Also Noted: SmartGrid Careers
JPMorgan settles energy charges and much more... Cybersecurity Act praised for coordination of critical infrastructure security
Yesterday, the Senate Commerce Committee passed the CyberSecurity Act of 2013 (S 1353), a bipartisan bill recognizing the importance of industry and government to secure cyberassets, and giving credence to the existing mandatory and enforceable cybersecurity standards that currently govern the electric and nuclear sectors. The bill builds on existing regulatory structures, leverages the progress being made under the Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Executive Order, and is another step toward fostering improved government-industry coordination to address the evolving cyberthreats to critical infrastructure. Article
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China's smart grid driving SCADA systems
China's smart grid development will drive massive revenue growth in the power Transmission and Distribution (T&D) Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems market in the coming years, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData. Article
Mexico's unprecedented smart grid opportunity
Mexico is poised to become a major smart grid market over the next decade. Zpryme's research indicates that Mexico's smart grid technology market will grow from $1.23 billion in 2012 to $7.42 billion in 2020, according to research from Zpryme, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25 percent and representing an attractive regional opportunity in a large market poised for aggressive investment to modernize their power grid. Article
News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. House passage of Coal Residuals Reuse Act gets mixed reviews
2. Report: Energy efficiency can transcend political gridlock
3. UC San Diego earns $7M in utility energy-efficiency incentives
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Today's Top News 1. Navajo Generating Station consensus agreement a "historic" event
A proposal has been submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for consideration in developing the final Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) rule to allow for the continued delivery of electricity from the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) in Arizona while achieving significant air pollution reductions.  | | Navajo Generating Station. Credit: Alex Proimos/Wikimedia Commons | The proposal is part of an agreement signed by the Department of the, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, Navajo Nation, Gila River Indian Community, Salt River Project, Environmental Defense Fund, and Western Resource Advocates. "This consensus agreement among a very diverse group of interested parties is nothing short of historic," said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Anne Castle. "Through collaboration and cooperation, this innovative proposal will not only significantly reduce harmful emissions, it will also mitigate the plant's carbon footprint and ensure continued generation of electricity that helps power the local economy." NGS is the largest coal-fired power plant in the West and one the largest single sources of nitrogen oxide air pollution in the country; however, it also provides 90 percent of the power for the Central Arizona Project (CAP), the state's primary water delivery system, and plays a critical role in numerous tribal economies. In February 2013, in order to meet Clean Air Act legal mandates, the EPA issued a proposed BART rule for NGS that would require the installation of Selective Catalytic Reduction technology on each of the three NGS units between 2021 and 2023 to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions that impact the environment, including the clarity of scenic views in wilderness areas and national parks. In recognition of the important role the NGS plays in the regional economy, the EPA invited the submission of alternative proposals that would achieve the same or greater benefits. In response, a Technical Working Group consisting of NGS owners, the Interior Department, affected tribes and other interested parties came together to develop a supplemental proposal. The group worked to address the concerns of many diverse interests in the plant and to provide the best path forward for all parties, in a manner that reflects current and future economic and environmental considerations. Under the agreement, emissions of nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide will be significantly reduced while also maintaining essential operations at NGS for the foreseeable future. The DOI will voluntarily reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 11.3 million metric tons, or 3 percent annually, through measures taken at NGS or through qualifying low emitting clean energy projects, no later than December 31, 2035. Additionally, Interior will facilitate the development of clean energy at a pace and scope to achieve 80 percent clean energy by 2035 for the U.S. share in NGS by securing approximately 26,975,000 MWh of clean energy projects. As part of the agreement, the DOI will help carry out the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Phase 2 study to identify options for replacing the federal share of energy from NGS with low-emitting energy resources, and guarantees that the environmental review for NGS will consider clean energy generation options. The agreement also contains a commitment by the current owners of NGS to cease their operation of conventional coal-fired generation at NGS no later than December 22, 2044. For more:
- see this article Related Articles:
SRP increasing power plant ownership
EPA proposes NOx reduction plan for NGS Read more about: Salt River Project
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2. Customers can own solar via Seattle Aquarium
In a new project development, Seattle City Light will install the largest solar array at any West Coast aquarium as part of the utility's Community Solar and Green Up programs this fall.  | | Credit: Another Believer/Wikimedia Commons | The 49 kW project will cover much of the south side of the Seattle Aquarium's roof with most of the panels will produce electricity on behalf of City Light customers who want to buy solar power through the utility's Community Solar program. The rest of the panels are being installed as a demonstration project through the utility's voluntary Green Up renewable energy program with the electricity produced assisting with powering Aquarium operations. "This partnership provides an iconic location to demonstrate how solar works in Seattle," Seattle City Light General Manager and CEO Jorge Carrasco said. "With this project, our customers now have a new opportunity to directly purchase renewable solar electricity even if they can't install panels at their homes or businesses." Each 24 watt unit will cost $150 and customers can buy up to 125 units. Participants will receive credit on their City Light bill for their portion of the solar panels' output through 2020 along with all state production incentives. Together, those credits amount to $1.15 per kilowatt-hour, and it is estimated that participants will receive more than $150 worth of electricity and production incentives by the end of their agreements for each unit purchased. For more:
- visit this website Related Article:
DVP promoting customer-owned solar Read more about: community solar
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3. Consumers Energy launches "crown jewel" of natural gas
Consumers Energy has completed a $175 million investment at its Ray Compressor Station, which included comprehensive upgrades to ensure the continuation of reliable electric service to customers. Consumers Energy calls the compressor station the "crown jewel" of the company's natural gas system because of its excellent storage and delivery capabilities.  | | Construction of the Ray Compressor Station. Credit: Consumers Energy | The Ray Compressor Station and its associated storage field provide enough gas to serve approximately 40 percent, or 680,000, of Consumers Energy's 1.7 million natural gas customers over the winter. Part of Consumers Energy's plan to invest $6.4 billion in Michigan over five years, the project's main focus was the installation of five new engines that can produce 23,675 horsepower to drive their respective two-stage compressors so natural gas can be compressed and stored underground for ultimate delivery to the transmission system and customers. The five new compressor engines will emit 75 percent less nitrogen oxide and 93 percent less sulfur dioxide than currently emitted by compressor engines at other plants. The Ray storage field is one of 15 owned by Consumers Energy and makes up one of the largest gas storage systems in the United States. The site measures about 1,600 acres and is able to store up to 43 billion cubic feet of natural gas in naturally-occurring porous rock formations underneath the ground. For more:
- see this article Related Article:
Consumers Energy: Energy efficiency lowest cost energy option Read more about: natural gas
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4. Global solar, wind growing despite shrinking investments
Although hydropower remains the world's leading renewable energy, solar and wind continue to dominate investment in new renewable capacity and are quickly becoming the highest-profile renewable energy sources, according to Worldwatch Institute.  | | Credit: Shutterstock | Global use of solar and wind energy continued to grow significantly in 2012 even with declining investments (down 11 and 10 percent, respectively, from 2011). Solar power consumption increased by 58 percent to 93 TWh; wind power increased by 18 percent to 521 TWh. Global investment in solar energy in 2012 was $140.4 billion; wind investment was $80.3 billion, but due to lower costs for both technologies, total installed capacities grew sharply, according to WorldWatch. Solar PV installed capacity grew by 41 percent in 2012 to 100 GW. Over the past five years alone, installed PV capacity grew by 900 percent from 10 GW in 2007. The countries with the most installed PV capacity are Germany (32.4 GW), Italy (16.4 GW), the United States (7.2 GW), and China (7.0 GW), according to WorldWatch. The United States was the world's top wind market in 2012 with overall capacity increasing 28 percent, at which time, the U.S. added 13.1 GW -- double the amount it added in 2011. Increased domestic manufacturing of wind turbine parts, improved technological efficiency, and lower costs helped spur this increase, but the greatest catalyst was the threat of expiration of the federal Production Tax Credit which provides tax credits for kilowatt-hours produced by wind turbines, the research explains. "Although policy uncertainties and changes will likely challenge the growth of solar and wind in the future, these technologies are nonetheless well poised to grow," said Matt Lucky, report co-author and sustainable energy lead researcher at Worldwatch. "Declining solar technology prices, while challenging for current manufacturers, are helping solar to reach near grid-parity in many markets. With the decreasing cost of operating and maintaining wind farms, wind power is already cost competitive with conventional power energy sources in many markets." For more:
- see this article Related Articles:
U.S. part of "elite" solar market Read more about: Solar
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5. FLP says natural gas most cost effective energy option
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) will go ahead with a combination natural gas pipeline and interconnection to ensure it can continue to meet its customers' growing electricity needs with clean, affordable, U.S.-produced fuel. An economic analysis concluded that this would be the most cost-effective option, saving FPL customers nearly $600 million compared with the next closest proposal. The natural gas pipeline and interconnection hub will be built by Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC -- a joint venture of Spectra Energy Corp and NextEra Energy, Inc. -- and a second natural gas pipeline will be built by Florida Southeast Connection, a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy. Sabal Trail Transmission will invest roughly $3 billion in the pipeline that will originate in southwestern Alabama and transport natural gas to Georgia and Florida. It will terminate at a new Central Florida Hub south of Orlando, Fla., where it will interconnect with the two, existing natural gas pipelines that currently serve peninsular Florida. To connect with FPL's operations, Florida Southeast Connection will invest approximately $550 million to construct a separate pipeline from Sabal Trail's Central Florida Hub to FPL's Martin Clean Energy Center. "At FPL, we have worked hard to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to keep our customers' bills low. Since 2001, our investments in cleaner, more efficient, natural gas power plants have saved our customers more than $6 billion on fuel costs. To continue meeting the growing needs of our customers efficiently and reliably in the years ahead, we will need more natural gas than the two existing major pipelines can deliver, which makes a third, independently routed pipeline system absolutely essential," said FPL President Eric Silagy. "Natural gas is vital to the reliability and affordability of electricity in our state. Although Florida has essentially no natural gas reserves, many areas of our country have a wealth of supply. " Florida uses more natural gas to generate electricity than any U.S. state other than Texas, but it has minimal production, no storage capabilities and only two major pipeline systems available to transport natural gas to the peninsula. Both of these pipeline systems are approaching full capacity. However, Florida's economy is projected to require additional electricity -- and, consequently, more natural gas -- in the near future. To meet this need, the new pipeline system will be built to provide the state with additional natural gas transportation capacity beginning in May 2017. For more:
- visit this website Read more about: Eric Silagy FPL
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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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