Texas Combined Heat and Power Initiative to Promote Energy Security in Texas

January 8, 2007

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new nonprofit organization will promote on-site energy technologies that provide integrated power, heat and cooling to hospitals and essential facilities in Texas, especially during times of natural and man-made disasters.

The Texas Combined Heat and Power Initiative (TXCHPI) will champion the use of "combined heat and power (CHP)" technologies as the most reliable, economic and environmentally-friendly solution to Texas' energy security.

Members of the Initiative include CHP users from industrial, institutional and commercial applications, as well as equipment manufacturers, engineers and project managers, utilities and public interest groups. Newly-elected board of directors are Chairman Joe St. Pierre, Solar Turbine, Inc.; Vice Chair Ray Deyoe, Integral Power, LLC; and Executive Director Rich Herweck, CleanEnergy, LC.

"Considering power outages brought by hurricanes, such as Rita, as well as rolling black-outs, Texas must act now to ensure power continuity to the state's critical infrastructure," Herweck said. "CHP provides on-site or near-site power generation to ensure that vital institutions, such as hospitals, schools and critical government offices, can always operate - no matter the circumstance."

(Photo image: Participants of the Texas CHP Initiative; Photo credit: Sarah Weingarden)

"About 30 percent of the nation's CHP capacity -16,000 MW - is already in Texas. With fair policies, that number could be doubled by 2015 through implementation at large and medium-scale industrial and commercial facilities," Deyoe added. "The state would benefit from reduced emissions, conservation of our natural resources, deferred investment in grid strengthening, and the alleviation of grid congestion."

CHP technologies use engines, turbines and fuel cells to produce power on a customer's site. Then heat recovery technologies boost efficiency by trapping the thermal energy from exhaust streams to operate equipment for cooling, heating, or controlling humidity. By capturing the waste heat, CHP uses less fuel and reduces air emissions for the amount of useful work performed than would a utility power generation station. While the typical efficiency of a central generation is in the 30 percent range, CHP can be as much as 90 percent energy efficient.

The Initiative plans to meet monthly to educate prospective users about CHP's benefits and potential. They also plan to meet with elected officials to advocate policy changes that recognize the benefits of CHP.

"CHP technologies can make a tremendous impact on the Texas energy situation," said Dan Bullock, Director of the Gulf Coast CHP Applications Center, a Department of Energy funded group. "Promoting these technologies can benefit the state of Texas' disaster readiness as well as its economy."