Breaking News

The Loup River Public Power District, a wholesale customer of Nebraska Public Power District , built its 35-mile long Loup Canal, two powerhouses, a diversion dam and other facilities in 1933, bringing jobs and electricity to rural Nebraska.

The utility is celebrating its 80^th anniversary in 2013 as the first public power district in the nation’s only all-public power state. The National Register of Historic Places lists the Loup hydroelectric system, which is being relicensed this year. Loup is also a founding member of the American Public Power Association.

Loup River Power District’s story is related in a new Public Power magazine article, “An Economic Engine.”  The article will be published in June in the magazine’s print edition. Source: Public Power Daily, 4/26/13

May 21, noon CDT

Go beyond weatherization kits and compact fluorescent light bulbs!

Too often, utility programs to help low-income customers begin and end with the tried-and-true measures. The Clean Energy Ambassadors  free Lunchtime webinar for May highlights innovative energy-efficiency programs that can really make a difference on your low-income customers’ utility bills.

Join your utility colleagues online the third Tuesday of each month from 12-1 p.m. Central time. The Lunchtime Webinar Series offers candid, informal discussions that address the needs of consumer-owned power providers and their rate payers. Visit Clean Energy Ambassadors to register for this free event and to see the full line-up of CEA services and events. If you have any questions please contact Anthony Cutler at 406-969-1040.

Cybersecurity is an issue that is on everyone’s mind today, so utilities and grid operators may be interested in a new software program that enables them to assess their cybersecurity capabilities. The Electricity Subsector Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model (ES-C2M2) includes a cybersecurity self-evaluation survey tool, which looks at situational awareness, along with threat and vulnerability management, to allow a utility an internal option for the cybersecurity discussion. Utilities can also use ES-C2M2′s series of gradual assessments in platform areas to build a complete picture for prioritizing future cybersecurity actions and investments.

The Energy Department (DOE) developed the model in a public/private partnership formed in 2011, and launched the first version in May 2012. The White House approached DOE with a challenge to develop capabilities to manage dynamic threats and understand grid cybersecurity. The objectives for the model development included the desire to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities, along with the need to enable consistent evaluation and benchmarking, share knowledge and benefits and help prioritize actions and investments.

More than 77 utilities—cooperatives, international, investor-owned utilities, public power and regional transmission organizations—have downloaded ES-C2M2′s assessment tool. The DOE went on-site with 17 industry volunteers to walk through the model, using feedback from them to make changes in the next version. Comments have led to additional maturity indicator levels, performance metrics and measurement and informative materials.

DOE developed the model specifically for the electricity industry with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Carnegie Mellon University and industry stakeholders. Utilities can download ES-C2M2 or contact DOE for more information. If you decide to explore this tool to improve your cybersecurity, don’t forget to share what you learn with Energy Services. Source: energybiz, 3/20/13

April 16
Noon CDT

Clean Energy Ambassadors (CEA) Lunchtime Webinar Series continues with a free webinar on designing demand-side management (DSM) programs that succeed.

Figuring out what makes a DSM program work can be tricky, to say the least. Different, and sometimes competing interests must be balanced: What goals does the utility have for the program? What do your customers want? What do they need? Learn secrets from utilities that have cracked the code to create innovative and award-winning programs.

Clean Energy Ambassadors presents the webinar series noon to 1 p.m. Central time (11 a.m. to noon Mountain) on the third Tuesday of the month. The webinars are designed to help utilities save money and better serve their customers. Presentations focus on the needs of consumer-owned utilities; and feature specific, candid and informal discussion. Register  for this free webinar and check out the full line-up of CEA services and events. If you have any questions, please contact Anthony Cutler at 406-969-1040.

The difficult task of explaining load management to someone outside the utility industry is one you have to tackle if your utility plans to market a peak-shaving, demand response program to customers. A recent article in Energy Pulse , by Energy Consultant Sarah Battaglia of Energy Curtailment Specialists, Inc.  , makes it a little easier. Battaglia’s list of Top 10 questions about demand response programs speaks to the customer’s concerns, but utilities should pay attention to her answers.

Demand response is a tried-and-true measure to most utility professionals but your customers may not be familiar with it. Before large key accounts enroll in a program, they need to understand how the strategy helps the utility—and helps them—including how their businesses might be affected by brownouts or blackouts. They will want to know when and how often events occur, who will notify the company and how, what kind of hardware they need and who pays for it and installs it. Member services representatives should be prepared to offer customers different ways to curtail their energy use based on the type of business.

Utility programs are more likely to succeed when you look at your services through the customers’ eyes and treat them like partners, rather than passive receivers. This article provides insight into the business owners’ point of view and can help program managers be ready with straightforward explanations that will earn the customer’s participation and trust.

The American Public Power Association (APPA) is asking utility professionals to help them design the program for the 2013 Customer Connections Conference . The annual event is coming up November 3 to 6, at the Hilton Hotel and Executive Tower in downtown Portland, Ore.

Share your ideas for what you’d like to see on the program by filling out a survey  by Wednesday, March 20.

The Customer Connections Conference offers informational sessions and roundtable discussions for public power utility professionals in the areas of:

• Customer services
• Economic development
• Energy services
• Key accounts
• Public communications

Your suggestions for session topics and speakers will help the planning committee create a program that is relevant and valuable for APPA member utilities. If you have thoughts or suggestions not covered in the official survey, or would rather provide your input directly, please email APPA.

Western congratulates  Southeast Electric Cooperative  for earning the Community Service Award-Youth Division from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association  (NRECA). Earlier this year, the Montana cooperative helped to coach a team of students from Carter County, Mont., to victory in America’s Home Energy Education Challenge .

Karen Kreitel and Marlene Waterland of Southeast Electric Cooperative with NRECA CEO Glenn English and NRECA President Mike Guidry. (Photo by Southeast Electric Cooperative)

The national student competition encourages students and their families to start saving money by saving energy.  The judges, who are science teachers, evaluated entries based on the inclusion of multiple schools, student participation, energy savings and a final report.  At least 94 schools and 120,000 students participated nationwide.

In June, Energy Services Bulletin reported on the Carter County School District’s triumph in the competition. Southeast Member Services Representative Marlene Waterland worked with five schools in the co-op’s territory to help them with their energy saving plans. Educational displays she borrowed from Western’s Equipment Loan Program helped to demonstrate concepts about energy use to third- through eighth-graders. 

The Carter County team – Alzada Elementary School, Carter County High School, Ekalaka Elementary School (K-8th grade), Hammond School (K-8th grade) and Hawks Home School – won the national competition by successfully reducing their home energy use by 3.4 percent. Montana Electric Cooperatives Inc.   submitted that program to NRECA for national consideration.

Waterland accepted the award at the 12th annual TechAdvantage Expo Feb. 20. NRECA CEO Glenn English praised the small rural utility, noting, ”Southeast Electric Cooperative has shown what it means to be a cooperative by engaging with the community – from age 5 on up – and finding new ways to improve the quality of life for their consumer members.”

Working with the Solar Electric Power Association  (SEPA) and other organizations, the Energy Department (DOE) this week released two Funding of Opportunity Announcements (FOA) related to utilities.

Solar Utility Networks: Replicable Innovations in Solar Energy (SUNRISE) is being issued by DOE to solicit applications for two topic areas. Topic A focuses on enabling utilities to develop long-term strategic plans for integrating high levels of renewable energy generation and ensuring that power systems operate reliably in real time under high renewable penetration. Topic B aims to provide technical assistance for building capacity through utility-scale photovoltaic planning and installation. 

DOE’s express purpose in issuing this FOA is to demonstrate cost-effective and reliable solar integration in real time, at utility-scale, in successful utility business models. DOE anticipates providing up to $12 Million through this FOA, for projects two to four years long, depending on the topic area. Awardees must share project costs. This FOA is part of the DOE SunShot Initiative.

SUNRISE deadlines:

• Concept papers due: March 8, 2013
• Expected date for response to concept papers: March 20, 2013
• Deadline for questions: April 21, 2013
• Full applications due: April 24, 2013

The second FOA, Grid Engineering for Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment (GEARED) seeks applications to increase power system research, development and analytical capacity. Projects should also be designed to prepare electric utility professionals to manage high penetrations of solar and other distributed energy technologies. To achieve these dual goals, GEARED will support two activities:

• Training consortia focused on quickly bringing their findings into training and educational initiatives
• A national coordination network that will link these consortia to one another and other relevant power system research and development and training activities

Increasing the power systems capabilities and talent pool promotes electric grid security, as well as environmental and economic benefits for all consumers. The GEARED FOA provides funding to support creating three to five regional consortia that work with universities and utilities to incorporate power systems analysis, research and development into curricula and short courses, cooperative internships and continuing education. GEARED will also support the creation of a national training network for distributed power system professionals. The FOA does not apply to undergraduate or graduate fellowships.

GEARED deadlines:

• Concept papers due: April 12, 2013; 5 p.m. EST
• Deadline for questions: April 16, 2013; 5 p.m. EST
• Full applications due: April 19, 2013; 5 p.m. EST

Some of the topic areas are seeking utility applicants, while others are seeking utility groups or other types of entities.  SEPA member utilities that wish to apply directly or would like to apply in partnership with SEPA should contact SEPA President Julia Hamm at 202-559-2025 as soon as possible.

Feb. 21, 12 noon MST

Utility Feed-In Tariff Programs: Are We Getting Things Right?, presented by the Solar Electric Power Association  (SEPA), will feature Resource Planner Jon Abendschein speaking on his experiences with the City of Palo Alto Utilities . The Western customer offers a feed-in tariff (FiT) to encourage consumers to install photovoltaic systems.  

FiT programs, in which utilities buy power from small independent electricity producers, have stimulated growth in solar installations to record levels around the world.  But U.S. utilities are a different breed, and may not be able to meet their local objectives by copying established programs. Join SEPA tomorrow to learn about the challenges utilities are encountering in home-grown FiT challenges and how they address them. 

The webinar will focus on FIT program design and execution to meet end objectives. The material will be of particular interest to strategic planners and renewable program staff, as well as solar industry stakeholders. Presentations will cover:

• Examples of key utility FIT programs and lessons learned
• How to evaluate FIT programs for effectiveness
• How to successfully adapt programs to meet challenges

The cost is $199 for non-members, and free to SEPA members and the media (subject to verification).

The Los Angeles Department of Water And Power’s  (LADWP) new feed-in tariff (FiT) already has more applicants for its first round than were planned for in the whole program.

In the FiT program’s first week of accepting applications, requests represented 107 megawatts (MW) of potential new generating capacity. LADWP is offering only 20 MW’s worth of contracts in the first round. The agreements will run for 20 years, and pay from 17 to 13 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

Some applications may be deemed infeasible, even before the formal proposal review. But LADWP Senior Assistant General Manager Aram Benyamin was pleased with the tremendous response to the program. “We expect that following the project review that will take place over the coming months, the first FiT projects will be on their way toward generating 20 MW of renewable solar energy for Los Angeles,” he said.

The applications cover 97 projects throughout DWP’s service area, with more than half the proposals sited in the San Fernando Valley. The program splits projects into two tiers: smaller projects from 30-150 kilowatts, and larger ones running up to 3 MW in capacity. Only 22 small project applications were submitted, possibly because the relatively low payment of 17 cents per kWh made those projects less economically viable.

Utilities offering feed-in tariffs contract with smaller power generators to pay a premium rate for all the power the system produces. Unlike net metering, the energy producers are not necessarily tied to a metered account, so instead of offsetting their energy use, they receive payment for their power. Governments and power providers use FiTs as an incentive to develop renewable energy systems. Germany and Australia have implemented different types of FiTs with notable success, if different results in both cases. Source: KCET via SEPA News, 2/19/13