Podcasts about energy reliability

In this Convo of Flanigan's Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Dr. Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director at City of Ann Arbor, working with all city operations, residents, businesses, the University of Michigan, nonprofits, and others to make Ann Arbor one of the most sustainable and equitable cities in America. Dr. Stults has dedicated 20 years of focus and national level expertise on urban resilience and climate change in an array of roles, prior to joining the City. She has worked on adaptation to climate change since 2004, as the Climate Director at ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and as a consultant to philanthropic organizations. Missy holds dual PhDs from the University of Michigan in urban & regional planning and natural resources & the environment. She also has her Masters in Climate and Society from Columbia University, and undergraduate degrees in Marine Biology and Environmental Science from the University of New England.She and Ted focus their conversation around some big and recent news out of the City: 79% of Ann Arbor voters voted to form a Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU). An SEU is another form of utility, rooted in energy efficiency, activated locally, and intended to be an accelerated pathway for the community to promote clean energy to meet its 2030 climate commitment. Ann Arbor's SEU is an opt-in, supplemental community-owned energy utility that will provide energy from local solar and battery storage systems. It will also implement networked geothermal systems beginning with a 232-home project in a low income neighborhood, also serving a public school and community center. Thanks to the SEU, green energy will be provided to residents and businesses through direct installations on their properties, as well as through small-scale distribution systems such as networked systems or microgrids.Missy and Ted discuss the benefits of the City's SEU: improved energy reliability at times when the grid goes down through increased access to solar and energy storage and shared geothermal systems - all City owned, energy justice initiatives, including broad and deep access to renewable energy, and the creation of programs for low income and underserved residents, including workforce training opportunities, and the expansion of weatherization services. 

Jon  Pepper is a novelist, entrepreneur, and business consultant based in New York City. 00:00 Introduction: Oyster Flatulence and Climate Absurdities 00:17 Guest Introduction: John Pepper 00:21 Discussing the New Book: Hostile Climate 01:29 Author's Background and Previous Works 02:19 Overview of the Fossil Feuds Series 03:39 Hostile Climate: Plot and Themes 07:10 Real Events Inspiring the Book 07:59 Winter Storm Elliot and Energy Reliability 12:00 New York's Energy Policy and Challenges 15:14 China's Cyber Threats and Lawfare 23:41 Media's Role in the Climate Debate 27:38 Influence of Activist Journalism 28:52 Climate Journalism and Predictions 31:20 Hostile Climate: Government and Literature 36:58 Energy Reliability and Future Challenges 43:12 Global Perspectives on Climate Policies 47:08 Final Thoughts and Reflections Hostile Climate (Amazon): https://a.co/d/iXzwfbP https://twitter.com/jon_pepper https://jonpepperbooks.com/ Whitney Webb: "a carbon market is looking increasingly likely under a new Trump administration”: https://x.com/TomANelson/status/1856792913696510050 ========= AI summaries of all of my podcasts: https://tomn.substack.com/p/podcast-summaries My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/tomanelson1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL89cj_OtPeenLkWMmdwcT8Dt0DGMb8RGR X: https://twitter.com/TomANelson Substack: https://tomn.substack.com/ About Tom: https://tomn.substack.com/about

November 15, 2024:Kate Gamble and Sarah Richardson discuss the evolving landscape of energy reliance in healthcare, exploring critical questions of sustainability, reliability, and environmental responsibility. As nuclear power gains traction as a low-carbon energy solution, healthcare leaders might find themselves at the forefront of a surprising energy revolution.01:28 The Importance of Energy Reliability in Healthcare03:45 Nuclear Energy's Role in Modern Healthcare05:02 Challenges and Considerations of Nuclear PowerThis Week Health SubscribeThis Week Health TwitterThis Week Health LinkedinAlex's Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer Donate

Energy Minister Penny Sharpe joined Chris O'Keefe to discuss Australia's worsening energy reliability, as highlighted by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Friday, February 16th, 2024 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Lindsey Williams Drath and André Béliveau. GenZ Voters, Energy Reliability, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

November 30, 2023 - The state's independent grid operator had decided to keep fossil fuel power plants on line past their retirement date to ensure uninterrupted power in New York City. We discuss this decision and energy reliability concerns more broadly, with Kevin Lanahan, vice president of external affairs and corporate communications for the New York Independent System Operator.

Bishop reviews recent testimony in an Illinois Senate Energy Committee about energy reliability --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bishoponair/support

Bishop reviews recent testimony in an Illinois Senate Energy Committee about energy reliability

This week's Energy Pod shines the spotlight on the exciting growth of the UK offshore wind market, set to become number one in the world in terms of offshore wind capacity, and the benefits that this will bring to the region. ABB's experts discuss how the increased use of offshore wind and a more diverse energy mix can help address challenges that we are facing today, specifically energy reliability and the current cost of living crisis in the UK. Tune in to hear more about ABB's work in this space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bishop On Air talks with Adam Stern from Enel North America about recent announced investments from MISO, one of the nation's energy grids.

In this thirteenth interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Clare Boland Ross and Todd Moss discuss new “measurable metrics” to reframe SDG7 energy targets to be more ambitious and location-specific. Ross, managing director of the Power and Climate Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation and Moss, executive director at the Energy for Growth Hub, moderated Room 7 focused on Sustainable Development Goal number 7—on affordable and clean energy—during the 2021 17 Rooms flagship process. “17 Rooms” is a podcast about actions, insights, and community for the Sustainable Development Goals and the people driving them. The podcast is co-hosted by John McArthur—senior fellow and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at The Brookings Institution, and Zia Khan—senior vice president for innovation at The Rockefeller Foundation. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3K5IaqF  "17 Rooms" is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu, and follow and tweet at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The 87th Texas Legislative session concluded on May 31 and, as usual, there was a lot of left to decipher and analyze throughout the summer months. This year's session; however, was not so usual. As Martin Hubert, principal, senior vice president and counsel at Cornerstone Government Affairs, working in the firm's Austin office, pointed out in this episode of Energy Policy Watch, this year's session was made quite a bit challenging by COVID-19 and the Texas winter storm and power outages.  Coming on the heels of a national power change in the White House and in Congress, the Texas Legislature engages in what has been described as its most conservative session ever, according to Hubert.  A number of bills passed through the session on religious, social and business issues that were championed by the conservative majority, Hubert told his colleague Jack Belcher.Hubert had several other insights into the session and discussed them in more detail with Belcher for this episode.Jump to topic: A new budget for the State of Texas (2:11) Bills to reform ERCOT (3:12) Addressing natural gas issues during the power outages (4:23) Eminent Domain legislation (5:21) Carbon capture and storage (CCUS) (6:48) Methane emissions and flaring (8:12) Oil and gas provisions that were addressed by the legislature (8:47) Minimizing federal policy effects on Texas oil and gas (10:48)

On this week's podcast interview Paul sits down with Michael Johnson to discuss energy reliability both in Texas AND New Mexico.  Recently Texas suffered from serious energy reliability failures, but a decade ago many New Mexicans went without natural gas for days during one of the coldest times in recent memory. Michael Johnson is a New Mexican. He wrote the definitive report on what happened in New Mexico a decade ago.    Johnson, a member of ERCOT for several years in the '90s, has also studied what happened in Texas and what caused the recent outages.   Johnson's experience includes serving as the CEO of Conoco Gas and Power, the midstream business of Conoco Inc., and early 2000s, he was also Chairman of the Natural Gas Supply Association headquartered in DC for several years over the same period, which represents large natural gas producers.

Guest: Devin C. Gladden is an energy, technology, and transportation policy professional who has worked on a variety of climate change and international issues. Currently in his role at AAA National as a manager for federal energy and technology policy, he covers a range of vehicle related issues — including gas prices, deployment of electric vehicles, and safety policy for self-driving cars. Prior to his current role, Devin served as a special advisor for the Office of Electricity and Energy Reliability at the U.S. Department of Energy during the Obama Administration. He has also worked at NASA, the World Bank, and the State of Delaware. He holds a Masters in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science.Related Readings:Stephens, T. S., J. Gonder, Y. Chen, Z. Lin, C. Liu, and D. Gohlke. Estimated Bounds and Important Factors for Fuel Use and Consumer Costs of Connected and Automated Vehicles. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, November 2016. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy17osti/67216.pdf. Fleming, Kelly, and Mark Singer. “Energy Implications of Current Travel and the Adoption of Automated Vehicles.” Energy Implications of Current Travel and the Adoption of Automated Vehicles . National Renewable Energy Laboratory, April 2019. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/72675.pdf. Moniot, M., Ge, Y., Reinicke, N., and Schroeder, A., "Understanding the Charging Flexibility of Shared Automated Electric Vehicle Fleets," SAE Technical Paper 2020-01-0941, 2020, https://doi.org/10.4271/2020-01-0941.CreditsProduced by Mark LernerMusic by Zach PfeiferArtwork by Zihao Wang

The Rebuild SoCal Zone spoke with Los Angeles County Business Federation's Co-Founder and CEO, Tracy Hernandez. We talk about some of the hot topics from BizFed's 3rd annual Sacramento Week, such as Broadband, Transportation, and Energy Reliability.

In today's Federal Newscast, a new report from the Energy Department's Inspector General finds the agency's Chief Financial Officer moved too much money over to the Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability account.

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria wiped out the electricity on the entire island of Puerto Rico. Six months later the lights are still off for too many people. In this episode, by hearing highlights of Congressional testimony from Puerto Rico's government officials and through stories of Jen's recent trip to the island, learn the good news and the bad news about life right now on Puerto Rico. Please Support Congressional Dish Click here to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD028: Crisis in Puerto Rico CD147: Controlling Puerto Rico Additional Recommended Listening The David Pakman Show Additional Reading Article: Needs go unmet 6 months after Maria hit Puerto Rico by Danica Coto, AP News, March 20, 2018. Article: Six months after Maria, the hardest hit city in Puerto Rico is still being ignored by AJ Vicens, Grist, March 20, 2018. Article: The battle for paradise by Naomi Klein, The Intercept, March 20, 2018. Report: U.S. executive appointed head Puerto Rico power company by Dalissa Zeda Sanchez, Caribbean Business, March 20, 2018. Report: Puerto Rico legislature sends education reform to governor's desk for enactment by Genesis Ibarra, Caribbean Business, March 20, 2018. Report: Gov presents Puerto Rio justice, agriculture reorganization plans, Caribbean Business, March 20, 2018. Article: 'We are the forgotten people': It's been almost six months since Hurricane Maria, and Puerto Ricans are still dying by John D. Stutter, CNN, March 15, 2018. Article: Puerto Rico reforms could boost GNP by 1.5 percent: Jaresko by Daniel Bases, Reuters, March 14, 2018. Press Release: Committee seeks answers on corruption at Puerto Rico Power Utility, House Committee on Natural Resources, March 12, 2018. Report: Recycled proposals in Puerto Rico's fiscal plans by Luis J. Valentin Ortiz, City & State New York, March 11, 2018. Article: 'This city has been ignored': Yabucoa, ground zero for Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, still reeling by Rick Jervis, USA Today, March 11, 2018. Article: The role of private investment in rebuilding Puerto Rico by The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, March 8, 2018. Opinion: Puerto Rico? Guinea pig for water privatization by Britt Fremstad, Public Citizen, 2018. Article: Why Puerto Rico is pushing to privatize its schools by Mimi Kirk, City Lab, February 27, 2018. Report: Citigroup drove Puerto Rico into debt. Now it will profit from privatization on the island by Kate Aronoff, The Intercept, February 21, 2018. Report: Hedge fund-driven austerity could come back to bite the hedge funds driving it in Puerto Rico by Kate Aronoff, The Intercept, February 3, 2018. Article: Privatization won't fix Puerto Rico's broken power utility by Lara Merling, NACLA, February 1, 2018. Press Release: Bishop statement on Puerto Rico fiscal plans, PREPA privatization by House Committee on Natural Resources, January 25, 2018. Report: Puerto Rico governor seizes opportunity created by Hurricane Maria, plans to privatize electric power by Kate Aronoff, The Intercept, January 24, 2018. Article: The peril of privatizing PREPA by Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, January 24, 2018. Report: Puerto Rico to sell off crippled power utility PREPA by Daniel Bases, Reuters, January 22, 2018. Report: Puerto Rico utility workers charge that federal government is hoarding reconstruction supplies by Kate Aronoff, The Intercept, January 16, 2018. Article: PREPA "Warehouse 5" was no secret by Alex Figueroa Cancel, El Nuevo Dia, January 16, 2018. Article: Energy answers marchincinerator: the struggle continues by Leysa Caro Gonzelez, El Nuevo Dia, January 16, 2018. Report: Armed federal agents enter warehouse in Puerto Rico to sieze hoarded electric equipment by Kate Aronof, The Intercept, January 10, 2018. Article: Puerto Rico said 64 people died in Hurricane Maria. A new report puts the death toll over 1,000 by Aric Jenkins, Time.com, December 19, 2017. Report: Nearly 1,000 more people died in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria by Center for Investigative Journalism, Latino USA, December 7, 2017. Law Firm Post: Did you lose money investing in Puerto Rico bonds with Morgan Stanley financial advisor Robert Dennison? by Erez Law Firm, December 6, 2017. Article: The lineman got $63 an hour. The utility was billed at $319 an hour. by Frances Robles, The New York Times, November 12, 2017. Article: Ex-Morgan Stanley broker at center of Puerto Rico bond disputes by Bruce Kelly, Investment News, September 28, 2017. Report: Maps: Hurricane Maria's path across Puerto Rico by Sarah Almukhtar, Matthew Bloch, Ford Fessenden and Jugal K. Patel, The New York Times, September 26, 2017. Article: Incinerating the future: Austerity crisis threatens wetlands and economic opportunity for Puerto Rico by Adriana Gonzelez, The Planet: Sierra Club, August 14, 2017. Report: Puerto Rico's Fiscal Control Board spent $31 million in fiscal year 2017 by Julio Ricardo Varela, Latino USA, August 2, 2017. Report: SEC probes Barclays, Morgan Stanley bankers over Puerto Rico by Martin Z. Braun, Bloomberg, June 28, 2017. Report: Puerto Rico Senate approves bill to eliminate debt audit commission by Cindy Burgos Alvarado, Caribbean Business, April 18, 2017. Article: A glimpse of Natalie Jaresko by Jose A. Delgado Robles, El Nuevo Dia, March 29, 2017. Article: Ukraine must fully implement IMF Program, says former finance minister by Mitch Hulse, Atlantic Council, April 14, 2016. Article: How free electricity helped dig $9 billion hole in Puerto Rico by Mary Williams Walsh, The New York Times, February 1, 2016. Article: Puerto Rico - a way forward by Anne O. Krueger, Ranjit Teja, and Andrew Wolfe, GDB.PR.GOV, June 29, 2015. Article: Meet the woman overhauling Ukraine's economy - and born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago by James Ellingworth, Business Insider, March 1,2015. Article: Proposed Arecibo waste-to-energy plan gets EPA nod by Michelle Kantrow, Energy Answers, May 10, 2012. Research Paper: Does private management lead to improvement of water services? Lessons learned from the experiences of Bolivia and Puerto Rico by Susana Maria Cortina de Cardenas, University of Iowa Research Online, Spring 2011. Resources DESMOG Blog Info: Edison Electric Institute Energy Answers Resources: Puerto Rico Resource Recovery and Renewable Energy Project International Monetary Fund Bio: Anne O. Krueger International Monetary Fund Blog: Ranjit Teja LinkedIn Profile: Noel Zamot, Federal Oversight Management Board USDA Report: Arecibo Waste to Energy Generation and Resource Recovery Facility Arecibo, Puerto Rico Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Hurricane Recovery Efforts in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, Power Utility Officials; Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, November 14, 2017. Witnesses: - Natalie Jaresko - Executive Director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico - Jose Roman Morales - Associate Commission and Interim President of the Puerto Rico Energy Commission - Ricardo Ramos - Executive Director of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority - Julio Rhymer - Executive Director of the US Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority 53:40 Ricardo Ramos: Many of the fallen poles fell because of the additional weight of infrastructure that originally was not supposed to be there, so the grid itself is old—are new. Design standards account for an amount of additional infrastructure for communications and other, but many of the poles were—they had communications because some local law of Puerto Rico permitted the common right-of-way usage, so we had to allow telecom companies to put the telecommunications cables there—but the pole itself not necessarily was designed to those standards. 59:10 Natalie Jaresko: So, as you know, Madame Chairman, the board took an action and filed in the Title III court to name a chief transformation officer. The court ruled yesterday against us in that action, although we have not yet seen the written judgment, so I can’t comment on it in detail. Hearing: Hurricane Recovery Efforts in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, Governors; Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Witnesses: - Donald Jackson - Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Corps of Engineers, Civil and Emergency Operations - Kenneth Mapp - Governor of US Virgin Islands - Jose Roman Morales - Associate Commission and Interim President of the Puerto Rico Energy Commission - Ricardo “Ricky” Rossello - Governor of Puerto Rico - Bruce Walker - Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability 38:20 Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy Bruce Walker: PREPA, with the limited crews that it had—I will point to this map over here—made an early decision to have to tie the southern portion, where the generation is, to the northern portion, where the load is. And in doing so, they made a key decision to construct the 230 kV line from the south, bringing it up to the San Juan area, the Bayamon substation. On the map, you can see here, from down here, wrapping up through here, that that align is going to appear all the way over to here. What was important about that was that one decision and the efforts made by PREPA, with limited staffing, enabled the power to be distributed to where the load was and in conjunction with the other big decision, which is the next slide, Jennifer, the Army Corps, working with PREPA, installed two 25-megawatt generators at the Palo Seco generation plant, and that, in conjunction with the rebuild of the 230 line, enabled power to be distributed to the northern portion to start picking up commercial and residential customers. Those two efforts were monumental, given the facts and circumstances. The installation of this generator was, with the letting of the contract and the install—and I was at Palo Seco when this was being put in—and the work that had to be done was really incredible—we had fantastic support from PREPA in coordinating it particularly with the re-laying and the coordination with the Army Corps. 1:10:00 Governor Ricardo Rossello: We have several flaws in terms of the design, aside from having antiquated power plants. Most of our generation was done in the south, yet most of the people and most of the consumption is done in the north, so you lose about 12 to 15% in the transmission, going northward. It is time, it is an opportunity, to rethink that, where do we have that generation and make it better? Piggybacking on Senator Cassidy’s comments, I think it is an opportunity also to leapfrog in renewables. I’ve envisioned us leapfrogging to 25% renewables in Puerto Rico and recognizing that there are some mitigation strategies that we need to put in place. That is why we have worked with the PREPA governing board to have a group of thought leaders that can actually help us in the design, looking forward, and specifically looking where this could happen. Last-mile events in Puerto Rico are very important. It’s important to consider the terrain. Puerto Rico’s not flat; it’s got a mountainous region. And so we will be very aggressively pursuing that we get to 90, 95% of energy consumption and energy generation, but that last mile always takes more time because there are sort of remote areas of the island. This is an opportunity to make microgrids in Puerto Rico so that they can be sustained in different areas. And, lastly, adding to this whole component of renewables, I think it is an opportunity to look at this from a bottom-up-and-a-top-down approach. With the collaboration of FEMA, we were able to, for the first time in the STEP program, allow that either a power plant generator be added to the house or a renewable battery-pack solar combo be added to those homes in the STEP program. Now, we expect that there will be about 80,000 homes that will be introduced in the STEP program. Think about what that means if half of them decide to go with the renewable battery-pack route. It means that now you have the starting conditions to actually think about things like a virtual power plant in Puerto Rico, where you can have smart distribution of the energy; and where some days it might be cloudy in some areas in Puerto Rico—it’ll be sunny, certainly, in others as well—and that energy can be distributed alongside, of course, a complement of utility-size and industrial-size generation, which I envision, Senator, should start transitioning from petroleum-based generation, which is costly and, of course, more harmful, to liquid-gas and so forth generation. So, those are, in a nutshell, what we envision the sort of future grid of Puerto Rico looking like. 1:34:15 Senator Catherine Cortez Masto: It’s my understanding under the Stafford Act, it’s Section 406(e), that limits the use of federal disaster-relief funds for repairing, restoring, reconstructing, or replacing a public facility or private nonprofit facility on the basis of the design of the facility as the facility existed immediately before the major disaster. Now, my understanding of that, then, is that all of the talk that I’ve heard today, which is important talk about new infrastructure—burying lines, looking at how we add renewable capacity—that is something that is not going to be addressed through the funding, through the relief, that comes from the federal government. Is that correct? And I guess I’m asking Mr. Walker and General Jackson, is that your understanding? Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy Bruce Walker: That is my understanding. As I mentioned earlier, we’re doing emergency restoration work now. A number of the things that have been mentioned here, if the Congress approves additional appropriations, those would be opportunities that we could further, you know, build into— Masto: And that’s—are you asking today, then? That’s what you’re asking Congress today, additional appropriations outside of the Stafford Act be able to set up new infrastructure and do just what we’ve heard today, because we know another hurricane’s going to come through, or some other disaster. I think it’s just the way the climate is today. Is that the ask today from the governors? Governor Ricardo Rossello: To amend that, could you repeat the question, Senator? Masto: Sure. So, the Stafford Act limits the amount of— Rossello: Yeah. Masto: —money that you’re getting from the federal government for disaster relief to repair and reconstruct. Rossello: Yeah. Masto: It is not for new construction or new types of renewable energy or burying lines. So, are you coming today for additional funds outside of the Stafford Act, outside of disaster relief? Is that what I’m hearing today? Governor Kenneth Mapp: Yes. Yes, because under Stafford, if a system connected to the power generation isn’t damaged, it can’t be touched. If it’s cost effective, it can be mitigated, but the whole power system is all connected, and so if we want to change to more-efficient renewables—wind, solar—if the generation system hasn’t been damaged, then we can have an exclusion. So we will need changes in the language to permit that. Rossello: Yes. We are, we recognize what the limitations of FEMA funding are within this, so we’re asking for additional funding so that we can get that flexibility as well and actually rebuild better. I mean, again, you can discuss whether it’s a good idea or not on the context of the merit of the energy and the structure, but it is really just a bad idea to rebuild a system that is frail over again, spend good taxpayer money in that, because you’re going to have to do it once over again. 1:44:34 Senator Mazie Hirono (HI): Based on your estimates, how much are you asking Congress to fund in terms of the kind of modernization, resilience, etc. that you would like to see in Puerto Rico? Governor Ricardo Rossello: Yeah. It’s about $17 billion in damage estimates. Hirono: One year? Rossello: No. For the bulk of the process. Hirono: Seventeen billion dollars? Rossello: Yes, that’s right. Hirono: And is it your—well, I know that you hope that Congress will authorize that, and do you think that authorization or the funding to occur in one year, or is it over a period of time? Rossello: No, it would be over a period of time, of course. 1:53:28 Senator Bernie Sanders (VT): Puerto Rico is struggling with an unsustainable 75-billion-dollar debt and $49 billion in pension obligations. More than one-third of that debt is held by Wall Street vulture funds that are getting interest rates of up to 34% on tax-exempt bonds they purchased for as little as 29 cents on the dollar. Is that correct, Governor? Governor Ricardo Rossello: Yep. Hearing: Puerto Rico Recovery Challenges; House Natural Resources Committee, November 7, 2017. Witnesses: - Natalie Jaresko - Executive Director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico - Angel Perez Otero - Mayor of Guanynabo, Puerto Rico - Noel Zamot - Revitalization Coordinator of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico 22:30 Natalie Jaresko: As the committee is aware, the board has recently named Noel Zamot as chief transformation officer of PREPA, with all the powers of a CEO and reporting to the board. We believe this is absolutely essential both to restoring service as soon as possible and to creating a sustainable, efficient, resilient, and fiscally accountable power system for the island. While the board is confident, the PROMESA, coupled with fundamental aspects of bankruptcy law, gives us the power and responsibility to do as we have done. Some parties are vigorously contesting our authority in proceedings before the Title III judge. To avoid uncertainty and lengthy delays and litigation, congressional reaffirmation of our exercise of our authority is welcome. 23:08 Natalie Jaresko: We have also implemented a contract-review policy as a tool to ensure transparency throughout the government, for the benefit of the people of Puerto Rico and all stakeholders. The policy applies to all contracts in which the commonwealth or any covered instrumentality is a counterparty, including those with the federal government, state governments, and private parties. The policy provides that all contracts of 10 million or more must be submitted to the board for its approval before execution. In addition, the board retains the authority to adopt other methods, such as random sampling of contracts below that 10-million-dollar threshold, to assure that they promote market competition and are not inconsistent with the approved fiscal plan. 26:48 Noel Zamot: I will retain key leaders on my staff to enable speed and effectiveness in our decision-making. I’d like to highlight two key roles. The chief operations officer will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the utility. This will initially be a senior leader from within PREPA but will be augmented by an industry executive identified in conjunction with input that we are receiving from the Edison Electric Institute. 27:41 Noel Zamot: I’ve also identified key executives to serve on a board of advisors. These are CEOs from public and private utilities who have generously volunteered to bring their considerable expertise to help with this task. I will also rely on an internal group of world-class experts from multi-national utilities, the energy sector, academia, and more. 28:22 Noel Zamot: Puerto Rico’s energy strategy calls for 50% renewables by 2040, with a balance of natural and LP gas mix; regional grids, with generation close to demand; physical hardening and control systems to provide resiliency; and widespread distributed generation, all wrapped by an empowered and accountable energy regulator. PROMESA is clear in its guidance to attract private capital to achieve this end state. We need to do just that, not only for generation but to attract innovative capital solutions from the private sector for transmission and distribution as well. 43:42 Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ): Do you or the board hold a view that, relative to Title V, waiving or eliminating additional federal environmental safeguards like NEPA or regulations will accelerate the recovery in Puerto Rico? Ms. Jaresko, you and then Mr. Zamot, if you don’t mind, as well, answering the question. Natalie Jaresko: I certainly believe that further expeditious permitting is a requirement. I’m not an expert on the individual sets of permitting, but I want to underline that it’s both federal, commonwealth, and municipality permitting at all levels. It needs to be expedited for any private-sector investment to become a quick recovery. Grijalva: Okay. Mr. Zamot, do you think that’s needed? Noel Zamot: Thank you, sir. My view is that economic growth and fast-tracking projects is not inconsistent with being good stewards of the environment, and we have a very robust process within Title V and within the working group that we have set with the government to ensure that we, the residents of Puerto Rico, are very respectful of that. Grijalva: If I may, sir, let me just follow up with you. You cite the proposed trash incinerators an example of a project Title V that could come to fruition, but I see an example of why Title V, in this instance, doesn’t work. Public comments about the project are overwhelming in opposition. It’s opposed by both mayors’ groups, representing all the mayors in the island. It was stalled in part because it couldn’t get a permit to drain 2.1 million gallons from a protected wetland. Farmers and residents concerned about the effects on their health, that it could undermine recycling programs that are in place. It flooded during the hurricane. We have a before-and-after situation, that’s up on the screen. It flooded during and released some of the hundreds of tons of toxic ash that could release, in the future, toxic ash into surrounding neighborhoods. And it requires a major loan from the federal government to go forward even though it’s fully privately funded for 67 megawatts of power. Is that what we can expect in terms of Title V critical projects? Zamot: Sir, there are many voices that, obviously, in a democratic process, voice their concern with such a project, but there are equal number of voices on the positive side. We don’t look at this project in Arecibo necessarily as even a power project. It is really a waste-management project. Puerto Rico has a critical, essentially a crisis, in waste management and landfill use that has been identified by the EPA, and that is why the EPA has actually been supportive of this program. 47:30 Representative Doug Lamborn (CO): Is it safe in assuming that pretty much 100% of the electricity generated in Puerto Rico today is from burning fuel oil? Noel Zamot: Sir, I would say it’s 96%. There is approximately 4% that is renewables in Puerto Rico right now. Lamborn: And as we know, fuel oil is very expensive and very dirty. Zamot: That is correct, sir. Lamborn: So, I like the plan. I think you said by 2040, 50% renewables, 50% natural gas through liquefied form. Zamot: That’s correct. Lamborn: Have you identified investors who are willing to make that huge investment in a LNG terminal? Zamot: Sir, there are a number of investors that are actually very bullish on Puerto Rico’s long-term prospects, and we and the board and specifically in my role as revitalization coordinator, we receive a lot of proposals, a lot of questions about how people can bring innovative capital solutions using private capital to bear, to benefit, the reconstruction of the grid and the people of Puerto Rico. Lamborn: Well, I would really urge you to keep pushing in that direction because I don’t think nuclear or coal is going to be a solution. Renewables are great, but to provide that much electricity in that short of time is unrealistic. So I welcome the discussion about LNG. 50:30 Representative Doug Lamborn (CO): And the last thing I want to ask you about is that 800-million-dollar project, and the ranking member referred to it: burning waste to create electricity. Is my understanding that that would be privately funded and would not need government subsidies of any kind? Noel Zamot: That is correct, sir. It’s entirely privately funded. Some of the capital structure includes some federal loans, but there is no money from Puerto Rico, and it relies on relatively new technology that is respectful of emissions. 51:53 Representative Grace Napolitano (CA): The incinerator would be built in an area in Arecibo previously contaminated by a battery recycling plant, and it was flooded during the hurricanes. Has the area been tested for lead, arsenic, and other contaminants? Noel Zamot: Ma’am, I do not have the specific details on what work has been accomplished to date, but we do know that the company that is planning that work has done extensive mitigation pre-work— Napolitano: How long has the plant been there, that it hasn’t been tested? Zamot: Ma’am, I do not have that information. Napolitano: Would you mind sending the answers to this committee— Zamot: Yes, ma’am. Napolitano: —so we can understand that. And how does the Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC plan to prevent their landfill from being flooded by future hurricanes? Zamot: Ma’am, could you repeat the question? Napolitano: How do you prevent landfill from being flooded by hurricanes? Zamot: That is an engineering question that I’m not prepared to answer right now. I would imagine that that has been looked at in the permitting that the company has received to date. Napolitano: Okay. When and—how and when does the company plan to bury the toxic ashes generated by the incinerator? Zamot: That is being currently discussed with the current Puerto Rico administration. Napolitano: Is, let’s see, how many Puerto Rico municipalities refuse to send trash to the plant incinerator? Zamot: I think the answer to that is many, because that represents a threat to current waste management in Puerto Rico, which the EPA has identified as a critical need to address. 1:19:36 Representative Steve Pearce (NM): Now, one of the problems that I see, just as a former business owner taking a look at it, one of the reasons that residents had to pay such a high rate is that certain entities didn’t have to pay for the electrical power. One of those would be the hotels. So are they still exempt from paying their power? Natalie Jaresko: Each of the economic development plans that Puerto Rico implemented over the years had individual tax agreements— Pearce: I’m just asking about the hotels. Jaresko: —between businesses and energy. Pearce: Are they still exempt? Are they not exempt? Jaresko: Some of them are, yes. Pearce: Some of them are exempt. Jaresko: That’s correct. Pearce: Now, also, cities were also exempt, and so city governments were exempt prior, according to what I’ve read. Noel Zamot: That’s correct, sir. 1:38:50 Natalie Jaresko: The board certainly considers privatization as one of the options going forward. There’s a question that remains open to see whether it’s privatization of the entire power sector, meaning generation transmission and distribution or some select part, or whether it just means bringing in private sector to compete and bring down the cost and bring up the efficiency of electricity. We’re looking at all of those as we define this fiscal plan for PREPA. 1:49:50 Representative Raul Labrador (ID): You stated that prior to the hurricane that the board possessed the authority to execute its mission and deliver on the underlying mandate Congress set with PROMESA, but with the devastation, you allude that those tools may be inadequate. So please tell us why does the board currently have—does the board currently have the tools necessary to facilitate efficient and effective recovery? Natalie Jaresko: I will try to be clear. I believe the board has the tools, that PROMESA gives us the tools. That said, when there are disagreements, the use of those tools ends up in costly and time-consuming litigation. Today more than ever that time and that cost is not helping Puerto Rico, so we asked for clarity of the tools that we have—whether it is in the appointment of a CTO through Title III, whether it is the implementation of our contract-policy review, or whether or not it is the implementation of the fiscal plans in full when certified. Labrador: So, what else do you need to be successful? Is there anything else that we need to give you to be successful? Jaresko: I think we would appreciate a legislative affirmation of those and/or conditioning of appropriations on those powers as you see fit. 2:11:11 Representative Garret Graves (LA): The governor recently proposed a law to address emergencies and disasters. Part of that law would allow, basically, eliminating or waiving sales tax in Puerto Rico. Are you aware—is that proposal on your radar screen? Were you consulted? Natalie Jaresko: No, we were not consulted. And I am aware that there has been a problem because of the lack of electricity and the collections of the sales-and-use tax. However, as electricity comes back, the collection process should also return. Graves: So you were not consulted. You were not aware on the front end. If ultimately the governor certifies that this is in compliance with the fiscal plan and you determine otherwise, what happens then? How does that play out? Jaresko: Well, I would hope that they would consult prior to putting that policy in place because it is something that can have a direct adverse fiscal effect, and it could be not in compliance with the fiscal plan. If they certify that it is, as you described, then we have a situation which could potentially, again, lead to difference of opinion in terms of what our role is in PROMESA. And it is very difficult for us, once it is certified by the government as being in compliance, if we disagree, to reverse that. Graves: I’m sorry. Say that last part again. Jaresko: If the government certifies that the executive order or law is in compliance with the fiscal plan, it is difficult for us to reverse that. Graves: Your hands are effectively tied. Do you think Congress should revisit that in terms of something that you believe causes economic harm or undermines the objectives of the fiscal plan but you don’t have the ability to actually help reset that? Jaresko: I think it should be very clear that the intent of PROMESA was for us to be able to stop things that were having an adverse effect on the fiscal plan, yes. 2:26:37 Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL): Arecibo incinerator, Mr. Zamot, I would hope you would talk to Secretary Vilsack because you seem to have a different perspective than he does, since the loan from the USDA is through the Rural Utilities Services. In other words, the money is not in order to do something with waste management; the money is to create energy. But you said to us earlier—and correct me if I’m wrong, if I misunderstood—that the purpose is one of for garbage, basically, disposal, and not for energy. How do you see it? Is it garbage disposal or energy? What is the primary purpose of it? Noel Zamot: Sir, the government of Puerto Rico has a letter out, and they consider that plan in Arecibo to be both a provider of energy— Gutierrez: But when you said primarily, you said primarily. Zamot: The plan at Arecibo, where about 2% of the aggregate electrical demand— Gutierrez: Okay. So primarily, I heard you—and we can go back to the record—you said that it was primarily; yet, they are asking for a loan between half a million and 750 million dollars. And let me just assure you and everybody here: Given the fact that the government of Puerto Rico already owes over $2 billion, unless Mrs. Jaresko’s going to use some of her skills to eliminate that debt, I don’t see how we’re going to do that. And in the last 25 seconds, because I want to focus on this issue with you, do you believe that the control board has such power that you do not have to take into consideration the concerns of the duly elected mayors of the cities that will be affected by the incinerator? Or do you feel you need to consult with them before you make a decision going forward? Zamot: Sir, in 9 seconds, the statute provides for a public comment period that in conclusion— Gutierrez: So, you don’t believe. You do believe that you’re supreme. You’re kind of a dictator over everything. 2:32:05 Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez (PR): You say that the board has the power to name a chief transformation officer to take over the management of PREPA, and at the same time, I know the state government, state legislator, the governor is against that. And you filed a motion in the court to allow that to happen. Do you have the power or you don’t have the power to actually name the coordinator board? Natalie Jaresko: Thank you. We believe we do have that power, and that’s why we filed that petition in court. We believe we have that power under Title III as any representative of a debtor, and the board is named the representative of the debtor, in the law in PROMESA, to name a chief restructuring officer, a receiver, a chief transformation officer, as we call it. Gonzalez: So, sorry to interrupt you, but then you don’t need any change in the PROMESA law? You don’t need any power to make that happen, because that’s the question this committee is doing. What do you need in terms of helping the people of Puerto Rico to recover power? I think that’s the main question. If we were a state, we will not have you. If we were a state, we will have full funding in all federal programs, and now that’s a problem all territories got. Jaresko: The board believes that in appointing this CTO will help us move more quickly to restoration of power. That is the only reason the board took this position, and they took it at this time. 2:43:30 Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL): Mayor, thank you very much for being here with us. Could you tell us your annual salary? Mayor Angel Perez Otero: My? Gutierrez: Yes. *Otero: 96,000. Gutierrez: $96,000. Mr. Zamot? What’s your annual salary? Noel Zamot: That’s a matter of— Gutierrez: I’m sorry? Zamot: Sir, that’s a matter of public record. Gutierrez: How much is it? Zamot: I think it’s in the record, sir. Gutierrez: Just—can’t you tell us how much it is? You know how much you’re getting paid. Why are you so reluctant to give us—this is a committee. Just want to know how much you’re getting paid. The mayor was very forthcoming. Zamot: The board found a competition competitive compensation of $315,000. 2:55:30 Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL): So, I’ll ask Mrs. Jaresko—I didn’t get to ask you—what’s your annual salary? Natalie Jaresko: $625,000. Gutierrez: $625,000. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)  

Recorded in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2017. SWF co-sponsored, with the National Space Weather Partnership, the 2017 the Space Weather Enterprise Forum. This year’s theme was "Implementing a National Space Weather Partnership.” The forum brought together a blended audience of space weather experts from both research and operations, space weather users from the public and private sectors, academia, international representatives, and policy makers. One of the event objectives was continuing outreach and education to raise awareness of space weather effects on systems and humans and to provide information on available services. Speakers Ms. Kenyetta Blunt, Chief, Recovery Planning Branch, Federal Emergency Management Agency Mr. Ralph Stoffler, Director of Weather, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, US Air Force Dr. Ken Friedman, Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Department of Energy Mr. Mark MacAlester, Telecommunications Specialist and National Response Coordinator in the Disaster Emergency Communications Division at FEMA Moderator: Mr. Jack Anderson, Department of Homeland Security More details, including transcripts, can be found at the event page on the SWF website.

Lunch will be served Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 12:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to a briefing about the key role played by the 56 governor-designated State and Territory Energy Officials, other state agencies, the private sector, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in mitigating the impacts of and responding to energy supply disruptions (of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum products). Such emergencies, often caused by extreme weather, can pose a threat to public health and safety and can cause lasting economic harm. According to the Congressional Research Service, weather-related outages cost the nation between $25 and $70 billion annually. State Energy Officials often lead the preparation of energy emergency (or energy assurance) plans, and work with the private sector and DOE in responding to energy emergencies. Equally important is mitigating the potential severity and length of energy emergencies through the promotion of more resilient energy infrastructure; electric generating fuel diversity; construction of high-performance mission critical public facilities; diversification of transportation fuels; and energy and water efficiency retrofits of public facilities. Such actions also help to minimize disruptions to mission-critical facilities, such as police and fire stations, schools, water systems, hospitals and communications infrastructure. To fulfill this critical public safety mission, State Energy Offices and their partners rely on the federal funding provided by DOE’s State Energy Program (SEP), and the expertise offered by its Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. In partnership with DOE, states have led innovation on energy emergency preparedness and response, as well as energy infrastructure resilience, for over 25 years. Their efforts focus on limiting the impact of energy supply disruptions from all hazards—natural and man-made—and returning energy systems and communities to normal activity as rapidly as possible. In this briefing, NASEO and state energy directors will discuss the concept of energy assurance—as well as key mitigation actions—and how State Energy Offices partner with state and local agencies and the private sector to rebuild after a natural disaster, prepare for future emergencies, and improve resiliency with energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Lunch will be served Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 12:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to a briefing about the key role played by the 56 governor-designated State and Territory Energy Officials, other state agencies, the private sector, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in mitigating the impacts of and responding to energy supply disruptions (of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum products). Such emergencies, often caused by extreme weather, can pose a threat to public health and safety and can cause lasting economic harm. According to the Congressional Research Service, weather-related outages cost the nation between $25 and $70 billion annually. State Energy Officials often lead the preparation of energy emergency (or energy assurance) plans, and work with the private sector and DOE in responding to energy emergencies. Equally important is mitigating the potential severity and length of energy emergencies through the promotion of more resilient energy infrastructure; electric generating fuel diversity; construction of high-performance mission critical public facilities; diversification of transportation fuels; and energy and water efficiency retrofits of public facilities. Such actions also help to minimize disruptions to mission-critical facilities, such as police and fire stations, schools, water systems, hospitals and communications infrastructure. To fulfill this critical public safety mission, State Energy Offices and their partners rely on the federal funding provided by DOE's State Energy Program (SEP), and the expertise offered by its Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. In partnership with DOE, states have led innovation on energy emergency preparedness and response, as well as energy infrastructure resilience, for over 25 years. Their efforts focus on limiting the impact of energy supply disruptions from all hazards—natural and man-made—and returning energy systems and communities to normal activity as rapidly as possible. In this briefing, NASEO and state energy directors will discuss the concept of energy assurance—as well as key mitigation actions—and how State Energy Offices partner with state and local agencies and the private sector to rebuild after a natural disaster, prepare for future emergencies, and improve resiliency with energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Lunch will be served Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 12:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to a briefing about the key role played by the 56 governor-designated State and Territory Energy Officials, other state agencies, the private sector, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in mitigating the impacts of and responding to energy supply disruptions (of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum products). Such emergencies, often caused by extreme weather, can pose a threat to public health and safety and can cause lasting economic harm. According to the Congressional Research Service, weather-related outages cost the nation between $25 and $70 billion annually. State Energy Officials often lead the preparation of energy emergency (or energy assurance) plans, and work with the private sector and DOE in responding to energy emergencies. Equally important is mitigating the potential severity and length of energy emergencies through the promotion of more resilient energy infrastructure; electric generating fuel diversity; construction of high-performance mission critical public facilities; diversification of transportation fuels; and energy and water efficiency retrofits of public facilities. Such actions also help to minimize disruptions to mission-critical facilities, such as police and fire stations, schools, water systems, hospitals and communications infrastructure. To fulfill this critical public safety mission, State Energy Offices and their partners rely on the federal funding provided by DOE’s State Energy Program (SEP), and the expertise offered by its Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. In partnership with DOE, states have led innovation on energy emergency preparedness and response, as well as energy infrastructure resilience, for over 25 years. Their efforts focus on limiting the impact of energy supply disruptions from all hazards—natural and man-made—and returning energy systems and communities to normal activity as rapidly as possible. In this briefing, NASEO and state energy directors will discuss the concept of energy assurance—as well as key mitigation actions—and how State Energy Offices partner with state and local agencies and the private sector to rebuild after a natural disaster, prepare for future emergencies, and improve resiliency with energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The Executive Education Forum for Policy at USC Price offers a broad base of specialized non-degree certificate programs for local and global leaders. The Forum is a suite of programs targeting public sector and other senior, mid-level, and emerging leaders, and is designed to deepen their understanding of substantive policy issues, augment their ability to leverage and increase existing public sector capacity, and foster leadership – all with the purpose of improving public and nonprofit administration and solving public problems. The Forum achieves this by bringing together world-renowned faculty of USC Price, experienced practitioners and a dynamic curriculum to teach and reach across boundaries. George Minter Regional Vice President, External Affairs and Environmental Strategy, SoCalGas Steve Oda Manager, Business Resiliency Operations, Southern California Edison Tomaso Giannelli Outrage Communications Project Manager, Southern California Edison

The 2014 ControlTrends Awards event is only eight days away! The voting phase is over and the votes are being tallied. It will be an amazing and exciting night featuring the heroes and superstars of HVAC and Building Automation Industry. We thank our sponsors for making the ControlTrends Awards possible. Monday, January 26th, 2015 at Chicago’s McCormick Hyatt, from 6:00PM to 8:00PM, though we invite you to get there early to walk the red carpet and elegant ambiance of the Prairie Ballroom to celebrate the 2014 ControlTrends Awards Winners, the Petock Award recipient, and the ControlTrends Hall of Fame inductees. Voluntary Code of Conduct for Smart Grid Data PrivacyU.S. DOE Releases Voluntary Code of Conduct for Smart Grid Data Privacy. January 12, 2015: President Obama announced the release of the final concepts and principles for a Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) related to privacy of customer energy usage data for utilities and third parties. The final VCC is the result of a 22-month multi-stakeholder effort which was facilitated by the Energy Department’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability in coordination with the Federal Smart Grid Task Force. Mr. Jones Votes and Gets Ready For The ControlTrends Awards. Voting for the 2014 ControlTrends Awards ends January 15. Click here to vote. Get ready for all the excitment and fun at the 2014 ControlTrends Awards January 26 from 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency Prairie Ballroom, and meet the superstars of the Building Automation and HVAC Controls Industry including the very talented Bill Jones, who put together this video. Ron Vokoun Data Center Predictions for 2015. A very special thanks to Ron Vokoun DBIA, LEED AP BD+C, leads the Mission Critical Market for at JE Dunn Construction for this very insightful post. And to Rick Warner, a.k.a “The Innovator” for making us aware of Ron. With the arrival of a new year, organizations are making plans to address the explosion of enterprise data in 2015. A big question is how those plans will differ from your data center operations this past year. The Best Way To Control Electrical Plug Loads? Rob Allen Explains. On this episode of 7 Minutes in Control Rob Allen and Michael Bonner show you the best way to control loads at the plug level. Plug-IT delivers a remarkable solution to maximize your energy savings and is an award-winning product that leverages existing Niagara installations! Easily meets the latest ASHRAE 90.1 standards for controlling 50% of wall receptacle plug loads. Can Your Building Automation Control System Do This? Honeywell might be the only company on the planet that combines building Automation Controls and Access and Security in one JACE, truly integrating ACCESS and Security and Building Automation Controls from one source and one vendor. Savvy systems integrators and owners love the value of this solution. Watch the video below and tell us what you think in comments. 2015 Building Energy Summit — Early Bird Registration Ends January 31, 2015. On March 25, 2015, more than 500 of the nation’s top building owners and managers, along with technology and energy experts, will convene in Washington DC to discuss groundbreaking and innovative solutions for energy efficient buildings. Sign up for the 2015 Building Energy Summit. Philip Henderson Meet John Petze.Great talk by Philip Henderson, who is the senior financial policy specialist for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Philip is speaking at GreenBuild. One of Philip’s points is that 80% of the buildings that are targeted for Vision 2020 and beyond are already built. Building more energy efficient buildings is great, but to reach the objectives of Vision 2020 we must make existing buildings more operationally efficient. The post ControlTalk NOW: The Smart Building Podcast/Videocast Week Ending January 18, 2015 appeared first on ControlTrends.

ControlTrends thanks Neptronic, this week’s ControlTalk NOW Platinum sponsor. Founded in 1976, Neptronic has a rich history of HVAC industry firsts, beginning with the earliest adoption and advancement of the direct coupled actuator (DCA) conversion in the North American market. Neptronic continued its industry innovation with the introduction of the ball valve and the capacitance fail safe feature (1996 Patent) — and more recently, won a coveted 2014 AHR Expo Innovative Award for their SKD Humidifier. Neptronic is a private corporation that designs, manufactures and distributes products for the HVAC industry, whose product line includes intelligent controllers, electronic actuators, actuated valves, humidifiers and electric heaters. U.S. Department of Energy Webinar on Smart Grid Data Privacy: A Voluntary Code of Conduct. ControlTrends Community, here it is. Participation is requested (and important)! DOE information release, November 17, 2014: On Wednesday, December 11, 2014 the Energy Department’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability in coordination with the Federal Smart Grid Task Force will conduct a webinar to conclude the development phase of a Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) related to privacy of customer energy usage data for utilities and third parties. ControlTrends Training: High Pressure Refrigeration Controls: A special thanks to Mike Glenn from Johnson Controls for putting this training video on High Pressure Refrigeration controls together. You can also check out Mike’s video on low pressure refrigeration controls by clicking here. These switches regulate critical functions within a refrigeration system and are essential to its proper operation. Low-pressure switches are commonly used to control compressor operation or act as a low-limit control. We Need to Talk: Intel’s MICA — My Intelligent Communications Accessory. Okay, this version is a limited featured, fashion accessory for stylish women, but a few beefed-up wearable siblings, with shock-proof and waterproof features, can’t be far behind. This is the CONTEXTUALIZATION PRINCIPAL’s best example so far — that has figured out, “INTELigently,” how to claim enough wearable body real estate without significant negative consequence, and takes the lead as the Star-Trecky IoT game-changer that will link every aspect of your life to a connected device worn on your wrist. Get your VISAs out, it’ll probably be ready for your holiday purchases. Read more on Intel’s website! GC Valves TIP: Solenoid Valves for Oil & Gas Burner Pilot Applications: GC Valves offers very competitive, high-quality solenoid valve solutions for general purpose, oil and natural gas burner, and custom-solenoid valve applications. Now that the cold weather has arrived, here is a reminder that GC Valves manufactures some of the most popular pilot valves for oil and natural gas burners. Introducing 2014 Residential Thermostat of The Year Nominee: Honeywell Lyric Round is cool again! Round is cool again! Honeywell introduced the T87 Round thermostats when Ken Smyers, the man, the myth, the legend was but a mere tike. Round gave way to rectangular shaped thermostats and round stats got lost in the thermostatic style wars. It took a guy from Apple, Tony Fadell, to make round cool again when he introduced the Nest thermostat a couple of years ago. Not to be out done, Honeywell, the original purveyors of round, packed over 100 years of Honeywell control know-how into the ultra cool Honeywell Lyric. How a VFD Pays for Itself:This week Stromquist hosted a Drive to Savings Day with Siemens and GA Power to educate our customers on the benefits of Variable Frequency Drives and GA Power’s current rebate programs for VFDs and other HVAC equipment. Most people already know that installing a VFD can save money by cutting back on the energy it takes to run equipment, but not everyone is aware that there are additional savings to reap by taking advantage of GA Power’s rebate opportunity. For any NEW drive installed on existing equipment, GA Power will issue a $50 per HP rebate. So a 20 HP drive will bring a $1000 rebate. Add that to the money saved in energy costs, and the new drive will pay for itself very quickly! Smart Meters and Big Brother Video Editorial. Check out this video from Minivan Jack! Is he just being paranoid or does he have a point? If not through a smart meter, what about through a Nest thermostat collecting your information? Let me know what you think in comments. Contemporary Controls’ Modbus Profile Builder Software for the BASgatewayLX is Now Available! November 2014 — The BASgatewayLX uses a csv (comma separated value) file that is uploaded to it to provide the modbus point list that will be polled. Contemporary Controls builds these Modbus maps and posts them on our BASgatewayLX profile page. If you need a Modbus that is not currently on line please contact us, and we will enjoy creating it for you. The post ControlTalk NOW for the Week Ending November 23, 2014 appeared first on ControlTrends.