News for April 22, 2003

Happy EarthDay!

A House That Any Tree Would Hug[Julie Louis-Dreyfus - Santa Barbara]

EarthDay Event (4/22)to Culminate LADWP ``Green Power Hero'' Program

Solar cells less pricey, more efficient

New Report urges State to boost renewable energy use [Environment California - PIRG]

House of Representatives expected to pass energy bill with key solar power provisions

IN BRIEF

Nearly 40 MW of Grid-tied PV installed in California - The California Energy Commission has collected and compiled data on the number of kilowatts installed in California over the past 20 years. Over 3/4 of the cumulative total has been installed over the past 3 years. A summary of charts is available online [390 kB PDF file]. Email Todd Lieburg of the CEC with any questions.

New LBL Report compares risks of Renewable and Natural Gas Electricity Contracts - a new report from Lawrence Berkeley Labs titled, "“Comparing the Risk Profiles of Renewable and Natural Gas Electricity Contracts: A Summary of the California Department of Water Resources Contracts.” is available online. Different electricity generating technologies clearly impose different risks on electricity ratepayers. The purpose of this report is to look at a sizable and publicly available sample of electricity contracts, and to specifically compare how long-term contracts with natural gas-fired and renewable generators differentially allocate and mitigate certain risks. The contract sample comes from the California Department of Water Resources’ electricity contracts. The risks that we consider include
fuel price and supply risks, demand risk, performance risk, environmental compliance risk, and regulatory risk. The full report is quite detailed and involved, but the executive summary can easily be read without venturing into the full paper. Perhaps the greatest value of this report is educational in nature: those who are unfamiliar with the detailed contents of power purchase contracts, or how risks are treated differentially in renewable energy and natural gas-fired electricity contracts, may well find this useful. [source: Ryan Wiser LBL email 2003.4.19]

Take Action: Global Warming and Clean Energy - Check out this handy collection of action items from Grist Magazine, an environmental online magazine whose motto is "gloom and doom with humor". Tips on what YOU can do to make a difference.

Forum Explores Options for Energy Future - What can we do to reduce America's need on a finite oil supply? "If you were thinking about what you would like your grandchildren to be able to experience or enjoy about living here on the Island or on earth, what would it be? That is what thinking about solar energy is all about," Kate Warner told an audience of 190 Saturday morning. more on this story on Martha's Vineyard [includes good info from Randy Udall (CORE) and Soren Hermansen from Samso Island Denmark]

Events

April Earth Day Events in California - April 22 is Earthday. A wide variety of events are scheduled throughout the globe and perhaps even near you, during April. The Earthday Network has a complete listing of events in California: from Alameda, Palo Alto, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, to Roseville. Check it out, meet like-minded folks, and learn more about being part of the solution. Given the war in Iraq and a funky federal view on renewable energy, we could all use a physical and psychological break from the bad karma winds that are blowing. Click here of California event listing. Click here for an interesting story on the iraq war roots. Need a tune to pick you up? Download this new Lenny Kravitz tune (yes, it's legal).

Utility Energy Forum 2003 - May 7-9 Granlibakken Tahoe. The Utility Energy Forum is a non-profit consortium of utility sponsors. The annual meeting provides attendees, speakers and exhibitors with a high quality, low key opportunity to exchange information and learn from the pros about the current and emerging industry issues. The Forum anticipates 150 to 170 attendees this year representing more than three dozen utilities. At the Forum, everyone participates in all panel discussions, meals and social events. Therefore, many opportunities exist to forge new and valuable professional relationships. Who should Attend? Utility managers, utility marketers, energy managers, energy services directors, marketing managers, key account representatives, and other interested parties who need to know about the latest trends in the re-regulated utility industry. more information and how to register

May Rahus Workshops: Photovoltaic Systems for Residents and Businesses[Marin]: The County of Marin will be hosting two solar energy trainings by the Rahus Institute. Both trainings are geared towards residents and businesses that are interested in obtaining practical information about solar electric (photovoltaic) systems, including the basics of the technologies available on the market, financial incentives, how to determine if your site is good for solar, what questions to ask your solar contractor and how to compare bids. This workshop is free to the public but there is limited space, so please register in advance. For more information, contact Gwen Johnson at gjohnson@co.marin.ca.us or call (415) 499-3292. Dates and Times: May 2 (Friday), 8:30am - 11:30am / May 13 (Tuesday), 6pm - 9pm /Location: Planning Chambers, 3501 Civic Center Drive Room 328, San Rafael, CA. 94903 More information on how to register

Wind Power Hands-on Workshop [April 26-27 Mercey Hot Springs, CA] - April 26 - 27, 2003 - Mercey Hot Springs, near Firebaugh, CA (Central Valley) Michael Hackleman, teacher extraordinaire and author of numerous books on small wind systems, solar energy, and electric cars, will be leading a hands-on workshop on small wind power. The location is unique:an off-grid rustic hot springs resort in the rolling foothills of the Central Valley! Beautiful in springtime, great place for stargazing from a hot tub of natural spring water, no sulfur smell... Here's what will be covered in this workshop: Generate electricity or pump water from the wind. Nature of wind. Assessing the wind potential at your site. Types, sizes and ratings of windplants, controllers, batteries, inverters, and monitors. Load analysis and estimating system costs. Day 1: Classroom portion, includes interactive talk with slides and overheads. Day 2: Hands on - Upgrade and raise a 70-foot tower and 3 kW windplant. Each day sessions go 9 am - 5 pm. Students may choose to attend either day or both days as follows: $60 for either day, or $100 for both days. Lunch Saturday and Sunday, and dinner Saturday, will be provided and are included in the cost of the workshop. Overnight accommodations at Mercey Hot Springs cost extra and include camping (bring your own tent) and cabins. Cabins range from $60 - $80 for 2 people. RV & camping spots are available for $15 per person. Outdoor hot tub soaking and use of the swimming pool are included in the cost of the workshop; private indoor tubs cost extra. For more information and to make reservations,contact Mercey Hot Springs (209/826-3388). This is a great opportunity for a fun weekend of learning about renewable energy and getting away from it all. Pre-registration is strongly advised; contact Michael Hackleman at the contact info below. You can also obtain info on other workshops by Michael Hackleman: P.O. Box 327, Willits, CA 95490 Phone: (707) 459-0271 Email: mhackleman@saber.net

CEC Renewables (RPS) workshop [4/29 Sacramento] - A Notice of Staff Workshop on Evaluating the Cost of IntegratingRenewables, is now online. The Workshop will be held Tuesday, April 29, 2003, at the California Energy Commission. The purpose of the Workshop is for staff to gather input from interested parties on the methods to evaluate the costs associated with integrating eligible renewable energy resources into the electrical network to help meet California's Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS).