Green Energy News | June 20, 1999

June 20, 1999 – Vol.4 No.12

ENERGIES... week of June 20, 1999

THE PREVAILING WINDS RULE. The northeast United States is considered the last stop for air pollution from much of the nation before it blows out to sea. Tired of dirty air, it’s no wonder these states are so interested in developing their own clean vehicles.

The Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium (NAVC) has been awarded funding for four new clean transportation projects from the U.S. Advanced Vehicle Technologies Program.

One project is to develop a state-of-the-art hybrid-electric school bus. School bus manufacturer Blue Bird and EV builder Solectria will work together to build an electric dominant technology that could be applicable to other heavy-duty vehicles. The hybrid system will be able to run solely on electric power and recharged from external sources, but also be have its own on-board generator for extended range.

Another project is the development of a clean transportation system that could be replicated in parks throughout the country. On the Spectacle Island Project, part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, a system of solar charged electric vehicles, electric bikes and electric lawn mowers will be deployed for daily use and evaluation.

A third project involves the development of a methodology for testing and measuring vehicle emissions and fuel use from heavy duty hybrid-electric vehicles.

The fourth project will investigate ways to reduce the cost of manufacturing fuel cells. Connecticut company Jet Process Corporation will work with other fuel cell technology companies to reduce the cost of manufacturing thin film catalysts used in fuel cells. Visit NAVC at http://www.navc.org/ .

EVER EXPANDING FUEL CELL BUSINESS. GE Fuel Cell Systems has announced another distributor for stationary fuel cell powerplants - Flint Energies. Flint will be the exclusive distributor in central and southern Georgia for residential and small commercial, under 35 kilowatt, systems. The fuel cells manufactured by Plug Power for GE are ideal for markets for “green” power sources, for homes and businesses susceptible to power outages, and for distributed power for remote locations. Visit Flint Energies at http://www.flintemc.com/ , Plug Power at http://www.plugpower.com/ .

SOLAR/FUEL CELL HYBRID. Dedicated this week at the Kirby Cove campground in California’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area was the first commercially available fuel cell / photovoltaic hybrid power system. The system includes a 2.5kW fuel cell from H Power, a 9.6 kW PV system from Solar Depot and a 9kWh battery pack. Visit Solar Depot at http://www.solardepot.com/ .

BUSH GOES GREEN? Texas Governor and presidential candidate George W. Bush has signed a power deregulation bill that will bring 2000 megawatts of new renewable energy to the state by 2009. The law will result in more new renewables being added to the state’s electricity mix than announced by any other state to date. However, as the Union of Concerned Scientists points out, renewables in Texas by 2009 will by generate only 3% of the state’s power needs, below targets set by other states that have made similar commitments.