Energy User News articles from July 2003

Energy User News archives from July 2003

California revisited: deregulation is dead, long live deregulation.
July 1, 2003... California was the state that everyone watched as the electricity deregulation train wreck unfolded, and now by default it's the reluctant poster child for the post-deregulation era. California's power dilemma has taken on a certain...

EPA Chief Christie Whitman resigns.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... WASHINGTON, DC -- Christie Whitman resigned May 21 as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after a two-and-a-half-year term during which she was frequently at odds with the White House on environmental issues. ...

KeySpan Corp. (Eunticker).(Gets approval to build 250-MW gas-fired power plant on Long Island, NY)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... KeySpan Corp. said on May 6 it had received the final approval necessary to build a 250-MW gas-fired power plant on Long Island, NY, in an area that has been identified as having tight power supplies. The Spagnoli Road plant, to be built in...

Arizona Public Service. (Eunticker).(entered into a contract to receive 1700 MW of electricity from sister company Pinnacle West Energy Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Arizona Public Service has entered into a contract to receive 1700 MW of electricity from sister company Pinnacle West Energy Corp., the parent of both companies said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The power will...

Proton Energy Systems, Inc. (Eunticker).(to acquire Northern Power Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Proton Energy Systems, Inc., Wallingford, CT, a manufacturer of hydrogen generators and regenerative fuel cell systems, announced that it will acquire Northern Power Systems, Inc., which designs, manufactures, and installs integrated onsite...

Brascan Corp. (Eunticker).(expects to put new power line into service)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Canadian power generator Brascan Corp. said it expected in May to put into service a new power line capable of carrying 127 MW of electricity from its Maine hydro plants to the New England grid. The Maine Power System, when acquired by...

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI). (Eunticker).(has approved the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute Standard 390-2001)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) Standard 390-2001, "Single Package Vertical Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps," as an American National Standard. The standard...

Reliant Energy Solutions East LLC. (Eunticker).(was granted license by the Maryland Public Service Commission to provide electric service in the state)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Reliant Energy Solutions East LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliant Resources, Inc., was granted a license by the Maryland Public Service Commission to provide electric service to large commercial, industrial, and institutional clients in...

EUN calendar.(listing of various energy management events)(Calendar)
July 1, 2003... JULY 8-9 Renewable Energy in America: Building Our National Strategy on State & Local Successes, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Capitol Hill, Washington DC. American Council for Renewable Energy. For more information, visit:...

Trane meets aerospace manufacturer's needs. (News).(Lockheed Martin is using a new chiller plant building featuring five Trane Model CVHF CenTraVac chillers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Lockheed Martin Corporation, which has extensive operations in 11 buildings on its suburban Orlando campus, is making use of a new $13.5 million chiller plant building equipped with 6600 tons of centrifugal chiller capacity. The new plant...

Natural gas prices could limit DR market. (News).(distributed resources)
July 1, 2003... PALO ALTO, CA--The trend toward distributed resources (DR) could conceivably play an important role in energy markets, says the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Journal Online. While DR can result in lost business for utilities, it can...

Cal State Hayward to have largest solar electric system. (News).(California State University, Hayward)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... HAYWARD, CA--The "largest solar electric system at any university in the world"--and one of the largest solar energy systems in the nation, according to PowerLight Corp. president Dan Shugar--will be installed at California State University,...

New York's demand curve proposal approved. (News).(by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... In the face of objections from some of the New York's largest energy users and utilities, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a controversial proposal by the state's independent system operator (NY ISO). The May21 decision...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2003... Views on national energy policy: Think locally, think nationally What shape will a restructured national electricity market take? Is the Bush administration on target or off base on energy policy? What next in Iraq? What color is your...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
July 1, 2003... The following revised illustration should have appeared in the May issue (p. 12, Performance Contracting Online) rather than the draft version that was published. EUN regrets the error. Project cost ($) 368,000 Simple payback...

Give us a chance: energy conservation still an untried option. (Editorial).(Column)
July 1, 2003... Last month, EUN published a couple of letters written in support of a position taken by Joel Levin in a letter we published in the April issue. Joel humorously captioned his letter "Green and Purple Dollars." In it, he described the frustration...

Internet-based energy and security: the internet ties it all together. (Energy Online: Management Information Systems).(energy security has taken on new meanings since 9/11/01)
July 1, 2003... It seems odd that a defining moment of the century should occur in the first year. But when history recalls the 21st century, 9/11/01 will clearly be the first among the significant dates. Since then, homeland security has become part of our...

Energy solution investments that bring a return: adjustable speed drives can be money well spent.
July 1, 2003... A flat economy puts tremendous pressure on manufacturers to find ways to lower variable costs. Simultaneously, headlines around the world increasingly point to a renewed focus on the need for energy efficiency. Regulators, market conditions,...

Energy software tools: they're everywhere--if you know where to look.
July 1, 2003... Q. Finding energy-related software tools can be confusing. There are literally dozens of places to download or get tools from, some of which cost money and some of which do not. The Department of Energy sponsors some of these and does not...

Customers favor onsite generation as demand response incentive. (News).(a survey finds that payments or rate reductions are not the only incentives that may convince customers to participate in demand response programs)
July 1, 2003... BOULDER, CO--Payments or rate reductions are not the only incentives that may convince customers to participate in demand response programs, according to results of a Primen survey of 298 business establishments. Five types of businesses that...

FERC will delay grid rules until congress acts. (News).(the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is delaying its plan to remodel the nation's electricity transmission grid)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... WASHINGTON, DC--The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will put its plan to remodel the nation's electricity transmission grid on hold until Congress acts on its sweeping energy bill, FERC chairman Pat Wood announced May 14. ...

Northeast power supplies adequate, barring surprises. (News).(the Northeast Power Coordinating Council reports indicate that the power supplies and delivery in northeastern North America should be adequate)
July 1, 2003... The Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) bi-annual reliability reports indicate that the power supplies and delivery in northeastern North America should be adequate assuming that existing and planned resources are available and typical...

Aerosol duct sealing system. (News).(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists invent MASIS, an aerosol-based system to seal ducts of large commercial buildings)
July 1, 2003... BERKELEY, CA -- Scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have invented an aerosol-based system called MASIS for sealing the ducts of large commercial buildings. MASIS, which stands for...

Pennsylvania looks to agricultural community for renewable energy. (News).
July 1, 2003... HARRISBURG, PA -- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty and Department of Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff on May 8 announced a $5 million initiative, Pennsylvania Energy Harvest, to...

New California UST rules may impact on-site power. (News).(underground storage tanks regulation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... BOCA RATON, FL--Regulations currently being considered by the California legislature concerning underground storage tanks (UST) will impact users of on-site power equipment, the Electrical Generating Systems Association (EGSA) warned in a...

EUN contributing editor dies. (News).(Energy User News, Jack Klein )(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 1, 2003... Jack Klein, 49, a freelance writer whose work appeared in Energy User News and other publications, died unexpectedly on May, 2, 2003. Klein earned a degree in English from the University of South Florida, Tampa, in the 1970s. As a student,...

NREL awards contract to cut solar cell cost. (News).(National Renewable Energy Laboratory )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... WASHINGTON, DC -- Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced May 8 that the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has awarded a subcontract to Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) to develop new solar cell manufacturing...

GE reports $2 billion in new wind power orders. (News).(GE Wind Energy)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... AUSTIN, TX -- Since entering the global wind energy industry in May 2002, GE Wind Energy has received more than $2 billion in orders and commitments, the company reported May 19 at Windpower 2003, the annual conference of the American Wind...

Watt Stopper releases best practice guide for office buildings. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... SANTA CLARA, CA -- The Watt Stopper, Inc, has introduced the Lighting Control Best Practice Guide for Office Buildings. The 60-page publication offers application-specific design, specification, and installation guidance for lighting controls...

Wind farms don't hurt property values. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... AUSTIN, TX -- The presence of commercial-scale wind turbines does not appear to harm "viewshed" property values, according to a study the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) presented on May 20 at WINDPOWER 2003, the annual Conference and...

Trees are cool, studies show. (News).
July 1, 2003... TRENTON, NJ -- Trees can significantly cool urban areas that generate heat and clean the air by absorbing pollution, according to two studies sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Department of...

World fuel cells market set to increase tenfold. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industrial market research firm, released a study, World Fuel Cells, projecting that the world commercial market for fuel cell products and services would increase tenfold through 2007 to $2.4...

Three-phase power and power quality meter. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Three-phase power and power quality meter has a large graphical color display that shows measurements numerically and graphically with colored waveforms. The hand-held meter is menu driven with pop-up functions that are activated at the push of...

Outdoor air handler. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Outdoor air handler features a custom-modular platform and variable-dimensioning design, giving engineers the flexibility to meet project requirements for indoor air quality, operating efficiency, and low-cost installation and maintenance....

Revenue meter. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Revenue meter incorporates performance-metering technology with advanced communication capability, including Modbus, DNP 3.0, modem, and Ethernet with web serving capability. Other features include programmable load profiling and event logs and...

Fluorescent lamp luminaire. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Fluorescent lamp luminaire, which incorporates the mounting flexibility of high bays, includes T5 or T8 linear fluorescent lamps and is designed to replace conventional HD lighting in industrial applications. The fixture accepts multiple...

Four-stroke dual-fuel engine. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Four-stroke dual-fuel engine is designed to provide high output with fuel flexibility, low emission rates, efficiency, and reliability. Based on the company's 46 engine, the new engine can be run on natural gas or diesel fuel, and can switch...

Chillers. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Chillers feature a compact, all-in-one hydronic package design. The pump, tank, and piping are pre-built into each unit. There is no need to purchase components individually, and the only tools needed to install the unit are a wrench and a...

Emergency lighting inverters. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Emergency lighting inverters offer seamless transition to back-up power for emergency lighting and other safety-related equipment. Single-point operation provides a common battery pack and enables all testing, record-keeping, and service to be...

Emergency lighting kit. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Emergency lighting kit connects to any lamp-ballast combination, transforming it into an emergency luminnire. The device's compact size maximizes installation options across a wide range of luminaire sizes, the manufacturer states. A...

Lighting catalog. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Lighting catalog includes new additions to the company's decorative Heritage Collection for municipal street lighting and the AVL vertical area lighter. Products include a broad offering that includes roadway, decorative and post top, security,...

Microdrive. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Microdrive combines high performance motor control with easy parameter setup and offers users an extended horsepower range in a compact package, the manufacturer states. The drive delivers a 60:1 constant torque speed range and an output...

Infrared ceramic heaters. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Infrared ceramic heaters are suited for spot and area heating applications as well as the replacement of existing ceramic heaters, the manufacturer says. Available in natural or propane gas, the ceramic heaters feature a honeycomb tile design...

Data logger and weather station products. (Products Literature & Services).
July 1, 2003... Data logger and weather station products are the subject of a product catalog that offers detailed product descriptions, specifications, and prices for its expanded line of products that measure temperature, humidity, light intensity, voltage,...

Marketplace.(includes multiple data tables concerning electricity, gas prices)(Illustration)
July 1, 2003... Marketplace Statistics, Trends and Energy Data Electricity Price Comparison Breakeven Rates ($/kWh) ...