Green Energy News | October 28, 2001

October 28, 2001 – Vol.6 No.31

ENERGIES... week of October 28, 2001

YOUR NEXT JOB? To the list of things green energy can do (help mitigate global warming, contribute to cleaner air and water, make energy more secure) be sure to add job creation. With the U.S. and other economies on the wane - secure jobs disappearing - new job opportunities are and should be examined to get economies rolling again.

According to a new study released by the World Wildlife Fund - Clean Energy: Jobs for America’s Future - at least 750,000 jobs could be created by 2010 if energy efficient policies and renewable energy resources were further developed in the U.S. That employment number would increase to 1.3 million by 2020. Further, a national focus on developing green energy policies and technologies, $23 billion would be added to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by 2010 and $43.9 billion by 2020.

The all-encompassing report shows that more jobs and more economic opportunity would be created under this scenario than by extracting oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Data to compile the report was obtained from the U.S. Department of Energy as well as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Economic and Employment Projections. For the study visit the World Wildlife Fund at http://www.worldwildlifefund.org/climate/ .

NOW IN PRODUCTION. Ford has turned the key to start the assembly line for its TH!NK Neighbor low-speed electric vehicle. The line, which is expected to produce up to 10,000 vehicles per year, was developed in 10 months time at the TruMack Assembly Detroit Chassis Plant (DCP). The TH!NK Neighbor has a top speed of 25 miles per hour, a range of about 30 miles. Visit Think Mobility at http://www.thinkmobility.com/ .

TOW BY ELECTRIC. The Miami International Airport has become one of the first in the U.S. to employ battery electric tugs to haul baggage to and from waiting aircraft. The purchase of seven Teleflex Lionel Dupont (TLD) - Tracma TEX15 electric baggage tractors by American Sales and Management Organization (ASMO), one of five aircraft service operators at the airport, came in response to an effort to improve air quality in areas under the terminal buildings where baggage is handled.

ASMO has an option to purchase seven more electric tugs at $30-35,000 each. The company has made plans to upgrade most of its fleet of aircraft service vehicles - cargo loaders, push-out tractors and belt loaders - to electric by 2005. The TEX15 can be recharged in 60 minutes and operate for eight hours. Visit TLD at http://www.tld-gse.com/ .

PUBLIC SOLAR UK. Even though the country is not known for its sunny clime, the UK is pushing ahead to build more solar energy capacity. The UK Government has made GBP 3 million ($4.39 million) available to build solar power plants on public sector buildings - schools, hospitals, universities, museums and churches.

The Government expects 12-15 large scale power plants to be built. To qualify for the funding each plant must have capacity greater than 20 kilowatts. The funding should cover approximately 80 percent of the capital cost of each installation.

The solar funding program follows an earlier one for GBP 5.4 million ($7.9 million) to install 540 residential systems nationwide.

WORLD WIND WATCH. Bonus Energy of Denmark will build a new production plant for wind turbine rotor blades in the Danish city of Aalborg. Aalborg was chosen for the rotor blade factory because it is near a port and the company’s blade development division is located in that city. The new facility will employ 200. The blade development division already employs 50. Visit Bonus at http://www.bonus.dk/ .

According to news reports NEG-Micon, also of Denmark, does not wish to establish production facilities in the U.S. The reason? The current wind Production Tax Credit (PTC), which helps make wind-produced electricity competitive, is expected to be extended by only another two years, not the three to five years as discussed in the sweeping U.S. energy plan of earlier in the year. The current PTC expires at the end of this year. NEG-Micon would require the longer range PTC to make the investment, which would ultimately create U.S. jobs in the wind power arena, a worthwhile venture.