*News and Events
DOE Awards $89 Million to 19 States for Home Weatherization New Large Wind Power Plants Planned for New York, Washington
New Catalyst Produces Hydrogen from Biomass Without Platinum
Research Institute Advances Grid Connection Technology
Indiana Fuel Terminal Offers Biodiesel, Easing Distribution
Thirty Solar Cars to Race on Route 66 Starting July 13th
*Energy Connections
U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Emissions Increased in 2002
DOE Awards $89 Million to 19 States for Home Weatherization
DOE announced on July 1st its award of $89.4 million to 19 states for energy efficiency improvements to homes of low-income families. Low-income families spend an average of 14 percent of their income on energy, compared with 3.5 percent for the average American. The grants were awarded to Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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Weatherization reduces an average home’s energy costs by $215 a year. The program, which is administered through the states and 970 local agencies, gives a priority to low-income households with elderly members, people with disabilities, and children. See DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program Web site at:
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New Large Wind Power Plants Planned for New York, Washington
Zilka Renewable Energy, LLC proposed a new 165-megawatt wind power plant for Washington State last week, while the New York Power Authority (NYPA) is negotiating to bring as much as 151 megawatts of wind power to upstate New York.
Zilkha has requested an initial study of its proposed site for a 165-megawatt wind plant in Kittitas County, about 100 miles east of Tacoma. Zilkha submitted its request to the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) on July 2nd, naming the proposed facility the Wild Horse Wind Power Project. Zilkha also applied earlier this year to build a 181-megawatt wind facility in the same county. The application for that project, called the Kittitas Valley
Wind Power Project, is still under review by the EFSEC. See the Zilkha request and the EFSEC announcement at:
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In New York, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has decided to buy 50 megawatts of wind power from two proposed projects. Chautauqua Windpower proposes to build a 51-megawatt wind plant near the shores of Lake Erie in Chautauqua County, just east of the Pennsylvania border. Windfarm Prattsburgh, LLC proposes to install as much as 100 megawatts of wind power capacity near the town of Prattsburgh in Steuben County, about 50 miles south of Rochester. NYPA will buy no more than half of the wind power generated by each of the proposed projects. See the NYPA press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
New Catalyst Produces Hydrogen from Biomass Without Platinum
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a nickel-tin catalyst that can convert glucose into hydrogen at low temperatures, providing a new process for converting biomass into hydrogen. The discovery, announced last week, follows research by the same group last year that produced hydrogen using a platinum catalyst. The new catalyst is much less expensive, which makes the process more practical. The researchers have also developed a secondary process to reduce carbon monoxide contamination in the resulting hydrogen gas to very low levels. That secondary process currently uses a platinum catalyst, but the researchers hope to develop an inexpensive catalyst for that process as well. See the University of Wisconsin-Madison press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
While the Wisconsin researchers work to perfect their hydrogen production process, FuelCell Energy, Inc. will be advancing fuel cell technologies under four separate federal contracts totaling $1.45 million. A DOE award of $750,000 will go toward developing advanced control modules for the company’s power plant that combines a
fuel cell with a turbine. DOE will also provide $100,000 for developing advanced positive electrodes, or cathodes, for proton- exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The U.S. Department of Defense is awarding the company $500,000 to develop negative electrodes, or anodes, for PEM fuel cells that are more tolerant of carbon monoxide contamination and an additional $100,000 for an advanced reformer to convert liquid fuels into a methane-rich gas. See the FuelCell Energy press release at:
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Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Company and UTC Fuel Cells will be working together to solve a major hurdle for fuel cell vehicles: developing a fuel cell drive that operates in freezing conditions. The companies hope to clear that hurdle by the end of 2004. Hyundai also expects to start leasing fuel cell vehicles next year. See the UTC Fuel Cells
press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Research Institute Advances Grid Connection Technology
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a research consortium for the energy industry, announced two advancements last week that will make it easier for homeowners and businesses to connect power sources to their local electrical power grid. EPRI licensed GenerLink, an interconnection device for portable generators, to Global Power Products of Georgia. GenerLink provides a direct connection to a home’s wiring system for portable generators — eliminating the use of clumsy extension cords — while e
nhancing utility worker safety by automatically disconnecting the home from the power grid during an outage. EPRI is also developing GridGateway, a universal interconnection device for on-site generators such as solar power systems, fuel cells, or microturbines. GridGateway will work with systems ranging from one kilowatt to 200 kilowatts in capacity. See the EPRI press releases at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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Grid interconnection is a difficult hurdle for many people and businesses that generate their own power, and part of the difficulty has been the lack of consistent national standards for grid interconnection. That barrier finally fell last month, when the Standards Board of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) approved IEEE 1547, “Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electrical Power Systems.” The newly approved standard is expected to be published early this summer. [sorry this link is no longer available]
The new IEEE standard is the result of a process that began in March 1999. For background information, see the DER Web site: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Indiana Fuel Terminal Offers Biodiesel, Easing Distribution
A move to offer metered blending of biodiesel at a fuel terminal in Jolietville, Indiana, may mark the first step in a wider acceptance of this fuel among farmers and consumers. Retail gas stations and farmers often rely on small petroleum distributors for their fuel supplies, and those distributors, in turn, fill up at regional fuel terminals.
The decision by Indiana’s Countrymark Co-op to offer biodiesel at one of its fuel terminals may encourage local distributors to deliver biodiesel blends to their customers, making it easier for farmers and consumers to fuel up on biodiesel. Currently, most biodiesel fuel must be trucked in directly from the biodiesel producer. The Indiana
Soybean Board supported the installation of Countrymark’s biodiesel blending system, and the company plans to expand the operation to its other three terminals if the Jolietville installation is successful.
In the past year, biodiesel has helped fuel the concert tours of Bonnie Raitt and the Indigo Girls, but this summer it has gained the attention of two decidedly harder rock tours. Both Lollapalooza 2003 and the Vans Warped Tour are using biodiesel to power generators during their summer tours, showing that even alternative-rock and punk
bands care about the environment. And while it may come as no surprise that Berkeley, California, is fueling all its city-owned diesel vehicles with biodiesel, the U.S. military is actually the largest single purchaser of biodiesel in the country. For the contract period spanning 2003 to 2004, the military’s Defense Energy Support Center plans to buy 5.2 million gallons of biodiesel. See the notices and press releases on the National Biodiesel Board Web site at:
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While the biodiesel industry looks to the future, a group of college students spent part of their summer finding out how few and far between biodiesel supplies are in most of the country. Fortunately, their biodiesel bus also ran on used vegetable oil, and they were able to make their way across the United States relying largely on fast-
food restaurants. Termed “Project Bio Bus,” the alternative-fueled vehicle arrived safely in Conway, Washington, on June 11th, less than a month after leaving Middlebury, Vermont, for a wandering tour of rock-climbing venues and media appearances. Having finished their journey, the intrepid travelers sold their bus on eBay for $2,375.
See the Project Bio Bus press release and home page at:
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Thirty Solar Cars to Race on Route 66 Starting July 13th
The American Solar Challenge hits the road once again on July 13th, as teams of students from 30 universities demonstrate their technical prowess on solar-powered cars racing across 2,300 miles of historic Route 66. Beginning in Chicago, the road race winds its way down to northern Texas, then across the desert Southwest, ending in Los Angeles on July 23rd. The race is divided into four stages, with nine checkpoints along the way. And throughout this year’s race, daily reports from the road, race standings, and photos will be posted on the American Solar Challenge Web site. Be sure to follow along at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
For more background on the race, see the DOE press release:
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A glimpse of what’s to come was revealed back in late May, when the University of Michigan (U-M) team — the winner of the 2001 race — unveiled its new solar racer. The team took advantage of new race rules that allow a larger solar array if they are also willing to carry a passenger. That’s right, this year’s U-M car is a two-seater. But looking at the car, we’re guessing the passenger won’t be likely to have a pleasant ride! See the U-M Solar Car Team’s Web site and press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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ENERGY CONNECTIONS
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U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Emissions Increased in 2002
U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels increased by 1.3 percent in 2002, according to preliminary estimates by DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA). Total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions grew 16 percent over the 1990 to 2002 period. Emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels account for more than 80 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and are a good indicator of trends in total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
A slowing economy caused U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to decline by 1.4 percent in 2001, but a combination of higher economic growth, a colder winter, a warmer summer, and overall higher electrical demand — plus an increased burning of coal and natural gas to meet that demand — caused emissions to return to their previous growth rate in 2002. See the EIA press release at:
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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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