U.S. market activity has increased over the last two years. In 1998, new capacity totaled about 150 MW and projected 1999 capacity additions are over 600 MW. As the electricity market continues to evolve under restructuring, the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) Wind Energy Program has positioned itself to work with industry to meet current challenges and opportunities, and prepare for the market of tomorrow. Some opportunities include green power markets and distributed applications, although a primary challenge involves the fact that avoided cost payments to renewable generators are not high enough to economically support projects. A recently incorporated power exchange in California, APX, Inc., has demonstrated that green power does attract a premium over prices on the conventional power exchange. The key elements of the U.S. DOE Wind Program are (1) Applied Research, which is critical for achieving advanced turbine designs capable of competing in a restructured market that emphasizes low cost generation; (2) Turbine Research, which supports the U.S. industry in developing competitive, high performance, reliable wind turbine technology for global energy markets; and (3) Cooperative Research and Testing, under which standards development and certification testing are the key activities for the current year.

The Winter Fuels Report is intended to provide concise, timely information to the industry, the press, policymakers, consumers, analysts, and State and local governments on the followings topics: distillate fuel oil net production, imports and stocks on a US level and for all Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PASS) and product supplied on a US level; propane net production, imports and stocks on a US level and for PADD`s I, II, and III; natural gas supply and disposition and underground storage for the US and consumption for all PADD`s; as well as selected National average prices; residential and wholesale pricing data for heating oil and propane for those States participating in the joint Energy Information Administration (EIA)/State Heating Oil and Propane Program; crude oil and petroleum price comparisons for the US and selected cities; and a 6--10 Day, 30-Day, and 90-Day outlook for temperature and precipitation and US total heating degree-days by city.

The Winter Fuels Report is intended to provide concise, timely information to the industry, the press, policymakers, consumers, analysts, and State and local governments on the following topics: Distillate fuel oil net production, imports and stocks on a US level and for all Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADD) and product supplied on a US level; propane net production, imports and stocks on a US level and for PADD`s I, II, and III; natural gas supply and disposition and underground storage for the US and consumption for all PADD`S; as well as selected National average prices; residential and wholesale pricing data for heating oil and propane for those States participating in the joint Energy Information Administration (EIA)/State Heating Oil and Propane Program; crude oil and petroleum price comparisons for the US and selected cities; and a 6--10 Day, 30-Day, and 90-Day outlook for temperature and precipitation and US total heating degree-days by city.

None

The purpose of this effort is to transfer operating and maintenance responsibility for the 241-SY-101 data acquisition and control system (DACS-1) from Los Alamos National Laboratory to Westinghouse Hanford Company. This work plan defines the tasks required for a successful turnover. It identifies DACS-1 transition, deliverables, responsible organizations and individuals, interfaces, cost, and schedule. The transition plan will discuss all required hardware, software, documentation, maintenance, operations, and training for use at Hanford Waste Tank 241-SY-101. The transfer of responsibilities for DACS-1 to WHC is contingent on final approval of applicable Acceptance for Beneficial Use documentation by Waste Tank Operations. The DACS-1 was designed to provide data monitoring, display, and storage for Tank 241-SY-101. The DACS-1 also provides alarm and control of all the hydrogen mitigation testing systems, as well as ancillary systems and equipment (HVAC, UPS, etc.) required to achieve safe and reliable operation of the testing systems in the tank.

Funds from this award were used to the Workshop in Computational Molecular Biology, `91 Symposium entitled Interface: Computing Science and Statistics, Seattle, Washington, April 21, 1991; the Workshop in Statistical Issues in Molecular Biology held at Stanford, California, August 8, 1993; and the Session on Population Genetics a part of the 56th Annual Meeting, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, San Francisco, California, August 9, 1993.

This report discusses the following topics: Chromium coating on superconductor strand -- an overview; technology of chromium plating; comparison of wires plated by different platers; search for chromium in copper; strand manufactures` presentations; chromium plating at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; a first look at a chromium plating process development project tailored for T.P.X. and I.T.E.R. strand; and influence of chromium diffusion and related phenomena on the reference ratios of bare and chromium plated Nb{sub 3}Sn strand.

Our understanding of laser energy coupling into laser-driven inertial confinement fusion targets largely depends on our ability to accurately measure and simulate the plasma conditions in the underdense corona and in high density capsule implosions. X-ray spectroscopy is an important technique which has been applied to measure the total absorption of laser energy into the fusion target, the fraction of laser energy absorbed by hot electrons, and the conditions in the fusion capsule in terms of density and temperature. These parameters provide critical benchmarking data for performance studies of the fusion target and for radiation-hydrodynamic and laser-plasma interaction simulations. Using x-ray spectroscopic techniques for these tasks has required its application to non-standard conditions where kinetics models have not been extensively tested. In particular, for the conditions in high density implosions, where electron temperatures achieve 1 - 2 keV and electron densities reach 10²⁴ cm^-3 evolving on time scales of < 1 ns, no independent non-spectroscopic measurements of plasma parameters are available. For these reasons, we have performed experiments in open-geometry gas bag plasmas at densities of 10²¹ cm^-3 and which am independently diagnosed with Thomson scattering and stimulated Raman scattering. We find that kinetics modeling is in good agreement with …

Several different experimental investigations were carried out during the present report period. These include x-ray studies of semiconductors, high-{Tc} superconductors, and various thin films using synchrotron radiation (especially soft x-ray experiments by means of our new detector) and measurements of some fundamental properties of new superconducting materials made in our laboratory at Buffalo. We have made the first systematic study of electronic structure in the high-{Tc} superconductors La{sub 2-x}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4} with x ranging from 0 to 0.15 by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS).

Several different experimental investigations were carried out during the present report period. These include x-ray studies of semiconductors, high-{Tc} superconductors, and various thin films using synchrotron radiation (especially soft x-ray experiments by means of our new detector) and measurements of some fundamental properties of new superconducting materials made in our laboratory at Buffalo. We have made the first systematic study of electronic structure in the high-{Tc} superconductors La{sub 2-x}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4} with x ranging from 0 to 0.15 by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS).

YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 2} (YBCO) films have been deposited on buffered metal substrates by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). Cube-textured nickel substrates were fabricated by a thermomechanical process. Epitaxial CeO{sub 2}films were deposited on these substrates by thermal evaporation. Nickel alloy substrates with biaxially-textured Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) buffer layers deposited by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition were also prepared. Highly biaxially-textured YBCO films were deposited by MOCVD on both types of metal substrates. A critical current density greater than 10{sup 5} A/cm{sup 2} at 77 K has been achieved in YBCO films on metal substrates.

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of Education's efforts to ensure that its computer systems supporting critical student financial aid activities will be able to process information reliably through the turn of the century, focusing on: (1) the progress Education has made to date in making its information systems year 2000 compliant; and (2) the future tasks facing the department."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of Labor's progress in making its 61 mission-critical systems year 2000 compliant, focusing on: (1) the systems operated by states to administer unemployment benefits payments for Labor's Unemployment Insurance Service (UIS); and (2) an assessment of the risks faced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the year 2000 problem and its impact on the Global Positioning System (GPS)."

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is implementing an Internet-based process pilot called `Zephyr` to streamline engineering and commerce using the Internet. Major benefits have accrued by using Zephyr in facilitating industrial collaboration, speeding the engineering development cycle, reducing procurement time, and lowering overall costs. Programs at LLNL are potentializing the efficiencies introduced since implementing Zephyr. Zephyr`s pilot functionality is undergoing full integration with Business Systems, Finance, and Vendors to support major programs at the Laboratory.