Below are a few letters received at EnergyBiz Insider on topics that appeared in the past few weeks. They capture the essence of how many readers say they feel.
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June 30, 2010

Insiders at Commonwealth Edison figured they would ace their advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) pilot program rollout. Who, after all, wouldn't be thrilled to delve into a survey and eight scintillating pages of intricate text detailing all the bells and whistles that automated metering infrastructure makes possible? Their customers, it turns out. Consequently, last summer's introduction landed with a resounding thud.

"Our focus groups were totally confused," said Val Jensen, vice president of marketing and environmental programs at the Chicago-based investor owned utility. "When we tested our prototype, we found out we completely missed the boat."

June 28, 2010

Green investments are good for the wallet. That's the conclusion of some financial advisors, who are saying that the technologies that underscore such endeavors will become increasingly accepted and part of everyday life.

Allocating capital to those businesses with an eye to cleaning the environment or releasing fewer emissions had once been considered "feel-good" operations. Now, though, it has become an integral strategy among many money managers. The goal is not just to make a difference but to also earn respectable returns.

June 25, 2010

With pressures on utilities to reduce peak loads and integrate variable renewables, third-party demand response (DR) solution providers are playing an important role as a bridge between the power supplier and commercial, industrial and institutional customers to manage peak demand.

Whether utilities see third parties as competitors or helpmates, they are a useful route to getting DR quickly and cost efficiently. Over the past decade, as a consequence of providing a much needed service, they are an industry force forging partnerships with utilities around the world.

June 23, 2010

Notions of green energy are breezing their way throughout the country. But incorporating those ideas into practice is still encountering plenty of obstacles. If the nation is to reach a goal of supplying 20 percent of its power from wind by 2024, then it must begin constructing the necessary infrastructure.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is saying that such a lofty goal is technically feasible but that it cannot happen unless there is an expansion of the transmission system. Otherwise, wind's growth would be stunted and the nation's dependence on fossil fuels would increase.