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Friday, March 30, 2012

USDA Works to Reduce Its Environmental Footprint

Did you know that USDA manages 193 million acres of land; occupies approximately 89 million square feet of office and laboratory space and operates over 23,000 buildings?  And if this isn’t enough, USDA also operates a fleet of over 40,000 motor vehicles and equipment.
Photo of green roof on court 5 of the South Building.  Saves energy and reduces excessive stormwater runoff (which supports our efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay).
Photo of green roof on court 5 of the South Building. Saves energy and reduces excessive stormwater runoff (which supports our efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay).
With statistics like these, it is no wonder that USDA remains focused on reducing its rather significant environmental footprint by using clean energy while working towards improving the environment.   To accomplish this, USDA conducts its operations in a sustainable manner, complies with environmental laws and regulations and walks its talk.
In order to realize these goals, USDA works on many fronts to:
  • Reduce its reliance on nonrenewable energy by improving energy conservation;
  • Increase efficiency and promote renewable energy projects and programs;
  • Support green transportation and travel practices that reduce harmful emissions;
  • Increase operational and fuel efficiency; and
  • Reduce nonrenewable fuel use.
To better coordinate this effort and build on past success, the Department created the USDA Sustainable Operations Council.  This Council includes representatives from each USDA mission area which represents each of USDA’s agencies.  The efforts of the Council are supported through several other groups, specifically, USDA’s Asset Management Council, Procurement Council, employee green teams and various workgroups throughout the Department.
Photo of one of our new “Cool Roofs” (made from biobased materials) at the USDA HQ Complex Facility - helps save energy.
Photo of one of our new “Cool Roofs” (made from biobased materials) at the USDA HQ Complex Facility - helps save energy.
Green teams embody USDA’s efforts to achieve sustainable operations at the grass roots level.  A USDA green team is a group of employees, regardless of discipline or organizational level, specifically chartered by leadership to promote and foster sustainable operations that reduce a unit’s environmental footprint.  For example, some successes which can be attributed to USDA green teams include:
  • Reductions in electricity use by seven percent and natural gas use by 26 percent in the Pike-San Isabel National Forest; and
  • Installing electric steam kettles and electric hot water heaters within the USDA Headquarters Complex for summer mode use which yielded an annual savings of $194,000.
And another success can be illustrated through USDA’s energy initiative, the “USDA Unplugged Challenge,” which was designed to bring awareness to USDA employees about the energy usage and waste that occurs at the USDA facilities during the evenings and on weekends.  The “USDAUnplugged Challenge” demonstrated that employees can make a significant difference in reducing electric consumption and costs. USDA energy managers found that employees within the Headquarters Complex were able to reduce electric use by 9,000 kilowatt-hours in a 24 hour period during the work week and by 24,000 kilowatt-hours over the weekend during the “USDA Unplugged Challenge.
USDA has synergistically combined its strategic plans and policies with the services that the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides to create effective management tools and energy initiatives.  Examples include FEMP-sponsored Energy Savings Performance Contracts and Utility Energy Service Contracts, green power purchase agreements, internal USDA Agency scorecards, corporate energy data management systems and environmental management systems.  Specific energy initiatives entail increasing the use of alternative transportation fuels, procuring more energy efficient replacement vehicles, performing facility energy evaluations and strategically disseminating energy-related outreach and awareness materials.
The Forest Service is building net-zero energy installations, including the San Dimas Technology and Development Center, shown.
The Forest Service is building net-zero energy installations, including the San Dimas Technology and Development Center, shown.

Obama Administration and Great Lakes States Announce Agreement to Spur Development of Offshore Wind Projects

Obama Administration and Great Lakes States Announce Agreement to Spur Development of Offshore Wind Projects

March 30, 2012 - 12:00pm

Washington, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s all of the above approach to energy, the Obama Administration today joined with the governors of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will streamline the efficient and responsible development of offshore wind resources in the Great Lakes.  This effort underscores the President’s commitment to American made energy, increasing energy independence, and creating jobs.

“President Obama is focused on leveraging American energy sources, including increased oil and gas production, the safe development of nuclear power, as well as renewable energy from sources like wind and solar, which is on track to double in the President’s first term,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.  “This agreement among Federal agencies and Great Lakes states is a smart, practical way to encourage the development of homegrown energy that will create jobs, power homes, and help increase our nation’s energy security.”

 “As the President has made clear, an American economy that lasts is one built on American energy, designed and produced by American workers,” said Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman.  “This effort will allow us to tap into our abundant offshore resources, enhancing our energy security through an all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy.”

The MOU will enhance collaboration between Federal and State agencies to speed review of proposed offshore wind projects.  Specifically, Federal and State agencies will develop an action plan that sets priorities and recommends steps for achieving efficient and responsible evaluation of proposed offshore wind power projects in the Great Lakes region.

Unlocking the Great Lakes’ offshore wind energy resources could yield tremendous economic and environmental benefits throughout the region, and has the potential to produce more than 700 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind, about one fifth of the total offshore wind potential in the U.S.  The development of even a small portion of the area’s offshore wind potential could create tens of thousands of clean energy jobs and generate revenue for local businesses.  These efforts are in line with the steps the Administration has taken to increase domestic energy production, including increased production of our nation’s oil and natural gas resources – with domestic oil production higher than any time in the last eight years and natural gas at an all-time high.  The Administration is also supporting the construction of the first nuclear power plant in 30 years, and today’s announcement builds on the extensive effort by the Administration to increase energy from renewable sources like wind and solar, which will double by the end of the President’s first term.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that each gigawatt of offshore wind installed could produce enough electricity to power 300,000 homes.  The efforts made possible by today’s agreement will also bolster existing investments in offshore wind technologies by promoting a consistent and predictable regulatory environment that inspires innovation and helps to bring clean energy solutions to market.
“In Illinois, we believe investing in clean energy projects and the development of wind resources helps promote economic development and create jobs, while reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources,” Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said.  “We are extremely pleased to collaborate with the U.S. DOE and our fellow Great Lakes states to harness the clean, natural power of our offshore wind.”

“Minnesota has been a leader in developing wind energy for nearly two decades.  We now have more than 2.7 thousand megawatts of wind projects online, and we rank fifth among the states for the most installed wind capacity,” said Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton.  “We look forward to sharing our expertise with other states and federal agencies, to learning from them, and to collaborating on the further development of offshore wind resources.”

“The Great Lakes have the potential to provide clean energy from offshore wind and related green jobs in upstate New York,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.  “This MOU offers a responsible mechanism for enhanced and efficient collaboration among federal, state and local interests in evaluating processes and proposals for development of this resource.”

“This agreement will enable states to work together to ensure that any proposed off-shore wind projects are reviewed in a consistent manner, and that the various state and federal agencies involved collaborate and coordinate their reviews,” said Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett.

To safely and responsibly develop offshore wind resources, Federal and State agencies – which share jurisdiction in the Great Lakes – must fully evaluate the potential social, environmental, safety and security impacts of projects.  The agreement signed today will enhance collaboration between Federal and State agencies to speed review of proposed offshore wind projects and accelerate the development of clean, American energy from offshore wind energy resources in the Great Lakes region.  Under the MOU, Federal and State agencies will develop an action plan that sets priorities and recommends steps for achieving efficient and responsible evaluation of proposed offshore wind power projects in the Great Lakes region.

The following participants have signed the MOU:

State of Illinois
State of Michigan
State of Minnesota
State of New York
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
White House Council on Environmental Quality
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Department of the Army
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Aviation Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
A fact sheet can be found HERE, and the MOU can be read in full HERE.

Scarcity Solutions: Apple's Solar Solution

CNBC's Jane Wells reports Apple's plan to "green" its image by building a powerful data center that could potentially draw 10-15 per cent of its power from solar energy.  To see the video, click the link below:

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000081552

Assignment of Fuji Heavy Industries Wind Turbine Generator System Business to Hitachi

Assignment of Fuji Heavy Industries
Wind Turbine Generator System Business to Hitachi

Tokyo, March 30, 2012 – Hitachi Ltd. (NYSE:HIT / TSE:6501, Hitachi) and Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TSE:7270, FHI) have reached a basic agreement on the assignment of FHI's wind turbine generator system business to Hitachi. Towards the completion of assignment, which is planned for July 1, 2012, Hitachi and FHI will discuss the specific terms of the future agreement.
In recent years, environmental awareness and the rapid increase in the price of materials have been important issues in our society. The value of applying renewable energies including wind energy and solar energy are becoming increasingly apparent. Specifically in the area of wind power generation systems, further introduction and expansion in Japan is widely predicted, especially given Japan's geography. Japan has many hills and mountains, and wind turbines can be installed even in those areas. It is also anticipated that demand for large wind turbine systems will also increase in offshore markets in the future.
Hitachi and FHI co-developed a 2,000kW level downwind type power generation system in 2003. This prototype machine was installed in Hasaki, Kamisu City, Ibaraki Pref. Japan in December 2005, followed by the delivery of a total of 25 units of wind power generation systems at 6 sites throughout the country. The downwind type turbine is a wind turbine that is installed with its rotor under the lee of the tower. It can effectively catch wind to generate power on hills and at sea. Hitachi designed and manufactured the power generator and the power control component and has also sold and installed the wind power system. FHI designed and manufactured the nacelle, blade, and tower. Hitachi and FHI have developed a strong business relationship through their cooperation and expansion of this business.
After the assignment, Hitachi will consolidate the resources of the two companies to enhance the design and development capability, and integrate the manufacturing and distribution so that it can quickly respond to future market needs. Hitachi will combine its power control technologies as well as the system linkage and stabilization technologies with FHI's downwind type turbine technologies, with the goal of expanding further into the renewable energy market.
FHI will concentrate its management resources to other divisions including the Subaru automotive business.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd.

FHI, the maker of Subaru automobiles, is a leading manufacturer in Japan with a long history of technological innovations that dates back to its origin as an aircraft company. While the automotive business is a main business pillar, FHI's Aerospace, Industrial Products and Eco Technologies divisions offer a diverse range of products from general-purpose engines, power generators, and sanitation trucks to small airplanes, crucial components for passenger aircrafts, and wind-powered electricity generating systems. Recognized internationally for its AWD (all-wheel drive) technology and Horizontally-Opposed engines in Subaru, FHI is also spearheading the development of environmentally friendly products and is committed to contributing to global environmental preservation.

Senate clears Energy Department nominees - The Hill's E2-Wire

Senate clears Energy Department nominees - The Hill's E2-Wire

News bites: Obama, states seek to speed Great Lakes wind farms - The Hill's E2-Wire

News bites: Obama, states seek to speed Great Lakes wind farms - The Hill's E2-Wire

Thursday, March 29, 2012

BCAP: Consider It a Holliday Wish Come True

Chris Holliday has more pastureland than he needs for his cows—335 acres to be exact. So when USDA introduced a way to use that land to help create clean energy while reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil, he saw it as an opportunity.
“I thought it was a good idea and I had a good feeling about it,” said Holliday, owner of Holliday Investment in Prairie Home, Mo. He is one of several farmers that signed up acreage in the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, or BCAP, last year. All 335 acres will be used to plant Miscanthus, a giant perennial grass that can be processed into a biofuel.
The USDA incentive greatly reduces farmers’ expenses to finance the planting, harvesting and delivery of the Miscanthus for processing. BCAP pays farmers up to 75 percent of the planting costs and offers an annual rental payment while producers wait for the crop to mature, which takes about three years.
Eric Allphin, an agronomist for MFA Oil, travels throughout Missouri and Arkansas offering advice on the best methods to grow the crop. “I give advice on initial fertilizer rates, field preparation and planting,” said Allphin. He also helps educate the public by dispelling the myth that Miscanthus is an invasive perennial.
“People who think it is invasive don’t know a lot about the crop,” said Allphin. Miscanthus is a sterile crop that doesn’t produce seeds that can be blown away by the wind or carried by birds. “It’s less invasive than its native species,” he said.
For Holliday, the crop is a win-win situation.
“I wouldn’t have put up the upfront costs to do this if it were not for the BCAP program. The government took the risk out of it and made it easier,” he said. “There really is no downside and I like doing new things. If it helps lower the price of gas and oil, then I’m all for it.”
Holliday signed up for the program through MFA Oil Biomass—a partnership between Aloterra Energy and MFA Oil. “FSA picked a good company to work with,” said Holliday. “Farmers know and trust MFA.”
The company manages three project areas in Missouri, Arkansas and a portion of Pennsylvania. This spring, the company expects to plant 6,588 acres of Miscanthus, including the 335 acres on Holliday’s farm.
BCAP is an important element of our national energy strategy to address high fuel prices and reduce reliance on petroleum. To create jobs in rural communities, drive economic growth, and help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, USDA is aggressively pursuing investments in renewable energy, investing in or making payments to over 5,700 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement projects. More than 130 biodiesel and ethanol projects funded by USDA are currently producing almost 3.7 billion gallons of biodiesel and ethanol annually, enough fuel – in equivalence to gasoline – to keep five million vehicles on the road every year. In addition, USDA provided financial assistance for blender fuel pumps so drivers can pump fuels with higher ethanol mix into their gas tanks. This year, these programs provided financial assistance to help support nearly 250 blender fuel pumps.

The Energy Behind Alternative Energy

The Biomass Crop Assistance Program, or BCAP, is still in its infancy, but its potential success has producers and businesses wanting more.
“We have people on a waiting list,” said Tim Wooldridge, Arkansas project manager with MFA Oil Biomass. MFA was selected by USDA to manage three of nine project areas in fiscal year 2011. Each project area was awarded federal funding to provide incentives to farmers to grow non-food crops that can be processed into biofuels. “Our initial target in the Arkansas project was 5,000 acres, which we surpassed in signing up 6,588 acres. We now have 1,500 acres on a waitlist. We could easily get another 6,000.”
Those 6,588 acres will be planted this spring with Miscanthus, a perennial grass that can be dried and compressed into fuel pellets. These pellets will work toward President Obama’s goal of increased energy independence by decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The harvesting and processing of the grass will have an economic impact on communities by creating jobs.
This photo shows giant miscanthus (measuring seven feet tall). Photo courtesy of NRCS
This photo shows giant miscanthus (measuring seven feet tall). Photo courtesy of NRCS
“It has been a phenomenal success in Arkansas,” said Wooldridge. “I receive calls daily from farmers hoping that we expand.”
Scott Coye-Huhn, senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer of Aloterra Energy LLC, mirrors that sentiment. Aloterra Energy manages four project areas — three of which are through the MFA Oil Biomass partnership — in Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas and a portion of Pennsylvania.
Coye-Huhn said it took a lot of hard work and long hours to initially educate farmers about BCAP and how it will help the community. But once it took hold, producers jumped at the chance to participate.
“It has exceeded our expectations. We are surprised at the number of ideas and spin offs that [BCAP] has created. It is really exciting.”
Aloterra also has a waitlist, and together the two companies have hired more than 100 employees to plant Miscanthus on 18,000 acres in the four project areas. Aloterra and MFA Oil Biomass expect to grow each project area to 50,000 acres, which will produce 2.4 million tons of biomass per year.
“To put these initial 18,000 acres into oil and gas terms, they can produce a reserve of 10,000,000 barrels of liquid fuels.  At full maturity, these projects will be ten times larger and will have a real impact on our fuel supplies.”
According to Coye-Huhn, based on a third party projection, the BCAP project is expected to produce 3,600 new jobs in all four project areas, which will have a $200 million economic impact.
USDA is currently accepting applications for the next round of BCAP project areas. For more information, visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap.
BCAP, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), is an important element of our national energy strategy to address high fuel prices and reduce reliance on petroleum. To create jobs in rural communities, drive economic growth, and help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, USDA is aggressively pursuing investments in renewable energy, investing in or making payments to over 5,700 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement projects. More than 130 biodiesel and ethanol projects funded by USDA are currently producing almost 3.7 billion gallons of biodiesel and ethanol annually, enough fuel – in equivalence to gasoline – to keep five million vehicles on the road every year. In addition, USDA provided financial assistance for blender fuel pumps so drivers can pump fuels with higher ethanol mix into their gas tanks. This year, these programs provided financial assistance to help support nearly 250 blender fuel pumps.

The Legend Grows – South Dakota Seed Company Saves Big Bucks with Biomass

As the team at Legend Seeds of De Smet, South Dakota, gears up for spring and the 2012 growing season, they do so from a newly-constructed, state-of-the-art facility, located just east of their former space on Highway 14.  The new office, seed lab and expanded warehouse space were designed to better accommodate the additional full-time office staff needed to support the stretching trade area and growing field staff for the Legend organization. Thanks to a USDA program, the building is also energy efficient.
USDA Business & Cooperative Program Director Dana Kleinsasser(left), Area Specialist Darlene Bresson, and Legend Seeds President Glen Davis check out the biomass boiler system, which saves 60 percent of the cost of heating the seed company building, compared to the previous system.
USDA Business & Cooperative Program Director Dana Kleinsasser(left), Area Specialist Darlene Bresson, and Legend Seeds President Glen Davis check out the biomass boiler system, which saves 60 percent of the cost of heating the seed company building, compared to the previous system.
The former office space that was purchased in 1992 had been remodeled and updated over the years but Legend owner, Glen Davis, recognized that the increasing demand for productivity would be best met if he augmented the workspace and workflow for his talented team.  In addition to a fresh contemporary look and serviceable layout, the new space boasts an impressive, highly-efficient heating and cooling system powered by a 250,000 BTU biomass boiler.
Using the biomass boiler accomplished two goals – to reduce energy usage and to reduce the amount of carry-over corn that was going to the local landfill.  Typically, renewable energy, such as the biomass boiler, carry large up-front installation costs.  But with the assistance of the Rural Energy for America program (REAP) from USDA Rural Development, Legend Seeds received a grant for 25 percent of the boiler cost.  With the boiler, Legend’s energy bill is projected to be reduced by nearly 60 percent, and the cost to dispose of waste corn will decline also – a win-win situation.
“The funding provided by REAP has been not only a help in construction of the new office’s heating system but also the advice and support has been valuable in completing the entire project,” said Glen Davis, president of Legend Seeds.
Seed company President Glen Davis explains to Business & Cooperative Program Director Dana Kleinsasser how the USDA-funded boiler heats the facility, saving 60 percent of the cost of energy.
Seed company President Glen Davis explains to Business & Cooperative Program Director Dana Kleinsasser how the USDA-funded boiler heats the facility, saving 60 percent of the cost of energy.
USDA is currently accepting applications for Rural Energy for America funding, but the deadline for some applications is rapidly approaching.  To find out more, call your State Rural Development office or click here.  To read more about how REAP has been used to reduce energy costs across America, click here.

Nextiva Maintains its Environmental Leadership Position by Renewing Participation in Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree® Program

Nextiva, the leading unified communications and business VoIP service provider, announced today that it is offsetting its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org Foundation, a leading nonprofit carbon reduction and climate solutions organization. By renewing its participation for the fourth consecutive year in Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree® Partner program, Nextiva demonstrates its commitment to the fight against global warming.


http://www.nextiva.com/news/2012-news-archive/carbonfund-partnership-renewal.html

Cisco Reinforces Commitment to Russian Sustainable Development and Innovation

Cisco Reinforces Commitment to Russian Sustainable Development and Innovation

Is Kansas ready to bump to E15 at the pump? - KansasCity.com

Is Kansas ready to bump to E15 at the pump? - KansasCity.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Industry Milestone: GE’s Heavy Duty Gas Turbines Surpass 2 Million Fired Hours on Low Carbon-Intensity Fuels

28 March 2012
Industry Milestone: GE’s Heavy Duty Gas Turbines Surpass 2 Million Fired Hours on Low Carbon-Intensity Fuels
 

  • Waste Fuels from Industrial Operations Like Steelmaking Produce Power with Zero Incremental CO2 Emissions
  • Power from Coal Gasification Enables Future Generations of Low Carbon Coal-Fired Plants
  • GE Low-Carbon Technologies Demonstrate Maturity, Reliability and Affordability

ATLANTA, GA.—March 28, 2012—GE’s (NYSE: GE) fleet of 47 heavy duty gas turbines operating on low British thermal unit (BTU) fuels has accumulated more than 2 million fired hours, an operational milestone that underscores GE’s commitment to developing specialized solutions that meet the demands of today’s evolving energy industry.

Low BTU, or low calorific value fuels have significantly less heating values than natural gas. Examples include syngas, steel mill gases and dilute natural gas. These fuels are lighter than natural gas and have less energy per unit volume.

The fuel flexibility inherent in GE’s B, E and F-class turbines has allowed these units to operate on low BTU fuels in a variety of applications, including integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC), refinery-based IGCC and steel mills.

“In a carbon-constrained environment, the technology trend is for combustion systems capable of burning syngas and other nontraditional fuels while also delivering the required operability. In this context, the strong operational experience gained by GE gas turbines with a wide variety of fuels creates favorable prospects, both for robust E-class machines and for F-class machines that deliver high performance,” said Paul Browning, president and CEO—Thermal Products for GE Energy.

To achieve the same heat input as natural gas-fired units, low BTU fuels need increased fuel flow. This flow rate requires the fleet to use GE’s Multi Nozzle Quiet Combustion (MNQC) and standard (single nozzle) syngas combustors, which provide robust and reliable operation on low BTU fuels.

The hours accumulated by the fleet include projects totaling more than 4 gigawatts of installed power generation capacity at 21 plants. One million of those hours have been achieved on GE’s E-class turbines. Roughly 600,000 hours have been accumulated on GE’s B-class while the remaining 400,000 hours were amassed on the F-class. Some of the turbines have been running on syngas or other fuels for more than a decade including a large coal-based IGCC facility in Florida and an Italian refinery. Others are newer installations operating at locations in the United States, Germany, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, Czech Republic, China, Middle East,and Singapore.

A case in point is the Wuhan Iron & Steel Group Corp. (WISCO) steel mill near Wuhan City in Hubei Province, China. To comply with China’s goals to reduce energy consumption and emissions, WISCO installed a combined-cycle power plant—powered by two GE 9E Gas Turbines—at the Wuhan mill.

Reusing the mill’s own “blast furnace” and “coke oven” waste gases (BFG and COG) as “free” fuel, the two GE 109 combined-cycle systems each generate 164 megawatts of onsite power to support the mill’s activities. Currently, the power plant’s annual output is 1 billion kWh/a, with a guaranteed electrical efficiency greater than 42 percent (LHV).

The key benefits of this project for WISCO include a reduction in emissions associated with the waste gases created during the steel production process and new revenues generated by the sale of some of the power plant’s electricity to the local grid.

GE’s fleet of heavy duty gas turbines operating on low BTU fuels continues to grow, as customers look to do more with less.

GE Heavy Duty Gas Turbine Hours Fired on Low BTU fuels
Experience by frame:
  • 1 million hours on GE E-class turbines.
  • 600,000 hours on GE B-class turbines.
  • 400,000 hours on GE F-class turbines.
Experience by application:
  • 450,000 hours at coal-based IGCC facilities.
  • 860,000 hours at refineries.
  • 700,000 hours at steel mills.
Experience by region/country:
  • 250,000 hours at facilities operating across Asia.
  • 280,000 hours at facilities operating across North America.
  • More than 1 million hours at facilities operating across Europe.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

Cities of the Future: Songdo, South Korea – Energy

Cities of the Future: Songdo, South Korea – Energy

Songdo International Business District's information technology network manages energy use in every building, making the city very "green." Episode 7 in the series.


March 28 , 2012
Transcript:
As populations expand and economies grow, people are consuming more non-renewable energy sources than ever. The race is on to make cities radically more energy efficient.
Songdo, South Korea, a new city built entirely from scratch, is on the forefront.
In Songdo, a revolutionary information technology network manages energy use in every building.
Jean-Louis Massaut, Director, Cisco Services Korea: The network that we deploy here is actually connecting all of the components in the city, all of the building subsystems together, so that we can bring energy savings.
Scott Summers, Vice President, Gale International:We're improving the efficiencies of each of the buildings. Our windows have low U value that reduces the amount of sunlight coming in and keeps the energy of the heat or cooling inside the building. Another component to reduce energy consumption (is) we light up the buildings with LED lights.
Peter Lee,Sustainable Design Specialist, Cosentini Korea: On the system level, we introduced water-cooled air conditioning system; it has never been applied to any Korean project before. We also have central home network system through which you can control your electricity use to reduce the dependence on the energy.
These innovations are helping reduce energy consumption in each building by 30 percent.  The city is also tapping into renewable natural resources.
Lee Jong-Cheol, Commissioner, Incheon Free Economic Zone: Sunlight, solar energy, windforce energy are being currently used to operate the city. Even human waste isn't simply disposed of. It is processed through a recycling system and a co-generation plant producing necessary energy.
Scott Summers: We have a co-generation facility that uses natural gas to power electricity. And the waste heat is in the form of hot water, and so we use that waste heat to run up our buildings and provide heating for our residential units.
By 2040, worldwide electricity demand is projected to be 80 percent higher than it is today. Songdo is a model for cities trying to keep pace.
Learn more at thenetwork.cisco.com/songdo

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Lee County Electric Cooperative Selects Oracle Utilities Solutions to Support Smart Grid Initiatives

Lee County Electric Cooperative Selects Oracle Utilities Solutions to Support Smart Grid Initiatives

Redwood Shores, California – March 27, 2012

News Facts

Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) www.lcec.net , a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving a five-county area in Southwest Florida, selected Oracle Utilities Meter Data ManagementOracle Utilities Smart Grid GatewayOracle SOA Suite, and plans to upgrade its existing Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing application, to support its customer experience initiatives. The utility is working with Oracle Consulting on the implementation and upgrade. 
Using Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management and Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing, LCEC plans to improve the information it presents to its 200,000 customers on monthly bills and through its Web self-service offering. The Oracle applications enable the utility to consolidate storage of interval metering data, allowing it to provide near real time usage and cost information to customers. The utility hopes to see a decrease in customer call volume through Web self-service adoption growth.
The utility will leverage the integration of Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management and Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing to improve its meter-to-cash process – enhancing master data synchronization, batch billing, bill cancel/re-bill and online billing. The integration will help LCEC reduce costs and accelerate time to revenue.
Additionally, LCEC selected Oracle Utilities Smart Grid Gateway to provide a single point of connection between existing and future smart grid devices and applications. The utility plans to use the solution to handle common advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) processes, including remote connect/disconnect and meter status. The solution will also enable efficient and timely flow of data to appropriate applications.
Further, using its existing Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition solution, LCEC can easily organize consistent, relevant and timely data from across the organization to rationalize consumption and payment collection trends into integrated reports. These reports provide LCEC management with a holistic view of the current status of customers, payment collections and workload to improve decision making.

Supporting Quotes

“We are expanding our relationship with Oracle as we continue to invest in the company's technology stack to support our long term strategic roadmap and the LCEC business direction.  The software’s interoperability should give us the scalability and functionality we need to improve our operational efficiency, streamline our processes, and enhance service delivery while empowering our customers with information to understand their usage,” said Frederic Kunzi, chief information officer, Lee County Electric Cooperative.
“We are pleased to support Lee County Electric Cooperative as it embarks on its smart grid initiatives.  With Oracle, LCEC can organize vast quantities of consumption data generated by automated meters and turn it into intelligence that helps them run their business more effectively across every department,” said Rodger Smith, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Utilities.

Supporting Resources


About Oracle Utilities

Oracle Utilities delivers proven software applications that help utilities of all types and sizes achieve competitive advantage, business performance excellence and a lower total cost of technology ownership. Oracle Utilities integrates industry-specific customer care and billing, network management, work and asset management, mobile workforce management and meter data management applications with the capabilities of Oracle's industry-leading enterprise applications, business intelligence tools, middleware, database technologies, as well as servers and storage. The software enables customers to adapt more nimbly to market deregulation, meet ever-evolving customer demands and deliver on environmental conservation commitments. Additionally, Oracle Utilities helps utilities prepare for smart metering and smart grid initiatives that enhance efficiency and provide critical intelligence metrics that can help drive more-informed energy and water usage decisions for consumers and businesses. For more information, visit www.oracle.com/goto/utilities.

About Oracle

Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in your data center.  For more information about Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL), visit www.oracle.com.

About LCEC

Established in 1940, LCEC is a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Marco Island, Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Pine Island, Everglades City, Immokalee, Ave Maria, and parts of Lehigh Acres. LCEC is committed to providing reliable, cost-competitive electric distribution services and quality customer service. LCEC is a major contributor to the local economy as one of the largest employers in Lee County and through its support of many local agencies through charitable giving and volunteerism programs, including the United Way, American Heart Association, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement and local school districts. Visit www.lcec.net for more information.

About Oracle in Industries

Oracle industry solutions leverage the company's best-in-class portfolio of products to address complex business processes relevant to utilities, helping speed time to market, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge.

IBM and Hydro One Team to Improve the Power Grid in Ontario

IBM and Hydro One Team to Improve the Power Grid in Ontario

Smarter technologies to be tested on Hydro One's distribution power grid


ARMONK, N.Y. and TORONTO - 27 Mar 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and its Business Partner Telvent announced that they have been selected by Hydro One, the largest distributor of electricity in Ontario (Canada), for a new smart grid project that will help transform the province's electrical system. Together, the companies will run simulations and tests to determine the smart grid technologies that have the potential to improve power efficiency and reliability.
Installed in the 1950s, many components of Ontario's current electricity distribution system have reached the end of their service life. More recently, technological advancements, provincial governmental policy, market forces and increased environmental awareness have added pressure to the demands on Ontario's electricity distribution system.
"As equipment on our distribution system ages, it needs to be replaced. This creates an opportunity to create a world-class network with new, intelligent and sophisticated technologies to meet the changing needs of our customers," Rick Stevens, Vice President, Asset Management, Hydro One. "Our collaboration with IBM and Telvent will help Hydro One assess the next generation of distribution equipment and make the right choices for our customers looking for more reliable electricity, particularly in rural areas."
The Advanced Distribution System (ADS) project will help the utility identify and assess equipment, test new delivery models for electricity, validate the costs and benefits anticipated with a new smart grid and recommend changes to cost effectively modernize Ontario's distribution system.
The project intends to enable an increased amount of Distributed Generation into the grid as well as help increase the reliability of the current distribution system and improve outage management during large scale situations. By taking advantage of the insights gained from new data sources based on analytics, Hydro One will be able to optimize energy utilization and management for greater efficiency while accommodating consumer demand.
"Utilities around the world are investigating new smart grid technologies to help solve complex challenges caused by an aging infrastructure and increasing demand," said Guido Bartels, General Manager of IBM's Energy & Utilities Industry and Chairman of the Global Smart Grid Federation. "Together with Hydro One, we are paving the way for transformation by testing new sophisticated monitoring and control technologies that will enable the integration of renewable energy in the distribution grid while improving its reliability and responsiveness, and ensuring customer satisfaction. This will prepare Hydro One and the province of Ontario for further growth and deliver more affordable and reliable renewable energy for Ontarians."
As the overall system integrator, IBM will provide expertise in smart grid technologies, planning and implementation to oversee the reliability of the network solution. Hydro One will use the Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), from Telvent, a real-time solution that will provide complete functionality for planning, operation and analysis of its distribution system. This will allow Hydro One to more accurately manage and plan their grid investments.
According to Telvent's Chairman and CEO, Ignacio Gonzalez, "In addition to the ADMS solution, Hydro One will benefit from the strategic collaboration between Telvent and IBM. Over the years, we have provided solutions to several large utilities to help make mid-project technology adjustments while increasing the speed of the solution development."
The project is in line with the requirements of Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy 2009 Act ("GEGEA"), which fosters the growth of renewable and cleaner sources of energy while promoting a greener economy.
About Hydro One Hydro One provides services to 1.2 million residents of Ontario with the vast majority of its rural customers in low-density areas. Hydro One is the largest distributor of electricity with about 120,000 km of distribution lines over a rural service territory of about 640,000 square kilometers covering 75% of the province.
About IBM
IBM is involved in more than 150 smart grid engagements around the world, in both mature and emerging markets. IBM is the founding member of the Global Intelligent Utility Network Coalition, a unique collaboration of utilities from around the globe who are working to accelerate the use of smart grid technologies and move the industry forward through its most challenging transformation. More about IBM's vision to bring a new level of intelligence to how the world works—how every person, business, organization, government, natural system, and man-made system interacts, can be found here: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet
For more information about Smarter Energy at IBM, please visit:www.ibm.com/press/smarterenergy. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.