we need to get ahold of the Union of Concern Scientists' study.  Jesse if you're able to get onto the internet (our server has been down all day), can you see if you can pull it off?  I want to see how they are calculating the savings.

Stacey Bolton
Environmental Strategies
Enron Corp
713-853-9916 direct 
713-303-2632 cell 
sbolton@enron.com <mailto:sbolton@enron.com>
 

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	editor@eintoday.com@ENRON [mailto:IMCEANOTES-editor+40eintoday+2Ecom+40ENRON@ENRON.com] 
Sent:	Tuesday, September 18, 2001 5:10 PM
To:	sbolton@enron.com
Subject:	Renewable Energy Today - 09.19.01

                         RENEWABLE ENERGY TODAY

                             ==============
                             ==============

                      Wednesday, September 19, 2001

                      A Daily News Summary Covering
      Wind, Solar, Biomass, and Other Renewable Energy Technologies

               ==========   TODAY'S HEADLINES   =========

     Industry Report
     ---------------
     UCS Report Highlights Importance of RPS

     Grants & Contracts Report
     -------------------------
     DOE Awards Funds for Bioenergy Development

     Editorials, Reviews & Asides
     ----------------------------
     BEF Grant Brings Solar Energy to Orcas Island

                             ------------
               ============  TODAY'S NEWS  ==============
                             ------------

     INDUSTRY REPORT
     ---------------


                  UCS Report Highlights Importance of RPS

     The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently released a report
     showing how a diversified electricity mix including 20 percent
     renewable energy could save California consumers up to $1.8 billion
     and alleviate the disruptions in energy supply that have plagued
     Californians during the summer months.  The report, titled "Powering
     Ahead," analyzes the economic impacts of the renewable portfolio
     standard (RPS) in California.  Over 95 percent of California's
     current contracts for future energy production are committed to
     natural gas.

     Although the California state assembly was expected to consider RPS
     legislation this past week, action has been postponed until the
     weekend when the legislators are scheduled to complete this year's
     work.

     "California has experienced first-hand the dangers of a market
     dominated by volatile fossil fuels," said UCS senior analyst and
     report author Deborah Donovan.  "Now we have the hard numbers to
     prove renewable energy is beneficial for California's economic
     health."

     The state of Texas has implemented the most successful RPS to date,
     where requirements for new renewable generation capacity have been
     set high enough to create a strong market for renewable project
     development.  Natural gas prices in California have been extremely
     volatile with price hikes 10 to 20 times the historical average last
     year.

     However, in California the Department of Water Resources, which buys
     power for the state, uses a formula that makes it difficult for wind
     power to participate in the market and that has stunted investment
     in new wind power projects.

     UCS said that RPS are designed to help alleviate some of the burden
     created by state-by-state legislation which creates hurdles for the
     widespread adoption of renewable energies.  Additionally, RPS
     provides for the preservation of state jurisdiction over energy
     while making it easier for renewable energy technologies to
     penetrate the market.

     (WIND ENERGY WEEKLY: 9/14)

 = = = = = = =

     GRANTS & CONTRACTS REPORT
     -------------------------


                DOE Awards Funds for Bioenergy Development

     The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it will
     invest $30 million over the next three to five years in 11 projects
     intended to develop process technology to create various products
     using plant matter and other natural waste materials.  Funds will
     also be used to establish university education and training programs
     in the area of bioproducts.

     "Producing marketable industrial products out of plants saves
     energy, saves nonrenewable resources and creates jobs," said DOE
     secretary Spencer Abraham.  "The bioenergy and bioproducts fields
     hold tremendous potential for environmentally desirable
     manufacturing and the creation of new jobs in the farm belt."

     DOE said it will provide $5 million for a project to develop the
     collection, commercial processing and utilization of corn stover.
     Partners in the project include Biomass Agri-Products, Iowa State
     University, Midwest Labs and Cargill Dow.  Private funding for
     the project will be $5 million.

     The agency noted that three education grants were awarded to
     establish multi-disciplinary education and training for graduate
     students in the area of bioproducts technologies.  The grants will
     help fund the establishment of "cross-cutting multi-disciplinary
     academic and research programs and provide stipends for deserving
     graduate students."

     DOE will also provide $7.3 million for a project focused on biomass
     biorefinery for production of polymers and fuel.  Partners in the
     project include Metabolix, Inc., the University of Tennessee,
     the University of Central Florida and the University of
     Massachusetts.

     Contact: Chris Kielich, DOE, phone 202-586-5806.

     (DOE RELEASE: 9/17)

 = = = = = = =

     EDITORIALS, REVIEWS & ASIDES
     ----------------------------


              BEF Grant Brings Solar Energy to Orcas Island

     The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) recently announced
     that it has provided a grant to help add four new solar sites to the
     Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO) Green Power program
     headquartered in Friday Harbor, WA.

     The $37,000 provided by BEF enabled OPALCO to install solar panels
     at the Windermere Real Estate Building in Eastsound, WA, the Lopez
     (Island) Community Center, the Westsound Marina and the OPALCO
     office.  This combination of utility-owned and privately-owned sites
     will contribute an estimated 5,200 kilowatt hours (kWh) of
     electricity a year into the electricity grid, producing energy that
     is "natural and pollution-free" while helping the islands served by
     OPALCO to become more self sufficient.

     "The regional interest in solar energy has quickened considerably
     since BEF opened its doors in 1999," said BEF president Angus
     Duncan.  "OPALCO members have been among the first to show a high
     level of interest in power that is non-polluting."

     BEF said it is funding watershed projects that use solar power to
     pump water for cattle and irrigation while protecting streams. The
     group was founded in 1998 to fund new renewable energy resources and
     watershed restoration projects.  Although BEF maintains a strong
     collaborative relationship with the Bonneville Power
     Administration, they are separate organizations.

     (BEF RELEASE: 9/14)

 = = = = = = =

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