*News and Events
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES)
EIA Updates Projection of U.S. Winter Heating Costs
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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14 Organizations to Cut Greenhouse Gases 4 Percent by 2006
Fourteen organizations, including several large corporations, have entered into a legally binding agreement to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 4 percent within the next four years. The 14 entities announced last week that they are forming the Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary cap-and-trade program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The program will allow entities that exceed their emissions goal to sell carbon credits to organizations that are falling short. Trading will begin in spring, and will include so-called “sinks” — farm and forestry projects that help reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere — as well as “offsets,” which are emissions-reducing projects in other countries that are funded by the U.S. entities.
The 14 entities include American Electric Power (AEP); Baxter International Inc.; the City of Chicago; DuPont; Equity Office Properties Trust; Ford Motor Company; International Paper; Manitoba Hydro; MeadWestvaco Corporation; Motorola, Inc.; STMicroelectronics; Stora Enso North America; Temple-Inland Inc.; and Waste Management, Inc.
Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas, and since most energy sources produce carbon dioxide, energy efficiency is one of the key strategies for achieving greenhouse gas reductions. Methane is also a powerful greenhouse gas, so bioenergy projects that capture methane and use it as an energy source also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as do other renewable energy projects. See the Chicago Climate Exchange press release: [sorry this link is no longer available]
See also the Chicago Climate Exchange Web site at:
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As noted by AEP, the Chicago Climate Exchange is that company’s way of participating in the Bush Administration’s voluntary climate change program. The company may use power plant efficiency improvements and renewable generation, such as wind power and biomass co-firing at its coal plants, to meet its goals, although it also expects to buy credits through the exchange. See the January 16th press release by selecting “News Releases” on the AEP Web site: http://www.aep.com/newsroom/default.asp
Zilkha Proposes 180-Megawatt Wind Plant for Washington
Zilkha Renewable Energy announced last week that it has submitted a permit application to build a 181.5-megawatt wind faclity near Ellensburg, Washington, about 70 miles east of Tacoma. The Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project will generate enough electricity to serve about 45,000 homes in the area. See the Zilkha press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Among other recent wind power announcements, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plans to expand its Buffalo Mountain wind plant tenfold, adding 27 megawatts of new wind turbines to the site near Oliver Springs, Tennessee. In Illinois, the state’s first wind facility received approval from the Board for Bureau County, where the wind plant will be built. The Crescent Ridge Windpower Project will generate 51 megawatts, enough for 20,000 Illinois homes. And FPL Energy, LLC, started up its 66-megawatt Mountaineer Wind Energy Center in northern West Virginia in December, as well as its 98-megawatt Hancock County Wind Energy Center in northern Iowa. It also expanded the Stateline Wind Energy Center on the Washington and Oregon border by 37 megawatts, to 300 megawatts. The company plans to add an additional 700 to 1,200 megawatts of new wind power in 2003. See the announcements from TVA, Crescent Ridge, and FPL Energy, respectively, at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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http://www.fplenergy.com/news/contents/03002.shtml
A number of agencies are seeking to develop more wind resources. In early December, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) requested bids for up to 50 megawatts of wind power, and on December 18th, Wisconsin’s We Energies requested proposals for up to 200 megawatts on wind power. See the NYPA and We Energies press releases: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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Hawaiian Electric Launches Renewable Energy Subsidiary
Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) announced on January 3rd its launch of a new subsidiary that will invest in renewable energy projects for Hawaii. Called Renewable Hawaii, the new subsidiary will be initially capitalized at a level of $10 million. In 2002, HECO and its neighbor island subsidiaries generated 7 percent of their electricity from renewable sources. See the January 3rd press release by selecting “News & Press Info” under “About HECO” on the HECO Web site at: http://www.heco.com/CDA/frontDoor
Green Mountain Energy to Stop Selling Power in Connecticut
Green Mountain Energy Company (GMEC) announced last week that it will stop selling green power in Connecticut at the end of March. The company has 1,312 customers in the state, but claims that current state regulations make competitive power sales there cost prohibitive. In recent months, GMEC has been the only energy supplier actively signing up residential customers in the state. See the January 17th press release from GMEC at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Toyota to Discontinue Electric Version of its RAV4
Toyota Motor Corporation announced last week that it will discontinue production of its RAV4 EV, an all-electric sport utility vehicle, this spring. In a list of “Frequently Asked Questions” on the Toyota Web site, the company blamed low sales for its decision, saying that hybrid electric systems and other advanced technologies had a greater potential. Twenty-five Toyota dealerships sold just 216 RAV4 EVs from February to mid-November 2002. The announcement came just one week after the California Air Resources Board announced plans to delay its Zero-Emissions Vehicle program. See the Toyota RAV4 EV Web site at:
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New York State Supports Industrial Energy Efficiency
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has been busily promoting industrial energy efficiency throughout the state in recent weeks. NYSERDA provided nearly $735,000 to install high-efficiency chillers at IBM’s East Fishkill facility, cutting energy use for cooling by 15 percent. In Lackawanna, the Electro Abrasives Corporation is drawing on NYSERDA incentives totaling nearly $480,000 for its million-dollar project o upgrade a variety of air-handling equipment. The project will cut the plant’s electrical load by more than 500 kilowatts, saving more than $285,000 per year in electricity costs. And in Ravena, the Lafarge Building Material plant — one of the largest cement plants in the world — used NYSERDA incentive payments of more than $555,000 to upgrade its raw material mills, equipment for rotating its kilns, and cooler fans, reducing its electrical demand by 2,460 kilowatts. To help respond to power emergencies, the company installed a sophisticated power monitoring system that will allow it to cut its electrical load by an additional 22,000 kilowatts within about one hour. NYSERDA is also providing more than $1.2 million to seven municipal water and wastewater projects that are employing energy-efficient techniques of treating water. See the NYSERDA press releases at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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SITE NEWS
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New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES)[sorry this link is no longer available]
The new Energy Programs/Climate Change Web site from NHDES features energy saving information for individuals and local schools and businesses, as well as information on climate change. The site is part of the NHDES Climate Change Challenge, which provides recommendations for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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EIA Updates Projection of U.S. Winter Heating Costs
DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) updated its projection of winter heating costs in the United States in early January, predicting more severe financial impacts for those using natural gas for heating. Compared to last year, households using natural gas will likely pay 34 percent more this winter; back in November, the EIA projected an increase of only 25 percent. Increases for other heating fuels stayed close to earlier projections: Propane users will see an increase of 20 percent over last year, fuel oil users will see a 43 percent increase, and electricity users should see their bills go up by 12 percent over last year. Although winter temperatures have been average so far, the cutoff of oil exports from Venezuela and sharply falling levels of natural gas in storage have caused fuel prices to rise rapidly, although those price increases may not be showing up on heating bills yet. See the EIA Short Term Energy Outlook at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported on January 9th that the current El Nino has reached its “mature stage” and will linger through the end of spring. That should bring warmer-than-average temperatures across the northern part of the country, lowering the cost of heating. See the NOAA press release: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s1080.htm
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| Kevin Eber is the Editor of EREN Network News, a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. |
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