| Today's Top Stories
1. Corporate CEOs need proactive energy strategies
2. SF considers 100% green energy policy
3. Energy-efficiency initiative putting NY on the MAP
4. On-demand efficiency assessments take just minutes
5. AES peaker plant to meet Jordan demand Also Noted: Spotlight On... FirstEnergy takes 9th win for economic development
Greener pastures; quarter century of federal violations and much more... Retailers harness renewable energy
Harnessing renewable energy sources is a huge part of energy efficiency, and as energy costs constantly rising, the importance of sustainability is going to remain dominant in the industry. Many utilities are embracing these sources and doing their part to invest in renewable energy and offer it to their customers. But utilities aren't the only ones who can make a difference, as large national retailers across the U.S. have started committing themselves to renewable energy and establishing "green" business practices.Slideshow California continues renewable energy push
California is one of the largest states in the U.S., and a huge consumer of electricity. Perhaps that's also why it's frequently among the nation's most aggressive pursuers of renewable and efficient energy policy, especially when it comes to solar power. State lawmakers are looking to add to that reputation and recently sent three pieces of renewable-energy-inspired legislation to the desk of Governor Jerry Brown. The bills all touch on solar energy policy and, if signed into law, would extend existing policies designed to encourage wide-scale adoption of solar energy technology. Feature
Utilities go retail
Energy is an important pillar of the connected home market, and big box retailers are capitalizing on emerging trends to converge upon the energy market. The proliferation of smart appliances, smart meters, and devices such as smart thermostats as part of the connected home will be further driven by growth in smartphone and tablet applications that allow users to more easily monitor, manage and control these technologies while away. Feature News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. Obama eyes cybersecurity order
2. Know thy (low income) customer
3. Silver Spring load control tech needs no AMI
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Today's Top News 1. Corporate CEOs need proactive energy strategies
Ernst & Young has released its Global Annual Cleantech Insights and Trends report, and the results have a strong message for utilities who are willing to listen. According to the survey, the largest global corporations are already tackling potential future energy cost rises through C-suite engagement and proactive energy strategies. Of respondents, 42 percent estimate they spend at least $50 million in energy costs annually; 27 percent estimate spending more than $100 million annually. "While cost reduction is cited most frequently as the primary objective of corporate energy strategies, a number of other energy-related risks are also being addressed, such as energy security, carbon reduction and price stability. Regulatory compliance, together with reputational and brand aspects, also plays a part," Gil Forer, Ernst & Young's Global Cleantech Leader, said. CEOs are generally the final decision-makers related to these issues, spotlighting how critically important energy issues have become. "As a result, energy-efficiency measures, company self-generation of energy and integration of renewable energy into the corporate energy mix are all being implemented at increasing rates to meet these ends and are set to accelerate further over the next five years." In regard to renewable energy, 59 percent of respondents reported that their renewable purchased energy levels are likely to increase over the next five years. If utilities have not started energy-efficiency and renewable energy conservations with these CEOs, they may want to plan their strategy and start talking. When it comes to an overall corporate energy mix strategy, only those companies that have a comprehensive and diverse energy strategy will be able to create a competitive advantage in the new world of a more resource-efficient and low-carbon economy. For more:
- see the report Related Article:
Energy efficiency=good PR Read more about: Ernst & Young Global Annual CleanTech Insights and Trends Repot
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2. SF considers 100% green energy policy
San Francisco's legislative branch is considering a proposal to enter a $19.5 million contract with Shell Energy North America that would allow regulators to provide city and county residents the option of 100 percent renewable energy. The city's 11-member Board of Supervisors is considering allowing the Public Utilities Commission to implement the CleanPowerSF proposal. The contract with Shell could be as long as five years, according to the Board's agenda item, and threatens the market share of Pacific Gas and Electric, which has for years held a monopoly on the city's power grid. Power would still flow through PG&E's network. If approved, targeted customers would be pre-enrolled and have five months to opt out. After that, the opt-out fee would be $5; there would be no fee to opt in. Estimates place the average bill increase at about $9 a month. It would be California's second community clean-power program, following nearby Marin County, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. The SF PUC Chairman estimated that the program could reduce carbon emissions tenfold in the first year alone, the Chronicle reports. For more:
-see this article Related Articles:
San Fran PUC sets bar high for energy efficiency, water conservation
PG&E customers can support renewable energy for a premium
Read more about: PG&E
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3. Energy-efficiency initiative putting NY on the MAP
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has launched a $30 million initiative to accelerate the market utilization of emerging, cutting-edge energy-efficiency technologies. The Energy Efficiency Market Acceleration Program (EE-MAP) will fund research and development activities and demonstration projects to help leverage investments and promote business development opportunities for emerging energy-efficiency technologies. This will be done in coordination with state agencies, authorities and electric utilities to improve industry access to investments made at public facilities. To support the initiative, NYPA has teamed with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to catalog state-of-the-art energy-efficiency products and services, identify commercial trends, and screen and track emerging technologies. In addition to the initiative, NYPA will finance an additional $450 million in cost-effective energy-efficiency projects over the next four years, in support of Governor Cuomo's goal of reducing energy consumption in state buildings by 20 percent. For more:
- see this article
- see this article Related Article:
Mandatory energy use disclosure opens buildings sector to utilities Read more about: New York Power Authority Energy Efficiency Market Acceleration Program
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4. On-demand efficiency assessments take just minutes
Liberty Property Trust, a $7 billion real estate investment trust, has identified energy-efficiency opportunities across 110 of its buildings using Retroficiency's on-demand Building Efficiency Intelligence platform. The Virtual Energy Assessment solution utilized just a year's worth of electric energy interval data and an address for each building in the Liberty Property Trust portfolio to prioritize each facility by energy savings potential. The assessment allows Liberty to understand where the biggest opportunities are and provides recommendations on potential operational and capital retrofit improvements. Across the portfolio, Retroficiency identified more than 25 million kWh and $2.3 million of savings potential, across lighting, heating, cooling, controls, plug loads and other end uses. The entire assessment was completed in less than a day with each assessment equivalent to just minutes per building. For more:
- see this article Related Articles:
Retroficiency validates savings using Green Button format
Retroficiency signs utilities for BEI pilot Read more about: Retroficiency Virtual Energy Assessment
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5. AES peaker plant to meet Jordan demand
Electricity demand in Jordan is projected to reach 4,900 MW by 2020 – an increase of 48 percent over its current generation capacity. The Board of Directors of the U.S. Government's development finance institution the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has approved $270 million in financing for construction of an approximately 240 MW electrical power plant in Jordan. AES Levant Holdings BV Jordan Psc, an affiliate of the Virginia-based power company AES Corporation will use the investment to construct and operate the tri-fuel electrical plant. The "peaker plant" will provide reliable energy for the country during times of peak usage. Electricity generated by the plant will be purchased by the National Electric Power Company of Jordan through a power purchase agreement with AES Levant Holdings BV Jordan Psc. For more:
- see this article Read more about: Jordan electricity demand, Overseas Private Investment Corporation
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... FirstEnergy takes 9th win for economic development Over the last 11 years, FirstEnergy has been selected nine times by Site Selection magazine as one of the top U.S. utilities promoting economic development. The utility is recognized for complementing reliable power delivery to its customers with a hands-on approach to encouraging business development in operational areas. Article Quick news from around the Web >SDG&E will pay for 2007 wildfires. Article
>San Francisco looks for a green alternative to PG&E. Article
>Colorado Springs Utilities has violated federal clean air rules for the past 24 years. Article
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