Green Energy News | December 17, 2000

December 17, 2000 – Vol.5 No.38

ENERGIES... week of December 17, 2000

HYBRIDS FOR THE BIG APPLE. Impressed with the performance of its 10 diesel-electric hybrid buses now in revenue service, MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) has decided to order an additional 200 full-sized hybrid buses from Orion Bus Industries. Fitted in the buses will be BAE SYSTEMS Controls’ HybriDrive (tm) propulsion system. BAE inherited HybriDrive when it purchased Lockheed Martin Control Systems.

Aside from reducing emissions by nearly one half and significantly improving fuel economy, NYCT, having logged 200,000 miles of hybrid experience, has realized additional savings. In the stop-and-go nature of transit service, transmissions are typically an expensive maintenance item for city buses. With HybriDrive no transmission is needed. A diesel generator supplies power to an electric drive motor and recharges a battery pack at the same time.

Brake wear, and subsequent maintenance, is reduced by almost one third as regenerative braking (the drive motor becomes a generator while braking) cuts demand on the brakes. And since the on-board diesel runs at a near constant speed, there is less wear and tear on that engine.

The purchase puts more than 300 hybrid buses in service or on order with NYCT. It is the largest-ever competitive purchase of hybrid buses.The purchase order came in the same week that the U.S Environmental Protection Agency issued a major crack-down on diesel truck emissions. This proven technology could see extensive commercialization under that ruling.

PENDING WIND POWER. Not everyone wants a wind farm in their back yard, but with a little give and take wind projects can get pushed through.

By agreeing to eliminate nearly two dozen turbines from its planned 90 turbine project in West Virginia, Backbone Mountain Wind Power LLC, Atlantic Renewable Energy and one-time opposing, now cooperating force, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, have filed a joint motion to the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to go ahead with the project. Removal of the all southernmost turbines will take the wind farm out of view from nearby Blackwater Falls State Park and the proposed Blackwater Canyon national park. With PSC approval, Backbone will be the largest wind project in the eastern U.S.

Also pending approval in the eastern U.S. are two projects from Endless Energy. The 30 megawatt Redington Wind Farm, in sight of the Sugarloaf Mountain ski area in western Maine, could have 30 turbines. And the Equinox Wind Farm in Vermont will sport seven if built. Visit Atlantic at http://www.atlantic-renewable.com/ and Endless at http://www.endlessenergy.com/.

GREEN CUSTOMERS BY DEFAULT. Because of a process in Pennsylvania’s utility restructuring known as competitive default service, Green Mountain Energy will be awarded 50,000 new customers in the state. And, whether they like it or not, those customers will have cleaner or greener electricity generated in their name.

The Public Utility Commission ordered PECO Energy Company to give up a portion of its customers. Randomly chosen PECO customers in Philadelphia and surrounding counties will be given to Green Mountain. Visit Green Mountain at http://www.greenmountain.com/ .