprofit Maine Green Power Connection, with funding from the Maine State Energy Program. The campaign helps state residents choose among several green power alternatives, either online or by calling a toll-free number. To date, roughly 2,000 residences and businesses have signed up for green power, much of it produced in Maine.



Maryland

Maryland Governor Champions ENERGY STAR® Homes

Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., has appeared in television commercials in the Baltimore area to encourage homebuyers to consider ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The commercial are accompanied by newspaper print ads.

The ENERGY STAR program has been heralded as an effective voluntary mechanism to save energy and help reduce greenhouse gases. "The governor is an effective and credible communicator, and we are pleased that he has agreed to take the lead in getting the ENERGY STAR message out to Marylanders," said Michael Richard, director of the Maryland Energy Administration. More information is available online from the State of Maryland.



Maryland to Lease Fuel Cell Vehicle

Maryland plans to lease a hydrogen fuel cell-powered minivan from General Motors. The state would also pursue securing a hydrogen fueling station and will approach Maryland businesses and universities about building an industrial park in which all the buildings would be powered by hydrogen, said Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. The minivan will be assigned to a state agency and will run a fixed route in Prince George's County.

The state's hydrogen-related plans were announced during a Hydrogen Learning Workshop conducted on September 8 by DOE and the Maryland Energy Administration. Experts explained how fuel cells work and how hydrogen can be produced, delivered, and stored safely. More information is available from the State of Maryland.



Michigan

Photo of the exterior of an apartment building.

Solar roofing material is demonstrated at a student apartment building at Oakland University in Michigan.
Credit: Michigan Energy Office

Michigan University Demonstrates Solar Roof

Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, has completed a project to demonstrate PV technology in the form of roof shingles that act as solar energy cells. The project was funded by a $200,000 DOE grant secured through the State Energy Office.

The roofing material, manufactured by Michigan-based United Solar Ovonics, is installed on the University Student Apartments. The site was selected for its high visibility and historical value, as well as engineering considerations.

The project is meant to show how the roofing material can perform on large buildings as well as private homes, in the public and private sectors. As data accumulate on the system performance and weather conditions, the university engineering department will assist with study and analysis.



Michigan Wastewater Plant Installs Wind Turbine

The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA) has helped the town of Dimondale, Michigan, to purchase a wind turbine for use in its wastewater treatment garage. The 500-Watt Whisper wind generator will provide emergency power to the garage. It will be paid for with a $3,800 Green Building project grant from DOE and the State Energy Office. The recycled turbine once belonged to a cooperative garden project. When the garden was sold, the owners donated it to Dimondale. GLREA hosted workshops on installing small-scale wind turbines in September. More information is available from the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association.

Source: September 10 edition of Wind Energy Weekly.



Missouri

Missouri Utility Sponsors Environmental Projects

Kansas City Power and Light is providing nearly $325,000 for three Supplemental Environmental Projects in the metropolitan area of Kansas City, Missouri. The projects were specified in a settlement agreement with EPA and signed in early September. They were proposed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to help reduce harmful air emissions in Kansas City.

Approximately $100,000 will complete the "energy rehab" of a historic residential building, which will demonstrate sustainability to homeowners. The project may include weatherization, geothermal and PV systems, and other energy efficiency technologies.

Approximately $50,000 will pay for installing small PV systems in two or more Kansas City K-12 schools. The school project will provide curriculum materials and training to help teachers explain renewable energy to their students. A truck stop electrification project will receive nearly $175,000.



Nebraska

Nebraska Air Force Base Installs Geothermal Heat

The Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska installed ground source heat pumps for three dormitories that provide 440,000 ft2 of living space for service personnel. The geothermal pumps are expected to use 36% less energy than the previous system of boilers and chiller fans, and 21% less energy than a new system that is comparable to the old one.

The installation was financed with assistance from a State Energy Program grant from DOE's Federal Energy Management Program. It followed an extensive analysis by the Air Force Base in collaboration with Omaha Public Power District and the Nebraska State Energy Office.



New York

New York Adopts Aggressive Renewable Standard

The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) voted on September 22 to require that at least 25% of the electricity sold to consumers in New York State be generated from renewable resources by 2013. Governor George Pataki proposed the 25% goal in his 2003 State of the State address, and the PSC began exploring the development of a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in February 2003. (See "State Energy News" in the January-February 2003 edition of Conservation Update.)

New York's green marketing program will provide at least 1% of the renewable sales to meet the renewable energy requirement. The state will then need to add approximately 3,700 megawatts (MW) of electricity generation capacity that uses renewable energy resources to meet the 25% target. In addition to setting the target percentage, the RPS addresses matters such eligibility for participation, procurement structures, and implementation.

The PSC anticipates a modest impact on customer bills. In fact, wholesale energy prices are likely to decline as substantial amounts of renewable resources offset some of the program costs. The RPS starts January 2006 and should reduce statewide air emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 6.8%, sulfur dioxide (SO2) by 5.9%, and carbon dioxide (CO2) by 7.7%. And the commission will review the RPS in 2009. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will administer for the standard and is charged with developing a detailed implementation and procurement plan by end of December.



New York Boosts Energy-Efficient Commercial Lighting

Energy $martTM programs administered by NYSERDA aim to lower electricity costs by encouraging energy efficiency. One is its Small Commercial Lighting Program, which promotes effective, energy-efficient lighting by providing training and assistance to lighting contractors, designers, manufacturers, and distributors.

The program provides incentives to design and install lighting systems in commercial areas of approximately 25,000 sf or less. In the past year, NYSERDA has received 138 applications and paid $112,650 in project and other incentives. Those projects represent more than 7.8 million kilowatts (kWh) of energy savings and 1.8 MW of demand savings, according to NYSERDA.

NYSERDA publishes online success stories and other information about the Energy $mart Small Commercial Lighting Program.



Rhode Island

Photo of the exterior of the Bristol Environmental Education Facility.

The Bristol Environmental Education Facility is served by an 8.1-kW PV electric system.
Credit: EverPower Global Corporation

Rhode Island Education Center Powered by PV

The Audubon Society of Rhode Island started to generate clean, reliable energy when it dedicated an 8.1-kW solar electric system at its Bristol Environmental Education Facility. During a normal day the solar electric system will produce enough power for two average Rhode Island homes and will generate approximately 20% of the facilities power during most months of the year. In addition, the solar array will save the Audubon Society nearly $900 annually in avoided electricity costs.

The Audubon Society's project received funding for the project from the Rhode Island State Energy Office under a program that provides incentives to nonprofit organizations and commercial entities that use renewable energy. The roof-mounted 8.1-kW solar electric system was supplied by EverPower Global Corporation.



South Carolina

South Carolina Opens Second E85 Station

South Carolina's second public E85 fueling facility opened recently in Columbia. The Exxon station sells E85, which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, from a pump funded in part by a DOE grant. The station also carries unleaded gasoline, and plans to sell biodiesel.

"We decided to carry E85 at this station because we are located downtown where many state fleet and postal vehicles are located, only two blocks from the state capitol," said station owner Mike McMenamin. E85 was sold at a promotional price of $0.85/gal during an October 6 grand opening.

Source: September 9 edition of FYI, the National Ethanol Vehicle Association's newsletter.



Texas

Photo of honorees.

Four political jurisdictions received awards for achievement in energy efficiency and air quality improvement in Texas. From left: Dub Taylor, director of the Texas State Energy Conservation Office; Tom Warren, Harris County; Rusty Hodapp, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport; Charles Bloomberg, city of Southlake; Dennis Lilley, city of Austin; and Dave Waltzman, DOE Central Regional Office.
Credit: Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Texas Energy Partners Honor Leaders in Energy Efficiency

The Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) hosted the second annual Texas Energy Partnership Meeting on September 8 in Arlington, Texas. The partnership includes SECO, DOE's Rebuild America, and ENERGY STAR®, which is a joint DOE and EPA program.

Several public entities were recognized for outstanding achievements in energy efficiency and air quality improvement in Texas. So honored were the cities of Austin and Southlake, Harris County, and the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.



Wisconsin

Wisconsin Program Wins Communicators Award

Hoffman York in Milwaukee and Wisconsin Focus on Energy of Madison won first place in the "Change a Light, Change Wisconsin" program in the 2004 category of Special Corporate Promotion. The Southeastern Wisconsin chapter of the Association for Women in Communications presented the award for outstanding work in public relations and advertising. The campaign encouraged Wisconsin residents to purchase ENERGY STAR lighting products and resulted in sales of more than 972,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs.





State Energy Information

New state Web sites and publications, and DOE pubs dealing with energy efficiency and renewable energy in the states.

Geothermal Energy: A Primer on State Policies and Technology
(PDF 195 KB)
The National Conference of State Legislatures publishes this report on the benefits and challenges of geothermal energy for state legislatures and policymakers; 13 pp; January, 2003.

Industry Survey Final Report — Developing State Policies Supportive of Bioenergy Development
(PDF 389 KB)
The Southern States Biobased Alliance, which serves 16 southern states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, sponsored this report published on the Southern Regional Bioenergy Program Web site; 32 pp; August, 2003.

State Energy Web Sites

Idaho Renewable Energy

The Idaho Office of Energy Resources publishes this Web site dealing with the potential of renewable energy in the state

New York Energy $mart Program Evaluation and Status Report

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) publishes this final report to the New York Systems Benefit Charge Advisory Group

DOE Publications on State-Related Topics