Utilities

The Long Island Power Authority held its first major energy-efficiency conference for businesses, drawing over 300 companies to the day-long event in Melville, NY. The keynote speaker was McDonald’s Director of Energy, who oversees a $1.8bn worldwide energy spend.
Source: Newsday

In a JD Power survey of business customer satisfaction, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and Idaho Power tied for first place among midsize utilities in the West, with Salt River Project winning among large electric utilities. The survey interviewed more than 24,300 US businesses that spend more than $250 per month on electricity.
Source: Sacramento Business Journal

Utilities – Mergers & Acquisitions

The NSTAR/Northeast Utilities merger has crossed another hurdle, reaching comprehensive agreements with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and Attorney General. Under the deal, customers will receive a one-time $21 million rate credit and base rates will be frozen until 2016.
Source: Wall Street Journal

Duke Energy will soon be making a third request for regulators to approve its merger with Progress Energy. The $13.7 billion deal has been rejected twice, in April and December of last year, with a third proposal to FERC expected imminently.
Source: 4-Traders

Last week saw the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Maryland regulators approve the Exelon-Constellation merger, with the FERC being the last approval needed. The Maryland deal enacted 40 conditions for approval, including a $113.5 million fund to assist customers and a $100 customer rebate.
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek

Utilities – Appointments

Commonwealth Edison (ComED) announced the appointment of Tracie Morris to VP Human Resources. Morris was previous in the same position for DeVry Inc, but has previously served at the Director level for the Exelon Corporation.
Source: PRNewsire

FirstEnergy announced Carl J. Bridenbaugh as VP of Transmission. Bridenbaugh was previously director of Transmission Planning and Support, and has been with the company for 24 years.
Source: PRNewswire

Utilities – Financial

OGE Energy Corp, parent company of Oklahoma Gas & Electric, saw profits rise 20% in 2011 largely due to record summer heat. Net income was $363 million for year, compared with $300 million in 2010.
Source: Tulsa World

Following market expectations, Duke Energy’s fourth-quarter profit fell 33% to $288 million, from $427 million a year previously. 2010 performance had benefited from one-off asset sales, and the commercial power unit was hit with a $35 million fee to exist the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO).
Source: Wall Street Journal

The Snohomish County Public Utility District will realize $4.3 million in interest savings under a refinancing plan. The recent $45 million bond sale will save around $435,000 a year, due to lower interest rates from a decade previously.
Source: Public Power Weekly

Alliant Energy announced 21% higher fourth quarter earnings on higher power sales and prices, hitting $304 million net income on the year. The renewable division recorded a loss, largely due to a problematic solar project in New Jersey, and will be sold.
Source: Boston.com

DTE Energy experienced strong growth in its natural gas and energy trading businesses, but fourth quarter earnings were down 1.3%. Core operating earnings are harmed by a weak Michigan economy.
Source: Wall Street Journal

Southern Company announced 2011 earnings of $2.2 billion, up from $1.98 billion in 2010. Profits were boosted by subsidiary Georgia Power, where customers have begun paying a monthly fee to finance two planned nuclear units at Plant Vogtle.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Institutions, Cities & States

The City of Philadelphia is considering the sale of the Philadelphia Gas Works, the nation’s largest municipally-owned natural gas utility. PGW began in 1836, but currently has the highest cost of service  in the state and is a significant liability to state finances.
Source: Philly.com

The US Virgin Islands have launched a 15-year initiative to reduce fossil fuel use 60%, with 38% coming from energy efficiency. Nearly 100% of the Islands’ energy comes from imported oil, resulting in electricity costs over $0.47 per kWh.
Source: CleanTechnica

Sonoma County, California, has continued to operate its municipal bond programme to pay for residential renewable energy and efficiency projects, in defiance of federal regulators. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bonds were halted in 2010 due to opposition from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), but Sonoma County has sued the FHFA and continued funding them.
Source: Environmental Finance

North America

A Congressman from Vermont, Peter Welch, has unveiled legislation to create a nationwide energy efficiency program. The Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Act would give a $2,000 rebate to homeowners who demonstrate 20% energy savings, up to a maximum of $8,000 or 50% of the project’s cost.
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek

A deal to renew a federal tax credit for wind energy failed last week, leaving an uncertain future for US wind power companies. The credit, 2.2 cents/kilowatt-hour of wind power produced, is now likely to expire at the end of 2012.
Source: Morris Daily Herald

International

The Japanese government has announced 689.4 billion yen ($8.65 billion) in extra support for Tokyo Electric Power Co. This should mitigate the risk of bankruptcy, after a government panel ruled in December that an extra 1.5 million people should be compensated for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Source: Mainichi Daily News

The Australian government announced $1 billion AUD in energy efficiency funding for the manufacturing sector, and a further $340 million for municipal and public buildings. These funds come ahead of the $23 per tonne carbon emissions tax which will be introduced on July 1st.
Source: International Business Times

The UK government is considering measures to reduce energy prices, including re-introduction of price controls last seen in 2002. Another option would be a break-up of the ‘Big Six’ firms, who control over 90% of the market.
Source: Fox Business

BC Education Minister George Abbott, third from left, joined by Sheila Hammond, Principal, Johnston Heights Secondary; Dave Hayer, MLA Surrey – Tynehead; and Harish Raisinghani, Client Services Lead, Pulse Energy

The meeting was held at Johnston Heights Secondary. We’d like to thank the school for hosting us, and the student leadership who went out of their way to announce our arrival. Hope to be back soon!

Johnston Heights Secondary, February 9th 2012

Utilities

Duquesne Light, the Pennsylvania-based utility, reported the sale of its two millionth discounted compact fluorescent bulb (CFL). The utility’s Watt Choices program, managed in part by Ecova, sells the bulbs at 137 stores in the state.
Source: TribLive

SCANA Energy announced that the Georgia Public Service Commission has again selected it as Georgia’s regulated provider of natural gas. SCANA has served in this position since the state’s deregulation in 2002, providing gas to 80,000 elderly, low-income and otherwise in-need customers.
Source: PRNewswire

Exelon has named the next round of senior executive appointments after the Exelon-Constellation merger closes. Christopher D. Gould will become SVP Corporate Strategy and Chief Sustainability Officer for the combined group, with Val Jensen named SVP Customer Operations for ComEd.
Source: Enhanced Online News

SmartGridNews has highlighted five utilities making positive changes, from free software tools to flash mob dances. The companies highlighted include ComEd, Eugene Water & Electric Board, and National Grid.
Source: SmartGridNews

Exelon has laid out plans for its new headquarters after the expected acquisition of Constellation Energy. Leasing the 22-story skyscraper on Baltimore’s Harbor East waterfront will cost Exelon $120 million over twenty years.
Source: Baltimore Sun

Utilities – Business

American Electric Power cut its 2012 profit view, expecting a loss from its Ohio operations. AEP Ohio  will incur charges from the state’s deregulation, leading to plans to separate the business from the rest of the company.
Source: Wall Street Journal

Hydro One released its 2011 year-end results, with net income of $641 million on revenues of $5.47 billion, 7% higher than 2010. Dividends to the shareholder, the Province of Ontario, were $168 million.
Source: Daily Exchange

Tampa Electric confirmed that it is considering the purchase of Lakeland Electric, Florida’s third largest public power utility. Lakeland recently failed to raise rates, leading to discussion of commercial alternatives.
Source: The Ledger

Fortis Inc earned $318 million in 2011, growing profits for the twelfth consecutive year. Increased investment, and an $11m payment after the Central Vermont PSC merger terminated, were the primary drivers of earnings growth.
Source: Power Engineering

Utilities – Regulatory

The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, a consumer advocate, has argued in a filing to regulators that Exelon’s $7.9bn takeover of Constellation Energy is not in the public interest. The companies argued to the contrary in their filing, and a decision is expected by February 17th.
Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune

The Kansas Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB), a consumer advocate, has pledged to fight the $50 million increase in Westar Energy’s latest rate case. The utility had asked for $91m, with regulators recommending $33m and CURB $11m.
Source: The Hutchinson News

Institutions, Cities & States

Three Vermont groups will share up to $34 million over five years from the Environmental Protection Agency to promote energy efficiency. The Vermont Law School’s Institute for Energy and the Environment, The Clark Group, and Vermont Energy Investment Corporation will focus on the commercial, institutional and industrial sectors.
Source: Boston Globe

The University of Vermont has committed $13m to energy efficiency, to be spent over the next three years on projects with a payback under seven years. UVM will draw the money from cash-on-hand, expecting a comparable return to more typical financial investments.
Source: Burlington Free Press

Pepco Energy Services, the energy savings performance contracting division of Pepco Holdings, picked up the Maryland Quality Initiative’s 2012 Green Sustainability Environmental Award of Excellence. The company recently installed a 505kW solar energy system at BWI Marshall Airport, Maryland.
Source: BusinessWire

North America

The 2012 update of LEED-EBOM will rewrite each credit and prerequisite to include Establishment and Performance sections, with the Operations and Maintenance system getting the biggest changes. The dual-part credits ensure both a solid foundation, and real-world building performance.
Source: Facilities Management

The White House has announced a further $150 million funding round for renewable energy and energy efficiency, channeled through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The funding calls for real-world applications with “the potential to be disruptive in the marketplace”.
Source: CleanTechnica

International

The UK opened the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, as part of its push for 18GW of offshore wind power by 2020. The 367MW project off the North-Eastern coast of England was built by Denmark’s Dong Energy, and cost around $1.5bn.
Source: Bloomberg

China’s electricity consumption growth will slow this year, according to a report by the China Electricity Council. Growth is expected to slow from 11.7% in 2011 to around 9.5%, due to global economic uncertainties.
Source: China Daily

Please send any story suggestions, questions or comments about Energy Efficiency Industry News to Peter Cavan.

Two members of the Pulse Energy Remote Communities team, Mike Wrinch and Greg Dennis, visited Hartley Bay in January 2012. Located approximately 650 km north of Vancouver, British Columbia, the coastal community of Hartley Bay is home to the Gitga’at First Nation. Pulse Energy has been working with the Gitga’at people to manage their energy for over five years. Projects include a community energy audit, hiring and training of a local Community Energy Coordinator, and commissioning of a groundbreaking micro smart-grid. The current demand response (DR) project uses automatic load-shedding technology to shave peak demand in the community, reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Eddie Robinson & David Benton of the Gitga’at First Nation with Mike Wrinch & Greg Dennis of Pulse Energy

The recent trip had three main goals, each with their own challenges and results.

1. Perform maintenance and upgrades on the demand response system Pulse has installed in the community

The demand response (DR) system allows for remote, temporary load shedding of up to 15% of maximum demand at peak periods. This helps to take pressure off of the community generator system, saving fuel and increasing reliability. The Pulse software is used to both predict optimal times for DR and measure the results of load shedding. The maintenance to the system was successful, and we are now able to execute DR remotely, with consistent and predictable results.

2. Provide technical training to local maintenance staff

Meetings were held with all key maintenance staff, including the Community Energy Coordinator. They were trained on maintenance and optimization of the DR system, which includes a number of intelligent thermostats. A chain of communication was developed to ensure that maintenance staff is able to respond quickly to any comfort issues among residents.

3. Hold outreach and information sessions with key community members

A meeting was held between Pulse and the Gitga’at Nation Chief in Council. The history and current status of Pulse’s work in the community were discussed and questions were taken from council members. Pulse also gave two energy efficient workshops to students at the Hartley Bay School. Several students and staff still remembered the messaging from a workshop given by Bruce Cullen several years ago. This included the “Energy Champion” concept (volunteers who promote energy conservation) and the “Wait ’til Eight” campaign (waiting until 8pm for energy-intensive activities like washing dishes to shift peak loads).

For more information on Pulse Energy’s work in remote communities, please contact Bruce Cullen or Greg Dennis.

Webinar: Wednesday, February 22, 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST

Register for the Webinar

Enabling widespread energy efficiency will always require the commitment of a community. Whether that community is a small town, large city, or diverse portfolio of buildings, reducing energy consumption depends on the engagement of the entire energy-using population.

Register now to join Charles Pfeiler, Senior Strategic Management Consultant at Intelligent Buildings and former Envision Charlotte program manager of Duke Energy for a free webinar focused around Community Wide Energy Efficiency Initiatives. Charles will be joined by Bruce Herzer, Pulse Energy Project Manager for Envision Charlotte.

The two will discuss the role that Pulse Energy and Intelligent Buildings have played in several community-level energy efficiency initiatives, including the continuing success of Envision Charlotte, a city wide collaboration geared towards environmental sustainability. Other projects discussed will include the deployment of a community-wide micro smart grid and demand response strategy in the Gitga’at town of Hartley Bay, BC.

For more information on this webinar, or for general enquiries, please contact:

Samuel Wind
Marketing Coordinator
T: 778-331-0519
E: samuel.wind@pulseenergy.com

About David Helliwell: David Helliwell’s career has spanned 3 continents and has been focused on the energy sector since 1994. Before starting Pulse Energy in 2006, David was an exploration geophysicist, a Paris-based management consultant to large multinational organizations and director of policy for a cabinet minister in the Canadian federal government. While with the Canadian government, David was responsible for reducing costs and improving environmental performance of 700 million square feet of office space across the country. David is a director of the Vancouver Board of Trade, an Action Canada Fellow, a member of the BC Cleantech CEO Alliance, and is on the Imagine BC advisory board. David and his wife Nancy have two young daughters.

About Enterprize Canada: Enterprize Canada provides a glimpse into the future of Canadian innovation and growth. Delegates, competitors, community leaders, and entrepreneurs from across Canada are provided with a platform to transform their visions into reality through a national entrepreneurship conference, multi-campus community events, and Canada’s most prominent student-run business plan competition. For more information, see www.enterprizecanada.org

Utilities

Frontier Utilities LLC, a Texan retail electricity provider, has been purchased by a group of investors led by Quintana Infrastructure & Development LLC and Jay Hellums. Frontier has been operating in Texas since 2008, and Mr. Hellums will take over as CEO.
Source: Canada.com

Ameren Missouri has filed an electric rate increase with the Missouri Public Service Commission, which includes an extra $81 million for energy efficiency programs. These are expected to benefit customers by $500 million over the next twenty years.
Source: PRNewswire

Burbank Water and Power unveiled its ‘eco-campus’ to the public – three USGBC Platinum-certified buildings in Burbank which demonstrate sustainable building design. The project has been 13 years in development and cost over $40 million.
Source: The Burbank Leader

The Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) recognized outstanding achievements in energy efficiency at its 22nd National Conference and Expo. Winners included the Bonneville Power Administration, NSTAR and Duke Energy, for Program Design, Residential Programs and Technology Deployment respectively.
Source: Marketwatch

British Gas and Thames Water have announced a partnership to encourage energy and water conservation. The five-year agreement should save marketing & deployment expenses for energy efficiency upgrades to their customers.
Source: Electric.co.uk

Utility Appointments

Charles G. “Chip” McClure was named to the DTE Energy board of directors. He’s Chairman, President & CEO of Meritor Inc, and was previously President & CEO of Federal-Mogul Corp.
Source: MarketWatch

Wisconsin Energy Corporation, owner of We Energies, announced the appointment of Susan Martin as EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective March 1st. Martin will succeed James Fleming, who will retire at the end of March.
Source: PRNewswire

El Paso Electric CEO David Steven submitted his resignation to pursue another opportunity, with Thomas Shockley to serve as interim CEO. Shockley, a retired vice-chairman of American Electric Power, has said the appointment will not become permanent.
Source: El Paso Times

Institutions, Cities & States

University of Columbia researchers have released a study of energy use in New York City buildings, which should be of use to urban planners, policy makers and engineers. The study used statistical analysis to estimate the average annual energy use for every tax lot, at almost building level.
Source: UPI.com

The Food Service Technology Center, an energy efficiency program funded by PG&E, has launched a pilot program to save water and energy in Californian restaurants. 15% of all natural gas consumed by Californian businesses is used to heat water in commercial kitchens.
Source: MarketWatch

The City of Minneapolis is starting the process of updating its Climate Action Plan, first adopted nearly 20 years ago. The city has cut emissions 12.8% since 2006, but this was in part due to job losses, population decline and mild weather.
Source: StarTribune

State auditors in California have warned that it will have to return American Recovery and Investment Act (ARRA) funds if they are not spent by April 30, 2012. The state Energy Commission has given $186 million in 2009, but was still sitting on $106.8 million at the end of 2011.
Source: KPCC

Global Energy Partners has estimated that the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) energy efficiency plans are achievable, finding that current programs should reduce energy use over the next five years by 2.2 percent to 5 percent.
Source: MarketWatch

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has asked colleges & universities to cut millions of dollars from their energy spend, following the progress of Oklahoma State University. The letter says that higher education “accounts for the largest energy consumption in the state”.
Source: NewsOK

North America

According to a report by Pike Research, revenues for US energy service companies (ESCOs) will reach $13 billion by 2020. The market was $5.1 billion in 2011, and will be driven by public policies encouraging a greater emphasis on energy efficiency.
Source: Pike Research

Chartwell’s Customer Satisfaction 2012 survey finds that more than half of North America utility customers are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ satisfied with their utility provider. Satisfaction is on the rise, with customer experience initiatives revealing increased value.
Source: Chartwell

International

According to a report by Verdantix, UK businesses will be spending $6.8 billion per year on environmental & sustainable initiatives. This represents a 16% yearly increase, with particular growth in the automotive, telecoms and utilities industries.
Source: EnergyEfficiencyNews

Wind & solar power was responsible for 68% of new power installation in the European Union in 2011. This represents over 30 gigawatts of new capacity, a 37.7% increase over 2010.
Source: CleanTechnica

BUILDEX Vancouver is one of Canada’s largest trade shows, welcoming over 13,000 Design, Construction and Real Estate Management professionals each year. It will be held this year on February 8 & 9 at the Vancouver Convention Center West. Bruce’s presentation will be in room 206, and is titled “Continuous Commissioning Using Real-time Energy Metering and Building Systems Monitoring”. For more information, please see the BUILDEX website here, or contact Pulse Energy’s Marketing Coordinator, Samuel Wind, at samuel.wind@pulseenergy.com.

Announced by Bill Clinton as part of the Clinton Global Initiative, Envision Charlotte aims to create the most environmentally sustainable urban core in the nation, using digital technologies to create awareness of energy consumption. The program has an ambitious target of 20% energy use reduction by 2016, of which 5% will be achieved by enabling behavioral changes.

These savings will be driven by Pulse-powered energy display kiosks and online dashboards, interactively engaging 82,000 office workers with real-time displays of downtown Charlotte’s energy usage. The interface, based on extensive behavioral research, adds insight to the data by prompting individual and team actions which contribute directly to community-level goals.

The Pulse platform that supports Envision Charlotte has been successfully deployed in other high profile efficiency campaigns including BC Hydro’s Continuous Optimization program, the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai. The City of Vancouver is collaborating with Pulse Energy to deliver innovative energy efficiency technologies to help the City to achieve its Greenest City Action Plan goals.

“I am proud that Envision Charlotte has chosen world-class technology developed by Vancouver-based Pulse Energy to help it become one of the most energy efficient cities in the U.S.” said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. “Pulse Energy’s innovative partnership with Envision Charlotte demonstrates how cities around the world are achieving ambitious green goals while producing long term economic impact.”

“The alliance between Charlotte’s political, business and community leaders is an innovation unto itself… At Pulse Energy, we’re pleased that our software is helping to save energy by educating and inspiring the people of Charlotte.” David Helliwell – Pulse Energy co-founder & CEO

About Envision Charlotte: Envision Charlotte is a first-of-its-kind public-private collaboration to make commercial buildings in Charlotte, NC’s urban core more energy efficient. A primary focus is to reduce energy that is wasted in commercial buildings within Charlotte’s 1.94 square-mile I-277 inner-belt loop by using innovative technologies to encourage energy efficiency and changes in consumer behavior. www.envisioncharlotte.com

About Pulse Energy: Pulse Energy helps utilities to easily advance cost-effective energy efficiency, boost customer satisfaction and meet regulated conservation targets. This is achieved through the Pulse platform: a scalable software solution for commercial clients that delivers insights on energy consumption, engages occupants, and accurately measures and verifies energy performance. www.pulseenergy.com

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Media Relations:
Samuel Wind
(778) 331 0519
Samuel.Wind@pulseenergy.com

Vancouver, BC – January 31, 2012 – The team at BC Hydro Power Smart shared some media from the energy efficiency initiative at The Landing, a 200,000 square foot multi-tenant building in downtown Vancouver. The project involved the installation of 55 submeters and associated dataloggers throughout the building, enabling in-depth energy visualization & analysis. Featured in the video are Jonathan Grimble, Vice President of Property Management at the McLean Group, and Harish Raisinghani, Head of Client Services at Pulse Energy.

Jonathan Grimble on the McLean Group’s approach to energy management: “Information is king. The more information we have, the better we can serve our tenants and this building, and make sure that we are reducing our electrical consumption.”

Harish Raisinghani describing the Pulse Energy Manager software: “We empower energy managers and turn them into heroes by giving them the tools to conduct meaningful analysis. This gives them the ability to quickly make a business case on energy projects.”

For more information on the Power Smart for Commercial program, see here.