Subject: --EIA: Renewables Stalled in U.S.
From: tomgray@igc.org

EIA: RENEWABLES MARKING TIME
DESPITE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES

     Despite technological and economic advances, renewable
energy sources held steady at about a seven percent share of
total U.S. energy consumption throughout the early 1990's and
continue to face strong competition from conventional energy
sources, according to a new Energy Information Administration
report. Renewable energy sources play a larger role in
non-utility generation of electricity, where they account for
about 25 percent of the electricity generated.

     The Energy Information Administration released these
findings and other key information on the current status and
prospects for future development of biomass (wood, municipal
solid waste, and liquid fuels), geothermal, wind, and solar
resources in early February in the RENEWABLE ENERGY ANNUAL 1995,
its first comprehensive report on renewable energy.

Other report highlights:

o    Nonutility renewable electricity generation continues to
     grow: Nonutility renewable-generated electricity grew at an
     average annual rate of 8.6 percent between 1990 and 1994.
     Enactment of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of
     1978 and various State regulations, particularly in
     California, contributed to this growth.

o    Wind is the fastest-growing renewable energy source: Wind
     energy costs decreased from about 50 cents per kilowatt-hour
     in 1980 to a current range of 5 to 7 cents per kilowatt-
     hour. As a result, wind energy penetrated energy markets
     faster than any other renewable technology. Extensive wind
     resources exist within 10 miles of transmission lines in the
     United States and are often geographically suitable and
     economically viable for development (see WIND ENERGY WEEKLY
     #644, May 1, 1995).

o    Solar technologies and economics continue to improve: Solar
     collector heating systems and off-grid photovoltaic
     technologies provide cost-effective and environmentally
     benign options for certain applications.  Despite
     substantial cost reductions in recent years, grid-connected
     solar thermal-electric and photovoltaic technologies are not
     yet cost-competitive with conventional generating
     technologies. However, public-private joint ventures such as
     the Solar Two solar thermal plant in Barstow, Calif., and
     the Solar Enterprise Zone program in southern Nevada, which
     incorporates both solar thermal and photovoltaic systems,
     continue to move the technologies closer to
     commercialization.

o    The outlook for renewable energy technologies is uncertain:
     Heightened competition through the deregulation and
     restructuring of electricity generation could present
     challenges for future renewable energy development. New and
     proposed regulatory policies could also impede the
     development of renewables by reducing the importance of
     their nonmarket environmental benefits in the resource
     planning process.

o    The international market holds promise for renewable energy
     development:  A significant share of the world population
     currently living without electricity resides far away from
     the nearest power grid.  Stand-alone renewable technologies
     are cost-effective in many of these off-grid areas,
     providing electricity for lighting, communications, and
     water pumping.  Also, many countries are pursuing renewable
     energy projects as part of their sustainable energy
     policies. These projects are encouraged through funding
     programs offered by organizations such as the World Bank and
     the United Nations.

     The RENEWABLE ENERGY ANNUAL 1995 is the first in an expected
series of annual reports the Energy Information Administration
intends to publish to provide a comprehensive assessment of
renewable energy. For more information about the production of
this report, contact Mark Gielecki, project coordinator, on
202/426-1141 or via Internet E-Mail at mgieleck@eia.doe.gov.
Copies are available from the U.S. Government Printing Office or
through the National Energy Information Center, Room 1F-048
Forrestal Building, Washington, DC 1-505, 202/586-8800.  The
report is also available through the Energy Information
Administration's Web Site at http://www.eia.doe.gov on the
Internet.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has authorized me to offer
an electronic edition of its newsletter, _Wind Energy Weekly_, from
which the above article is excerpted (from a back issue), at no cost.

For those of you who have not previously seen excerpts from back
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energy-related environmental issues, and renewable energy
legislation in addition to wind industry trade news.  The
electronic edition normally runs about 10kb in length.

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If you would like a free electronic subscription, send me an e-mail
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____________________________________________________________________________

Tom Gray 					          tomgray@econet.org
____________________________________________________________________________

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