An Ignoble Experiment

2. CWF offers policy recommendations for groundwater management

Georgia Power has opened its new Customer Resource Center -- a state-of-the-art, LEED-certified, experiential facility that offers business and commercial customers a hands-on learning experience about the many benefits of electric end-use products.

Credit: Georgia Power

The first-of-its-kind facility showcases the advantages of electrotechnologies through the demonstration of a variety of products including electric transportation, the latest in electric cooking technologies, energy-efficient electric appliances, manufacturing and industrial uses -- such as motors and heating technologies -- and more.

Converted from existing Georgia Power office space, the resource center is designed to equip the company's customers with the tools and information they need to improve productivity through energy efficiency, identify ways to better manage the use of electricity in their businesses, and interact with the latest in all-electric products and applications. The center will also serve as a training resource for Georgia Power employees, as well as industry allies and associations.

The $1.5 million facility broke ground in mid-2013 and took less than a year to complete.

"We designed and built this new facility in response to our customers' continued requests for a 'one-stop shop' that demonstrates energy efficiency programs, the benefits of electric end use products, and how our resources can provide solutions and increased productivity for their businesses," said Mike Hazelton, senior vice president of marketing for Georgia Power. "The resource center brings all of this under one roof and will serve as a fantastic resource for our customers and employees for years to come."

For more:
- take the tour

Read more about: Georgia Power
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This week's sponsor is A. Cullen & Associates, Inc.

76 charts illustrating nearly 30 Smart Grid hiring topics – a must-have HR benchmarking tool!

By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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3. Senators give go-ahead to Shaheen-Portman bill

There is mounting support for improved groundwater management, as evidenced by the collaboration of such diverse groups as water utilities and agencies, local elected officials, agricultural associations and conservation groups. As a result of such collaboration, the California Water Foundation (CWF) has released recommendations to achieve sustainable groundwater management in California.

The mostly-dry bed of Owens Lake and lower Owens River in Alabama Hills, California. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

As a finite yet renewable resource, groundwater plays an essential role, providing 40 percent of California's water supply during an average year and up to 60 percent during drought years. According to a recent analysis by the California Department of Water Resources, "throughout California groundwater resources are at historically low levels… and recent groundwater levels are more than 100 feet below previous historic lows" in some parts of the state. Groundwater is one of the only supplies available for some regions during drought, which underscores the need to ensure this supply is secure for future droughts.

CWF compares groundwater sub-basins to a linked system of hundreds of shared bank accounts supporting diverse uses of water across the state. When managed sustainably, groundwater can serve as a water savings account that can be dipped into during dry times. However, withdrawals from California's groundwater savings accounts have led to significant depletion of groundwater supplies, known as overdraft, creating critical problems across the state, including less groundwater being available to help address drought, land subsidence, degraded water quality, reduced stream flow, and harm to fish and wildlife. Because there has been too little focus on balancing these accounts, in parts of the state, significantly more groundwater has been extracted than is replenished naturally or by human actions.

"California Water Foundation's stakeholder process helped break down longstanding barriers between stakeholders about the way we manage groundwater in California," said Ken Manning, president of the California Groundwater Coalition and executive director of San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority. "[This is] a solid framework for developing sustainable groundwater policies and common-sense solutions to protect our groundwater supplies."

The CWF framework, which was prepared for Governor Jerry Brown's Administration and state legislatures, includes:

Establishing statewide goals, as well as a definition for sustainable groundwater management.
Empowering local groundwater management entities to provide locally developed solutions for sustainable groundwater management and giving them the tools to succeed.
Authorizing the state to provide technical support, funding, oversight and, where necessary, enforcement to ensure sustainable groundwater management goals are achieved.

"To make this system work, we must empower local water managers with the authority and the resources necessary to sustainably manage their groundwater basins and protect stored water supplies -- goals that are precisely outlined by both ACWA's (Association of California Water Agencies) and California Water Foundation's recommendations," said David Orth, general manager of the Kings River Conservation District.

For more:
- see this report

By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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4. Utility satisfaction scores down for first time in eight years

Senators have given the green light to the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill with a bipartisan vote of 79-20, moving the bill on to the Senate floor after a long, painstaking three years. The bill's original introduction date was May 16, 2011.

Kateri Callahan.

The House of Representatives has already passed portions of the bill and could consider additional energy efficiency legislation if the Senate acts.

"[The bill's] journey has been one of building stronger bipartisan support for making energy efficiency the 'first fuel' for the American economy," said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. "The leadership and determination of the bill's sponsors, Alliance honorary vice-chairs Senators Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Portman (R-Ohio), has put energy efficiency in its rightful spot as a centerpiece of sound national energy policy."

If passed, proponents claim that the legislation will help meet increasing energy demands, promote economic growth, enhance energy security, and reduce emissions -- all at little cost to taxpayers and with no mandates.

"The legislation is supported by policymakers at both ends of the political spectrum, as well as a broad coalition of small and large businesses, trade associations, and public interest groups," said Callahan. "Our policymakers may not agree on much, but this lopsided vote reaffirms, once again, that energy efficiency is a common sense way to address our nation's energy challenges. The alliance urges the Senate to act without delay and pass this cost-effective, bipartisan legislation."

For more:
- see bill HR 2126
- see bill HR 540
- see bill HR 4066
- see bill HR 3820

Read more about: Alliance to Save Energy
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By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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5. Utility mergers, acquisitions focused on growth, return potential

For the first time in eight years, customer satisfaction with energy utilities has gone down, according to a study by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Customer satisfaction with gas and electric service providers is down 1.8 percent to an ACSI score of 76 on a scale of 100, ending seven years of consecutive gains -- driven, in part, by an especially harsh winter. The ACSI report covers three categories of utilities: cooperative, investor owned and municipal.

"Unexpected higher cost tends to weaken customer satisfaction, but it is not the sole problem facing energy providers and their customers," said Claes Fornell, ACSI chairman and founder. "Customers not only paid more for energy this winter -- they also received less reliable service."

Satisfaction with investor-owned utilities fell 2.6 percent to an ACSI score of 75, but a few companies saw improvement despite the overall downward trend for the sector. Sempra Energy rose three percentage points to 82. DTE Energy also improved by 3 percent to an ACSI score of 80 (an all-time high for the company. Duke Energy and American Electric Power are also up 3 percent, to 77. Exelon earned a score of 75 -- its highest to date.

But most companies are seeing satisfaction losses, the largest being MidAmerican Energy Holdings and Entergy from scores in the 80s to 77 and 76, respectively. CenterPoint Energy and Southern Company both fell four percent. Far below the industry average, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) declined by 5 percent to 70 in the wake of its acquisition of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). Consolidated Edison scores at the very bottom with an ACSI rating of 69. ConEd's customers are charged some of the highest rates in the nation.

Overall satisfaction with municipal utilities is steady at 76, but the largest municipal utilities are showing weakening customer satisfaction levels. Salt River Project (SRP) slipped -2 percent, but remains in the lead for the fourth year in a row. CPS Energy records the largest decline of -6 percent.

Co-ops seem to be doing better than munis and IOUs with an ASCI score of 81. Touchstone Energy Cooperatives remain one of the top-scoring energy utilities, followed by the aggregate of smaller co-ops.

For more:
- see this report

Read more about: utility customer satisfaction
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By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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