If you have not received your 1999 forms or software, please contact the Communications Center immediately. Altern-atively, if you have access to the Internet, you may download the software and the paper copies of the forms from the Program's FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site at: ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oiaf/1605/cdrom . New users of the FTP site should consider starting with our FTP Help page at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ftphlp.html. We strongly recommend that all users begin their visit to the FTP site with the read1605.txt file, which contains documentation and instructions for accessing the necessary files.

The site also contains PDF (Portable Document Format) files of other program materials, such as the Guidelines and Supporting Documents, the first two annual reports, copies of the paper reporting forms, and various computational aids.

New Software Includes Features to Simplify Reporting The Communications Center staff is pleased to introduce several new software tools and eletronic files that will make completing your report easier this year. We have made the following available on the CD-ROM (see NEWSFLASH overleaf) as well as on the Program's web site: Electronic copies of each entity's most recent data report in an ASCII (*.ghg) file. This means that repeat reporters will not have to install the Public Use Database and export these files in order to update last year's report. These files are contained in the GHGFILE folder (subdirectory) on both the CD-ROM and our FTP site. Excel spreadsheets have been adapted from the recycling and urban forestry worksheets. The user need only input basic activity data (quantity of materials recycled or number of trees planted) and the Excel application calculates the emission reductions or sequestration. Look on our web site under "Computational Aids."

Annual Report Coming Soon "Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Voluntary Reporting 1997" is slated to be published in mid May. This report will summarize the 1997 data reports submitted to the Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program during the 1998 reporting cycle. Program reporters will automatically receive a copy and need not make a special request. If you are not a Program reporter and would like to receive a copy, please contact the Communications Center. A Fond Farewell... Dr. Arthur T. Andersen, Director of the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) International, Macroeconomic, and Greenhouse Gases Division, retired in March 1999 after more than three decades of Federal service. Among his numerous accomplishments, Dr. Andersen led the development of the EIA's Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program from its inception in 1993. The staff of the Voluntary Reporting Program would like to thank Art for his inspired leadership over the years and wish him success in his future endeavors.

Early Bird Reporters The first 1998 data reports are in! To date, the following entities have submitted reports: Alcan Ingot, Sebree Aluminum Plant Arizona Public Service Company Arthur Rypinski & Jacquelyn Porth City of Fairfield Wastewater Division Commonwealth Bethlehem Energy LLC CONSOL Coal Group DeBourgh Manufacturing Company Missouri River Energy Services North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation Shrewsbury Electric Light Plant Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant Utah Municipal Power Agency Volvo Cars of North America Zeeland Board of Public Works We encourage you all to follow suit and send your reports in before the June 1 deadline! Contact the Communications Center for assistance in completing your report. Detailed Reporter-Level Data Now Available The following tables with detailed summary information for the 156 reporters who filed a Form EIA-1605 or EIA-1605EZ including 1997 data are now available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/ oiaf/1605/current.html: 1997 Reporting Entities lists all entities filing a report and includes links to many of these entities' home pages, type of form filed, Schedules completed, and number of projects reported; Project-Level Reductions/Sequestration Reported in 1997, Totals by Reporter gives the carbon dioxide equivalent of project-level reductions and/or sequestration reported by each reporter; and Entity-Level Total Reductions Reported in 1997, by Reporter gives the carbon dioxide equivalents of entity-level reductions/ sequestration reported through 1997 by reporter. As we were going to press, an alert reporter notified us of an error in the Excel worksheet for urban forestry included on the CD-ROM (see story on preceding page). The spreadsheet fails to calculate 1998 sequestration for trees planted in 1998. A corrected version of this worksheet (sequestr.xls) has been posted on our FTP site at ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oiaf/1605/cdrom/pdf. We would like to thank David Smith of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative for spotting this mistake.

Legislative Update Congress has been paying a lot of attention recently to the Voluntary Reporting Program, including the possibility of granting credit for voluntary emission reduction efforts. Several bills that would affect the Program and its participants have been introduced or are circulating in draft form. The two bills summarized below have been introduced in Congress. The full text of these bills can be found by searching the Library of Congress's web page at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas2. html. Senate Bill S.547 (formerly S.2617), "Credit for Voluntary Reductions Act." This bill authorizes the Executive Branch to provide regulatory credit for early, voluntary action to reduce greenhouse gases. The bill also empowers the Executive Branch to offer ton-for-ton credits to reporters to the 1605(b) Program for domestic reductions achieved between 1991 and 1998 subject to several restrictions. Information on a March 24 hearing held to discuss this legislation is available from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee web page at http://www.senate.gov/~epw/stm1_106.htm#03-24-99. Co-sponsors: Senators John Chaffee (R-RI), Connie Mack (R-FL), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and nine others. Senate Bill S.882, "Energy and Climate Policy Act of 1999." This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) to: develop a program of public recognition for those entities that have achieved certified greenhouse gas reductions; conduct a review of potential changes to the Program guidelines, including establishing a random verification process, developing a range of reference cases, addressing double reporting issues, and finding ways to facilitate the participation of farmers and small businesses (in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Small Business Administration); and revise the guidelines for the Program to incorporate changes found by this review to be beneficial and cost effective in improving the accuracy and reliability of the reported greenhouse gas reductions and related information. Co-sponsors: Senators Frank Murkowski (R-AK), Charles Hagel (R-NE), Robert Byrd (D-WV), and seven others. Discussion drafts of two other bills are reported to be in circulation, including amendments to Section 1605(b) of EPAct drafted by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) and a House bill addressing credit for early reduction drafted by Representatives Rick Lazio (R-NY) and Calvin Dooley (D-CA). Stay tuned for further updates on these legislative initiatives in future editions of the Greenhouse Gas Volunteer.

For More Information About Voluntary Reporting... Voice: 1-800-803-5182 or 202-586-0688 Fax: (202) 586-3045 E-mail: infoghg@eia.doe.gov Internet: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/frntend.html FTP: ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oiaf/1605/cdrom Mailing Address: Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, EI-81, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20585.