NASEO NEWS
NASEO and ASERTTI
Call for Presentations - DEADLINE EXTENDED
The 2012 State Energy Policy and Technology Outlook Conference hosted by
NASEO and ASERTTI will focus on public-private strategies for modernizing U.S.
buildings and energy infrastructure to foster economic development and create a
more resilient energy system. This year's Conference will explore how states are
encouraging economic development and technology innovation through private
investment to modernize the nation's energy systems and infrastructure in public
facilities, power systems, and the transportation sector.
NASEO and ASERTTI are seeking presentation proposals for the conference that
address the following energy infrastructure topics:
- Innovative state, local, and federal policies that support
public-private investment in the modernization of the nation’s
building, power, and transportation systems and energy
infrastructure.
- High performance building designs and technologies combined
with information technology and smart grid applications that
improve the economy and increase global competitiveness.
- Technology and policy options that address the energy and
economic security concerns of an aging U.S. electric grid and
vulnerabilities presented by cyber threats and other
disruptions.
- Integration of renewable power and sophisticated demand
response applications with the grid.
- Advanced manufacturing and industrial efficiency options
that support America’s industrial base, drive down costs for
manufacturing, and create the industries of the future.
- Practical solutions for utilities and large manufacturers
facing emissions regulations.
- Options to focus state, federal, and private sector
energy-related infrastructure investments in public facilities.
Proposals should be brief, 250 words or less, describing the presentation
topic. Please
submit
proposals online by Monday, December 5, 2011. NASEO and ASERTTI will
make selections based on member priorities and connection to the Conference
themes. Proposers will be notified via email regarding the status of submitted
proposal(s). Selected presenters will be asked to prepare and submit PowerPoint
presentation slides in advance of the Conference. For more information, please
contact: Garth Otto, NASEO Research Analyst. Email:
gotto@naseo.org, Phone: 703-299-8800 x16.
NASEO Job
Opportunity: Buildings Project Manager or Program Manager
NASEO is looking for a self-motivated and detail-oriented individual for a
position in support of NASEO’s building energy efficiency programs, which covers
residential, commercial and institutional buildings, as well as energy
efficiency financing and building energy codes. This position reports to the
Buildings Program Manager and Managing Director. The ideal candidate will have
professional experience in energy and environmental issues and knowledge of
state-specific issues. Please submit a cover letter and resume to
dlin@naseo.org with the subject line
“Application for Buildings Position.” Position is open until filled.
Download Job Announcement
NATIONAL NEWS
Home Energy
Score Update: Call for Partners
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) concluded the Home Energy Score pilots
this summer with 10 pilot partners that provided feedback and recommendations to
help continue the work with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory regarding
improvements to the
Home Energy Scoring Tool. There are three recorded
webinars regarding the program at
www.homeenergyscore.gov. These include FAQs, background on the
program, pilot results, and more. See the top right quadrant of
homeenergyscore.gov.
The program is also actively recruiting partners for the national launch.
Partners will include state and local energy offices, energy-related NGOs, as
well as utilities and co-ops. Qualified assessors under these
programs must be BPI or RESNET certified and must take DOE’s on-line training
and tests. Partners are asked to commit at a minimum to scoring 200 homes
in 12 months and fulfilling quality assurance requirements. If you are
interested in signing on as partner please contact
homeenergyscore@sra.com with
subject header: Interested partner by November 30, 2011.
Bill Gates Calls for Massive Increase in Energy Research
CNET
Bill Gates, the software industry icon and philanthropist recently published
an editorial in Science calling for a massive boost in federal energy research
and development from about $5 billion a year now to $16 billion. "In a
time of economic crisis, asking policymakers in Washington, D.C., to spend more
money might not be the most popular position. But it's essential to protect
America's national interests and ensure that the United States plays a leading
role in the fast-growing global clean energy industry," Gates wrote, noting that
federally funded research in energy has dropped by more than 75 percent in the
last three decades. Gates is a member of the American Energy Innovation
Council, which has attracted some the top business people in the U.S. to
advocate for a larger government role in energy research. In its most
recent report, the
American Energy Innovation Council said there needs to be a significant role
for government energy research to spur technical innovation. "Energy
transformations take generations. But if the United States begins in earnest
today, the nation's energy challenges can be solved in ways that truly set
America on a path of energy independence and that provide affordable energy for
everyone, especially the poor," Gates wrote in his editorial.
DOE Highlights Innovative Fuel Cell System at U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Proving
Ground
The U.S. Department of Energy recently recognized the commissioning of an
innovative fuel cell system at the United States Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground
in Maryland, which will supply the facility with emergency backup power. The
four-stack system is one of the first of 18 fuel cells to be installed and
operated at military bases across the country under an interagency partnership
between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DOD).
Seven other military installations will be installing emergency fuel cell backup
power under the
Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two Departments in July 2010.
The $6.6 million project
announced in July is a joint effort by DOD’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. DOD will manage the
project and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will collect
performance data for the first two years of this five-year demonstration. The
NREL data will be available to fuel cell developers and commercial and
government leaders interested in adopting this technology. By working
together, DOE and DOD can help promote scientific and technological innovation
and accelerate the deployment of cutting-edge energy technologies that will
strengthen American energy security and create new jobs for U.S. workers.
LIPA, BP Solar and Brookhaven National Lab Flip the Switch at the Long Island
Solar Farm
Officials from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), BP Solar
International, Inc. (BP Solar), Brookhaven National Laboratory and a host of
government officials and environmental leaders recently celebrated the
completion and commissioning of the Long Island Solar Farm (LISF) Project. Owned
by BP Solar and Met Life, the LISF installation is part of the largest solar
energy project in the state of New York, the largest photovoltaic array in the
eastern U.S., and among the largest in the nation constructed on federal
property. The 32-megawatt (MW) LISF, which is made up of 164,312 solar panels
hosted at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory,
also boasts the smallest footprint for a solar array of its output, further
solidifying Long Island as a national leader in clean, renewable energy.
The U.S. DOE officially welcomed LISF to Brookhaven National Laboratory, a DOE
facility, and applauded the years of work put into the project by LIPA, BP
Solar, DOE’s Brookhaven Site Office, and Brookhaven Science Associates, which
manages and operates Brookhaven Lab for DOE. New, “green” infrastructure like
LISF promotes the DOE’s national energy security and clean energy goals. Such
beneficial use of DOE sites attracts investments from public and private
sources, creates jobs, encourages collaboration between agencies, and helps
achieve President Obama’s objectives to strengthen America’s energy security and
to deploy clean energy resources.
STATE NEWS
"Arizona's Solar Strategic Plan" Laying Out Roadmap for Future Growth Issued
MarketWatch
"Arizona's Solar Strategic Plan," a document that proposes a series of
recommended actions for the long-term growth of the state's solar industry, has
been issued, as announced by Michelle De Blasi, Chair of the Solar Energy Legal
Team at the Quarles & Brady law firm and Chair of the Arizona Energy Consortium
(AEC). The Strategic Plan is a product of the Arizona Solar Leadership
Conference, held September 29 in Phoenix, which brought together the major solar
stakeholders for a series of panel presentations followed by interactive
discussions and follow-up. It may be viewed at
www.quarles.com/solar_energy. Implementation of the plan will be
guided by the AEC, a committee of the Arizona Technology Council comprised of
more than 250 members from the state's diverse energy sectors. The AEC has
formed an Energy Roadmap subcommittee to work with stakeholders and coordinate
current efforts of other public and private entities working to further develop
Arizona's energy industry.
Harnessing Nebraska's Wind
In a recent letter to his constituents, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman
highlighted the importance of legislation that encourages the development,
ownership and operation of renewable energy facilities for exporting wind energy
from Nebraska noting that wind energy development diversifies our national
energy portfolio, and provides meaningful employment and educational
opportunities for Nebraskans. One of the specific effort noted was Nebraska’s
participation in the Wind for Schools Program whose purpose is to raise
awareness in rural America about the benefits of wind energy, while
simultaneously developing a wind energy knowledge base to educate future leaders
of our communities about the importance of renewable energy. The Nebraska Energy
Office has partnered with Nebraska utilities and other sponsors to help 11
Nebraska schools generate and use their own wind energy. Once operational, the
school integrates the turbine into science and other class activities to provide
a “hands on” approach to teaching and learning.
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