March
11 , 2002
For
Immediate Release:
March 11, 2002
For More Information:
Rachel Shimshak (503) 223-4544
RENEWABLE
ENERGY ADVOCATES PRAISE
48 MEGAWATT NINE CANYON WIND PROJECT
The Renewable Northwest Project (RNP) praised the Nine Canyon Wind
Project at a ground-breaking ceremony held today at the project
site in southwestern Washington State.
As the region’s leading renewable energy advocacy organization,
RNP enthusiastically applauds the project, which will use 37 windmills
to generate enough energy to serve 12,000 households. Nine Canyon
is sponsored by Energy Northwest and is being built by Renewable
Energy Systems. The project is expected to be operational by late
2002.
Sonja Ling, Policy Associate for RNP, commented, "It's great
to see unlikely players step up to the development of wind. It is
especially encouraging that Energy Northwest, which runs the region's
only operating nuclear power plant, is spearheading the development
of this wind project." It is also supported by public power
customers in Washington State - eight public utilities will buy
power from Nine Canyon.
Energy Northwest worked closely with the local Audobon Society to
address environmental issues involved in building the wind project,
which is sited eight miles southeast of Kennewick, Washington.
The project will have substantial clean air benefits. Assuming that
the 48 megawatt project has a 30 percent capacity factor, about
55,000 tons of carbon dioxide (the principal cause of global warming)
and 5.3 tons of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide (acid rain precursors)
will be avoided annually.
The Renewable Northwest Project is a regional advocacy organization
promoting solar, wind, and geothermal energy resources in the Northwest.
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to the Top
April
2, 2002
Statement
of Rachel Shimshak, Director
Renewable Northwest Project
At the Stateline Wind Project Dedication
April 2, 2002
It is a great honor to participate in the dedication of the Stateline
wind project. We have seen this project germinate from an idea in
FPL’s head, and grow to a partnership with PacifiCorp Power Marketing
(PPM), and from there into the largest new wind project in the western
United States. The region is proud to host this facility that is serving
over 65,000 customers right here in the Northwest with home grown
clean energy.
FPL and PPM have earned the support of the local communities and state
and local agencies involved in siting the project. Together, they
have helped shape this project into a truly stunning example of clean
energy technology. Stateline has helped invigorate the local economy
by providing construction jobs, contributing to the local tax bases
of the counties, and by supporting the farmers and ranchers on whose
land the turbines are placed.
Congratulations to FPL and PPM for having the vision to create Stateline,
and to The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Seattle City Light
and all other customers for creating the demand for this wind power.
Making a market for renewable power is what the people of the region
want. The project sponsors also assembled a first class team to work
with them on Stateline. They all deserve credit for persevering, meeting
some stiff timelines, and doing it all with grace.
All of the Stateline partners have created a wind facility that stands
as a symbol that a clean energy future is both desirable, and doable.
It provides momentum for others to follow.
Back to the Top
April
3, 2002
For Immediate
Release:
April 3, 2002
For More Information:
Rachel Shimshak (503) 223-4544
RENEWABLE ADVOCATES CHEER VESTAS WIND TURBINE MANUFACTURING COMING
TO PORTLAND, OREGON
The region’s leading renewable advocacy group today cheered the
announcement from Vestas Wind Systems A/S that they will locate a
wind turbine manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon.
"This is a very big deal," commented Rachel Shimshak, Director
of the Renewable Northwest Project. "The emergence of a strong
renewable energy market in the region, along with the leadership of
our local officials in supporting clean energy technologies, has combined
to make Oregon the right place to locate this wind turbine manufacturing
facility."
The Vestas plant will employ up to 1000 people and is scheduled to
be completed by mid-2003.
Vestas wind turbines are being used at Oregon’s Vansycle wind
project in Umatilla County, Oregon, and at the Stateline wind project
in Umatilla and Walla Walla Counties. The 263 megawatt Stateline facility
was dedicated yesterday, and will serve over 60,000 households. PacifiCorp
Power Marketing (PPM) purchased all of the power from the project
and has resold it to Seattle City Light, the Bonneville Power Administration
(BPA), and Avista.
"The foundation laid by the state’s four new wind projects,
our innovative restructuring legislation which supports renewables,
and the strong public response to renewable energy products offered
by our utilities demonstrate Oregon’s commitment to renewable
energy," added Shimshak. "The Vestas announcement stands
as a symbol that a clean energy future benefits both the environment
and the economy of the region," she concluded.
The Renewable Northwest Project (RNP) is a regional, non-profit group
promoting solar, wind, and geothermal resources throughout the four
states of the Northwest. Vestas American Wind Technology, Inc. is
a member of RNP.
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to the Top
July
11, 2002
For
Immediate Release:
July 11, 2002
For More Information:
Diane Zipper (503) 223-4544
KINKO’S POWERS UP RENEWABLE ENERGY PURCHASES
WITH PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC, PACIFIC POWER
AND GREEN MOUNTAIN ENERGY COMPANY
Kinko’s Increases Nationwide Green Power Purchases 30 Percent,
Becomes Largest Renewable Energy Business Customer in Oregon
DALLAS and PORTLAND, Ore. – June 11, 2002 – Kinko’s,
Inc., Portland General Electric (PGE), Pacific Power and Green Mountain
Energy Company today announced that Kinko’s has become Oregon’s
largest green power purchaser.
Kinko’s has agreed to buy renewable energy for 10 Oregon branches
served by PGE and Pacific Power for an expected total of 1.5 million
kilowatt hours (kWh) annually – about the same energy required
to power 125 average homes in the Pacific Northwest for a year.
A purchase of this size offsets carbon dioxide emissions as much
as not driving the average car more than 372,000 miles during the
same period. It would take more than 22,800 trees a full year to
remove that same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Green Mountain Energy Company, the nation’s largest retail
provider of cleaner electricity, will fulfill a substantial portion
of the renewable power demand for many of the participating Kinko’s
locations. Three stores served by Pacific Power will purchase 20
percent of their power through the utility’s Blue Sky wind
power program.
The new agreement increases Kinko’s estimated annual renewable
power purchases nationwide by 30 percent to 6.5 million kWh. This
new agreement was made possible under Oregon’s new electricity
industry restructuring law, which went into effect in March 2002.
PGE and Pacific Power first began offering renewable power to customers
in 2000.
"At Kinko’s, protecting the environment is a top priority,"
stated Heather Clark, market director for Kinko’s. "We
are proud to work with Portland General Electric, Pacific Power
and Green Mountain Energy Company as a way to demonstrate our corporate
environmental commitment and desire to achieve lasting benefits
for both our local community and the planet as a whole."
The 10 participating branches are located in the Portland area as
well as in Medford, Corvallis and Bend, Oregon. Seven locations
will switch to Green Mountain EnergySM electricity. This 100 percent
renewable power product is offered by both PGE and Pacific Power,
is comprised of a mix of geothermal and wind energy, and is 99 percent
pollution free. Three stores served by Pacific Power will purchase
Blue Sky wind power, placing Kinko’s at the program’s
"Champion" level. Kinko’s also becomes one of PGE’s
largest renewable power purchasers among the 318 business and 12,630
residential customers enrolled.
"Oregon is known world-wide for caring about the environment,
and that goes for its businesses too," said Thor Hinckley,
PGE’s program manager, renewable products. "PGE is proud
to provide a variety of renewable energy products and we applaud
Kinko’s for its leadership in making such a large purchase."
"With its purchase of Green Mountain Energy and Blue Sky, Kinko’s
is bringing cleaner energy into the power grid that otherwise would
have to be generated by less environmentally friendly sources,"
said Bill Edmonds, environmental policy manager for Pacific Power.
"Kinko’s is leading 316 Oregon businesses and 8,467 Oregon
households using Pacific Power who are investing in a more sustainable
future."
"Kinko’s commitment to the environment and leadership
in supporting renewable energy is quite commendable," said
Karen Norris, Oregon program director for Green Mountain Energy
Company. "Green Mountain Energy Company’s mission is to
change the way power is made. We are committed to offering an easy
way for Oregonians to help keep Oregon clean by reducing the air
pollution that results from their electricity they use."
"One goal of Kinko’s Environmental Vision Statement is
to use renewable energy sources," said Larry Rogero, manager
of environmental affairs for Kinko’s. "Working with these
great organizations, Kinko’s has just grown our nationwide
renewable power purchases by 30 percent, bringing us one step closer
to realizing our vision."
Kinko’s made its first two renewable energy purchases through
Green Mountain Energy Company in California and Pennsylvania in
1999. Kinko’s buys renewable energy in 12 states, including
a previous agreement in Eugene, Ore. Other environmental initiatives
include reducing energy use, offering recycled and alternative papers,
and minimizing waste.
According to a 2001 survey of retail power purchasing trends in
the Pacific Northwest by Renewable Northwest Project (RNP), green
power demand in the four-state region was at 47.1 million kwh per
year, and expected to reach more than 160 million kwh this year.
"Purchases made by commercial customers like Kinko’s really
drive the market forward," said Diane Zipper, director of green
power programs at RNP, a regional non-profit promoting the use of
solar, wind and geothermal resources.
About Kinko’s
Kinko’s is the world’s leading provider of document solutions
and business services. Its global network of more than 20,000 team
members and 1,100 digitally connected locations offers access to
technology for color printing, finishing and presentation services,
Internet access, videoconferencing, outsourcing, facilities management,
Web-based printing, and document management solutions. Dallas-based
Kinko’s is a privately held corporation with locations in nine
countries. For more information, please visit http://www.kinkos.com.
Products, services and hours vary by location.
About Portland General Electric (PGE)
Portland General Electric (PGE) is a recognized leader in the utility
industry with more than a century of experience delivering safe
and reliable electricity. As a fully integrated electric utility,
PGE serves more than 738,000 retail customers in northwest Oregon
and wholesale customers throughout the western United States. To
learn more, visit PGE on the Web at PortlandGeneral.com.
About Pacific Power
Pacific Power is an operating division of PacifiCorp, one of the
West’s leading energy companies serving more than 1.5 million
electric customers in six states. PacifiCorp has participated in
wind technology research for more than 20 years. Electricity from
its renewable projects is integrated into the PacifiCorp system,
which also includes power generated from coal and natural gas plants.
With a diverse resource mix, the company improves supply reliability.
For more information on Pacific Power’s environmental initiatives,
go to www.pacificpower.net.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain EnergySM electricity is the leading brand of cleaner
electricity in the states where Green Mountain Energy Company (www.greenmountain.com)
does business. The Company provides less-polluting electricity generated
from sources including wind, solar, water, geothermal, biomass,
and natural gas. Nearly a half a million customers in seven states:
California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
and Texas have chosen Green Mountain EnergySM electricity. The Austin,
Texas-based Company was founded in 1997 with a mission to "change
the way power is made."
#
# #
NOTE TO EDITORS: For a full list of participating Kinko’s
locations and access to local spokespeople, please contact Kinko’s
public relations.
Contacts:
Kinko’s
Christine Monaghan
(212) 642-7730
Portland General Electric
Scott Simms
(503) 464-7342
Pacific Power
Deston Nokes
(503) 813-7291
Green Mountain Energy Company
Marci Grossman
(512) 691-6310
Renewable Northwest Project
Diane Zipper
(503) 223-4544
Back to the Top
July
15 , 2002
For
Immediate Release:
July 15, 2002
For More Information:
Rachel Shimshak (503) 223-4544
WIND SUPPORTERS APPLAUD BONNEVILLE POWER
ADMINISTRATION DECISION
PORTLAND, OR – July 15, 2002 – The Renewable Northwest Project
(RNP) today applauded an important decision for wind power development
in the Northwest issued by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
In a final decision, BPA Administrator Stephen Wright exempted wind
power resources from a penalty rate applicable to users of BPA’s
transmission system in the Transmission Generation Imbalance Service
Rate Proposal (GI-02-A-01).
Under its Generation Imbalance Service Rate (GIS Rate), BPA’s
Transmission Business Line (TBL) charges a $.1 (100 mills) per kilowatt
hour minimum penalty rate when generation falls short of what the
generator scheduled and TBL is required to make-up the difference.
The rate is charged by the TBL to encourage accurate scheduling by
generators and constitutes a penalty in that it is not based on the
cost of providing the service.
"This penalty has been one of the most significant deterrents
to the development of wind in our region," commented Ann Gravatt,
Senior Policy Associate at RNP. Given the current state of technology
and the costs associated with developing wind power, the 100 mill
charge has a significant potential to make otherwise viable wind projects
uneconomic.
Wind generation depends on intermittent natural forces to create power.
As a result, it is difficult for wind generators to schedule their
power output at the level of precision necessary to avoid the penalty
rate.
In proposing the revised rate, TBL recognized this difficulty faced
by wind generators. The final decision notes that "[w]ind generators,
unlike other generators, are uniquely situated, cannot respond to
the intent of the 100-mill penalty rate, and should be exempt from
the 100-mill penalty."
Jim Caldwell, Policy Director of the American Wind Energy Association
(AWEA) commented: "Without this decision, wind development in
Bonneville’s service territory would have ground to a halt. It
is commercially unfeasible for a wind project to take service under
the current BPA transmission tariff – not because wind imposes
excessive costs on the system, but because the tariff imposes severe
non-cost based penalties on the variable output of wind projects.
This timely decision by Bonneville removes the worst of these non-cost
based penalties."
Upon approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the revised
rate will be in effect October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003.
RNP believes this decision is a critical step for additional wind
development in the Pacific Northwest and looks forward to continuing
to work with BPA during the next General Transmission Rate Case. Caldwell
notes that this decision, "gives regional stakeholders time and
space to craft a more comprehensive proposal for the next General
Rate Case that treats wind fairly and benefits customers."
RNP joined in the case with a broad coalition of parties known as
the Joint Wind Energy Group. The coalition included: RNP, American
Wind Energy Association, BPA Power Business Line, FPL Energy, LLC,
Last Mile Electric Cooperative, Northwest Wind, LLC, Oregon Office
of Energy, PacifiCorp, PacifiCorp Power Marketing, Portland General
Electric Company, SeaWest Windpower, Inc., and the City of Seattle,
through its City Light Department.
The Renewable Northwest Project is a regional, non-profit organization
promoting solar, geothermal, and wind energy projects, programs and
policies in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
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Back to the Top
September
6 , 2002
For Immediate
Release:
September 6, 2002
For More Information:
Rachel Shimshak (503) 223-4544
REPORT SHOWS AMOUNT OF "GREEN POWER" SOLD THROUGH NORTHWEST
RETAIL GREEN POWER PROGRAMS HAS MORE THAN TRIPLED SINCE LAST YEAR
PORTLAND, Ore. – September 6, 2002 – The amount of "green
power" purchased by retail customers in the Northwest
more than tripled since last year, according to a new report released
today by the Renewable Northwest Project (RNP). Entitled, Powerful
Choices, the report summarizes the retail green power programs
that are allowing customers to invest directly in a clean energy future.
Throughout the Northwest, in markets both urban and rural, twenty-three
Northwest utilities are offering customers a choice of an environmentally
preferred power source – wind power, solar power, landfill gas
power, or low-impact hydro power.
Customer
retail green power purchases help to push the market forward for
the construction of new renewable energy projects. During the past
year, Northwest green power customers purchased the equivalent of
the annual output from 94 (600 kW) wind turbines.
"Northwest
customers are demonstrating their support for renewable energy by
signing up for green power in increasing numbers," said Rachel
Shimshak, director of RNP, a regional renewable energy advocacy
organization. "Along with utility investments in renewables,
customers are using their ‘Powerful Choices’ to help create
a clean energy future," she added.
Since
last year, the number of customers buying green power has
more than doubled. New state legislation enacted in Washington and
Oregon has significantly increased the number of green power programs
and options being offered in each state. In addition, increased
general awareness of the benefits of buying green power and more
sophisticated marketing techniques have contributed to higher sales
and customer participation.
The report outlines each utility offering and features strategies
for building a successful green power program. The report also includes:
- Discussion
of the effect of recent legislation on retail green power programs;
the importance of investing in renewable energy; the elements
of green pricing programs; green power marketing strategies;
and lessons learned from established programs.
- An "at-a-glance"
profile of each program – the offering, price, and marketing
strategies.
- A "snapshot"
comparison of program products, prices, residential participation
rates, and average monthly sales.
- Resources
for learning more about green power programs.
In
response to the new developments in retail green power, Ms. Shimshak
went on to say: "Increased development of renewable power will
help to insulate Northwest customers from future electricity price
volatility. In addition, rising concern over the environmental impacts
of conventional power generation is prompting a surge of interest
in clean, climate-neutral, renewable power."
Powerful
Choices can be found on the RNP web site at www.RNP.org
####
Download
a copy of "Powerful Choices III" here.
To
request a printed copy of the report contact the
Renewable Northwest Project.
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