January 27, 2010

NASEO News

FEDERAL UPDATE

Department of Labor Announces $190 Million in Green Jobs Training Grants

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced nearly $190 million in green jobs training grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants are designed to teach workers the skills required in emerging industries, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. Less than a month into 2010, the department's investment in this growing area of the job marketplace is close to the $440 million mark. Thirty-four awards ranging from approximately $2 million to $6 million each are being made to state workforce investment boards in partnership with their state workforce agencies, local workforce investment boards or regional consortia of boards, and One-Stop Career Center delivery systems. Please click here to read more about the awards at the Department of Labor website.

Department of Energy Announces More Than $20.5 Million for Community Renewable Energy Deployment Projects

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the selection of five projects to receive more than $20.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support deployment of community-based renewable energy projects, such as biomass, wind and solar installations. These projects will promote investment in clean energy infrastructure that will create jobs, help communities provide long-term renewable energy and save consumers money. They will also serve as models for other local governments, campuses or small utilities to replicate, allowing other communities to design projects that fit their individual size and energy demands.  The selected projects will be leveraged with approximately $167 million in local government and private industry funding.  DOE estimates that these projects will provide enough clean, renewable energy to displace the emissions of approximately 10,700 homes.  Please click here for information on specific awards to read the full press release.

DOE Announces Closing of $465 Million Loan to Tesla Motors

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the Department of Energy has closed its $465 million loan with Tesla Motors, Inc. for construction of a manufacturing facility in southern California on the Model S electric sedan and a power-train manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, California.  The Palo Alto facility will assemble electric vehicle battery packs, electric motors, and related electric vehicle control equipment, both for Tesla's own electric vehicles and for sale to other automobile manufacturers.  The agreement was negotiated and signed by the Department's Loan Programs Office, which supports the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies to create thousands of clean energy jobs while helping reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil.  Tesla's planned Model S will consume no gasoline and will not produce any tailpipe emissions. It is being designed to offer a variety of range options depending on the battery pack used, from 160 to 300 miles on a single charge. Volume production of the Model S is planned to begin in 2012 with a target production capacity of 20,000 vehicles per year by the end of 2013.  According to Tesla, the Model S project and power-train manufacturing facility are expected to create over 1,600 jobs.  Please click here for the full story. 

DOE Releases Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a major study of the technical, operational, and economic issues facing the integration of large amounts of wind energy into the power system. The Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study (EWITS), the largest study of its kind conducted in the United States to date, evaluates the future operational and integration impacts of up to 30% wind energy penetration into the power system in the study year 2024. The study encompasses the majority of the utilities in the Eastern Interconnection. The study also includes a high-level analysis of transmission needed to deliver the wind energy to load centers and a cursory analysis of carbon pricing impacts.  The study consists of three main parts: a wind resource assessment and wind plant siting study, a transmission study, and a wind integration study.  Please click here for the story as well as a link to the Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program's Renewable Systems Interconnection page where you will find a link to the study. 

DOE Invites Public Comment on Recovery Act Weatherization and Retrofit Reporting

As published in the January 21 edition of the Federal Register, DOE invites the public to comment on the following proposed draft reporting guidance documents under the 2009 Recovery Act for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), State Energy Program (SEP), and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program as well as the collection of utility billing data to validate the cost effectiveness of energy efficiency retrofits in buildings.  Please click here to visit the Draft Recovery Act Reporting Program Guidance website. 

EVENTS AND WEBINARS

Register Today for the NASEO/ASERTTI State Energy Policy and Technology Outlook Conference, February 1-5, 2010

The 2010 NASEO/ASERTTI State Energy Policy and Technology Outlook Conference will be held February 1–5, 2010, at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C. This year's State Energy Policy, Program, and Technology Outlook Conference comes as the States and the nation are in the midst of an historic energy efficiency and renewable energy transformation. New policies and investments are moving rapidly and at an unprecedented scale with additional programs being contemplated by Congress and the Administration in the coming weeks.

To better prepare and inform conference attendees, NASEO and ASERTTI have planned a full week of informative events, with the core conference agenda being complimented by pre-meeting ARRA and committee sessions starting at noon on February 1, 2010, followed by an important post-conference ARRA-related building codes workshop which concludes on February 5, 2010, at 3:00 pm.

The 2010 NASEO/ASERTTI State Energy Policy and Technology Outlook Conference will serve as an essential opportunity for State Energy Office (SEO) directors, staff, and interested stakeholders to hear the latest on ARRA and the implementation and reporting issues that SEOs are currently facing.

Session Highlights

  • ARRA State Energy Program and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Implementation
  • Road to Recovery – A Look at States' ARRA Funded Clean Energy Jobs Creation
  • DOE ARRA Implementation – Overall Progress and Expectations
  • Vehicle Electrification – Cars, Infrastructure Investments, and Consumer Demand
  • Net Zero Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium Update
  • National Laboratory Roundtable – Transferring Emerging Technologies
  • Transformative Renewable Energy Technology
  • Scaling up Renewable Energy Investment

Speakers include:

  • Congressman Steve Israel
  • Congressman Paul Tonko
  • DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency Kathleen Hogan
  • DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Energy Jacques Beaudry-Losique
  • DOE General Counsel Scott Blake Harris
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory Director Dan E. Arvizu
  • Interior Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals  Management Ned Farquhar
  • Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Director Arun Majumdar

Please click here to visit the event website for an updated agenda, information on available sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities and to register online.

Compressed Air Challenge - Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems WE (web-edition)

The Compressed Air Challenge (CAC) is pleased to announce the launch of Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems WE (web-edition) on February 22, 2010. This web-based version of the popular Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems training uses an interactive format that enables the instructor to diagram examples, give pop quizzes and answer students' questions in real time.  The course will launch on February 22, 2010, with subsequent classes on March 1, March 8, and March 15. The classes will begin at 11 AM eastern and will last approximately 2 hours each.  Please click here for additional information and to register online. 

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS

One Down, 703 to Go as Idaho Retrofits Schools

Using State Energy Program funding through the federal stimulus, Idaho has begun an aggressive program to audit and retool the energy efficiency of K-12 schools statewide. The first school to be tuned up was built by the WPA after the Great Depression.  Please click here for the full story on the NASEO website. 

New Jobs in Arizona as Weatherization Ramps Up

Recovery Act funding of the federal Weatherization Assistance Program is creating new jobs and helping low-income homeowners in Arizona reduce their utility bills.  Please click here for the full story on the NASEO website. 

Maine Governor Will Introduce Offshore Wind Legislation

Maine Governor John Baldacci said that he will actively pursue the ambitious goals of the Maine Ocean Energy Task Force, including the target of 5-gigawatts of offshore wind capacity in the next 20 years.  In December, the task force issued its final report announcing the 5-gigawatt target and recommending streamlined permitting of offshore wind projects in state waters, improved transmission infrastructure and state-mandated power purchase agreements.  Maine has also identified three areas for deep-water wind turbine testing and received two federal grants to pursue offshore turbine research.  Please click here for the full story and a link to the final report. 

Four Arkansas Sites Selected to Study Small Wind Potential

Anemometers installed at four sites in Arkansas will study the potential for small wind in those areas.  Installed by staff and students of John Brown University, the anemometers are provided by a partnership between the State of Arkansas and the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America program. The project is anticipated to help Arkansas's farmers, ranchers, businesses and homeowners determine if there is enough wind to make investing in a wind turbine economical. Please click here to read more about the project at the Arkansas Energy Office website.

California Adopts Nation's First Statewide Green Building Standard

The California Building Standards Commission unanimously adopted the first-in-the-nation mandatory Green Building Standards Code, called CALGreen, on January 12. The program, which takes effect on January 1, 2011, will require all new buildings in the state to be more energy efficient and environmentally responsible. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said the action lays the foundation for the move to greener buildings constructed with environmentally advanced building practices that reduce energy use, decrease waste, and conserve resources.  The California Air Resources Board estimates that the mandatory provisions will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020.  Please click here for the full story.