Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:August 26, 2003

*News and Events Hydropower and Conservation Contributed to Blackout Recovery San Francisco Approves $16 Million Energy Efficiency Program New Jersey Awards $2.7 Million to Renewable Energy Companies Companies Unveil New Building-Integrated Solar Panels Automakers Drop Lawsuits Over California ZEV Rules Organizations, Consumers Still Pursuing Electric Vehicles*Energy Connections After Blackout, Groups Envision Future Power System Options———————————————————————- NEWS AND EVENTS ———————————————————————- Hydropower and Conservation Contributed to Blackout RecoveryNew York State may draw on a wide number of energy sources for its electricity, but when it needed to recover from the August 14th blackout, it turned to hydropower. Hydroelectric power plants have the ability to “blackstart” — start generating power without help from any external power source — and to produce power immediately. In contrast, nuclear and fossil-fuel power plants require significant startup times, and nuclear power plants are not permitted to operate while the power grid is not energized. According to the National Hydropower Association (NHA), hydropower facilities were the first to be placed in operation in order to establish a stable power grid, the critical first step in restoring power to the region. See the press release on the NHA Web site at: http://www.hydro.org/Energy conservation also played an important role during […]

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