President Obama Issues Orders on Fuel Economy & GHG Regulations
President Barack Obama issued a pair of memoranda on Monday to address the fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions of our nation’s automobiles.
The president directed the Secretary of Transportation to publish higher fuel economy standards for model year 2011 cars and light trucks by the end of March and to reevaluate the proposed standards for future model years. Automakers will generally begin selling model year 2011 vehicles in the fall of 2010.
President Obama also directed the U.S. EPA to revisit the California waiver request that would allow that state to implement its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rules for vehicles. The federal Clean Air Act only allows California to set emission standards that deviate from federal rules, and any California standards require a waiver from the EPA. But once California enacts its own standards, the act allows other states to adopt the rules set in California. So even though the waiver request applies specifically to California, more than a dozen other states intend to implement the California GHG rules for vehicles if the waiver is granted.
"It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil, while building a new energy economy that will create millions of jobs," said President Obama. "We hold no illusion about the task that lies ahead. I cannot promise a quick fix; no single technology or set of regulations will get the job done. But we will commit ourselves to steady, focused, pragmatic pursuit of an America that is free from our energy dependence and empowered by a new energy economy that puts millions of our citizens to work."
Regarding the new memoranda, President Obama noted that "our goal is not to further burden an already struggling industry," but rather "to help America’s automakers prepare for the future."
The President also touted the promise of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that’s now working its way through Congress. He said the plan will double the U.S. capacity to generate renewable energy over the next three years and "will lay down 3,000 miles of transmission lines to deliver this energy to every corner of our country." The plan will also invest in energy efficiency, making 75% of federal buildings more energy efficient while weatherizing the homes of two million families. See the president’s announcement and the memoranda on fuel economy standards and California GHG regulations on the White House Web site.
75 Nations Join New International Renewable Energy Agency
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was founded on Monday in Bonn, Germany, and 75 nations have already signed a compact to join.
IRENA is an intergovernmental organization for renewable energy – it aims to become a driving force in the promotion of a rapid transition towards the widespread global use of renewable energy. While there is already a World Council on Renewable Energy (WCRE) to promote renewable energy policies, IRENA is a political institution that is intended to act as a counterbalance to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Energy Agency, which represents only 28 industrialized, democratic nations (that is, most members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
The 75 founding nations of IRENA include Germany, Spain, France, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, all of which are IEA members, as well as Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Kenya, Chile, and Colombia, among others. IRENA was proposed in 1990 by Herman Scheer, president of the European Association for Renewable Energies and chair of the WCRE. See the WCRE press release and the IRENA Web site.
According to that Web site, IRENA will facilitate access to reliable data on the potential of renewable energy, as well as information about best practices, effective financial mechanisms, and the state of the art in renewable energy technologies. The agency will also develop and promote renewable energy policies on the local, regional, and national level. It will also consult and cooperate with organizations and networks already engaged in renewable energy to complement and pool their resources, while drawing on input from the energy industry, academia, institutions, and civilians.
The United States has not yet joined the agency, but an invitation to join has been sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was sworn into office on January 21. According to the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE), the United States was represented at the founding meeting by an observer from the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. See the ACORE press release.
The New American Home Demonstrates Energy-Saving Technologies
The National Council of the Housing Industry and Builder Magazine unveiled the 2009 edition of The New American Home, a real-world demonstration of the latest concepts in architecture, construction techniques, new products, and lifestyle trends, including the latest in energy-saving technologies.
Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, The New American Home 2009 incorporates energy efficiency from the ground up, starting with insulated concrete forms in the basement and structural walls, then adding low-E windows, vertical and horizontal overhangs for shading, efficient lighting, and advanced spray-foam insulation.
The home is heated and cooled with a high-efficiency, natural gas-powered system, and tankless water heaters provide hot water. As a result, the home uses about half of the energy of a similarly sized home built to meet the minimum requirements of the International Residential Code. Taking into account the 10.64-kilowatt solar electric system on the home’s roof cuts the home’s average energy use by nearly half again, yielding a savings of 73% relative to the international code.
The home’s energy performance helped it score at the gold level under the National Green Building Program of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). IBACOS, Inc., a member of DOE’s Building America program, worked with the National Council of the Housing Industry to help ensure energy innovations in the home. See the NAHB press release, The New American Home Web page, and the Building America brochure about the home (PDF 1.7 MB).
The New American Home is the official showcase home of the NAHB’s International Builders’ Show, which was held on January 20-23 in Las Vegas. As you might guess, attendance was down this year, but green building provided one of the few bright spots for the show.
As noted by NAHB, twice as many exhibitors showcased green product lines this year, in part because of growing demand for the products from consumers. The NAHB also noted that the leading suppliers of the housing industry are now providing information on how their products can generate points for NAHBGreen, the NAHB National Green Building Program.
The halls of higher education are also supporting the green building effort, as Purdue University will help its students earn the Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation. Introduced less than a year ago, the CGP designation has now been earned by 1,900 building professionals. See the NAHB press releases on the green exhibitors, the growing consumer demand, the point values on green products, and the CGP designation.
Surging Utility Investment in Smart Grid Technologies
A report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) notes that demand response and advanced metering programs are rapidly gaining ground throughout the U.S.
Both technologies are aspects of the "smart grid," a concept that involves adding internet-like communication technologies and control technologies to the nation’s electrical grid. Advanced meters can provide two-way communication between customers and their electric utility, giving utilities detailed information about electrical loads and power outages while giving customers the option to adjust their energy use in response to real-time utility rates.
Demand response is more of a control technology, allowing utilities to turn off, delay, or cycle the customer’s use of electrical equipment (such as air conditioners) during times of peak demand. But demand response is also a communication technology, because it sometimes includes a capability to notifying customers of power cutbacks and may allow customers to override the utility controls.
Both technologies are baby steps toward an eventual smart grid, which would include improved utility control of power flows through the grid and may also include ways for plug-in hybrids to interact with the grid, using so-called "vehicle to grid" technologies.
The FERC report is the third annual report on these technologies, and it notes that 4.7% of the electrical meters in the U.S. are now advanced meters, up from less than 1% in 2006. Likewise, 8% of energy consumers in the United States are now participating in some type of demand response program.
The total electrical demand that can be shed through demand response programs is now at 5.8% of U.S. peak demand, or close to 41,000 MW, a more than tenfold increase from the 2006 estimate of about 3,400 MW. That means utilities can draw on demand response to achieve the equivalent of bringing 82 mid-sized (500 MW) coal-fired power plants online, but without causing any pollution.
Drawing on such experiences, a recent DOE report concluded that by 2025, smart grid technologies could cut U.S. electricity consumption by 10%-15%, cut peak power demands by 25%, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, drastically reduce power disturbances for businesses, and enable the delivery of high-quality power for digital electronic needs. See the FERC press release and report (PDF 984 KB), as well as Chapter 2 of the DOE report (PDF 1.9 MB).
Among utilities pursuing smart grid technologies, Xcel Energy took the lead in March 2008, when it announced plans to convert Boulder, Colorado, into the nation’s first fully integrated "Smart Grid City." Since then Xcel Energy has fitted the Chancellor’s Residence at the University of Colorado with smart grid technologies, including an energy management system, a solar power system, a battery system for backup power, and a plug-in hybrid vehicle that will be automatically charged during off-peak times. The utility has also announced near-term plans to convert 60 hybrid vehicles to plug-in hybrids to test vehicle-to-grid technologies, with plans to eventually add another 500 plug-in hybrids.
Meanwhile, the General Electric Company (GE) is preparing for smart grid technologies with plans to soon introduce a suite of "smart appliances" that can reduce their energy demand in response to signals from the electric utility. GE notes, for instance, that a smart refrigerator can delay its automatic defrost cycle until non-peak hours. The GE suite of smart appliances will also include ranges, dishwashers, microwave ovens, and clothes washers and dryers. See the Xcel Energy press releases on the Chancellor’s Residence and vehicle-to-grid tests, as well as the GE press release.
New Energy Star Labels Help to Avoid Energy-Wasting Set-Top Boxes
Many U.S. consumers may have left set-top cable boxes behind years ago when they shifted to cable-ready TVs and home entertainment systems, but the more recent shift to digital television, high-definition television, and digital video recorders has brought the set-top box back-even if it’s no longer possible to literally stack the box on top of the television.
If you’re among the many who have found the box is back in your home, the Energy Star program is working to make sure that the box operates in an energy-efficient manner. As of January 1, new cable, satellite, and telecommunications set-top boxes can carry the Energy Star label if they are at least 30% more energy efficient than conventional models.
That’s a difference that can really add up: if all set-top boxes sold in the U.S. met the new Energy Star specification, the savings in energy costs would grow to about $2 billion per year, while the avoided greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to removing 2.5 million vehicles from the road. Energy Star is a joint program of DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Cisco, Motorola, Pace plc, and DIRECTV are the first manufacturers to offer Energy Star-qualified set-top boxes. Of course, the EPA realizes that most U.S. consumers don’t actually buy a set-top box; they typically rent the box as part of their service contract. For that reason, the agency is working directly with the cable, satellite, and telecommunications service providers to establish partnerships aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the providers’ boxes.
AT&T and DIRECTV are the first to sign up and have improved the energy efficiency of a significant number of their set-top boxes. New customers should request Energy Star-qualified set-top boxes when signing up for service, and existing customers should inquire about upgrades. See the EPA press release and the set-top box page on the Energy Star Web site.
EIA: Wind Power Provided the Majority of Added Capacity in 2007
For the first time, renewable energy sources other than conventional hydropower provided the majority of new U.S. electric generating capacity in 2007, according to DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Wind power was the star in 2007, providing 5,186 MW of new generating capacity, compared to an overall net gain in summer capacity of 8,673 MW. Natural gas-fired generation came in second place, accounting for 4,582 MW of new generating capacity, but coal-fired capacity actually decreased.
Two new coal plants added 1,354 MW of new capacity, but retirements and capacity reductions at existing plants caused coal-fired generating capacity to drop by 217 MW. Meanwhile, biomass power sources added more than 700 MW of generating capacity, and solar electric technologies added an estimated 91 MW of capacity.
In terms of actual power generated, coal still dominates the scene, producing 48.5% of the electricity used in the U.S. But coal-fired generation is gradually losing market share, having decreased by 4.3 percentage points over the past decade, including a half-point drop in 2007. Hydropower produced about 6% of the nation’s electricity in 2007, while other renewable energy sources provided about 2.5%. Net hydropower production decreased by 14.4% from 2006 to 2007 because of drought conditions. Most of the remaining power was generated from natural gas and nuclear power. See the EIA’s "Electric Power Annual 2007".
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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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