Breaking News

A diverse cluster of utility industry executives from Hawaii to Maine and points in between are heading to Japan this week for the Solar Electric Power Association’s third annual mission to study what foreign countries have been doing to deploying solar. The mission, for utility decisions makers, will assemble in Tokyo and travel throughout Central Japan, ending in Kyoto.

The purpose of the mission is to provide opportunities to exchange information with Japanese utilities, solar integrators, technology researches and policy makers. The weeklong mission will include peer-to-peer, utility-to-utility meetings, residential and commercial rooftop PV installation visits, tours of research facilities and meetings with leading solar manufacturers and project developers.

In addition to meeting with Japanese solar industry representatives and policy makers, the delegation will also tour commercial installations and research facilities. Among other sites, a visit is planned to the Ota City PV Demonstration Project — 2.13 megawatt roof-mounted systems aggregated on 533 houses.

Follow the mission’s progress on EnergyBlogs.com, as Editor Martin Rosenberg joins the delegation.

American Public Power Association is offering a webinar, Tuesday, July 27, on “Keeping Low Income and Payment Troubled Customers Connected in Tough Economic Times.” The webinar is scheduled from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Continued high unemployment, runaway health care costs, high wholesale energy prices and a host of other economic pressures are making it increasingly difficult for millions of consumers to stay current on monthly electric and gas utility bills. Learn how public power utilities, with their unique cash flow and capital requirements, can fund, design, target and deliver effective bill payment assistance programs that make sense for all customers. Participants will hear what customer service options make the most sense in these volatile economic times. The speakers will also discuss how large and small public power systems develop administrative efficiencies to lower the cost of delivering effective programs and customer service.

This webinar will present participants with a catalog of options for public power utilities, and include a presentation from a utility with a successful low income program. Speakers include: Roger Colton, attorney and economist; John Howat, senior energy policy analyst for the National Consumer Law Center; and Francine Artis, customer solutions manager for Tacoma Power.

Register online, or contact Heidi Lambert at 202-467-2921 for more information.

Follow American Public Power Association on Facebook.

According to a report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the size of new U.S. single-family homes completed in 2009 declined, and consumer awareness of energy consumption may be one the reasons. Recently released U.S. Census Bureau data indicated that new single-family homes were almost 100 square feet smaller in 2009 than they were in 2007, reversing the trend of the past three decades. One reason for the drop, NAHB noted, was homeowners’ desire to keep energy costs in check. The association said this growing energy-efficiency consciousness is likely to continue.

Despite the tendency towards a smaller footprint, overall energy use has been growing, possibly owing to the spread of air conditioning. Census Bureau data show that less than half of all new single-family homes completed in 1973 had air conditioning while nearly nine out of ten new homes were air conditioned.

“Residential Energy Consumption Survey” (pg. 3, PDF 51 KB), a U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report released in 2005, confirms that while both floor size and overall energy consumption have been trending upwards for decades, energy consumption per square foot has been dropping. The survey shows that new households were smallest from 1970 to 1979, averaging 1,863 square feet. They steadily increased through 2005, according to the EIA report. However, even as residences have grown, the amount of energy used per square foot has declined from a high of 89 cents per square foot during the 1970-79 era to 68 cents per square foot in structures built from 2000 to 2005. [Source: DOE EERE News Network, 7/21/10]

On one side, growing demand to provide cleaner electricity while enabling customers to reduce their energy use; on the other, a segmented market of consumers who are resistant to change and especially to control. Findings from two separate reports suggest that the nation’s power providers are caught in the middle of these seemingly conflicting pressures.

Focusing on trends in the electric utility industry, Navigant Consulting prepared “The 21st Century Electric Utility: Positioning for a Low-Carbon Future” for Ceres, a coalition of organizations that works with companies to address sustainability challenges. “Understanding Consumer Preferences in Energy Efficiency in the Utilities Industry” is a 17-country study that looks at consumer attitudes toward utility programs created to address those trends. Accenture, a consulting firm that offers business services to utilities, released the report on its survey last January.

New business model coming

The Navigant report identifies four key industry trends toward cleaner energy. Those include:

• Growing imperatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Increasing policy and regulatory momentum that will make coal-based generation less competitive
• Increasing use and policy support for energy efficiency and Smart Grid technologies
• Declining renewable energy costs

To succeed in the rapidly changing 21^st century market place, the report advises utilities to:

• Manage their carbon emissions based on existing and foreseeable carbon-reduction requirements
• Pursue all cost-effective energy-efficiency measures
• Integrate cost-effective renewable energy resources into the generation mix
• Incorporate Smart Grid technologies
• Conduct robust and transparent resource planning

Utilities that implement these practices with support from legislators and regulators will be more likely to attract low-cost capital, according to the report.

Old marketing strategy not working

“The 21^st Century Utility” also identifies a number of obstacles preventing utilities from taking these steps, but does not mention program marketing strategies. The findings in the Accenture study suggest that consumer behaviors for energy-efficiency solutions are more complex than utilities suspect. The historical “mass marketing” approach is not likely to deliver the consumer support utilities need for their measures to succeed.

Greg Guthridge, managing director for Accenture’s retail and business services for utilities, told Intelligent Utility Daily that the survey was designed to learn more about the barriers to customers changing behavior and energy use, especially in North America. Survey results indicated that the one-size-fits-all strategy won’t work, and that utilities need to come up with services, options and messages tailored to different demographics.

A surprising finding was that consumers are averse to utility control of their residential data and appliances, due to a low level of trust in their utility. Guthridge noted that this was especially true in competitive markets where deregulation caused rates to fluctuate more.

The report suggested that consumer education was the key to gaining acceptance for conservation and energy-efficiency programs. Building relationships with receptive demographics, addressing children instead of adults and partnering with trusted organizations—environmental groups or even big-box retailers—could help raise program support.

As the Navigant report makes clear, the pressure from stakeholders on utilities to reduce energy use and clean up the supply is not going to let up anytime soon. At the same time, the roadblocks to change—legislative, regulatory, economic and technological—won’t be resolved quickly. The best way for a utility to find its way between the proverbial rock and a hard place may be to reach out to its consumers.

For Western’s customers—publicly-owned utilities—it may be a different story since, by their nature, municipalities and cooperatives often enjoy a closer relationship with their customers. Energy Services Bulletin has featured many stories about innovative programs our customers have introduced to help their consumers save energy and money. Use the comments section to share your experiences with getting customers to participate in energy-efficiency programs.

The deadline for suggesting topics for the 4th annual Colorado Utility Efficiency Exchange is July 31. The City of Aspen Utilities is hosting the event, Oct. 13-15, at Aspen Meadows Resort.

Modeled on the Utility Energy Forum, the CUE Exchange is a gathering of professionals from energy and water utilities serving Colorado and neighboring states, trade allies and sponsoring organizations dedicated to efficiency. Over three days, participants discuss customer programs related to energy and water efficiency, renewable energy, demand response and key account customer management. Participants ask questions, form partnerships and come up with new ideas, with emphasis on the regional point of view. 

An ad hoc Agenda Planning Committee puts together the agenda each year, but don’t think that gets you off the hook. Your input is more than welcomed–it is what makes the CUE Exchange fresh and relevant.  Anyone can recommend themselves or others to present a 30″ x 40″ poster, a 10-minute “snapshot” panel presentation or a 30-minute presentation.

To submit your recommendations to the committee, complete the online form with information as you would like it to appear in the published agenda. Don’t forget to include a brief bio sketch of your qualifications to present your topic. To suggest topics only, scroll down to the last  large box on the form.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a Request For Information (RFI) to gain public input on the development of a Wind Energy Workforce Roadmap, which will provide details on the current workforce landscape in the wind industry as well as future steps necessary to train and develop a green workforce for the sector.

The purpose of the Roadmap is to establish the policy objectives and overall direction that workforce development efforts throughout the wind industry should assume as it moves forward. This RFI provides leaders from academia, industry, and government with the opportunity to provide insight and guidance to DOE as the nation ramps up its wind energy production. A draft Roadmap document has been developed, and the public may provide comments on the initial draft or may provide alternative or additional viewpoints. Read more.

View the full text of the RFI at the FedConnect Web site.

Comments must be provided by no later than July 30, 2010.

Utility professionals from the West might have felt right at home at the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) annual meeting in Whitefish, Mont., June 27-29, as discussions covered three pressing issues—water, transmission and climate change.

Potential water crisis looming

On the meeting’s opening day, WGA chairman Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer told attendees that the demand for water across the West is beginning to outstrip supplies, and states have no time to waste in averting a potential crisis. “As a region, we have to become more aggressive and a lot smarter in how we manage this resource,” Schweitzer declared.

Guest speaker Robert Glennon, author of “Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What To Do About It,” noted that the problem is already affecting communities, states and the region. ”We need to use a full suite of tools, including conservation, desalination, reclaimed water, and pricing incentives,” he said. ”We also need to facilitate reallocation of water to the highest-value uses.”  

WGA Vice Chairman, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter pointed out the important connection between energy development and water supplies in the West, emphasizing that “both traditional and renewable energy resource development requires adequate water.” 

At the end of the session, the governors accepted a Progress Report from the Western States Water Council on implementation of the Governors’ report on “Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future.”

Tackling complex energy issues

The push for clean energy is likely to accelerate in the wake of the Gulf oil spill and the Upper Big Branch Mine tragedy, and transmission will be needed to carry that energy to market.  

Gov. Schweitzer unveiled WGA’s “Transmission Roadmap” on the second day of the meeting. The report can be used by anyone who wants to build a renewable energy facility with transmission. Developers who have not previously done a project will find the report especially helpful. 

The governors also passed a major energy resolution that will have the WGA reporting on industrial and commercial energy-efficiency programs, the impacts of plug-in vehicles on the electrical transmission system, and issues associated with expanding nuclear energy in the West.  Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy will be used to develop transmission expansion plans for the West. The plans will not only consider the development of renewable energy, but also wildlife and water concerns.

Report on climate adaptation

The governors also adopted a climate adaptation scoping report during the annual meeting. The report, which emphasizes the need for state and Federal agencies to coordinate efforts to identify key science that is specific to the West, is the first step in sharing and implementing smart practices.

The Scoping Report report comes from WGA’s Climate Adaptation Work Group, composed of western state experts in air, forests, water and wildlife.  The report contains important recommendations for responding to climate change impacts and for including climate science in western states’ policy and management activities.

The WGA Climate Adaptation Work Group will work with stakeholders to implement the recommendations in the report, which is available on the WGA website. The reports are available online, along with more information about the annual meeting.