This report details findings about technology and technology transfer opportunities at the Ontario Hydro that might be of strategic interest to electric utilities. It is based on a visit to the lab in September 1996 and subsequent contacts, as part of the UFTO multiclient project.

Restructuring of the electric and natural gas industries is having a dramatic effect on the energy RD&D landscape in California. Previously, most of this work was funded by ratepayers and managed by the four largest investor-owned California utilities: PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, and SoCalGas.

Nortel and Norweb announced that they have developed jointly a new technology that allows data to be transferred over electrical power lines into the home at speeds of more than one megabit per second-up to 10 times faster than ISDN, currently the fastest generally available speed.

The core idea of the report is a "safer fossil" concept that requires the traditional industries of oil, gas, and coal to assume a lead role in future environmentally sensitive energy use.

After a pretty extensive search, I have managed to track down the DOE study released last week that you have probably heard about, "Scenarios of U. S. Carbon Reductions Potential Impacts of Energy-Efficient and Low-Carbon Technologies by 2010 and Beyond".

Subject: UFTO Note - Linear Concentrator PV system Demonstration Date:…

DOE is expected to release a new study on greenhouse gases next week. It outlines a scenario for major reductions in CO2 emissions over the mid to long term that may have overall net costs that are at or below zero.

For the first time ever, the California Utility Research Council (CURC) is hosting a comprehensive conference to present energy technology trends in California and exciting RD&D collaboration opportunities.

I just received the note attached below from Paul Carrier at DOE. He also tells me that the minutes from the July meeting in San Francisco and the two agendas for Plymouth should be available September 12.

Selling renewable electricity is a new business because until now electricity customers have had no choice; electricity has always been supplied by conventional electric utilities operating as regulated monopolies.

With the Cold War over and military spending shrinking, Sandia is putting out the welcome mat to private industry. And U.S. corporations, which have emerged in this era after downsizing as far more willing to turn to outside sources, are lining up to tap into its technology storehouse.

In 1995, worldwide shipments for PV batteries totalled $300 million, with a U.S. accounting for just over 10%. In either case, system integrators account for no more than 14% of batteries sold for PV.

We've had some very positive comments the EdF Electrical Equipment report (sent to UFTO companies in early July), which is most gratifying. Thus far, however, there've been no takers for the "SME Catalogue". Surely somebody in your company wants to see it, right?

Procyon Power Systems Inc is developing an innovative hybrid power plant that combines an internal combustion engine and a fuel cell. The system features a unique proprietary fuel processor that extracts a portion of the hydrogen from the hydrocarbon fuel for use in the fuel cell.