January-February 2005

Conservation Update

Feature Article

Texas Revolving LoanSTAR

by Theresa Sifuentes, Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Local government agencies are lining up for energy financing in the Lone Star State. Texas is big on program performance, so it is not hard to envision the Texas State Energy Conservation Office running the largest revolving loan fund for energy efficiency and conservation in the country.

Public agencies that participate in Texas LoanSTAR have to follow strict guidelines to verify their energy savings. As a result, actual savings outstrip estimates by 20%. This statistic is the envy of other energy programs and proves that public facilities in Texas are becoming more energy efficient. With the cumulative energy savings achieved to date and as new loans are funded, LoanSTAR is expected to save Texas taxpayers more than $250 million in energy costs over the next 20 years.

How LoanSTAR Works

Texas LoanSTAR — Loans to Save Taxes and Resources — began in 1988 as a $98.6 million retrofit program for energy efficiency in buildings. The loans are targeted toward public buildings: state agencies, local governments, and school districts.

• Quality Control
• Metering and Monitoring

The original funding came from Petroleum Violation Escrow (PVE) funds that states and other parties received from oil companies for alleged overcharges in the 1980s. These funds are managed by the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) State Energy Program. The size of the original investment — $98.6 million — makes LoanSTAR the largest state-run energy efficiency and conservation program in the United States.

LoanSTAR began in 1988 as a statewide demonstration project, and DOE required SECO to provide extensive oversight and documentation. This meant LoanSTAR had to use solid data to establish its claims for savings, particularly in the early years. Today it is among the best documented and most successful energy efficiency programs in the United States.

The initial loans between 1989 and 1994 were made for a period of 4 years, and the simple paybacks on projects averaged 3.4 years. In 1995 DOE allowed SECO to remove the demonstration label from LoanSTAR.

Quality Control

Early on SECO developed procedures and guidelines that would allow LoanSTAR to prove that the financed energy retrofits would pay for themselves. As part of its quality control, LoanSTAR:

• Issued energy assessment guidelines.
• Trained energy engineering consulting firms on audit techniques and LoanSTAR guidelines.
• Developed protocols to have each LoanSTAR project metered and monitored to track pre- and post-retrofit energy consumption.
• Developed new methods of analyzing energy savings from retrofits.

In fact, measured energy savings exceed audit estimates by more than 20%. We believe these unusually high savings are due to:

• Good audit guidelines.
• Technical training.
• Metering and monitoring.
• Follow-up with the borrowing agencies to ensure the retrofits were working properly and to provide building commissioning assistance for improved operation and even greater efficiency.

Metering and Monitoring

In the beginning of the program loans had to be paid back within four years, and all major projects had to be metered and monitored to verify energy savings. In 1995 the loan period was lengthened to eight years. Furthermore, metering and monitoring are now optional parts of the loan — the cost rolls up into the loan total.

In 2001, SECO received approval from DOE to allow LoanSTAR to finance projects through energy service companies (ESCOs) and to include water conservation retrofits. Now loan recipients can choose between a traditional three-part process — design, bid, and build — or a streamlined two-part process — design and build.

Public agencies in Texas are experiencing substantial savings on their energy bills through LoanSTAR. As measured since the beginning of the program through December 2004, total savings amount to $152,410,130 (see chart). This amount reflects measured savings from 1989, when the first loan was funded, through 2000 and stipulated savings from 2001 though December 2004. Total savings are calculated directly from metered and monitored energy consumption data collected before and after the energy retrofits. Stipulated savings take place on buildings where the energy-saving measures contribute year after year at an established level but where monitoring equipment is no longer in place.

For the first time since program inception, Texas LoanSTAR recently expended all available funds for new loans and has requests of more than $20 million worth of energy projects. SECO, which is located in the Texas Comptroller's Office, administers LoanSTAR under the guidance of Director Dub Taylor. For more details, see SECO's online LoanSTAR program description.

Loan Totals and Emission Reductions

Between January 1989 and December 2004 Texas LoanSTAR issued 177 loans that totaled more than $223 million to public agencies to become more energy efficient.

• Loans and Loan Amounts
• Emission Savings

Loans and Loan Amounts

The LoanSTAR program has truly "revolved," since the total dollar value of the loans exceeds the original $98.6 million by 2.3 times. As of early this year, LoanSTAR has financed 182 projects. See SECO's online map of LoanSTAR locations.

There have been long periods, such as January 1993 to March 1994 and January 1995 to July 1996, when few loans were made. Not all the PVE funds became available to LoanSTAR at once, and subsequent funding releases required the concurrence of the Texas Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

Emission Savings

There are significant environmental benefits from the program as well. The increased efficiency and reduced demand decrease energy consumption and emissions because electricity and fuels do not need to be produced and delivered at the same levels. Nevertheless, the reduction of environmental pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NO_x), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), carbon dioxide CO₂, and particulates are not parts of the “credits” obtained from LoanSTAR.

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State Energy Offices Bulletin

Stories submitted by state energy offices about their projects.

California

California Energy Commission Approves Energy-Saving Rules for Appliances

The California Energy Commission recently approved new regulations to make appliances sold in the state the most energy efficient in the nation.

The new standards, which go into effect on a staggered schedule in January 2006, regulate incandescent lamps; audio and video equipment, residential pool pumps and portable electric spas; commercial ice makers, refrigerators, and freezers; beverage vending machines; commercial hot food holding cabinets; and water dispensers. Testing and reporting requirements were also adopted for evaporative coolers, ceiling fans, exhaust fans, and whole house fans.

The regulations also cover the small transformers that are used to power answering machines, cell and cordless phones, and other small consumer products. These devices draw electricity whenever they are plugged in to electrical sockets, even if the products are not in use. The Energy Commission estimates that the average California household has 10-20 external power supplies that cost the homeowner as much as $75 in wasted electricity each year.

Colorado

	The W.N. Clark Generating Station has replaced some of its coal with biomass from wood chips.

Colorado Generating Station Uses Forest Thinnings to Produce Energy

The W.N. Clark Generating Station in Cañon City, owned by Aquila Inc., is replacing some of its coal with biomass from local forest thinning operations. The biomass is being cofired with coal in the stoker system. The station plans to issue renewable energy certificates to help recover the additional costs of transporting and processing the biomass. This is the first time forest-derived biomass has been used in certificates that are sold in a voluntary market.

Aquila recently received EcoPower™ certification for electricity produced from forest-derived biomass. Environmental Resources Trust in Washington DC issues the EcoPower certification for the amount of power that is attributable to the biomass from this project. This verifies the environmental benefits realized from the process.

Renewable energy certificates represent the environmental attributes of renewable energy generation, but they do not include the power generated. Unlike electricity, certificates can be sold beyond the boundaries of a utility's service area to expand the green power market and enable people anywhere in the country to support green power options.

	This 65-kW wind turbine will generate about $11,000 worth of electricity at Colorado Pork each year. Credit: Colorado Pork

Colorado Hog Farm Demonstrates Wind Power

The Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) recently installed a recommissioned 65-kilowatt (kW) wind turbine at Colorado Pork, LLC, near Lamar in southeast Colorado. Colorado Pork is a concentrated animal feeding operation with 6,300 sows. The wind turbine uses biogas produced from hog waste from an anaerobic digester to complement a combined heat and power system. OEMC and Colorado Pork installed a wind anemometer to measure wind energy feasibility for one year.

The turbine is a Vestas E15 refurbished by Energy Maintenance Service. The total installed cost, including all electrical connections, is about $85,000. OEMC estimates a payback of 8-10 years. With no credit for peak reduction, the wind turbine will generate about $11,000 worth of electricity per year for Colorado Pork.

OEMC funded this project to provide a demonstration that can be highlighted in educational workshops throughout the agricultural community. OEMC plans to create a video that explains small wind power and the installation of this turbine for onsite power generation. Also, the extensive educational resources on Colorado Pork's combined heat and power system will be updated to include information on the wind turbine.

Colorado to Launch Fuel Cell Center

The Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) wants to jump-start the development of fuel cells. OEMC has requested proposals from organizations with fuel cell expertise to lead research, development, education, and commercial application of fuel cells by developing the Colorado Fuel Cell Center.

OEMC will provide $2 million over two years to operate the center, which is funded through Petroleum Violation Escrow funds. At least $1 million in matching funds will come from the private sector.

	These students at Irving Elementary School in Pueblo, Colo. will enjoy the comfortable temperatures provided by the geoexchange system. Credit: Pueblo 60 School District

Pueblo School District Invests in Energy Efficiency Measures

Irving Elementary School of Pueblo 60 School District in Pueblo, Colorado, celebrated its grand opening with Rebuild Colorado and the StEPP (Strategic Environmental Project Pipeline) Foundation. The newly constructed school was able to secure funding from the collaboration for a geoexchange system.

Rebuild Colorado and Pueblo 60 jointly sought a StEPP grant proposal for alternative energy to maximize energy-saving opportunities for the 39 schools in the district. The proposal was awarded $65,000. Pueblo 60 added its own funds and used the grant to leverage another $6 million in interest-free bonds to focus on energy efficiency and deferred maintenance needs for all buildings in the district. The geoexchange system is estimated to reduce utility costs by 20% over a conventional system.

The geoexchange system installed at Irving Elementary is the first for any Pueblo school and will provide heating and cooling to the entire building. It takes advantage of the Earth's a stable temperature several yards below the surface. The system circulates a glycol solution through buried pipes to extract heat from the ground in the winter and dumps excess heat back into the ground during the summer. The heat pumps in the building complete the cycle to deliver comfortable indoor temperatures year round.

District of Columbia

DC Energy Office Sponsors Biomass, Recycling Training for Teachers

On January 22 the DC Energy Office, in conjunction with the Office of Recycling, sponsored a training session for teachers on the subjects of biomass and recycling. Teachers used materials from the Project Learning Tree program, and were instructed on various recycling topics as well as the uses of biomass in America and the world.

The training was held at the Metro Center Marriott, in Washington, D.C., and featured instructors from the Office of Recycling. Teachers received free materials, door prizes, and information, and on completing the training, they received eight hours toward their continuing education.

This training session was made possible by a grant from the Southeastern Biomass state and regional partnership administered by the Southern States Energy Board for the U.S. Department of Energy.

	Four Washington, D.C. officials will use Honda Civic Hybrids to promote the use of hybrid vehicles. Credit: DC Energy Office

DC Energy Office Uses FlexCar Program to Promote Hybrid Use

The DC Energy Office recently submitted four hybrids to high-profile figures — Chuck Clinton, Director, DC Energy Office; Stanley Jackson, Director, Department of Housing and Community Development; David J. Robinson, Executive Director, Metropolitan Washington Council of Government; and Carol Mitten, Director, Office of Property Management — as part of a plan to promote the use of hybrid gas/electric vehicles. The Civic Hybrids were outfitted with vehicle art that advertises the program.

The four individuals will be able to use the Flex Car hybrids through May of this year to show their support of energy-saving programs.

Municipal Aggregation Program Enables Bulk Electricity Purchase

The DC Municipal Aggregation Program (MAP) to purchase electricity in bulk for the entire District government and the Water and Sewer Authority has begun. In December 2004, the DC Energy Office engineered a reverse auction via the Internet. The selected company, Select Energy, Inc., is slated to sell electricity to the DC government. This will save the government more than $2.7 million. Eventually, MAP will extend to other DC entities, including schools.

Florida

	Florida purchased the world's first hydrogen shuttle buses. Credit: Ford Motor Company

Florida Purchases World's First Commercial Hydrogen Shuttle Buses

Florida purchased the world's first hydrogen shuttle buses in early January at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show. Ford Motor Company expects to begin commercial production of the E-450 shuttle buses later this year. They will come equipped with a 6.8-liter V-10 internal combustion engine that runs entirely on hydrogen. The only emissions that come from the tailpipe will be water vapor. For details on the shuttle, see Ford's October 6 press release.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush said, "Hydrogen is the most abundant element on Earth. Using hydrogen as a renewable power source decreases America's dependence on foreign oil, protects air quality, and diversifies our economy." The shuttle purchase follows 18 months after Bush established the state's hydrogen program, H2 Florida.

The buses will go into service in 2006 in central Florida. For details, see the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's January 9 press release.

Florida Sets Green Certification for Local Governments

Florida unveiled a Green Local Government Standard on December 10. It is the first such standard in the nation that considers all the environmental impacts of local governments, including economic development, building management, and energy. It also allows local governments to certify their environmental contributions through an application to the Florida Green Building Coalition, which administers the program. The Florida Green Building Coalition publishes an overview of the standard, background documents, and how to apply online under its "Green Local Government."

Doug Yoger, assistant director of the Miami-Dade Environmental Resources Management Department said, "Local governments are ideally positioned to demonstrate sustainable practices in their own operations and to promote green behaviors by their residents."

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) in Cocoa Beach developed the standard with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Florida Energy Office. Several Florida cities and counties, including Orlando, Gainesville, and Miami-Dade helped develop the standard.

Florida Uses Cyberspace to Outline Energy Future Online

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has a new Web site for the Florida Energy Office. It outlines Florida's next generation energy initiatives in hydrogen, solar, clean transportation, and biomass, and provides energy conservation tools for businesses, communities, and residents.

The new site provides government, businesses, and organizations with information about 21st century energy research, along with Florida's initiatives to generate cleaner power and commercialize low-emission and alternative fuel vehicles. Florida is one of only a handful of states that has forged public-private partnerships to demonstrate hybrid-diesel technology and hydrogen-powered cars, trucks, and buses.

Idaho

	Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne fills the tank of a new 2005 Chevrolet Suburban with E85 fuel at a Stinker Station in Boise. Credit: Idaho Governor’s office

E85 Returns to Idaho

The Stinker Station on West Main Street in Boise is the first site in Idaho in several years to provide E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. In the late 1990s another Boise station offered the fuel, but the pump was removed a few years later. Until 2004, there were no E85 pumps in Idaho.

With the opening of this E85 pump, Idaho joins dozens of other states in making the fuel available for flexible fuel vehicles. Ethanol is a high-octane, renewable fuel. It is domestically produced, most often from corn, but sometimes from other agricultural products such as potatoes or wheat.

The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition and the Treasure Valley Clean Cities Coalition helped fund this installation. The pump is part of the E85 feasibility project, a partnership of public and private interests that includes the Idaho Energy Division and the Idaho Departments of Environmental Quality, Agriculture, and Transportation.

For more information, see the complete article in Idaho Currents (PDF 90 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.

Nebraska

	First Data Corp. was built in 2001, after Continuous Commissioning reduced heating and cooling costs by 40% and qualified for the ENERGY STAR rating. Credit: Jinrong Wang, Omaha Public Power District

Rebuild America/Nebraska: Find and Create ENERGY STAR® Buildings

The Energy Systems Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Omaha Public Power District used a Rebuild America SEP Special Projects grant to conduct detailed energy evaluations in 36 commercial buildings. More than 10.6 million ft² were evaluated. Building owners invested $14.3 million to make energy improvements. Total potential cost savings are estimated at $3.2 million per year.

The project partners also demonstrated the Continuous Commissioning Leading Retrofit Process in 14 buildings, which have a total floor area of 3.7 million ft². Building owners contributed $1.6 million. The annualized energy cost savings are $558,700 per year.

For more information, read Create and Identify High Performance and Energy Star® Buildings in the State of Nebraska through Rebuild America Program (PDF 302 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.

Nevada

Nevada Governor Unveils Efficiency Strategy

Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn announced publication of a new report that outlines energy efficiency policies that could save consumers and state businesses $5 billion over the next 15 years. The savings come from expanding utility efficiency programs, upgrading energy construction codes, and changing the pricing structures for electricity consumption to encourage consumers to reduce consumption when demand is greatest and the cost of generation at its highest. The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) published the report titled, Nevada Energy Efficiency Strategy (PDF 792 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.

Guinn said, "By increasing energy efficiency in a time of high energy prices, we protect Nevada's economic vitality." The report was underwritten by the Nevada State Office of Energy and the Nevada Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Task Force. The report recommends seven priority policies that can reduce electricity consumption by 22% and natural gas by 19% by 2020. For details about the project, see SWEEP's January 12 press release (PDF 140 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.

New York

New York Motors Program Marks Milestone

Through the New York Energy $mart™ Premium-Efficiency Motors Program, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has facilitated the sale of 10,000 NEMA Premium™ motors to commercial and industrial facilities throughout the state. NEMA — the National Electrical Manufacturers Association — lists high-efficiency motors with its NEMA Premium™ label to help reduce electricity consumption. These motors are up to 4% more efficient than standard models.

Motors are important for energy efficiency because many of them operate for long hours. Motors account for about two-thirds of energy use at industrial facilities, and for 23% of all U.S. energy use. The NYSERDA Energy $mart Premium-Efficiency Motors Program saves more than 9 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity consumption per year.

Through this program, NYSERDA provides incentives of up to $80 per motor to vendors, customer education, and financial assistance to the customers. Today 98% of motor vendors in New York participate. For more information, see NYSERDA's November 29 press release.

Town of Amherst Reduces Energy Costs at Wastewater Plant

The Town of Amherst has partnered with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Siemens Building Technologies to implement advanced recycling and energy efficiency technologies at its wastewater treatment plant that will save municipal taxpayers annually more than $500,000 in energy costs and more than 7.5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in energy use.

NYSERDA provided more than $1.3 million in financial incentives through the New York Energy $mart™ Commercial/Industrial Performance Program to help reduce the end cost of the upgrades.

The new technology allows the plant to capture methane gas and use it to power some of its major operations. The captured methane will power a 585-horsepower (hp) gas engine compressor that feeds a cryogenic oxygen plant. The oxygen produced at the plant is then injected into the waste stream as part of the aerobic treatment process.

The plant processes nearly 25 million gallons of effluent daily and now captures approximately 77,000 ft³ of methane gas per day. As part of the project, a heat recovery unit that will capture 1.5 million British Thermal Units (Btu) of heat for the facility, a second 585-hp natural gas-powered engine to run one of the four main sewage feed pumps, a state-of-the-art fiber optic-based control system, lighting dimmer switches, and high-efficiency motors were also installed.

For more information, see the December 7 press release.

North Carolina

Appalachian State University Program to Build Energy-Efficient Low-Income Housing

Technology teachers and students at Appalachian State University plan to use a $100,000 grant from the State Energy Office to incorporate solar heating and cooling into the construction of low-income homes in western North Carolina.

Jeff Tiller, a construction-technology professor in the school's technology department, plans to work with affordable housing organizations in the area to help design and construct several homes that will trap and store heat from the sun's rays to keep them warm and provide hot water. Plans also call for building at least one home to be outfitted with photovoltaic panels that would generate as much electricity as the house would use.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, low-income households spend 14% of their annual income on energy costs, compared with 3.5% for other households. Studies have shown that the initial investment in solar and alternative energy technology can lower those costs. To learn more, read the complete article.

Oregon

Oregon Promotes High-Performance Schools Program

The Oregon Department of Energy encourages school districts to build new schools that are energy and resource efficient, provide improved comfort, and create a healthy environment for students and staff.

The department's High Performance School Program assists with the cost and the technical expertise required to build a high-performance school. Special funding of up to $50,000 per school is available for approximately 20 new schools that commit to designing a high-performance school.

Eligible schools can use the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification standard or design a LEED-like school by including an eco-charrette, energy modeling, and commissioning. In a charrette, the entire design team meets during the planning stages to discuss how the systems can integrate for optimal performance and low energy consumption.

The Oregon Department of Energy requires all High-Performance School Program participants to use the following technical services:

• Facilitation of information sharing and decision making among the school district's construction managers, architects, engineers, and the community
• Technical review of all schematic design and construction documents
• Verification of energy modeling results
• Knowledge of all financial resources.

The Oregon Department of Energy can also offer school districts its Business Energy Tax Credit Pass-Through Option Program. The school district can transfer its tax credit eligibility for building an energy-efficient school to a private-sector business partner in exchange for a cash payment that can help defer project costs.

Pennsylvania

Portfolio Standard Ensures Clean Energy

In 15 years, 18% of all energy generated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will come from clean, efficient sources. The recently adopted Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard ensures that new demand is met with emissions-free generation and includes eligibility provisions for demand-side management measures to address the core issue of reducing electricity demand.

Eligible measures include energy efficiency measures undertaken by residential, commercial, institutional, or governmental customers; load management and demand response approaches that shift electric load from periods of higher to lower demand; and the reuse of energy from exhaust gases or other manufacturing by-products or useful thermal energy for electricity production by industrial and manufacturing customers.

These measures also enable electricity customers to benefit from the energy credit market created by the portfolio standard. Customers who reduce their electricity demand through energy efficiency and load management, or who generate electricity by recycling energy, will earn alternative energy credits that they can sell to utility companies.

Analyses indicate that Pennsylvania's portfolio standard will save consumers $140 million in electricity, generate $10 billion in increased output, $3 billion in additional earnings, and 3,500-4,000 new jobs over the next two decades.

For more information, read the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection article, "Energy Efficiency is a Smart Design Tool for Portfolio Standards."

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Solar on Schools Program

The Solar on Schools Program provides each participating school system with a 2-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) installation at a high school, middle school, or elementary school. The PV panels must be sited where there is a high degree of visibility for the community. It also provides as Web-based data display that allows teachers and students to access and use system performance data, as well as teacher training, mentoring, course materials, and Internet access to the output data of other participating schools and institutions. Each school must identify a team of teachers from who have a strong interest in the program.

Wisconsin

	These turbines will supply 80% of the electrical needs for Twin Oaks. Credit: Larry Krom

Wind Energy Generates Power for Wisconsin Business

Three wind turbines each rated at 65 kW have been installed at Twin Oaks, a business that supplies finished wood products to homebuilders. The turbines, which are more than 20 years old and originate from a wind field in California, will supply 80% of Twin Oak's electrical needs, and are expected to pay for themselves in 12 years. They should last 20 more years with minimal maintenance.

Dab Wubben, owner of Twin Oaks, was able to finance the project with the help of a $45,000 grant from Focus on Energy's Renewable Energy program. The program helps homeowners and businesses statewide by providing implementation grants of up to $45,000, or a maximum of 35% of the project's cost. Cash Back Rewards are offered on systems with a capacity of less than 20 kW of up to $35,000, or a project cost maximum of 25%.

	Wisconsin residents purchased more than 17,500 CFLs at the "Change Five Challenge." Credit: Wisconsin Focus on Energy

Wisconsin “Change Five Challenge” Results in Significant Savings

Wisconsin residents purchased more than 17,500 ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) at the "Change Five Challenge," a statewide event being held in coordination with the larger "Change a Light, Change Wisconsin" promotion. The sales were hosted in Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay by the mayors of those cities, and in other parts of the state, including Superior and Wisconsin Rapids.

People are encouraged to switch out the five most used bulbs in their homes with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs. This quick and easy solution can save homeowners more than $60 per year on their utility bills. CFLs should be placed in the most frequently used light fixtures — in the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, and master bathroom.

The bulbs sold at the event will reduce Wisconsin's annual energy consumption by more than a million kilowatt-hours — enough energy to light 115 homes for one year and reduce utility costs by more than $241,000. They will prevent 580 tons of coal from being burned and more than 975,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

Wisconsin Energy Task Force Recommends Efficiency, Renewables

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle released the final report of his Task Force on Energy Efficiency and Renewables on December 1. The task force report recommends establishing a requirement to draw on renewable energy for 10% of the state's electricity needs by 2015, while setting tougher goals for state agencies: buying 10% of their power from renewable energy sources by 2006 and 20% by 2010. The report also recommends a sales and use tax exemption for customer-owned renewable energy systems, while taking a variety of actions to support renewable energy systems — especially anaerobic digesters — in rural areas. In terms of energy efficiency, the report recommends updating and improving the state's commercial building energy codes; requiring state agencies to buy energy-efficient products and appliances; establishing goals or requirements for state facilities to exceed energy-efficiency codes; and restructuring the state's Focus on Energy program. See the task force report (PDF 1.61 MB) Download Acrobat Reader.

Wisconsin Introduces Renewable Energy Incentives

Wisconsin's Focus on Energy is offering new incentives in 2005 for onsite renewable energy systems. The goal is to increase the number of homeowners and state businesses with their own renewable installations, and thereby reduce their utility bills, make them more energy independent, and reduce emissions from conventional generation. The incentives include:

• Zero-interest loans. Homeowners can help finance installation of solar water heaters, solar electric, and small wind generators.
• Cash-back rewards. Installations of solar electric systems on new buildings are eligible for cash-back awards for up to half the system costs.
• Additional cash-back rewards. Installations on older homes and businesses are eligible for cash-back awards up to 30% of the system costs.
• Homeowners and businesses across the state are eligible for these new offerings. For details on these programs, see Wisconsin Focus on Energy's "incentives and grants."

Wisconsin Focus on Energy is a private-public partnership that provides information and financial and technical services in support of the state's renewable energy and energy efficiency programs to state utility customers. The programs are paid for by a small surcharge on utility bills.

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State Energy Information

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

Economically Achievable Energy Efficiency Potential in New England
(PDF 278 KB)
The Northeast Energy Efficiency Project publishes this report prepared by Optimal Energy Inc. about the potential of energy efficiency savings in New England; 14 pp.; November, 2004.

Energy Efficient Procurement Resources
(PDF 97 KB)
The Energy Ideas Clearinghouse housed by the Washington State University Extension Service publishes this fact sheet with many links to Web sites of national organizations; 3 pp.; January, 2003.

Leading the Way: Continued Opportunities for New State Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards
(PDF 1.71 MB)
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) in Washington, D.C. publishes a report co-produced by ACEEE and The Appliance Standards Awareness Project in Boston on recommended state efficiency standards for appliances; ASAP-5/ACEEE-A051; 87 pp.; January, 2005.

Nevada Energy Efficiency Strategy
(PDF 792 KB)
The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project publishes this blueprint for increasing energy efficiency in Nevada that was put together with support from the Nevada State Office of Energy; 107 pp.; January, 2005.

Segmentation of the State and Local Government Procurement Functions
(PDF 98 KB)
The Consortium for Energy Efficiency in Washington, D.C. publishes this report prepared by a contractor in collaboration with DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 25 pp.; July, 1999.

State Energy Program and Activity Update
(PDF 1.62 MB)
The Energy and Environmental Study Institute publishes this online summary of state activities under SEP for FY 2004 produced by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO); 77 pp.; February, 2004.

State Energy Web Sites

Nebraska Power Review Board

The Nebraska Power Review Board publishes its fourth annual summary of electricity restructuring activity in the region and its impact on the publicly owned power system in the state.

New State Publications

Electric Power and Renewable Energy

Performance Test Protocol for Evaluating Inverters Used in Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems
(PDF 581 KB)
The California Energy Commission publishes this subcontract report written by researchers at DOE's Sandia National Laboratories and private industry; 46 pp.; October, 2004.

Policy, Planning, and Energy Security

Maine Climate Action Plan 2004
(PDF 264 KB)
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection developed the state's climate action plan as part of a regional initiative of New England states to address the issue; 50 pp.; December, 2004.

DOE Publications on State-Related Topics

Electric Power and Renewable Energy

Evaluating State Markets for Residential Wind Systems: Results from a Policy and Analysis Tool
(PDF 812 KB)
DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) publishes this report written by researchers from LBNL and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; LBNL/56344; 102 pp.; December, 2004.