An Ignoble Experiment

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Increasing pressure to address climate change and environmental sustainability, along with rapid advances in technology, are forcing electric utilities to reinvent themselves. Utility companies rely on technology partners to help them solve the challenges they face, but the marketplace is crowded and it's difficult to wade through all of the options. The Fierce Innovation Awards 2014: Energy Edition are an important vehicle for technology companies to have their product, solution or service stand out from the crowd.

We are looking for advanced solutions that solve these critical issues for utility companies, giving them the best opportunity to cut costs, grow revenue, and have the highest potential for easy, rapid and widespread adoption. The Fierce Innovation Awards provide a platform for you to showcase the innovative products and services you have created, not just to our distinguished panel of third-party executives from major North American utilities, but also to our 30,000 industry readers in our Innovation Report.

This unparalleled program features 18 distinct categories in the following areas of innovation: Business Side; Transmission & Distribution; End Use; and Technologies. Submissions will be judged on six sets criteria: technology innovation, financial impact, market validation, compatibility with existing networks, end-user customer experience, and overall innovation. All of our winners will receive industry-wide recognition during a live Webcast.

Don't wait to apply -- the application deadline is Friday, August 22.

Jason Nelson
Publisher, FierceEnergy & FierceSmartGrid

Read more about: Fierce Innovation Awards
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Today's Top News

1. Energy diversity critical to U.S. economy

By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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2. Post-rebate solar shining in PA

The uncertainty around the future prices of natural gas, oil, coal, uranium, and others means uncertainty regarding the cost to produce electricity. A diversified portfolio is the most cost-effective tool available to manage the inherent production cost risk involved in transforming primary energy fuels into electricity, and a diverse power generation technology mix is essential to cost-effectively integrate intermittent renewable power resources into the power supply mix -- IHS Energy explains in a new report called "The Value of U.S. Power Supply Diversity."

The current diversified portfolio lowers the cost of generating electricity by more than $93 billion per year, and halves the potential variability of monthly power bills compared to a less diverse supply, the study says, and produces lower and less volatile power prices compared to a less diverse case with no meaningful contributions from coal and nuclear power, and a smaller contribution from hydroelectric power.

In this less diverse scenario, wind and solar power make up one-third of installed capacity and 22.5 percent of generation; hydroelectric power capacity decreases from about 6.6 percent to 5.3 percent and represents 3.8 percent of generation; and natural gas fired power plants account for the remaining 61.7 percent of installed capacity and 73.7 percent of generation. Power supply in the reduced diversity case increases average wholesale power prices by about 75 percent and retail power prices by 25 percent.

Diversity enables the flexibility to respond to dynamic fuel prices by substituting lower-cost resources for more expensive resources in the short run by adjusting the utilization of different types of generating capacity. This will remain critically important to managing fuel price risks because of the relative fuel price dynamics between coal and natural gas, according to IHS.

"The new IHS Energy study further reinforces the critical importance to the U.S. economy and to electricity customers of a diverse portfolio of fuel sources for the production of reliable and affordable electricity," said David Owens, executive vice president of Business Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), who is currently working with policymakers to preserve fuel diversity and flexibility. "The study finds that a less diverse U.S. power supply would increase electricity prices, lead to roughly one million fewer jobs, and decrease the typical household's annual disposable income by around $2,100. According to IHS, several factors -- including tightening environmental regulations and depressed wholesale power prices -- are having a significant impact on the nation's power supply diversity."

In the next decade, the need for power supply to meet increased customer demands, replace retiring power plants, and satisfy policy targets will require fuel and technology decisions for at least 150 GW -- about 15 percent of the installed generating capacity in the United States, IHS contends. However, current trends in energy policy could push that power plant turnover percentage to as much as one-third of installed capacity by 2030 -- so power supply decisions made in the next 10 to 15 years will significantly shape and impact the U.S. generation mix for future decades, IHS warns.

For more:
- download the report

Read more about: IHS Energy, Edison Electric Institute
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By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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3. EEI: Utilities should spend 5 percent a year on EVs

Homeowners and small businesses in Pennsylvania now pay less for solar than they did when the state was paying even the highest rebates, according to a recent report by the nonprofit Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association (MAREA) -- based on an analysis of data collected for solar electric systems receiving PA Sunshine Rebates by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as part of the state's Sunshine Rebate Program.

Credit: Arivumathi/Wikimedia Commons

The PA Sunshine Solar Program began in May of 2009 and accepted rebate applications until its $100 million in funds were depleted in November 2013. The program distributed more than $100 million in rebates for the solar electric systems of more than 7,000 homeowners and small business owners, supporting nearly 100,000 kW of new photovoltaic capacity in Pennsylvania.

The study found that costs to homeowners dropped 28 percent, or $2/watt, from the beginning of the rebate program in 2009 until it ended in 2013, while the small business sector saw a decrease of 40 percent.

"Solar pricing is better than ever for consumers in Pennsylvania, even in a post-rebate world," said Vera Cole, president of MAREA and the report's principal investigator. "Lower component prices and a maturing industry have led to significant cost reductions. And, the 30 percent federal tax credit for homeowners remains in effect until the end of 2016."

According to the research, the Pennsylvania Sunshine Rebate program distributed $103.7 million in rebate checks to support the installation of 7,034 photovoltaic systems -- 87.7 percent residential and 12.3 percent commercial. The total capacity of PV systems supported with rebates was 98,033 kW -- 48.4 percent residential and 51.6 percent commercial. The average residential rebate was $9,790; the average commercial rebate was $50,204.

Overall, 82.2 percent of rebate dollars were used to support systems served by PPL (39.8 percent), PECO (25.1 percent) and Met?Ed (17.3 percent).

For more:
- see the report

By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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4. PSEG betting on the future of EVs

To speed adoption by utilities, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) has released a roadmap for a long-term, coordinated effort to further drive the development of electric vehicle (EV) technologies in the electric transportation market written by utility fleet directors from across the country.

BMW ActiveEs charging at Googleplex. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Roman Boed

"Transportation Electrification: Utility Fleets Leading the Charge," focuses on the electric power industry's effort to accelerate the expansion of electric transportation in commercial and retail markets, beginning with electric utility fleets -- encouraging investor-owned electric utilities to meet an industry-wide goal to spend at least five percent of annual fleet acquisition budgets on PEVs and plug-in technologies.

"The electric power industry is a tremendous leader in supporting electric transportation, but we must continue to strengthen our efforts and lead by example. One way we can do that is by leveraging our industry's buying power to purchase more PEVs for our fleets," said EEI President Tom Kuhn.

As co-chairs, Tony Earley, chairman, CEO and president of Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation, and Jim Piro, CEO and president of Portland General Electric, will lead the charge to champion the issue of electrification by increasing the awareness, opportunities, and activities related to electrification within the utility industry; collaborating with automakers and other stakeholders; and educating the public at large about the benefits of electric vehicles and technologies.

"Plug-in cars and trucks can make good business sense whether you're a utility or any other business that operates a fleet of vehicles," said Piro. "At PGE, we've been working hard to support electric vehicle policy and infrastructure in Oregon, but we've also done the internal analysis and piloting needed to confirm it's time to build fleet electrification into our own budget. We encourage other utilities to do the same."

Electrification of the transportation sector is a potential "quadruple win" for electric utilities and society, according to the EEI report, and will enable electric utilities to support environmental goals, build customer satisfaction, reduce operating costs for fuel and maintenance, and assure the future value of existing assets.

Other benefits include extending the useful lives of units based on their mechanical simplicity; improving crew safety through noise reduction (i.e., the ability to operate a bucket truck at height and still communicate with crew members on the ground); extending work hours of crews performing non-emergency work in communities with noise restrictions; reducing carbon emissions; and providing another avenue to engage customers about the products and services electric utilities provide.

For more:
- see the report

By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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5. NREL CIP to drive down cost of wind

Public Service Electric and Gas (PSEG) is using innovation to encourage New Jersey businesses to provide employees with electric car charging at work, and foster greater adoption of electric cars, which would help to improve the state's air quality, help companies achieve sustainability targets, reduce costs for employees, and foster the country's energy independence.

Infographic: One year data on PSEG workplace charging. redit: PSEG

The program will provide "smart" charging equipment to companies that secure a commitment from a minimum of five employees that they will use an electric car for their commute.

PSEG will provide the charging systems for free and maintain ownership, as well as collect usage data to better understand the impact of workplace charging on electric demand and the electric delivery system. Participating workplaces will need to install the units and pay for the electricity.

"Our company believes there is a strong future in electric cars here in New Jersey, and workplace charging is a critical part of that future," said Ralph LaRossa, president and COO of PSEG. "We want to be a partner with New Jersey businesses and New Jersey electric car drivers. Electric cars not only benefit the environment, but are cheaper to own and operate than conventional cars."

Owners usually charge their vehicles for hours -- not minutes -- so charging at work is ideal and can make EV ownership possible for more people such as apartment dwellers who cannot easily charge at home.

PSEG has also released the data on the first year of operations of its own employee electric car incentive program.

During the first year of the program, the 13 employees participating drove 120,000 miles on electric commuting to and from work, saving 5,300 gallons of gas and avoiding spending nearly $19,000 on gas just on their commute.

By commuting on electric, it is estimated that the program helped avoid 50 to 60 tons of CO2 emissions, as well as reducing particulate, SOx and NOx emissions throughout the state.

For more:
- see this report

Related Article:
Utilities making EV ownership convenient at work

By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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