*News and Events
Xcel Energy Plans 450 Megawatts of Wind Power for Minnesota
Helios Solar Airplane Crashes During Test Flight
Wave Power Plant Now Supplying Denmark’s Electrical Grid
Corn-Derived Plastic Provides Deli Packaging in U.S. Grocery
Onsite Energy Cuts Energy Costs at Food Processing Plants
Texas and Florida Schools Win Middle School Science Bowl
*Energy Connections
Natural Gas Crisis Ahead: DOE Encourages Smart Energy Use
Xcel Energy Plans 450 Megawatts of Wind Power for Minnesota
Xcel Energy has selected three wind power projects totaling 450 megawatts in capacity as part of its portfolio of new energy projects to meet its customer’s power needs over the next six years. The proposed projects include a 200-megawatt wind plant to be built near Chandler by enXco, a 150-megawatt wind plant to be built in Lincoln County by PPM Energy, and a 100-megawatt wind plant to be built by FPL Energy in Austin. The two larger plants are located in
the southeast corner of the state and the third plant will be located due south of Minneapolis, near the state’s southern border. The three projects were selected as the result of an all-source solicitation issued by Xcel Energy in 2001.
“The strong showing of wind power in this bidding process indicates that wind has become competitive with traditional electricity generating fuels,” said David Eves, Xcel Energy’s vice president for resource planning and acquisition.
The Xcel Energy plan will undergo a 30-day review by the Minnesota Public Utility Commission, after which the utility intends to sign power purchase agreements with the project developers. See the June 19th press release by selecting “Newsroom” and then “Archived News Releases” on the Xcel Energy Web site at:
Helios Solar Airplane Crashes During Test Flight
Helios, a remotely piloted solar-powered aircraft, crashed on Thursday during a checkout flight. The prototype craft, which was essentially a flying wing, had been aloft for less than 30 minutes over the Hawaiian island of Kauai when it started to experience “control difficulties” at an altitude of about 3,000 feet. The control problem caused the
wing to oscillate severely until it broke apart and fell into the Pacific Ocean. Helios was operated under a program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and NASA appointed a board to investigate the crash on Friday. As of yesterday, three- quarters of the craft had been recovered.
Helios had been outfitted with two hydrogen storage tanks and a fuel cell to allow it to fly overnight at high altitude without landing or refueling, and a two-day trial was planned for mid-July. Previous flight tests in early June were terminated when the fuel cell failed to generate power because of leaks in a coolant system and in lines
feeding compressed air to the fuel cell. The hydrogen tanks were among the wreckage recovered from the crash. See NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center press release page and home page at:
Helios was built and operated for NASA by AeroVironment, Inc. In 2001, it set a world altitude record for non-rocket-powered aircraft by flying 96,863 feet above Kauai. NASA intended to eventually equip the aircraft with a system to generate hydrogen from solar power, allowing the combination of fuel cell and solar power to keep the craft flying
indefinitely. AeroVironment says that Helios’ predecessor, the Pathfinder-Plus, may be used for some of the tests that were planned for Helios, and says that NASA and AeroVironment will continue the Helios program. AeroVironment will also press ahead with its plans to use a high-altitude solar aircraft as a telecommunications platform, acting essentially as a low-altitude satellite. See the AeroVironment press release at:
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Wave Power Plant Now Supplying Denmark’s Electrical Grid
After initial setbacks during its installation, a wave energy power plant is now generating power for a local electrical grid in Denmark. The Wave Dragon is an offshore floating device that captures ocean waves in an elevated reservoir, then converts that reservoir’s stored energy into electricity by running the water through a hydroelectric
turbine as it is returned to the ocean. During its initial installation offshore, the unit was damaged and its wing-like “wave reflectors” had to be towed to shore for repair. In early June, the reflectors were re-attached, and the unit was connected to the grid last week. According to Wave Dragon ApS, the prototype’s power output matches the company’s expectations. The prototype is currently running with one turbine, but the company plans to add another six turbines by year-end. See the Wave Dragon Web site at:
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Corn-Derived Plastic Provides Deli Packaging in U.S. Grocery
Plastic packaging made from corn is now being used at 11 grocery stores in and around Portland, Oregon, marking the debut of corn-based packaging in North America. The plastic, called NatureWorks PLA, is one of many corn-based products being produced by Cargill Dow LLC. Wild Oats Markets, Inc. is selling a variety of deli items wrapped in the corn-based plastic at its 11 Portland stores, with plans to expand its use to more than 100 stores nationwide. The grocery is also negotiating with a local vendor to produce compost from the used packaging, which is biodegradable. See the Cargill Dow press release:
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Consumers have expressed a growing interest in biodegradable packaging materials, and a leader in the industry, EarthShell
Corporation, has been working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the number of agricultural sources it can use to manufacture its products. The company currently manufactures foam laminates and food wrapping products from potato starches, yielding products that can be composted. Its recent work with the USDA confirms the ability to produce those products from wheat and corn starches as well.
Corporation, has been working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the number of agricultural sources it can use to manufacture its products. The company currently manufactures foam laminates and food wrapping products from potato starches, yielding products that can be composted. Its recent work with the USDA confirms the ability to produce those products from wheat and corn starches as well.
See the EarthShell press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Such “bioproducts” derived from organic sources replace petroleum-based products and could lessen our nation’s dependence on imported oil. The processes used to manufacture bioproducts also tend to be cleaner, which is why DuPont’s efforts to develop a corn-based plastic earned the company a 2004 Presidential Green Chemistry award last week from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). DuPont has teamed up with Genencor International, Inc. to produce a chemical called PDO from corn. DuPont and Genencor drew on bioengineering to combine
strengths of both a yeast and a bacterium into a microorganism that will ferment the glucose in corn into PDO. Dupont currently produces PDO from petrochemicals and uses it to manufacture a polymer called Sorona. The new biobased method uses less energy while drawing on a renewable resource. DuPont is testing the process in a pilot plant but has already announced plans to develop a large-scale facility using the corn-based process. See the Genencor press release and the EPA Green Chemistry Web site at:
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Onsite Energy Cuts Energy Costs at Food Processing Plants
Onsite Energy Corporation recently announced three separate contracts to bring its energy-saving technologies to work at food processing and cold-storage facilities in California. At Pacific Coast Producers’ tomato processing plant in Woodland, Onsite will install steam condensate return lines and add insulation to cookers and other
equipment. The project should save $300,000 annually at the tomato processing plant. In Santa Maria, Onsite will install control systems and variable-frequency cooling fan motors for Bonita Packing Company, Inc., saving about $114,000 each year for the maker of packaged fresh vegetables. And in Watsonville, Onsite installed in early June a
facility demands control system for Del Mar Food Products. The system is expected to reduce Del Mar Foods’ peak electrical load by about 400 kilowatts.
Onsite holds an Agriculture Peak Load Reduction Contract with the California Energy Commission, which allows the company to provide financial incentives for the energy-saving projects. The company is also administering the payment of incentives for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. See the Onsite press releases for June 3rd and 19th:[sorry this link is no longer available]
Texas and Florida Schools Win Middle School Science Bowl
A team of students from College Station Middle School in College Station, Texas, proved best at answering science questions last week, but the team from Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville, Florida, had the fastest car — the fastest solar-powered car, that is.
The National Middle School Science Bowl, sponsored by DOE and General Motors, challenges middle-school students to learn about math and science. DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Colorado
School of Mines hosted the second annual competition, which featured an academic session and a model solar car competition. Sixteen teams of students from around the country had to first win regional competitions before they could compete in the national event. The middle school competition is a spin off of DOE’s highly successful
National Science Bowl, an academic competition for high school students. See the NREL and DOE press releases at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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See also the National Middle School Science Bowl Web site at:
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ENERGY CONNECTIONS
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Natural Gas Crisis Ahead: DOE Encourages Smart Energy Use
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham remains concerned about natural gas supplies in the United States, and he expressed those concerns at last week’s Natural Gas Summit, held in Washington, D.C. Noting that U.S. natural gas storage is 32 percent below last year’s level, and 22 percent below the previous five-year average, Secretary Abraham warned that next winter’s heating bills could increase as much as 19 percent in the Midwest. “It is a national concern that will touch every American,” said Secretary Abraham.
Secretary Abraham followed up on that message yesterday with a visit to DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where he encouraged Americans to make use of energy efficiency and renewable energy in
their homes and businesses.
“By incorporating advanced energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that reduce energy use into building designs, the U.S. building sector is achieving significant results,” Abraham said. “Individuals can also play an important role in reducing energy usage. Conserving energy in the home saves consumers money today while also helping ensure abundant energy supplies in the future.”
To help Americans use energy wisely, Secretary Abraham suggested they refer to the Energy Savers Web site, located at: http://www.energys
avers.gov
avers.gov
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| Kevin Eber is the Editor of EREE Network News, a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). |
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