****************************************************************** NEWS RELEASE FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION ****************************************************************** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: OCTOBER 1, 1995 Claudia Chandler 916-654-4989 CALIFORNIA - FIRST TO PUT ITS ENERGY 'ON LINE' So you're finally on-line. Computer, modem, 28,800 bps, Internet connection, access provider. You spend the morning marveling over the joys of electronic commerce, peruse the stock market, then research a Fortune 500 company as a potential investment opportunity. In the afternoon, you stroll the Louvre on WebMuseum, tour Graceland on the Elvis Home Page then connect with other investors at New York City's @cafe. Life on the World Wide Web is good. Good, that is, until your sixth or seventh grade son or daughter comes home from school with that science project assignment. And how about those all-time favorite questions - "What's electricity?" "How do batteries work?" "What are EMFs?" "Why does my sweater give me a shock when it's windy?" Until recently, not even the omnipresent Internet could help you convert kilowatts into horsepower or gallons of oil into barrels. Just how do you explain the greenhouse effect in a way that captures the attention of a preoccupied junior high student? Even "all points bulletin" software searches would, at best, find rudimentary information on energy. Now, Energy Quest, a new service of the California Energy Commission, is the nation's first Internet site dedicated solely to energy education. The Energy Commission has installed games, puzzles, math and science experiments and even an "Declaration of Energy Independence" on its existing Internet site, Energy Access. Students in California, and throughout the world, can now easily find their way on a lively, interactive route to learning about energy conservation, energy safety and alternative energy sources. Teachers, students and parents explore some of the world's most innovative energy technologies ranging from advanced natural gas-fueled electricity generation to hot dry rock and magma geothermal extraction processes. Designed as a substantive "electronic" classroom, Energy Quest signifies a prompt, efficient and cost-effective way to distribute lesson plans, resource guides and energy curriculums to local school districts. Even schools that do not yet have access to the World Wide Web can put materials to use that have been downloaded by parents or teachers who are able to print out Energy Quest materials. Charles R. Imbrecht, Chairman of the Energy Commission said that Energy Quest signifies an exciting, new horizon for California school children. "Energy Quest is a natural, if not essential, link between technology and environmental education. The Net is a perfect medium for delivering the state-of-the-art, fast-paced materials needed to create high quality curriculum sites for young people," he said. "The state's energy 'story' is the perfect setting for showing students how much of our state's future success in the global marketplace depends on industrial innovation, whether it be the mechanics of electric vehicles, cogeneration plants or wind turbines," said Imbrecht. THE 'QUEST' STARTS HERE Teachers, students and parents are encouraged to "visit" the Commission's electronic classroom at: Energy Quest - http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/ # # # For more information contact: Claudia Chandler or Bob Aldrich, 916-654-4989 E-mail: energia@energy.ca.gov or boba@energy.ca.go