New Report Finds the U.S. Leading in Wind Power Growth
For the third year in a row, the U.S was the fastest growing wind power market in the world in 2007, according to a new DOE report. The 2007 edition of DOE’s "Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends," released last week, found that $9 billion was invested in 5,329 megawatts of new U.S. wind power capacity in 2007, causing the total U.S. wind power capacity to increase by 46%.
The growing U.S. wind market spurred new investment in turbine and component manufacturing plants, with enough new and planned facilities to create more than 4,700 new U.S. jobs. The report notes that wind power accounted for 35% of all new U.S. electric generating capacity in 2007 and can now supply about 1.2% of the country’s electricity needs. In addition, new transmission facilities under development throughout the country will allow the future development of another 200,000 megawatts of wind power.
Prepared by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the annual report analyzes developments in the wind market, including trends in wind installations, turbine size, turbine prices, installed project costs, project performance, wind power prices, and cost comparisons between wind power and conventional generation. It also describes developer consolidation trends, current ownership and financing structures, and trends among major wind power purchasers.
The 2007 edition expands upon the 2006 study by also highlighting the growing importance of wind power to the nationâ€TMs power mix and economy, the significant increases in the contribution of wind power to new capacity additions in the electric sector; the amount of wind power in utility systems; the size of wind projects; and the quantity of wind power capacity in various interconnection queues across the country. See the DOE press release and DOE’s Wind and Hydropower Program Web site, or go directly to the full report (PDF 3.9 MB).
DOE to Work with Turbine Manufacturers to Expand U.S. Wind Power
DOE will work with six leading wind turbine manufacturers over the next 2 years with an eye toward achieving 20% wind power in the U.S by 2030. DOE announced the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GE Energy, Siemens Power Generation, Vestas Wind Systems, Clipper Windpower, Suzlon Energy, and Gamesa Corporation on Monday.
Under the MOU, DOE and the six manufacturers will collaborate to gather and exchange information relating to five major areas: research and development related to turbine reliability and operability; siting strategies for wind power facilities; standards development for turbine certification and universal interconnection of wind turbines; manufacturing advances in design, process automation, and fabrication techniques; and workforce development. See the DOE press release, DOE’s Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program Web site, and the recent report "20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply" (PDF 3.95 MB).
In addition, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has announced a number of wind technology projects, including a new state-of-the-art wind turbine blade test facility to be build in Ingleside, Texas. The Texas-NREL Large Blade Research and Test Facility will be capable of testing blades as long as 70 meters, or 230 feet. It will be built and operated through a partnership among NREL, DOE, and a state consortium led by University of Houston, with the university owning and operating the facility’s buildings, DOE funding up to $2 million in capital costs, and NREL providing technical and operational assistance. The blade test facility is estimated to cost between $12 million and $15 million and should be completed by 2010. Located on the Gulf Coast, the Texas facility will complement a similar facility that is being built on the coast of Massachusetts.
NREL has also recently signed agreements with Siemens Power Generation and First Wind, a wind power developer. Siemens is launching a new research and development facility in nearby Boulder, Colorado, and has agreed to locate and test a commercial-scale wind turbine at NREL’s National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). First Wind (formerly called UPC Wind Partners, LLC) owns and operates the 30-megawatt Kaheawa Wind Farm in West Maui, Hawaii, and has agreed to let the NWTC establish a Remote Research Affiliate Partner Site at the facility. The Maui satellite of NWTC will collaborate with First Wind on studies to develop advanced wind energy technologies, including energy storage and integration of renewable electricity into Maui’s electrical grid. See the NREL and First Wind press releases.
DOE to Identify Western Transmission Needs for Renewable Energy
DOE announced last week that it will work with the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) to identify areas in the West with substantial renewable energy resources and to expedite the development and delivery of that energy to meet regional energy needs. Subject to congressional appropriations, DOE plans to contribute up to $2.3 million over the next 3 years to the Western Renewable Energy Zones (WREZ) project, which was launched by WGA and DOE.
Under a cooperative agreement with WGA, DOE will help to identify the WREZs, develop regional transmission plans to enhance access to the WREZs, create a transparent process to bring together utilities and the companies developing those renewable energy resources, and encourage interstate cooperation to address permitting and cost issues with transmission lines that cross state lines. Participating in the project are 11 western states, two Canadian provinces, and areas in Mexico that are part of the Western Interconnection, the massive electrical grid that supplies electricity to most of the West. See the DOE press release and the WGA’s WREZ Web site.
DOE is also working with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to assess the impacts associated with solar energy development on BLM-managed public lands in six western states. The joint Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) will assess the environmental, social, and economic impacts from solar energy projects located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The joint PEIS will also evaluate a number of alternative management strategies to determine which presents the best management approach for the agencies to adopt in terms of mitigating potential impacts and facilitating solar energy development while carrying out their respective missions. The measures adopted as a result of this PEIS will provide consistency and certainty for solar energy development and will help expedite environmental analysis for site-specific projects in the future.
During its work on the PEIS, the BLM will focus attention on the 125 applications already received for rights-of-way for solar energy development, while deferring new applications until after completion of the PEIS. The 125 existing applications involve almost a million acres of land and have the potential to generate 70,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 20 million average U.S. homes. The PEIS will establish a process for accepting future applications, possibly through a competitive process, which would be likely to attract companies with the experience and resources necessary to quickly deploy solar energy projects. The BLM is accepting comments on the scope of the PEIS through July 15 and will also hold public scoping meetings in the six states from mid-June through early July. See the BLM press release and the Solar Energy Development PEIS Web site.
Largest U.S. Biodiesel Plant Starts Production in Texas
GreenHunter Energy, Inc. has begun commercial operations at its biodiesel refinery in Houston, Texas, that can produce 105 million gallons per year (mgpy) of biodiesel. That production capacity makes it the largest biodiesel refinery in the United States, barely beating out the 100 mgpy biodiesel refinery built by Imperium Renewables in Washington State. For comparison, the total U.S. production capacity for biodiesel reached 2,240 mgpy in 2007, although poor market conditions held 2007 production to about 450 million gallons, according to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). See the NBB fact sheet (PDF 68 KB).
GreenHunter Energy claims that its new facility is able to produce biodiesel from animal fats, vegetable oils, or a blend of the two, and the facility has zero emissions. The facility was originally a waste-oil recycling facility owned by Channel Refining Corporation, and GreenHunter Energy bought it in early 2007 and converted it into a biodiesel plant. As a result, the Houston biorefinery features 700,000 barrels of storage capacity, a methanol distillation system that is five times larger than needed, and a system to neutralize the crude glycerin byproduct, making it a more valuable product. The company was founded Gary Evans, a former oil executive. See the GreenHunter Energy press release and biofuels Web page.
Meanwhile, an attempt to circle the world in record time using only biodiesel as fuel is now well past its halfway point and ahead of the record pace. The Earthrace, a futuristic catamaran made of carbon fiber and Kevlar composites, attempted to circle the globe last year but abandoned that attempt when a crack developed in the hull. This year’s effort launched from Sagunto, Spain, on April 27 with a goal of finishing by the end of this week. The record attempt went smoothly for most of May, with only a few delays. However, after battling storms to reach Palau, the crew discovered that the port driveshaft and propeller needed replacing, and the boat is now limping toward Singapore on one engine. If the repairs are successful, the craft will still need to cross the Indian Ocean, navigate the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, and cross the Mediterranean Sea to return to its starting point. According to the captain’s blog, as of Monday the ship had traveled more than 15,000 nautical miles, with 9,000 nautical miles to go, and is 2,764 nautical miles ahead of the world record pace that was set a decade ago. For the boat’s current position and the latest blogs and photos, see the Earthrace Web site.
Company Produces "Green" Crude Oil and Gasoline from Algae
Sapphire Energy announced last week that it has produced "green" gasoline from a synthetic crude oil made from algae. The algae yield a crude oil replacement that is literally green, and according to the company, the "green crude" meets fuel quality standards and is completely compatible with the existing petroleum infrastructure, from refinement through distribution to retail suppliers. Gasoline produced from the green crude achieved a 91 octane rating while meeting fuel quality standards. Sapphire Energy considers the achievement to be at the forefront of an entirely new industrial category, called "green crude production."
"It’s hard not to get excited about algae’s potential," says Paul Dickerson, chief operating officer of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "Its basic requirements are few: carbon dioxide, sun, and water. Algae can flourish in non-arable land or in dirty water, and when it does flourish, its potential oil yield per acre is unmatched by any other terrestrial feedstock." See the Sapphire Energy press release and its companion Web site, Green Crude Production.
In fact, the hard part about algae production is growing the algae in a controlled way and harvesting it efficiently. Most companies pursuing algae as a source of biofuels are pumping nutrient-laden water through plastic tubes (called "bioreactors") that are exposed to sunlight. Last week, Green Star Products, Inc. announced its development of a micronutrient formula to increase the growth rate of algae. According to the company, its new formula can increase the daily growth rate by 34% and can double the amount of algae produced in one growth cycle. See the Green Star Products press release.
Juneau, Alaska, Cuts Electricity Use Drastically During Crisis
Juneau, Alaska, has garnered national attention for its response to an electricity crisis that drove utility bills through the roof. On April 16, a series of avalanches damaged and destroyed the transmission towers along a mile-and-a-half stretch of the line that delivers hydropower to the city. As a result, Juneau had to supply all of its power from diesel generators, despite record-high prices for diesel fuel. Diesel fuel consumption rapidly shot above 80,000 gallons per day, but once residents found out that electricity rates would increase from about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour to 52.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, the city rapidly pursued ways to save energy.
As a result, the city’s peak power usage dropped from about 50 megawatts before the avalanches to below 30 megawatts by late May. Total electricity usage dropped from about 1,000 megawatt-hours per day before the crisis to roughly 600 megawatt-hours per day in late May, a 40% drop. For the last week in May, the city’s diesel fuel use averaged only about 35,000 gallons of diesel fuel per day.
The power crisis is now solved, as Alaska Electric Light and Power Company (AELP) announced on Sunday that the hydroelectric transmission line has been restored. However, the high emergency rates will remain in effect until the next billing cycle, so the city still needs to conserve electricity. To help residents reduce their electricity use, the city mailed a flyer to all households noting ways to save energy, such as switching to compact fluorescent lamps, microwaving, washing clothes in cold water, and line-drying clothes.
In addition, both the city and the Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC) created Web pages with information on how to save energy, while a group of concerned citizens launched "Juneau Unplugged," a community campaign to encourage energy savings. All three sites include a link to the Consumer section of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Web site, thank you very much. The Juneau Unplugged site also credits Alan Meier of DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for his help. See the AELP’s "Reconnecting Juneau" Web page, the energy crisis Web pages from the City of Juneau and JEDC, and the Juneau Unplugged Web site.
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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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