Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:July 13, 2005

News and Events

• DOE Awards $26.5 Million to 38 States for Energy Efficiency
• DOE, HUD, and EPA Form Partnership for Home Energy Efficiency
• G8 Leaders Commit to Clean Energy Technologies at Summit
• Mariner Hybrid on Sale as Honda Unveils Improved Hybrid System
• New National Coalition to Promote Wind Power
• USDA Begins Process to Designate Preferred Biobased Products

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Industrial Efficiency Alliance

Energy Connections

News and Events

DOE Awards $26.5 Million to 38 States for Energy Efficiency

DOE announced last week its award of $26.5 million in State Energy Program (SEP) grants to 38 states. The award is part of $44 million to be distributed this fiscal year to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. The SEP grants support and encourage state goals for energy efficiency and renewable energy, including efforts such as energy awareness programs, technical support services for energy efficiency improvements, and projects to install energy efficient and renewable energy technologies. See the DOE press release.

On average, every dollar invested by SEP is matched by $3.54 by state and local governments and the private sector, and results in energy savings worth $7.23. Part of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), SEP saves on average 41.35 trillion British thermal units (Btu) per year, reducing energy bills by $256 million. For a listing of state energy projects, many of which are partially funded by SEP grants, see the EERE State Activities & Partnerships Web site.

DOE, HUD, and EPA Form Partnership for Home Energy Efficiency

DOE joined with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday to announce a new joint effort, the Partnership for Home Energy Efficiency. The new partnership aims to cut household energy costs by 10 percent over the next decade by expanding efforts to promote Energy Star products, launching new energy efficiency services for homeowners, and delivering energy efficiency savings to low-income and subsidized housing. The three federal agencies also plan to continue to invest in innovative research in building science technologies, practices, and policies to develop durable, comfortable, and affordable homes that use 40 percent less energy. By 2020, the partnership aims to develop design technologies and building practices to allow the construction of cost-effective homes that use net zero energy over the course of a year. See the HUD press release and Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman’s comments.

To support the new partnership, the federal government launched a new Web site that provides energy-saving solutions for homeowners, contractors, builders, building managers, realtors, state agencies, and others. See the new Partnership for Home Energy Efficiency Web site.

G8 Leaders Commit to Clean Energy Technologies at Summit

Leaders of the world’s eight largest industrialized nations have adopted a 38-point plan of action to address the related issues of climate change, clean energy, and sustainable development. During last week’s two-day summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, the Group of Eight (G8)?comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States?agreed that climate change is a serious and long-term challenge that has the potential to affect every part of the globe, and acknowledged that the use of energy from fossil fuels, and other human activities, contribute in large part to increases in greenhouse gases associated with the warming of Earth’s surface. The G8 statement noted that “we know enough to act now to put ourselves on a path to slow and, as the science justifies, stop and then reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.”

The G8 agreed to a plan of action that calls for the promotion of greater energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, surface transport, aviation, industry, power generation, and other sectors. The agreement also calls for further efforts to promote renewable energy technologies and hydrogen technologies. Notable among those efforts is the G8’s plan to launch a Global Bioenergy Partnership to support biomass and biofuels deployment. See the agreement (PDF 327 KB) and the related White House fact sheets on the G8 Summit and climate change.

Mariner Hybrid on Sale as Honda Unveils Improved Hybrid System

Ford Motor Company began selling the new Mercury Mariner Hybrid on Monday. Ford’s second hybrid sport utility vehicle achieves 33 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, a fuel efficiency improvement of about 40 percent over the standard four-wheel-drive Mariner. Ford plans to build 2,000 Mariner Hybrids for the 2006 model year, but will eventually build 4,000 per year. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the vehicle starts at $29,840, which is $7,800 higher than the starting MSR
P for the standard Mariner, although the hybrid includes a number of premium standard features. Ford expects to sell most of the Mariner Hybrids online, although buyers can also place their orders at dealerships. See the Ford press release and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid Web site.

Meanwhile, American Honda Motor Company, Inc. announced last week that it will introduce a new hybrid system in its 2006 Civic Hybrid. The new hybrid system combines a more efficient motor assist system with an advanced engine to achieve a drive system that is smaller and more powerful than the current model while increasing fuel efficiency by about 5 percent. The new electric motor produces 50 percent more power while staying the same size, and the new battery pack produces 30 percent more power but is more compact. The engine includes an electronic valve timing system that allows it to operate in three modes, including one optimized for low engine speeds and one optimized for high engine speeds. The third mode kicks in while decelerating and stops combustion in the engine by sealing all the valves shut. This third mode will also allow the new Civic Hybrid to achieve a first for a Honda: It will cruise at low speeds on electric power alone. See the Honda press release.

Honda is also introducing new fuel-efficiency improvements to its standard Civic. Like the Hybrid Civic engine, the new Civic engine employs an electronic valve timing system, but uses it to delay the closure of the intake valve under low engine loads. Such an approach – referred to as a modified Atkinson cycle – allows the throttle to open wider and avoids the energy losses caused by the engine trying to suck air in through a small throttle opening. With such innovations as a drive-by-wire throttle, a variable-length intake manifold, and lightweight components, the new 1.8-liter Civic engine is lighter, more powerful, and up to 6 percent more fuel-efficient than the current Civic’s 1.7-liter engine. See the Honda press release.

New National Coalition to Promote Wind Power

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced last week that a broad national coalition of wind energy advocates are forming the largest pro-wind energy development organization of its kind in the United States. According to AWEA, “Wind Energy Works!” will actively and aggressively engage in the public conversation over the merits of wind energy, educate the public about the many benefits of wind energy development, and “act as a counterbalance to the misinformation being spread by wind energy opponents in communities across the country.” See the AWEA press release.

Wind energy developers are one group that certainly knows how well wind energy works. Notable among the recently completed projects is FPL Energy’s 106.5-megawatt Weatherford Wind Energy Center near Weatherford, Oklahoma, which was dedicated in late June. The company already plans to expand the facility to 147 megawatts by the end of this year. FPL Energy is also planning to build a wind power project in central North Dakota with a capacity of 49.5 megawatts. The Wilton Wind Project, located about 24 miles north of Bismarck, should be completed by year-end. The company is developing the project with Basin Electric Power Cooperative and has agreed to sell the power to Minnesota Power, which services northeast Minnesota. See the press releases from FPL Energy, Basin Electric, and Minnesota Power.

Other major wind power projects include the 200-megawatt Forward Energy wind project in Wisconsin, which won approval from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) last week. A subsidiary of Invenergy Wind LLC plans to build the project near Brownsville, about 10 miles south of Fond du Lac. Wisconsin utility We Energies has also bought the development rights to two 80-megawatt wind projects, to be built next year in northeast Fond du Lac County. And in California, PPM Energy plans to build the 150-megawatt Shiloh wind project in Solano County by year-end. The company announced last week that it will sell most of the power from the project to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the Modesto Irrigation District. See the press releases from the Wisconsin PSC (PDF 30 KB), We Energies, and PPM Energy. Download Adobe Reader.

USDA Begins Process to Designate Preferred Biobased Products

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started its process to designate preferred biobased products for purchase by federal agencies. Under the 2002 Farm Bill, the USDA’s Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program will identify more than 110 categories of products – the USDA calls them “items” – and then determine which biobased products are available within each of those categories.

Under a proposed rule published last week, the USDA will begin by tackling the following six categories: mobile equipment hydraulic fluids, urethane roof coatings, water tank coatings, diesel fuel additives, penetrating lubricants, and bedding, bed linens, and towels. For each category, the USDA has been able to identify at least one manufacturer of biobased products. For most of the categories, the USDA was unable to determine the potential market, but the agency did note that DOE anticipates a large potential market for the use of biodiesel as a diesel fuel additive.

Once the final rule is issued, manufacturers of qualifying biobased products that fall within the six categories will be invited to post their product and contact information on the program’s Web site. Federal agencies lo
oking to procure products in those categories will then have to give preference to the biobased products. The USDA is accepting comments on the first six proposed “items” through September 6th. See the USDA press release, the program Web site, and the proposed rule.

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Industrial Efficiency Alliance

The Industrial Efficiency Alliance helps Northwest industries gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace through strategic, broad-based energy management. The alliance focuses on providing food processing and pulp and paper companies with energy management assessments, training, educational tools, and collaborative opportunities. See the Industrial Efficiency Alliance Web site.

Energy Connections

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions Increased 1.7 Percent in 2004

The emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels in the United States increased by 1.7 percent in 2004, according to preliminary estimates by the DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA). Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are the primary source of greenhouse gases in the United States, and are generally indicative of overall greenhouse gas emissions trends. According to the EIA, these emissions have increased by 18.2 percent since 1990. At the same time, however, the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) has grown at a faster rate, causing the carbon dioxide intensity of the economy??that is, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of GDP??to actually drop by 22.5 percent. The EIA expects a full inventory of greenhouse gas emissions to be available in November. See the EIA press release and the preliminary emissions estimates.

Despite the trends, a number of states and cities have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions in recent weeks. Most notable is California, where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued an executive order setting a number of greenhouse gas targets. Under the executive order, the state will aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels by 2010, to 1990 levels by 2020, and to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Meeting those goals will be a challenge, since a recent report from the California Energy Commission (CEC) notes that if current trends continue, the state’s greenhouse gas emissions will grow to 32 percent above 1990 levels by 2020. See the press release and executive order on the California Climate Change Portal Web site or download the CEC report (PDF 616 KB).

Mayors of U.S. cities are also getting into the act, as the U.S. Council of Mayors endorsed an effort by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to challenge cities to meet or beat the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol: cutting emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Before the meeting of the council in mid-June, 164 cities had signed on to the challenge. Portland, Oregon, has the largest head start: City officials announced in June that Portland has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. Portland officials credit the city’s investments in public transit, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green building technologies, and recycling. See the press releases from Seattle Mayor Nickels and the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development (PDF 130 KB).

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