Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: Jan. 8, 2003

*News and Events

*Energy Facts and Tips

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop 1.2 Percent in 2001

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NEWS AND EVENTS

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GM to Launch Hybrid Versions of Seven Vehicle Models by 2007

General Motors Corporation (GM) announced on Monday that it will offer hybrid electric versions of at least seven vehicle models within the next five years and could sell as many as a million hybrid vehicles per year by 2007. GM will offer three types of hybrid electric configurations in up to a dozen vehicle models.

As announced in 2001, GM is planning to introduce hybrid versions of its GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado by combining a 14-kilowatt motor with a V8 engine and using a 42-volt lead-acid battery pack for energy storage. A so-called “mild” hybrid system, the motor will provide supplemental power to the engine when needed, but the engine will always run. GM expects a 10 to 12 percent increase in fuel economy in the pickups, which will be available later this year.

In 2007, GM will offer the same system for its Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles (SUVs), combined with a “displacement on demand” feature that will shut down some engine cylinders when they are not needed. That feature will add another 5 to 8 percent increase in fuel efficiency, according to GM. For more information, see the May 2001 GM announcements at:
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In late 2005, GM plans to introduce a hybrid version of its Saturn VUE, a smaller SUV that runs on a 4- or 6-cylinder engine. The hybrid electric model will add twin 20-kilowatt electric motors and will operate as a “strong” hybrid: At low speeds, the vehicle will run on batteries alone. GM expects to achieve 50 percent gains in fuel economy while improving the vehicle’s performance.

Starting in 2006, GM will begin selling its third hybrid system, which combines a belt-driven starter/alternator with a 2.4-liter engine and a 42-volt battery. Available on the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox SUV in 2006, the system will be applied to the Chevrolet Malibu sedan in 2007. GM expects to offer the system for both 4- and 6-cylinder engines, achieving an estimated 12 to 15 percent improvement in fuel economy.

GM made the announcement at the 2003 North American International Auto Show, now underway in Detroit. See the video of the GM announcement at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company is planning to begin producing a hybrid version of the Ford Escape SUV later this year. Ford will offer the hybrid Escape to commercial fleets this year, then offer it to consumers in mid-2004. See the Ford Hybrid Electric Vehicle Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Ford Unveils “Model U,” a Hydrogen-Fueled Hybrid Vehicle

Ford Motor Company unveiled a new hydrogen-fueled concept vehicle on Sunday, but unlike most recent prototypes, this vehicle uses an internal combustion engine rather than a fuel cell. Ford’s “Model U” concept car uses a supercharged engine to achieve a performance similar to a gasoline-fueled engine while using about 25 percent less energy. The engine also produces very low emissions, consisting mainly of water vapor and low levels of nitrous oxides.

The hydrogen engine is combined with a 35-kilowatt electric motor in a “strong” hybrid configuration, which allows the vehicle to run on electric power only at low speeds. In addition, Ford used a number of “green” materials in the car’s construction, including Cargill Dow’s corn-based polylactide for the “canvas” roof and carpet mats, and soy-based foams and plastics for the seats and tailgate.

The Model U, intentionally named to invoke Ford’s Model T, was unveiled during the 2003 North American International Auto Show. Ford produced the Model U and two other concept cars as part of the company’s centennial celebration. See the Ford press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Ford Agrees to Sell Think Nordic to Kamkorp Microelectronics

Ford Motor Company signed a letter of intent in late December to sell Think Nordic, the Norwegian part of its electric vehicle (EV) business, to Kamkorp Microelectronics of Switzerland. The agreement will save 100 jobs at Think Nordic’s plant in Aurskog, Norway.

Ford announced in late August 2002 that it was abandoning its TH!NK brand of battery-powered EVs, focusing instead on developing hybrid electric and fuel-cell vehicles. As part of the agreement, Kamkorp will also acquire the rights to the “TH!NK” and “city” brand names, developed by Ford. Ford acquired the Norwegian plant in 1999, when it was operating under the PIVCO name.

The news is posted on the United Kingdom version of the TH!NK Mobility Web site. From the following link, choose “UK” as the country, then choose “Recent News” and select the December 19th press release: http://www.thinkmobil
ity.com/choose.asp?stay=Y

Kamkorp is the parent company of Frazer-Nash Research Limited, a U.K.-based producer of EVs. See the Frazer-Nash Web site at: http://www.frazer-nash.com

Despite Ford’s departure from the EV business, DOE is continuing to test Ford’s two-seater vehicle, the TH!NK city EV, in a demonstration project. DOE announced last week the completion of the first year of a three-year TH!NK city EV Demonstration Program, which is testing 340 TH!NK city EVs in four states: California, Georgia, Michigan, and New York. The TH!NK city has a top speed of about 55 mph and a range of about 45 miles per charge. DOE’s Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is managing the demonstration program. See the INEEL press release at: http://newsdesk.inel.gov/contextnews.cfm?ID=384

North America to Unify Energy Efficiency Standards in 2003

A new report by the North American Energy Working Group (NAEWG) finds that the three North American countries are quickly moving toward unified standards for energy efficiency. The report, “North American Energy Efficiency Standards and Labeling,” was released on December 17th and highlights Mexico’s recent adoption of new standards for energy efficiency. By early 2003, those new standards will bring Mexico in line with U.S. and Canadian minimum energy-efficiency requirements and test procedures for refrigerators, freezers, electric motors, and window air-conditioners, thereby strengthening the market for high-efficiency products throughout North America.

The report is the second from the NAEWG, a group of senior energy officials from Canada, the United States, and Mexico, with U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham representing the United States. NAEWG was formed after U.S. President George W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Mexican President Vicente Fox committed in April 2001 to expanding energy trade among the three nations and strengthening the energy market in North America. NAEWG is currently examining a broad range of issues, including energy science and technology, natural gas trade and interconnections, critical infrastructure protection, and electricity regulatory issues. See the DOE press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

The full report is available on the EREN Web site at:
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Fifty-Megawatt Solar Thermal Power Plant Planned for Nevada

Sierra Pacific Resources announced in late December that its two Nevada-based utility subsidiaries have contracted to buy power from a 50-megawatt solar thermal power plant. Duke Solar Energy LLC plans to build the facility in Eldorado Valley, near Boulder City, Nevada. The companies will now make filings with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN), which will review the contracts and determine whether they should be approved.

The contracts are part of the two utilities’ actions to comply with a state law that requires them to use renewable energy. The utilities must increase their use of renewable energy by 2 percent every third year until renewable energy accounts for 15 percent of their total energy sales. Solar power must provide at least 5 percent of the renewable energy. See the press release on the Duke Solar Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Currently, the only commercial solar thermal power plants in the United States are located in the Mojave Desert of California. Nine plants were built there in the late 1980s and early 1990s, producing a total of 354 megawatts of solar power. See the Solar Trough Power Plants Web page, provided by DOE’s SunLab, at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

New Mexico Adopts Minimum Renewable Energy Requirements

After an extended period of review, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission approved an order on December 17th that will require public utilities in the state to use renewable energy for a percentage of their total electricity supply. By January 1, 2006, public utilities must draw on renewable energy for 5 percent of the electricity that they sell. That percentage must increase at least 1 percent per year until 2011, when renewable energy will supply at least 10 percent of the electricity sold by public utilities.

The commission’s order also encourages some forms of renewable energy by allowing them to earn extra credit. New hydropower facilities less than 50 megawatts in capacity and any wind power facilities are credited with the actual kilowatt-hours that they produce, but solar power systems earn three times the actual kilowatt-hours they produce. Electricity produced from biomass, landfill gas, geothermal energy, or fuel cells earn twice their actual kilowatt-hours. For instance, a utility could meet the 10 percent requirement by using solar power for 3.33 percent of its power needs, or using geothermal energy for 5 percent of its power.

The rule exempts rural electric cooperatives in the state, although they must provide a green power option to their customers. Texas-New Mexico Power Company is also exempt until December 2006, when the utility’s existing power contract expires. See the commission’s order, in PDF format only, at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

U.K. Company Reports Successful Tidal Energy Production

The Engineering Business Limited (EB), a company based in the United Kingdom, reported partially successful results from its tidal energy prototype in December. The prototype, called Stingray, was temporarily installed in Scotland’s Yell Sound in mid-September 2002, and then retrieved at the end of that month.

According to the December report, the Stingray operators were able to generate a peak hydraulic power of 250 kilowatts and a time-averaged output of 90 kilowatts, with the tidal stream flowing at 1.5 meters per second. Automatic operation achieved a continuous output of 45 kilowatts, although an undersized oil reservoir prevented full-speed operation. However, the company reports hydraulic power rather than true generator power in its report, stating that “power data measured from the hydraulic system was more reliable than the data produced from within the generator/drive system and is the best output performance measure at the moment.”

Even using
the hydraulic power numbers, the machine fell below its goals, which were to achieve a 150-kilowatt average output in a tidal stream of 2.0 meters per second. The company’s subsequent cost estimate for a 5-megawatt demonstration plant yielded power costs between 8 and 30 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour, which is a wider range and higher cost than predicted by other wave and tidal energy developers.

Still, the company is encouraged by its initial results, and is planning to modify the Stingray machine, redeploying it in Yell Sound this summer. The company will also continue preparations for the proposed 5-megawatt installation, which it hopes to begin installing in summer 2004. See the EB report, in PDF format only, at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Meanwhile, a Norwegian company called Hammerfest Strom AS is working to install its own tidal energy prototype device in Kvalsundet, Norway. The device looks much like an underwater wind turbine. The company has installed the base, the connecting lines, and the shore terminal, and hopes to install the turbine nacelle in January or February. See the Hammerfest Strom Web site at:
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SITE NEWS

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Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP)
http://www.swenergy.org

SWEEP promotes energy efficiency, primarily electricity conservation, in a six-state region: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. It’s a joint project of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies. The SWEEP Web site provides regional information on energy efficiency policies, legislation, news and events, programs, and case studies.

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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS

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U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop 1.2 Percent in 2001

DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported in December a 1.2 percent drop in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2001, the largest decrease since the EIA began tracking the figures in 1990. Back in July, the EIA reported a 1.1 percent drop in energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, which suggested that the total greenhouse gas emissions would show a similar trend, as the December report confirmed. The EIA attributes the decrease to slow economic growth, reduced manufacturing output, lower electrical demand, and a warmer-than-normal winter. See the EIA press release at:
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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the winter of 2001-2002 was the ninth warmest on record in the United States. Overall, 2002 is likely to register among the 20 warmest years on record for the country. On a global scale, 2002 is likely to be the second-warmest year on record. Preliminary estimates released by NOAA in December found that average global temperatures were likely to end up at 1.03 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term average, an average that was only exceeded during the strong El Nino year of 1998. See the NOAA Web site at:
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