NASEO News

Do you have news you would like to share? Send us your stories and announcements. Email or call Garth Otto with the details: gotto@naseo.org , 703.299.8800, ext. 16.

Also, check out the State Success Stories!

NATIONAL UPDATE

The Regulatory Assistance Project's Latest Publication

The Regulatory Assistance Project's (RAP) latest publication, Clean First: Aligning Power Sector Regulation with Environmental and Climate Goals, puts forth the argument that in regulatory decisions, clean resources should get every reasonable preference over resources that have greater environmental impact. Breaking down policies into five categories –- transmission pricing and access; capacity markets; dispatch; ancillary services; and transmission planning and siting – the authors map out how the Clean First approach can put the power sector on course to meet long-term climate and environmental goals.  Please click here to link to the publication.

IEA Wind Energy 2009 Annual Report Now Available

The U.S. Department of Energy has distributed the International Energy Agency's (IEA) recently published IEA Wind Energy Annual Report 2009, which is now available for free download. The report presents the latest information on domestic and international wind generation capacity, national incentive programs, progress toward national objectives, benefits to national economies, research and development results, and issues affecting turbines, market growth, and costs of projects. The Executive Summary synthesizes the information presented from IEA's member countries, cooperative research tasks, the European Commission, and the European Wind Energy Association.  Please click here for more information including links to the full report and the executive summary.

MEETINGS AND WEBINARS

2010 Winter Fuels Conference, Washington, DC – October 13, 2010

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to participate in the 2010 Winter Fuels Outlook Conference. This important supply and demand forecast event will be held on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, at the National Press Club, Holeman Lounge, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045.

Global oil supply changes, expected demand for heating fuels, and price volatility all impact the outlook for heating fuels this winter.  To help inform the energy community about the current situation, this conference will include EIA's Winter Fuels Outlook along with presentations by industry representatives and energy experts. Invited speakers include:

Richard G. Newell, Administrator, Energy Information Administration Michael Halpert, Deputy Director, Climate Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Katherine Spector, Commodities Strategist, CIBC World Markets Corp. David Lugar, Vice President, Supply and Logistics, AmeriGas Partners, L.P. Richard Smead, Director, Navigant Consulting, Inc. Jane Van Ryan, Senior Manager, Communications, American Petroleum Institute

Online registration is now available.  Please continue to check the NASEO website for additional information. 

NASEO Annual Meeting, Boston, September 28 - October 1, 2010

This year's NASEO Annual Meeting will be held Tuesday, September 28-Friday, October 1, 2010, at the Sheraton Boston in Boston, Massachusetts.  While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) continues to deliver unprecedented opportunities and challenges for the State and Territory Energy Offices and their partners, what lies beyond ARRA?  Also, as the Administration evolves in Washington, D.C., keeping up with the pace of change at the U.S. Department of Energy and other agencies is critical.  This meeting offers an opportunity for state energy officials to hear from key policy and decision-makers, learn about new funding and partnership opportunities, and interact with peers.

Please click here to visit the event website to register online, view the preliminary agenda, and learn more about available sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.

ASERTTI Fall 2010 Meeting: October 4-7, 2010

Please mark your calendars for the fall 2010 ASERTTI meeting, which will be held October 4-7 in Long Island, New York.  Hosted by Brookhaven National Laboratory and Long Island Power Authority, this year's fall meeting will include presentations on the energy programs and research activities from around the nation.  Agenda presenters and topics include:

• Brookhaven National Laboratory's Energy R&D and Technology Commercialization
• California Energy Commission's R&D priorities and community energy program
• Long Island Power Authority's Solar and Off Shore Wind Projects
• Energy-Efficient Building Systems Design Hub – an overview of the newly established Penn State-led "buildings hub"
• Energy Innovation Models – this session examines several state, regional, and national technology innovation models, and covers the release of the newly published ASERTTI-NASEO Commercialization Models Report
• New York's Smart Grid Consortium
• Energy RD&D Collaboration – representatives of four university energy centers offer their views on collaborative models and priorities
• Superior Energy Performance – This industrial energy efficiency presentation examines the move toward ISO50001 and opportunities with the U.S. Council for Energy-Efficient Manufacturing and U.S. DOE

Attendees will also hear an overview of ASERTTI programs and the latest Washington, DC update.  In addition to the full technical agenda there are some exciting networking and tour activities planned.  Please visit the ASERTTI website today to access online registration and the most up-to-date agenda. 

NASEO Building Energy Efficiency Workshop, October 27 – October 30, 2010

NASEO will be hosting a comprehensive Building Energy Efficiency Workshop at the Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday, October 27 – Saturday, October 30, 2010.  The Workshop will be held concurrent with a portion of the International Code Council's (ICC) Final Action Hearings and will focus on building codes training and compliance, residential and commercial building energy code implementation strategies, green buildings and sustainability, existing building rehab and substantial renovation, equipment efficiency standards, "beyond-code" standards for public facilities, utility involvement in code activities, roadmapping code strategy discussions, model building retrofit programs, etc.

NASEO is offering travel assistance for state and local government energy and building codes officials to attend the Workshop as well as participate in the ICC Final Action Hearings.  The travel support is available on a first-come first-served basis.  Individuals interested in attending the Workshop must complete and submit the "NASEO Travel Reimbursement Application Form" by Friday, October 15, 2010, for review and approval by NASEO.

A preliminary agenda and workshop information and NASEO travel policy are now available.  For more information on the Workshop visit the NASEO website at: http://www.naseo.org/codes/.  For questions, please contact Shemika Spencer at 703.299.8800 x15 or sspencer@naseo.org.

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS

Hawaii Now Second in Energy Savings Performance Investment Per Capita

Hawaii is ranked #2 in the United States in per capita investment in energy savings performance contracting, according to a ranking published by the Energy Services Coalition (ESC).  In Hawaii, the State Energy Office has been providing technical assistance on performance contracting to state agencies and the counties, on request, since 1996.  Investment in performance contracting projects by Hawaii State Executive Branch, University of Hawaii at Hilo, the Judiciary, state hospitals, City & County of Honolulu, and the counties of Hawaii and Kauai for the period 1996-2008 totaled $68,218,183.  In 2009, an investment of approximately $33,900,000 for Phase I of the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) ESPC project brought the total for the state to $102,118,183 (or $79 per capita).  Please click here for more on this story. 

Federal Stimulus-Funded Clean Energy Projects across Massachusetts

From Pittsfield to Provincetown, federal stimulus dollars are vitalizing cutting-edge clean energy projects across Massachusetts. Nearly $70 million in stimulus funds are being put to work, weatherizing buildings and upgrading heating systems in cities and towns, installing solar panels at college campuses and small businesses, and demonstrating exciting energy technologies in affordable housing complexes and historic buildings.  Please click here to link to a map of the nearly 300 clean energy project sites across the Commonwealth made possible by stimulus funds flowing through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Texas Medical Center Brings Major Recovery Act Project Online

The U.S. Department of Energy recently helped the Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO) celebrate the opening of a new combined heat and power (CHP) plant at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas on August 24, 2010. The dedication ceremony marked the completion of the 48 megawatt facility that will provide steam, chilled water, and electricity to the 18 institutions comprising the TMC campus—the largest medical center in the world. Supported by an award of $10 million in DOE funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the project helped lead to the creation of more than 400 new jobs during the facility's construction and now constitutes the largest on-campus, district chilled water system in the country.  Please click here for more on the story.