NASEO News
FEDERAL UPDATE
Secretary
Chu Announces Over $8 Million to Support
Local Energy Assurance Planning
Initiatives
Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced
that the Department of Energy is making
selection of awards for more than $8
million to 43 cities and towns across
the country to develop or expand local
energy assurance plans that will improve
electricity reliability and energy
security in these communities. These
emergency preparedness plans, funded
under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, will help ensure local
governments can recover and restore
power quickly following any energy
supply disruptions. This is the first
time that the Department of Energy will
provide grants to local communities for
energy assurance planning. The Recovery
Act awards will benefit almost 15
million citizens in 25 states by
focusing on improved emergency planning
for the entire energy supply system,
including the electricity grid,
refining, storage, and distribution of
fossil fuels and renewable energy
sources. Plans will include how to ease
the impacts of short-term energy
disruptions along with strategies to
deal with sustained energy outages. For
the full press release as well as a list
of grantees, please
click here.
DOE Announces
Nearly $1.4 billion in Conditional Loan
Guarantees for BrightSource Energy
Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced
conditional commitments for more than
$1.37 billion in loan guarantees under
the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act to BrightSource Energy, Inc. to
support the construction and start-up of
three utility-scale concentrated solar
power plants. The new plants will
generate approximately 400 megawatts
(MW) of electricity using the company's
innovative, proprietary technology.
This would nearly double the existing
generation capacity of this type of
renewable energy in the U.S. The
three-plant Ivanpah Solar Complex will
be located on federally-owned land in
the Mojave Desert in southeastern
California, near the Nevada border, and
will be the world's largest operational
concentrated solar power complex. Once
operational, the project will supply
clean electric power to approximately
140,000 California homes. Please
click here for the full story.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Insulation
Industry Leaders Launch the Council of
NAIMA to Unify the Industry's Voice in
Legislative Policy Debates
Insulation industry leaders launched
the Council of the North American
Insulation Manufacturers Association
(NAIMA) today as a new organization
created to provide a unified, focused
voice for the industry in legislative
policy debates.
The Council of NAIMA will advocate
for policies and programs that mandate,
encourage, and incentivize increased
energy efficiency in new and existing
residential and commercial buildings and
industrial applications.
"With the Obama Administration and
Congress focused on job creation, energy
policy, and climate policy, we believe
the time is right for our industry to
unite and educate policy-makers about
how insulation can address each of these
issues and make positive contributions
to the country's future," said Jeffrey
Brisley, Chairman of the Council's
Organizing Committee and Senior Vice
President for Sales & Business
Development at Knauf Insulation.
Membership is open to thermal and
acoustical insulation manufacturers –
regardless of insulation product type –
and their suppliers located in North
America.
"If policy-makers want to create good
jobs while increasing the energy
efficiency of the nation's building
stock, increased funding for insulation
installation is the quickest, simplest
way," said NAIMA President and CEO Kate
Offringa, who will direct the Council's
day-to-day operations.
"We are engaging immediately in
relevant policy debates, including the
effort to pass the President's proposed
Home Star or ‘Cash-for-Caulkers' program
in a jobs bill and to move energy
efficiency provisions forward in any
energy and climate legislation,"
Offringa added.
More information about the Council of
NAIMA can be found on the group's Web
site at
www.naima.org/council.
ACEEE Awards
Deadline Extension
The deadline to submit nominations
for the ACEEE National Review of
Exemplary State Energy Efficiency
Programs is now March 16, 2010. If you
have already submitted a nomination, you
will need to re-submit to
nominations@aceee.org. ACEEE has
also expanded the eligibility
requirements. The expansion is meant to
clarify the eligibility of programs
funded by statewide systems-benefits
charges set by legislators.
Programs must be:
- Overseen or administered by a
state government agency, university,
or other state-level public
institution
- Fully or partially (at least
20%) funded by state appropriations,
state bond issues, federal funds,
carbon allowance auction proceeds,
other legislatively-directed
funding, or other non-utility funds.
For more information about the
project and to access the nomination
form, please visit,
http://www.aceee.org/energy/state/awards.htm.
Please contact Michael Sciortino at
msciortino@aceee.org with any
questions or concerns.
EVENTS AND WEBINARS
SAVE THE DATE -
DOE Summer Energy Outlook Conference and
Energy Data and Assurance Planning
Workshop
The Department of Energy's (DOE)
Office of Electricity Delivery and
Energy Reliability (OE) in conjunction
with the National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL) and the National
Association of State Energy Officials
(NASEO) are pleased to invite you to the
Summer Energy Outlook Conference and a
special, interactive Workshop on Energy
Data and Assurance Planning.
The Summer Energy Outlook Conference
will feature the Energy Information
Administration's (EIA) Short-Term Energy
Outlook and presentations by industry
representatives and energy experts. The
purpose of the event is to provide
attendees with information on what to
expect for the upcoming summer season by
featuring national and global
perspectives on energy supplies, demand,
and prices.
Following the Outlook conference,
DOE/EIA and NASEO will conduct the
Energy Data and Assurance Planning
Workshop -- to be held on Tuesday
afternoon and Wednesday morning. The
Workshop, designed for the recipients of
the State and Local Energy Assurance
grants, will help attendees identify and
understand how to use EIA energy data
through a series of energy-based
scenarios. EIA staff will be on hand to
provide expertise and instruction. The
afternoon session will be useful in
helping State and local officials
prepare energy assurance plans and
respond to energy emergencies.
On Wednesday morning, presenters will
provide information on grant guidelines
and templates for tracking energy supply
disruptions and preparing energy
assurance plans. This will allow
grantees to be part of an interactive
discussion and receive the latest
information on grant requirements and
deliverables.
The two important and informative
events will be held on April 20-21 in
Denver, CO. Please mark your calendars.
We look forward to your participation
and contribution.
Details on registration, hotel
logistics and program agenda will be
forthcoming.
The National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
is a co-sponsor of Energy Data and
Assurance Planning Workshop.
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.
ECW Webinar: SSL
Technology and LED Lighting: New Tools
in Your Toolbox – March 10, 2010
The Energy Center of Wisconsin (ECW)
will host "SSL Technology and LED
Lighting: New Tools in Your Toolbox," a
live webinar presented by Presenter:
Avraham Mor, IALD, LEED AP, IESNA,
Lightswitch Architectural. The webinar
will take place on March 10, 2010 from
1:00 - 2:30 PM central time. SSL/LED
lighting can significantly reduce energy
consumption and costs. Technology
advancements have increased the
versatility and durability of the lamps
and improved the fixtures contributing
to their expanding applicability. SSL is
a vital lighting design tool. As LED
lighting becomes more mainstream, it is
important for those who specify lighting
products and users to understand the
technology, its uses and pitfalls.
Attend this webinar and learn the latest
strategies to use these tools
effectively. Please
click here for more information and
to register for the event.
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS
University of
Louisville Receives Second Round of
Stimulus Funding
For the second time in nine days, the
University of Louisville's Kentucky
Pollution Prevention Center is the
beneficiary of federal economic stimulus
funds. Kentucky Energy and Environment
Secretary, Len Peters, announced that
$2.23 million in stimulus money will be
used to expand the center's free
energy-efficiency and
pollution-prevention services for
Kentucky businesses. Governor Steve
Beshear announced that $4.75million in
stimulus money will go toward the
center's program to help Kentucky
schools use energy more efficiently.
The two grants will allow the center to
grow from 16 to 42 full-time positions,
said Cam Metcalf, the center's
director. Metcalf also estimated as
many as 16 spinoff jobs elsewhere could
result from the stimulus spending.
Please
click here to read more.
With Stimulus
Dollars, Delaware Water Plant Goes Solar
Nearly 2,300 solar panels at the
city's largest water filtration plant
will soon begin harnessing energy from
the sun. The solar panels will generate
about 25 percent of the power needed to
run the plant, which will save the city
about $60,000 a year in electricity
costs. The city also will receive about
$120,000 a year through the sale of
renewable-energy credits to Delmarva
Power and get a one-time $250,000 rebate
from the Delaware Department of Natural
Resources and Environmental Control.
The $8.9 million project at the Porter
Reservoir plant is the first in a series
of greening efforts that has been
completed by the city government.
Please
click here to read more about the
project at Delaware Online.
Nebraska
Environmental Trust Aims to Kick-Start
CNG Vehicles in Omaha and Lincoln
A subcommittee of the Nebraska
Environmental Trust recently recommended
approval of a two-year grant for the
Metropolitan Utilities District to
encourage natural gas transportation in
Omaha and Lincoln. It was one of $15
million in proposed grants the full
trust board will vote upon April 1,
2010. The trust grant is part of a $2.3
million federal stimulus project that
will allow the utility to build two
natural gas filling stations in Omaha
over the next couple of years. Please
click here to read more at the
Journal Star.
California State
Assembly Passes Bill Expanding Net
Metering
The California Assembly
overwhelmingly passed a bill that would
expand a credit program for Californians
who generate excess electricity through
their home solar power systems. Under
the state's net metering program,
utilities extend credit to consumers who
contribute clean energy to the state's
electricity grid. The program currently
caps the amount of electricity eligible
for the credit to 2.5 percent of each
utility's peak power demand. The measure
that recently passed doubles that cap to
5 percent. Please
click here to read more about the
bill at the L.A. Times. |
