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OWPI: A collaborative project between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University that investigates and promotes wind energy resources in our state. O k l a h o m a W i n d P o w e r I n i t i a t i v e In this issue… News & Events........... 1 Wind ........................ 3 Solar ......................... 4 Geothermal................ 5 Biofuels ..................... 5 Renewable News........ 6 Calendar of Events ..... 8 Staff Editor & Contributor: Jonathan Moore, OWPI-OU Copy Editor: Mike Klatt, EVAC-OU Contributors: Scott Greene, Geography Department, OWPI-OU Steve Stadler, Geography Department, OWPI-OSU Mark Meo, Science and Public Policy Program, OWPI-OU September / October 2011 Vol. 11, # 5 PSO’s Windchoice Program Awarded Green-e® Certification TULSA, OK, July 6, 2011 – Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s (PSO) Wind- Choice program is now Green-e® Certified. Green-e is the nation’s leading inde-pendent certification and verification program for renewable energy. Sourced from 100 percent Oklahoma wind power, WindChoice is the only cer-tified green power option in the state and is available to PSO’s residential and com-mercial customers, governmental organizations, school districts, and educational in-stitutions. “We are pleased that households and businesses in Oklahoma now have a certified wind option from resources within their home state,” said Green-e Energy Manage Alex Pennock. “Oklahoma is rich in wind power, and now residents can take advantage of their resources to power their lives with clean energy from their own backyard.” PSO joins a growing network of renewable energy providers that offer prod-ucts certified by Green-e Energy. The program provides independent, third-party certification to ensure renewable energy meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards. Providers of Green-e Energy Certified renewable energy agree to abide by the Green-e Energy Code of Conduct, and meet strict disclosure and truth-in-advertising requirements. All marketers of Green-e Energy Certified products un-dergo an annual third-party audit to document that the company purchased or gener-ated enough renewable energy to meet customer demand and marketing claims. “PSO is proud to offer Oklahoma residents their first certified 100 percent re-newable energy option,” said Kathy Champion, PSO Energy Efficiency and Con-sumer Programs manager. “We think it’s important that the energy we use comes from domestic energy supplies as much as possible, and we think Oklahoma can continue to be a leader in the clean energy revolution.” The electricity generated for PSO’s WindChoice program comes from the Minco Wind Farm, a 99-megawatt facility in western Oklahoma which began com-mercial operation in December, 2010. 2 Eligible residential customers can sign up online for WindChoice at PSOklahoma.com/WindChoice, or by calling the PSO customer solutions center toll-free at 1-888-216-3523. Commercial and industrial custom-ers can enroll using the same methods as residential customers, or by contacting their PSO account repre-sentative. A program of Center for Resource Solutions, Green-e is the nation’s leading independent consumer pro-tection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green-e offers certification and verification of renew-able energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products through Green-e Energy, a renewable energy certifi-cation program; Green-e Climate, a greenhouse gas emission reduction certification program; and Green-e Marketplace, a program that licenses the Green-e logo for organizations that purchase or generate suf-ficient quantities of renewable energy. To learn more about Green-e Certified products and programs available in all 50 states, visit www.green-e.org. Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by Public Service Company of Oklahoma on July 6, 2011. 24 Governors Ask President to Focus on Wind Energy Development. Iowa, Aug. 24—A coalition of 24 governors from both major parties and each region of the country has asked the Obama administration to take a series of steps to provide a more favorable business climate for the development of wind energy, starting with a seven-year extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) to provide stable, low tax rates for wind-generated electricity. A letter from the governors, sent last month to the White House, has since been made public by the Governors Wind Energy Coalition. Signed by coali-tion chair Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) and vice chair Gov. Terry Branstad (R-IA), the letter says: "Although tax credits for wind energy have long en-joyed bipartisan support, they are scheduled to ex-pire next year. Wind-related manufacturing will slow if the credits are not extended, and some of the tax credits' benefit will be lost if Congress pursues a last-minute extension. It is important to have consistency in policy to support the continued development of wind manufacturing in the United States. Extending the production tax credit and the investment tax credit, without a gap, is critical to the health of wind manufacturing in our nation. The wind manufacturing industry in the U.S. would benefit even greater if the extension of these credits would be for at least seven years. Governors have always focused on jobs and economic development as their main responsibility. Now that Washington is following suit, it helps for these governors to tell Washington what has been putting people to work in their states," said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. "It is also helpful for them to sup-port the removal of roadblocks that can occur in ad-ministrative agencies, so that deployment objectives are not unintentionally thwarted." The governors' letter also calls for: Establishing a combined intergovernmental state-federal task force on wind energy devel-opment to "ensure the Administration's wind en-ergy goals are met." Expanding the Department of Energy's renew-able energy programs to "focus not only on technology research and innovation, but also on technology deployment and market develop-ment," noting that, "these are precisely the types of efforts other nations are utilizing to success-fully compete with the United States. We must recognize that a scientific breakthrough five or 10 years from now, plus several more years for com-mercial acceptance, will be of little value if our wind industry has been relegated to minor play-ers in the global marketplace." Improved collaboration on siting new wind turbines: "... [W]e believe wind energy and wild-life protection are entirely compatible and we urge a prompt resolution of the Wind Energy Guidelines and Eagle Guidance concerns." Expediting deployment of offshore wind: "A new U.S. offshore wind sector would create tens of thousands of jobs in businesses ranging from R&D and engineering to manufacturing and ma-rine construction." Identifying transmission and grid integration priorities for Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) such as the Bonneville Power Admini-stration The letter concluded, "We believe these actions will help address some of the national economic and en-ergy challenges before our nation. We look forward to working with you and your Administration to further our nation's wind energy development to help drive economic growth, energy development, and the creation of high-paying jobs." Full text is available from the coalition's website. Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by the Governors Wind Energy Coalition on August 26, 2011. W i n d P o w e r Google is blowing into Oklahoma on the strength of the state’s renowned wind resources. The search engine titan has struck a deal to buy the power from a 100.8-megawatt wind farm being developed in Grady and Caddo counties near Minco. Electricity from NextEra Energy Resources’ Minco II Wind En-ergy Center will help power Google’s data center near Pryor, which is expected to be operational later this year. “We’ve made the commitment to be a carbon neu-tral company, and this purchase is part of our effort to minimize our impact on the environment,” Google’s Gary Demasi wrote September 29 on the company’s blog. “We’ve managed to reduce our en-ergy consumption by over 50 percent by building highly energy-efficient facilities, but we know that efficiency alone isn’t enough to eliminate our carbon footprint.” Google’s 20-year power purchase agreement with Juno Beach, FL-based NextEra is the second deal between the two companies in less than a year. Google also is buying 114 megawatts of power from a NextEra wind farm in Iowa in a deal cemented in July. “These purchases represent long-term, meaningful actions to reduce our carbon footprint and power our operations with clean electricity,” Demasi wrote. “As a company we hope that purchases like these, plus the additional $350 million we’ve invested in renewable energy projects, support the market and drive down the cost of clean energy. “This will enable even more companies to invest in sustainable energy solutions.” Kylah McNabb, wind energy specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, said the deal is great for the state. “Google is really getting into this business model,” she said. The company works through subsidiary Google En-ergy to participate in the wholesale energy market. NextEra officials are excited about the opportunity to continue working with Google Energy. “We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Google Energy and appreciate their ongoing sup-port of emission-free, renewable energy,” said Mike 3 BP to Build Massive Wind Farm in Kansas Kansas, Oct. 4, 2011—BP Wind Energy has an-nounced that it will build a 419 MW wind farm in Bar-ber, Harper, Kingman, and Sumner counties. The Flat Ridge II wind farm will be located on a 66,000-acre site in south central Kansas. The wind farm will utilize 262 GE wind turbines, each of which has a rated capacity of 1.6 MW. BP Wind Energy has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) totaling 314 MW from the proposed project with Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI). BP says it is actively marketing the re-maining capacity to other customers in the Midwest. "Today's announcement of a PPA with AECI is a mile-stone in the project's development that will create some 500 jobs during peak construction and will pro-vide over $1 million annually to the local communities without impacting traditional farming and ranching ac-tivities," says John Graham, president and CEO of BP Wind Energy. The project will be 100% owned and operated by BP Wind Energy. Subject to the receiving of all the neces-sary permits to proceed, it is anticipated that initial site construction work will start in the fourth quarter of this year. The wind farm is expected to become commer-cially operational by the end of next year. Taken from North American Windpower on October 5, 2011 http://www.nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php? content.8681 Google Buys Oklahoma Wind Power Photo from Dorchester Times stallation and ability to meet RPS requirements, as well as a proven track record of operational plants, remain a key advantage behind plants either planned or under construction. Fernandez summa-rized by saying the industry “needs to focus on three areas – efficiency, innovation and standardization; and as a whole adapt to the U.S. market and learn from experiences around the world to drive PV for-ward”. The U.S. Treasury grant will expire at the end of this year, however, PV costs have continued to decline as the technology becomes more efficient and the industry itself expands. In 2010 the installation costs of large-scale projects fell more than 20%, a clear indication that PV is taking important steps to-wards achieving financial independence and com-peting in a free market if subsidies end. To address this further, the industry will meet in San Jose on 17-18 November at the 2nd Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization Summit to discuss the latest im-provements for plant design, engineering, and op-erational strategies that are achieving grid parity - the point at which photovoltaic electricity will com-pete without subsidies with electricity generated from coal, natural gas, or nuclear energy. Editors Note: Taken from RenewableEnergy World on October 10, 2011 http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/ first-conferences/news/article/2011/10/light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel- for-the-us-pv-market O’Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Development for NextEra Energy Resources. “With the support of cus-tomers like Google Energy, we’ve built our wind fleet from fewer than 500 megawatts a decade ago to nearly 8,300 megawatts — the largest fleet in North America today.” Adapted from NewsOK on October 3, 2011 http://newsok.com/googles-data-center-near-pryor-to-be-powered-by- minco-wind-farm/article/3560948 S o l a r P o w e r 4 California, Oct. 10, 2011—The demand for PV pro-jects in the United States has been rapidly expanding over recent years as a result of falling module prices, stimulus funding, and new regulatory incentives from Congress. However, recent happenings, both political and commercial, have formed a dark cloud over the future of the PV market in the country. In 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama launched the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which in-cluded more than $70 billion in direct spending and tax credits for clean energy. However, increasing pes-simism surrounding the U.S. economy has put into question the future of renewables in a country more concerned with ridding itself of its national debt. Fur-thermore, the recent bankruptcy of American manu-facturer Solyndra, and the subsequent FBI investiga-tion into their misuse of federal loans, has created a climate of mistrust towards renewables. However, despite this cynicism surrounding renew-able energy, experts at PV Insider have been con-ducting research that suggests PV installations will continue to increase in this country. In a recent inter-view Lori Mitchell of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission described PV as a “fast growing industry” in North America, but acknowledged that “cost and available capital” remain a challenge. This view was backed up by David Fernandez, Senior Vice President at Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, in a presentation given at last year’s PV Yield Optimization Conference. Fernandez argued that “the U.S. is a very cost driven market, more so than Europe because it has not seen the feed-in tariffs that were in place in countries like Spain”. Showing support for photovoltaics, Fernandez explained that “5 years ago the U.S. had the fourth largest capacity of installed wind power in the world, and within 2 years the U.S. saw substantial growth and now has the largest installed capacity. I have no doubts the same will happen in PV”. The ease of in- Light at the End of the PV Tunnel Photo from Green Momentum G e o t h e r m a l P o w e r Washington, D.C., Aug. 16, 2011—President Obama today announced that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy will invest up to $510 million during the next three years in partner-ship with the private sector to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power mili-tary and commercial transportation. The initiative responds to a directive from President Obama is-sued in March as part of his Blueprint for A Secure Energy Future, the Administration’s framework for reducing dependence on foreign oil. The biofuels initiative is being steered by the White House Biofu-els Interagency Work Group and Rural Council, both of which are enabling greater cross-agency collabo-ration to strengthen rural America. “Biofuels are an important part of reducing Amer-ica’s dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs here at home,” said President Obama. “But support-ing biofuels cannot be the role of government alone. That’s why we’re partnering with the private sector to speed development of next-generation biofuels that will help us continue to take steps towards en-ergy independence and strengthen communities across our country.” Increased use of advanced biofuels is a key compo-nent of the Administration’s energy security agenda, but there is currently a lack of this manufacturing capability for next-generation drop-in biofuels in the United States. To accelerate the production of bio-based jet and diesel fuel for military and commercial purposes, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus have developed a plan to jointly construct or retrofit several drop-in biofuel plants and refineries. This effort will help address energy security and national security challenges, and will provide economic opportunities in rural America. “America’s national security depends upon a viable domestic biofuels market that will benefit taxpayers while simultaneously giving Sailors and Marines tac-tical and strategic advantages,” said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. “Today’s announcement not only lever-ages our home grown fuel sources to support our national security, but it also helps advance the bio-fuels market, which ultimately brings down the cost of biofuels for everyone.” 5 Washington, D.C., Sept. 8, 2011—U.S. Energy Secre-tary Steven Chu today announced $38 million over three years for projects to accelerate the development of promising geothermal energy technologies and help diversify America's sources of clean, renewable energy. Thirty-two innovative projects in 14 states will develop and test new ways to locate geothermal re-sources and improve resource characterization, drill-ing, and reservoir engineering techniques, which will enable geothermal energy sources to help reduce the nation's reliance on fossil fuels. Funded through DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable En-ergy, these advances will play an important role in achieving President Obama's goal of generating 80% of U.S. electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. "The Department of Energy is investing in pioneering new technologies that will further develop the nation's geothermal resources, create skilled jobs for Ameri-can workers, and help diversify our energy portfolio," said Secretary Chu. "The projects announced today will provide opportunities for clean energy innovations that will ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in geothermal energy development and expand the na-tion's use of this important renewable energy re-source." This significant investment in clean energy develop-ment is part of the Department's comprehensive effort to reduce the cost of geothermal energy, making it more competitive with conventional sources of baseload electricity. Projects will perform feasibility studies before advancing to prototyping and valida-tion, which will be conducted through vigorous labora-tory- based research and field testing. The selected projects will support the Department's goals of lower-ing the cost and financial risk associated with confirm-ing and characterizing geothermal resources and will help to overcome key technical challenges to the res-ervoir creation and sustainability of enhanced geo-thermal systems. For a complete list of the award recipients please visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/news_detail.html? news_id=17718 Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by the Department of Energy on September 8, 2011. Department of Energy Awards Up to $38 Million to Advance Geothermal Energy B i o f u e l s President Announces Major Initative to Spur Biofuels Industry and Enhace America’s Energy Security “By building a national biofuels industry, we are creat-ing construction jobs, refinery jobs, and economic op-portunity in rural communities throughout the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “As importantly, every gallon of biofuel consumed near where it is pro-duced cuts transportation costs and, for the military, improves energy security. These pioneer plants will demonstrate advanced technologies to produce infra-structure- compatible, drop-in renewable fuels from America’s abundant biomass resources,” said Energy Secretary Chu. “It will support development of a new, rural-focused industry that will replace imported crude oil with secure, renewable fuels made here in the U.S.” The joint plan calls for the three Departments to invest a total of up to $510 million, which will require sub-stantial cost share from private industry of at least a one to one match. The partnership aims to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil and create jobs while posi-tioning American companies and farmers to be global leaders in advanced biofuels production. The United States spends more than $300 billion on imported crude oil per year. Producing a domestic source of energy provides a more secure alternative to imported oil and improves our energy and national security. In June, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the first White House Rural Council to build on the Administration's robust economic strategy for rural America and make sure that continued fed-eral investments create maximum benefit for rural Americans. Administration officials have been working to coordinate programs across the government and encourage public-private partnerships to improve eco-nomic conditions and create jobs in rural communi-ties. President Obama's administration has taken signifi-cant steps to improve the lives of rural Americans and has provided broad support for rural communities. The Obama Administration has set goals of moderniz-ing infrastructure by providing broadband access to 10 million Americans, expanding educational opportu-nities for students in rural areas, providing affordable health care, promoting innovation and expanding the production of renewable energy. In the long term, these unparalleled rural investments will help ensure that America's rural communities are repopulating, self-sustaining, and thriving economically. Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by the Department of Energy on August 17, 2011. R e n e w a b l e N e w s 6 September 29, 2011- At the American Council On Renewable Energy’s (ACORE) annual RETECH Trade Show and Conference, organized by TradeFair Group, industry leaders agreed that the renewable energy sector showed surprising growth for 2011. In the first half of the year, 2,151 MW of newly installed wind power and 582 MW of solar power were added to the nation’s power supply. There are multiple reasons behind the aggressive growth numbers, including rapidly declining prices for solar panels and wind turbines, which means that renewable energy is becoming more and more cost-competitive with traditional sources of energy. “Renewable energy is increasingly competitive with traditional sources of energy and a growing source of grid power,” said Vice Admiral (Ret.) Dennis V. McGinn, President of ACORE. “Thirty-three percent of all new power in 2010 was generated by renew-able energy resources. A combination of economics and policy is driving U.S. market growth. However, to sustain this momentum, we need long-term con-sistency in government policy. We are no different from other industries–renewable energy investors need policy consistency. The U.S. economy and American industry and workers will be the benefici-aries of stable policy.” It is anticipated that the pending expiration of the 1603 cash grant in lieu of tax credits at the end of 2011 and expiration of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) at the end of 2012 will severely dampen the number of new projects in 2012 at a time when the jobs they would create would be most needed in the U.S. economy. These policies have been successful in delivering billions of dollars of private sector in-vestment in the U.S. According to ACORE’s Part-nership for Renewable Energy Finance (U.S. PREF), $20 billion in renewable energy projects would be lost if the 1603 and PTC programs are not extended. In a keynote address at RETECH, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-AK and ranking member of the Sen-ate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, ex-pressed both hopefulness about the potential for renewable energy and a desire for a more consis-tent federal policy. “There’s a lot of reason for opti-mism about clean technologies. New ideas are emerging, costs are coming down, and deployment is increasing. All of those are welcome develop-ments for our energy supply and the global environ- Despite Sluggish Economy, Renewable Energy Shows Strength in 2011 Submit a Story to the WinCharger Do you have a story, comments, or photos that you would like to share with the rest of the Oklahoma WinCharger readers? Visit our website at http:// www.ocgi.okstate.edu/owpi and click on the “OWPI Newsletter” to submit your story to us! Electronic Distribution of the WinCharger Electronic distribution of The Oklahoma WinCharger is now the only means of receiving the state’s pre-mier wind power publication. If you know someone who was only receiving The Oklahoma WinCharger by mail then please encourage them to go to the OWPI website at http://www.ocgi.okstate.edu/owpi, click on the link on the left side that says “Subscribe to the Oklahoma WinCharger,” and follow the instruc-tions from there. Thank you. 7 ment. Federal policies have played a role, but much of the progress we’ve seen is the direct result of your creativity and determination.” Senator Murkowski went on to describe her view on what policy leaders need to do. “Budget cuts have now begun here at home, and the Breakthrough Institute has deter-mined that more than seventy percent of the federal support for renewable energy has either expired al-ready or will expire within the next three year. We need to design policies that can endure both the pas-sage of time and shifts in party lines, and that will receive consistent funding for five years or ten years or longer.” ACORE is actively working with its members to build a vision for a sound, financially viable, long-term fed-eral policy and to highlight the detrimental effects of inconsistent policy. RETECH, attended by over 2,400 renewable energy players this year, is well-known for delivering unparalleled educational content from more than 250 industry-leading speakers, covering all of the industry’s key technologies: wind, solar, hy-dro, ocean, geothermal, biomass, biofuels, waste energy and cross-cutting sections on markets, utility perspectives, industry, finance and policy. Many of the industry’s leading companies and organizations sponsor and exhibit at the event’s onsite show floor. Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by ACORE on September 29, 2011. Used by Permission: http://theflyingpie.zenfolio.com/ University of Oklahoma EVAC - Environmental Verification and Analysis Center 100 East Boyd Street SEC Room 410 Norman, OK 73019 Return Service Requested Oklahoma WinCharger September/ October 2011 Calendar of Events Nov. 09 Oklahoma Renewable Energy Council Meeting, 10 a.m. — noon, Department of Commerce, Gallery 1-2, 900 N. Stiles, OKC, OK 73104. Dec. 14 Oklahoma Renewable Energy Council Meeting, 10 a.m. — noon, Department of Commerce, Gallery 1-2, 900 N. Stiles, OKC, OK 73104. Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID University of Oklahoma
Object Description
Okla State Agency | University of Oklahoma |
Okla Agency Code | '760' |
Title | Oklahoma WinCharger : a newsletter for Oklahoma wind stakeholders. |
Authors |
University of Oklahoma. Environmental Verification and Analysis Center. Oklahoma State University. |
Publisher | University of Oklahoma |
Publication Date | 2007; 2008; 2009; 2010; 2011 |
Publication type | Newsletter |
Serial holdings | Electronic holdings begin with 2007 |
Subject |
Oklahoma Wind Power Initiative. Wind power--Oklahoma--Periodicals. |
Notes | "a collaborative project between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University" |
OkDocs Class# | Z3003.6 W758 |
Digital Format | PDF, Adobe Acrobat required |
ODL electronic copy | Downloaded from agency website: www.ocgi.okstate.edu/owpi |
Rights and Permissions | This Oklahoma state government publication is provided for educational purposes under U.S. copyright law. Other usage requires permission of copyright holders. |
Language | English |
Date created | 2009-12-21 |
Date modified | 2012-12-19 |
OCLC number | 823140873 |
Description
Title | Oklahoma WinCharger 9-10/2011 |
OkDocs Class# | Z3000.6 W758 09-10/2011 v11 no.5 |
Digital Format | PDF, Adobe Reader required |
ODL electronic copy | Downloaded from agency website: http://www.ocgi.okstate.edu/owpi/OkWinCharger/WinCharger/latestIssue.pdf |
Rights and Permissions | This Oklahoma state government publication is provided for educational purposes under U. S. copyright law. Other usage requires permission of copyright holders |
Language | English |
Full text | OWPI: A collaborative project between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University that investigates and promotes wind energy resources in our state. O k l a h o m a W i n d P o w e r I n i t i a t i v e In this issue… News & Events........... 1 Wind ........................ 3 Solar ......................... 4 Geothermal................ 5 Biofuels ..................... 5 Renewable News........ 6 Calendar of Events ..... 8 Staff Editor & Contributor: Jonathan Moore, OWPI-OU Copy Editor: Mike Klatt, EVAC-OU Contributors: Scott Greene, Geography Department, OWPI-OU Steve Stadler, Geography Department, OWPI-OSU Mark Meo, Science and Public Policy Program, OWPI-OU September / October 2011 Vol. 11, # 5 PSO’s Windchoice Program Awarded Green-e® Certification TULSA, OK, July 6, 2011 – Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s (PSO) Wind- Choice program is now Green-e® Certified. Green-e is the nation’s leading inde-pendent certification and verification program for renewable energy. Sourced from 100 percent Oklahoma wind power, WindChoice is the only cer-tified green power option in the state and is available to PSO’s residential and com-mercial customers, governmental organizations, school districts, and educational in-stitutions. “We are pleased that households and businesses in Oklahoma now have a certified wind option from resources within their home state,” said Green-e Energy Manage Alex Pennock. “Oklahoma is rich in wind power, and now residents can take advantage of their resources to power their lives with clean energy from their own backyard.” PSO joins a growing network of renewable energy providers that offer prod-ucts certified by Green-e Energy. The program provides independent, third-party certification to ensure renewable energy meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards. Providers of Green-e Energy Certified renewable energy agree to abide by the Green-e Energy Code of Conduct, and meet strict disclosure and truth-in-advertising requirements. All marketers of Green-e Energy Certified products un-dergo an annual third-party audit to document that the company purchased or gener-ated enough renewable energy to meet customer demand and marketing claims. “PSO is proud to offer Oklahoma residents their first certified 100 percent re-newable energy option,” said Kathy Champion, PSO Energy Efficiency and Con-sumer Programs manager. “We think it’s important that the energy we use comes from domestic energy supplies as much as possible, and we think Oklahoma can continue to be a leader in the clean energy revolution.” The electricity generated for PSO’s WindChoice program comes from the Minco Wind Farm, a 99-megawatt facility in western Oklahoma which began com-mercial operation in December, 2010. 2 Eligible residential customers can sign up online for WindChoice at PSOklahoma.com/WindChoice, or by calling the PSO customer solutions center toll-free at 1-888-216-3523. Commercial and industrial custom-ers can enroll using the same methods as residential customers, or by contacting their PSO account repre-sentative. A program of Center for Resource Solutions, Green-e is the nation’s leading independent consumer pro-tection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green-e offers certification and verification of renew-able energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products through Green-e Energy, a renewable energy certifi-cation program; Green-e Climate, a greenhouse gas emission reduction certification program; and Green-e Marketplace, a program that licenses the Green-e logo for organizations that purchase or generate suf-ficient quantities of renewable energy. To learn more about Green-e Certified products and programs available in all 50 states, visit www.green-e.org. Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by Public Service Company of Oklahoma on July 6, 2011. 24 Governors Ask President to Focus on Wind Energy Development. Iowa, Aug. 24—A coalition of 24 governors from both major parties and each region of the country has asked the Obama administration to take a series of steps to provide a more favorable business climate for the development of wind energy, starting with a seven-year extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) to provide stable, low tax rates for wind-generated electricity. A letter from the governors, sent last month to the White House, has since been made public by the Governors Wind Energy Coalition. Signed by coali-tion chair Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) and vice chair Gov. Terry Branstad (R-IA), the letter says: "Although tax credits for wind energy have long en-joyed bipartisan support, they are scheduled to ex-pire next year. Wind-related manufacturing will slow if the credits are not extended, and some of the tax credits' benefit will be lost if Congress pursues a last-minute extension. It is important to have consistency in policy to support the continued development of wind manufacturing in the United States. Extending the production tax credit and the investment tax credit, without a gap, is critical to the health of wind manufacturing in our nation. The wind manufacturing industry in the U.S. would benefit even greater if the extension of these credits would be for at least seven years. Governors have always focused on jobs and economic development as their main responsibility. Now that Washington is following suit, it helps for these governors to tell Washington what has been putting people to work in their states," said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. "It is also helpful for them to sup-port the removal of roadblocks that can occur in ad-ministrative agencies, so that deployment objectives are not unintentionally thwarted." The governors' letter also calls for: Establishing a combined intergovernmental state-federal task force on wind energy devel-opment to "ensure the Administration's wind en-ergy goals are met." Expanding the Department of Energy's renew-able energy programs to "focus not only on technology research and innovation, but also on technology deployment and market develop-ment," noting that, "these are precisely the types of efforts other nations are utilizing to success-fully compete with the United States. We must recognize that a scientific breakthrough five or 10 years from now, plus several more years for com-mercial acceptance, will be of little value if our wind industry has been relegated to minor play-ers in the global marketplace." Improved collaboration on siting new wind turbines: "... [W]e believe wind energy and wild-life protection are entirely compatible and we urge a prompt resolution of the Wind Energy Guidelines and Eagle Guidance concerns." Expediting deployment of offshore wind: "A new U.S. offshore wind sector would create tens of thousands of jobs in businesses ranging from R&D and engineering to manufacturing and ma-rine construction." Identifying transmission and grid integration priorities for Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) such as the Bonneville Power Admini-stration The letter concluded, "We believe these actions will help address some of the national economic and en-ergy challenges before our nation. We look forward to working with you and your Administration to further our nation's wind energy development to help drive economic growth, energy development, and the creation of high-paying jobs." Full text is available from the coalition's website. Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by the Governors Wind Energy Coalition on August 26, 2011. W i n d P o w e r Google is blowing into Oklahoma on the strength of the state’s renowned wind resources. The search engine titan has struck a deal to buy the power from a 100.8-megawatt wind farm being developed in Grady and Caddo counties near Minco. Electricity from NextEra Energy Resources’ Minco II Wind En-ergy Center will help power Google’s data center near Pryor, which is expected to be operational later this year. “We’ve made the commitment to be a carbon neu-tral company, and this purchase is part of our effort to minimize our impact on the environment,” Google’s Gary Demasi wrote September 29 on the company’s blog. “We’ve managed to reduce our en-ergy consumption by over 50 percent by building highly energy-efficient facilities, but we know that efficiency alone isn’t enough to eliminate our carbon footprint.” Google’s 20-year power purchase agreement with Juno Beach, FL-based NextEra is the second deal between the two companies in less than a year. Google also is buying 114 megawatts of power from a NextEra wind farm in Iowa in a deal cemented in July. “These purchases represent long-term, meaningful actions to reduce our carbon footprint and power our operations with clean electricity,” Demasi wrote. “As a company we hope that purchases like these, plus the additional $350 million we’ve invested in renewable energy projects, support the market and drive down the cost of clean energy. “This will enable even more companies to invest in sustainable energy solutions.” Kylah McNabb, wind energy specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, said the deal is great for the state. “Google is really getting into this business model,” she said. The company works through subsidiary Google En-ergy to participate in the wholesale energy market. NextEra officials are excited about the opportunity to continue working with Google Energy. “We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Google Energy and appreciate their ongoing sup-port of emission-free, renewable energy,” said Mike 3 BP to Build Massive Wind Farm in Kansas Kansas, Oct. 4, 2011—BP Wind Energy has an-nounced that it will build a 419 MW wind farm in Bar-ber, Harper, Kingman, and Sumner counties. The Flat Ridge II wind farm will be located on a 66,000-acre site in south central Kansas. The wind farm will utilize 262 GE wind turbines, each of which has a rated capacity of 1.6 MW. BP Wind Energy has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) totaling 314 MW from the proposed project with Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI). BP says it is actively marketing the re-maining capacity to other customers in the Midwest. "Today's announcement of a PPA with AECI is a mile-stone in the project's development that will create some 500 jobs during peak construction and will pro-vide over $1 million annually to the local communities without impacting traditional farming and ranching ac-tivities," says John Graham, president and CEO of BP Wind Energy. The project will be 100% owned and operated by BP Wind Energy. Subject to the receiving of all the neces-sary permits to proceed, it is anticipated that initial site construction work will start in the fourth quarter of this year. The wind farm is expected to become commer-cially operational by the end of next year. Taken from North American Windpower on October 5, 2011 http://www.nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php? content.8681 Google Buys Oklahoma Wind Power Photo from Dorchester Times stallation and ability to meet RPS requirements, as well as a proven track record of operational plants, remain a key advantage behind plants either planned or under construction. Fernandez summa-rized by saying the industry “needs to focus on three areas – efficiency, innovation and standardization; and as a whole adapt to the U.S. market and learn from experiences around the world to drive PV for-ward”. The U.S. Treasury grant will expire at the end of this year, however, PV costs have continued to decline as the technology becomes more efficient and the industry itself expands. In 2010 the installation costs of large-scale projects fell more than 20%, a clear indication that PV is taking important steps to-wards achieving financial independence and com-peting in a free market if subsidies end. To address this further, the industry will meet in San Jose on 17-18 November at the 2nd Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization Summit to discuss the latest im-provements for plant design, engineering, and op-erational strategies that are achieving grid parity - the point at which photovoltaic electricity will com-pete without subsidies with electricity generated from coal, natural gas, or nuclear energy. Editors Note: Taken from RenewableEnergy World on October 10, 2011 http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/ first-conferences/news/article/2011/10/light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel- for-the-us-pv-market O’Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Development for NextEra Energy Resources. “With the support of cus-tomers like Google Energy, we’ve built our wind fleet from fewer than 500 megawatts a decade ago to nearly 8,300 megawatts — the largest fleet in North America today.” Adapted from NewsOK on October 3, 2011 http://newsok.com/googles-data-center-near-pryor-to-be-powered-by- minco-wind-farm/article/3560948 S o l a r P o w e r 4 California, Oct. 10, 2011—The demand for PV pro-jects in the United States has been rapidly expanding over recent years as a result of falling module prices, stimulus funding, and new regulatory incentives from Congress. However, recent happenings, both political and commercial, have formed a dark cloud over the future of the PV market in the country. In 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama launched the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which in-cluded more than $70 billion in direct spending and tax credits for clean energy. However, increasing pes-simism surrounding the U.S. economy has put into question the future of renewables in a country more concerned with ridding itself of its national debt. Fur-thermore, the recent bankruptcy of American manu-facturer Solyndra, and the subsequent FBI investiga-tion into their misuse of federal loans, has created a climate of mistrust towards renewables. However, despite this cynicism surrounding renew-able energy, experts at PV Insider have been con-ducting research that suggests PV installations will continue to increase in this country. In a recent inter-view Lori Mitchell of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission described PV as a “fast growing industry” in North America, but acknowledged that “cost and available capital” remain a challenge. This view was backed up by David Fernandez, Senior Vice President at Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, in a presentation given at last year’s PV Yield Optimization Conference. Fernandez argued that “the U.S. is a very cost driven market, more so than Europe because it has not seen the feed-in tariffs that were in place in countries like Spain”. Showing support for photovoltaics, Fernandez explained that “5 years ago the U.S. had the fourth largest capacity of installed wind power in the world, and within 2 years the U.S. saw substantial growth and now has the largest installed capacity. I have no doubts the same will happen in PV”. The ease of in- Light at the End of the PV Tunnel Photo from Green Momentum G e o t h e r m a l P o w e r Washington, D.C., Aug. 16, 2011—President Obama today announced that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy will invest up to $510 million during the next three years in partner-ship with the private sector to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power mili-tary and commercial transportation. The initiative responds to a directive from President Obama is-sued in March as part of his Blueprint for A Secure Energy Future, the Administration’s framework for reducing dependence on foreign oil. The biofuels initiative is being steered by the White House Biofu-els Interagency Work Group and Rural Council, both of which are enabling greater cross-agency collabo-ration to strengthen rural America. “Biofuels are an important part of reducing Amer-ica’s dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs here at home,” said President Obama. “But support-ing biofuels cannot be the role of government alone. That’s why we’re partnering with the private sector to speed development of next-generation biofuels that will help us continue to take steps towards en-ergy independence and strengthen communities across our country.” Increased use of advanced biofuels is a key compo-nent of the Administration’s energy security agenda, but there is currently a lack of this manufacturing capability for next-generation drop-in biofuels in the United States. To accelerate the production of bio-based jet and diesel fuel for military and commercial purposes, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus have developed a plan to jointly construct or retrofit several drop-in biofuel plants and refineries. This effort will help address energy security and national security challenges, and will provide economic opportunities in rural America. “America’s national security depends upon a viable domestic biofuels market that will benefit taxpayers while simultaneously giving Sailors and Marines tac-tical and strategic advantages,” said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. “Today’s announcement not only lever-ages our home grown fuel sources to support our national security, but it also helps advance the bio-fuels market, which ultimately brings down the cost of biofuels for everyone.” 5 Washington, D.C., Sept. 8, 2011—U.S. Energy Secre-tary Steven Chu today announced $38 million over three years for projects to accelerate the development of promising geothermal energy technologies and help diversify America's sources of clean, renewable energy. Thirty-two innovative projects in 14 states will develop and test new ways to locate geothermal re-sources and improve resource characterization, drill-ing, and reservoir engineering techniques, which will enable geothermal energy sources to help reduce the nation's reliance on fossil fuels. Funded through DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable En-ergy, these advances will play an important role in achieving President Obama's goal of generating 80% of U.S. electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. "The Department of Energy is investing in pioneering new technologies that will further develop the nation's geothermal resources, create skilled jobs for Ameri-can workers, and help diversify our energy portfolio," said Secretary Chu. "The projects announced today will provide opportunities for clean energy innovations that will ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in geothermal energy development and expand the na-tion's use of this important renewable energy re-source." This significant investment in clean energy develop-ment is part of the Department's comprehensive effort to reduce the cost of geothermal energy, making it more competitive with conventional sources of baseload electricity. Projects will perform feasibility studies before advancing to prototyping and valida-tion, which will be conducted through vigorous labora-tory- based research and field testing. The selected projects will support the Department's goals of lower-ing the cost and financial risk associated with confirm-ing and characterizing geothermal resources and will help to overcome key technical challenges to the res-ervoir creation and sustainability of enhanced geo-thermal systems. For a complete list of the award recipients please visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/news_detail.html? news_id=17718 Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by the Department of Energy on September 8, 2011. Department of Energy Awards Up to $38 Million to Advance Geothermal Energy B i o f u e l s President Announces Major Initative to Spur Biofuels Industry and Enhace America’s Energy Security “By building a national biofuels industry, we are creat-ing construction jobs, refinery jobs, and economic op-portunity in rural communities throughout the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “As importantly, every gallon of biofuel consumed near where it is pro-duced cuts transportation costs and, for the military, improves energy security. These pioneer plants will demonstrate advanced technologies to produce infra-structure- compatible, drop-in renewable fuels from America’s abundant biomass resources,” said Energy Secretary Chu. “It will support development of a new, rural-focused industry that will replace imported crude oil with secure, renewable fuels made here in the U.S.” The joint plan calls for the three Departments to invest a total of up to $510 million, which will require sub-stantial cost share from private industry of at least a one to one match. The partnership aims to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil and create jobs while posi-tioning American companies and farmers to be global leaders in advanced biofuels production. The United States spends more than $300 billion on imported crude oil per year. Producing a domestic source of energy provides a more secure alternative to imported oil and improves our energy and national security. In June, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the first White House Rural Council to build on the Administration's robust economic strategy for rural America and make sure that continued fed-eral investments create maximum benefit for rural Americans. Administration officials have been working to coordinate programs across the government and encourage public-private partnerships to improve eco-nomic conditions and create jobs in rural communi-ties. President Obama's administration has taken signifi-cant steps to improve the lives of rural Americans and has provided broad support for rural communities. The Obama Administration has set goals of moderniz-ing infrastructure by providing broadband access to 10 million Americans, expanding educational opportu-nities for students in rural areas, providing affordable health care, promoting innovation and expanding the production of renewable energy. In the long term, these unparalleled rural investments will help ensure that America's rural communities are repopulating, self-sustaining, and thriving economically. Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by the Department of Energy on August 17, 2011. R e n e w a b l e N e w s 6 September 29, 2011- At the American Council On Renewable Energy’s (ACORE) annual RETECH Trade Show and Conference, organized by TradeFair Group, industry leaders agreed that the renewable energy sector showed surprising growth for 2011. In the first half of the year, 2,151 MW of newly installed wind power and 582 MW of solar power were added to the nation’s power supply. There are multiple reasons behind the aggressive growth numbers, including rapidly declining prices for solar panels and wind turbines, which means that renewable energy is becoming more and more cost-competitive with traditional sources of energy. “Renewable energy is increasingly competitive with traditional sources of energy and a growing source of grid power,” said Vice Admiral (Ret.) Dennis V. McGinn, President of ACORE. “Thirty-three percent of all new power in 2010 was generated by renew-able energy resources. A combination of economics and policy is driving U.S. market growth. However, to sustain this momentum, we need long-term con-sistency in government policy. We are no different from other industries–renewable energy investors need policy consistency. The U.S. economy and American industry and workers will be the benefici-aries of stable policy.” It is anticipated that the pending expiration of the 1603 cash grant in lieu of tax credits at the end of 2011 and expiration of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) at the end of 2012 will severely dampen the number of new projects in 2012 at a time when the jobs they would create would be most needed in the U.S. economy. These policies have been successful in delivering billions of dollars of private sector in-vestment in the U.S. According to ACORE’s Part-nership for Renewable Energy Finance (U.S. PREF), $20 billion in renewable energy projects would be lost if the 1603 and PTC programs are not extended. In a keynote address at RETECH, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-AK and ranking member of the Sen-ate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, ex-pressed both hopefulness about the potential for renewable energy and a desire for a more consis-tent federal policy. “There’s a lot of reason for opti-mism about clean technologies. New ideas are emerging, costs are coming down, and deployment is increasing. All of those are welcome develop-ments for our energy supply and the global environ- Despite Sluggish Economy, Renewable Energy Shows Strength in 2011 Submit a Story to the WinCharger Do you have a story, comments, or photos that you would like to share with the rest of the Oklahoma WinCharger readers? Visit our website at http:// www.ocgi.okstate.edu/owpi and click on the “OWPI Newsletter” to submit your story to us! Electronic Distribution of the WinCharger Electronic distribution of The Oklahoma WinCharger is now the only means of receiving the state’s pre-mier wind power publication. If you know someone who was only receiving The Oklahoma WinCharger by mail then please encourage them to go to the OWPI website at http://www.ocgi.okstate.edu/owpi, click on the link on the left side that says “Subscribe to the Oklahoma WinCharger,” and follow the instruc-tions from there. Thank you. 7 ment. Federal policies have played a role, but much of the progress we’ve seen is the direct result of your creativity and determination.” Senator Murkowski went on to describe her view on what policy leaders need to do. “Budget cuts have now begun here at home, and the Breakthrough Institute has deter-mined that more than seventy percent of the federal support for renewable energy has either expired al-ready or will expire within the next three year. We need to design policies that can endure both the pas-sage of time and shifts in party lines, and that will receive consistent funding for five years or ten years or longer.” ACORE is actively working with its members to build a vision for a sound, financially viable, long-term fed-eral policy and to highlight the detrimental effects of inconsistent policy. RETECH, attended by over 2,400 renewable energy players this year, is well-known for delivering unparalleled educational content from more than 250 industry-leading speakers, covering all of the industry’s key technologies: wind, solar, hy-dro, ocean, geothermal, biomass, biofuels, waste energy and cross-cutting sections on markets, utility perspectives, industry, finance and policy. Many of the industry’s leading companies and organizations sponsor and exhibit at the event’s onsite show floor. Editors Note: The above is adapted from a press release issued by ACORE on September 29, 2011. Used by Permission: http://theflyingpie.zenfolio.com/ University of Oklahoma EVAC - Environmental Verification and Analysis Center 100 East Boyd Street SEC Room 410 Norman, OK 73019 Return Service Requested Oklahoma WinCharger September/ October 2011 Calendar of Events Nov. 09 Oklahoma Renewable Energy Council Meeting, 10 a.m. — noon, Department of Commerce, Gallery 1-2, 900 N. Stiles, OKC, OK 73104. Dec. 14 Oklahoma Renewable Energy Council Meeting, 10 a.m. — noon, Department of Commerce, Gallery 1-2, 900 N. Stiles, OKC, OK 73104. Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID University of Oklahoma |
Date created | 2011-11-23 |
Date modified | 2011-11-30 |