Energy articles from September 2003

Energy archives from September 2003

Everything but an energy policy.(Editorial)
September 22, 2003... An early vote for cloture in the Senate debate over The Energy Policy Act of 2003 failed on November 21 handing the Republican bill sponsors a big, maybe even unexpected, defeat. It's uncertain where the Bill will head from here but the bill in...

Electrical turmoil: markets are still chaotic while FERC prepares a new round of reforms.(Utilities)
September 22, 2003... Turmoil in electricity markets continues--just in different forms. Gone are the soaring prices and rolling power blackouts of the California crisis. Instead, today several generating and trading companies are in financial straits, wholesale...

Putting a price on power plants: a new guidebook helps assess value and analyze financial risk.(Utilities)
September 22, 2003... Henwood Energy has just released a new database covering the nearly half-trillion dollar (in assets) U.S. power generation business. The Power Generation Bluebook is both a report on the current worth of generation assets and a database...

Service optimization: in a deregulated world, competition relies on quality service.(Utilities)
September 22, 2003... By definition, industry deregulation introduces fierce competitive pressures. In the energy industry, it is difficult to differentiate by product features, and customer service is often the only clear differentiator between providers. With...

Russian reality? Production increases over the past few years have raised questions.(Oil)
September 22, 2003... Oil production in Russia continues to increase at a rate of 11 percent per annum, on target to average 8.5 million b/d in 2003, and industry projections that a few years ago seemed unlikely, now seem plausible. Indeed, Russian exports to the US...

Microchip consumes less power.
September 22, 2003... The University of Idaho Center for Advanced Microelectronics and Biomolecular Research unveiled a new radiation-hardened, error-correction microchip that consumes less than 15 milliwatts of power, 100 times less than current space technologies,...

Plug-in hybrid can halve fuel use.
September 22, 2003... A researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia discovered that the development of a plug-in fuel cell hybrid, with as little as 20 miles of range from rechargeable hydrogen, could cut the amount of gasoline consumed in the United States by...

Diode could enable efficient electronics.
September 22, 2003... Engineers have designed a new diode that transmits more electricity than any other device of its kind, and the inspiration for it came from technology that is 40 years old. Unlike other diodes in its class, called tunnel diodes, the new diode...

Demand destruction: the impact of rising natural gas prices from 2003 to 2030.(Natural Gas)
September 22, 2003... The sharp fluctuations in economic growth and natural gas prices in the past few years--especially in 2001 and 2003--have had a significant impact on natural gas demand. At a time when the availability of investment capital in the energy sector...

Virtual network increases yield.
September 22, 2003... The California Energy Commission (CEC, 1516 Ninth Street, MS-29, Sacramento, CA 95814) has been awarded a grant of $300,000 by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a virtual network aimed at increasing the electricity yield...

Transistor uses less power.
September 22, 2003... IBM (New Orchard Rd., Armonk, NY 10504; Tel: 914/49-1900; Fax: 914/765-7382; Toll Free: 800/426-4968; Website: www.ibm.com) announced an innovative chip design that can improve performance fourfold or reduce power consumption fivefold in...

Nanotubes could improve PV efficiency.
September 22, 2003... Nanotechnology researchers are working to construct materials at the level of molecules and atoms in order to produce substances that have specific, precise electrical properties. Researchers from the University of Bologna and the University of...

Small home generating systems.
September 22, 2003... Sharp Corporation (22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8522, Japan; Tel: +81-6-6621-1221; Fax: +81-6-6627-1759; Website: www.sharp.co.jp) has developed a pair of Small Home System (SHS) photovoltaic (PV) power generating systems that make...

Sufficient supply? Government policies fail to address the need to meet future demand.(Natural Gas)
September 22, 2003... According to National Petroleum Council (NPC), if the portfolio of policy initiatives set forth in the study were addressed promptly by governments at all levels, energy consumption will total as much as $1 trillion in natural gas costs over...

Bion jump starts muscles, nerves.(new product from Quallion)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2003... A new miniature battery developed by Quallion (Michelle Higgs, 12744 San Fernando Road, Sylmar, California 91342; Tel: 818/833-2005, email: michelleh@quallion.com) and Argonne Laboratory (Catherine Foster (630/252-5580, email: cfoster@anl.gov)...

High pressure water a new power source.(In The News ...)
September 22, 2003... A team of researchers in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta (E6-050 Engineering Teaching & Learning Complex, Tel: 780/492-3320, Fax: 780/492-0500) has discovered a new way of generating electricity from flowing water. It...

Stepping stone to remote lands.(In The News ...)
September 22, 2003... The Marubeni Corp. and FueICell Energy, Inc. (3 Great Pasture Rd., Danbury, CT 06183; Tel: 203/792-1460) have sited a Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plant at the Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd. (JAPEX) facilities near Nagaoka City in Japan....

Air products opens new stations.(In The News ...)
September 22, 2003... A new Air Products (7201 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown, PA 18195-1501; Tel: 610/481-5302) hydrogen fueling station using two hydrogen fueling technologies was formally dedicated when the University of California-Davis' Institute of Transportation...

Finding ways to control Mercury.(Electric Utilities)
September 22, 2003... Eight new projects shift the focus of mercury control technologies from laboratory research to field testing at large scale coal-fired power plants. The utility field-test sites include those burning lignite, and those with smaller...

Virtual network will increase CHP yields.(Electric Utilities)
September 22, 2003... The California Energy Commission has been awarded a grant of $300,000 by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a virtual network aimed at increasing the electricity yield from combined heat and power (CHP) systems in the...

Outage notice tops business' wish list.(Electric Utilities)
September 22, 2003... Power outages rank as today's foremost energy-management concern among businesses and organizations, a concern that may represent an opportunity for power providers, according to Primen (www.primen.com), an energy market intelligence company...

Grant to harness clean energy technologies.(Renewables\Alternatives)
September 22, 2003... Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC; Website: www.masstech.org) Executive Director Mitchell Adams announced $2 million in grant funding from the state's Renewable Energy Trust to four emerging technology demonstration projects across...

Fuel cell tests show outstanding results.(Renewables\Alternatives)
September 22, 2003... Gas Technology Institute (GTI) researchers have verified excellent long-term performance and stability of advanced proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell components. When properly designed, these components can achieve lifetime performance...

Government cuts its energy focus.(Policy)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2003... The U.S. government is limiting its options by only pushing the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles, says Temple mechanical engineering professor Richard S. Cohen. "There's so much we could do in the short term that would help with the...

Sensor maps gas pipeline corrosion.(Technology)
September 22, 2003... A prototype sensor that can quickly and inexpensively measure pitting and deterioration of natural gas pipelines has passed a critical test on its path to commercialization, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Known as the "conformable...

Advanced reformer for fuel cells.(Technology)
September 22, 2003... Engelhard Corporation has introduced an advanced catalytic approach for hydrogen reforming of natural gas and liquid petroleum gas used in fuel cell applications. The technology features durable monolithic structures based on Engelhard's other...

Gas storage technology consortium established.(Natural Gas)
September 22, 2003... The Pennsylvania State University has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to establish and operate an underground gas storage technology consortium. The agreement between Penn State and DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory...

Prospects for growth in light-duty diesel.(Transportation)
September 22, 2003... U.S. auto manufacturers are eyeing light-duty diesel vehicles, which currently make up a minute fraction of vehicle sales here, with growing interest. Despite the challenges of meeting clean air standards and overcoming consumer skepticism,...

Bad mileage: 98 tons of plants per gallon.(Transportation)
September 22, 2003... A staggering 98 tons of prehistoric, buried plant material--that's 196,000 pounds--is required to produce each gallon of gasoline we burn in our cars, SUVs, trucks and other vehicles, according to a study conducted at the University of Utah....

Refiners expect volatile fuel supplies.
September 22, 2003... Oil refiners expect fuel supplies and prices will remain volatile around the United States in the next few years, as refineries work to churn out fuels at near capacity levels in response to rising demand for petroleum products, according to...

International companies help OPEC to grow.(Petroleum)
September 22, 2003... Wood Mackenzie (www.woodmac. com) expects the trend towards IOC (international oil company) involvement in OPEC countries to grow as the organization's assets mature and cost-effective production becomes more difficult to achieve for the...

Next-generation fuel researched at ORNL.(Nuclear)
September 22, 2003... Particle fuel coating technology from Oak Ridge National Laboratory could play a big role one day in deployment of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. The reactors and the fuel they consume would minimize the production of longlived...

Pollutant-eating microbe speeds cleanup.(Environment)
September 22, 2003... Cornell University microbiologists, looking for bioremediation microbes to "eat" toxic pollutants, report the first field test of a technique called stable isotopic probing (SIP) in a contaminated site. And they announce the discovery and...

Is C[O.sub.2] making the ocean more acidic.(Environment)
September 22, 2003... Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have found that continued release of carbon dioxide during the next several centuries would increase ocean acidity more rapidly than during the past 300 million years, resulting in...

Refiners scramble to meet looming low-sulfur standards.
September 22, 2003... According to an August 7 report put together by Standard and Poor's Credit Analyst John Thieroff (S&P New York Office; Tel: 212/438-7695) for many oil refiners, the low-sulfur mandate for gasoline and diesel fuel is looming large. The Tier 2...

Maintaining infrastructure: IEA estimates that investment until 2030 will require $16 trillion.(Finance)
September 22, 2003... The IEA estimates that the total investment requirement for energy-supply infrastructure worldwide over the period 2001-2030 is $16 trillion. This investment is needed to expand supply capacity and to replace existing and future supply...

[H.sub.2] home energy experiments begin.(In the News ...)
September 22, 2003... Honda R&D Co., Ltd., (1900 Harpers Way Torrance, CA 90501 Tel: 310/ 781-5607) has established an experimental Home Energy Station (lIES) that generates hydrogen from natural gas for use in fuel cell vehicles while supplying electricity and hot...

MOFs point way to 6 percent [H.sub.2] storage.(In the News ...)
September 22, 2003... A class of materials called Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF), which are able to store large quantities of hydrogen that is easily accessible to fuel cells, is under development at the University of Michigan. Composed of low-cost materials such as...

Military explores two hydrogen systems.(In the News ...)
September 22, 2003... Under its service agreement with Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems (TOHS), Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (1675 West Maple Rd., Troy, MI 48084; Tel: 248/280-1900)has been awarded the first phase of funding from the U.S. Army TankAutomotive and...

Breakthrough stack operates below freezing.(In the News ...)
September 22, 2003... Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (1900 Harpers Way, Torrance, CA 90501; Tel: 310/781-5607) reports its remarkably compact nextgeneration fuel cell stack delivers higher performance with increased range and fuel efficiency. The Honda FC Stack is designed...

Farms could be cheap [H.sub.2] source.(In the News ...)
September 22, 2003... A $204,603 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will advance a concept system of converting animal waste to hydrogen. The hydrogen plant devised by New Energy Solutions Inc. (NESI, 167 Second Street, SeCond Floor, Pittsfield, MA 01201,...

Let it blow: Germany leads the world in alternative energy.(Renewables)
September 22, 2003... Clusters of tall white wind turbines spin gracefully atop green hill sides. Solar photovoltaics (PVs) are integrated into windows and rooftops of modern homes, factories and office blocks. Even the old renovated seat of government is fitted...

Green trading: attendees at a green trading summit were optimistic.(Renewables)
September 22, 2003... The evidence for climate change due to greenhouse gas buildup in the atmosphere has become inescapable. Every problem has a solution, it is believed, and in a market economy it is equally anticipated that there is money to be made in furnishing...

Microbes generate electricity from sugar.(Brief Article)
September 22, 2003... Sugars can be converted to electricity with an efficiency much higher than previously known, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Professor Derek Lovley and postdoctoral researcher Swades Chaudhuri have...

ORNL showcasing solar lighting.
September 22, 2003... Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing hybrid solar lighting (www.ornl.gov/hybridlighting), which is nearly 10 times more efficient than the most affordable solar cells today. Jeff Muhs, who leads the research effort, notes that the...

Junk science revisited: more ruminations on the greenhouse effect and the hydrogen economy.(Contrarian's View on Energy)
September 22, 2003... The real nature of the "science" of climate change (supposedly due to the greenhouse effect of gases liberated by energy conversion) and the deliberate deceit involved in writing the UN Intergovernmental Panel's report on the matter was...

Slumping U.S. uranium purchases.(Indicators)
September 22, 2003... Total U.S. uranium exploration and development expenditures in 2002 were $0.4 million, a decrease of 93 percent from the 2001 level. U.S. uranium concentrate production totaled 2.3 million pounds in 2002, a 63 percent decline from 1996. Almost...

Calendar.(Calendar)
September 22, 2003... January 12-23, 2004, International Training Program on Utility Regulation and Strategy, Energy, Water and Telecommunications. World Bank and University of Florida (PURC), Gainesville, Florida. Contact: Virginia Hessels; Tel: 352/392-6148;...