Also Noted: SmartGrid Careers
Verizon's alternative energy plans and much more... Utilities can tap large energy users with IEMS
It is estimated that manufacturers consume 50 percent of the energy produced worldwide (making industry the largest end-use sector) and are understandably concerned about sustaining operations while energy costs fluctuate or rise. Article
Utility CLEAN programs driving distributed solar
Georgia Power, Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and Fort Collins Utility (FCU) are joining utilities in Sacramento, CA, Los Angeles, CA, and Gainesville, FL, in implementing CLEAN Programs, with the Georgia, New York and Colorado utilities planning to bring a total of 840 MW of solar energy online by 2016. Article
SRI testing fracking water treatment technologies
Under the Unconventional Resources Program, Southern Research Institute and the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America are partnering to develop and demonstrate technologies that will advance shale gas hydraulic fracturing water treatment to produce National Pollution Discharge Elimination System quality water. Article
News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. Cybersecurity Act praised for coordination of critical infrastructure security
2. Three-fourths of utilities lack smart grid data expertise
3. MISO creating smarter grid with PMUs
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Today's Top News 1. NY legislators can do better for solar
The Environment New York Research & Policy Center recently released its ranking of the top 12 solar states. New York is coming under fire as being conspicuously absent from that list.  | | Long Island Solar Farm electricity generation during 2012. Total generation for the year was 53,128 MWh. Credit: Delphi234/Wikimedia Commons | The report comes as the New York State Legislature failed to reach an agreement on Governor Cuomo's proposal to grow the New York Sun Initiative by $150 million annually for 10 years. His proposal would have spurred the installation of 2,200 MW of solar power. Last year, solar capacity in New York grew by almost 35 percent at 175 MW, but still trails behind states such as New Jersey which has installed more than 971 MW of solar capacity. New York ranks 17th in the nation for per capita solar installations. The United States has more than three times as much solar photovoltaic capacity as it did in 2010, and more than 10 times as much as in 2007. The price of solar panels fell by 26 percent in 2012. Environment New York attributes the solar boom to the leadership of state officials. "The sky's the limit on solar energy," said Eric Whalen of Environment New York. "The progress of other states should give us the confidence that we can do much more. Our message today is clear: If you want your state to be a leader in pollution-free solar energy, set big goals and get good policies on the books." It is not the availability of sunlight that makes states solar leaders, but the degree to which state and local governments have created effective public policy for the development of the solar industry, according to the report. "There is no reason why we cannot follow the path established by the top solar states to create vigorous markets for solar energy here in New York," Whalen said. "By setting a bold goal of getting 10 percent of our energy from the sun by 2030 and adopting strong policies to back up that goal, New York can follow in the footsteps of the top solar states, or even become a leader and start paving the way for the rest of the country." But achieving that goal requires the commitment of state legislators to enable policies that will grow solar development in New York. "Now is the time for Governor Cuomo to continue to demonstrate his leadership in promoting and installing clean solar energy in New York, and it's time for our State Legislature to follow his lead," Whalen said. "Our state has immense promise for producing solar energy, and this potential has only just begun to be tapped." For more:
- see this report Related Article:
Effective policies driving solar states Read more about: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
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2. Xcel RES plan to clarify net metering incentives
In a mandatory filing of its 2014 Renewable Energy Standard (RES) compliance plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Xcel Energy is seeking to continue its incentive programs for on-site solar and clearly identify the incentives associated with net metering.  | | Credit: Fred Bauder/Wikimedia Commons | The RES compliance plan does not propose to change the amount of money paid to solar customers in 2014, but to make the full net metering incentive clear and transparent. These net metering incentives ultimately are paid by non-solar customers across Xcel Energy's service territory in Colorado. Under current rules, Xcel Energy believes the value of the net metering incentive is not clearly identified. Solar generation does allow the utility to avoid the cost of fuel, some future generating plant needs and some system energy losses, but other costs related to distribution, transmission and generation capacity are not avoided so they ultimately are paid for by other Xcel Energy customers in Colorado. The utility is requesting that solar customers' net costs -- the benefits they receive less the costs Xcel Energy avoids as a result of their solar systems -- be clearly laid out in the Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment (RESA). "This is becoming an issue in many states, but we believe our proposal to continue our programs, while quantifying the full value of utility incentives – will make for better future decisions about our renewable energy alternatives" said David Eves, president and CEO of Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company. "As the solar industry truly moves toward becoming self-sustaining, we need to determine how to address these costs." In its filing, Xcel Energy also indicated it would request 42.5 MW of new generation in 2014, including 24 megawatts of onsite, small solar and 6.5 MW of community solar, through the company's Solar*Rewards program. More than 15,000 Xcel Energy customers currently participate in the company's Solar*Rewards program with more than 160 MW of solar generation. For more:
- see this article Related Article:
CPUC more than triples Xcel solar capacity Read more about: Renewable energy standard
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3. Secrets of BPA's award-winning efficiency success
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) recently received more recognition for its Energy Smart Industrial (ESI) program -- this time in the form of a Champion of Energy Efficiency award from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The ESI program provides a variety of resources to help regional industries implement energy efficiency, serving 99 percent of the public power's industrial load in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The ESI program has saved more than 372 million kWh so far with another 342 million kWh predicted by the end of 2013. The Champions of Energy Efficiency Award is the ESI program's second recognition from ACEEE. Earlier this year, the program was awarded the "Exemplary Program" award for program performance and was included in the Council's prestigious compendium of utility programs for energy efficiency. Last year, ESI was awarded "Outstanding Achievement in Program Design & Implementation Non-residential Program" by the Association of Energy Service Professionals. Since 2011, 10 industrial organizations and BPA staff have also been recognized for their outstanding efforts in ESI by the Association of Energy Engineers, Washington Industrial Energy Leaders and the Oregon Leaders awards programs. The program's success can be attributed to several factors. Programmers recognized that there are different constraints to pursuing energy efficiency and created a mix of energy management offerings that provide technical resources while not requiring large, up-front investments to drive savings. A dedicated staff with specialization in the fields and industries they were serving acted as a single point of contact for utilities and their industrial energy users to improve communication. Hiring to add specific knowledge -- in water and wastewater, for example -- led to building a pipeline of future projects. For more:
- visit this website Related Article:
BPA among energy-efficiency award winners Read more about: Bonneville Power Administration
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4. LIPA implementing resource planning through 2020
The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has filed an update on the implementation of its 2010-2020 electric resource with the LIPA Board of Trustees, which was approved by the LIPA Board in February 2010. The updated electric resource plan is to ensure that LIPA is able to continue to provide safe and adequate long-term energy supply for Long Island in keeping with reliability standards set by the New York State Independent System Operator and the New York State Reliability Council.  | | With over 160,000 solar panels, this Long Island solar farm is not only the largest in the state, but it's the largest solar array in the eastern region of the United States. Credit: LIPA/Flickr | Implementation of the plan will occur via a multi-pronged approach, including a competitive procurement of base-load electric generation providing the back-bone of the system, continued significant investment in energy efficiency and demand response resources, and more renewable energy resources. "While LIPA continues to plan for its energy future by aggressively investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, the reality is that in order to meet our reliability obligations set forth by the state there is still a need for fossil fuel plants on Long Island for the foreseeable future," said LIPA Chief Operating Officer John D. McMahon. Renewable energy projects and energy efficiency, either underway or planned, are expected to total over 1,000 MW by 2022, making non-fossil energy a material component of the Long Island electric resource profile. LIPA has already initiated the process to bring online 100 MW of solar energy through its Clean Solar Initiative-II (CSI-II) program. The CSI-II program builds off the success of its first Clean Solar Initiative feed-in tariff and provides significant enhancements to the existing program, such as targeting a portion of the 100 MW on the South Fork on the East End in order to reduce load on constrained areas. Consistent with its utility-scale, customer-sided, and first feed-in tariff solar programs, all 100 MW will be generated on Long Island, further advancing the development of solar energy. LIPA's Efficiency Long Island program and significant solar and other renewable projects are planned make up the remainder of LIPA's substantial non-fossil-fired electric resource plans. LIPA's solar programs include residential-based solar panels, solar farms and commercial applications, incentivized by a mix of rebates, feed-in tariffs, and large scale competitively bid projects. LIPA is also considering replacing inefficient peaking units, and continuing its repowering study, as well as exploring other actions and investments, including emerging technologies and increasingly promising distributed generation that might be necessary and or feasible to reliably and economically meet future load. For more:
- see the plan Related Article:
New York ponders LIPA's future Read more about: Long Island Power Authority
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5. Advanced biofuels breaking records
The U.S. biodiesel industry has reached a new production record for the first half of the year, according to figures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Driven by strong federal policy aimed at diversifying the transportation fuels market, the biodiesel industry is on pace for its best year ever, according to the EPA.  | | Biodiesel refinery. Credit: Priwo/Wikimedia Commons | Through the end of June, biodiesel refiners across the country have produced more than 636 million gallons, putting the industry on par to break the previous annual biodiesel production record of just under 1.1 billion gallons and significantly exceed this year's volume requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). "This is further proof that policies like the RFS are delivering," said Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board. "…we need alternatives if we're going to escape this cycle of price spikes in the oil markets." Biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that can be used in existing diesel engines, the only EPA-designated advanced biofuel with commercial-scale production nationwide, and the first to reach 1 billion gallons of annual production. In 2011, production reached nearly 1.1 billion gallons. It remained flat at that level in 2012 after Congress allowed the $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax incentive to expire. But this year, after Congress restored the tax incentive and the EPA finalized a volume increase under the RFS, the industry is poised to break records. It is the first and only commercial-scale fuel produced across the U.S. to meet the EPA's definition as an advanced biofuel under the RFS - meaning the EPA has determined that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent when compared with petroleum diesel. It is produced in nearly every state in the country and last year supported some 50,000 jobs nationwide. Biodiesel volumes are reported under the biomass-based diesel category under the RFS, which also includes renewable diesel, a similar diesel alternative. Together, biodiesel and renewable diesel producers have reported a total of more than 700 million gallons under the Biomass-based Diesel category, significantly ahead of the annual volume requirement of 1.28 billion gallons. For more:
- visit this website Related Article:
Conventional biofuel production to grow steadily; advanced biofuel slows Read more about: Renewable Fuel Standard
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Also Noted
> New Judges Added! Fierce Innovation Awards 2013: Energy Edition - Deadline: August 23 Have your product reviewed by executives from San Diego Gas & Electric, National Grid, Midwest Energy Cooperative, and more. This awards program recognizes the innovative companies and products defining the future of the energy & smart grid industries. Applications due 8/23. Apply Today! > AESP ONLINE CONFERENCE - CSI Online: Codes, Standards and Improvements - August 20, 12- 4pm ET Join us online this August 20, 12- 4pm ET, for a series of 4 presentations focused on current issues and emerging trends in building and appliance codes and standards. Attend from anywhere you have internet! Eight speakers share their expert insights. Find out more at AESP.ORG. Register at https://m360.aesp.org/event.aspx?eventID=83194 > 2013 Smart Grid Hiring Trends Study Zpryme Smart Grid Insights and Smart Grid Careers would like to invite hiring managers or employees who play an active role in hiring, recruiting and/or retaining employees for Smart Grid roles in the U.S. to participate in the 2013 Smart Grid Hiring Trends Study. Participants receive a FREE Executive Summary and a discount on the report. Get started here.
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