Energy User News articles from March 2004

Energy User News archives from March 2004

Utilities, FERC & NERC clash on reliability.(Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)(North American Electric Reliability Council)
March 1, 2004... WASHINGTON, DC -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) move to impose reliability standards--in the absence of those proposed in stalled federal energy legislation--has apparently encountered a major roadblock in the form of...

Forbes sponsors electric grid reliability conference.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Leading reliability experts and manufacturers in the field attended and participated in a one-day critical power forum, presented by Forbes. The event, held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on January 22, was hosted by Powerware,...

Federal energy consumption by agency.(EUN Load profile)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Federal Energy Consumption by Agency Buildings & Facilities Defense 61% Postal 9% DOE 6% VA 8% GSA 5% Other 11% Source: Buildings Energy Data Book 2003, U.S. Department of Energy Office of...

U.S. Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin.(EUN Ticker)(Representative Energy and Commerce Committee)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... U.S. Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (RLA) said would vacate the chairmanship of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee effective Feb. 16, and would not seek reelection when his 12th term expires at the end of this year. Rep. Joe...

U.S. wholesale power prices.(EUN Ticker)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... U.S. wholesale power prices jumped 50% in 2003, reaching record levels in many regions due mostly to surging high natural gas prices, ratings agency Standard & Poors said on January 16. Eastern states generally experienced the greatest...

Talisman Energy Inc.(EUN Ticker)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Talisman Energy Inc., a Canadian natural gas company, has drilled a successful well in the Coming area of New York State, in the Appalachian Basin. The well was drilled to a depth of 10,100 feet and then steered horizontally within the upper...

Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution.(EUN Ticker)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution (PT&D) announced that it was selected by California Independent System Operator (California ISO), to provide an Energy Market Management system and services for the day-ahead integrated forward market...

FPL Energy LLC.(EUN Ticker)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... FPL Energy LLC, Juno Beach, FL, has completed a deal to acquire 106 MW of California wind energy assets from Enron. As part of the $82 million deal, FPL acquired Enron's interests in the 77-MW Sky River and the 22-MW Victory Garden Phase IV...

Senator Hillary Clinton.(EUN Ticker)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) said on January 14 she will introduce stand-alone legislation in the U.S. Senate that would set mandatory electric power grid reliability standards to avoid catastrophic blackouts. Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) has...

Large energy users complain about metering inaccuracies.(News)
March 1, 2004... Florida Power & Light Co. is embroiled in a regulatory battle as big customers seek to maximize refunds owed them due to continued use of inaccurate meters. In a preliminary hearing held in early November, the Florida Public Service Commission...

Energy companies propose Alaska natural gas pipeline.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... FAIRBANKS, AK -- After years of discussions about a pipeline to carry natural gas from Alaska's North Slope to the lower 48 states, Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski announced that two groups of companies have filed competing applications build...

EUN calendar.(News)(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... MARCH 10-13 Building Energy, Boston University, Boston, MA. Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. For more information, visit: www.nesea.org. 18-19 Greenprints 2004, Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta, GA Southface Energy Institute. For...

7x24 chapter recognizes PJM.(News)(Reliability Partner Excellence Award )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The Delaware Valley Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange presented PJM Interconnection with its first Reliability Partner Excellence Award at its October 1, 2003 meeting, in Philadelphia, PA. The chapter created the award to honor...

First LEED-certified hospital built in Boulder.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... BOULDER, CO -- Boulder Community Hospital's newly constructed Foothills Campus recently received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, The certification marks the first time a hospital facility has been...

Internet demand-response control test successful.(News)(automated demand response at five large building facilities)
March 1, 2004... BERKELEY, CA -- Researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have completed the first successful test to evaluate automated demand response at five large building facilities. "This is the first test of...

Competitive power advances.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... BURLINGTON, MA -- U.S. retail power competition experienced substantial progress in 2003, according to a KEMA analysis. Over 52,000 MW of estimated peak electricity demand is now being competitively served, an increase of 12,000 MW over the...

Errata.(News)(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2004... An incorrect caption of page 4 of the January EUN incorrectly identified the interior of the Hamilton Landing office facility as part of another project. The caption should read: The adjustable air diffusers allow occupants individual control...

Government subsidies vital in making solar power competitive.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... PALO ALTO, CA -- The commercialization of solar power, despite its technical capabilities, has yet to take off successfully largely in part due to the government's unclear stand on subsidies and regulations. Solar power producers will require...

Lighting controls save energy: new trends increase their potential.(Fundamentals: understanding current industry technologies)
March 1, 2004... Greater availability of simple controls through improved technology and stricter building codes make the choice not whether to install lighting controls but which controls to install. The lighting requirements of ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-1999 are...

A kilowatt in every energy pot: if elected, I promise to ...
March 1, 2004... The onset of the political silly season got me to thinking. What would happen if a candidate for president actually promised the electorate a kilowatt in every pot? Yes, of course, the phrase itself is gibberish, meaningless claptrap: sort of...

Desktop energy uses add to energy bills: it's not enough to look at big mainframes.
March 1, 2004... Millions of Americans go to their offices every day, scroll through the night's email, and spend the rest of the day using the commercial sector's most rapidly increasing energy devices: a computer and its monitor. Folks paying attention...

I/O module from Schneider Electric.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... New input/output modules extend the functionality of the PowerLogic Power Meter 800 by increasing the number of parameters available to monitor. By simply linking several analog and digital I/O inputs to a single PM800 device, customers can...

Ambient-direct luminaire from Neo-Ray.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... This energy-efficient, recessed, direct-ambient luminaire is designed for high-end architectural spaces wanting glare-free illumination and clean ceiling integration. The Symbio combines reflected brightness with direct louvered illumination...

E-MON meters with Ethernet/IP and Modbus options.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Pro-MON load-profiling meter now features two new communications options Ethernet/IP addressability and Modbus RTU protocol compatibility. The Ethernet/IP model provides an RF-45 connector that allows a single meter or up to 52...

Lighting interface module from Reliable Controls.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Lighting interface modules provide the ability to switch Douglas HID or General Electric RR series relays directly from the company's MACH-System universal outputs. Each module supports two inputs and outputs. Separate modules are available for...

Mid-Sized UPS platform from Emerson Network Power.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Liebert NX is a global UPS platform that delivers complete, centralized power protection for mission critical systems in server rooms, mid-sized data centers, and industrial plants. The 120/208-V, three-phase version of the platform is...

DALI-compliant ballasts from advance.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... ROVR ballasts are designed to bring maximum simplicity, flexibility and freedom to lighting specifiers who wish to take full advantage of the potential offered by the DAM protocol, says the manufacturer. The ballasts will remember and execute a...

Tempstar package heat pump offers 12 SEER.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The PHAD Series convertible-airflow, single-phase package heat pump is available in two- to five-ton models. The unit features integral base rails with forklift access and holes for lifting lugs. This feature improves reliability by providing a...

UPS from tripp lite.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The SmartPro 5000 RT3UXR UPS is adaptable for both rack and tower use and includes two 3U external battery packs to provide longer standard runtime Additional external battery packs can be daisy-chained together for extended run time. The UPS...

Generator brochure from Baldor.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Manufacturer of industrial electric motors, drives, and generators offers an 18-page, four-color generator capabilities brochure. The company's generators range from 1.3 to 2000 kW to provide power solutions to customers in a wide variety of...

Gen set from Caterpillar.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Olympian gen set provides 20-kW standby and 18-kW prime power at 60 Hz. It is powered by an EPA-compliant Perkins engine, and the generator is a self-exciting, self-regulating unit with fully interconnected damper windings. The fully...

Atlas Copco gen set.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The QAC 1006 Containerized Super Silenced gen set is rated at 1250 kVA at 60 Hz and is suitable for noise-sensitive applications such as hospitals, office towers, and financial institutions, the manufacturer says. The unit's remote cooling...

Fuel-cell power system from Plug Power.(Products literature & services: metering, lighting, and backup power)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Operating on LPG (propane), Gen-Sys fuel-cell power systems are sized to meet the needs of most micro-generation applications, offering an alternative to traditional internal combustion systems, as well as combined heat and power (CHP)....

Degree days for selected cities: January.(Marketplace and data: statistics, trends & energy data)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... DEGREE DAYS For Selected Cities January Monthly Monthly Deviation Monthly Deviation City Total from Norm from Last Year Atlanta 684 -7 -90...

Weather hedging: Chicago Mercantile Exchange weather future prices.(Marketplace and data: statistics, trends & energy data)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Weather Hedging: Chicago Mercantile Exchange Weather Futures Prices Each Degree Day valued at $100 per contract Heating Degree Days Location Jan Feb March April Atlanta, GA 687 ...

Gas price comparison.(Marketplace and data: statistics, trends & energy data)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Gas Price Comparison Breakeven Rates ($/therm) 1st Q-03 2nd-Q-03 3rd-Q-03 Large Office (150,000 [ft.sup.2])...

Ranking of electricity prices industrial.(Marketplace and data: statistics, trends & energy data)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Ranking of Electricity Prices Industrial %Total Rank Cts/kWh ST UTILITY kWh 1 $20.72 HI Kauai Island Utility Cooperative ...

Rebate report.(Marketplace and data: statistics, trends & energy data)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Rebate Report State HVAC Motors Gas Water Renewables Alabama X X Alaska X Arizona X X X...

Ranking of gas utility prices by state industrial.(Marketplace and data: statistics, trends & energy data)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Ranking of Gas Utility Prices By State Industrial Rank State Price/Mcf 1 Hawaii $12.15 2 Massachusetts $10.32 3 Ohio $9.19 4 Maryland ...