Energy articles from June 2002

Energy archives from June 2002

Stable energy prices ahead. (Editorial).
June 22, 2002... You wouldn't think in the wake of 9/11 last year that anything could be "stable" but, indeed, we are probably on the verge of a period of reasonable stability in energy prices. I make that claim because a U.S. military invasion of Iraq is...

How fuel cells are adding up: once a technological oddity, they are now a technological achievement with commercial promise. (Technology).(Industry Overview)
June 22, 2002... One would think that the obvious benefits of the fuel cell, even with a number of technological, sociological and practical business hurdles yet to be overcome, would be self evident, at least to the extent that those who would profit from the...

The potential of biomass: the technology is evolving but its still a small contributor. (Alternatives).(Industry Overview)
June 22, 2002... A major challenge forecasting biomass energy growth is estimating resource potential. EIA has compiled available biomass resource estimates from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Antares Group, Inc., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture...

New vistas in nuclear power: next generation reactors are safer and resist proliferation but barriers remain. (Nuclear).(includes article on Engelhard Corp.'s Molecular Gate system used by Tidelands Oil Production Co.)(Industry Overview)
June 22, 2002... New nuclear technologies for power generation must address and surmount the real and perceived barriers that impede the further deployment of currently available designs. Cost is the highest barrier, but proliferation resistance, and waste...

Providing China's energy: with escalating demand, China is turning to nuclear power. (International).(Industry Overview)
June 22, 2002... In 1990, China's total net electricity consumption (all fuels) was 551 billion kilowatthours. By 2020, EIA projects demand will reach 3,349 billion kilowatthours. Demand at that point will be second only to that of the United States. Three...

Hybrid buses more efficient. (In The News).(Metropolitan Transportation Authority's New York City Transit's hybrid-electric buses save fuel)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... A recently released study by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401-3393; Tel: 303/275-3000; Website: http://www.nrel.gov) concludes that hybrid buses operate with...

Call for market-based climate rules. (In The News).(U.S states call for federal measures to control greenhouse gas emissions)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... In a July 17, 2002, letter to President Bush, the attorneys general of Alaska, California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont called for strong federal measures--including...

Cutting waste from idling vehicles. (In The News).(Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality; applications for fuel waste and emmissions reduction research)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) has been fielding applications for research that will identify ways to reduce fuel waste and air emissions due to vehicle idling. While the Bush NEP (National Energy Plan) specifically...

Call for market-base climate controls. (Outlook).(U.S states call for federal measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... In a July 17, 2002 letter (seehttp://www.ago.state.ma.us/press_rel/climate.pdf) to President Bush, the attorneys general of Alaska, California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and...

Tough year, but oil kept flowing. (Outlook).(energy industry; worldwide analysis of supply, demand and consumption)(Industry Overview)
June 22, 2002... According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2002 (published on the internet at www.bp.com/centres/energy), despite the disruptions of last year--including a serious economic downturn, continuing Middle East tensions, and the tragedy...

2002 may be 2nd warmest year. (Outlook).(National Climatic Data Center research)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... In a development that puts further intense scrutiny on efficiency initiatives, the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has announced that with six months under our belt, 2002 is shaping up to be the second warmest year on record globally. The...

GE to develop fish friendly turbine. (Power Production).
June 22, 2002... GE Hydro, a unit of GE Power Systems (www.gepower.com), has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, WA, to design a fish-friendly hydroelectric turbine that will reduce fish mortality while minimizing...

Boom-bust N[O.sub.x] allowance pricing. (Environment).(power companies; Environmental Protection Agency regulations allow market-based approach for controlling nitrogen oxide emissions )
June 22, 2002... Power companies may be prematurely sinking billions into nitrogen oxide (N[O.sub.x]) pollution control equipment in the face of tremendous financial, regulatory, and market uncertainty, according to a new study released by ICF Consulting....

Hybrid buses fuel efficient. (Environment).
June 22, 2002... A recently released study by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401-3393; Tel: 303/275-3000; Website: http://www.nrel.gov) concludes that hybrid buses operate with...

Cutting energy waste in idling vehicles. (Environment).(Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Transportation and Air Quality fields research applications)
June 22, 2002... EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) has been fielding applications for research that will identify ways to reduce fuel waste and air emissions due to vehicle idling. While the Bush NEP (National Energy Plan) specifically...

Linking fuel cells to "clean coal". (Energy Policy).
June 22, 2002... The U.S. Department of Energy has approved plans to shift the site of the world's first fuel cell to be linked to a clean coal technology power plant--a move that will give the power industry an earlier-than-expected preview of a super-clean,...

NARUC says Senate action "unconscionable". (Energy Policy).(National Association of Regulatory and Utility Commissioners)
June 22, 2002... The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development recently voted to approve a measure which cuts $189 million from the administration's request for funds supporting the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository program. The...

Sagometer taps powerline capacity. (Transmission And Distribution).(monitoring ground clearance)
June 22, 2002... A new device developed by EDM International. Inc, (4001 Automation Way, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525: Tel: 970/204-4001; Fax: 970/204-4007; E-mail: info@edmlink.com) and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI, 6220 Culebra Rd., PO Drawer 28510, San...

SchlumbergerSema signs substation deal. (Transmission And Distribution).(Los Angeles Department of Water and Power )
June 22, 2002... SchlumbergerSema, a business unit of Schlumberger Limited, has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to furnish consulting, integration services and equipment to automate existing electrical substations....

Calvalley discovers more oil in Yemen. (Oil).(Calvalley Petroleum Inc.)
June 22, 2002... Calvalley Petroleum Inc., a Calgary based oil and gas exploration and development company, has made another discovery on Block 9 in the Republic of Yemen. Calvalley had previously reported a successful Saar oil discovery with its first well at...

Alternative waste plan proposed by IEER. (Nuclear).(Institute for Energy and Environmental Research)
June 22, 2002... The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (lEER, 6935 Laurel Ave. Suite 204, Takoma Park, MD 20912; Tel: 301/270-5500; Fax: 301/270-3029; ieer@ieer,org; Website: http://www.ieer.org) has offered an alternative approach to the...

Alloy may raise gas mileage. (Technology).(aluminum-silicon alloy)
June 22, 2002... A new high-strength aluminum-silicon alloy developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, promises to lower engine emissions and could improve gas mileage in consumers' cars, boats and recreational vehicles. The new alloy,...

Deposition technique has efficiency uses. (Technology).
June 22, 2002... A way to help next-generation computers boot up instantly, making entire memories immediately available for use, has been developed by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories (http://www.sandia.gov) and Pacific Northwest National...

Sensor potentially saves millions. (Technology).(laser ultrasonic sensor measures flexibility of paper)
June 22, 2002... Hoping to save the paper-manufacturing industry millions of dollars in energy costs, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Environmental Energy Technologies Division scientists have developed a laser ultrasonic sensor that measures paper's flexibility...

MPG gains achievable with drive-by-wire.(miles per gallon improves with electronic throttle control)
June 22, 2002... No mechanical linkage will connect the accelerator pedal on a 2004 Ford Explorer to the engine's throttle. But when the driver steps on the pedal, the Explorer's engine will instantly respond since an electronic "drive-by-wire" system provides...

Conferences highlight cooling technology.(16th International Compressor Engineering Conference and Ninth International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference)
June 22, 2002... Engineers are close to perfecting automotive air conditioning systems that use carbon dioxide instead of synthetic refrigerants thought to damage the atmospheric ozone layer and contribute to global warming. Carbon dioxide also is playing a...

Bullish on ESCOs: energy services are growing fast. They now generate $2 billion annually. (Electricity).(energy service companies focus on energy efficiency projects)(Industry Overview)
June 22, 2002... Over the last 20 years, a fairly large private sector energy-efficiency services industry has developed in North America whose primary business is performance contracting. Today, over sixty national and regional Energy Services Companies...

Spheral solar cells cut costs. (In the news: distributed generation).(ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. )
June 22, 2002... ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Inc. (ATS, 250 Royal Oak Rd., Cambridge, Ontario, Canada N3H 5M2; Tel: 519/653-6533) plans to begin commercial manufacture of solar cells utilizing its new Spheral Solar Technology (SST). These solar cells,...

Microturbine drives CHP system. (In the news: distributed generation).(Capstone Turbine Corp.'s microturbine-driven combined-heat-and-power product)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Capstone Turbine Corp. (21211 Nordhoff St., Chatsworth, CA 91311; Tel: 818/734-5300; Website: www.microturbine.com) is releasing a new microturbine-driven combined-heat-and-power (CHP) product. The company anticipates that its Pre-Engineered...

Ballard intros high-speed V-6. (In the news: distributed generation).(Ballard Power Systems' Electric Drives and Power Conversion Division's Ecostar genset)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Ballard Power Systems' Electric Drives & Power Conversion Division (9000 Glenlyon Pkwy., Burnaby, BC V5J 5J9, Canada: Tel: 604/454-0900) introduced its first high-speed natural gas--fueled generator set (the Ecostar genset) capable of producing...

Auctioning electricity: New Jersey applies advanced economic theory to power procurement. (Marketing).
June 22, 2002... On February 13th, 2002, New Jersey fully introduced a market process to replace government agency allocation. An auction was employed that represents the first ever application of the Simultaneous Descending Clock Auction (SDCA) for power...

Gas, power and the SEC: deregulated gas and power companies have a unique opportunity to define new lines of business. (Commentary).(Securities and Exchange Commission)(Industry Overview)
June 22, 2002... One thing the California energy crisis demonstrated to most anybody's satisfaction is how little we know about the larger and more diversified companies that are coming to dominate our corporate landscape. What we do know is that the complexity...

Faulty reasoning: energy is fraught with predictions-and a lack of logic. (Contrarian's View on Energy).
June 22, 2002... Professor John H. Lienhard of the University of Houston has produced well over 1200 radio spots entitled Engines of our Ingenuity, several of which have dealt with questions of energy, directly and indirectly. One of them, No. 1213, concerns...

Oil: the balance of trade (millions of dollars). (Indicators).(1974 - 2001)
June 22, 2002... Indicators Oil: The Balance of Trade (Millions of Dollars) Value of Value of Energy Exports Energy Imports Net Balance 1974 3,444 25,454 ...