| This week's sponsor is Oracle. |  | Making the Most of Your CRM: How Best-in-Class Sales Teams Maximize Revenue and Customer Experience
This Research Brief combines research from a number of Aberdeen Sales Effectiveness research data sets, to create a holistic view of the most effectively deployed CRM systems. Download today.
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Also Noted: NIST seeks increased funding for securing cyber-physical systems and much more... Building the security ecosystem for critical infrastructure
In this article, we will discuss a possible beginning for a positive control ecosystem to be the base foundation for unmanned networks. As we move forward into this next phase of computing systems growth (the Internet of Things), security of unmanned devices will be of utmost importance. Article
Energy efficiency helps ISO NE meet 2014 summer demand
The New England Independent System Operator (ISO NE) is reporting that it expects the region to have the needed resources to meet consumer demand for electricity this summer, with electricity demand forecast to peak at around 26,660 MW at conditions of about 90 °F. Article
Hawaiian PUC orders state utilities to take action
The Hawaiian Public Utilities Commission has made four major decisions and orders requiring the Hawaiian Electric Companies (HECO) to: develop and implement major improvement plans to aggressively pursue energy cost reductions, proactively respond to emerging renewable energy integration challenges, improve the interconnection process for customer-sited solar photovoltaic systems, and embrace customer demand response programs. Article
News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. The Social Cost of Carbon: Trillions of dollars
2. Senators give go-ahead to Shaheen-Portman bill
3. Latest Cape Wind lawsuit unconstitutional
More headlines...
Today's Top News 1. HECO seeking energy storage for renewable integration
Hawaiian Electric Industries subsidiary Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) is seeking proposals for large-scale energy storage systems to help add more renewable generation to the Oahu grid. Energy storage is one of the key elements missing from HECO achieving their goal of integrating high levels of variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind.  | | Aerial of Oahu. Credit: Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center | With Oahu's continuing growth of utility-scale wind and solar projects and rooftop solar now in use by more than 11 percent of Hawaiian Electric customers, energy storage is needed to help with sudden changes in availability of these variable resources. HECO is looking for one or more storage systems that are able to store 60 to 200 MW for up to 30 minutes. When power supplied by renewable resources suddenly drop, energy storage systems can help maintain reliable service and avoid customer outages as fast-starting firm generation units are brought online. Energy storage can provide not only electricity but also so-called "auxiliary services," such as sub-second frequency response (near-instantaneous changes to keep power quality at 60-hertz) and minute-to-minute load following (power output adjustments as demand for electricity fluctuates throughout the day), to operate the grid. Selected projects costing $2.5 million will need to go through the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC). HECO hopes to complete and file energy storage agreements with the PUC by the end of 2014 and have the energy storage system in place in the first quarter of 2017. For more:
- see this report Related Articles:
HECO taken to TASC on solar
HECO to save $74M a year on renewable generation Read more about: renewable integration
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2. Reclosers key part of PECO's infrastructure improvements
PECO is investing approximately $500 million annually into its electric system infrastructure. In the first quarter of 2014, PECO completed more than 200 projects to enhance electric service reliability throughout the region, including performing preventive maintenance and upgrading equipment. Specifically, 168 corrective and preventive maintenance projects were completed on 44 circuits, identified through PECO's targeted circuit performance analysis program, to further improve service to customers. In addition, 19 "reclosers" have been installed on aerial lines across the service territory. PECO has used reclosers for the past 10 years to reduce the number and length of power outages, and more than 1,550 reclosers are currently installed on PECO's electric distribution system. In 2014, reclosers have prevented more than 78,000 sustained power interruptions in PECO's service area. PECO continues to invest in this advanced equipment and additional devices will be installed throughout the year. To help prevent power outages caused by vegetation, PECO continues to install tree-resistant Hendrix wire, which is stronger than most aerial wire, and can better withstand falling trees and tree limbs. Currently, more than 15 miles of Hendrix wire has been installed across the service territory. "We are always looking for opportunities to improve our performance for our customers," said Mike Innocenzo, PECO senior vice president and COO. "By performing preventive and corrective maintenance, we are able to keep the lights on longer for our customers and restore service faster when power outages do occur." PECO's ongoing system enhancement projects contributed to the company's record-breaking electric and natural gas reliability performance in 2013, with customers experiencing the fewest number of outages in the company's history. For more:
- see this report Related Articles:
PECO is ready for storm season
PECO going underground Read more about: PECO
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3. Alabama Power an example of responsive social media service
For one week in mid-April, New York-based customer service software provider, Conversocial, tracked the Twitter mentions and replies of 20 leading American utilities to measure how responsive they were to their customers via social media channels. The utilities were scored on response rate and response time, with Commonwealth Edison and Alabama Power taking the top two spots on the list. The companies responded to 42 percent and 40 percent, respectively, of customer mentions the fastest. Alabama Power's average response was 9 minutes and 25 seconds. The average response time was, on average, 5 hours and 39 minutes. Only four of the surveyed utilities averaged less than an hour to answer a customer. Many utility companies rely on automated replies that direct customers to more traditional platforms like calling customer service. But using social media can keep the conversation going. "It's excellent that Alabama Power is having real conversations, and staying within channel," Conversocial marketing director Mike Schneider said. "A customer experience on Twitter should stay on Twitter, instead of pushing them to phone or email." Alabama Power's social media efforts feature a dedicated Online Service and Support team, with responsibility for both email inquiries and social media mentions from customers. The team covers Facebook and Twitter from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. For more:
- see this report Related Articles:
Randi Zuckerberg: Social media lessons for utilities
Utilities expanding social media presence Read more about: social media
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4. Smart grid VC funding on an uptick
Funding into smart grid companies has been trending up the past couple quarters, and Q1 2014 is no different. Venture capital (VC) funding into smart grid technology companies in Q1 2014 totaled $101 million as the result of 21 deals compared to $148 million in 31 deals in Q4 2013, according to Mercom Capital Group.  | | Credit: Mercom Capital | A total of 27 investors participated in funding rounds in Q1 2014. The top five VC funded companies in Q1 2014 included a wireless connectivity solutions provider for smart metering, building intelligence and M2M using ultra narrow band technology, which raised $20.6 million; a provider of power line communications solutions for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and energy management solutions, which raised $15.4 million; a provider of smart wire technology to control power flows on transmission lines, which raised $13.4 million; a provider of big data analytics, cloud computing, real-time demand response optimization, and management systems provider raised $12.8 million; and an integrated distribution transformer monitoring solutions provider raised $8.1 million. Smart grid communication technology companies received the most VC funding, raising $62 million in 11 deals. Demand response companies raised $14 million in three deals. Data analytics companies raised $13 million in three deals. Grid optimization companies brought in $8.1 million in one deal, and distributed generation and integration companies raised $4 million in three deals. There were six smart grid mergers and acquisitions in Q1 2014. The top disclosed transactions were the $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest Labs by Google, followed by the $150 million acquisition of Aclara Technologies by Sun Capital Partners, a private equity firm from ESCO Technologies. For more:
- see this fact sheet Related Articles:
Q4 2013 a hotbed of smart grid activity
Malaysia accelerating smart grid modernization with green energy plays Read more about: smart grid venture capital
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5. Utilities driving HV transmission in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia has huge energy resources in the form of hydro, oil and gas, and renewable power -- however, its electricity grids are unable to handle the additional loads from an escalating population and rural electrification needs. Utilities are investing in large-scale transmission and distribution infrastructure development, giving a huge boost to high voltage (HV) transmission. This is based on research from Frost & Sullivan, which forecasts the market revenues to reach $3.75 billion in 2018.  | | High-voltage transmission. Credit: NJR ZA/Wikimedia Commons | Driving this growth are electric utilities in Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar (the fastest growing markets in the region for HV transmission) that have already laid out extensive power generation plans. Further, the Asian Development Bank and World Bank are offering support to utilities in their grid expansion projects. However, the market is not free of challenges like project delays, financial constraints, land acquisition laws and local content regulation. For example, in Indonesia, a set percentage of goods used in every project has to be locally produced. In Malaysia, there are regulations that restrain foreign companies from offering engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services. "To comply with these regulations, equipment manufacturers are partnering with local companies in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia," said Avanthika Satheesh, Frost & Sullivan energy and environment senior research analyst. By 2018, projects likely to be completed as a part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grid realization are Thailand-Malaysia, Sarawak-Indonesia, Thailand-Laos, and Vietnam-Laos. Grid reliability improvement and integration of smart grid features are predicted to be major technical trends in the HV transmission market by 2018. "Overall, the market is expected to be buoyed by utilities' plans to enhance the grid and strengthen it for power additions in the future," said Satheesh. "Most of the revenue growth is expected from new substation projects, augmentation of existing substations, replacements, transmission line erections, and EPC services." For more:
- see this report Related Articles:
Can HVDC match AC's popularity?
HVDC transmission capacity growing
China leading HVDC transmission Read more about: Frost & Sullivan
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Also Noted News From Across the Energy Industry:
> Court supports EFH continuation of operations after bankruptcy filing Post
> PHI recognized for energy efficiency programs Post
> Fracking implications for utilities Post
> Oneok natural gas pipeline project scrapped Post
> Coal alliance urges alternative to proposed emission standards Post
> Utility satisfaction scores down for first time in eight years Post
> CWF offers policy recommendations for groundwater management Post
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