NASEO News

April 29, 2010  

NASEO News

FEDERAL UPDATE

DOI Announces Approval of Cape Wind Energy Project on Outer Continental Shelf Off Massachusetts

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently approved the Cape Wind renewable energy project on federal submerged lands in Nantucket Sound, but will require the developer of the $1 billion wind farm to agree to additional binding measures to minimize the potential adverse impacts of construction and operation of the facility.  The Cape Wind project would be the first wind farm on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, generating enough power to meet 75 percent of the electricity demand for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island combined. The project would create several hundred construction jobs and be one of the largest greenhouse gas reduction initiatives in the nation, cutting carbon dioxide emissions from conventional power plants by 700,000 tons annually. That is equivalent to removing 175,000 cars from the road for a year.  A number of similar projects have been proposed for other northeast coastal states, positioning the region to tap 1 million megawatts of offshore Atlantic wind energy potential, which could create thousands of manufacturing, construction and operations jobs and displace older, inefficient fossil-fueled generating plants, helping significantly to combat climate change.  Please click here for the full story.

DOE Announces More Than $200 Million for Solar and Water Power Technologies

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced that the department will invest more than $200 million over five years to expand and accelerate the development, commercialization, and use of solar and water power technologies throughout the United States. This funding underscores the administration's commitment to foster a robust clean-energy sector in the United States that will create American manufacturing jobs and a workforce with the required technical training to speed the implementation of cutting-edge technologies. This announcement represents a down payment that will help the solar and water power industries overcome technical barriers, demonstrate new technologies, and provide support for clean energy jobs for years to come.  Please click here for more on the announcement. 

DOE Announces $3 Million for University-led Wind Power Education and Research

On April 27, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the investment of nearly $3 million to advance the work of 16 institutions doing wind power research, including several colleges and universities. The recipients will use these funds to further the department's goal of bolstering the emerging clean-energy sector with cutting-edge, highly trained workers. These awards will advance wind turbine technology research and development, enhance wind technology curricula for university coursework, provide students with educational opportunities for hands-on wind technology research, develop training programs that will build the wind power workforce, and research possible environmental impacts of wind power deployment.  Please click here for the full story and additional information on the awards.

EVENTS AND WEBINARS

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

The Compressed Air Challenge (CAC) is pleased to announce the second round of the Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems WE (web-edition), starting May 14, 2010.  Subsequent sessions will occur on May 21, May 28, and June 4.  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. Please visit the CAC website today, www.compressedairchallenge.org, to access online registration and for more information about the training. 

U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue 2010 Conference:  Increasing Trade in Clean Electricity

The U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue 2010 Conference:  Increasing Trade in Clean Electricity will be held May 19-20, 2010, in Rosemont Illinois.  The Clean Energy Dialogue (CED) was announced in February 2009 when President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met in Ottawa. The CED is charged with expanding clean energy research and development, developing and deploying clean energy technology, and building a more efficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable energy in order to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change in both countries. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Canadian Minister of Environment Jim Prentice serve as the lead government officials for moving the CED forward.  For more information on the conference including an agenda and online registration, please click here.  

SAVE the DATE: EPA Tech Forum May 20: State PUC Overview for Energy & Environment Officials

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s State Climate and Energy Technical Forum will host the State Public Utility Commission (PUC) Overview for Energy and Environment Officials webcast on Thursday, May 20, 2010, from 2:00-3:30 PM EDT.  The topic will be how PUCs make decisions that affect clean energy and air quality, and examples of inter-agency collaboration. Featured speakers will be:

  • Miles Keogh from NARUC
  • Ann Berwick, Undersecretary of Energy for Massachusetts
  • Frank Kohlasch and Bill Sierks from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
  • Vincent Chavez from the Minnesota Office of Energy Security

To register for the webinar, go to: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/840599059.  To find more information about this topic, access background materials at:

http://www.epatechforum.org/documents/2009-2010/2009-2010.html.

DOE Announces EnergySmart Schools Operations and Maintenance Webinar

A no-cost, live webcast on Tuesday, May 25, 2010, will introduce school officials and facilities management to this online training tool, which is based on the Guide to Operating and Maintaining EnergySmart Schools, released in June 2009. The webcast will provide a walk-through of key features of the training tool, by function, and will include a panelist discussion on O&M best practices and thoughts about the training tool. For more information, please visit www.energysmartschools.gov.

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS

$20 Million U.S. DOE Award to SEEA Regional Alliance

Energy Efficiency in the Southeastern United States will get a huge boost when the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) rolls out its program of innovative, large-scale building retrofits for homeowners and businesses under its recently-announced $20 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative.  The regional organization will partner with nearly a dozen communities of varying sizes and characteristics, each of which will use a different approach to increase the energy efficiency of small and large residential, commercial and public buildings. This diversity will allow SEEA to test and evaluate a variety of models in both smaller, more rural and larger, more metropolitan areas and make adjustments as needed. Another key aspect of the program, which will use a combined formula allocation and a pay-for-performance strategy to fund specific projects, will be the availability of affordable, accessible financing programs.  Please click here for the full story.

Maryland Project Sunburst Triples Solar Energy Produced in State

Governor Martin O’Malley announced that the State of Maryland will nearly triple the amount of solar energy produced in Maryland over the next 12 months. Administered by the Maryland Energy Administration, Project Sunburst will be able to fund 20 government entities installing major solar arrays on up to 31 buildings that, when completed, will have generating capacity of up to 10 MW.  This would nearly triple the amount of solar currently on the grid in Maryland today and will create an estimated 100 new jobs over the course of this year.  Grants are being awarded to selected government entities at a rate of $1,000 per kilowatt (kW) on photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on public buildings.  Award recipients under Project Sunburst range from public school systems throughout the State, to the Salisbury Fire Station, the City of Baltimore Convention Center, and the Maryland Port Authority Marine Terminal. To read more and to see a list of recipients, please click here to view the MEA website.

California Energy Commission and State Treasurer’s Office to Jump-Start Biofuels in State with $40 Million in Funding

The California Energy Commission and the State Treasurer's Office signed a first-of-its-kind interagency agreement to create three financing programs for alternative fuel and transportation projects. The Energy Commission will shortly be soliciting qualified projects in three areas.

  • The California Ethanol Plant Incentive Program (approximately $6,000,000 in available funding) will provide loan guarantees for qualifying projects selected by the Energy Commission.
  • The Advanced Biofuel Production Plant Program (approximately $15,000,000 in available funding) and the
  • Vehicle and Component Manufacturing Program (approximately $19,000,000 in available funding) will provide loan guarantees for qualifying projects up to $1,500,000 and bond and credit enhancement financial assistance for projects greater than $1,500,000.

To read more, please click here to visit the California Energy Commission.

Smart Meter Pilot Program in Chicago includes 8,000 Households

ComEd recently kicked off a public education campaign about the Smart Meter pilot program. Smart Meters are expected to help consumers monitor and reduce electricity use and their carbon footprint while helping utilities adjust distribution and eventually reduce the number and duration of power outages. The new meters are the first step toward the creation of a "smart grid," which uses a digital system rather than a mechanical one to communicate power needs and problems along the lines. To read more about the program, please click here to visit the Chicago Tribune.

Colorado Governor’s Energy Office Seeking Wind for Schools Applications

The Governor’s Energy Office is now accepting applications for the Wind for Schools Grant. The Wind for Schools Program engages rural school teachers and students in wind energy education and educates college students about wind energy applications Selected host schools receive a small 1.8 kW wind turbine to provide students with a concrete example of how wind energy works, while allowing for an exciting hands-on educational opportunity using state-of-the-art technology. Eligible applicants are schools districts located in Colorado that can demonstrate decent wind resources, excellent curriculum inclusion and project sustainability. To read more, please click here to visit Recharge Colorado.

Michigan Governor Betting on State Wind Power

Governor Jennifer Granholm wants Michigan to be the first state with wind turbines in the Great Lakes, but the competition is fierce.  "I have a wager with Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio that we'll be first," she said. Ohio has asked for proposals for wind farms in Lake Erie. Ontario and New York also are pushing offshore projects.  Granholm said Michigan is in a unique situation to profit from Great Lakes turbines because it's in the center of the lakes, where the steadiest winds blow. The state has a chance to play a major role in a new green economy, making components for wind turbines, she said.  A recent report to the governor identified dozens of areas that could work for offshore turbines in Michigan, but said the five largest are in outer Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron near Sanilac, Lake Michigan off Berrien County and off Delta and Mackinac counties in the Upper Peninsula.  Michigan's Legislature is considering a package of bills to govern offshore wind.  Please click here for the full story.