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The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved the tentative and disappointing results of the first round of its public interest energy research program (PIER) at a meeting on June 24. Two wind related projects received less than 9% of the $18.3 million awarded to a total of 20 renewables projects (“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç, July 1998). The Wind Turbine Company of Washington State is to receive $950,000 to develop and test a 350 kW wind turbine in Palm Springs, California, and the University of California is to get $675,121 for environmental research on mitigation of golden eagle deaths on wind farms. PIER, which supports the public interest research development and demonstration that utilities were required to do before deregulation started on April 1, makes $62 million available yearly through 2001.