MORE NEWS, 6-24 (TRACKING ENERGY/CLIMATE BILLS; NAT’L GUARD WANTS WIND ENERGY; SUNCATCHER FOR TEXAS)

TRACKING ENERGY/CLIMATE BILLS
Energy and climate bills inch closer toward final approval
David Kramer, June 22, 2009 (Physics Today)

"Energy and climate change remained front and center…as the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources finished weeks of work and approved a mammoth energy bill that seeks to accelerate the introduction of new clean energy technologies.

"The measure would require utilities to produce an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources, beginning at 3% in 2011, and growing to 15% in 2021. Utilities producing fewer than 4 megawatt-hours per year are exempted from the [Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)]…"

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"The Senate bill would revamp the existing Department of Energy loan guarantee program, establishing a “Clean Energy Investment Fund” to be used to support more technology deployments. The legislation also creates a new entity housed in DOE—the Clean Energy Deployment Administration—that would provide financial expertise to help create an attractive investment climate for the development and deployment of clean energy technologies.

"Other provisions would encourage…energy efficiency improvements by industry and by consumers, and speed the development of a new “smart grid” to accommodate widely distributed electricity generation from renewable sources…"

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"With the Democrats' energy and climate bills gaining traction, House Republicans introduced their alternative to the 946-page climate and energy bill that was approved along party lines in a key committee at the end of May…

"...The GOP bill [introduced by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)]would promote expansion of nuclear power as an alternative to mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions that are proposed in the climate change measure approved by the Committee on Energy and Commerce…[T]he bill would establish a goal for 100 new US reactors to be built over 20 years… provide incentives for domestic and offshore oil production and allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has indicated she wants the House to vote on the Democrats' bill before the 4 July recess."


NAT’L GUARD WANTS WIND ENERGY
Guard proposes Cape wind farm; Project could be the state's largest
Vivian Nereim. June 12, 2009 (Boston Globe)

"The Massachusetts National Guard… has proposed building a wind farm on the Massachusetts Military Reservation that would become the state's largest source of wind energy…As the first of many steps toward building up to 17 wind turbines on the 22,000-acre facility on Cape Cod, the Guard filed a site plan for review with the Federal Aviation Administration and Air Force Space Command.

"The project could produce up to 34 megawatts, aiding Governor Deval Patrick's efforts to develop 2,000 megawatts of wind power in Massachusetts by 2020. There are 11 wind turbines across the state, with a total capacity of 6.8 megawatts…[T]he ambitious plan for the reservation could potentially provide power for the entire facility."

Is this the new National Guard salute? (click to enlarge)

"The proposal has received support from numerous elected officials, including Patrick, State Senate President Therese Murray, and US Representative William D. Delahunt, a Quincy Democrat…The plan has also had the support of community activists who protested the Cape Wind Project, a controversial proposal to build 130 wind turbines off Cape Cod in Nantucket Sound…

"Before the National Guard's plan goes forward, the Federal Aviation Administration will review it to determine if it poses a hazard to aviation. Wind turbines can interfere with radar signals, a complication Cape Wind has come up against…"

Massachusetts has got to get over its problem with offshore wind! (click to enlarge)

"The initial ruling for any project that requires an airspace study…But if a project is found to be a hazard, the FAA provides a list of ways to mitigate the problem. Suggestions could include reducing the height of the turbines, shifting their location, or equipping Otis Air National Guard Base with a new radar system.

"There have been no other specific proposals to build wind turbines on state land yet…[but the state is discussing plans]…"


SUNCATCHER FOR TEXAS
CPS signs solar power agreement
June 22, 2009 (San Antonio Business Journal)

"CPS Energy has signed a 20-year agreement to purchase power from a solar energy project that will be developed in West Texas.

"The 27-megawatt solar project known as Western Ranch is being developed by Houston-based Tessera Solar using the SunCatcher power system manufactured by its sister company, Stirling Energy Systems."

A Stirling Energy Systems SunCatcher. (click to enlarge)

"This will be the first Texas project for Tessera Solar, which currently has 1,500 megawatts of projects in California situated in Imperial Valley and the Mojave Desert…

"CPS announced last summer its commitment to pursue up to 100 megawatts of resource capacity from solar energy."

Texas is energy country. It knows better than to let assets like this go to waste. (click to enlarge)

"The Western Ranch Solar project is expected to break ground in summer 2010 with the first units expected to come online by the end of 2010. The project will be comprised of 1,080 SunCatcher dishes and will create an estimated 100 construction jobs and up to 20 permanent jobs.

"CPS Energy of San Antonio is the nation’s largest municipally owned energy company providing both natural gas and electric service."