Renewable Energy Today articles from May 2003

Renewable Energy Today archives from May 2003

PJM to Provide 'Capacity Credits' to Wind Power Producers.
May 1, 2003... PJM Interconnection, a limited liability company responsible for the "operation and control of the bulk electric power systems throughout major portions of five mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia," recently announced that its...

AEP Leads e7 Wind Project in Galapagos Archipelago.
May 1, 2003... American Electric Power (AEP) recently announced it is leading a team from the e7, an organization of energy companies from the Group of Seven (G7) nations that collectively promote sustainable energy development, in a project to install wind...

BWEA Releases U.K. Wind Project Approval Statistics.
May 1, 2003... According to the latest figures released by the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), planning permission has been awarded for 10 new wind projects totaling 567 megawatts (MW) of capacity in the United Kingdom (U.K.) since the beginning of...

County Officials in PA Reject Plans for Wind Farm.
May 2, 2003... Officials on Somerset County, PA's planning board recently rejected a proposal submitted by Leawood, KS-based wind farm developer Generation Resources Holding Company (GRHC) to construct 30 wind turbines on a ridge northeast of the county,...

New SEPA Database Recognizes Commercial Solar Systems.
May 2, 2003... The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) recently announced the development of a new database, known as the Commercial Solar Electric Installation Inventory, that aims to "provide information on commercial, industrial, institutional and...

ASES, Groups to Host National Solar Conference in TX.
May 2, 2003... The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) will join with 10 other organizations "devoted to renewable energy and resource conservation" to present a six-day conference on solar technology June 21 through 26 at the Austin Convention Center in...

CSGS Sells RECs to Massachusetts Electric Company.
May 5, 2003... CSGServices, Inc. (CSGS) recently announced the sale of $1.8 million of renewable energy certificates (RECs) to the Massachusetts Electric Company in a single agreement on the New England Generation Information System (NE-GIS) market. CSGS...

CBI to Host Renewables Financing Conference in CO.
May 5, 2003... The Center for Business Intelligence (CBI) will host a two-day conference on financing renewable energy projects June 23 and 24 at the Warwick Denver in Denver, CO. CBI said the event, titled "Financing and Optimizing Renewable Energy...

UNCO Students Look to Aid Wind Power Purchase.
May 5, 2003... The University of Northern Colorado (UNCO) recently reported that university students are hoping to be granted approval by the school's board of trustees for an initiative that would add 28 cents per semester to student fees in an effort to...

NV Town Prepares Lease for Duke Solar Power Plant.
May 6, 2003... Officials in Boulder City, NV recently announced that the city manager is currently preparing a contract that will lease land to Duke Solar Energy for a proposed solar power plant that Duke claims will be the largest in the state. Under the...

Green Power Magazine to Host Renewables Seminars.
May 6, 2003... Green Power magazine will host a traveling one-day seminar, titled "Green Power Options," June 11 at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center in Denver, CO; September 25 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina in San Diego, CA; October 21 at the...

CRS, Partners to Host Green Power Workshop in WI.
May 6, 2003... The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) and its partners will host "Wisconsin Green Power Workshop," an event focused on green power procurement strategies, May 13 at Marquette University's Alumni Memorial Union in Milwaukee, WI. According...

New Castle, NY Approves Wind Power Purchase.
May 7, 2003... Town officials in New Castle, NY, recently announced that the town board has unanimously approved the purchase of wind-generated electricity from Wayne, PA-based Community Energy, Inc. to help power local buildings, streetlights and the town...

Enron Officials Indicted for Hiding Wind Farm Ownership.
May 7, 2003... The Sacramento Bee recently reported that U.S. District Court officials in Houston, TX, have indicted former Enron chief financial officer Andrew Fastow and his wife Lea, a former assistant treasurer at the company, for participating in a...

Pacific Hydro to Construct New Wind Farm in Australia.
May 7, 2003... Melbourne, Australia-based Pacific Hydro, Ltd. recently announced it has been granted "final planning approval" from the state government of Victoria, British Columbia to build a new 180-megawatt wind farm in southern Victoria. According...

CCEF Invites Engineers to Assist With PV Program.
May 8, 2003... The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) recently announced it has begun soliciting statements of qualifications and proposals from firms with a professional engineer (PE) or an individual PE to assist with the inspection, monitoring and...

BEF Supplies PGE With Green Tags for Large Energy Users.
May 8, 2003... The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) recently announced it has reached an agreement with Portland General Electric (PGE) to "serve as the sole supplier of wind energy certificates for the company's Clean Wind program for commercial and...

German Environmental Group Seeks to Block Wind Project.
May 8, 2003... German environmental group Naturschutzbund Deutschland eV (NABU) recently announced it has filed a complaint with the European Commission (EC) to block a proposed wind farm to be built by wind energy company Butendieck in the North Sea off the...

CPAU, 3 Phases Form Renewable Energy Partnership.
May 9, 2003... The City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) recently announced it will soon launch Palo Alto Green, "a new renewable energy offering to all residential, commercial and industrial customers within Palo Alto that provides an easy and affordable way to...

San Francisco to Support New Wave Power Study.
May 9, 2003... Local officials in San Francisco, CA, recently reported that the city's board of supervisors has voted unanimously in support of a new $2-million pilot project to examine the use of wave-generated electricity in helping power area homes. ...

GNDP, KMG to Co-develop Coal, Wind Power Project.
May 9, 2003... Great Northern Power Development (GNPD) recently announced it has joined with Kiewit Mining Group (KMG) to develop a 500-megawatt "linked coal and wind project" in eastern Montana that will source lignite from an "adjacent mine developed to...

AMP-Ohio Selects GMEC as Renewable Energy Supplier.
May 12, 2003... American Municipal Power-Ohio (AMP-Ohio), a nonprofit wholesale power supplier and service provider for municipal electric systems, recently announced it has selected Green Mountain Energy Company (GMEC) as its renewable energy supplier for the...

Meridian Energy Seeks Approval for New Zealand Wind Farm.
May 12, 2003... Officials with New Zealand's Meridian Energy recently announced that the state-owned power producer and marketer has submitted a request to the federal government to build a 55-turbine wind farm on the north side of the country's Manawatu...

Scottish Power Official Critical of Planning Delays.
May 12, 2003... Scottish Power chief executive officer Ian Russell recently warned that delays blocking the company from obtaining permission to build a series of wind farms in Scotland are jeopardizing more than 800 million pounds (about $1.2 billion) of...

AWEA Predicts Increase in U.S. Wind Installations.
May 13, 2003... According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the U.S. wind industry is "on track to install 1,100 to 1,400 [megawatts (MW)] of new capacity this year," with installed capacity expected to rise from current levels of 4,700 MW to...

OWPI to Host Wind Power, Bioenergy Conference in OK.
May 13, 2003... The Oklahoma Wind Power Initiative (OWPI), a "long-term joint project between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University," will host a two-day conference on wind power and bioenergy June 19 and 20 at the Marriott Hotel/U.S. Postal...

ECD Awarded NREL Solar Cell Development Subcontract.
May 13, 2003... Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) recently announced it has been awarded a subcontract by the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop new solar cell technology. According to ECD, the subcontract...

SunPower Introduces New A-300 Solar Cell.
May 14, 2003... Sunnyvale, CA-based SunPower Corporation recently announced the introduction of a new silicon solar cell "based on a unique rear-contact design," which the company said "maximizes the working cell area, hides unsightly wires and makes automated...

NESEA to Host 2003 Sustainability Conference in NJ.
May 14, 2003... The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) will host the 2003 Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Conference, June 4 through 7 at the War Memorial and Masonic Temple in Trenton, NJ. According to NESEA, the conference, which will include two...

UCS Report Examines Renewables Measures at State Level.
May 14, 2003... The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently released a new study which found that 19 states have implemented measures supporting renewable energy resources, with five states -- California, Nevada, Texas, Massachusetts and New Mexico --...

SeaWest Signs Deal to Operate, Maintain Enron Turbines.
May 15, 2003... SeaWest Holdings, Inc. subsidiary SeaWest Asset Management, Inc. recently announced it has signed contracts with Enron Wind Systems, LLC to provide "operations and maintenance services" for three projects with 888 wind turbines totaling 61.5...

FirstEnergy to Purchase Output from Meyersdale Project.
May 15, 2003... Meyersdale Windpower, LLC, a partnership between Richmond, VA-based Atlantic Renewable Energy Corporation and Zilkha Renewable Energy of Houston, TX, recently announced it has entered into an agreement with FirstEnergy Corporation subsidiary...

Cape Cod Community College Rejects Cape Wind Grant.
May 15, 2003... Kathleen Schatzberg, president of the Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable, MA, recently announced she has elected to decline a $100,000 grant offer from Cape Wind Associates for fear that the school's acceptance of the grant could be...

Superior Unveils Plans for Wind Farm Near Sault Ste. Marie.
May 16, 2003... Hamilton, Ontario-based Superior Wind Energy, Inc., a joint venture between Toronto-based Brascan Power and Harmony Wind Energy of Atikokan, Ontario, recently announced plans to develop a 100-megawatt wind farm on 4,000 acres of leased land...

Black and Veatch Forms Global 'Renewable Energy Group'.
May 16, 2003... Overland Park, KS-based global engineering, construction and consulting company Black and Veatch Corporation recently announced the formation of a new "Renewable Energy Group," which the company said will provide "comprehensive project services...

CNR Joins Electrabel to Build 40-MW Wind Farm in France.
May 16, 2003... Officials with Lyon, France-based Compagnie Nationale du Rhone (CNR) recently announced it has signed a $115.8-million deal with Belgium's Electrabel to build a 40-megawatt wind farm along the river Rhone in eastern France. Company officials...

ECD Acquires Interests in PV Ventures with Bekaert.
May 19, 2003... Rochester Hills, MI-based Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) recently announced it has entered into agreements with N.V. Bekaert S.A. to acquire all of Bekaerts's interests in the photovoltaic (PV) joint ventures United Solar Systems...

R. W. Beck, GEC to Offer Wind Project Assistance.
May 19, 2003... R. W. Beck, Inc. recently announced it has formed an alliance with Global Energy Concepts (GEC) to "offer the financial community independent engineering and due diligence expertise needed for wind energy projects...." "Together, we will...

TrustPower to Expand Wind Farm in Tararua, NZ.
May 19, 2003... Tauranga, New Zealand-based electricity producer TrustPower recently announced plans to proceed with a planned $60 million expansion of its existing 48-turbine Tararua wind farm, which the company expects will help it produce enough power for...

Pacific Hydro, FEA Form Renewables Joint Venture.
May 20, 2003... Victoria, Australia-based renewable energy generator Pacific Hydro, Ltd. recently announced it has formed a joint venture with Fiji Electrical Authority (FEA) "to develop up to 100 megawatts (MW) of hydro and wind generation capacity in Fiji."...

Hydro-Quebec Issues Call for Tenders for Wind Power.
May 20, 2003... Hydro-Quebec recently announced that Hydro-Quebec Distribution, the company's division responsible for serving the province's local load, has issued a call for tenders for 1,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power "to meet the long-term electricity...

Greek Government Orders PPC to Return Renewables Fee.
May 20, 2003... Greece's Regulatory Authority of Energy (RAE) recently ordered electric utility PPC to return approximately 20 million euros (about $22.8 million) collected from customers to help support renewable energy projects. According to RAE, the...

CA Senate Bill Promotes Mandatory Solar Installations.
May 21, 2003... State officials in California recently reported that state senator Kevin Murray has authored a bill, known as SB 289, which would require that half of the homes built in the state beginning in 2006 feature solar panels. "Instead of...

NEG Micon to Supply Turbines for New OK Wind Farm.
May 21, 2003... Leading wind turbine supplier NEG Micon North America recently announced it has signed an order to supply 45 1.65-megawatt wind turbines for the Blue Canyon Wind Farm being developed by Zilkha Renewable Energy in southwest Oklahoma. "NEG...

SWH Conference to Focus on Renewables, Hydrogen.
May 21, 2003... Officials from CMP Cientifica, SEK University, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology will host a five-day conference on "the science, the economics and the politics powering the shift from fossil...

Stoel Rives to Purchase 'Green Tags' for Offices.
May 22, 2003... The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and the Renewable Northwest Project (RNP) recently announced that multi-state law firm Stoel Rives LLP has agreed to offset more than 630,000 pounds of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with...

Uni-Solar, IES Introduce New 'SolarQuilt'.
May 22, 2003... United Solar Systems Corporation (Uni-Solar) and Independent Energy Solutions (IES) recently announced the introduction of the "SolarQuilt," a solar energy product "designed for all types of flat and low-slope roofing situations." ...

SeaWest Spins Off Wind Power Data Services Group.
May 22, 2003... SeaWest WindPower, Inc. parent company SeaWest Holdings, Inc. recently announced it has spun off the former SeaWest WindPower Data Services Group into a new independent entity known as Prasentia. SeaWest noted that Prasentia provides...

DynaMotive, Partners to Develop CHP Project in Ontario.
May 23, 2003... DynaMotive Energy Systems Corporation recently announced plans to join with Magellan Aerospace division Orenda Industrial and Erie Flooring and Wood Products to develop a new 2.5-megawatt combined heat and power (CHP) project in Ontario,...

EIB Provides $156-Million Loan for Danish Wind Farm.
May 23, 2003... The European Investment Bank (EIB), the long-term financing institution of the European Union (EU), recently announced it has provided a $156-million loan for a wind farm located approximately 10 miles off the coast of Denmark's Jutland region...

IQPC to Host Renewable Energy Summit in San Francisco.
May 23, 2003... The International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC) will host a three-day conference on renewable energy issues June 23 through 25 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in San Francisco, CA. The company said the event, titled "Renewable Energy...

New Macadamia Power Plant to Open in Australia.
May 27, 2003... Australian electricity company Ergon Energy recently announced it has formed a joint venture with macadamia nut producer Suncoast Gold Macadamias to build a new $2-million power plant fueled by waste macadamia nut shells in Queensland,...

ASES, Groups to Host National Solar Conference in TX.
May 27, 2003... The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) will join with 10 other organizations "devoted to renewable energy and resource conservation" to present a six-day conference on solar technology June 21 through 26 at the Austin Convention Center in...

REPP Study Says Wind Turbines Do Not Harm 'Viewshed'.
May 27, 2003... The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently announced that a new study conducted by the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) has determined that the presence of "commercial-scale" wind turbines does not lower the value of "viewsheds"...

CPM Launches Renewable Energy Tracking System in WI.
May 28, 2003... Clean Power Markets, Inc. (CPM) recently announced the launch of the Wisconsin Renewable Resource Credit Program, "a tracking and verification program that provides an easier way for the state's electric providers to comply with Wisconsin's...

MO Cooperative to Offer Wind Energy Next Month.
May 28, 2003... Columbia, MO-based Boone Electric Cooperative (BEC) recently announced plans to begin offering 100 kilowatt-hour blocks of wind-generated electricity next month. BEC officials said approximately one percent of the cooperative's customers, or...

BWEA to Promote U.K. Wave, Tidal Industries.
May 28, 2003... The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) recently announced it has signed an agreement with Seapower Europe, "the organization that currently promotes the [United Kingdom's (U.K.)] 'wet' marine renewable industry," under which the two groups...

Suncor Energy, NAR Pursue Wind Project in Alberta.
May 29, 2003... Suncor Energy, Inc. and Corporacion Energia Hidroelectrica de Navarra (EHN) subsidiary North American Renewables Corporation (NAR) recently announced they are seeking approval from the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board in Alberta, Canada to...

RPA Urges U.K. Government to Extend Renewables Targets.
May 29, 2003... The United Kingdom's (U.K.) Renewable Power Association (RPA) recently urged the U.K. government to extend renewable energy targets under its Renewables Obligation, which requires British utilities to source 10 percent of their electricity...

EWEA, Greenpeace Release 'Wind Force 12' Report.
May 29, 2003... The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and Greenpeace recently announced the launch of a new report titled "Wind Force 12," a "strategic blueprint that outlines how the wind industry, currently a 7-billion euros [(about $8.2-billion)]...

AstroPower Announces Changes in Management.
May 30, 2003... Newark, DE-based solar cell and module manufacturer AstroPower, Inc. recently announced that its president and CEO Allen Barnett and chief financial officer (CFO) Thomas Stiner both resigned as officers of the company on May 23, 2003....

HECO Offers Online Wind Resources Map, Issues RFPP.
May 30, 2003... Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (HECO) recently announced that new, high-resolution wind resource maps for the islands of Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Lanai are now available for viewing on the company's website "to help identify the best sites for...

IQPC to Host Conference on CSR for Energy Industry.
May 30, 2003... The International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC) will host a two-day conference on corporate social responsbility (CSR) issues relating to the energy industry July 22 and 23 at The Intercontinental Hotel in Houston, TX. The company...