East Coast Governors Say National Transmission Grid Limits Local Energy

jbailey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:05:16 -0500

On May 4th, 2009, Governors from 10 East Coast states sent a sign-on letter opposing the current House & Senate bills to expedite transmission line planning and siting. The states that signed onwere Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. The letter argued against a greater federal subsidy for long-distance transmission, stating that the focus should be on more local renewable generation, such as off-shore wind along the East Coast.

California may miss 33% RPS target due to focus on centralized generation

jfarrell — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:33:16 -0500

In a nutshell: On paper, California could meet its targets, provided it can afford and build $12 billion in new transmission lines and higher electricity costs. In reality, the state probably won’t make the target, concludes the California Public Utilities Commission in its latest analysis of the state’s clean-energy quest...

Why Does the Much-Touted Climate Bill Look Like It Was Stolen From the Republican Playbook?

dmorris — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:50:31 -0500

Most environmental leaders and Democratic Party officials argue that we should support the Waxman-Markey carbon cap and trade bill (American Clean Energy Security Act) no matter how imperfect because it represents an important small step forward. In this commentary by David Morris, he concludes that the bill would be acceptable if it was stripped of its cap and trade provisions. Retaining the cap and trade provisions and he sees it as a giant step backwards that may well hobble further progress in federal efforts to combat climate change for years to come.

Indian tribe creates own electric utility

dmorris — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:24:36 -0500

The St. Regis Mohawk tribe again proves that it is cheaper to build your own power plant than to buy electricity from utilities.

SD Sets Interconnection Rules for Distributed Renewable Energy Projects

jbailey — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:20:36 -0500

The state Public Utilities Commission has made it easier for small power generators 10 MW and under to get their renewable energy flowing onto the electric grid.

Called the South Dakota Small Generation Interconnection Rules, the recent decision simplifies who can connect to the electric grid and how. It allows electric customers to be producers, too, by connecting clean energy systems such as solar panels and wind turbines to the grid. Next is a legislative review hearing. Barring changes, the interconnection rules will become law June 9.

Payback Time - Feed in Tariffs Work (video)

jfarrell — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:41:44 -0500

A 10-min video on Germany's rewarding feed-in tariff renewable energy program

Energy Smart Miami - A possible model for smart grid and DG

jbailey — Tue, 19 May 2009 08:56:48 -0500

Mayor Manny Diaz recently unveiled an ambitious, $200 million "Energy Smart Miami" smart grid project developed in partnership with General Electric, Cisco Systems, Florida Power & Light and Silver Spring Networks to ultimately deploy smart meters on every home and most businesses in Miami-Dade County. In addition to smart meters, the project aims to install solar power systems on several schools and universities, add 300 plug-in hybrid vehicles to the city's fleet, and bring a series of new technologies like home energy use dashboards, smart appliances and smart-meter thermostats to pilot programs in 1,000 city homes.

David Morris speaks on the Challenge of Going Green in a Recession

jfarrell — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:21:41 -0500

On Sunday, April 26, David Morris addressed a crowd hosted by the DFL Education Foundation, on the challenges of developing renewable energy in a time of economic turmoil. His remarks follow:

I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this distinguished audience this evening. My charge is to address the question, “Can We Be Green in a Recession?” Or as the teaser for this meeting puts it, can we be green without green?

If it's citizens vs. utilities, utilities win

dmorris — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:55:00 -0500

The PUC has an approval process that stacks the deck against the public.

A few days ago the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved a massive high voltage transmission project (known as CapX) that will cost Minnesotans an amount equal to the projected biennium state budget deficit and four times the total bill to taxpayers for the Gopher and Twins stadiums.

Distributed Renewables Can Defer Infrastructure Investments

jbailey — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:33:09 -0500

This recent article by the Manager of EPRI published on EnergyCentral.com discusses how conventional photovoltaic (PV) applications can act as distributed resources when the sun is shining -- rather than solely as a reduction in load. They also can help diversify supply portfolios and meet other goals. The most basic scenario is for utilities to aggregate grid-connected PV installations owned by others and to treat them as demand-side resources.