ACEEE: California Leads the Country in Energy Efficiency Policies
California topped the 2009 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, recently released by American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The third annual edition of the report ranks states in six energy efficiency categories: utility-sector and public benefits programs and policies; transportation polices; building energy codes; combined heat and power; state government initiatives; and appliance efficiency standards.
In the new scorecard, Massachusetts and Connecticut land in second and third place, respectively, while Mississippi, North Dakota, and Wyoming are at the bottom of the list.
The report lauds Colorado, Delaware, Maine, South Dakota, and Tennessee for greatly improving their ranking in 2009. According to ACEEE, a variety of efforts boosted their rankings, including adoption of new building energy codes and setting new energy savings targets. For instance, Maine moved up 9 spots to number 10 through the increased efforts of Efficiency Maine (the agency that delivers the state's energy efficiency programs), the adoption of building energy codes and land-use planning management. The report also notes a growing trend toward Energy Efficiency Resource Standards, which set binding energy savings goals for utilities. In late 2008 and the first half of 2009, Delaware, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania passed laws establishing efficiency targets. See the ACEEE press release and the 2009 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.
DOE Awards $30.6M for Fish-Friendly Hydropower Upgrades
On November 4, DOE announced its selection of seven hydropower upgrade projects to receive up to $30.6 million in ARRA funds. The selections will deploy innovative technologies such as high-efficiency, fish-friendly turbines; improved water intakes; and advanced control systems to increase power generation and improve environmental stewardship. The projects will increase generation by an estimated 187,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year-enough to meet the annual electric usage of 12,000 average U.S. homes-at an estimated incremental cost of less than 4 cents per kWh.
DOE sought cost-shared projects that upgrade existing hydropower facilities without requiring significant modifications to dams, allowing for projects to be developed quickly to create jobs and stimulate local economies. Of the seven projects, three will add a total of 28.6 MW of new generating capacity: Alcoa, Inc. will upgrade four turbines, generators, and transformers at its Robbinsville, North Carolina facility, adding 22 MW of capacity and increasing generation 23%; the City of Tacoma, Washington will add two turbines to an existing hydropower facility in Potlatch, adding 3.6 MW of capacity and increasing power production 14%; the Incorporated County of Los Alamos, New Mexico will add a low-flow turbine to its hydropower plant in Abiquiu, adding 3 MW of capacity and boosting generation 22%.
Three other projects will allow increased power production by producing power more efficiently from a wider range of flow rates. Alabama Power Company will upgrade four units at three hydropower plants on the Coosa River, increasing generation 7.3%; the City of Boulder, Colorado will replace two turbines with a more efficient unit at its Boulder Canyon facility, boosting generation 30%; and Energy Northwest will design, manufacture, and install a new turbine at its Packwood, Washington facility increasing power production 6%.
