Electricity

ATLANTA, Oct. 9 -- Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company that acquires, builds, manages and owns wholesale generation assets, today announced that it is acquiring Nacogdoches Power, LLC from American Renewables, LLC and will move ahead with construction of the planned biomass power plant in Sacul, Texas.

Groundbreaking is expected in the fall of 2009 and commercial operation is projected for the summer of 2012. When completed, the project will be one of the largest biomass-fueled electric generating facilities in the U.S., capable of generating approximately 100 megawatts.

The plant's output is committed through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Austin Energy, the municipal utility owned by and serving Austin, Texas.    » read more »

Washington, Oct 7 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today sent a letter requesting the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct an investigation of the potentially unfair and anti-competitive forced sale of light bulbs by FirstEnergy to their customers in Northern Ohio. Kucinich also requested the FTC examine the issue of FirstEnergy’s plan to charge a fee for the energy that was not used by the consumer because they installed the light bulbs.

The full text of the letter follows:

October 7, 2009

Mr. Jon Leibowitz
Chairman
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20580

Re: The need for an FTC investigation of FirstEnergy’s unfair and anti- competitive forced sale of 3.75 million light bulbs at excessive prices    » read more »

October 6, 2009 -- HONOLULU – The State of Hawaii Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) has awarded a $33.9 million contract for the State Capital District, Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) project to Noresco, LLC (NORESCO), an energy services company.

The project includes energy efficiency improvements to 10 State office buildings within the State Capital District, including the State Capitol, that comprise over 1.3 million square feet of building space.    » read more »

September 30, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told energy industry officials today that the federal government’s past electric transmission policy has been as fragmented and disjointed as the nation’s outdated power grid and that one of President Obama’s top energy priorities is to speed the development of a 21st Century network to move American energy more cleanly, efficiently and safely around the nation.    » read more »

Investments Will Benefit Nearly 113,000 Rural Customers in 33 States

LAS CRUCES, N.M., Sept. 30, 2009 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 58 rural utilities and cooperatives in 33 states have been selected to receive $2.4 billion in loans and loan guarantees to build and repair over 12,000 miles of distribution and transmission lines and make system improvements that will benefit almost 113,000 rural customers.

Vilsack made the announcement during a Rural Tour stop in Las Cruces, N.M., as part of the Obama Administration's effort to develop infrastructure and build the economy of rural communities.    » read more »

Sept. 24, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today unveiled an accelerated plan for developing standards to transform the U.S. power distribution system into a secure, more efficient and environmentally friendly Smart Grid and create clean-energy jobs.

The draft of the report is available at http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/smartgrid_interoperability.p....    » read more »

New transmission line to help move renewable energy resources to market

September 16, 2009 --
WASHINGTON, DC – With the goal of bringing new jobs and green power to the West, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today a large-scale transmission project to be financed using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Western Area Power Administration will use borrowing authority under the Recovery Act to help build the $213 million Montana-Alberta Tie Limited (MATL) transmission project between Great Falls, Montana, and Lethbridge, Alberta. Almost two-thirds of the 214-mile transmission line will be located on U.S. soil, creating American jobs and allowing for the continued expansion of renewable energy production.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- NORRIDEGWOCK – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci participated in the ribbon cutting of the gas-to-electricity system at Waste Management’s Crossroads Landfill. By using methane gas created through the decomposition of wastes, the facility will be able to generate enough electricity to power approximately 3,500 homes.

The Governor said he is pleased that Waste Management is working to complement the State’s efforts to achieve energy self-sufficiency.    » read more »

Utilities and Suppliers Acknowledged for Promoting Renewable Energy

September 14, 2009 --
ATLANTA, GA – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today recognized five leading organizations for advancing the development and use of green energy. The five organizations are being recognized for their exceptional achievements in supporting increased market deployment of renewable energy technologies through green power programs.

These organizations underscore the Obama Administration’s efforts to develop domestic supplies of clean, renewable energy while creating jobs.    » read more »

Truck drivers can find idle reduction facilities using cell phones and PDAs

September 15, 2009 --
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) expanded its suite of Web-based, fuel-efficiency tools by launching the Mobile Truck Stop Electrification Locator. This comprehensive mobile application helps truck drivers find public truck stops with idle reduction facilities using a cell phone, BlackBerry, or other mobile device.    » read more »

August 31, 2009 -- SANTA FE – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today announced that New Mexico, supported by many partners, has filed an application for tens of millions in federal stimulus dollars to create a new, clean way to deliver electricity to homes and businesses in New Mexico using “smart grid” technology.

The New Mexico Green Grid Initiative aims to reduce peak power use by 25 percent; increase energy efficiency by 6 percent; and deliver 25 percent of electricity from renewable energy by 2020, among other improvements to the state’s electric power grid. The project would add significant renewable energy resources to the power grid, and enable small communities to export clean energy.    » read more »

Report suggests financial projections based on current life, performance and value of sectors' assets may not be robust

LONDON - 19 Aug 2009: LONDON, Aug. 19 -- According to an Acclimatise global report, backed by IBM (NYSE: IBM) , nearly all electric utilities claim climate change is threatening power outages, higher costs and changes in usage as demand grows to power the world's expanding cities.

Over ninety percent of global electric utilities that report climate change activity to the Carbon Disclosure Project recognised they are at risk from changes in climate and water availability, which are already adding stress to the sector. However, less than a third claimed to undertake any financial or quantified evaluation to the impact of climate change on their business.    » read more »

Biggest energy saver in history of Energy Department

June 29, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.—New national minimum energy efficiency requirements for light bulbs will save more energy than any other standard ever issued by any administration, according to a coalition representing environmental and consumer organizations, state government, and utilities. The new standards, announced by President Obama today, will make the hundreds of millions of fluorescent tube lamps that light offices, stores, and factories more efficient.

They also will phase out conventional incandescent reflector lamps, effectively extending the phase out of inefficient incandescent products initiated by Congress in 2007 to the common cone-shaped bulbs used in recessed light fixtures and track lighting.    » read more »

IBM Research Explores Battery Technologies to Further Electric Vehicle Adoption and Make Energy Grids More Efficient

SAN FRANCISCO - 23 Jun 2009 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) will gather many of the top minds in science, industry and technology to explore the next frontier of electrical energy storage and advanced battery systems - key technologies that will power smarter energy grids, support widespread use of electric cars, and more - at its annual Almaden Institute in San Jose, California, on August 26 and 27.    » read more »

Applauds FERC Decision on Transmission Cost Allocation in Southwest Power Pool

June 19, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today applauded the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) decision yesterday to update how the costs of building transmission to access wind resources are allocated in the Southwest Power Pool, an important step that will greatly facilitate the development of wind resources in the lower Great Plains.    » read more »