*News and Events
Five Federal Energy Management Teams Earn White House Honors
Federal Leaders Achieve $62 Million in Annual Energy Savings
ASHRAE, DOE to Cooperate on Energy Efficiency and Renewables
DOE Launches Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Education Effort
U.S. to Host a Hydrogen Ministerial Meeting in Late November
Interior Department Holds Meetings on Wind Power in the West
*Site News
Energy Efficiency 21
*Energy Connections
EIA: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Grew 0.5 Percent in 2002
Five Federal Energy Management Teams Earn White House Honors
The White House awarded the Presidential Awards for Leadership in Federal Energy Management to energy-saving teams at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force last week. The teams implemented measures that will save the federal government about 1.3 trillion Btu (British thermal units) of energy each year — more energy than is used by 13,000 typical U.S. homes.
Five energy management teams earned the awards: the team at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command drew on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and combined heat and power systems to save more than 900 billion Btu per year; the team at the Fort Carson Army post established long-term sustainability goals, including increased use of energy efficiency and renewable energy; the team at the Dyess Air Force Base arranged to buy all the base’s electricity from wind power plants; the team at the Food and Drug Administration’s Jefferson Laboratories underwent an industrial assessment audit and upgraded its district cooling system, lighting systems, and other equipment; and the USPS team implemented a strategic energy management plan for its operations in Arizona, Nevada, California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands. See the October 30th press release on the DOE Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Federal Leaders Achieve $62 Million in Annual Energy Savings
The recent efforts of 37 individuals and organizations throughout the U.S. federal government have yielded new energy savings worth $62 million annually. In recognition of their efforts, DOE presented these federal leaders with the 2003 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards last week. This year’s winners are from the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy; the Departments of Commerce, Energy, Interior, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services; the General Services Administration; and the U.S. Postal Service. Some facilities also received Energy Star and Showcase awards for superior building performance and sustainable construction.
DOE chose the award winners from more than 100 nominations. Some of the accomplishments of the winners include installing the largest federal solar photovoltaic power system in the United States; implementing contracts that allow private companies to invest in energy-saving projects at federal facilities; and reducing the energy impact of federal buildings by installing energy management systems, upgrading heating and cooling systems, installing more energy-efficient equipment, and buying renewable energy. See the October 29th press release on the DOE Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
The full list of winners is posted on DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
ASHRAE, DOE to Cooperate on Energy Efficiency and Renewables
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) signed an agreement with DOE last week to advance the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy and to minimize the impact of energy use on the environment. The agreement will promote and support the continuing development of ASHRAE standards for energy efficiency and indoor air quality in buildings, through such means as improved training programs. The two organizations will work to encourage energy efficiency in buildings through a variety of programs aimed at builders, building designers, and building owners and managers. DOE and ASHRAE will also cooperate on research into renewable energy sources, energy efficiency technologies, and the environmental impact of energy and material use in buildings. See the ASHRAE press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
DOE Launches Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Education Effort
David Garman, DOE’s assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, went back to high school on October 28th, but as more of a teacher than a student. Garman went to Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School in Washington, D.C., to launch a new DOE effort that will educate science students across the country about the promise of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The DOE effort will introduce students of all ages to the basic concepts and principles of hydrogen-based energy in fun and creative ways, intending to interest students in the vision of a future hydrogen economy.
“Investing in our students today will insure the transformation of our energy future from one dependent on foreign petroleum to one that utilizes the most abundant element in the universe — hydrogen,” said Garman. See the October 28th press release on the DOE Web site at:
[sorry this link is no longer available]
DOE is also working to spark interest in hydrogen at the collegiate level. In cooperation with the National Hydrogen Association (NHA), DOE is launching the First Annual University Student Hydrogen Design Contest. Student teams are being asked to submit innovative and imaginative designs for a next-generation hydrogen fueling station.
A review meeting is taking place today at 1 p.m. Eastern time, and is accessible via conference call. The full contest rules will be released on November 15th. The top team
will win an all-expense-paid trip to Hollywood, California, in late April 2004, to present their results at the 2004 NHA Annual Conference. Team registration is due by December 15th, and the final entries are due on March 1, 2004. See the contest information on the NHA Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
U.S. to Host a Hydrogen Ministerial Meeting in Late November
DOE, the State Department, and the Department of Transportation will host the inaugural meeting of the International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy (IPHE) from November 19th through the 21st. Ministerial delegations from 13 countries and the European Commission will attend the meeting in Washington, D.C. The IPHE inaugural meeting will feature formal ministerial statements on the hydrogen policies and programs underway in each of the 15 IPHE nations. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham called for the creation of the IPHE in his speech to the International Energy Agency Ministerial in April. In June, Secretary Abraham called on the international community to join him in a ministerial-level conference to formally define and establish the IPHE. The inaugural ministerial meeting will culminate in the signing of a “Terms of Reference” document, formally creating the IPHE as an international mechanism to coordinate hydrogen research and hydrogen technology development and deployment. See the October 28th announcement on the DOE Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
The IPHE Ministerial Summit will immediately follow the LNG (liquefied natural gas) Ministerial Summit, which will bring together energy ministers from up to 24 countries to take a fresh look at the world LNG market place. Secretary Abraham announced the summit in July. For information on both ministerial summits, see the U.S. Energy Association Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Interior Department Holds Meetings on Wind Power in the West
The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) announced last week that it will hold public meetings in five western states to gain input on the development of wind energy on lands administered by the DOI’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The public scoping process is the first step in the development of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), which the BLM announced in a Notice of Intent published in the Federal Register on October 17th.
The PEIS will address the possible amendment of individual BLM land use plans in considering future development of wind energy resources on BLM-administered lands. Land use plans are planning and management documents that define how resources will be managed within a specific planning area and establish restrictions on activities to be undertaken in that planning area.
Preparation of the PEIS is a multi-step process that begins with the public meetings and will take about two years to complete. DOI held the first meeting on Monday in Sacramento, California, and is holding the second meeting today in Salt Lake City, Utah. The remaining meetings take place over the following two weeks in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Boise, Idaho. See the DOI press release at:
[sorry this link is no longer available]
See also the official Web site for the Wind Energy PEIS at:
http://windeis.anl.gov
The DOI also created a new position, the Renewable Energy Ombudsman, who will be responsible for tracking all DOI renewable energy actions. Interior Secretary Norton appointed Brenda Aird to the position. Ms. Aird’s office will serve as a clearinghouse for information regarding new and ongoing projects. See the DOI press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Editor’s Note: Last week, the EERE Network News incorrectly reported that 13 of 22 solar cars had completed the World Solar Challenge under their own power. In fact, a 14th car — the Heliodet 6 from Germany — finished on the final day. The Heliodet team has competed in each of the seven World Solar Challenges, and this marked its first successful finish of the race. Congratulations to the team, whose persistence finally paid off!
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SITE NEWS
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Energy Efficiency 21
The Energy Efficiency 21 (EE 21) Project works to enhance trade and cooperation in energy-efficient, environmentally sound techniques and management practices between countries that participate in the Economic Commission of Europe. In particular, it supports countries in economic transition, such as Russia and other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as countries in Central and Eastern Europe. EE 21, launched in 2000, is the successor of the Energy Efficiency 2000 project, which was launched in 1991.
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ENERGY CONNECTIONS
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EIA: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Grew 0.5 Percent in 2002
DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced last week that U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases increased only 0.5 percent in 2002, despite a 1.0 percent increase in energy use. Although total carbon dioxide emissions — mostly due to energy use — increased by 0.8 percent, they were offset by decreases in methane and nitrous oxide emissions. The recovery of methane emissions from landfills for use as an energy source caused the majority of the decline in methane emissions. The nitrous oxide emissions dropped due to reduced emissions from agriculture.
The U.S. economy grew by 2.4 percent in 2002, which means that the greenhouse gas intensity — defined as the greenhouse gas emissions (in metric tons) per million dollars of gross domestic product (in 1996 dollars) — decreased by 2.1 percent. In February 2002, President Bush called for voluntary measures to decrease the U.S. greenhouse gas intensity at least 18 percent by 2012.
Although U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have increased 10.9 percent since 1990, the economy has grown faster, causing the greenhouse gas intensity to decrease by 21.4 percent. See the EIA press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]. The fu
ll report is available as a 665-KB PDF file at: ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oiaf/1605/cdrom/pdf/ggrpt/057302.pdf
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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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