ASERTTI News
ASERTTI Fall Meeting:
Exploring California’s Energy Strategies
Please mark your calendars for the fall 2009
ASERTTI meeting, which will be held October 5-7,
2009 in Palo Alto, California. Hosted by the
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the
California Energy Commission (CEC), this year’s fall
meeting will include a presentation on the
California Climate Change Strategy and several
discussion panels cover such topics as Energy
Efficiency Successes, Challenges, Plans for the
Future and Renewable Energy Barriers and Solutions.
Other topics that will be addressed at the meeting
include transportation, smart grid and nuclear
energy. Please
click here to link directly to the ASERTTI fall
meeting page for additional agenda and registration
information.
President Obama
Addresses Climate Change at the United Nations
President Obama spoke at the United Nations this
week to address the urgent need for international
action to mitigate climate change. The President
highlighted several national initiatives including
the recently announced national greenhouse gas
reporting system, the largest ever investments in
renewable energy, renewable energy loan guarantees
and tax credits the help create new jobs and new
industries, initiatives and legislation to improve
automotive and housing efficiency, and a plan to
phase out fossil fuel subsidies as evidence that
America is moving to reduce its own global warming
emissions, and become a world leader against climate
change.
President Obama underscored that climate is now
at the top of the political agenda for the United
States and described the importance of the recent
energy and climate bill passed by the House of
Representatives that would finally make clean energy
the profitable kind of energy for American
businesses and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. He underlined the need for nations to
work together and noted that the United States has
engaged more allies and partners than ever before to
work together to combat the threat of climate
change.
Deriding difficulty as “no excuse for
complacency”, the President emphasized the need to
act now – to “seize the opportunity to make
Copenhagen a significant step forward in the global
fight against climate change.” To view President
Obama’s complete remarks to the United Nations,
please
click here.
House Passes Bill to
Encourage Hybrid Trucks
As reported in CQ Politics, the House of
Representatives passed a bill to encourage research
and production of hybrid-powered commercial
vehicles. “Hopefully we can get some movement on
this measure this time around,” said Paul Tonko , D-N.Y.,
former NYSERDA Chair. “By enhancing the Department
of Energy’s research program in heavy duty hybrid
trucks, this bill draws much-needed focus to a very
critical component of the transportation sector —
that being commercial trucks.” The bill would
create two phases of the research program for grant
recipients, who would be eligible to receive $3
million annually for three years to complete both
phases. Republican Susan Collins of Maine has
introduced a companion measure in the Senate.
Please
click here for the full story.
GTI Awarded Nearly $4 Million
for California Energy Research and Development
ASERTTI member, the Gas Technology Institute (GTI),
will be helping reduce energy costs in California
homes through two research contracts recently
awarded by the California Energy Commission. Nearly
$4 million was awarded by the Energy Commission to
increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions in
residential homes–both identified as priorities for
California’s energy ratepayers’ dollars by the
Energy Commission. Through one Energy Commission
award, GTI will manage a 30-month program which
includes 15 partner organizations. GTI and its
partners will ultimately provide design and
installation guidance for high-efficiency radiant
cooling and heating systems, and related envelope
improvements in existing California homes. The
second research contract addresses energy and
efficiency issues for water heating systems. Please
click here for the full GTI press release and
additional information on both projects.
LIPA and Smithtown Schools
Announce Largest School Solar Project on Long Island
ASERTTI member, the Long Island Power Authority
(LIPA), in its continuing effort to help Long Island
become more energy efficient, announced that the
Smithtown Central School District has partnered with
the Authority to upgrade its facilities by
participating in LIPA’s Solar Entrepreneur Program
and Efficiency Long Island/Commercial Construction
Program. The four solar electric generating
photovoltaic (PV) systems total 110.775 kilowatts
(kW) and will produce a total of approximately
141,238 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity
annually. This will save the Smithtown Central
School District and its taxpayers approximately
$27,682 in electricity costs per year. In addition,
by using solar power as opposed to fossil fuels to
generate electricity, the avoided emissions over a
20 year period will be approximately five tons of
Sulfur Dioxide, two tons of Nitrous Oxide, and 1,660
tons of Carbon Dioxide. This is the equivalent of
removing 276 passenger cars from the road. By
participating in LIPA’s Solar Entrepreneur Program,
the school district also received a $356,937.50
rebate, which will help offset the capital costs for
the four PV systems. For the full story, please
click here.
EPA Finalizes the Nation’s
First Greenhouse Gas Reporting System/Monitoring to
begin in 2010
On January 1, 2010, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency will, for the first time, require
large emitters of heat-trapping emissions to begin
collecting greenhouse gas (GHG) data under a new
reporting system. This new program will cover
approximately 85 percent of the nation’s GHG
emissions and apply to roughly 10,000 facilities.
The first annual reports for the largest emitting
facilities, covering calendar year 2010, will be
submitted to EPA in 2011. Vehicle and engine
manufacturers outside of the light-duty sector will
begin phasing in GHG reporting with model year 2011.
Some source categories included in the proposed rule
are still under review. To view the full news
release, please
click here. For more information on the new
reporting system and reporting requirements, please
click here.
Secretary Chu Presents
Smart Grid Vision and Announces $144 Million in
Recovery Act Funding to Transition to the Smart Grid
In his keynote speech to the GridWeek 2009
Conference, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu
detailed his vision for implementing the smart grid
and modernizing America’s electrical system: a
stronger, smarter, more efficient electricity
infrastructure that will encourage growth in
renewable energy sources, empower consumers to
reduce their energy use, and lay the foundation for
sustained, long-term economic expansion. During his
remarks, Secretary Chu also announced more than $144
million in funding from the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act for the electric power sector,
including $44 million in awards to state public
utility commissions and $100 million in available
funding for smart grid workforce training programs.
Please
click here for the full press release.
DOT, EPA Propose to Improve
Fuel Economy and Reduce Greenhouse Gases
Building on a vision laid out in May by President
Obama, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced details of a proposed joint rule
establishing a national program for greatly improved
fuel economy and reduced greenhouse gases. Their
proposal presents coordinated national fuel
efficiency and emissions standards for passenger
cars and light trucks, with the goal of saving 1.8
billion barrels of oil and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions by nearly 950 million metric tons. For
vehicles in model year 2016, the proposed rules
would save the average car buyer more than $3,000 in
fuel costs over the life of the vehicle. For
additional information, please
click here to view the excerpt from EERE Network
News.
Department of Energy
Announces up to $40 Million in Available Funding for
Next Generation Nuclear Plants
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced up to
$40 million in funding will be available from the
Department of Energy to support design and planning
work for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP).
Next Generation Nuclear Plants will use new, high
temperature, gas-cooled reactor technologies to
integrate multiple industrial applications in one
plant or facility, such as generating electricity
while refining petroleum. NGNP will extend the
application of nuclear energy into the broader
industrial and transportation sectors, reducing fuel
use and pollution and improving on the inherent
safety of existing commercial light water reactor
technology. Applications for the FOA are due
November 16, 2009. Applications must be submitted
through
http://www.fedconnect.net to be considered for
award. DOE expects to make up to two awards in
February 2010 with each supporting a unique reactor
concept. The full Funding Opportunity Announcement
is available at
www.Grants.gov and
www.FedConnect.net under DE-NE0000149, CFDA No.
81.121. Please
click here for the full press release. |
