| This week's sponsor is ABB. |  | Webinar: The IT/OT Integration Imperative
April 23, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT
Traditionally, IT and OT systems worked as separate entities; however, the smart grid requires a convergence of both. Join FierceEnergy and a panel of experts as they examine the effects on utilities that do not take steps to converge/integration their IT/OT systems. Register Today. |
Today's Top Stories
1. Progress Energy retiring coal plants
2. Utilities challenged by BEMS vendor learning curve
3. Water budget addresses critical infrastructure issues
4. Germany counting on energy storage to support increasing renewables use
5. California closer to fracking regulation Also Noted: Spotlight On... Controversial solar thermal project moves ahead
Google Fiber coming to Austin; EPA begins furloughs and much more... ComEd could bleed more money as a result of smart grid delays
ComEd is already losing an estimated $168 million in smart grid funding as a result of the $100 million annual reduction in funding by the Illinois Commerce Commission beginning in 2014. Now, the utility faces a class action lawsuit and a $182 million penalty for delays and costs associated with its smart meter rollout. Editor's Corner SDG&E: Changing the utility mentality
The Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) recently selected San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) as one of four utilities to appear as a smart grid success case study in its 2013 State of the Consumer Report. I recently discussed in more detail the specifics of the utility's approach with SDG&E's Director of Customer Programs and Projects Ted Reguly. On the Hot Seat US faces uphill battle in Asian energy market
The U.S. energy market is full of potential and growing daily. But Asia -- and China in particular -- looms even larger for U.S. energy companies interested in raising their businesses to the next level. But while the region is primed for expansion, U.S. companies face a number of challenges to tapping this new market. Feature News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. V2B increasingly attractive to manage energy costs
2. New metrics take smart grid beyond outreach and awareness
3. Smart grid awareness tied to energy security
Today's Top News 1. Progress Energy retiring coal plants
Progress Energy has decided to retire units 1 and 2 of the Crystal River coal-fired power plant and replace them with more cost-effective sources, according to a recent filing with the Florida Public Service Commission. The coal-fired units are part of the Crystal River Energy Complex, consisting of four coal-fired units and one nuclear plant. An analysis revealed that retiring and replacing the plant would save customers $1.32 billion in retrofits. This is not an uncommon conclusion, as utilities nationwide find that retiring aging coal-fired plants and replacing them with renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures saves consumers money and meets environmental standards.
The Sierra Club, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and Earthjustice are urging Progress Energy to retire the plants sooner rather than later, as well as increase their energy-efficiency programs, claiming that Progress Energy's efforts "pale in comparison to leading peer utilities in other states." "Retiring older coal facilities instead of investing in expensive retrofits is in the best interest of ratepayers and decreases the coal pollution burden on our air, climate and water," Ulla Reeves, High Risk Energy Program Director with Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said in a statement. "We urge PEF to move swiftly and with continued commitment to secure these units offline as soon as possible and we look forward to working with PEF to meet any future demand with increased energy efficiency." For more:
- visit this website Related Articles:
Progress Energy mulling nuclear repair vs. retirement
Duke retires decades-old nuclear plant Read more about: coal retirement
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| This week's sponsor is Equifax. |  | Webinar: The Equifax Big Picture Outlook on the US Economy
Monday, April 15th, 2pm ET / 11am PT
Attend this webinar, and you'll gain a clearer understanding of current and future economic indicators along with a high-level analysis of the big issues facing markets today. Register today! |
2. Utilities challenged by BEMS vendor learning curve
Many utilities are beginning to realize that Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) can boost the effectiveness of their energy-efficiency and demand-side management programs, allowing them to better manage new investments in grid infrastructure and comply with growing regulations. Utilities and vendors of BEMS increasingly find themselves with similar goals. "BEMS vendors are in the business of energy efficiency, and many utilities whose revenues are decoupled from energy sales stand to benefit financially from reducing their customers' energy consumption, so their interests are well aligned," said Eric Bloom, senior research analyst, Navigant Research. However, the stars are not totally aligned. Utilities still face challenges when it comes to the learning curve of vendors who must understand each utility's business strategy and regulatory environment. Regardless of the challenges, utilities will spend more than $1.4 billion from 2013 to 2020 on BEMS, according to Navigant. As utilities look to BEMS vendors to provide solutions that help them access more of their client base in innovative ways with lower costs and less effort, several vendors have risen to the challenge by offering "low-touch" or "no-touch" solutions that access large portions of a utility's client base cheaply and effectively, according to Bloom. For more:
- see this article Related Articles:
BEMS to boost energy efficiency, DSM
Utilities get high marks for demand-side management Read more about: Energy Efficiency, BEMS
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3. Water budget addresses critical infrastructure issues
Growing competition for water, increasing populations, more volatile stream flows, energy development and municipal demands, and the uncertain effects of a changing climate amplify the need for a better understanding of water use and availability. The National Water Census is being developed at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to address this critical need. As part of the Department of the Interior's WaterSMART initiative (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow), the National Water Census identifies measures needed to address climate change and future demands, and describes the "water budget" -- which accounts for the inputs to, outputs from, and changes in the amount of water in the various components of the water cycle in an effort to assess water availability. USGS likens the water budget to the deposits to, withdrawals from, and changes in the balance of a checking account. "This update to the National Water Census -- the first since 1978 -- will give the nation critical new information about the availability and use of America's freshwater resources," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in a statement. "Development of the new state-of-the-art National Water Census forms a vital component of the Department of the Interior's overall strategy to help ensure sustainable water resources for the United States. Similar to the need for the U.S. population census to make informed societal decisions, resource managers need the water census to support wise policy and decision-making on water matters," Salazar added. For more:
- see the report Related Articles:
Water industry consolidation
Water infrastructure planning requires holistic approach
Water utilities have doubts about the future
Investors challenging water utilities
PA water utility hoping to raise infrastructure grade Read more about: USGS, Water Cycle
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4. Germany counting on energy storage to support increasing renewables use
Germany exported more energy in 2012 than at any point over the previous five years in spite of the ongoing shutdown of all of its nuclear energy generation facilities thanks to the country's renewable energy industry. Renewable energy accounted for 23 percent of Germany's power usage in 2012 and 9.3 percent more energy generation than in 2011. However, this increase in renewable energy has come with challenges. One of the largest issues is storage of the seasonal surges in power produced by wind and solar facilities. "Distribution System Operators and energy companies are working feverishly on various new models and technologies to ensure the right amounts of energy get to the right places at the right times, as well as attempting to pre-empt looming new questions," said Tobias Rothacher, senior manager of Renewable Energies, Germany Trade & Invest, a foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency. "Renewables will displace non-renewable base load capacities more and more over the next few years, increasing the volatility of electricity prices and thus opening business cases for the implementation of storage, smart grid and demand side management technologies," he said. Research and development into battery facilities as a solution is ongoing. "We are planning to support the installation of battery systems which are installed along with a PV system," Rothacher told CleanEnergyAuthority.com. "The incentive is planned to consist of interest reduced loans form the state owned bank KfW as well as capex incentive on the purchase price." For more:
- see this article Related Article:
Global smart grid: US in 2nd through 2020 Read more about: renewable energy, Energy Companies
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5. California closer to fracking regulation
Proposed fracking regulations have passed their first step in California, winning approval Tuesday in a 6-2 vote by the state's Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. SB 4 would set a January 1, 2015 deadline for implementing fracking regulations. The hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" process uses high-pressure fluids to extract natural gas from underground and has stirred up controversy surrounding its effects on groundwater health. Among its provisions, SB 4 would create new public reporting and disclosure requirements regarding the locations and chemicals used for fracking, as well as institute a permitting process. "These are the kinds of basic protections needed to protect public safety," said Senator Fran Pavely, the bill's sponsor, in a statement. "We have already seen contaminated water from other industrial sources sicken people and destroy entire towns in California. We must not repeat this pattern," she said. Pavely introduced similar legislation in 2012, but it failed to make it out of the state Senate. There are now at least seven fracking bills working their way through the state legislature, according to Pavely's office. For more:
-see the SB 4 facts Related Articles:
NRDC pushes tougher fracking regulations
New research contradicts safe fracking findings
California announces new fracking rules
Read more about: Senate Natural Resources
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... Controversial solar thermal project moves ahead The use of solar thermal technology in developing countries is widespread, according to the American Solar Energy Society, but in the U.S., some states' renewable portfolio standards don't even include solar thermal. Despite the lagging pace of solar thermal in the U.S., the controversial Crescent Dunes Solar Power Plant, which is based on molten salt thermal technology, is taking shape in Nevada. Article Quick news from around the web: >Google is bringing its Google Fiber to Austin. Article
>EPA starts the first phase of its furlough program. Article
>Examining the 10 common causes of IT project failure. Article
>Residents of Monroe Township, New Jersey have new regulations to help install wind and solar systems. Article
>The Texas grid faces pressure from a shrinking water supply this summer, according to an EDF report. Article
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