January 12, 2010

NASEO News

FEDERAL UPDATE

$2.3 Billion for New Clean-Tech Manufacturing Jobs

President Obama announced the award of $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy manufacturing projects across the United States. One hundred and eighty three projects in 43 states will create tens of thousands of high quality clean energy jobs and the domestic manufacturing of advanced clean energy technologies, including solar, wind, efficiency and energy management technologies.  As part of the Recovery Act, these tax credits are focused on putting Americans back to work by building a robust domestic manufacturing capacity to supply clean and renewable energy projects with American-made parts and equipment. These credits are also an important step towards meeting the President's goal of doubling the amount of renewable energy the country uses in the next three years with wind turbines and solar panels built here in the United States.  Please click here for the full story and a link to the selected projects.

STUDIES AND REPORTS

Mechanical Insulation Holds Promise to Improve Efficiency, Create Jobs

According to a study conducted by the National Insulation Association (NIA), a modest increase in the use of energy-efficient mechanical insulation would allow the United States to quickly generate significant energy demand reductions in the commercial and industrial sectors, create tens of thousands of green jobs and help cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. NIA is currently refining estimates for the power/utility sector and preparing data on increasing insulation thickness beyond the ASHRAE 90.1 2007 guidelines for piping and HVAC applications. NIA's preliminary estimates indicate that when including these areas there is an additional potential of $2.3 billion in energy savings, a reduction of 15 million metric tons of CO2 emissions and 73,000 jobs created. The total estimate illustrates the huge energy efficiency opportunity in the industrial and commercial sectors: $4.8 billion in energy savings, a reduction of 43 million metric tons of CO2 emissions and 89,000 new jobs.  Please click here to read more at the NIA website.

DOE Chief Research Officers (CRO) Release Transforming America's Energy Economy

The Chief Research Officers of the U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories for the National Laboratory Directors Council recently prepared Transforming America's Energy Economy, a white paper that addresses President Obama's call for a transformation of America's energy economy to ensure our energy security and to mitigate the environmental consequences associated with our current dependence on carbon-intensive energy sources. The purpose of the white paper is to describe specific near-term opportunities and longer-term research challenges that will enable the required transformation.  Please click here to link directly to the CRO white paper. 

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
  • NREL Update – Transferring Emerging Technologies
  • ARPA-E Update
  • Scaling up Renewable Energy Investment

Speakers include:

  • Energy Secretary Steven Chu
  • Congressman Steve Israel
  • Congressman Paul Tonko
  • White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Director Carol Browner
  • Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency Kathleen Hogan
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Energy Jacques Beaudry-Losique
  • DOE General Counsel Scott Blake Harris
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory Director Dan E. Arvizu
  • 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.

ECW Webinar:  Scouting for Residential Electricity Savings, January 27, 2010

The Energy Center of Wisconsin will host a free webinar, "Scouting for Residential Electricity Savings" on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, from 1:00 - 2:30 PM Central Time.  In this webinar, co-principal investigators Scott Pigg and Ingo Bensch present results from "Plugging into Savings," a field research project funded by the Minnesota Office of Energy Security and Minnesota Power Company. Viewers will gain insights to help residential energy consumers manage their plugged-in electronics and slay their energy vampires. For more information and to register for the webinar, please click here.

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, 2009. 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 will 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. 

DOE Announces Inaugural ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that the inaugural "ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit" will take place March 1-3, 2010, at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The event, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) and organized by the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI), with key support from the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and the Kauffman Foundation, will serve as a forum for the nation's energy leaders to share ideas, collaborate, and identify key technology opportunities and challenges.  Summit participants will include members of the scientific and research communities, investors, technology entrepreneurs, corporations with an interest in clean energy technologies, policymakers, and government officials.  For more information and a link to the Summit website, please click here.

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS

Wyoming Business Council Awards More than $18 Million Grants for Energy Efficiency

The Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors has approved more than $18 million in federally-funded grants for Wyoming communities to improve energy efficiency in local buildings.  The funding is from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-funded Facility Retrofit Grant Program that helps fund energy efficiency upgrades for facilities owned by local governments, tribal entities, special districts, nonprofit organizations and joint powers boards. The State Energy Office (SEO), housed within the Business Council, administers the Retrofit Grant Program and received $18.9 million in federal stimulus funds for grants and administration of the program.  More than $21 million in grant requests was received, and more than 53 entities across the state will benefit from the federal funds.  Please click here to read more at the Wyoming Business Council.

Coalition of Three Michigan Groups Receives $5 Million for Alternative Energy Job Training

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc. and the International Training Institute for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Industry approximately $5.3 million in Energy Training Partnership grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to train 580 residents for green jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor's Energy Training Partnership grant program will help train workers to enter the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, as well as green occupations within other industries.  Please click here to read more at the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth website.

Oregon Department of Energy Revises Business Energy Tax Credit Pass-through Rates to Stimulate Job Growth

The Oregon Department of Energy has issued new administrative rules that govern the "pass-through" rate for the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC).  The "pass-through" option allows a project owner to transfer the BETC to a "pass-through" partner in exchange for capital to assist with costs of the project. The new rules offer a tiered rate depending on the type of project and project owner. The new rates are designed to provide more capital to project owners, ensure manufacturing and associated jobs continue to come to Oregon, and restore the original intent of the pass-through.  Please click here to read more about the revisions at the Oregon Department of Energy website.

Kentucky Power Company Continues Expansion of Landfill Gas Program

Salt River Electric, which provides power to more than 46,000 members around Kentucky, has continually expanded its EnviroWatts program since its inception in 2003. Six landfill gas plants around the state consume the reclaimed gas, preventing methane emissions from landfills and carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. The program sells 100-kilowatt blocks of renewable energy for $2.75 per block per year in addition to the consumer's electricity bill.  Please click here to read more about the program at the Kentucky Standard.

Eleven Eastern States Sign Pact on Low Impact Fuels

On December 30, 11 eastern states signed an agreement to develop a plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicle fuels. The memorandum of understanding was signed by the ten states that make up the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, partners in a regional cap and trade program to reduce GHG emissions from power plants, and the state of Pennsylvania. Part of the agreement included committing to evaluate alternative fuel options and study the costs of such a program, which will promote using cleaner fuels. "Developing alternatives to our continued reliance on petroleum-based fuels will foster economic growth and enable increases in fuel security and reliability," the memorandum said. "And further, the development, commercialization and use of fuels that have low carbon intensity can support the growth of jobs, businesses, and services in a clean energy economy." The memorandum calls for a proposed program framework to be completed by early 2011.  Please click here to read more at EESI.