Interior Dept OKs Second Large Solar Project on Nevada Public Lands
On November 15, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) approved the second large-scale solar project on U.S. public lands in Nevada.
The Amargosa Farm Road Solar Project, a 500 MW facility, will provide electricity to about 150,000 homes. Solar Millennium is expected to create 1,300 solar jobs and up to 200 permanent jobs.
Last month, DOI green lighted the first solar project on Nevada public lands, First Solar’s Silver State North Solar Project, a 50 MW facility to be built in the Ivanpah Valley, 40 miles south of Las Vegas.
The concentrating solar Amargosa Project will consist of two 250 MW parabolic trough plants equipped with thermal energy storage capability on 4350 acres in the Amargosa Valley. BLM, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service worked closely with Solar Millennium to develop an innovative mitigation plan for water use that can serve as a model for future solar projects. The BLM requires a natural color palette and minimum night lighting to reduce visual impacts on the local community.
Solar Millennium is eligible for about $1 billion in investment tax credits through the Recovery Act and is also eligible to apply for financing through the DOE Title 17 Loan Guarantee Program. Negotiations are underway to sell the electricity to NV Energy under a power purchase agreement.
Last month, crews broke ground on the One Nevada Transmission Line which will carry electricity over 235 miles, connecting north of Las Vegas, Nevada to Burley, Idaho. The line will provide the necessary transmission infrastructure to make proposed wind, solar, and geothermal projects throughout Nevada viable. See the DOI press release and an Amargosa fact sheet.
DOE-Backed Public EV Charging Program Expands to Washington, D.C.
The first of 500 public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the Washington, D.C. area was unveiled on November 16.
Coulomb Technologies’ ChargePoint America program is supported in part by a $15 million DOE grant through the Recovery Act. The Washington DC stations are part of a program that will install 4,600 charging stations nationwide over the next two years.
Coulomb is now installing 240-v electric vehicle chargers for commercial and public use across the country. These Level II charging stations in nine regions will support deployment of 2,600 EVs, including vehicles by Ford, Chevrolet, and smart USA. The nine pilot regions include Austin, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Los Angeles; New York; Orlando, Florida; Sacramento, California; the San Jose and San Francisco Bay Area; the Bellevue and Redmond, Washington area; and Washington, D.C.
As the public begins to use these devices, DOE will collect data on travel patterns and about how drivers use their EVs; where and when people charge their cars; and what impacts chargers might have on the grid. See DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program Web site, the ChargePoint America Web site, and the Coulomb press release.
Electric Vehicles Attractive for Fleets
The Electrification Coalition, a year-old nonprofit group of business leaders, released the Fleet Electrification Roadmap, an analysis of the business case for U.S. fleets to adopt electric-drive technology.
The report argues that the lower operating costs of EVs could make adoption of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and EVs highly attractive for government and commercial fleets. The analysis suggests that with targeted, temporary policies, a cumulative 200,000 EVs could be on the road by 2015. See the Electrification Coalition press release and the report .
The report was released four days after General Electric (GE) announced its purchase of 25,000 EVs by 2015 for its own fleet-and through its Capital Fleet Services business. GE will initially purchase 12,000 GM Chevrolet Volts in 2011, adding other vehicles as they become available. See the GE press release.
USDA Boosts 500 Rural Clean Energy Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced November 9 that it is providing over $30 million in loans and grants to 516 recipients for rural renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
The support is designed to help farmers, ranchers, and owners of rural businesses reduce energy costs and develop new sources of renewable energy. Funding is provided through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
The loans and grants will help replace outdated equipment, insulate buildings, pay for energy audits, and incorporate renewable energy technologies into operations.
In Warwick, Massachusetts, Mark and Jeanette Fellows will receive a $14,000 grant to help fund a 8.36 kW solar PV system that will offset over 30% of their dairy farm’s electricity use. In Salina, Kansas, PKM Steel Service, Inc. will receive a $41,000 grant to install energy efficient air compressors, boilers, temperature, and lighting controls. The program was authorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. See the USDA press release and the full list of award recipients .
DOE Launches Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee
DOE launched its Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (ERAC) on November 12. The new federal advisory committee reports directly to U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to provide advice on the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) portfolio.
The 19 committee members have experience in a variety of sectors, including academia, technology development, project finance, economic development, and utilities, and bring a range of technical expertise and perspectives to the committee.
ERAC will periodically review EERE’s portfolio and advise the Secretary on completion of long-range plans, priorities, and strategies; program funding; and other issues of concern. The committee is expected to meet twice a year, with meetings open to the public. For a list of members, see the DOE press release. Also see the ERAC Web site.
G-20 Reaffirms Commitment to Cut Fossil Fuel Subsidies
The White House announced on November 12 that G-20 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to phase out fossil fuel subsidies in the medium term.
Mexico has already started to phase out motor fuel subsidies, while India has removed gasoline price controls and raised prices for diesel, kerosene, and liquid petroleum gases. Russia and China have initiated programs to raise natural gas prices.
In the US, President Obama will work with Congress to phase out the $3 billion a year in preferential tax incentives for the coal, oil, and gas industries, consistent with his budget proposals for fiscal years 2010 and 2011. The White House estimates that gradually removing fossil fuel subsidies by 2020 could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions 10% by 2050, relative to business as usual. See the White House announcement and pages 14-15 (PDF pages 18-19) of the leaders’ declaration from the G-20 Summit in Seoul.
Member countries of the G-20: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. See the G-20 Web site.
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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