Green Power

The Green-e Renewable Energy Certification Program of the Center for Resource Solutions announced that Consumers Energy?s ?Green Generation? Renewable Energy Certificates are now Green-e certified. Michigan-based Consumers Energy is a part of the largest network of renewable energy providers who offer products certified by the nation?s leading certification and verification program.

?Consumers Energy demonstrated its commitment to develop renewable energy through its Green-e certified Green Generation program," said Lars Kvale, Green-e midwest representative. The renewable energy for Consumers Energy?s Green Generation program comes from Michigan-based landfill gas facilities and wind generators. This ?homegrown? energy meets strict Green-e standards for eligible renewable energy.

"Achieving Green-e certification is an important milestone in the ongoing progress and growth of our Green Generation program,? said Steve Stubleski, Consumers Energy project manager. Green-e is the leading renewable energy certification and verification program in the U.S. The program provides independent, third party certification to ensure certified renewable energy meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards.

Providers of Green-e certified renewable energy agree to abide by the Green-e Code of Conduct, and meet Green-e disclosure and truth-in-advertising requirements. All Green-e marketers undergo an annual verification audit to document that the company purchased or generated enough quantity and type of renewable energy to meet customer demand and marketing claims. Over 100 marketers and utilities throughout North America now offer Green-e certified renewable energy products. Collectively these suppliers sold over four million MWh of Green-e certified renewable energy in 2005. To learn more about the Green-e Program, contact Lars Kvale, 415-561-2110. Source: Green-e Press Release 2006, 8-15-2006.

Green Mountain Energy Co. says it has signed deals to provide renewable energy to seven companies based in, or with a presence in Dallas-Fort Worth.  Austin-based Green Mountain, a retail provider of cleaner electricity products to residential, business, institutional and governmental customers, did not provide financial terms of the contracts. Dallas-based ClubCorp, an operator of public golf clubs in Dallas and Houston, is buying renewable energy for 27 of its private businesses and country clubs. Dallas-based FedEx Kinko's, a business unit of Memphis-based FedEx Corp., is increasing green power usage for 56 of its Texas stores. The Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion and Hyatt Regency DFW renewed their contracts. Austin-based Fired Up Inc., the owner of Johnny Carino's Italian restaurants, is buying renewable energy for 28 of its Italian restaurants in Texas, primarily in Dallas and Houston. John Deere has renewed a contract for its distribution facility in Northwest Dallas. Recreational Equipment Inc., a retailer of outdoor gear and apparel, is buying renewable energy for four of its Texas stores ? two in the Dallas area and two in the Houston area. Rooms To Go, a national furniture retailer, is buying renewable energy for 11 of its stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Source: Dallas Business Journal, 8-14-2006.

Chena Hot Springs/Chena Power and United Technologies have announced the successful commissioning and startup of the first geothermal power plant in Alaska. Chena Hot Springs, just outside Fairbanks, is the first geothermal power plant to come on-line in the state. It is now also the site of the lowest temperature resource (165 F) ever used for commercial power generation in the world, noted Bernie Karl, proprietor of the resort. An official ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication of the 200 kW geothermal powerplant is scheduled for Aug. 20, with Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and Gov. Frank Murkowski scheduled to be among those participating. The dedication will be the highlight of the 1st Annual Chena Renewable Energy Fair which offers free to the public workshops, site and project tours, and vendors displays representing the range of renewable energy technologies.

Chena is the first geothermal distributed generation project, allowing the resort to meet its power needs without relying on a utility grid, and is expected to open the door for similar projects at spas, greenhouses and other geothermal sites around the world. "Chena will be the first of many such applications in Alaska and other states," noted Karl Gawell of the Geothermal Energy Association. "As technology advances to allow lower temperature generation, it will dramatically expand the potential for new geothermal power development."

Regarding the potential for the new technology, Bernie Karl recently testified to the Senate Energy Committee that "if every producing oil and gas well in Texas alone used this technology, the same power generation technology being tested right now at Chena Hot Springs in Alaska, we could generate 5,000 MW of power from this renewable geothermal resource."

The Chena Hot Springs geothermal power plant is currently operating as the base load for the site, and United Technologies representatives are on hand completing performance tests by varying the hot and cold water flow rates. The Chena power plant is running off 162.5 F hot water from a 700-foot deep well. The cooling water source is from a cold water well at a higher elevation than the power plant, and is delivered via siphon (gravity feed). This means no pump is needed to move the cold water through the power plant, reducing the parasitic load on the plant. Source: U.S. Newswire, Washington, 8-15-2006.

Buying a solar power system for your home is good for the environment and great for California's energy grid. And it's cost-effective, too ? if you're willing to wait more than a decade. While solar panels have become more efficient, cheaper and more available over the years, the initial leap into solar power still presents a financial strain. A typical system in California, including the panels and installation, costs $25,000 to $30,000 before state rebates and other incentives. Systems for consumers in Silicon Valley, who are heavy users of air conditioning during hot summers, cost even more. As with buying a Toyota Prius, a hybrid car, it's not cheaper at first. But as energy prices rise, your environmentally friendly investment pays for itself faster.

How does solar power work? Photovoltaic cells on roof-mounted solar panels convert sunlight into electricity. Even when you're not at home using the electricity, the solar panels continue to harness energy and feed it back into the utility grid. That excess electricity is banked with the utility company and your meter starts spinning backward. It's necessary to use electricity from the power grid at night and during winter, since solar panels aren't working at full capacity. But thanks to that credited power and net-metering, it's possible for your monthly Pacific Gas & Electric bill to read $5 ? the basic connection fee.

Here is the cost breakdown: An average PG&E household's monthly electric bill is $67.64. But the Silicon Valley households looking into solar power systems typically are the ones paying closer to $200 a month, said Barry Cinnamon, president of Akeena Solar, a Los Gatos company that installs solar panels. To install the typical five-kilowatt solar power system to cover all the electricity usage for this average Silicon Valley household, it would cost $42,000, Cinnamon said.

Under the Emerging Renewables Program, California provides rebates of $2.60 per watt installed ? $13,000 for this five-kilowatt home. The household also would receive a $2,000 federal tax credit. Now the total cost is $27,000. It will take a little more than 11 years for the system to pay for itself, assuming the cost of electricity doesn't rise and this household's bill is zero at the end of the year, excluding the monthly connection fee.

Installation takes only about two days, but do-it-yourself is out of the question. "It's not something even an advanced handy-person should do themselves,'' Cinnamon said. "It's a combo of high voltage electricity on a roof.''

California's incentive program helps make solar power more mainstream. As of June 1, about 20,000 California homes had solar power systems. Sales have gone up over the past five years, installers say. And this sweltering summer has been particularly busy, as people worried about blackouts. Through March of this year, about 1,600 new homes had been built with solar power systems in California.

But solar power isn't for every home. Some people don't like the aesthetics. Panels, many of which are guaranteed for 25 years, are a dark glassy blue color, sometimes appearing black, that cover the sunniest side of the roof. If you're in a shady area, you're out of luck. Roofs need direct exposure to sunlight, though they don't necessarily need to be facing due south. Source: By Kendra Marr, Mercury News, 8/15/2006.

Pacific Gas And Electric Company recently signed plans with Luz II, LLC for the purchase of at least 500 megawatts of solar power beginning in the spring of 2010. According to PG&E, the energy would be produced through a series of projects incorporating Luz II's proprietary DPT 550 technology, a hybrid solar-gas design that meets the requirements of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program. PG&E noted that the technology also has the potential to dispatch electricity at any time of the day. The site for the plants has yet to be determined. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 8/10/2006.

Australian minister for the environment and heritage Ian Campbell recently announced a new $10-million agreement under the US-Australia Climate Action Partnership for a full-scale, ultra-high-efficiency photovoltaic generator. The agreement is between Australian company Solar Systems and American firm Spectrolab, Inc., a subsidiary of Boeing. Under the auspices of the CAP initiative, Spectrolab's high-efficiency solar cells, originally designed for space applications, have been optimized by the two companies for land-based use, according to Campbell. Spectrolab has agreed to supply 500,000 initial solar cells to Solar Systems for use in their concentrators, helping create more than 26 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year. Earlier this year, Solar Systems successfully demonstrated the new at its Hermannsburg power station in central Australia. One of the company's concentrating dishes was upgraded from a capacity of 24 kilowatts to 35 kW by replacing the existing silicon cells with the new technology, according to the Department of Environment and Heritage. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 8/14/2006.

Greenlight Energy owns the rights to develop 39 wind farms in the United States. All together, the farms could have a total combined capacity of 6.5 gigawatts. Last month, BP Alternative Energy entered a long-term turbine supply agreement with Clipper Windpower Inc. Under the deal, Clipper would supply turbine parts to BP and jointly develop five wind farm projects in New York, South Dakota and Texas. The projects would have a cumulative generating capacity of 2,015 megawatts. Going forward, BP said it has secured a mix of firm and contingent orders of up to 2,250 megawatts of Clipper turbines. Source: Greenwire, 8/1/2006.

Geothermal Resources - Securing Our Energy Future. Registration, program and GEA Tradeshow information now available online. Download the registration brochure, the technical session program, field trips, workshops and optional events. You can register online!

If you are planning to attend the GRC 2006 Annual Meeting, it's important that you make your room reservations at the Town & Country Resort before the August 17, cutoff date for the GRC rate. You can make your reservation in the following ways. Call the Town & Country at 800-772-8527 and state you want the "Geothermal room block". Online, click on ?Reservations,? scroll to bottom of page and click on "Groups" type in "GRC0906" and hit "attendee login", then follow instructions from there. Source: Estela M. Smith, 8/11/2006.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2006 Wind Power Pioneer Award, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America Program. The award goes to a public power utility. All utility members of APPA are eligible to apply. Utilities may nominate themselves, and there is no cost to apply. The deadline is Sept. 15.

The judging criteria have changed slightly this year. Nominees will be evaluated on:

• corporate leadership,
• innovative marketing,
• benefits to customers, and
• project creativity.

This year marks the fourth anniversary of the award. Past winners are Waverly Light and Power in Iowa; Fort Collins, Colo., Utilities; and Austin Energy in Texas. The 2006 winner will be recognized at the APPA Customer Connections Conference in San Antonio in early November.

What used to transport students to and from school soon will be used to bring lessons on renewable energy sources to students not only in one district, but several in and out of the county. At Monday?s Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker Board of Education meeting, the board approved the use of a spare bus as a traveling showcase for renewable energy. This came about as a request by the district?s renewable energy group. This group would convert the 1988 bus into a portable demonstration lab highlighting renewable energy sources, such as biodiesel, a corn burner, and wind. The bus would be taken to schools around the county as well as other schools, perhaps including Saginaw Valley State University.

The district will maintain its title on the 1988 bus, which has logged 313,602 miles and is no longer able to be used for student transportation due to it being red-tagged by the Michigan State Police. The bus would need major work before it could be used for student transportation. As a traveling renewable energy showcase, the bus would be driven to schools and students would only board the bus when it?s parked. The bus will be painted, reconfigured internally, and will be able to welcome students in the spring of 2007. The renewable energy group will be seeking grants and donations to help with this educational undertaking. Source: Traci L. Eisenbach, The Huron Daily Tribune, 8/15/2006.

National Wind Coordinating Committee is pleased to share its latest issue brief on Wind Energy Contributions in a National Energy Strategy. The brief is based on presentations delivered at an issue forum organized by NWCC where participants were asked to share their perspectives on wind and other renewable energy sources and consider ideas for shaping a realistic vision of wind?s contribution to national energy needs. Representatives from a number of organizations involved in the energy sector took part in this initial dialogue on where wind might fit into the national energy picture. Many of the presentations and the participant list are also available at this site. NWCC may engage in subsequent activities on this topic. Please e-mail any questions about the forum or ideas for related activities, or call 202-965-6383. Source: NWCC, 8/15/2006.

More than half of the world's 500 largest corporations issuing sustainability reports in 2005 say that they want to build and occupy real estate that reflects their values, according to Developing Green: Strategies for Success, a new book published by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. The report, Developing Green: Strategies for Success, authored by Jerry Yudelson, is designed for professionals engaged in financing, building, and marketing projects with green features. It illustrates the practice of marketing green developments and includes case studies, exemplary projects, and companies that are transforming the building and development industry. In addition to the case studies, narratives and materials outlined in the book, each Developing Green: Strategies for Success is accompanied by a CD featuring sustainable design projects from across the country. The market for green buildings for public agencies is among the greatest single green market in the United States, and it is growing rapidly. The combined office, public safety and recreation segments exceed $43 billion per year, much of it in smaller buildings amenable to green building approached.

"Developing Green: Strategies for Success provides a road map to assist developers in navigating the course of green development, providing a true insiders' look into best practices and presenting the case for building green," says Thomas J. Bisacquino, NAIOP president. ?The book is an excellent tool for marketing and development professionals who want to effectively understand green development and the growing role it?s playing in commercial development.?  Owners and developers of commercial and institutional properties in North America are advancing green development through state-of-the-art tools, design techniques, advanced green products and creative use of financial and regulatory incentives.

Throughout Developing Green: Strategies for Success, Yudelson delineates the practice of building green and includes seven keys to successful green marketing. He also validates the cost of green buildings and explains how to incorporate green features into any project.  A national LEED faculty member for the U.S. Green Building Council, Jerry Yudelson is a leading expert in the LEED green building rating system. He has trained more than 2,000 building industry professions on LEED and has chaired Greenbuild, the U.S. Green Building Council?s international conference. Source: GreenBiz, 8-7-2006.

The U.S. Departments of Energy and Interior have made public a draft copy (linkto:http://1813.anl.gov/documents/index.cfm) of a report mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Section 1813, on Indian Land Rights-of-Way.

Public comment sessions allowing for consultation between tribal representatives and federal officials will be held on the following dates:

• August 24, 2006: Denver, CO
• August 25, 2006: Salt Lake City, UT
• August 38, 2006: Cabazon, CA
• August 30, 2006: Albuquerque, NM

Comments and suggestions for the draft report are due on September 1, 2006. We encourage tribes to participate in these comment sessions to provide their opinion on the language of this study. Information on submitting comment or participating in a public hearing is available online. Source: Lizana Pierce, 8/15/2006.

The state Senate on Monday passed the Million Solar Roofs bill, SB 1, with a vote of 36 to 4. The bill now will go to the governor for approval. The bill is intended to accompany the California Solar Initiative that the Public Utilities Commission established in January with the goal of building 3,000 megawatts of solar power. The PUC initiative would provide rebates for ratepayers in Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric territories. Senate Bill 1 would work with the initiative to lift the net metering cap from 0.5 percent to 2.5 percent on consumers receiving a credit for excess solar energy, require all home builders to make solar panels an available option for home buyers by 2011, and set a goal that municipal utilities adopt solar rebate programs. All 25 Democratic senators and 11 of the 15 Republican senators voted for the bill. Source: By Jennifer Myers, Reporter for the Sacramento Business Journal, 8/16/2006.

Is public power ? with its promise of renewable kilowatts without the corporate control ? making a comeback in San Francisco? It's beginning to look that way, now that the SF Public Utilities Commission has told Pacific Gas and Electric that it plans to be the provider of power to a 93-acre parcel at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Next, the SFPUC must negotiate the terms for distributing power through the private utility's transmission system to 1,600 new residential units and 300,000 square feet of commercial and retail space that Lennar/BVHP is about to construct.

PG&E must at the very least accept the city's application. And if things go smoothly, the SFPUC would coordinate with Lennar to build a publicly controlled electricity infrastructure into the development. SFPUC spokesperson Tony Winnicker told the Guardian that initially the power will be generated by San Francisco's hydro facilities but eventually will be 100 percent solar. "We believe we can deliver reliable green power at rates that beat or meet PG&E's," Winnicker said. "It will be a great opportunity to show we can do it just as well as a private facility and to do right by Hunters Point and the city's southeast and so counter a long track record of environmental injustice in that area.? Source: Sarah Phelan, 8/15/2006.

Welcome to the first e-newsletter of the city of Boulder's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Program. This is the sixth of a series of monthly emails updating interested residents on the city's activities and upcoming events. We are very open to suggestions, so please let us know what you would like to see included. The Energy and Climate Portal is also a resource for keeping up to date on the city's GHG activities and learning how you can reduce your GHG emissions.

On August 15th, 2006 Council will review a ballot measure for an energy use tax and decide if the measure will be on the ballot in 2006. The CAP is a conservative plan which will adapt to changing conditions and market forces. If community actions exceed projections the programs and rates may be adjusted. The tax rate by sector is proportional to the allocation of the tax revenue toward programs and services proposed in the CAP. The CAP will help households and businesses in Boulder lower their utility bills through energy efficiency and conservation and facilitate the adoption of renewable energy, in turn providing savings of tens of millions of dollars on utility bills. The CAP will not provide subsidies towards purchases of renewable energy and energy efficient equipment. The programs proposed through the CAP act as a means to actualize these upgrades by linking people with the resources and information they need to make informed choices. Promoting renewable energy is one of the primary strategies of the CAP. The city will not provide financial incentives towards the purchase of solar. Amendment 37 currently provides a rebate for photovoltaic systems. Through the goals of Amendment 37, the source of Boulder?s energy will have lower carbon intensity. The city will continue to support solar energy by providing education and resources about renewable energy. Source: BREEE: City of Boulder - GHG Newsletter - August 2006, 8-16-2006.

San Francisco took a historic step last week toward creating the city's first Green Power Community on the site of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, where developer Lennar BVHP is about to begin construction of more than 1,600 new residential units and retail space. Mayor Gavin Newsom and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission announced an effort to provide reliable, renewable energy directly to the new residents and businesses there.

Certainly, the effort to bring green power to Hunters Point will be a great benefit to a neighborhood blighted by polluting power plants and toxic industries. But just as important, it is a watershed moment for the city's energy leadership. San Francisco is not just "talking the talk," but taking real action to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and power our city through clean, renewable energies.

These include: Hydropower ? Most people don't realize that the pristine water delivered through the Hetch Hetchy water system also generates 20 percent of San Francisco's energy. The SFPUC provides electricity to the city's most vital public services, including S.F. General Hospital, Muni Railway, our schools, fire stations, the airport and streetlights. Decades before global warming focused our attention on reducing emissions, San Francisco developed a renewable source of emissions-free energy.

Solar power ? We are already a national leader in solar energy, with the nation's largest municipal solar facility atop the Moscone Convention Center, as well as major new facilities at the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Norcal Recycling Plant at Pier 96, the airport and other locations. A new bill (AB2573) sponsored by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, will open the door to the development of up to 30 megawatts of new solar projects atop our large reservoirs by 2010. The SFPUC is also moving to adopt the latest solar innovations, such as "thin film solar" technology, which will allow for cheaper, more rapid expansion of our ability to capture the power of the sun.

Biofuels ? Every year, thousands of gallons of oil and grease are dumped by residents and businesses down the drain, blocking sewer lines and creating backups during major rainstorms. Instead, we can collect that grease directly from restaurants and process it to prevent sewer blockages and produce a major source of renewable "biodiesel" for city vehicles. The new SFPUC biofuel program will help the city meet the mayor's challenge to fuel the city's fleet vehicles with biodiesel by late 2007.

Fuel-cell technology ? We are also moving now to convert digester gases at our wastewater-treatment plants into electricity and heat for use onsite. This fuel-cell technology will turn noxious gases that would otherwise be burned and dispersed into the neighborhood into a source of renewable power instead.

Tidal and wave power ? Working with the mayor, the San Francisco Department of the Environment and private organizations such as the Electric Power Research Institute, San Francisco is exploring the potential of waves and the tides to generate clean power. SFPUC-funded studies show that, with our powerful tides under the Golden Gate and with the mighty waves of the Pacific, San Francisco is in an ideal location to harness a new hydropower ? that of the seas.

Community-choice aggregation ? In the coming months, with the full cooperation of the SFPUC and many clean-energy advocates, the S.F. Board of Supervisors will consider a plan called Community Choice Aggregation that will give city residents and businesses the chance to choose reliable, cleaner, affordable power procured by the city over traditional fossil fuel and nuclear-powered energy delivered by traditional investor-owned utilities. The private sector, too, is getting on board, with the announcement last week that PG&E would dramatically increase development and deployment of renewable energies in California.

A city-powered entirely by clean energy from the sun, wind, water and waste ? what may once have seemed an excerpt from science fiction could well become reality in San Francisco. Certainly, there will be unexpected costs, setbacks and bumps along the road. But the path towards a brighter future of renewable energy is clear. The clean energy revolution is here, and for San Francisco, there's no turning back. Source: Susan Leal, General Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, 8-14-2006.

DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that they have awarded nine grants totaling $5.7 million for research in biofuels. The research will focus on genomics that will allow woody plant tissues such as alfalfa, sorghum, wheat, and other grasses to be grown in large quantities to produce renewable fuels, including ethanol. DOE granted $3.9 million to six projects, and USDA has granted $1.8 million to three projects, all of which will be supported for up to three years. The awardees include six universities in Indiana, Texas, Wisconsin, New York, North Carolina, Kansas, and Georgia; two non-profit research organizations in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.; and DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. See the DOE press release.

DOE and the USDA also announced last week 12 new people who will serve on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee. The committee advises the agencies on strategic planning, the development of requests for proposals under the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, and the review and evaluation of funding proposals. The 30-member committee also works to encourage collaboration among government, industry, and growers. The twelve new members hail from Alabama, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington. See the DOE press release. Source: EERE Network News, 8/16/2006.

The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a notice of availability for its new loan guarantee program. The total amount of guarantees available is $2 billion with no apparent limit on individual guarantee application amounts. The first solicitation for applications focuses heavily on renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The deadline for pre-application is November 6, 2006. Source: Department of Energy, 8/16/2006.

This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.