Energizer Newsletter
October 29, 2009
Volume 2, Issue 12
Extension Clean Energy Outreach
by Leigh Fortson
Extension Regional Communications Coordinator and REA (Renewable Energy Advocate)
CESIT Presents Renewable Energy Basics
At this year’s CSU Annual Forum, the Clean Energy Strategic Initiative Team (CESIT) provided a short explanation of what kind of services they will provide to Extension agents statewide to help educate them about renewable and clean energy options.
Each of the seven team leaders had ten minutes to give the low-down on what types of materials are being created so agents are equipped to answer basic questions from community members. The goal is to prepare agents to be general information brokers, not experts. Resources include an ever-evolving website (www.ext.colostate.edu/energy/), fact sheets, information tips, workshops and more. Feedback from our colleagues was enthusiastic.
 Audiences listen as... |  Rusty Collins recites the possibilities |
 Rusty and Steve Newman marvel at an infra red Camera | |
 Previous Geothermal/Hydropower leader, Mark Platten with Hillevi Peterson-Hirsch |  Irene Shonle, Leigh Fortson, Joanne Littlefield, Kurt Jones, Rusty Collins, Dan Pauley, Deb Lester and Marvin Reynolds enjoy a post-presentation libation. |
Kurt Jones, Featured Speaker on Solar
CESIT solar team leader, Kurt Jones, participated in the Chaffee County Renewable Energy Economic Development Summit in Salida on October 15th. He was joined by Don Marostica, Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development, Joani Matranga, Western Region Representative for the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), and Colorado Senator Gail Swartz. Kurt was the capstone speaker at the well-attended, 14-hour-long summit. 
At the end of the day, he utilized CSU’s Right Now clickers to conduct a needs assessment for clean energy activities in Chaffee County. The number-one need the group identified was education.
“The variety of businesses, advocates, officials and educators who are helping to shape this renewable energy plan in Chaffee County was refreshing, with all of them indicating education as their top priority,” Kurt reported. “This is quite exciting for the work that CESIT is doing.”
Tom Plant Speaks at CSU
GEO office director, Tom Plant, spoke at the Lory Student Center on campus on Monday, October 26th about how the energy office is using federal stimulus money. He said that for Gov. Bill Ritter's New Energy Economy vision to come true, we’ll have to confront serious challenges such as building adequate transmission lines dedicated to renewable sources of electricity.
Plant said that for the state to achieve its long-term carbon emission reduction goals, the state will need to have a system of renewable power transmission lines built by 2040. The current system, he said, is not designed to deliver energy from renewables. Unlike with fossil fuels, the new grid system needs to produce energy at the source of the energy site, such as a wind, solar or biomass facility. It is then delivered to users.
“The grid of the future is the smart grid,” said Plant, “which the city of Fort Collins and other cities are pioneering.”
German Solar Company Opens in Denver
Source: KUNC Radio
SMA Solar Technologies, headquartered in Niestetal, Germany will build its first North American manufacturing site in Denver.
SMA Solar Technology makes the converters that allow solar energy to be transformed into real power on the electricity grid. They're considered a global leader in this technology and one of the pioneers of the smart grid, which is popping up in American cities.
SMA's chief financial officer Pierre Urbon says Colorado was attractive because of the state's business climate toward renewable energy companies.
"As a global company, we have made the decision to expand our production in Denver because the city offers optimal flexibility for our future growth," Urbon says.
SMA expects to hire about 300 people once its plant near the old Stapleton airport becomes fully operational next year, but the site will be able to handle a workforce of 700.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said the announcement is good news for the region's economy.
"Not only do we create more jobs in our community, but at the same time, we're creating cleaner air, a safer and more secure world," says Hickenlooper. 
SMA's expansion into North America marks the largest capital investment the company has ever made outside of Germany - $20 million. The U.S. solar market is expected to soon be one of the largest in the world. Colorado officials hope that will translate into their state being one of the top manufacturing sectors in the country.
The company is the latest in a growing cue of renewable energy companies that have expanded or relocated to Colorado in recent months.
4-H Uses Clean Energy to Teach Science
Source: Ellen Butler, Colorado 4-H blog: www.colorado4h.org/Blog/?p=853
Reading, writing, arithmetic and biofuels. Youth across the country celebrated 4-H National Youth Science Day recently by learning about and creating their own biofuel in the Biofuel Blast National Science Experiment. www.4-h.org/NYSD/
“It’s vital for young people to understand, gain exposure to, and to develop a passion for the sciences,” said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., National 4-H Council president and CEO. “4-H National Youth Science Day makes science fun, real, and accessible. Kids will learn about cutting edge technologies and then take the next step to lead by applying what they’ve learned and teaching others in their very own communities.”
4-H National Youth Science Day was created as part of 4-H’s One Million New Scientists, One Million New Ideas™ campaign. It is designed to spark an early youth interest in science education in order to combat a national shortage of young people pursuing science in college and future careers.
The innovative Biofuel Blast experiment was a success in many classrooms, after-school programs and 4-H Clubs nationwide. Youth mixed combinations of water, corn syrup and yeast in drinking bottles, and covered the mouth with a balloon. The chemical reactions created carbon dioxide as a waste product, which filled the balloon. What was left in the mixture contained an amount of ethanol, a common additive in gasoline.
“I think it went fantastically,” said Jeff Howard, 4-H Director with the University of Maryland Extension, speaking at the university’s event. “[Students] needed to have a hypothesis and then decide if this is working or not. And if not, why?”
Youth at the University of Maryland, College Park, were given a variety of material to use, in addition to corn syrup, to discover other potential sources of energy. Some material proved to be more useful than others.
“I observed the scientific inquiry, trying to figure out what was going on, and every exposure we give them causes them to think outside of the box in regards to what they’ve historically known,” said Howard. “I feel like we were successful with that today.”
University of the District of Columbia Extension Agent, Chris Coggins, led 60 excited fifth graders through Biofuel Blast at Janney Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
Coggins taught the youth about fossil fuels and clean energy, explained the scientific reaction of the experiment ingredients, and helped them measure their balloons as they grew.
Nationally, 4-H National Youth Science Day was covered by the Associated Press and stories appeared in many publications, including the New York Times. Events were also covered across the country in local media, as with Orange County Register and the Indianapolis Star.
“Renewable resources such as biofuels are a very good alternative to what we’re using now,” said Elena Bode, a University of Maryland student and a graduate of 4-H. “I feel like this is a field that needs to be researched more so that we have fuel for our future.”
Biofuel Blast was developed in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension and Wisconsin 4-H with generous sponsor support provided by John Deere and DuPont.
Wind Industry Installs 1600 MW in Third Quarter of 09
Source: American Wind Energy Association
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reported today in its third quarter (Q3) market report that the U.S. wind energy industry installed 1,649 megawatts (MW) of new power generating capacity in the third quarter—an amount higher than either the 2nd quarter of 2009 or the 3rd quarter of 2008—bringing the total capacity added this year to date to over 5,800 MW. AWEA also reported that wind turbine manufacturing still lags below 2008 levels, in both production and new announcements.
"Wind power installations are up, and that is good news for America's economy, environment, and energy security," said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. "But manufacturing, which has the potential to employ many more Americans in good, clean energy jobs, remains uncertain. A firm, long-term national commitment to renewable energy is still needed for the U.S. to become a wind turbine manufacturing powerhouse and create hundreds of thousands of jobs."
The total wind power capacity now operating in the U.S. is over 31,000 MW, generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of nearly 9 million homes, avoiding the emissions of 57 million tons of carbon annually and reducing expected carbon emissions from the electricity sector by 2.5%.
The state posting the fastest growth rate in the third quarter was Arizona, which installed its first utility-scale project. Pennsylvania ranked 2nd in growth with 29%, followed by Illinois with 22%, Wyoming with 21%, and New Mexico with 20%.
Additional report highlights:
The top five states in additions for new capacity added in the third quarter are:
- Texas - 436 MW
- Oregon - 251 MW
- Illinois - 201 MW
- Colorado - 174 MW
- Wyoming – 170 MW
The top five states in total operating wind capacity are:
- Texas - 8,797 MW
- Iowa - 3,053 MW
- California - 2,787 MW
- Minnesota - 1,805 MW
The full Q3 market report is available at www.awea.org/publications/reports/3Q09.pdf.
Colorado Ranks High on Energy Report Card
Source: Examiner.com
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently released its scorecard that ranks states by their energy efficiency. They awarded up to 50 points in each of 6 categories: utility sector policies and public benefits programs, transportation, building energy codes, heating and power, government initiatives, and appliance efficiency standards.
Colorado fell among the "most improved" states, jumping up 8 spots to number 16.
Colorado definitely has an energy conscious government, and has made a lot of advancements this year deserving of the higher rank. Just this week, Governor Bill Ritter helped christen one of America's largest wind turbines at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, that's the centerpiece of landmark wind power study. Colorado utility companies have committed to a secure energy future by upgrading current infrastructure. Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association are proposing new high voltage power lines that will make wind and solar power accessible to urban areas that are far from the source. Colorado is building EPA Energy Star buildings, like Crimson Property Management's building in Littleton.
Colorado businesses are getting smarter with energy conservation. Denver based Chipotle Restaurants decided to put solar panels on 75 of their restaurants, and lastly, Colorado residents are embracing new energy efficient technology. Boulder was called the first, fully-functioning smart city in the world due to its new smart grid.
The ACEEE scorecard really shows how much the attitudes of individual states influence America's overall clean energy progress. It also shows which states could use a bit more improvement. Wyoming for example, ranked dead last, as the nation's worst state for energy efficiency.
Toyota Plugs in to Boulder’s Grid
Source: Boulder Daily Camera
Toyota is donating 10 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to a research project aimed at monitoring how plug-ins interact with Xcel Energy's SmartGridCity project in Boulder.
The 10 cars -- part of a 150-car plug-in demonstration fleet that Toyota plans to release in the United States early next year -- will be studied by the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, a joint institute of the University of Colorado and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.
Researchers will gather data on vehicle performance and charging patterns, consumer behavior and preferences, as well as electric utility-customer interactions. Toyota is also interested in how Boulder's high altitude and cold climate will affect he performance of its first-generation 
lithium-ion battery.
The new Toyota plug-in is designed to drive about 12 miles in electric-only mode. Beyond that, the car reverts to the same hybrid mode that is used by today's Priuses.
Aurora Shines as New Home for Solar Research
Seventy-four acres in northeastern Aurora will soon be the home for SolarTac’s “hub of solar activity.” The facility will house researchers and equipment to study solar power and the most promising techniques for its use.
Both public and private entities voiced interest in participating in the research at SolarTAC, including Abengoa Solar, the City of Aurora, the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, SunEdison, Xcel Energy, NREL and the Midwest Research Institute, which will manage the site.
News From 25x25
Clean Energy, Clean Environment
A new report, Estimating the Jobs Impact of Tackling Climate Change, from the 25x'25 endorsing partner American Solar Energy Society, and Management Information Services Inc. suggests that aggressive deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency can net up to 4.5 million new U.S. jobs by 2030 and provide the greenhouse gas emission reductions necessary to tackle climate change.
The report says that costs would be revenue neutral or better as costs to implement the technologies are offset by savings from lower energy bills, making total net costs near zero. Other conclusions show that jobs spurred by the new economic growth would span a diverse range of skills and experience and include: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, administrative assistants, machinists, cashiers, management analysts, civil engineers, and sheet metal workers.
Renewable energy and energy efficient technologies could displace approximately 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions annually by 2030, the report says. And approximately 57 percent of carbon emissions reductions would come from energy efficiency and 43 percent would come from renewable energy.
Farms to Benefit from Biofuel Industry
An economic study of four states released by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) shows the establishment of a national Renewable Energy Standard of 25 percent by 2025 will drive biomass production and boost farm revenue. The analysis, undertaken by the BPC's behalf by the University of Tennessee's Bio-Based Energy Analysis Group (BEAG), examined potential new markets for biomass resources in Colorado, Kansas, Florida and North Carolina.
The BPC study comes ahead of next month's release of an in-depth, 25x'25-sponsored analysis, also undertaken by University of Tennessee BEAG researchers, of the impacts on all U.S. agriculture and forestry that would result under a wide variety of climate change policy scenarios. To read more, go to: blog.25x25.org/?p=1083.
Points of Interest
The GEO’s Colorado Carbon Fund can help calculate and offset the carbon fooptrint of a conference, meeting, or other event. Go to: coloradocarbonfund.org/index.php/green-events/ and get tips on how to green your event.
Use GEO’s online carbon footprint calculator to measure and offset at least 50% of your vehicle's annual emissions with the Colorado Carbon Fund. (A minimum $25 donation to the Colorado Carbon Fund is required to get the license plate). www.coloradocarbonfund.org/index.php/partners/license-plate/.
For more information about Project C and the Colorado Carbon Fund, contact Susan Innis at the GEO at Susna.innis@state.co.us.
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NREL’s new In My Backyard program calculates how much solar or wind energy your home could produce. Go to mercator.nrel.gov/imby.
CSU Energy Website
To learn more about wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels, visit our energy website at: www.ext.colostate.edu/energy.
Furthermore
Go to hes.lbl.gov/hes/db/zip.shtml and you can do an online calculation of your own energy use and carbon footprint. It’s easy to use. Tell your communities about it.
Send me anything that’s newsworthy that you’re doing in the world of clean energy and renewables. We need to keep our colleagues up to date on what’s going on in Extension and the value of our role!
Leigh Fortson
Extension Regional Communications Coordinator and REA (Renewable Energy Advocate)
Colorado State University Extension
2764 Compasss Drive, Suite 232
Grand Junction, CO 81506-8746
(970) 241-3346, FAX (970) 241-3643
leigh.Fortson@ColoState.EDU
