DOCSLIB.ORG

Maryland Clean Energy Center

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Maryland Clean Energy Center The Current - December 2010 | Maryland Clean Energy Center Login | About Us | Contact Us | Register ● Clean Energy Technologies The Current - December 2010 ● Using Clean Energy Articles In This Issue: ● Business Resources ● Commercial-scale Wind Energy Now a Reality in Maryland ● Research & Development ● First-ever Loan Program Available to Marylanders to Improve Their Homes’ Energy ● Programs & Incentives Efficiency ● Hundreds Rally to Overcome Obstacles to Wind ‘Farm’ Offshore Ocean City ● Find ● Trans-Elect Begins Permitting Process for Offshore Wind Power Line ● News & Events ● Malaysian Ambassador Salutes Maryland’s Green Leaders, Including MCEC’s Magruder ● Solar Helping Freeze the Ice at Rockville Arena ● A Smarter Grid Doesn’t Necessarily Mean a More Secure Grid ● Act by January 12 with Clean Currents to Help Haitians Recover from Earthquake ● Wind Turbine Now Supplying Clean Electricity to Cheverly, MD’s Public Works Department ● Pepco Holdings Among 100 Greenest Big Companies in America "THE CURRENT" NEWSLETTER SERIES IS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO PEPCO HOLDINGS INC: Commercial-scale Wind Energy Now a Reality in Maryland Nearly 300 feet above Backbone Mountain in far western Maryland, turbine blades are turning and within days they are to begin generating electricity. http://www.mdcleanenergy.org/news_and_events/archive/thecurrent-december2010 (1 of 17)6/27/2012 2:05:54 PM The Current - December 2010 | Maryland Clean Energy Center After nine years of planning and eight months of construction, the 70-megawatt Criterion Wind Project is scheduled to go into full operation December 17 and become the first commercial wind power farm in Maryland. “It’s pretty exciting for us to say that we are the first in the state of Maryland,” said Kevin Thornton, a spokesman for Constellation Power Generation. Constellation Energy acquired the $140-million, Garrett County project from Clipper Windpower, Inc. last April. “We feel like we are sort of on the forefront, the avant garde of this renewable energy movement.” Stretching across an eight-mile swath of the Western Maryland mountaintop, the Criterion project includes 28 Clipper Liberty 2.5-megawatt turbines. Old Dominion Electric Cooperative – a not-for-profit wholesale power provider serving public electric cooperatives in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, including Maryland’s Choptank Electrical Cooperative – signed a 20- year agreement to purchase 100 percent of Criterion’s production. The associated Renewable Energy Credits will convey to Old Dominion and factor into Maryland’s goal to draw 20 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. Constellation estimates that construction of Criterion funneled $9-10 million into Garrett County’s economy and employed “about 140 people on site at peak with about 110 of those being union members. We made an effort to hire as many guys from the local union halls as possible,” Thornton said. “Overall, this project has been really positive.” The development came amid considerable community opposition and a summer filled with first- time logistical challenges for Constellation officials. “We probably have a 50/50 split among the community” about the Criterion project, said Donald Shilobod, the wind project’s manager. “We have a few community members that were supervising us very closely and holding us to task on erosion and sediment control plans. We had one community member who was always alerting the county and the state if they felt we were violating any of our permits, so we had quite a few visits from county and state officials during construction.” http://www.mdcleanenergy.org/news_and_events/archive/thecurrent-december2010 (2 of 17)6/27/2012 2:05:54 PM The Current - December 2010 | Maryland Clean Energy Center Meanwhile, Criterion project managers had to overcome the challenges of moving wind turbine components to the site. Bringing in the gear boxes and turbine control panels from Clipper Wind’s plant in Iowa was simple. Bringing in the rotor blades, which were manufacturing in Brazil, and towers, which were made in China, was not. “Everything had to be shipping to the Port of Baltimore and then there were the logistics of offloading these super-loads, performing inspections at the port for any damage during shipment, then getting permits from the state and county to transport these loads to the site,” Shilobod said. The rotor blades measured 150 feet long while the four different components that made up each tower measured up to 130 feet each. Constellation had to contract specialized trucks to move the hardware and follow especially careful driving rules. “We clipped a power line [with one turbine component] one morning,” Shilobod said. But outside of that single accident, Criterion’s hardware suffered no damage beyond some chipped paint, he added. In January, Constellation crews will begin a regime of preventative maintenance on the turbines, which stand 415 feet tall from the ground to the tip of a vertical blade, to ensure that all connections remain tight and torques stay correct. BACK TO THE TOP First-ever Loan Program Available to Marylanders to Improve Their Homes’ Energy Efficiency The Maryland Clean Energy Center has launched the state’s first unsecured, low-interest, home energy loan program offering homeowners up to $20,000 to finance efficiency improvements. The Maryland Home Energy Loan Program (MHELP) can help residents reduce their energy utility bills through insulation upgrades, replacement of old heating and cooling equipment, http://www.mdcleanenergy.org/news_and_events/archive/thecurrent-december2010 (3 of 17)6/27/2012 2:05:54 PM The Current - December 2010 | Maryland Clean Energy Center sealing air ducts and other steps identified by a certified home energy auditor. There are no points or closing costs associated with the 6.99% fixed rate loans, which homeowners can take up to 10 years to pay off. Coming at a time when home equity lines of credit are no longer available for tens of thousands of homeowners, the MHELP program is a uniquely fast and convenient way for Marylanders of all income levels with good credit to save money and do their part to reduce harmful carbon emissions in the Free State. Applicants are required to secure a home energy audit using an auditor certified to perform such work in their home county by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) under the Maryland Home Performance with Energy Star program. A list of those auditors is available online at http://mdhomeperformance.org/findacontractor.php. Contractors interested in participating in the MHELP program should contact the MEA. For more information, homeowners can call 1-888-232-3477. BACK TO THE TOP Hundreds Rally to Overcome Obstacles to Wind ‘Farm’ Offshore Ocean City Will 2011 be the year of wind in Maryland? These clean energy advocates are determined to make it so. Image courtesy of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. More than 300 environmentalists, entrepreneurs, labor leaders, community activists and policy makers gathered in http://www.mdcleanenergy.org/news_and_events/archive/thecurrent-december2010 (4 of 17)6/27/2012 2:05:54 PM The Current - December 2010 | Maryland Clean Energy Center Annapolis December 4 to learn about the prospects – and the challenges – facing a clean energy sector that could create 4,000 green jobs in Maryland and satisfy as much as two-thirds of the state’s electricity needs. “I am very excited about the prospects for offshore wind in Maryland,” Rob Garagiola, new Majority Leader of the Maryland State Senate, told attendees at Wind Vision 2010. “This is a game changer. We are on the tipping point of an Will 2011 be the year of wind in incredible green revolution and offshore wind thrusts us Maryland? These clean energy forward.” advocates are determined to make it so. Image courtesy of Mike Tidwell – director of the Chesapeake Climate Action the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, which sponsored the day-long conference – Network. described the “staggering wind potential” of the “Mid- Atlantic Bight.” Researchers have concluded the Bight, the 600-mile-long coastline that stretches from Cape Cod, Mass to Cape Hatteras, NC, could generate up to 64,000 megawatts – about 70 percent of America’s current electrical consumption. A recent report by the Abell Foundation concluded that winds off Maryland’s coast alone could generate enough electricity to cover 67 percent of the state’s needs. That potential has attracted entrepreneurs to Maryland’s offshore wind sector including NRG Bluewater Wind, which is proposing to build a wind farm off the shores of Ocean City, and Trans-Elect Development Co., which has partnered with Google in a plan to build a subsea transmission line that could link the grid to offshore wind farms from Virginia to New Jersey. The Maryland Energy Administration estimates that developing 1000 megawatts of wind capacity off the Maryland coast would create 4,000 jobs over a five-year development phase. Multiple offshore wind projects could also entice European leaders in the sector to establish turbine manufacturing facilities and other support industries in the state. “In a stalled economy, few industries have the potential to bring more jobs to our state than the renewable offshore wind industry,” said Jim Stong, sub-district director of the United http://www.mdcleanenergy.org/news_and_events/archive/thecurrent-december2010 (5 of 17)6/27/2012 2:05:54 PM The Current - December 2010 | Maryland Clean Energy Center Steelworkers in Maryland. “We want to make sure our state leads in this economic and environmental area.” However, speaker after speaker at Wind Vision 2010 warned that Maryland’s nascent offshore wind sector faces major regulatory hurdles. First, the federal permitting process for offshore wind projects typically takes seven to nine years to complete. “It should not take longer than it took to go to the moon to permit an offshore wind development,” said Malcolm Woolf, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration. Woolf added that federal Interior Secretary Ken Salazar visited Maryland in November to announce plans to expedite the permitting process and identify promising locations for wind developments off the Atlantic coast.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • US Department of Energy Wind and Hydropower Technologies: Top 10 Program Accomplishments
    U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Hydropower Technologies Top 10 Program Accomplishments U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Hydropower Technologies Top 10 Program Accomplishments Important activities or technologies developed by or with the support of the Wind Energy Program that have led to the vibrant wind energy market of today. Advancing Wind Turbines Clipper Windpower Wind Powered Electricity 2.5-MW Liberty wind Although the wind has been harnessed to deliver power for centuries, it was only as turbine, Medicine Bow, Wyoming, 2006. recently as the 1970s, through the efforts of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) new Wind Energy Program, that wind power evolved into a viable source for clean commercial power. During that decade, the Wind Energy Program designed, built, and tested the 100-kilowatt (kW) “Mod” series (100 kW was the benchmark for large wind at the time) of wind turbines. These early machines proved the feasibility of large turbine technology and paved the way for the multimegawatt wind turbines in use today. DOE’s MOD-5B 3.2-MW wind turbine, Kahuku, Oahu, Hawaiian GE Energy 1.5-MW wind turbine, Islands, 1987. Hagerman, Idaho, 2005. The Quintessential American Turbine Wind Energy Program researchers have worked with GE Energy and its predeces- sors, Zond and Enron Wind, since the early 1990s to test components such as blades, generators, and control systems on vari- ous generations of machines. This work led to the development of GE’s 1.5-megawatt (MW) wind turbine. By the end of 2007, more than 6,500 of these turbines, gener- ally considered the quintessential American wind turbine, had been installed worldwide.
    [Show full text]
  • Wind Powering America FY07 Activities Summary
    Wind Powering America FY07 Activities Summary Dear Wind Powering America Colleague, We are pleased to present the Wind Powering America FY07 Activities Summary, which reflects the accomplishments of our state Wind Working Groups, our programs at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and our partner organizations. The national WPA team remains a leading force for moving wind energy forward in the United States. At the beginning of 2007, there were more than 11,500 megawatts (MW) of wind power installed across the United States, with an additional 4,000 MW projected in both 2007 and 2008. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) estimates that the U.S. installed capacity will exceed 16,000 MW by the end of 2007. When our partnership was launched in 2000, there were 2,500 MW of installed wind capacity in the United States. At that time, only four states had more than 100 MW of installed wind capacity. Seventeen states now have more than 100 MW installed. We anticipate five to six additional states will join the 100-MW club early in 2008, and by the end of the decade, more than 30 states will have passed the 100-MW milestone. WPA celebrates the 100-MW milestones because the first 100 megawatts are always the most difficult and lead to significant experience, recognition of the wind energy’s benefits, and expansion of the vision of a more economically and environmentally secure and sustainable future. WPA continues to work with its national, regional, and state partners to communicate the opportunities and benefits of wind energy to a diverse set of stakeholders.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Wind Turbine Manufacturing: Federal Support for an Emerging Industry
    U.S. Wind Turbine Manufacturing: Federal Support for an Emerging Industry Updated January 16, 2013 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R42023 U.S. Wind Turbine Manufacturing: Federal Support for an Emerging Industry Summary Increasing U.S. energy supply diversity has been the goal of many Presidents and Congresses. This commitment has been prompted by concerns about national security, the environment, and the U.S. balance of payments. Investments in new energy sources also have been seen as a way to expand domestic manufacturing. For all of these reasons, the federal government has a variety of policies to promote wind power. Expanding the use of wind energy requires installation of wind turbines. These are complex machines composed of some 8,000 components, created from basic industrial materials such as steel, aluminum, concrete, and fiberglass. Major components in a wind turbine include the rotor blades, a nacelle and controls (the heart and brain of a wind turbine), a tower, and other parts such as large bearings, transformers, gearboxes, and generators. Turbine manufacturing involves an extensive supply chain. Until recently, Europe has been the hub for turbine production, supported by national renewable energy deployment policies in countries such as Denmark, Germany, and Spain. However, support for renewable energy including wind power has begun to wane across Europe as governments there reduce or remove some subsidies. Competitive wind turbine manufacturing sectors are also located in India and Japan and are emerging in China and South Korea. U.S. and foreign manufacturers have expanded their capacity in the United States to assemble and produce wind turbines and components.
    [Show full text]
  • Conowingo Dam Exelon's View Kathleen Barrón Senior Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy
    Conowingo Hydroelectric Station Kathleen Barrón Senior Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy Chesapeake Bay Commission January 3, 2019 About Exelon Competitive Transmission Generation Energy Sales and Delivery Nation’s largest producer of Retail and wholesale sales Six utilities delivering clean energy through Constellation electricity and natural gas to 32,000 MW of owned capacity business unit more than 10 million ~2 million residential, public customers: BGE (MD), ComEd Generates enough electricity to (IL), Delmarva (DE and MD), power 20 million homes and sector and business customers PECO (PA), Pepco (D.C. and businesses MD), Atlantic City Electric (NJ) Two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies Committed to powering a cleaner and brighter future for our customers and communities 1 Exelon in Maryland Competitive Transmission Generation Energy Sales and Delivery Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant Retail sales, as well as MD’s largest natural gas and Criterion Wind Project successful Home electric utility Conowingo Dam Performance with ENERGY Maryland Customers: STAR program BGE Electric: 1.25 million 2,326 MW of carbon-free BGE Natural Gas: 650,000 energy Completed 342 energy efficiency projects, saving Delmarva: 204,000 2.2 million+ homes customers over $16M Pepco: 567,000 annually in energy costs 7,500 Maryland residents employed by Exelon 2 2018 Philanthropy & Stewardship in Maryland Tome Visitor • More than $10 million in Center & Turtle Habitat corporate gifts in MD • 2,700 Maryland employees pledged $1.7 million in Rocky Gap Employee Giving campaign State Park • 65,000+ hours volunteered • $235,900 raised in “Dollars for Doers” volunteer rewards to 550 unique MD nonprofits 3 Conowingo Generating Station Overview For nearly 90 years, the Conowingo Dam has been a source of clean, reliable energy for thousands of residents and businesses.
    [Show full text]
  • Wind Power Today, 2010, Wind and Water Power Program
    WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM Wind Power Today 2010 •• BUILDING•A•CLEAN• ENERGY •ECONOMY •• ADVANCING•WIND• TURBINE •TECHNOLOGY •• SUPPORTING•SYSTEMS•• INTERCONNECTION •• GROWING•A•LARGER• MARKET 2 WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM BUILDING•A•CLEAN•ENERGY•ECONOMY The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Program is to focus the passion, ingenuity, and diversity of the nation to enable rapid expansion of clean, affordable, reliable, domestic wind power to promote national security, economic vitality, and environmental quality. Built in 2009, the 63-megawatt Dry Lake Wind Power Project is Arizona’s first utility-scale wind power project. Building•a•Green•Economy• In 2009, more wind generation capacity was installed in the United States than in any previous year despite difficult economic conditions. The rapid expansion of the wind industry underscores the potential for wind energy to supply 20% of the nation’s electricity by the year 2030 as envisioned in the 2008 Department of Energy (DOE) report 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply. Funding provided by DOE, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act CONTENTS of 2009 (Recovery Act), and state and local initiatives have all contributed to the wind industry’s growth and are moving the BUILDING•A•CLEAN•ENERGY•ECONOMY• ........................2 nation toward achieving its energy goals. ADVANCING•LARGE•WIND•TURBINE•TECHNOLOGY• .....7 Wind energy is poised to make a major contribution to the President’s goal of doubling our nation’s electricity generation SMALL •AND•MID-SIZED•TURBINE•DEVELOPMENT• ...... 15 capacity from clean, renewable sources by 2012. The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy invests in clean SUPPORTING•GRID•INTERCONNECTION• ....................
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 RESPONSIBILITY and IMPACT REPORT Letter from the CEO What Drives Us…Making Progress for Our Employees, Customers, Communities and Environment
    A partner for progress across the Mid-Atlantic 2020 RESPONSIBILITY AND IMPACT REPORT Letter from the CEO What Drives Us…Making Progress for Our Employees, Customers, Communities and Environment “Utilities were built to do big things.” The first time I heard that quote, it resonated with me. the CEO of a critical energy infrastructure Build a clean, sustainable and resilient company that spans Delaware, the District energy future of Columbia, Maryland and New Jersey, employs more than 4,100 individuals and Enable thriving communities, deliver touches millions of people every day, I recog- a world-class customer experience and nize the responsibility we have to tackle big provide affordable energy solutions to all our things and help make progress on these and customers and communities; and so many other challenges. Drive economic opportunity, equity and The impact of Pepco Holdings and our continued growth utilities—Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco—does not start and stop Our vision is clear. And, so is how we will at the meter to a home or business. How achieve it. We commit to running our the electricity and natural gas we deliver is business with a focus on: produced, the way in which it’s transmitted and how it’s ultimately consumed has an Safety and Security impact. It impacts our environment, our employees, our customers, our communities Reliable and Excellent Service It put into perspective our mission, which is and the planet. to provide safe, affordable, reliable and sus- Strong Partnerships and Connecting tainable energy to millions of people across That is why we not only think about what Customers and Communities the communities we’re privileged to serve.
    [Show full text]
  • Order No. 88192
    ORDER NO. 88192 IN THE MATTER OF THE * BEFORE THE APPLICATIONS OF U.S. WIND, INC. AND * PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SKIPJACK OFFSHORE ENERGY, LLC * OF MARYLAND FOR A PROPOSED OFFSHORE WIND * PROJECT(S) PURSUANT TO THE * _____________ MARYLAND OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY * ACT OF 2013 * CASE NO. 9431 ____________________________________ * _____________ Issue Date: May 11, 2017 Before: W. Kevin Hughes, Chairman Harold D. Williams, Commissioner Michael T. Richard, Commissioner Anthony J. O’Donnell, Commissioner TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction ......................................................................................................1 II. Background ......................................................................................................4 A. The Applicants ...................................................................................................4 B. The Applications ................................................................................................6 C. Procedural History ...........................................................................................11 D. Positions of the Parties .....................................................................................15 III. Legal Standard Applicable to this Proceeding and Required Procedural Findings ...........................................................................................................23 A. Determination of Administrative Completeness ..............................................25 B. Minimum Threshold Criteria Determination
    [Show full text]
  • Maryland's Dysfunctional Residential Third-Party Energy Supply Market
    Maryland’s Dysfunctional Residential Third-Party Energy Supply Market: An Assessment of Costs and Policies By Laurel Peltier and Arjun Makhijani, Ph.D. December 2018 The Abell Foundation www.abell.org Suite 2300 Phone: 410-547-1300 111 S. Calvert Street @abellfoundation Baltimore, MD 21202-6174 Cover photo: Shutterstock TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3 Third-Party Supply Data .................................................................................................... 5 Third-Party Supplier View ................................................................................................. 8 Growth of Maryland’s Third-Party Energy Supplier Market ............................................ 8 Maryland's Electricity Choice Pricing Outcomes ............................................................ 9 The Burdens and Harms Due to Unaffordable Utility Bills ........................................... 16 Data From Other States .................................................................................................... 19 Current Status at the Maryland PSC ................................................................................ 20 Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 21 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Communityfocus PG 10.11.16 Web
    COMMUNITY FOCUS Pepco Celebrates Utility Workers In celebration of July’s National Lineworker Appreciation Day, Pepco saluted the men and women who work tirelessly, day-in and day-out, to provide safe and reliable energy services to Maryland and the District of Columbia. Pepco depends upon 340 utility workers who operate and maintain electric systems and respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, often in challenging conditions, and on weekends and holidays to keep the lights on for customers. “I would like to commend our lineworkers who work daily to maintain and improve the core electric infrastructure that powers our homes and businesses,” said Donna M. Cooper, Pepco region president. “We appreciate and depend on their commitment and dedication to our customers and each other to perform this critical work safely and effciently.” To honor the nation’s lineworkers, a resolution was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives designating July 10, 2016 as National Lineworker Appreciation Day. Pepco joins utility companies across the nation including Exelon sister utilities Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power and PECO in honoring all utility workers – both on the lines and in the feld. Pepco Receives ‘Utility of the Year’ Award for Easing Access to Solar Pepco’s effort to make it easier, faster and less expensive for customers to access solar has been hailed as a national model by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), an infuential solar organization. SEPA named Pepco 2016 Utility of the Year and recognized the company for promoting solar, creating programs that drive smart utility growth and expanding access to solar for customers.
    [Show full text]
  • WIND ENERGY Renewable Energy and the Environment
    WIND ENERGY Renewable Energy and the Environment © 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC WIND ENERGY Renewable Energy and the Environment VaughnVaughn NelsonNelson CRC Press Taylor Si Francis Group BocaBoca RatonRaton LondonLondon NewNewYor Yorkk CRCCRC PressPress isis an an imprintimprint ofof thethe TaylorTaylor && FrancisFrancis Group,Group, anan informa informa businessbusiness © 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4200-7568-7 (Hardcover) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the valid- ity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or uti- lized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopy- ing, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.
    [Show full text]
  • July 12, 2013 Kimberly D. Bose Secretary Federal
    William R. Hollaway, Ph.D. Direct: +1 202.955.8592 Fax: +1 202.530.9654 [email protected] July 12, 2013 VIA EFILING Kimberly D. Bose Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20426 Re: Silver Merger Sub, Inc., NV Energy, Inc., Nevada Power Company, and Sierra Pacific Power Company Joint Application for Authorization under Section 203 of the Federal Power Act, Docket No. EC13-___ -000 Dear Secretary Bose: Enclosed for filing please find the joint application (the “Application”) under Section 203 of the Federal Power Act (the “FPA”)1 and Part 33 of the regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the “Commission”)2 of Silver Merger Sub, Inc., NV Energy, Inc., Nevada Power Company, and Sierra Pacific Power Company (collectively, “Applicants”) for authorization under Section 203 of the FPA in connection with the merger transaction described in the Application. Applicants respectfully request that the Commission issue an order authorizing the transaction, without hearing, on or before December 19, 2013 in order to allow the transaction to close in January 2014. In accordance with Section 388.112 of the Commission regulations,3 Applicants seek confidential treatment of the schedules and exhibits to the merger agreement provided in Exhibit I to the Application. The schedules and exhibits contain highly sensitive commercial and financial information that is privileged and confidential and not publicly available. The non- public materials are marked “Contains Privileged Material” and “Do Not Release.” In accordance with Section 33.9 of the Commission’s regulations, Applicants have provided a 1 16 U.S.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Wind Power Today
    Contents BUILDING A NEW ENERGY FUTURE .................................. 1 BOOSTING U.S. MANUFACTURING ................................... 5 ADVANCING LARGE WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY ........... 7 GROWING THE MARKET FOR DISTRIBUTED WIND .......... 12 ENHANCING WIND INTEGRATION ................................... 14 INCREASING WIND ENERGY DEPLOYMENT .................... 17 ENSURING LONG-TERM INDUSTRY GROWTH ................. 21 ii BUILDING A NEW ENERGY FUTURE We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. — President Barack Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20, 2009 n 2008, wind energy enjoyed another record-breaking year of industry growth. By installing 8,358 megawatts (MW) of new Wind Energy Program Mission: The mission of DOE’s Wind Igeneration during the year, the U.S. wind energy industry took and Hydropower Technologies Program is to increase the the lead in global installed wind energy capacity with a total of development and deployment of reliable, affordable, and 25,170 MW. According to initial estimates, the new wind projects environmentally responsible wind and water power completed in 2008 account for about 40% of all new U.S. power- technologies in order to realize the benefits of domestic producing capacity added last year. The wind energy industry’s renewable energy production. rapid expansion in 2008 demonstrates the potential for wind energy to play a major role in supplying our nation with clean, inexhaustible, domestically produced energy while bolstering our nation’s economy. Protecting the Environment To explore the possibilities of increasing wind’s role in our national Achieving 20% wind by 2030 would also provide significant energy mix, government and industry representatives formed a environmental benefits in the form of avoided greenhouse gas collaborative to evaluate a scenario in which wind energy supplies emissions and water savings.
    [Show full text]