A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Today’s message is all over the map: we start in California, move to New York, then down to Washington. And we end up, with a map.
First of all, let me take this chance to welcome our newest member to the CHP Association, and third new member in as many weeks, EtaGen, a California based company with some innovative approaches to CHP. Then we are pleased to announce the latest in our monthly webinar series: A Look at Commercial Opportunities in Light of NY REV on May 28th. Details about how to register will be on our website on Monday. We are also announcing the dates and location for our conference and annual meeting event centered around the theme of resilience and security. This event will take place on Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th of September at the National Press Club. Full registration information and sponsorship details as well as the agenda will be available in the May 29th Slice and online the same day on our website. We have a number of exciting events planned around the conference so stay tuned for more details. As always, if you would like to participate in the conference at any level–sponsorship, speaker, attendee or anything else–please just let me know.
But I have saved the best for last. And here I must give credit to Winnie Warner, CHPA’s Manager of External Relations, for fulfilling a key element of our strategic plan for 2015: an interactive map of CHP locations across the United States. This map will appear in two versions: public and CHPA . The public version that we unveil today features each CHP facility in the entire USA on an easy to use map. The version, which will be up on our website just after Memorial Day, will feature additional content such as CHP facilities by Congressional District, and other searchable features. More searchable features will be added over the next few weeks to both the public and private sides. We are completing final testing of these many permutations now. This map is something we have been planning for a while. It is not only another way we continue to establish CHPA as your one stop source for all materials CHP, but it is a way to deliver further membership value through our new Section of the CHP website. And please let us know if there are other features of the map you would find useful. This map will occupy a central place in the CHP website and in our future promotional and advocacy efforts. The map can also be viewed on tablets and mobile devices.
All the Best,
Dale Louda
NEWS EXCERPTS
Senate bill would create national renewable electricity standard
The Hill
Senate Democrats want to create a national renewable electricity standard to create jobs, save consumers money and reduce pollution. The bill unveiled Tuesday that would require utilities to generate 30 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030, starting with an 8 percent requirement by 2016 followed by gradual increases. Sen. Tom Udall has introduced this legislation in every session of Congress since 2008. The bill is based on his bipartisan initiative that passed the House in 2007. Co-sponsors this time around include Sens. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii).
Click here to read the full article
Commissioner Moeller announces departure, setting off replacement rumors
EnergyWire
Philip Moeller, an outspoken Republican member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, announced yesterday that he plans to leave the agency in the coming months, creating an opening expected to be filled by a senior Senate GOP aide. Moeller’s likely replacement is Patrick McCormick, senior counsel for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who has deep ties in the energy world. A source familiar with the situation said McCormick would be the nominee.
Click here to read the full article
Senate GOP launches attack on EPA climate rules
The Hill
Senate Republicans introduced a bill Wednesday that would overturn the Obama administration’s landmark climate regulations for power plants and make it nearly impossible to rewrite them. The bill is the GOP’s first major legislative push against the Environmental Protection Agency’s emissions limits since Republicans seized control of the Senate in November. The rules have drawn intense criticism from Republicans and industry groups, who warn they will cost billions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of jobs and have negligible environmental benefits.
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Microgrid Evolution: Energizing Co. Gets $250M for Grid Project Finance
GreenTech Grid
When a traditional infrastructure asset investor like Stonepeak Partners is ready to bankroll microgrids with a $250 million finance facility, it’s a sign of the mainstreaming of grid modernization. Energizing Co. will be the sole project developer for the $250 million Stonepeak fund focused on microgrids and grid modernization.
Click here to read the full article
FERC Civil Penalties Assessed
Energy Legal Blog
On May 1, 2015 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) assessed a $5 million civil penalty against Maxim Power Corporation (Maxim) and its affiliates and an additional $50,000 civil penalty against Kyle Mitton, an energy marketing analyst working for Maxim, for allegedly violating FERC’s anti-manipulation rule and a regulation against submitting false or misleading information to a market monitor. Specifically, FERC alleges that Maxim bid in its Pittsfield generating plant in the ISO-NE day ahead market on oil during certain hot summer days in 2010 when it actually ran on much cheaper natural gas. According to FERC, Maxim hoped to be paid the significantly higher oil price even though it actually ran on cheaper natural gas.
Click here to read the full article
NY REV UPDATE
Tom Bourgeous from Pace University is working with CHP Association and NECHPI to participate in New York State REV proceedings. We will feature highlights from his comments in The Slice as they become available. For more detailed reports, CHPA Members may contact CHPA offices directly to be placed on the distribution list. The PSC is requesting feedback from any interested entity, whether or not they are a party to the REV proceeding. The Feedback forms can be found at this site https://newyorkrevworkinggroups.com/public-feedback/. The State is expecting to have a final guidance paper (authored by the Core Team and Staff) completed by August 3, 2015. There will be a draft for circulation to the public, completed July 1st. They want an emphasis on actionable recommendations.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: BROAD USA
The following is from Doug Davis from Broad U.S.A. Broad Absorbers are currently operating in over 80 countries with over 35,000 installations worldwide. Broad is the world largest manufacturer of absorption chillers ranging in size up to 3,300 tons and a market leader in “CCHP” sales and service.
As a director for Broad USA who has been working in Engineering sales for chillers most of my career it is really encouraging to see our Partners, Owners, Developers, Engineers & Contractors that might be unfamiliar with “CCHP” begin to embrace it.
What is truly powerful is to see it adopted on “new construction” such as a new retail grocery stores such as whole foods market or the new MGM grand casino at national harbor, build it into their business plan. If we are ever go to reach our nations goal of 40 GW by 2020 it will require many small jobs to get us there.
Most of all I am really pleased that the CHP Association is making such great strides to “let folks know” that this CHP game is not a “secret society”, but rather something a significant portion or our Construction, Manufacturing and Institutional markets can reap benefits from due to our new found supply of affordable and Abundant North American natural Gas.
– Doug Davis, Broad USA
EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE: CHP Association Annual Meeting
September 14-15, 2015
The National Press Club, Washington, DC
SENATE: Hearing on Energy Supply Legislation
May 19, 10:00 AM
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing to receive testimony on energy supply legislation.
Click here for more information
HOUSE: Hearing on Energy Reliability and Security
May 19, 10:00 AM
2123 Rayburn
The Energy and Power Subcommittee released its discussion draft on Energy Reliability and Security to be included in the committee’s Architecture of Abundance energy legislation. The subcommittee will review the draft legislation at a hearing on Tuesday, May 19, 2015.
Click here for more information
HOUSE: Hearing on QER and Related Discussion Drafts
May 21, 10:00 AM
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
The Subcommittee on Energy and Power will hold a hearing on Thursday, May 21, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled “Quadrennial Energy Review and Related Discussion Drafts.”
Click here for more information
Annual Energy Outlook 2015
May 21, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
US Energy Association, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 550
The Annual Energy Outlook 2015, prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, presents long-term annual projections of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2040. The projections, focused on U.S. energy markets, are based on results from EIA’s National Energy Modeling System. NEMS enables EIA to make projections under alternative, internally-consistent sets of assumptions, the results of which are presented as cases.
Click here to register
WEBINAR: Gas-Electric Integration- Gas Demand’s Last Hope
May 26, 2:30 PM–3:30 PM
In this webinar, ICF International experts explore historical concerns related to gas/electric integration and the new concerns related to the Clean Power Plan (CPP). They also present a methodology for effectively analyzing potential problems and potential solutions discussed in different regions.
Click here for more information
DOE Better Buildings Summit
May 27-28
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC
The Better Buildings Summit is a national meeting where Better Buildings partners, including AMO’s Better Plants Program partners, and leading organizations can exchange best practices and showcase solutions to reduce energy intensity in operations.
Click here for more information
