"WEEKLY UPDATE"April 25, 1999
CONTENTS:
Federal Energy Budget & Taxes
1.) Budget Caps Threaten Deep Cuts in Efficiency and Renewables
2.) Senate Appropriations Committee Reviews Science Programs
3.) Congressional Letters Urge Increased Renewables Funding
4.) Congressional "Dear Colleague" Letter on Weatherization
5.) Clean Power Act Promotes Renewables, Carbon Tax
6.) Production Tax Credit Proposed for Poultry Manure
Electric Utility Restructuring
1.) Rep. Barton Criticizes the Renewable Portfolio Standard
2.) Natural Gas Industry Opposes Renewables Mandate
3.) Arizona Revokes Its Solar Energy Mandate
4.) Largest Green Power Offer Made in San Diego
Climate Change
1.) Study Finds Growth of Worldwide CO2 Emissions Slows
2.) President Clinton Issues CO2 Data-Collection Memo
3.) White House Issues Climate Information Packet
Miscellaneous
1.) House Renewables Caucus Grows to One-Third of House
2.) Worldwide Wind Capacity Reaches 10,000 MW
3.) MSNBC Solicits Responses to Nuclear Poll
4.) House Committee Approves Nuclear Waste Bill
5.) GM/Toyota to Produce Fuel Cell Cars
6.) Federal Government Set to Require Cleaners SUVs
7.) Coalition Opposes Hydro Relicensing Bill
8.) Rubber Fish to Help Design Fish-Friendly Hydro
9.) Enron Selling Its Solar Division
10.) BP-Amoco to Install Solar at 200 Stations
11.) Consumers Prefer Green Products
12.) NextWave Website Offers Renewable Energy Info
13.) Directory of Sustainable Energy Companies Published
FEDERAL ENERGY BUDGET & TAXES
1.) Budget Caps Threaten Deep Cuts in Efficiency and Renewables:
We've received reports that the budget caps may necessitate funding cuts of
about $1 billion and possibly as much as $1.5 billion in the Energy & Water
accounts which funds the Department of Energy's (DOE) renewable energy and
nuclear power programs. Key DOE officials are speculating that cuts in the
renewable energy as well as the energy efficiency programs may be as deep
as in 1995 when the new Republican Congress slashed funding for these
programs by 30%.
2.) Senate Appropriations Committee Reviews Science Programs:
A 3-page newsletter (April 16) from the American Institute of Physics
discusses an April 13 hearing by the Senate E&W Appropriations Committee
at which Martha Krebs was a key witness. It focused on the Office of Science's
FY'00 budget request with particular attention given to the Spallation Neutron
Source (for which a major funding increase is being requested) as well as the
High Flux Beam Reactor and the Bates Laboratory at MIT. Let us know if you
would like us to fax you a copy.
3.) Congressional Letters Urge Increased Renewables Funding:
We received a copy of a 1-page letter sent April 19 to Reps. Young and Obey
by Reps. Salmon, Ehlers, Minge, and Thurman that begins "As co-chairs of the
House Renewable Energy Caucus... we ask that you consider supporting
increases in funding for renewable energy--solar, wind, biomass, hydrogen,
geothermal, hydropower--research and development programs." Rep. Salmon
also circulated a 1-page March 16 "Dear Colleague" letter extolling the virtues
of geothermal energy. Let us know if you would like us to fax you a copy of either.
4.) Congressional "Dear Colleague" Letter on Weatherization:
We received a 3-page "Dear Colleague" and proposed letter to Rep. Ralph
Regula (R-OH) urging funding the Weatherization Assistance Program in FY'00
at $154 million and the State Energy Program at $37 million. The materials are
being circulated by Reps. Jack Quinn, Ron Kind, Marty Meehan, and
Sherwood Boehlert. Let us know if you would like us to fax you a copy.
5.) Clean Power Act Promotes Renewables, Carbon Tax:
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has prepared a bill, the "Clean Power Plant and
Modernization Act of 1998" which would extend the Renewable Energy
Production Credit (set to expire this year) through 2010 as well as provide $75
million/year to fund renewable energy research and development programs as
well as commercial demonstration projects and partnerships. It would also
create a Clean Air Trust Fund through a fee on utility emissions of carbon
dioxide and set combustion heat rate efficiency standards of 50% (compared to
33% today) for fossil fuel-fired generating units. In addition, it would require all
fossil fuel plants to comply with existing new-source clean air requirements.
Let us know if you would like us to fax you a 3-page summary of the bill.
6.) Production Tax Credit Proposed for Poultry Manure:
Reuters (April 15) reports that Senator William Roth (R-DE) has introduced
legislation that would give a tax credit to energy companies for electricity
produced by burning poultry manure. U.S. farmers raise almost 8 billion
chickens a year that produce enough manure to supply power for 37,000
homes, according to Roth. Under Roth's plan, power stations buy poultry
manure from nearby farmers and burn it in a furnace that heats water in a boiler
to produce steam which drives a turbine linked to a generator; the electricity is
then transferred to the local grid for use by commercial and residential customers.
ELECTRIC UTILITY RESTRUCTURING
1.) Rep. Barton Criticizes the Renewable Portfolio Standard:
An article from US Publishing quoting a Megawatt Daily story notes that Rep.
Joe Barton (R-TX) thinks the Clinton administration's electricity bill is a good
framework for opening retail markets, except for setting a 7.5% renewables
mandate. "What is magic about 7.5%? If the mandate is good, raise it to 10%.
If it's not, make it zero," he said. Barton has "no problem with the mandate in
concept," but it shows that the administration doesn't trust the market."
Separately, Randy Swisher (AWEA) reports that at a recent meeting, DOE
Secretary Richardson said it was his personal decision to increase the RPS to
7.5% in the Administration's bill.
2.) Natural Gas Industry Opposes Renewables Mandate:
An April 15 "Congress Daily" article on the Clinton restructuring plan noted that
"some natural gas industry officials blasted the bill's requirement that 7.5% of
the nation's electricity come from renewable energy sources. 'The Clinton plan
will discourage electric companies from using natural gas, forcing them to use
other, more expensive renewable fuels,' said Richard Sharples, chairman of the
Natural Gas Supply Association."
3.) Arizona Revokes Its Solar Energy Mandate:
"California Energy Markets" reports that "three months after the Arizona
Corporation Commissions halted its electric competition plan, it turned around
and paved the way for industry restructuring with rules that favor utilities [and]
remove a controversial solar portfolio standard set by the prior commission." In
a related deliberation, the ACC voted 3-0 to begin discussions on a
replacement renewable energy portfolio if studies show that such a requirement
would not cost ratepayers a significant amount. The new standard would take
effect in 2001 with power sellers required to use green power to make up 0.4
percent of total power sold in the state. The amount of green power would
increase slowly to 1% in of the 2005-2012 timeframe.
4.) Largest Green Power Offer Made in San Diego:
Business Wire (April 14) reports that Commonwealth Energy of Orange County
has extended an offer to the San Diego Association of Governments to switch
all 79 county agencies, city governments, school districts, and fire
departments to green power, at prices 0.5 cents/kWh below that of current
"brown power" supplies offered by Commonwealth. The green power would be
generated from geothermal steam. If all of the accounts switched to green
power, their load would be the equivalent of 100 MW making it California's
largest green power purchase.
CLIMATE CHANGE
1.) Study Finds Growth of Worldwide CO2 Emissions Slows:
In a new study, "International Energy Annual 1997," the Energy Information
Administration reports that world CO2 emissions grew 1.2% in 1997, well
below the 2.8% increase in 1996 but greater than the 0.8% annual average
growth rate for the period 1988-1997. The growth rate for CO2 emissions lagged
the growth rate in overall energy consumption over the period 1988-1997
because more rapid growth in the consumption of natural gas and nonfossil
fuels increased their shares of total world energy consumption. Total world
energy consumption grew 1.1% in 1997, down sharply from a 2.8% increase in
1996 and less than the 1.3% average annual growth rate for the period 1988-
1997. The slower growth in 1997 was largely due to actual declines in
worldwide consumption of natural gas and nuclear power. The study can be
found at https://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/iea/contents.html.
2.) President Clinton Issues CO2 Data-Collection Memo:
In a 2-page memo, President Clinton has directed DOE Secretary Richardson
and EPA Administrator Carol Browner to provide an annual report "summarizing
CO2 emissions data collected during the previous year from all utility and
nonutility electricity generators providing power to the grid, beginning with 1998
data [including] information from voluntary carbon-reducing and carbon-
sequestration projects [and] include any necessary updates to estimates of the
environmental effects of my Administration's restructuring legislation." Let us
know if you want us to fax you a copy.
3.) White House Issues Climate Information Packet:
We received a 1-page form letter from the White House Task Force on Climate
Change and a package of White House documents including a 1-page "New
Climate Science Findings" factsheet as well as a 4-page paper that discusses
"the science if climate change," "potential impacts of climate change,"
"President Clinton's domestic plan," "diplomatic agenda," and "economic cost
of Kyoto." Let us know if you would like us to fax you any of these materials.
MISCELLANEOUS
1.) House Renewables Caucus Grows to One-Third of House:
The House Renewable Energy Caucus has grown to 148 members -- over one-
third of the entire House membership -- with the addition of Reps. Shelly
Berkley (D-NV), Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), John Peterson (R-PA) and Virgil Goode (D-VA) .
2.) Worldwide Wind Capacity Reaches 10,000 MW:
Sometime within the past few weeks, the total of worldwide wind electricity
generating capacity has surged past 10,000 MW which equates to more than
$10 billion worth of installed wind generation equipment. The American Wind
Energy Association notes that wind capacity in the U.S. is expected to jump
by nearly 50% and it is projecting more than 5,000 MW of new growth in the
U.S. over the next decade. Worldwide, wind energy capacity has expanded at
an annual rate of 25.7% during the 1990s with the total doubling every three
years. Today, the cost of electricity from wind generation is about one-sixth
what it was in the early 1980s and further reductions are expected over the next decade.
3.) MSNBC Solicits Responses to Nuclear Poll:
On Earth Day, MSNBC launched a new Environment page which can be
accessed at https://www.msnbc.com/news/environment-front.asp. One of the
items to be found there is a reader survey comprised of five questions on
nuclear power and one on energy efficiency. Among the 991 responses to date,
74% "think nuclear energy is safe" and 77% "think new plants should be
licensed" but 65% "would be willing pay more for an energy-efficient society." If
you want to register your views, go to https://msnbc.com/news/251297.asp.
4.) House Committee Approves Nuclear Waste Bill:
"Environment & Energy Update" (April 15) reports that the House Commerce
Energy & Power Subcommittee approved H.R.45 on a 25-0 vote. The bill, which
would establish an "interim" high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca
Mountain, takes the Nuclear Waste Fund off-budget -- a move that could
breach the federal budget caps. After initially accepting it, the subcommittee
subsequently rejected an amendment by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) that would
not indemnify nuclear waste transportation contractors. The bill also adopts,
with some modifications, the concept put forth by DOE Secretary Richardson
to have DOE take ownership of nuclear waste. However, a key change is that
DOE is relieved of any future liability if it fails to meet the deadline set by the
bill. UPI (April 22) reports that the House Commerce Committee has voted 40-
6 to send H.R.45 to the House floor for a vote. President Clinton has promised
to veto the bill if it is sent to him in its current form.
5.) GM/Toyota to Produce Fuel Cell Cars:
The "Wall Street Journal" (April 19) reports that GM and Toyota have
announced a five-year partnership to develop cars powered by fuel cells and
other non-traditional-fuel technologies. In addition, today Ford, DaimlerChrysler,
and Ballard Power Systems plan to announce a partnership with Texaco,
Atlantic Richfield, and Shell Oil as well as the state of California to put a
demonstration fleet of fuel-cell powered vehicles on the road next year.
6.) Federal Government Set to Require Cleaners SUVs:
The "New York Times" (April 14) reports that the inter-agency review of the
proposed EPA rules on motor vehicle emissions is near final. It could result in
cuts of up to 93% in allowable air pollution from large sport utility vehicles
starting with the 2009 model year making them as well as pickup trucks meet
the same emissions standards as cars. The rules will likely pit the White
House against Congress although the former would be able to veto any
congressional attempt to revoke the rules. Incidentally, Ford Motor, which is
seeking a greener image, has begun voluntarily building all of its sport utility
vehicles to be as clean as current cars. Let us know if you would like us to fax
you a copy of the 5-page article.
7.) Coalition Opposes Hydro Relicensing Bill:
The Hydropower Reform Coalition argues that "Senator Larry Craig's (R-ID)
Hydroelectric Licensing Process Improvement Act of 1999 will undermine basic
environmental protections for our nation's rivers and will only further complicate
hydropower dam licensing. Collaborative remedies are underway that are much
better suited to improve the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's licensing
process. While process reform may appear to be a worthy objective, the Craig
bill will have environmentally harmful consequences and won't fix anything."
The materials can be found at https://www.amrivers.org/hydrocraig.html.
8.) Rubber Fish to Help Design Fish-Friendly Hydro:
The April 21 Associated Press included a story reporting that a rubber replica
of a salmon smolt has been created to guide hydropower turbine manufacturers
in designing more fish-friendly turbines. It will electronically record the stresses
that fish endure when passing through a turbine. Let us know if you would like
us to fax you a copy of the 2-page article.
9.) Enron Selling Its Solar Division:
The "Houston Business Journal" (April 19) includes an article on Enron's
decision to sell its stake in Solarex "four years after sunny startup" to BP
Amoco for $45 million. Enron had planned to develop the concept of solar farms
and proposed to construct a huge generating plant on federal land in Nevada to
sell power to the Department of Energy as well as to sell the idea in other
countries. None of the proposed solar farms ever got built. One analyst noted
that solar power manufacturing "was costing [Enron] money and not turning a
profit in the near-term; it didn't make sense to spend money on this
technology." The article can be found at https://www.amcity.
com/houston/stories/1999/04/19/story5.html.
10.) BP-Amoco to Install Solar at 200 Stations:
On April 13, BP Amoco announced that 200 of its service stations worldwide
are to incorporate solar power. Solar electricity will help meet the power needs
of all new service stations to be built in the UK, Australia, Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, Portugal, and Spain. Solar installations
will also be incorporated into prototypes sites in France and the United States
as part of an extended pilot program. The first phase of the program will install
solar panels installed on the canopy above the pumps. As a result of the this
project, BP Amoco says it will become one of the world's largest users of solar
power. Let us know if you would like us to fax you the 2-page news release.
11.) Consumers Prefer Green Products:
The April issue of "American Demographics" says that while almost 50% of
consumers look for environmental labeling on products, consumers at both end
of the environmental spectrum -- the activists and the unconcerned -- say they
are not willing to pay a premium for greener goods. However, consumers are
willing to change their lifestyles and buying patterns; one in two Americans
switches product brands based on environment-friendliness. Regarding cars,
though, public awareness for alternative fuel cars remains low with 74% of
adults reporting they haven't heard of such a thing. The article can be viewed at
https://www.demographics.com/ Publications/AD/99_ad/9904_ad/ad990410.htm.
12.) NextWave Website Offers Renewable Energy Info:
A company press release from NextWave Energy, Inc. reports that its new web
site https://www.nextwave-energy.com includes "three provocative briefing
papers: 'Investments in Green Energy: The Next Bull Market,' 'The Rise, Fall,
and Rebirth of Wind Energy in California: "Lessons for the Renewable Energy
Industry,' and "Attracting Equity to Build Viable Solar Businesses.'"
13.) Directory of Sustainable Energy Companies Published:
The SUN DAY Campaign has published the fifth edition of its 140-page
"National Directory of Sustainable Energy Companies" which provides a zip-
coded and indexed listing of 1,500 U.S. firms working on renewable energy,
energy efficiency, and related issues. Phone and fax numbers as well as a very
brief annotation are provided for most entries; contact names are also provided
for the majority of entries while e-mail addresses are included for about a third.
Copies are $25 (pre-paid) from the SUN DAY Campaign (315 Circle Avenue,
#2; Takoma Park, MD 20912-4836).
April 18, 1999
Table of Contents:
Federal Energy Budget & Taxes
1.) Coalition Issues News Releases Criticizing Budget Resolution:
2.) Senators Circulate Letter Seeking Higher Renewables Funding
3.) List of Wind Production Tax Credit Supporters Available
4.) Report Criticizes Fossil Fuel Energy Subsidies
Electric Utility Restructuring
1.) Administration Issues Its Restructuring Bill
2.) Sustainable Energy Coalition's Comments on Restructuring Bill
3.) Nuclear Industry Applauds Clinton Restructuring Bill
Climate Change
1.) EIA Study Assesses Impact Climate Change Technology Initiative
2.) Carbon Sequestration vs. Renewables
3.) Dan Reicher Responds on Renewables and Climate Change
4.) Environmentalists Criticize Gore on Climate Change Initiatives
Miscellaneous
1.) Waco, Texas Issues Renewable Energy Challenge
2.) EPA Outlines Clean Air & Renewables Initiative
3.) Alternative Fuels Fall Behind Oil-Replacement Schedule
4.) Europe Outlines Renewable Energy Goals
5.) 303 Groups Endorse Sustainable Energy Goals
6.) Earth Day Network Issues Earth Day 2000 Agenda
7.) House and Senate Renewable Energy Caucus Lists Available
FEDERAL ENERGY BUDGET & TAXES
1.) Coalition Issues News Releases Criticizing Budget Resolution:
On April 14, the Sustainable Energy Coalition issued a 1-page news release
warning that the just-approved Fiscal Year 2000 Congressional Budget
Resolution "would have a devastating impact" and likely result in "deep cuts
and possibly the total elimination of federal funding for the energy efficiency and
renewable energy programs at the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental
Protection Agency, and other federal offices." The Coalition is urging Congress
"to modify the budget guidelines and raise the caps to provide additional
funding at least for those discretionary programs that have proven their ability to
yield a clear return on the federal investment as the sustainable energy
programs have done." Let us know if you would like us to e-mail or fax you the release.
2.) Senators Circulate Letter Seeking Higher Renewables Funding:
A 1-page "Dear Colleague" letter is being circulated by Senators Jim Jeffords
(R-VT), Wayne Allard (R-CO), and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) asking Senators to
sign an attached 1-page letter to Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), chairman of
the Senate Appropriations Energy & Water Subcommittee. It asks Domenici
to "consider increases in funding for renewable energy -- solar, wind, biomass,
hydrogen, geothermal, hydropower -- research and development programs." Let
us know if you would like us to fax you a copy.
3.) List of Wind Production Tax Credit Supporters Available:
We have received an updated list of House and Senate supporters of extending
the wind production tax credit. In the Senate, 10 Democrats and 8
Republicans are supporting S.414 while in the House 59 Democrats and 33
Republicans are supporting H.R.750; the PTC sponsors represent 34 states.
Let us know if you would like us to fax you a copy of the 2-page list.
4.) Report Criticizes Fossil Fuel Energy Subsidies:
An "Energy Daily" (April 14) article says a new report by a coalition of taxpayer
and environmental groups claims that the federal government is pumping $1.3
billion in wasteful subsidies annually into polluting energy industry practices.
These include $543 million in alternative fuel production credits that are mostly
going to support oil and gas drilling. The report, "Welfare for Waste" looked at
15 programs serving the timber, mining, and waste disposal industries and
says the energy subsidies make up half of the total $2.6 billion in federal
subsidies criticized as wasteful. Details should be posted shortly on https://www.taxpayer.net.
ELECTRIC UTILITY RESTRUCTURING
1.) Administration Issues Its Restructuring Bill:
DOE Secretary Bill Richardson formally unveiled the Administration's utility
restructuring plan at a news conference on April 15. Reuters (April 13) reports
that DOE's bill "would be comprehensive, and allow states to 'opt-out' if they
wanted; the proposal would also protect environmental safeguards, include
more stringent renewable fuel mandates, leave stranded cost issues to the
states and be consumer-friendly."
2.) Sustainable Energy Coalition's Comments on Restructuring Bill:
In response to the Administration's restructuring bill, several Sustainable
Energy Coalition groups issued news statements. The American Wind Energy
Association noted that the Administration proposal "boldly increases the
Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) from 5.5% to 7.5%; this is a significant
step toward the 10% market-based RPS advocated by the Sustainable Energy
Coalition. The Solar Energy Industries Association "lauded" the bill's net
metering, consumer disclosure, and RPS provisions which mean that "the
American public will be assured increasing access to solar technologies." The
Alliance to Save Energy notes that the proposal offers the Congress and the
states an approach -- via energy efficiency -- to save consumers money and
decrease pollution. The National Hydropower Association noted its
disappointment that the bill "excludes hydropower" from the RPS and that is
plans to work with Congress "to correct the administration's failure." The Union
of Concerned Scientists notes that the RPS constitutes "a major improvement
in [the Administration's] commitment to developing clean renewable energy"
but that its failure to set concrete goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
was "a very significant missed opportunity to clean our air and combat global
warming." Let us know if you would like us to fax you the 7-page packet of releases.
3.) Nuclear Industry Applauds Clinton Restructuring Bill:
Reuters (April 15) notes that the Administration's restructuring bill "does little to
address the thorny issue" of who pays for "stranded costs" for investor-owned
utilities estimated at nearly $500 billion. The Administration said it would allow
states to determine whether investor-owned utilities could recover their
stranded costs, and establish any mechanism for doing so. In its own release,
the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) calls the bill "a good first step...towards
ensuring that there are no impediments to fair competition for nuclear power
plants [but] the bill must include provisions insuring that nuclear power plants
are not placed at a competitive disadvantage during a transition to competition
and to provide plant owners with the best possible flexibility to reposition
assets. ... The legislation also must secure financial obligations from electricity
consumers--such as payments into the federal Nuclear Waste Fund, unfunded
decommissioning obligations, and fees for decommissioning and
decontamination of uranium enrichment plants--via a 'wires' charge." Let us
know if you want us to fax you the NEI release.
CLIMATE CHANGE
1.) EIA Study Assesses Impact Climate Change Technology Initiative:
The Energy Information Administration has released a report, "Analysis if the
Climate Change Technology Initiative." It concludes that in 2010, the Clinton
Administration's proposed tax credits for buildings, industrial, and
transportation technologies would reduce primary energy consumption by
0.03% or 31.6 trillion Btu. Tax credits for wind and biomass electricity
generation would reduce fossil energy use in electricity generation by 0.06% or
71.9 Btu. The tax credits would result in carbon emissions in 2010 that are
0.17%, or 3.1 million metric tons, lower than the base case. The report can be
found at .
2.) Carbon Sequestration vs. Renewables:
"ENN Daily News" (April 13) reports that a 200-page "working draft" DOE report
concludes that renewable energy alone will not be able to significantly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, the report stresses "the potential of
carbon sequestration to provide a fundamentally new approach for dealing with
climate change." Carbon sequestration techniques are important, according to
DOE, because "various energy options, such as increased use of wind, solar
and other renewable energy sources and greater energy efficiencies may not,
on their own, be sufficient to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
Carbon sequestration is also low in cost, the agency said. Research needs,
according to the report, are in the areas of technologies for separating and
capturing CO2 from energy systems and sequestering it in the oceans, in
geologic formation, and in terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, vegetation,
soils, and crops. The study, prepared by DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and
Office of Science, can be found at https://www.fe.doe.gov/sequestration.
3.) Dan Reicher Responds on Renewables and Climate Change:
On April 6, DOE Asst. Sec. for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Dan
Reicher sent a 2-page letter to "Electricity Daily" responding to its earlier article
on his views on renewables and climate change. Reicher called the article a
"mischaracterization" that does not accurately reflect his views. He notes: "I
believe renewables will play a significant role in achieving the greenhouse gas
emission reduction necessary to meet the challenge of the Kyoto Protocol as
well as addressing other clean air, energy security, and competitiveness
challenges." Citing the goal of having 25,000 MW of non-hydro renewables on
line by 2010, Dan says this goal "represents the market penetration we think
renewables will achieve as a result of the significant improvements in
performance and cost reductions that will be obtained from our research and
development programs over the next ten years. It does not factor in any new
policy measures that would accelerate the deployment of renewables in the
marketplace." Let us know if you would like us to fax you a copy of the 2-page letter.
4.) Environmentalists Criticize Gore on Climate Change Initiatives:
The Washington Post (April 14) reports that nine major environmental groups
including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned
Scientists, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group have made public a 4-
page letter sent to Vice President Al Gore in which they expressed "deep
disappointment with the lack of an administration proposal to require significant
reductions in global warming pollution. We are particularly frustrated that the
administration has not sought meaningful emission reductions from either
power plants or passenger vehicles."
MISCELLANEOUS
1.) Waco, Texas Issues Renewable Energy Challenge:
The City of Waco, Texas has been challenged by its mayor, Mike Morrison, to
become the first city in the U.S. to have 25% of its electricity generated from
green power. Waco will get is renewable energy initially from a West Texas
wind power facility using four of the largest wind turbines in America, scheduled
to go on line on April 22. Waco area residents can now purchase renewable
energy from their local electric utility, TU Electric/Lone Star Gas, via a program
called TU Renew.
2.) EPA Outlines Clean Air & Renewables Initiative:
"Electricity Daily" (April 12) reports that the Environmental Protection Agency is
urging the 22 states in the ozone transport control region to "remove or 'carve
out' of their utility NOx allowance allocation anywhere from 5 percent to 15
percent of the allocation and reserve it to promote renewables and energy
efficient programs." Let us know if you would like us to fax you a copy of the 1-page article.
3.) Alternative Fuels Fall Behind Oil-Replacement Schedule:
An "Inside Energy" (March 8) article notes that low oil prices are contributing to
the likely failure to meet the 1992 Energy Policy Act goal of displacing 10% of
gasoline diesel fuel with alternative fuels next year and 30% (i.e., about 3.5
million barrels/day) by 2010. Given current consumer patterns, replacement
fuels are expected to reach only about 1 million b/d over the next decade. DOE
expects to send a report to Congress next month outlining a number of tax
incentives and other "potential policy steps" to achieve the goals.
4.) Europe Outlines Renewable Energy Goals:
Reuters (April 7) reports that the European Commission's energy department is
struggling to come up with draft legislation on renewable energy, faced with the
difficulty of squaring the desire to promote non-polluting energy sources with
the need to avoid distortions of competition in the European Union's newly
liberalized $168 billion power market. The EU has committed itself to doubling
the contribution of renewable energy to its total energy consumption to 12% by
2010. This is seen as vital if the EU is to meet its Kyoto target of cutting
greenhouse gas emissions by 8% over the next decade.
5.) 303 Groups Endorse Sustainable Energy Goals:
In anticipation of Earth Day, 303 businesses, environmental organizations, and
consumer groups (to date) have released a statement, "A Sustainable Energy
Future: Principles and Goals for a National Energy Strategy." It proposes the
following national energy goals for the year 2020: decrease energy use by at
least 10% from today's levels; use renewable energy to meet at least 25% of
the nation's energy; reduce reliance on fossil fuels by at least 30%; and phase
out the use of nuclear power. Let us know if you want us to e-mail or fax you
the 2-page statement and/or 3-page list of signers.
6.) Earth Day Network Issues Earth Day 2000 Agenda:
The people sponsoring Earth Day 2000 now have their web page up and
running. It can be found at . The complete, detailed
Earth Day Agenda can be found at
https://www.earthday.net/energy/agenda3.html. Or contact the Earth Day
Network at 91 Marion Street, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-264-0114; fax: 206-682-1184.
7.) House and Senate Renewable Energy Caucus Lists Available:
We have received a 3-page list of the 144 members of the House Renewable
Energy Caucus and the 25 members of the Senate Renewables & Energy
Efficiency Caucus. Let us know if you want us to fax you a copy or see the list
at https://www.biomass.org.
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