| This week's sponsor is AT&T. |  | AT&T offers a wide range of Field Solutions, such as Fleet Management, Enhanced Push-to-Talk, and Workforce Management, designed to help keep your business on track. Learn more. |
Also Noted: White House won't help Tesla sell cars online; Natick improves understanding with 3-D printed models and much more... Xcel revamps MN rooftop program
Xcel Energy is providing its Minnesota customers with more choices for rooftop solar. A redesign of the Solar Rewards program is expected to encourage greater program participation and maximize the generation produced from rooftop solar projects. Article
FERC approves hydropower development pilot
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved a pilot to test a two-year licensing process for hydropower development at non-powered dams and closed-loop pumped storage projects. Article
CA utility speeding up natural gas repairs
By the end of 2014, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will have replaced all 2,243 miles of its cast iron gas distribution pipe, which can be prone to leaks, with new modern materials -- making PG&E one of the first utilities of comparable size and age to complete such an action. Article
Compliance deadline bearing down on OGE
After being defeated in its challenge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) requirements for environmental compliance, Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) has exhausted its legal options for bringing its coal plants in line with federal environmental mandates and modernizing its natural gas units. Article
News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. Supreme Court limits EPA authority to regulate GHG emissions
2. Harmonizing smart grid standards, interoperability
3. Largest biomass project of its kind underway in MO
More headlines...
| This week's sponsor is Equifax. |  | Webinar: National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange (NCTUE)
Wednesday, September 24th | 2pm ET / 11am PT This must-attend Equifax webinar - led by the NCTUE board members Buddy Flake (SCANA), Leon Broughton (Citizens Energy Group) and Bob Romeo (AT&T) - dives deep into the mechanics of an industry specific data resource from the (NCTUE) that offers practical, relevant credit insight on more than 170 million consumers. Register today! |
Today's Top News 1. CESA: Combining solar with energy storage the future of clean energy
Green Mountain Power (GMP) has begun construction on a "solar + storage microgrid" project in Rutland, Vt., which is being partially funded a federal-state-NGO partnership involving the State of Vermont; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity; and the Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership (ESTAP) -- a project managed by Clean Energy States Alliance and Sandia National Laboratories. Microgrids like these can keep critical facilities, such as emergency shelters, firehouses and fueling stations, operating during power outages.  | | The site of Stafford Hills Solar Farm. Credit: Green Mountain Power | According to the DOE, the Stafford Hill Solar Farm is the first project to establish a micro-grid powered solely by solar and battery back-up, with no other fuel source. Further, Stafford Hill is the first to provide full back-up to an emergency shelter on the distribution network, as well as the first "solar + storage microgrid" to be developed on a brownfield site, contributing to brownfield redevelopment efforts in Vermont. The solar farm is sited at the closed Rutland City landfill, and is the first known solar storage project in the country to repurpose brownfield land once used to bury waste for the siting of renewable energy. The 2.5 MW project incorporates 7,722 solar panels, helping GMP to reach its goal of making Rutland the Solar Capital of New England and Vermont to reach its renewable energy goals. It also incorporates 4 MW of battery storage, both lithium ion and lead acid, to integrate the solar generation into the local grid, and to provide resilient power in case of an outage. The microgrid will provide resilient power to a Rutland school that serves as a public emergency shelter, as well as providing clean, distributed generation and resilient power to an urban community that is targeted for revitalization and suffers frequent storm-related power outages. Additional critical facilities may be supported in the future. Stafford Hills is part of GMP's larger vision of transforming Rutland into "The Energy City of the Future." "This project is a national model for the future of clean energy -- combining solar with energy storage," said Lewis Milford, president of Clean Energy Group, which manages the Clean Energy States Alliance. "Solar power and battery storage will provide clean reliable power to a school that serves as an emergency shelter, helping a community cope with loss of power in a future disaster. This new form of resilient power is what all communities need to protect themselves from power outages in severe weather events." The $10 million project is anticipated to be complete in mid-December. For more:
- see this article Related Articles:
Imperial Irrigation District, GMP among first to partner with solar developer
Solar Champions seize opportunities, stand up to challenges
SEPA names utilities of the year Read more about: Green Mountain Power, Solar power
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2. Green energy job postings increase 88 percent from 2013
There were more than two million job postings in the green energy sector in the first and second quarters of 2014 -- an increase of 87.5 percent from the first and second quarters of 2013 -- according to Ecotech Institute's Clean Jobs Index.  | | Credit: Ecotech Institute | The Clean Jobs Index classifies clean energy jobs based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics description, which defines a clean job as part of a business that benefits the environment or conserves natural resources. Ecotech Institute created the Clean Jobs Index to provide objective job information about the renewable energy industry and gathers its information from a combination of research entities, including the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Green Building Council. Broken down by sector, the following numbers represent the increase in jobs from 2013 through the second quarter of 2014, broken down by sector: power utility technology -- 132 percent; solar energy technology -- 116 percent; electrical engineering technology -- 74 percent; wind energy technology -- 65 percent; renewable energy technology and energy efficiency -- 63 percent. "This Clean Jobs Index really demonstrates the rapid growth of the sustainable energy industry," said Chris Gorrie, academic dean at Ecotech Institute. "Almost double the clean jobs were posted in the first half of 2014 compared to the first half of 2013." For more:
- visit this website Related Articles:
Which states have the most clean energy jobs?
2014 energy job outlook Read more about: Ecotech Institute
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3. Wind power to supersede all others
In an era of high energy costs, developments in wind technology have made wind energy among the most affordable and desirable forms of renewable energy. In fact, Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA) expects cumulative capacity of wind power to more than double by 2020. Small wind turbines are being increasingly deployed for powering homes, offices and small businesses and GIA predicts offshore wind farms to outpace land-based wind turbine production by 2015. Asia-Pacific represents the largest market, thanks to increasing electricity demand and rapid industrialization, according to GIA -- while Denmark, Portugal, Germany, Ireland and Spain represent other major countries in the world with high wind electricity penetration rates. Wind will supersede other forms of alternative energy, GIA anticipates, because of benefits like zero pollution levels; no depletion of natural resources; inexpensive installation costs; a less than three-month gestation period; reduced dependence on fossil fuels; ubiquitous availability of wind; and low power cost. In the short term, the market is expected to see wind power advancements, including high-altitude wind turbines; wood-based wind turbines; portable wind turbines; blade-free wind turbines; solar-powered wind turbines; algorithm-integrated small turbines; and advanced robotic inspection systems for examining wind turbine rotor blades that combine ultrasonics, thermography or high-resolution cameras. For more:
- see this article Related Articles:
Anomaly? Global wind market slowed in 2013
2013 slump won't stop global wind from proliferating Read more about: wind power
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4. Recruiting and retaining talent in the shale zones
Energy employment accounts for 1.5 million jobs in the United States and, as a result of the industry's current economic boom, oil and gas job growth is rising 2.5 times faster than the national average. This is fueling a unique challenge -- recruitment and retention of talent and the need to develop communities in the emerging shale zones.  | | Credit: Foundation7/Wikimedia Commons | "Energy is a disproportionate contributor to the U.S. economy," said Bruce Rutherford, head of JLL's Global Energy Practice. "New energy jobs pay 58 percent on average than the U.S. as a whole. When you have a segment of people with these salaries coming into developing communities, it can have a tremendous impact on the local economy because they have needs and money to spend." Shale communities are taking steps to move away from "man camps" and provide workers a place for their families, demonstrating how real estate and infrastructure investment, as well as workplace strategy, are helping energy companies attract and retain talent in both remote production towns and neighboring cities. Real estate can support recruiting by improving employees' quality of life where local and onsite amenities are almost as important as high wages, spawning a wave of construction in both key cities and production towns. "Real estate helps solve both small town and big city recruiting challenges by creating better living and working environments," Rutherford said. "In small production towns, workers and their families need places to eat, sleep and shop. In energy hub cities, companies need offices that motivate and attract highly sought-after professionals." The battle among energy companies for the best employees also continues in major energy hubs like Houston, Denver, Dallas, Fort Worth and Pittsburgh where the real estate need is related to offices and industrial space, rather than shopping and homes. Strategically designed offices are being used to help attract and retain the best talent, especially as small- and mid-size energy companies are scaling up and competing for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workers. Energy companies are competing not just with each another, but with cutting-edge technology companies known for their corporate cultures and workforce mobility platforms. To compete, energy companies are thinking outside of the box and building offices featuring more flexible work spaces with open areas that invite collaboration. For example, ExxonMobil's new 4 million-square-foot campus outside of Houston is designed to emphasize light and informal meeting spaces. "People -- and salaries -- are one of the biggest expenses for any company," said Rutherford. "Real estate strategies help maximize returns on those costs by creating productive environments that help companies achieve innovation and speed-to-market goals." For more:
- download the report Related Article:
Energy companies competing for prime real estate Read more about: Shale
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5. Pacific Gas and Electric develops excavation safety standard
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has created a first-of–its-kind excavation safety standard to ensure that PG&E contractors follow safe digging practices.  | | Credit: PG&E | The Gold Shovel Standard was developed by PG&E, in accordance with California Government Code 4216, which governs excavation work in the state. Among other requirements, contractors must demonstrate that they call 811 before any excavation work begins to have underground lines located and marked by utility owners. As part of the standard, contractors are required to develop and adhere to a Dig-In Prevention Policy that incorporates an excavation policy that follows California's excavation laws, signed by all of the company's employees as well as a training program covering the requirements of the One Call Law and Cal-OSHA's Construction Safety Orders, including proper use of hand tools and power operated excavation equipment. Training is required for new employees before conducting any excavation activity, and for existing employees on an annual basis. A written Corrective Action Plan that details the processes for identifying root causes and the associated corrective measures and a written policy for Excavation Safety Accountability that provides all employees a mechanism to speak up when they observe situations that are in conflict with the company's policy requiring compliance with excavation laws are also required. "PG&E's commitment to safety extends beyond the work done by our employees," said Jesus Soto, senior vice president of Gas Operations at PG&E. "The Gold Shovel Standard ensures that contractors doing excavation work for PG&E have a strong commitment to safe excavation practices and are measured against a consistent safety standard." The Gold Shovel Standard is an important step toward improving public safety by reducing the number of instances where unsafe excavation results in injury, outages and damages and, ultimately, expensive repairs to underground utility lines. In 2013 alone, there were more than 2,000 damages to underground PG&E facilities. Best practices for safe digging have also been established by the Common Ground Alliance. For more:
- visit this website Read more about: Pacific Gas and Electric
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Also Noted > White House won't help Tesla sell cars online. Article (The Hill)
> Natick improves understanding with 3-D printed models. Article (U.S. Army)
> VA secretary nominee views IT as key to VA reform. Article (Nextgov)
> No human has ever been to Mars. But NASA wants to put commercial satellites there. Article (WaPo)
> Angel investors and government grants dominate British tech investment. Article (The Guardian) And Finally... Squirrel obstacle course videos, complete with British commentary. Videos (Neatorama) News From Across the Energy Industry:
> Wind Energy Areas identified offshore NC Post
> Research: Asia up, EU down in solar market shift Post
> $31M to help NJ American Water face 500-year flood Post
> Some retired power plants may not need replacing Post
> New offshore wind project fishing to be first in U.S. Post
> Second Southwest Blackout settlement approved Post
> North America to see significant substation automation investments, research Post
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