March 11, 2009

The utility sector will fuel the light at the end of this dark tunnel. And while power companies are enduring during this difficult time period, they too have had to adapt to declining economic growth.

The Federal Reserve's cautiously optimistic forecast that the recession could end this year and a recovery could begin in 2010 -- lasting up to three years -- provides a reprieve from the steady dribble of bad news. It's a message that got energized after President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on how he plans to resurrect the ailing economy -- a prescription involving $200 billion in stimulus to energy projects.

Tuesday, 10 March 2009
By Matt Roush

Consumers Energy today announced it has completed installation of a new water turbine on Unit 3 of its Hardy Dam on the Muskegon River in Newaygo County, resulting in a 600-kilowatt upgrade of renewable energy available from the unit.

The new turbine has the added benefit of improving dissolved oxygen levels in the plant's outflow, enhancing the fisheries habitat downstream from the Hardy Dam. The new turbine draws in air as the force of the water spins it, and that increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the outflow water.

Consumers Energy replaced the original 1930 water turbine at Hardy Dam in Unit 3 and also re-wound the generator. The new turbine is capable of producing 11,400 kilowatts of electricity, up from 10,800 kilowatts previously. The upgrade enables Hardy to generate a total of 33,000 kilowatts. The original turbine is on public display at the Operators Village Park next to the roadway crossing Hardy Dam.

March 09, 2009

Think of all the electric power used by residential consumers in New York City. Multiply that vast virtual battery by 14. That is the amount of electricity that can be saved in 2030 if we finally get serious about rescuing every wasted crumb of an electron that can be scrounged from our energy feast.

The price tag would range between $19 billion and $47 billion, according to a yearlong study just completed by the Electric Power Research Institute. Given the amount of money being thrown around to bail out crippled financial institutions lately, it is a mere drop. What the money would buy would be a 22 percent cut in the growth in energy consumption over the next two decades.

March 06, 2009

Boulder, Colorado's idyllic setting may be the perfect spot to test the intelligent grid. The city, home to roughly 100,000 well-educated people, has its own power plants and substations. Those dynamics therefore give the city's provider, Xcel Energy, the potential to be the "utility of the future."

Xcel's vision is to create a communications infrastructure that extends beyond the meter and into the home. The ultimate goal is to provide the utility and its customers with critical information that will facilitate energy savings. To achieve that, high-bandwidth fiber will be laid throughout the distribution network there that gives Xcel the ability to either send price signals or to automatically adjust energy devices inside homes.

Wednesday, 04 March 2009
By Matt Roush

The Michigan Wind Energy Conference wrapped up at Cobo Center Wednesday with a look at offshore wind projects in the United Kingdom and their potential in Michigan, along with breakout sessions on small and community windpower projects.

Chris Jenner and Johnny Lewis of England's RPS Energy offered a comprehensive overview of their company's work on offshore wind power in Europe, specifically the United Kingdom, covering the challenges and successes of the technology.

Peter Mandelstam, founder and president of Bluewater Wind LLC of Delaware, gave a detailed presentation on the potential of offshore wind in the United States, including the Great Lakes.

"Offshore wind is the next wave -- lots of puns, folks, I warn you," Mandelstam began, adding that "the Northeast and the Great Lakes are natural markets."