September 29, 2008

Energy is arguably the hottest topic in Congress nowadays.

In July, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was pushing his bill to stop excessive energy speculation through the upper house as lawmakers reacted to the sharp rise in oil and gas prices. In January, the new Congress under a new administration is expected to tackle carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade program or a carbon tax.

All this comes on the heels of two recent major pieces of legislation: the energy acts of 2005 and 2007.

September 24, 2008

For more than a century, the United States and Canada have engaged in a cross-border trade of electricity. What began with one transmission line built at Niagara Falls in 1901 has blossomed over the ensuing years, and especially in the past five decades, into a brisk trade in both directions.

Canadian power exports to the United States reached more than 50 terawatt-hours last year, up more than 70 percent from 2003. Canadian power imports from the United States fell to under 20 terawatt-hours last year, a decline of about 16 percent from 2006.

September 15, 2008

The Commercial Building Tax Deduction (CBTD) is set to expire on December 31 of this year, unless Congress and the President authorize an extension.

Established through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the CBTD encourages the use of energy-efficient equipment and design techniques in new and existing buildings.

According to the National Lighting Bureau, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a five-year CBTD extension when it failed to approve S. 3335, the "Jobs, Energy, Families, and Disaster Relief Act of 2008." Introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mon.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the bill addressed an array of energy and other issues. It would have extended the CBTD through December 31, 2013.

After months of being "90 percent there," the alternative energy package that kept most of the Lansing lobbyist corps gainfully employed since last fall finally passed the Legislature today.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who had long championed the package and led a town hall on energy at the Democratic National Convention, was already touting it on her trade mission in Japan. She and Democrats claim it will create 30,000 new jobs, although Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, who ultimately supported it, was skeptical.

Senate Bill 213 and House Bill 5524, which were tie-barred, both shot out of conference committee this morning after MIRS confirmed before 10 a.m. that a deal was reached. The last piece worked out Wednesday night was on net metering, making SB 213 "an omnibus bill," according to sponsor Sen. Patty Birkholz, R-Saugatuck.

The Energy Department may soon announce a plan for new contracts which agencies can use to finance up to $50 billion in energy-savings investments over the next decade, Federal Times reports.

Under the Energy Department’s Super Energy Savings Performance Contracts (Super ESPC) program, about 10 contractors are expected to get the new deals.

Some benefits of the new contracts:

• Eliminates the regional barriers in existing ESPCs in favor of national and international contracts.
• Expands the number of contractors eligible to do business.
• Extends the maximum payback period for projects from 20 years to 25 years.
• Increases the maximum amount of business that can go to individual companies from $750 million to $5 billion.
• Allows for energy savings projects to be funded with no upfront investment by agencies. Contracts pay for the upgrades and then are paid back over a period of years using a portion of savings that agencies realize from reduced energy bills.

Six companies currently have Super ESPC contracts: Honeywell International, Johnson Controls Government Systems, Noresco, Ameresco Solutions, Constellation Energy Projects and Services Group, and Chevron USA. Only Honeywell and Noresco are qualified to do business in all regions.