A monthly E-newsletter from Montana Green Power 

The Montana Green Power E-newsletter is a monthly feature of the Montana Green Power website: www.montanagreenpower.com. Visit the website for details about all the stories below, a link to "Solar Access" national and international news about renewable energy, plus lots of other green power news. The site is funded with Universal System Benefits charges paid by all NorthWestern Energy customers.

2006
Jan | Oct | Nov | Dec

January 2006

"Environmentally friendly cars will soon cease to be an option...they will become a necessity." — Fujio Cho, President of Toyota Motors

Wind Energy Project Near Great Falls Under Construction
Six 380-foot tall turbines are being constructed at the Horseshoe Bend Wind Park in Cascade County , near the Great Falls International Airport . The wind farm is owned by United Materials of Great Falls. When finished, the facility will produce nine megawatts of electricity that will be sold to Idaho Power Company. While the project was approved almost a year ago, construction has been delayed while the enormous towers and blades were shipped to the site. If all goes well, the turbines should be online by late January. More...

Guest Editorial on Montana 's Renewable Energy Potential
This Billings Gazette editorial written by Helen Waller advocates a concentrated push for renewable energy development in Montana . Waller notes that Montana is ranked fifth in the nation for wind energy potential, and refers to the pending Judith Gap wind energy project as exemplary for Montana 's energy future; energy generated by the wind farm will cost less than that of NorthWestern Energy. Waller also discusses the potential for biodiesel production and energy efficiency measures as immediate, economically viable ways for Montanans to save money on energy costs. More...

New Year Brings New Energy Efficiency Tax Credits
New energy efficiency tax credits went into effect on January 1 as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The new tax credits will allow consumers to reduce their 2006 federal tax bills.

Residential measures eligible for tax benefits include advanced main air circulating fans; high-efficiency space heating and cooling and water-heating systems; energy-efficient windows; and solar energy systems (except equipment used to heat swimming pools or hot tubs).

Business measures include the installation of qualifying solar equipment on buildings. Companies that build highly energy-efficient homes or manufacture energy-efficient appliances can also earn tax credits. More...

BLM Plans More Wind Projects on Public Lands
Results of an environmental review will allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to significantly expand its wind energy program on public lands. The Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) establishes broad guidelines for BLM's Wind Energy Development Program, ensuring measures that protect at-risk species and migratory birds. BLM has plans in nine western states that will result in more than 3,200 megawatts of wind energy. BLM noted that individual projects will still require site-specific analysis and permits, although the agency hopes to shorten the approval process for new wind energy projects from two or more years to less than a year. More...

USDA Offers $1.4 Billion in Renewable Energy Assistance to American Farmers, Ranchers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it will help the country's farmers and ranchers with energy costs and economic development with renewable energy funding, reports Refocus. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has directed his department to maximize the use of $1.4 billion available this year for loan guarantees. Johanns has directed that the funds be used to help farmers, ranchers and rural communities efficiently create renewable energy systems and businesses. The funding could increase the use of wind and solar energy development, as well as ethanol and biodiesel production, which would both decrease the cost of energy for agricultural communities and stimulate job and infrastructure growth. More...

North Dakota State Officials Concerned About Unplanned Wind Farm Expansion
North Dakota is currently the focus of numerous wind energy projects, which create new sources of energy, jobs, and a tax base, but not all state and county officials are ecstatic. Public Service Commissioner Susan Wefald worries about unregulated growth of wind turbine projects: what happens to the prairie, she asks, if wind energy companies shut down operations at some point in the future? Wefald and other officials urge the use of zoning regulations and operating agreements that require that any large wind turbine be removed should a project cease operation. More...

Colorado Utility Seeks to Become Nation's Largest Wind Energy Provider
Xcel Energy, one of Colorado 's major utility companies, recently announced plans to purchase 775 megawatts of wind-generated electricity by 2007. If Xcel goes through with all of its wind energy proposals, it will have 2,300 megawatts of wind energy, making it the nation's largest user of wind power, reports The Denver Post . The first major proposal is will be a $480 million, 300-megawatt wind farm in Weld County, Colorado. More...

Colorado's Solar Potential Could Bring More Initiatives
The recent passage of Colorado 's renewable energy mandate—which requires that a small percentage of Colorado 's electricity come from solar energy—may generate new solar initiatives in the state. Xcel Energy, one of Colorado 's major utilities, intends to begin a new renewable energy program in 2006 that would subsidize the installation of solar panels for Xcel customers and institute a net-metering plan by which Xcel would purchase excess solar-produced energy from customers. The program would be paid through a one percent tax on energy bills; this would amount to 59 cents for the average Xcel customer each month. More...

3,000 Solar Homes Planned for Hawaii Military Base
A new U.S. Army family housing project in Oahu, Hawaii, will include 3,000 solar houses, making it the world's largest solar-powered residential community. United Solar Ovonic will provide 7 megawatts of thin-film solar modules for the project, which will reportedly reduce dependence on fossil fuels by 30 percent for the entire complex of 7,894 new and renovated Army homes. More...

New Mexico Begins Solar Energy Net Metering Program
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission recently approved a new program by which state utility companies are obligated to credit customers for electricity generated by solar energy systems. The program could save the owner of a two-kilowatt system—the average solar system for a homeowner—nearly $400 annually. Customers must be connected to the electricity grid and own a functioning solar energy system. A two-kilowatt solar energy system costs, on average, between $18,000 and $19,000. More...

University of Colorado Offers Renewable Energy Courses
Boulder-based University of Colorado recently announced plans to offer a graduate-level course in alternative energy technologies, reports The Cherry Creek News. The course will introduce the technological fundamentals of most renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. Course instructor Professor Stephen Lawrence of the Leeds School of Business said that the purpose of the course is, “to seriously investigate sustainable energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.” More...

Boise Turning to Green Energy
Boise, Idaho, may become a center for cutting-edge renewable energy projects, reports The Boise Weekly . An Atlanta-based energy company will soon begin construction on a gas-to-energy transformation at the Ada County landfill. By next summer, the project is expected to be producing up to 3.2 megawatts of electricity, enough to power several thousand homes and offset the equivalent pollution of 32,000 cars. Additionally, Boise State University was recently awarded a $500,000 grant to research technological means for reducing the cost of wind power. BSU researchers hope that their grant-funded work will help make BSU a center for wind energy technology. More...

October 2006

"We owe our lives to the sun... How is it, then, that we feel no gratitude?" — Lewis Thomas

NEWS & NOTES

Montana Climate Change Forum Drafts Climate Change Document
Sage Mountain Center Announces Monthly Tours
MSU Team Studies Wind Turbine Materials
Yellowstone Park Marks a Decade of Biodiesel Use
Solar Manufacturing Experiencing Rapid Growth
Renewable Energy Technology Company to Locate in Idaho
California's Million Solar Roofs Plan Becomes Law
Wind Energy Installations Achieve Record Growth
Military Requests Wind and Solar Energy Systems in Iraq
Texas Wind Farm World's Largest
October Marks Beginning of Phase-out of Tax Credits for Toyota Hybrids
USDA Awards $5.5 Million for Biofuels, Biomass, Wind Projects
EPA Proposes Rules for Renewable Fuel Requirements
Researchers Studying Straw Conversion to Liquid Fuels
Cattle Manure to Power New Texas Ethanol Plant
Ethanol Industry Growing
Colorado Campus Commits to Green Power
New World Trade Center Project Designed for LEED Certification
Ski Resorts Turn to Green Power


FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Clean School Bus USA
Design Competition for Sustainability

Montana Climate Change Forum Drafts Climate Change Document
"Climate Challenge Strategies for Montana " forum was held in Helena on September 22-24, bringing together a diverse group of participants who, under the guidance of experts, worked to develop a formal climate change action plan for the state. When finalized, the plan will be presented to the state Legislature and hopefully enacted as policy. A draft strawman of the plan, along with other useful information is available at the event website.
http://www.mtclimatechallenge.org/

Sage Mountain Center Announces Monthly Tours
Feel like an adventure into the mountains of Montana to see solar electricity, solar hot water, wind generation, straw bale/cordwood building technologies, and an environment designed to nurture the spirit? In conjunction with NorthWestern Energy's USB E+ Renewable Energy Program, Sage Mountain Center is offering free tours of its facility on the second Sunday of every month. Tours start at 1:00 pm and last two hours. For directions to Sage Mountain Center , visit http://www.sagemountain.org/contactus.html, e-mail [email protected], or call 406-494-9875. No reservations required (although a map and, if the weather is foul, a four-wheel-drive may be needed).

MSU Team Studies Wind Turbine Materials
A project at Montana State University in Bozeman is helping advance wind energy by testing various materials that can be used to construct wind turbines in order to predict the materials' life and maintenance requirements. Montana State University 's John Mandell, a professor of materials science, enters lab data into various models with a goal of predicting how a particular composite material will hold up over years being tugged and stressed by gravity and wind. Mandell and his team have studied some 150 composite materials over 17 years, providing 10,000 results for those materials. Those results are then compiled into a database that is used by researchers all over the world. The database is housed on Sandia Laboratory's Website as the “MSU/DOE Fatigue Database for Composite Materials.”
http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=3918

Yellowstone Park Marks a Decade of Biodiesel Use
Biodiesel Magazine reports that Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks recently celebrated ten successful years of biodiesel use in daily operations. A workshop at Moran Junction on Tuesday was sponsored by the United Soybean Board and featured several panelists, including the board's director, Chuck Myers. He told attendees that Yellowstone "confirmed that biodiesel can be used successfully in one of the harshest, all-weather climates in the United States .” The Yellowstone area currently has five public biodiesel pumps.
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1080

Solar Manufacturing Experiencing Rapid Growth
U.S. shipments of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules surged ahead by 72 percent in 2005, while shipments of solar thermal collectors increased 10.4 percent, according to a new report. The annual report on solar thermal and PV manufacturing activities, produced by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA), documents the changing solar energy industry, which is struggling to meet rising demand while dealing with material supply disruptions and rising costs. The EIA report cites silicon supply disruptions for Shell Solar as the cause for a 10 percent drop in PV exports, a problem that led Shell Solar to sell its crystalline silicon solar business and focus instead on thin-film solar technologies. Meanwhile, a growing U.S. demand for PV systems caused imports to nearly double, reaching a level nearly equal with exports.

Silicon supply concerns also caused crystalline silicon solar cells to lose market share, dropping from 88 percent of the PV market in 2004 to only 76 percent of the market in 2005. The remaining quarter of the PV market was filled by thin-film solar cells, for which shipments more than doubled in 2005. But no matter the technology, the growth in the PV industry is good for employment, which surged 6 percent in 2005. A total of 29 companies now provide 3,108 person-years of employment in the United States . http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/solarreport/solar.html

Renewable Energy Technology Company to Locate in Idaho
Hoku Scientific, a Hawaii-based fuel cell technology company, recently announced plans to open a new production plant in Idaho , reports The Idaho Statesman . The plant will be home to Hoku Solar and Hoku Materials. The latter will produce polysilicon, a key material used in solar modules. The plant is tentatively scheduled to begin operation in 2008 and will employ an estimated 300 people. http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/NEWS02/609010320/1029

California's Million Solar Roofs Plan Becomes Law
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger put the final pieces in place for his Million Solar Roofs Plan on August 21 when he signed Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) into law, reports EERE Network News . Back in January, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) put the major piece of the plan into effect when it created the 10-year, $2.9 billion "California Solar Initiative" to offer rebates on solar power systems. However, because the CPUC only has authority over investor-owned utilities, the rebates were funded by the customers of those utilities and only available to those customers.

SB 1 expands the program to municipal utilities such as the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water and allows the total cost of the program to increase to as much as $3.35 billion. It also increases the cap on the number of utility customers that can sell their excess solar power generation back to the utility. That number was previously capped at 0.5 percent of the utility's customers, but is now capped at 2.5 percent of the customers. And starting in 2011, SB 1 requires developments of more than 50 new single-family homes to offer solar energy systems as an option.

The governor's Million Solar Roofs Plan aims to install solar power systems on one million homes by 2017. The state estimates that the million homes would have a total solar power capacity of 3,000 megawatts. http://gov.ca.gov/index.php/press-release/3588/

Wind Energy Installations Achieve Record Growth
Wind energy installations now exceed 10,000 megawatts in capacity, as a result of recent record growth, says the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). “Wind energy is providing new electricity supplies that work for our country's economy, environment, and energy security,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “With its current performance, wind energy is demonstrating that it could rapidly become an important part of the nation's power portfolio.” Current wind installations generate enough electricity to power some 250 million homes. More...

Military Requests Wind and Solar Energy Systems in Iraq
USA Today reports that the U.S. Marine Corps has issued an urgent request to the Pentagon for sustainable power systems in Iraq, including wind and solar. “Without renewable power, U.S. forces will remain unnecessarily exposed and will continue to accrue preventable ... serious and grave casualties," says the memo. In response, the U.S. Army's Rapid Equipping Force (REF), which addresses requests from the frontline, will issue a request for proposals for 183 frontline renewable-energy power stations that use both wind and solar energy to supplement existing diesel generators at U.S. outposts, according to an REF spokesman.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2006-09-07-army-green-power_x.htm?POE=TECISVA

Texas Wind Farm World's Largest
FPL Energy, LLC, has completed 662 megawatts of the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Texas . The wind farm is the largest in the world, according to the company's news release. The farm was constructed in three phases. The final phase is scheduled for completion in September, giving the project a total capacity of 735 megawatts. “The Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center is an important new source of clean, renewable power for the region that also provides significant economic benefits to the area in the form of taxes, new jobs, lease payments to landowners and the purchase of local goods and services,” said Jim Robo, president of FPL Energy. http://www.fplenergy.com/news/contents/090706.shtml

October Marks Beginning of Phase-out of Tax Credits for Toyota Hybrids
Beginning October 1, 2006, buyers of Lexus or Toyota hybrid vehicles will be entitled to a lower tax credit. According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), more than 60,000 hybrid vehicles built by Toyota Motor Corporation had been purchased as of the second quarter of 2006. As required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the IRS is cutting the tax credit by 50 percent for the fourth quarter of 2006, which starts October 1, through the first quarter of 2007. From April 1 through September 30, 2007 , the tax credit will again be halved, and a year from now the tax credit will disappear. For instance, buyers of the popular Prius can earn a tax credit of at most $1,575 as of October 1, and on April 1, 2007, that figure will drop to just $787. Meanwhile, tax credits remain in full force for other automakers producing hybrids. http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=162562,00.html

USDA Awards $5.5 Million for Biofuels, Biomass, Wind Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that 44 projects in 21 states collectively will receive nearly $5.5 million in grants for the production and marketing of ethanol, ethanol by-products, and biodiesel and for feasibility studies of energy production from biomass and wind power. The funds are part of a larger package of Value-Added Producer Grants, which generally go toward marketing agricultural products, but can also go toward farm- based renewable energy projects. While most of the funds will go toward ethanol-related projects, the projects also include efforts to market heating fuels derived from wood pellets, wood chips, sugarcane biomass, and corn and from methane produced from an anaerobic digester on a dairy farm. The on-farm renewable energy projects are all wind power projects, but two grant recipients plan to supplement their wind power with biomass power, one using corn and the other fueling a microturbine with wood chips. The projects will be located in the states of Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2006/09/0351.xml

EPA Proposes Rules for Renewable Fuel Requirements
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed rules for a national program requiring increasing levels of renewable fuels production over the next six years. The Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) Program, authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, requires 4.7 billion gallons of biofuels production in 2007, increasing gradually to 7.5 billion gallons in 2012. To meet that requirement, the new regulation proposes that 3.71 percent of all the gasoline sold or dispensed to U.S. motorists in 2007 be renewable fuel. The rule contains compliance tools and a credit and trading system that is integral to the overall program. The system allows renewable fuels to be used where they are most economical, while providing a flexible means for industry to comply with the standard. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/

Researchers Studying Straw Conversion to Liquid Fuels
A major byproduct of the Pacific Northwest 's grass seed industry is straw. Illegal to burn and expensive to move, straw in this region is almost unmarketable. But researchers from the Western Research Institute in Laramie , Wyoming , are working to develop a small-scale gasification reactor that can use straw as a feedstock, according to The Soy Daily , an online trade journal. Two Agricultural Research Service (ARS) labs have collaborated with the Laramie research institute to develop technologies to convert straw into liquid fuels. A prototype reactor reduces straw into char—small particles of carbon and residue. The vaporized gases can be converted into liquid, synthetic gas. Researchers estimate that up to 60 gallons of liquid fuel can be derived from a ton of straw. The grass seed region of the Pacific Northwest produces about 7 million tons of excess straw per year, which has the potential for 420 million gallons of liquid fuel. http://www.thesoydailyclub.com/BiodieselBiobased/straw09072006.asp

Cattle Manure to Power New Texas Ethanol Plant
Panda Ethanol has announced plans to build a fuel-efficient ethanol plant in Sherman County , Texas , that will have a production capacity of 100 million gallons annually. The new plant will refine about 40 million bushels of corn and milo each year into ethanol. As well, the plant will use one billion pounds of cattle manure each year to generate steam for production of the ethanol. The plant will be equal in size to Panda's Hereford plant, which will be the largest biomass-fueled ethanol plant in the United States when it goes online in 2007. http://www.pandaenergy.com/portals/0/pdf_files/Panda_Sherman_Annoucement_082906.pdf

Ethanol Industry Growing
The ethanol fuel industry is growing so rapidly that a national Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), passed as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, is already moot, says EERE Network News . The RFS requires 4 billion gallons of biofuels production in 2006 and 4.7 billion gallons in 2007, increasing gradually to 7.5 billion gallons in 2012. But according to the latest press release from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), there are currently 101 ethanol facilities nationwide with the capacity to produce more than 4.8 billion gallons of ethanol per year, an amount that already exceeds the requirement for next year. With an additional 41 ethanol facilities under construction and 7 expansions underway, the industry is in the process of adding nearly 2.8 billion gallons of new capacity. That will provide enough capacity for the industry to produce 7.6 billion gallons of ethanol per year, which already exceeds the goal for 2012. Unless the industry experiences a downturn and some production capacity goes uncompleted or unused, the ethanol fuel industry should easily exceed the RFS requirements. http://www.ethanolrfa.org/media/press/rfa/2006/view.php?id=835

Colorado Campus Commits to Green Power
The Auraria Higher Education Center, which houses Metro State College, Community College of Denver , and the University of Colorado at Denver , recently entered into a contract with Sterling Planet, Inc. to purchase 17 million kWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs), equivalent to nearly half of the electricity use on the Auraria campus. The contract went into effect on July 1, with an option to renew for the next two years. In 2004, Auraria students voted to assess themselves $1 per semester for three years to be used for clean energy sources. http://www.cusys.edu/sg/messages/5130.html

New World Trade Center Project Designed for LEED Certification
In New York City, the Freedom Tower and other buildings in the complex will be designed to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, a voluntary third party rating system where credits are earned for satisfying specified green building criteria.

The Freedom Tower; the World Trade Center Memorial and Memorial Museum; and World Trade Center Office Towers 2, 3, and 4 will all be designed to achieve LEED Gold certification and to be 20 percent more energy-efficient than required by New York energy codes. The Freedom Tower and World Trade Center Office Towers will draw on four fuel cell systems for 4.8 megawatts of power, while the New York Power Authority and Silverstein Properties will buy a total of 184 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits to offset the remaining power needs for the complex. World Trade Center 7, completed early this year, achieved LEED Gold certification in March. http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/06/0907061.html

Ski Resorts Turn to Green Power
Tim and Diane Mueller, owners of Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont, and Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire, have entered into an agreement with Gunnison County Electric Association to purchase 27 million kWh of RECs to offset 100 percent of the electricity use at the three ski resorts for one year. The RECs are being supplied by Sterling Planet. The Muellers are paying a 10-percent premium on the RECs price to promote Colorado wind energy development through a partnership between Sterling Planet and the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation. http://winter.skicb.com/page.php?pname=press/archives/article&article_id=541
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_4199792

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Clean School Bus USA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requests proposals for Clean School Bus USA , for retrofit and/or replacement projects that reduce pollution from school buses within the Region 8 states which includes Montana . Some $415K is expected to be available, with up to 10 awards anticipated. Responses are due November 3, 2006 .
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=10883

Design Competition for Sustainability
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requests applications for its 4th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity, and the Planet. This competition supports teams of college students to research, develop, and design solutions to challenges to sustainability. Areas of interest include: Energy, Agriculture, the Built Environment, Water, Materials and Chemicals and Information Technology. Some $1.25 million is expected to be available, with up to 60 awards anticipated. Responses are due December 21, 2006. http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2007/2007_p3_4thannual.html

November 2006

"The conservationist's most important task, if we are to save the earth, is to educate." – Peter Scott , founder chairman of the World Wildlife Federation

NEWS & NOTES

Article Profiles Red Lodge Solar Projects
Google Announces Plans for Solar Electric System
California Vineyard Turning to Solar
8-MW Solar Plant Slated for Colorado
2007 Fuel Economy Guide Released
American Energy Initiative Produces New Renewable Energy Report
October Marks Beginning of Phase-out of Tax Credits for Toyota Hybrids
Wind Energy Installations Achieve Record Growth
Military Requests Wind and Solar Energy Systems in Iraq
Oregon Students Design Water Heater Powered by Wind
Companies Increasingly Measuring Carbon Footprint
DOE Predicts Lower Winter Heating Costs
New Efficiency Standards for Furnaces and Boilers Proposed
'Change a Light, Change the World' Campaign Underway

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Solar City Strategic Partnerships
Renewable Energy Projects on Tribal Lands

Article Profiles Red Lodge Solar Projects
Renewable energy is alive and well in Red Lodge, with solar energy helping to meet energy needs for a local café, fire station, and a brewery. There's even small-scale biodiesel production facility, according to this article in the Billings Gazette . And owners are benefiting in a number of ways from the renewable energy systems, most notably lower energy bills. The environment is benefiting, as well, since renewable energy sources such as solar are virtually non-polluting, compared to their fossil fuel counterparts.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/10/11/news/state/25-solar.txt

Google Announces Plans for Solar Electric System
Technology giant Google has announced plans to install a solar electric system on its headquarters facility in Mountain View , California . The system, expected to be complete next spring, will be capable of producing 1.6 megawatts of electricity for the Googleplex facility. Most of the 9,000 panels will be installed on rooftops, but some will provide shaded parking areas.
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story;jsessionid=2C0F92275186B2C9C307412884FBEFC0?id=46264

California Vineyard Turning to Solar
Ballantine Vineyards of St. Helena, California, has announced plans to install a solar electric system that will provide 100 percent of its electricity needs. The system will eliminate nearly 154 tons of harmful greenhouse gases annually, and has a payback of only six years. SolarCraft of Novato, California, was chosen to design and install the system. http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/market/business/viewstory?id=46178

8-MW Solar Plant Slated for Colorado
Xcel Energy has announced its selection of SunEdison, LLC to build, own, and operate an 8-megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant, which will be the largest of its type in the nation. Xcel Energy released a request for proposals for the solar facility in south central Colorado. SunEdison's response includes 6.8 megawatts of advanced flat-plate solar panels (the type you might mount on your roof) as well as 1.2 megawatts of concentrating photovoltaic units, which track the sun to focus sunlight onto solar cells. The units will concentrate the sunlight by a factor of 500, employing a relatively small area of high-efficiency solar cells to convert that sunlight into electricity. Xcel Energy will purchase the power and the renewable energy credits associated with the plant, which is expected to be online by the end of 2007.
http://www.xcelenergy.com/XLWEB/CDA/0,3080,1-1-1_15531_26314-29258-2_68_132-0,00.html

2007 Fuel Economy Guide Released
DOE and EPA have released the 2007 Fuel Economy Guide, which identifies fuel-efficient autos for the 2007 model year. Hybrid vehicles lead the way for overall fuel economy with the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the front-wheel-drive version of the Ford Escape Hybrid topping the list, and the four-wheel-drive version of the Ford Escape Hybrid tying with the new Mercury Mariner Hybrid in tenth place. ttp://www.energy.gov/news/4366.htm

American Energy Initiative Produces New Renewable Energy Report
The American Energy Initiative, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the Center for American Progres , has produced a new report titled American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security . The report demonstrates the potential of renewable energy and energy efficiency and presents a practical policy agenda for achieving them. The full report can be downloaded at the project's website www.americanenergynow.org.

October Marks Beginning of Phase-out of Tax Credits for Toyota Hybrids
As of October 1, 2006, buyers of Lexus or Toyota hybrid vehicles are entitled to a lower tax credit. According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), more than 60,000 hybrid vehicles built by Toyota Motor Corporation had been purchased as of the second quarter of 2006. As required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the IRS is cutting the tax credit by 50 percent for the fourth quarter of 2006, which began October 1, through the first quarter of 2007. From April 1 through September 30, 2007 , the tax credit will again be halved, and a year from now the tax credit will disappear. For instance, buyers of the popular Prius can earn a tax credit of at most $1,575 as of October 1, and on April 1, 2007, that figure will drop to just $787. Meanwhile, tax credits remain in full force for other automakers producing hybrids.
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=162562,00.html

Wind Energy Installations Achieve Record Growth
Wind energy installations now exceed 10,000 megawatts in capacity, as a result of recent record growth, says the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). “Wind energy is providing new electricity supplies that work for our country's economy, environment, and energy security,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “With its current performance, wind energy is demonstrating that it could rapidly become an important part of the nation's power portfolio.” Current wind installations generate enough electricity to power some 250 million homes.
http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/US_Wind_Energy_Installations_Milestone_081006.html

Military Requests Wind and Solar Energy Systems in Iraq
USA Today reports that the U.S. Marine Corps has issued an urgent request to the Pentagon for sustainable power systems in Iraq, including wind and solar. “Without renewable power, U.S. forces will remain unnecessarily exposed and will continue to accrue preventable ... serious and grave casualties," says the memo. In response, the U.S. Army's Rapid Equipping Force (REF), which addresses requests from the frontline, will issue a request for proposals for 183 frontline renewable-energy power stations that use both wind and solar energy to supplement existing diesel generators at U.S. outposts, according to an REF spokesman.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2006-09-07-army-green-power_x.htm?POE=TECISVA

Oregon Students Design Water Heater Powered by Wind
A group of engineering students at Oregon State University has designed and constructed a working prototype of a wind-powered water heater that they hope will make a positive impact on the way the world heats water. The system uses “magnets, a copper plate, and plenty of ingenuity” and is based on old sketches of OSU professor Alan Wallace, who has since passed away. The system is about the size of a phone booth and its wind turbine was constructed from a 50-gallon steel drum. The system, say the students, can be mounted on a rooftop or other location with enough wind to rotate the turbine, and even in a stream where moving water could turn the system's array of magnets. And once the water is hot, the wind turbine could be used to generate electricity, or the hot water could provide additional passive heating for a home.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/2006/Sep06/waterheater.html

Companies Increasingly Measuring Carbon Footprint
Three-fourths of U.S. companies are actively measuring their "carbon footprint "— the range of carbon emissions from their operations, both direct and indirect, according to a report released today from The Conference Board. The report, based on a survey of 92 companies from various industries, looks at how companies are integrating greenhouse gas management into their overall business strategy.

More than 95 percent report that they see the prospect of a carbon-concerned future as creating both business risk and opportunity. One-half indicate they have a program in place to "actively reduce or offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions." An additional 33 percent are developing such programs, while 15 percent have no plans to do so. Nearly all programs include reductions in energy use, while most (83 percent) are simultaneously focused on reducing GHGs. One-third are focused primarily on direct emissions — those resulting from fuel consumption or from materials used in their processes — while two-thirds include both direct and indirect emissions (primarily purchased electricity).

Fewer than 20 percent have attempted to measure their competitors' carbon footprints , which may reflect the complexity and difficulty in doing so or indicate that the issue is not perceived as a major competitive challenge at this time. http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=2985

DOE Predicts Lower Winter Heating Costs
Though winter is expected to be slightly colder this year, DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) is predicting lower home heating costs. According to EIA's new "Short Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook," the greatest cost relief is expected for users of natural gas, since storage supplies are above historical levels. Propane prices also will be lower, but fuel oil and electricity will likely be higher, says the report.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html

New Efficiency Standards for Furnaces and Boilers Proposed
DOE is proposing to increase minimum energy efficiency standards for furnaces and boilers, with efficiency improvements ranging from one to five percent. For example, furnaces fueled with natural gas and intended to be installed indoors will have to meet an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 80 percent, whereas units designed for installation outside the conditioned space will have to meet an AFUE of 83 percent. AFUE is a measure of heating efficiency on an annual basis, defined as the heat delivered to the conditioned space over the course of a year divided by the fuel energy consumed. The standard also sets the minimum AFUE for oil-fired furnaces, mobile home gas furnaces, and gas and oil-fired boilers. The proposed efficiency standard would apply to all covered furnaces and boilers offered for sale in the United States , effective January 1, 2015 .

DOE has found the proposed standard represents the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified. Analyses indicate that the proposed standards would save an estimated 0.41 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu), or quads, of cumulative energy over 24 years (2015-2038). For comparison, U.S. homes consume about six quads annually for space heating. U.S. consumers are also expected to save money over the expected life of the furnaces and boilers. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-8431.htm

'Change a Light, Change the World' Campaign Underway
DOE and EPA have launched their joint "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign. The annual campaign encourages U.S. residents to replace a conventional bulb or fixture in their home or workplace with one that has earned the government's Energy Star label for energy efficiency. If every U.S. household changed a single light bulb to an Energy Star bulb, it would save enough power to light more than 2.5 million homes. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman recently took the "Change a Light" pledge and challenged DOE employees to do the same. http://www.energy.gov/news/4304.htm

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Solar City Strategic Partnerships
The U.S. Department of Energy is accepting proposals for Solar America Initiative Market Transformation: Solar City Strategic Partnerships.  Through this initiative, DOE seeks to form strategic partnerships with U.S. cities to help accelerate the adoption of solar technology at the local level by engaging city governments, key intermediaries, and regulatory entities.  Some $1.6 million is expected to be available, with up to 8 awards anticipated.  Responses are due January 10, 2007. 
https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/UNID/CD499FE2A7471C0885257204004CE6A0?OpenDocument

Renewable Energy Projects on Tribal Lands
The U.S. Department of Energy requests proposals from Federally-recognized Tribes to conduct feasibility studies to determine the viability of economically sustainable renewable energy installations on Tribal lands. Some $4 million is expected to be available, up to 15 awards anticipated. Responses are due February 6, 2007 . https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/UNID/746C66B1BDB9A8DA852571F60061A3F8?OpenDocument

December 2006

“Energy conservation is the cornerstone of a clean and affordable energy future. …Energy conservation protects our air and water while keeping our homes and businesses comfortable at a lower cost than natural gas or coal-powered generation.” – Ralph Cavanagh, Natural Resources Defense Council

NEWS & NOTES
Montana Co-op Will Use Grant Funds for New Wind Farm Projects
GM Taking Advantage of Solar Under Creative No-Cost Arrangement
IRS Issues Bonds for Renewable Energy Projects
New Publication Identifies Renewable Energy Opportunities for the Farm
Wal-Mart Has Goal to Power Stores Entirely with Renewable Energy
New Low-Speed Wind Turbine Blade Developed
Study: Global Warming Causing Species Extinction
Report: Geothermal Development Can Create Jobs, Investments, and Other Benefits
337 Fuel Cell Projects Identified in New Database
Reports Analyze 25x'25 Renewable Energy Vision
Geothermal Enjoying Considerable Growth During 2006

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Energy for Sustainability Grants

NEWS & NOTES

Montana Co-op Will Use Grant Funds for New Wind Farm Projects
The Green Electricity Buying Cooperative has received funding from the federal Clean Renewable Energy bonds, established by the 2005 U.S. Energy Policy Act. The co-op has announced that it intends to use the funds to construct two wind farm projects in McCone and Yellowstone Counties, which together will produce about 20 megawatts of clean power. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/11562.html

GM Taking Advantage of Solar Under Creative No-Cost Arrangement
A creative arrangement between General Motors (GM) and Developing Energy Efficient Roof Systems (Deers) has allowed GM to benefit from a photovoltaic installation at no cost. In the agreement, solar developer Deers paid for the cost to install a PV system on GM's roof. In return, GM signed a long-term contract to purchase electricity from the system from Deers. Because the electricity purchased from Deers is less expensive than electricity provided by the local utility, the arrangement is expected to reduce GM's energy costs by about 10 percent each year. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/21/business/21solar.html?ex=1319083200&en=a266e273fe14d52f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

IRS Issues Bonds for Renewable Energy Projects
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has allocated $800 million in "tax-credit" bonds for a total of 610 renewable energy projects to be located throughout the United States. Unlike normal bonds that pay interest, tax-credit bonds pay the bondholders by providing a credit against their federal income tax. In effect, the new tax-credit bonds, called "Clean Renewable Energy Bonds," will provide interest-free financing for certain renewable energy projects. The new bond allocations range from $23,000 to $31 million and are set aside for 434 solar energy facilities, 112 wind power installations, 36 landfill gas facilities, 14 hydropower plants, 13 biomass power plants, and one refined coal production facility. The IRS selected the projects from among 709 applications for 786 projects.
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=164423,00.html

New Publication Identifies Renewable Energy Opportunities for the Farm
A new publication from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service/ATTRA introduces three renewable energy resources that can be attractive and economically feasible for the farm: solar, wind, and renewable fuels. The publication is not a technical guide for designing or installing renewable energy systems but, instead, services as an overview of wind, solar, and renewable fuel technologies, and includes information on cost and savings, site planning, and financial incentives. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/energyopp.html

New Low-Speed Wind Turbine Blade Developed
The first in a series of wind turbine blades that, according to its developer Knight & Carver, "ranks among the industry's most innovative advances in wind energy production" has been produced as part of a DOE project. Called the "STAR," for "Sweep Twist Adaptive Rotor," the 90-foot blade is curved to relieve pressure on both the blade and the turbine and features a gently curving tip to capture low-speed winds. Developed with the help of DOE's Sandia National Laboratories as part of a DOE research project, the STAR blade is designed to take maximum advantage of all wind speeds. The new blade was manufactured at Knight & Carver's blade division in San Diego, California, in early November, and will undergo static testing in December.
http://www.knightandcarver.com/AboutUs/?c=Press_Release_ID_111

Wal-Mart Has Goal to Power Stores Entirely with Renewable Energy
According to a new press release from Wal-Mart, the country's largest retailer has a goal to eventually provide power to its stores entirely from renewable energy. Wind turbines installed on two experimental stores in Colorado and Texas, however, have suffered from mechanical problems. As a result, the company is not completely sold on wind technology. Nonetheless, Walmart continues its sustainability efforts. “When we conceptualized these two experimental stores, we thought about our environmental opportunities which led our thoughts to our current goals:  to be supplied by 100 percent renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell products that sustain our resources and environment,” said Charles Zimmerman, vice president of prototype and new format development. Meantime, Wal-Mart will upgrade lighting in its stores to more energy-efficient LED lighting beginning next year.
http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/4601.aspx

Study: Global Warming Causing Species Extinction
Global warming is causing extinction of plant and animal species sooner than scientists had predicted, according to a new study by Texas biologist Camille Parmesan. According to Parmesan, some 70 species of frogs have become extinct due to increased heat. She also concludes that 100 to 200 other species that are dependent on cold weather—such as penguins and polar bears—could be in serious jeopardy. "We are finally seeing species going extinct," said Parmesan. "Now we've got the evidence. It's here. It's real. This is not just biologists' intuition. It's what's happening." http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/11/21/climate.species.ap/index.html

Report: Geothermal Development Can Create Jobs, Investments, and Other Benefits
At a time when the U.S. geothermal industry is seeing a resurgence of new investment, the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released a new publication on the socioeconomics of geothermal energy. A Handbook on the Externalities, Employment, and Economics of Geothermal Energy provides critical information about the costs, benefits, and other effects of geothermal development on people and communities around the country.

“Representing over a year of work and having undergone extensive reviews, this report solidly documents the many benefits of expanding geothermal energy use,” stated Karl Gawell, Executive Director of GEA. “We hope the Administration and OMB read this report,” he added, referring to recent proposals by the Administration to close down federal geothermal research efforts. The document can be downloaded from the GEA website at
www.geo-energy.org/publications/reports.asp .

337 Fuel Cell Projects Identified in New Database
A new database created by Fuel Cells 2000 and DOE's Hydrogen Program identifies some 337 stationary fuel cell projects that have been built in the United States . The database includes both both active and retired projects in 43 states. California leads with 59 projects, followed by New York with 53. The largest projects are a now-defunct 2-megawatt molten carbonate fuel cell built in Santa Clara, California, in the 1990s; a 1.2-megawatt phosphoric acid fuel cell system built in Middletown, Connecticut, in 2001; a 2-megawatt molten carbonate fuel cell built in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 2003; and a 1.4-megawatt phosphoric acid fuel cell system built in Garden City, New York, in 2005. While the majority of the fuel cells are fueled with natural gas, the database also includes fuel cells powered by anaerobic digester gas, coalmine methane, diesel fuel, ethanol, hydrogen, landfill gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, and propane. http://www.fuelcells.org/dbs/

Reports Analyze 25x'25 Renewable Energy Vision
The 25x'25 Initiative has released two reports that analyze its renewable energy vision for America . The reports, one by the RAND Corporation and one by the University of Tennessee, studied the ability of renewable energy from America's farms, forests and ranches to provide 25 percent of U.S. total energy needs in 2025 while continuing to provide safe, abundant and affordable food, feed and fiber, as well as the economic and other effects of achieving this goal. The reports conclude that the 25x'25 vision is achievable and that rapidly increasing the use of renewable energy will have an immediate payoff for the U.S. economy. The reports also conclude that 25x'25 will improve our energy security and could provide significant environmental and other benefits at virtually no additional cost to the economy. http://www.25x25.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=73

Geothermal Enjoying Considerable Growth During 2006
Fifty-eight new geothermal energy projects are currently under development in the United States, compared to only 46 in March 2006, according to a new survey from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). The survey identifies power projects under development in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. http://www.geo-energy.org/publications/pressReleases/US Country Update Release November.pdf

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Energy for Sustainability Grants
The National Science Foundation requests proposals for the Energy for Sustainability Program, for fundamental research and education in energy production, conversion, and storage which is focused on energy sources that are environmentally friendly and renewable. This program seeks to reduce world dependence on fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases, and promote sustainable energy. Proposals are due March 31 and September 15, 2007. To see the full solicitation, visit http://www.grants.gov/search/basic.do, and search for solicitation PD-07-7644.

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