Energy articles from January 2004

Energy archives from January 2004

Science and policy.(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... Science and government policy should go hand in hand. Sound data is usually the basis of well-thought-out government policy--including that for energy. But the idea of seeking the best factual basis for a decision, which has a long tradition in...

Financing distributed energy: can we build an electric system that relies on the performance of individuals?(Supply)
January 1, 2004... Huge social and technological changes have created new pressures in the electric industry that must be addressed. In times of chaos and uncertainty, it is appealing to simplify and propose a centralized fix--that is, a one-size-fits-all...

Fuel cell powers highway project.(In The News)
January 1, 2004... TransGuide, an Intelligent Transportation System, designed by the San Antonio District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is testing a propane-powered PEM fuel cell. This "smart highway" project provides information to motorists...

High altitude power sought.(In The News)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Army is seeking proposals to develop improved lightweight, high energy density, energy production and storage technologies to supplement primary power systems in high altitude airships (HAA). According to topic author Mike Lee, (Tel:...

The Diesel Dilemma: a report has a different take on diesel powered vehicles.(Transportation)
January 1, 2004... Should Americans invest in diesel or gasoline cars and light trucks to reduce oil usage, global warming pollution, and toxic air contaminants--while saving money at the pump? The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) explored this question by...

Standards or taxes? The Congressional Budget Office looks at ways to cut vehicle fuel consumption.
January 1, 2004... Some Members of Congress and public interest groups have recently proposed raising the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for automobiles. Proponents of CAFE standards see them as a way to decrease the United States' dependence on...

More efficient freight transport.(In the news: freight)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's has launched a SmartWay Transport Partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save energy in the movement of goods. Major shippers and carriers are among the charter partners in the new...

Technology reduces truck idling.(In the news: freight)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity has awarded separate project grants to Caterpillar Inc. and Schneider National Inc. to investigate technologies that reduce truck idling. According to industry experts, truck...

OPEC still declining: export revenues still lag far behind peak years of two decades ago.(Oil)
January 1, 2004... Assuming the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) January 2004 "reference case" forecast for world oil prices and production, OPEC net oil export revenues for 2004 are projected to be $231 billion, a 5 percent decrease from 2003...

Gas vs. nukes: the Energy Dept. takes an annual look at its crystal ball.(Policy)
January 1, 2004... The Annual Energy Outlook 2004 (AEO2004) forecast reflects new information about key energy issues. Some of the most critical, relating to natural gas supplies and the status of nuclear power as an electricity option, are discussed below. ...

Power hits record high: wholesale prices defined U.S. power markets.(Markets)
January 1, 2004... For 2003, record-high wholesale power prices were the defining feature of the U.S. merchant power markets. Generation capacity based in coal, uranium, and hydro benefited greatly from the high power prices, while generation based on oil and gas...

Cylinder deactivation demonstrated.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The 2005 Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum RT will be the first high-volume, modern production vehicles in North America to feature fully functioning cylinder deactivation when they go on sale in the spring of 2004. The Multi-Displacement System...

World's largest solar dish debuts in Israel.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... As the world searches for more oil and more reliable sources of energy, the world's largest solar dish--featuring 400 square meters of mirrors--has been unveiled at Ben-Gurion University's National Solar Energy Center at the Jacob Blaustein...

Researchers break electronics speed record.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Engineers have fused a 1950s concept with modern semiconductor processing and design to create a diode that can move electrical current at record-breaking rates. At room temperature, the diode (a device that behaves like a valve for electricity...

Fuel cell to power train.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... MesoFuel, Inc. (Website: www.mesofuel.com) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a hydrogen generation company, has been awarded a contract by Vehicle Projects, LLC (Denver, CO) to design and manufacture the hydrogen generator for the world's first fuel...

2004 SUV's are greenest and meanest.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Amid continued public interest in fuel efficiency and growing concern about gas-guzzling SUVs, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has announced this year's "Greenest" and "Meanest" vehicles, along with environmental...

Energy outlook.(Outlook)
January 1, 2004... U.S. petroleum demand in 2003 grew an estimated 1.4 percent to about 20 million barrels per day, partly on the strength of oil substitution for natural gas in electric power generation and in some industrial uses. In 2004, demand is expected to...

Fuel economy reforms coming.(Outlook)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing to revamp its fuel efficiency standards for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, which the DOT classifies as "light trucks." On December 22nd, DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety...

GTI pursues gasification.(Alternatives)
January 1, 2004... John F. Riordan, president and CEO of Gas Technology Institute (GTI), announced the establishment of a new GTI group in Birmingham, Alabama, for research on various aspects of gasification. Gasification is the controlled application of heat and...

Methane clathrate hydrate prospecting.(Alternatives)
January 1, 2004... Research by N. Duxbury of Caltech and V. Romanovsky of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has resulted in a new method of prospecting for methane. The impetus for this method lies in the abundance of CH4...

A solar plant for Australia.(Alternatives)
January 1, 2004... According to Origin Energy, they have commenced construction of a $20 million solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing plant in Adelaide, South Australia. The new plant will make solar power panels based on Sliver Solar Cell technology that was...

USGS presents hydrates findings.(Alternatives)
January 1, 2004... For the first time, an international research program involving the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey has proven that it is technically feasible to produce gas from gas hydrates. Gas hydrates are a naturally occurring...

Energy blueprint for Hudson Valley.(Alternatives)
January 1, 2004... The Pace Law School Energy Project and the energy consulting firm Synapse Energy Economics jointly released "A Clean Electricity Strategy for the Hudson River Valley." This study, made possible through a grant from the Hudson River Foundation,...

Another Geothermal Power Plant.(Alternatives)
January 1, 2004... The California Energy Commission has voted to license the Salton Sea Unit 6 Geothermal Power Project. If constructed as expected, the facility would use geothermal steam from the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area to produce 185...

Geysers provide recycled water.(Alternatives)
January 1, 2004... According to Calpine Corporation (www.calpine.com), the Santa Rosa Geysers Recharge Project (www.geysers.com) is now in operation, providing up to 11 million gallons per day of recycled water originating from the City of Santa Rosa's municipal...

What's the source of mercury pollution?(Environment/Emissions)
January 1, 2004... Recent research has shown that mercury depositing on the earth's surface within the United States predominantly originates outside the country, and, according to researchers at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, 3412 Hillview Ave.,...

More bad news on fossil fuels.(Environment/Emissions)
January 1, 2004... AOSS researchers have provided observational evidence that burning fossil fuels has a direct impact on the solar radiation reflectivity of clouds, thereby contributing to global climate change. Professor Joyce E. Penner and graduate student...

Synergistic SuperGrid under development.(Electric Utilities)
January 1, 2004... A high-capacity superconducting energy pipeline, or SuperGrid, could deliver electricity and hydrogen fuel across the nation and help meet future energy needs while reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, say experts who recently assessed the...

Weather drives winter electric demands.(Electric Utilities)
January 1, 2004... Frigid temperatures throughout the northern states have resulted in record consumer electricity demand. For instance, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO, 290 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY 12303), which operates the...

Shell re-categorizes its reserves.(Oil)
January 1, 2004... The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies announced that, following internal reviews, some proved hydrocarbon reserves will be recategorized. The total non recurring recategorization, relative to the proved reserves as stated at December 31,...

Make potassium iodide available.(Nuclear)
January 1, 2004... Potassium iodide pills should be available to everyone age 40 or younger--especially children and pregnant and lactating women--living near a nuclear power plant, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council. The...

World Bank endorses investment initiative.(Policy)
January 1, 2004... The World Bank Group has formally endorsed the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and pledged to work with several developing nations, as well as companies, on ways to publish revenues accruing from oil, gas, and mining...

Demand growth spurs LNG projects.(Natural Gas/LNG)
January 1, 2004... Amid rising demand for cleaner fossil fuels, increased energy consumption and continuing geopolitical concerns about stable oil supplies, liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects are likely to be especially active in 2004 and beyond, say lawyers at...

Diesel car on the road to reform.(Transportation)
January 1, 2004... A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists finds that diesel cars of the future can be much cleaner than today's diesels using pollution controls under development and can provide consumers with cost-effective fuel economy gains....

Hydrogen three-wheelers developed in India.(Transportation)
January 1, 2004... A U.S. Department of Energy-implemented project supported by USAID will introduce three-wheel hydrogen-powered vehicles into India. USAID's US-Asia Environmental Partnership program and its Global Development Alliance program brought the...

Electroplating boosts solar cells.(New Technology)
January 1, 2004... One way to improve solar cells is to find inexpensive materials to replace the silicon currently used to gather light energy and convert it to electricity. One line of research taps dye molecules to gather photons. Researchers from the Kyushu...

Ultra low-emission on-site systems.(New Technology)
January 1, 2004... DTE Energy Technologies, a non-regulated subsidiary of DTE Energy Co., has launched a new line of ultra low-emission, high-efficiency, on-site energy systems using cooled exhaust gas recirculation (CEGR) engine technology. These systems have...

Flywheel spins to a speed record.(New Technology)
January 1, 2004... Technology that significantly improves the ability of high-speed flywheels to store energy has been developed by research engineers at The University of Texas at Austin. A flywheel made with the new technology set a speed record, spinning...

Does distribution efficiency yield savings?(New Technology)
January 1, 2004... The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance announced that it will conduct a multi-year study on electric voltage regulation in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The study, known as the Distribution Efficiency Initiative (DEI), will determine...

New cooling system technology.(New Technology)
January 1, 2004... The Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) recently partnered with Idalex to demonstrate a cooling system method, the Coolerado Cooler, at Mount Saint Vincent School in northwest Denver. The system uses...

Siemens advances organic solar cells.(New Technology)
January 1, 2004... Siemens researchers have increased the efficiency of printed organic solar cells from three to over five percent by using organic photodetectors. In contrast to today's silicon cells, organic solar cells can be printed on foils, making cells...

Rayovac adds more capacity.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Rayovac (Madison, WI) has signed an agreement to acquire 85% of the equity interest in Ningbo Baowang Battery Co. (No. 18 Keji Rd., Science Technological Zone, Ninghai, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China 315600; Tel: 86 574 65552918). The remaining 15%...

Hydrogenics files preliminary prospectus.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Hydrogenics Corp. (5985 McLaughlin Rd., Mississauga, ON L5R 1B8 Canada; Tel: 905/361-3660) has filed a preliminary prospectus with the securities commissions in each of the provinces of Canada and a registration statement with the U.S....

Maryland enacts appliance standards.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... The Maryland General Assembly has enacted a law that will increase the energy efficiency of a number of products and save Marylanders millions of dollars in energy costs, according to a coalition of consumer and environmental groups. The...

U.S. appeals court upholds higher efficiency.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned a Bush administration decision to alter energy-efficiency standards for new air conditioners. As a result, analysts believe American consumers could save $20 billion and avoid the need...

Evergreen ships 50,000th string ribbon solar panel.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Evergreen Solar, Inc. (Website: www.evergreensolar.com), a developer, marketer, and manufacturer of photovoltaic (solar electric) products for the worldwide market, has manufactured and shipped its 50,000th solar panel incorporating its...

Treating water for power plants.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... USFilter has introduced a new line of configured membrane water treatment systems for the power industry. The PowerMax Series equipment provides a reliable, cost-effective way to convert incoming surface, well or graywater into high-quality...

Marketing expands for fuel economizer.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... R.W. Beckett Corp. has signed an agreement with Intellidyne, LLC (www.intellidynellc.com) of Glen Cove, New York, to become the exclusive North American marketer of the IntelliCon-HW, a fuel economizer for hot water home heating systems....

Connecting windmills to the grid.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... American Superconductor Corp. is providing its D-VAR (Dynamic Volt-Ampere-Reactive) reactive power compensation system to Canada's largest wind farm developer, Vision Quest Windelectric, a subsidiary of TransAlta Corp. The DVAR system will...

Airy conspiracy: NRDC accuses utilities of collusion to violate air quality standards.(Environment)
January 1, 2004... Internal electric utility documents reveal the industry has known for more than a decade that massive air pollution increases from coal-fired power plants violate the Clean Air Act. According to a recent Justice Department brief, the documents...

FL governor proposes millions for hydrogen.
January 1, 2004... Governor Jeb Bush joined Dept. of Environmental Protection Secretary David B. Struhs to introduce Florida to the high-tech world of pollution-free travel. Secretary Struhs demonstrated a Toyota fuel cell Sports Utility Vehicle powered by...

Clathrates way to store hydrogen.
January 1, 2004... A new method of storing hydrogen gas in crystalline compounds could facilitate its use as a clean and efficient fuel. University of Chicago, (Dept. of the Geophysical Sciences, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637; email:...

Australia sees future [H.sub.2] demand.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... By 2030 the Australian demand for hydrogen as a fuel source could be as great as 18 million cubic meters, with up to half of all mobile phones and 20 percent of all vehicles using the new clean fuel, according to a national report. The National...

U.S. cooperates on R&D efforts.
January 1, 2004... In January, U.S. Energy (1000 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20585; Tel: 202/586-4940) Secretary Spencer Abraham signed separate cooperative research agreements with Chinese and Japanese officials to further develop fuel cell and...

Abraham, and Goji Sakamoto.
January 1, 2004... Abraham, and Goji Sakamoto, Japan's senior vice minister of economy, trade and industry signed a joint statement of intent to pursue pre-competitive research and development in the field of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies.

What's next for solar? Can this technology move out of its niche and become a mainstream energy source.(Alternatives)
January 1, 2004... A landmark research report out fines what would be required to move solar energy beyond a small, niche market into a thriving industry able to contribute significantly to America's energy and national security needs. The Solar Opportunity...

What caused the blackout? A task force leaned more toward government control than technical competence.(Commentary)
January 1, 2004... After the August 14, 2003 Black out the Federal Governments of the U.S. and Canada took over control of the investigation and appointed a joint task force to conduct it. Unlike previous investigations, where the most competent people available...

Voice of authority: jumping to conclusions on global warming.(Contrarian's View on Energy)
January 1, 2004... Worst flood of millenium" is what the German Minister of Ecology, Jurgen Trittin, called the 2002 flood of Dresden when speaking to the German Congress, presumably after he had observed the ravages caused by that terrible flood. He was quick to...

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... March 10-13, 2004, Building Energy Conference, Boston University, Boston, MA. Contact: Jonathan Tauer; Tel: 413/774-6051, ext. 20; E-mail: jtauer@nesea.org; Website: www.nesea.org/buildings/be/. March 22-24, 2004, The Third Annual...