Navy Awards $200M for 40 MW of Solar
The U.S. Navy awarded a $200 million contract in February to construct up to 40 MW of solar PV plants at Navy and Marine Corps facilities throughout the Southwestern U.S.
The Navy chose five solar companies to compete for individual projects, which will range from 1 to 15 MW. The five companies are: SunEdison, AECOM Energy/Solar Power Partners, SunPower Corp, SunDurance Energy, and Chevron Energy Solutions. They will construct, own, operate, and maintain the systems, selling the power to the Navy and Marine Corps through power purchase agreements.
The new solar projects will help the Navy achieve its goal to produce at least 50% of its shore-based energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. See the U.S. Navy press release.
Most federal agencies are now exploring the use of renewable energy at their facilities. For instance, the National Park Service (NPS) is installing a solar system on Alcatraz Island, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, to replace the island’s existing diesel-generated power. The NPS is funding this and 65 other high-priority projects using $138 million in Recovery Act funds, freed up when other projects came in at lower cost or were cancelled.
The NPS is also drawing on Recovery Act funds for solar projects at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Mojave National Preserve, Point Reyes National Seashore, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, all located in California; at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado; at Everglades National Park and Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida; at Cumberland Island National Seashore and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Georgia; at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho; at the Adams and Lowell National Historical Parks in Massachusetts; at Sleepy Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan; at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area and Mount Rainer National Park in Washington; and at the American Memorial Park in the Northern Mariana Islands.
The NPS Recovery Act projects also include the addition of wind turbines at the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska and at the Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts. In addition, various energy efficiency improvements, such as new insulated windows and heating system upgrades, are slated for 23 NPS facilities in 19 states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Jersey, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington.
The NPS will also boost clean transportation in California’s Yosemite National Park, which will get two hybrid electric buses, while Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts will buy two alternative-fuel trams and trailers. See the NPS press release and the complete NPS Recovery Act project list (PDF 160 KB).
DOE Guarantees $189M in Loans for Wind Power, Advanced Windows
On March 5, DOE offered two conditional loan guarantees for clean energy projects: a $117 million using Recovery Act funds for First Wind to finance the construction and start-up of an innovative 30 MW project in Kahuku, Hawaii, and $72 million to Sage Electrochromics for an addition to its factory in Faribault, Minnesota, that manufactures electronically tintable windows. See the DOE fact sheet on its loan programs.
While that analysis suggests that emphasizing domestic oil production over foreign imports has some advantages, the authors note that the security premium is minor compared to the current and future direct costs of oil, which the authors project to increase to more than $130 per barrel by 2030. Given that high price, the report concludes that the best policy would be to emphasize reductions in U.S. petroleum consumption, regardless of the source of oil. See the RFF summary and the full discussion paper (PDF 497 KB).
Report Emphasizes Need to Reduce U.S. Petroleum Consumption
The price of oil is currently hovering near $80 per barrel, but that doesn’t include the potential economic costs to the US that would be caused by disruptions in oil supply, according to a recent discussion paper by Resources for the Future.
The report estimates the oil security premium for domestically produced oil at about $2.28 per barrel in 2008, rising to $4.45 by 2030, in constant 2007 dollars. In contrast, the oil security premium for imported oil starts at about $4.45 per barrel in 2008 and rises to $6.82 by 2030.
While the analysis suggests that emphasizing domestic oil production over foreign imports has some advantages, the authors note the security premium is minor compared to the current and future direct costs of oil, which they project to increase to more than $130 per barrel by 2030.
Given that high price, the report concludes the best policy would be to emphasize reductions in U.S. petroleum consumption, regardless of the source of oil. See the RFF summary and the full discussion paper (PDF 497 KB).
USDA Guarantees $80 Million Loan to Georgia Biorefinery
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its first guaranty for a commercial-scale cellulosic biofuel plant. The $80 million loan is for Range Fuels, which is building a cellulosic biorefinery near Soperton, Georgia. DOE is also providing $50 million to support initial construction and will provide another $26 million to support its eventual expansion.
The plant will use heat, pressure, and steam to convert wood chips into synthetic gas. The syngas will be cleaned and passed over a catalyst to yield cellulosic biofuels, such as ethanol and methanol. The first phase should be completed in March and production should begin by June. The plant is expected to produce 20 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year, mostly from Georgia pine harvested nearby.
USDA’s Biorefinery Assistance Program promotes development of emerging technologies to produce advanced biofuels. See the USDA press release, the Range Fuels press releases, the Biorefinery Assistance Program Web site, and the technology description on Range Fuels’ website.
Recovery Act Funds 191 Transit Projects
Vice President Joe Biden announced that 191 new transit projects in 42 states and Puerto Rico will receive over $600 million in Recovery Act funds.
Among the projects: the City of Santa Rosa, California, will use $1 million to buy two hybrid electric buses; Florida’s Sarasota County Transportation Authority will spend part of its $4.6 million acquire two 350-foot hybrid buses; and the Michigan Department of Transportation will spend its $168,000 grant to modify buses with mini-hybrid components.
Since President Obama signed the Recovery Act in February 2009, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded 881 grants totaling $7.5 billion – all the formula transit funds have now been committed to specific transit projects. So far, Recovery Act funds have supported the purchase of nearly 12,000 buses, vans, and rail vehicles; the construction or renovation of more than 850 transit facilities; and $620 million in preventive maintenance, which has helped save transit service and jobs. See the White House press release for a complete list of awardees.
Geneva Motor Show Spotlights Hybrids, Plug-Ins, EVs
The 80th Geneva International Motor Show opened to the public on March 4 and features new hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles from Porsche, Ferrari, and Lotus.
Porsche wowed audiences by unveiling the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid prototype, a super sports car with performance rivaling the Porsche Carrera GT, but also able to achieve 78 miles per gallon (based on the New European Driving Cycle, which generally yields higher fuel economies than U.S. testing standards).
Porsche achieves the high performance with a 500-horsepower (hp) V8 engine, front- and rear-axle motors that together generate 160 kW, or 218 hp, and a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack. The vehicle can operate in four modes: E-Drive (electric power only) for 16 miles; Hybrid mode; Sport Hybrid mode; and Race Hybrid mode. The latter three modes place increasing emphasis on performance. The higher the performance mode chosen, the lower the gas mileage.
The car won’t be in showrooms anytime soon, but people will be able to buy Porsche’s first hybrid, which also debuted in Geneva: the Cayenne S Hybrid SUV. It combines a supercharged V6 with a 34 kW electric motor to achieve a fuel efficiency of 34.4 miles per gallon on the European cycle. Porsche also debuted the 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing car, which uses a flywheel for energy storage and has an electric drive on its front axle. See the Porsche press releases on the 918 Spyder and the Cayenne S Hybrid.
While Porsche unexpectedly held the limelight among electrified vehicles, General Motors displayed its Opel brand Ampera, an extended-range EV similar to the Chevy Volt, and the sportier Flextreme GT/E concept.
Audi unveiled the A1 e-tron, a compact, four-passenger, plug-in hybrid with a 45 kW (61 hp) motor that has a peak power output of 75 kW (102 hp). The car has an all-electric range of 31 miles and is recharged on the go using a small Wankel engine. Audi also unveiled the A8 hybrid, which mates a four-cylinder engine to a 33 kW motor with a lithium-ion battery to achieve 38 mpg.
Lotus unveiled the Evora 414E Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid concept with two 152 kW electric motors driving the rear wheels independently, powered by a lithium polymer battery pack. Its all-electric range is 35 miles and draws on a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder, flex-fueled engine for recharging.
And the Kia Ray, a plug-in hybrid four-door sedan can run for over 50 miles solely on electric power, or 746 miles on a single tank of fuel. Kia also premiered the all-electric Kia Venga EV concept car, and Tata Motors unveiled the Tata Nano EV, both of which have a range of about 100 miles. See the press releases from GM, Audi, Lotus, Kia, and Tata.
Ferrari displayed a hybrid, the HY-KERS vettura laboratorio (experimental vehicle). Based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, it has flat lithium-ion batteries below its floor and adds an electric motor to the back of its F1 transmission, cutting its CO2 emissions 35%. Ferrari now offers a hybrid-like "Stop & Start" system on its Ferrari California.
Infiniti showcased its first production hybrid, the M35, which combines a V6 engine with a 50 kW electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. The vehicle goes on sale in Europe in spring 2011. Volkswagen unveiled the Toureg Hybrid and used it to introduce the company’s electrification plan, which includes a hybrid Jetta for the U.S. market in 2012. Other hybrids unveiled at the show include the BMW Concept 5 Series ActiveHybrid; the Toyota Auris Hybrid, slated for a European release this year; and the Lexus CT200h, a premium compact hybrid slated for release in Japan in 2011.
The Geneva Auto Show is open to the public through March 14. See the press releases from Ferrari, Audi, Infiniti, Volkswagen, and BMW; the Toyota announcements of the Auris Hybrid and the Lexus CT200h; and the Web site for the Geneva International Motor Show.
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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