FEATURES AND NEWS
Why does wholesale pricing matter to retail buyers? If you are a retail energy buyer, why should you care about wholesale markets? Retail electricity pricing depends heavily on what takes place in wholesale markets. Understanding how wholesale pricing and markets work will give you a much clearer understanding of what ... Read more »
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) created the Fuel Assurance Initiative to address concerns about reduced power reserves and constrained natural gas capacity – and the associated costs and operational risks for New York energy consumers. As part of this initiative, NYISO filed a proposal with FERC to create a Comprehensive ... Read more »
Business intelligence firm IBISWorld released a report last week intended to give natural gas leverage in negotiations with suppliers. The report provides benchmark prices, 3-year price forecasts, supplier intelligence, RFP negotiation guidance, supply chain analysis, and a sample decision scorecard. The report suggests buyers have low negotiating leverage. It suggests that ... Read more »
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) reported last week that it helped customers save between $2.2 billion and $3.1 billion in 2014 through improved grid reliability and power generation efficiencies. Qualitatively, MISO says this results from the price signals, planning coordination, and “seams management” that it provides. MISO estimates that, ... Read more »
New York City is exploring Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). On February 17, the City submitted comments with the Public Service Commission on case 14-M-0224, which would create a framework to enable CCA in New York State. In its comments, the city deemed the concept “meritorious and worthy of consideration.” The ... Read more »
Partner Content
An arctic blast across much of the eastern half of the country last week led to record winter power demand across the PJM Interconnection, reports Lehigh Valley Live. The grid operator estimates that demand reached 143,800 MW at 8 pm Friday, February 20, a level that is common on hot summer ... Read more »
On December 24, 2014, PJM made two filings with FERC to address its resource adequacy issues for 2015/2016 (dockets ER15-738-000 and ER15-739-000). On February 20, FERC ruled on both filings. It accepted PJM’s request to retain 2,000 MW of generation for delivery in 2015/2016. However, it rejected the tariff proposal ... Read more »
Last week, we reported on soaring natural gas and electric prices across the Northeast. Spot market prices remained at elevated levels over the past week as a cold air mass settled over the Northeast and Midwest. Highlights: New York: Natural gas prices fluctuated between $17.00 and $35.37 per MBtu, while ... Read more »
The 114th Congress convened January 3 with energy at the top of its agenda. Both the House and the Senate kicked off the new session with approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. That was just the start. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the new Chairwoman of the Senate Energy Committee, has ... Read more »
Duke Energy has reached a proposed agreement with the US government that, if approved, would close a federal investigation of its subsidiaries, Duke Energy Carolinas, Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Business Services, related to last year’s Dan River coal ash spill as well as ash basin operations at other ... Read more »
Partner Content
Citi says it will lend, invest and facilitate a total of $100 billion in the next 10 years to finance activities that reduce the impacts of climate change and benefit the environment. The banking giant’s previous $50 billion goal, announced in 2007, was met three years early in 2013. Citi ... Read more »
Several leading associations that develop codes and standards to create green buildings are collaborating to align the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), ANSI/ASHRAE/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1 and the LEED green building program. The new guidelines will make it easier for owners, designers, builders and code officials to build sustainable, high-performing buildings, ... Read more »
California’s San Jose Water Company has selected Locus Technologies’ environmental information management system. SJWC, an investor-owned utility providing water service to about 1 million people in the Santa Clara Valley, is deploying the Locus EIM SaaS-based software to consolidate and manage its field data collection; water compliance and water quality ... Read more »
Lightweighting — using carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) to help reduce carbon emissions — will become technically and economically viable to carmakers in the next decade, dwarfing current applications, according to Lux Research. Driven by a faster-than-expected pace of technology development, carbon-fiber reinforced plastics will be poised to gain widespread adoption for ... Read more »
Autris’ wholly owned subsidiary Nitroheat has designed a dual-action mega pressure nitrogen solution for fracking and secondary oil recovery operations. The patent-pending solution — which the company says is an environmentally clean way to remove toxic materials, chemicals and waste created during the fracking process — will be marketed under ... Read more »
Metis Scientific says that its product DG Sure has been approved for use in some nuclear plants in the UK. DG Sure was formulated specifically to adhere to the UK’s disposal regulatory requirements and therefore could be used at other facilities throughout the UK and European Union. The company says ... Read more »
Apple announced a $1.9 billion plan to build and operate two data centers in Europe, each powered by 100 percent renewable energy. The facilities, located in County Galway, Ireland, and Denmark’s central Jutland, will power Apple’s online services for customers across Europe. According to Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, this new ... Read more »
Several Advanced Energy Management Alliance (AEMA) members have joined the chorus of groups asking the Supreme Court to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that jeopardizes the way demand response works in the United States. The case involves Order 745 issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). ... Read more »
Boosting the reflective value of flooring will enable more light — from artificial or natural sources — to bounce off the floor and illuminate a room more efficiently, according to a white paper, “Daylighting and Flooring: Don’t Overlook the Issue of Reflectivity,” issued by Armstrong Commercial Flooring. The white paper explains ... Read more »
Representatives of the Vermont Department of Education, the Vermont Superintendents Association, and the Environmental Protection Agency joined Efficiency Vermont to recognize 22 schools that received an Energy Star designation for meeting stringent standards for energy use. The number of Energy Star-certified schools in Vermont tripled over the past year. With ... Read more »
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme carried out its yearly assessment at Solarlec and confirmed the company’s status as an official provider of biomass boiler systems for another 12 months. The Microgeneration Certification Scheme is an quality assurance organization supported by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change. Companies must hold ... Read more »
Eaton has introduced the Corelite RZL LED suspended luminaire. The linear direct/indirect LED continuous row system for large open ceiling environments offers up to 55 percent in energy savings over fluorescent luminaires. The industrial-styled RZL luminaire is offered in five shielding variations and five light level options ranging from 3,000 ... Read more »
Canadian-based Eco-Shift Power will trial its NetZero LED Flat Panel lighting with Intu, the UK’s largest shopping center operator. Intu will test the lighting at its St James’ office in central London. Eco-Shift Power will oversee every aspect of the lighting retrofit project from installation to ongoing maintenance service to ... Read more »
SustainCo Solutions & Services, through its operating group VCI Controls, has substantially completed a series of contracts and work orders worth over $550,000 for Defence Construction Canada. The work included roof replacement, HVAC upgrades, cooling tower maintenance and generator repairs. In addition, SustainCo has a standing offer to provide HVAC ... Read more »
Blue Energy Technologies, the official distributor for Delta DSV steam traps in the United States, says inefficient steam systems can reduce productivity and profit in manufacturing applications. For example, a failed steam trap with a 3/32” orifice operating at 100 psi can lose almost 30 pounds of steam hourly, leading ... Read more »