Message-ID: <19531599.1075858655947.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 16:47:17 -0700 (PDT) From: stacey.bolton@enron.com To: elliot.mainzer@enron.com, richard.ring@enron.com, jesse.bryson@enron.com, jennifer.thome@enron.com Subject: FW: Renewable Energy Today - 09.19.01 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Bolton, Stacey X-To: Mainzer, Elliot , Ring, Richard , Bryson, Jesse , Thome, Jennifer X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \RRING (Non-Privileged)\EESIRenewableEnergy X-Origin: Ring-R X-FileName: RRING (Non-Privileged)1.pst we need to get ahold of the Union of Concern Scientists' study. Jesse if you're able to get onto the internet (our server has been down all day), can you see if you can pull it off? I want to see how they are calculating the savings. Stacey Bolton Environmental Strategies Enron Corp 713-853-9916 direct 713-303-2632 cell sbolton@enron.com -----Original Message----- From: editor@eintoday.com@ENRON [mailto:IMCEANOTES-editor+40eintoday+2Ecom+40ENRON@ENRON.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 5:10 PM To: sbolton@enron.com Subject: Renewable Energy Today - 09.19.01 RENEWABLE ENERGY TODAY ============== ============== Wednesday, September 19, 2001 A Daily News Summary Covering Wind, Solar, Biomass, and Other Renewable Energy Technologies ========== TODAY'S HEADLINES ========= Industry Report --------------- UCS Report Highlights Importance of RPS Grants & Contracts Report ------------------------- DOE Awards Funds for Bioenergy Development Editorials, Reviews & Asides ---------------------------- BEF Grant Brings Solar Energy to Orcas Island ------------ ============ TODAY'S NEWS ============== ------------ INDUSTRY REPORT --------------- UCS Report Highlights Importance of RPS The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently released a report showing how a diversified electricity mix including 20 percent renewable energy could save California consumers up to $1.8 billion and alleviate the disruptions in energy supply that have plagued Californians during the summer months. The report, titled "Powering Ahead," analyzes the economic impacts of the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in California. Over 95 percent of California's current contracts for future energy production are committed to natural gas. Although the California state assembly was expected to consider RPS legislation this past week, action has been postponed until the weekend when the legislators are scheduled to complete this year's work. "California has experienced first-hand the dangers of a market dominated by volatile fossil fuels," said UCS senior analyst and report author Deborah Donovan. "Now we have the hard numbers to prove renewable energy is beneficial for California's economic health." The state of Texas has implemented the most successful RPS to date, where requirements for new renewable generation capacity have been set high enough to create a strong market for renewable project development. Natural gas prices in California have been extremely volatile with price hikes 10 to 20 times the historical average last year. However, in California the Department of Water Resources, which buys power for the state, uses a formula that makes it difficult for wind power to participate in the market and that has stunted investment in new wind power projects. UCS said that RPS are designed to help alleviate some of the burden created by state-by-state legislation which creates hurdles for the widespread adoption of renewable energies. Additionally, RPS provides for the preservation of state jurisdiction over energy while making it easier for renewable energy technologies to penetrate the market. (WIND ENERGY WEEKLY: 9/14) = = = = = = = GRANTS & CONTRACTS REPORT ------------------------- DOE Awards Funds for Bioenergy Development The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it will invest $30 million over the next three to five years in 11 projects intended to develop process technology to create various products using plant matter and other natural waste materials. Funds will also be used to establish university education and training programs in the area of bioproducts. "Producing marketable industrial products out of plants saves energy, saves nonrenewable resources and creates jobs," said DOE secretary Spencer Abraham. "The bioenergy and bioproducts fields hold tremendous potential for environmentally desirable manufacturing and the creation of new jobs in the farm belt." DOE said it will provide $5 million for a project to develop the collection, commercial processing and utilization of corn stover. Partners in the project include Biomass Agri-Products, Iowa State University, Midwest Labs and Cargill Dow. Private funding for the project will be $5 million. The agency noted that three education grants were awarded to establish multi-disciplinary education and training for graduate students in the area of bioproducts technologies. The grants will help fund the establishment of "cross-cutting multi-disciplinary academic and research programs and provide stipends for deserving graduate students." DOE will also provide $7.3 million for a project focused on biomass biorefinery for production of polymers and fuel. Partners in the project include Metabolix, Inc., the University of Tennessee, the University of Central Florida and the University of Massachusetts. Contact: Chris Kielich, DOE, phone 202-586-5806. (DOE RELEASE: 9/17) = = = = = = = EDITORIALS, REVIEWS & ASIDES ---------------------------- BEF Grant Brings Solar Energy to Orcas Island The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) recently announced that it has provided a grant to help add four new solar sites to the Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO) Green Power program headquartered in Friday Harbor, WA. The $37,000 provided by BEF enabled OPALCO to install solar panels at the Windermere Real Estate Building in Eastsound, WA, the Lopez (Island) Community Center, the Westsound Marina and the OPALCO office. This combination of utility-owned and privately-owned sites will contribute an estimated 5,200 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity a year into the electricity grid, producing energy that is "natural and pollution-free" while helping the islands served by OPALCO to become more self sufficient. "The regional interest in solar energy has quickened considerably since BEF opened its doors in 1999," said BEF president Angus Duncan. "OPALCO members have been among the first to show a high level of interest in power that is non-polluting." BEF said it is funding watershed projects that use solar power to pump water for cattle and irrigation while protecting streams. The group was founded in 1998 to fund new renewable energy resources and watershed restoration projects. Although BEF maintains a strong collaborative relationship with the Bonneville Power Administration, they are separate organizations. (BEF RELEASE: 9/14) = = = = = = = ** EIN Publishing is interested in your company's activities. Send all press releases, article tips and conference announcements to EIN Editorial Staff, fax 703-683-3893, e-mail editor@eintoday.com. ** = = = = = = = = Copyright (c) 2001 by EIN Publishing, Inc. 119 South Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Sales/Mktg: 800-726-6898 - Editorial: 703-683-0774 Fax: 703-683-3893 - EMail: editor@eintoday.com - website http://www.eintoday.com Unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of EIN newsletters is forbidden under Federal Copyright Law. Distribution of copied EIN newsletters by mail, retransmission of newsletters by fax or the Internet, or making newsletters available for remote access to any type of electronic network (e.g., posting to an electronic bulletin board, WAN, or LAN) is strictly forbidden without a Site License.