Green Energy News | November 26, 2000

November 26, 2000 – Vol.5 No.35

ENERGIES... week of November 26, 2000

THE GREEN POWER STATE. Maybe that’s what the Australian island state of Tasmania could use as its official slogan, if Basslink - an electric cable between the island and the continent - were built. Already Tasmania is almost completely powered by hydropower. Now Hydro Tasmania has ordered six Vestas 1.75 megawatt wind generators for a wind farm to be built in Woolnorth for $10.38 million. If Basslink were built Tasmania could become the leading supplier of green power to the mainland. Hydro Tasmania, a division of Norsk Hydro, foresees a gigawatt of wind power that could be sold to Australian markets. Visit Hydro Tasmania at http://www.hydro.com.au/, Vestas at http://www.vestas.com/.

SUCCESS BRINGS COMPETITION. With 1000 MicroTurbines (tm) now shipped, Capstone Turbine can bask in the glory of success - for a while. Along with companies such as Ingersoll-Rand and Honeywell also in the microturbine market, new company Solo Energy has partnered with Enron North America to further develop and market Solo’s Wireless Energy (tm) microturbine. To be ready for market testing in 2001, Solo and Enron will be courting the same customers as Capstone and the others - grocery stores, schools, retailers, hotels and light industries that need reliable off-grid power or feel they can save money by generating their own.

Capstone’s MicroTurbine serial number 001000 will be installed as one of a six turbine array - dubbed The Six Pack - at the Goose Island Beer Company, Fulton Street Brewery in Chicago, Illinois. Visit Capstone at http://www.microturbine.com/

FROM THE GROUND UP. If Calpine can find a good source of steam in the ground at Fourmile Hill in the Glass Mountain Known Geothermal Resource Area in Northern California, the Bonneville Power Authority has committed itself to buying 49.9 megawatts of geothermal generated electricity for 20 years.

It’s a good bet that Fourmile Hill will produce some commercially developable steam as other sources in Glass Mountain have been proven. Visit the BPA at http://www.bpa.gov/ , Calpine at http://www.calpine.com/ .

GREEN ENERGY VIETNAM. According to Tohoku Electric Power of Japan only 50 percent of Vietnam is electrified. To help remedy that situation Tohoku will test a combination wind/ solar generating station in village of Kontum. The station includes a 1.8 kilowatt wind turbine and a 6.72 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system along with lead-acid battery storage. Tohoku will partner with the state-run Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) in the two-year project. If all goes well Tohoku will seek markets for the wind/solar system in Vietnam and other developing countries.

JAPAN’S FUEL CELL FLEET. In an attempt to bring fuel cell vehicles to market in Japan, Methanex, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui and Company will work together to promote methanol powered fuel cell vehicles in the nation. The three will address regulatory issues, encourage methanol fuel cell vehicle demonstration programs, work with auto manufacturers regarding fuel specifications, address fuel quality and availability issues, and work with retail distributors for methanol introduction. Visit Methanex at http://www.methanex.com/.