This Week in Energy Efficiency – April 30, 2013

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Surrey’s Peace Arch News covered the Pulse-powered Energy Conservation Cup, held over April 15-19. The winning school, Panorama Ridge Secondary, saved 30% over the period, equaling power use during spring break.
Source: Peach Arch News

Backbone, a Canadian business technology publication, listed Pulse Energy as one of the top eight cleantech firms in Canada. The listing was part of the Backbone200, a guide to the best technology companies in Canada.
Source: Backbone

Utilities

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) have teamed up to invest $440 million in energy saving programs to residential and business customers in their joint service territory. SoCalGas and LADWP offer Retrocommissioning Express (RCx), a no-cost and low-cost energy optimization program that can reduce electricity and gas bills in qualifying commercial buildings.
Source: PR Newswire

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has completed its Department of Energy supported grid modernization projects and the installation of 4.5 million smart meters in its 35 county service area. FPL was one of only six utilities in the U.S. to receive a $200 million grant from the DOE to help fund one of the largest, most comprehensive grid modernization projects.
Source: Florida Power & Light

Customer satisfaction improves for a seventh straight year for energy utilities, according to a report released today by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The ACSI benchmark for the energy utility sector improves 0.9% to 77.4 on a scale of 0 to 100, the highest level seen since inaugural measurement in 1994.
Source: ASCI

Small and medium-sized businesses in Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Illinois have the opportunity to customize their own fixed-price electricity plans through FirstEnergy Solutions’ new online tool. Companies can review various small and medium-sized business-fixed price electricity plans by changing the term length – 12, 24 or 36 months – and start months to find the best plan for their needs.
Source: Marketwire

E Source, in partnership with The Nielsen Company, released its 2013 Utility Brand Strength Rankings, based on a broad survey of US residential customers of electric and combined gas and electric utilities. Public utilities led the rankings, with Omaha PPD, Snohomish County PUD and Sacramento MUD joined by MidAmerican and Salt River Project in the top five.
Source: Marketwire

Responding to frequently changing regulations and managing the effect on business and stakeholders are now the biggest concerns for power and utilities executives around the world, according to a new Ernst & Young survey. The research finds that, while governments and regulators around the globe continue to pursue low-carbon generation and energy efficiency, consumers are becoming increasingly price sensitive.
Source: The Wall Street Journal

Institutions, Cities & States

Supporters of a statewide energy efficiency program have sued the Louisiana Public Service Commission over its handling of a decision to shelve the program. The Alliance for Affordable Energy, the Sierra Club and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network say the utility regulatory agency broke the state’s open meetings law by refusing to allow public testimony before voting.
Source: Businessweek

The Green Bay School District said it has saved $10 million by using energy-efficient light bulbs, turning off or dimming lights, maintaining heating and cooling systems in good condition and avoiding heavy energy use during peak times. Green Bay spends about 60 cents per square foot on energy in its high school buildings while many other districts in the state spend more than $1 per square foot.
Source: Sheyboygan Press

The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan to begin moving away from coal-fired energy, despite warnings from a Department of Water and Power watchdog that the shift could cost more than $650 million. The council took the first step in that direction with a 12-0 vote that will clear the way for a coal-fired plant in Utah to be converted to run on natural gas.
Source: Los Angeles Times

New York State officials are considering turning over operation of Long Island’s troubled electric authority — harshly criticized for its response to superstorm Sandy — to Public Service Enterprise Group, parent company of New Jersey’s largest utility. It’s among several options being discussed concerning the Long Island Power Authority.
Source: North Jersey

North America

According to a Department of Energy Report, the $2.9 billion spent on smart grid investment has yielded economic output of $6.8 billion. The report, Economic Impact of Recovery Act Investments in the Smart Grid, assesses the economic effects of immediate spending, not long-term impacts, and includes employment, total labor income and economic output.
Source: SmartGridNews

International

BT Group, BAE Systems and Vodafone Group are poised to submit final bids in a £12.1 billion (~$18.5 billion) U.K. program to install smart meters in every home. The SmartReach group, which comprises BT, BAE Systems Detica, Arqiva and Sensus, is vying with a proposal from Vodafone and Silver Spring Networks to build the communications systems that will connect every smart meter to U.K. energy suppliers, executives at the companies said.
Source: Businessweek

New smart energy meters being installed in Welsh homes could save customers about £64 (~$97.6) a year each by ending estimated bills , British Gas says. The company says the meters – which the UK government requires to be installed in all homes by 2019 – will save Wales’ 1.3 million households £83M (~$127M) a year. British Gas and analysts Oxford Economics say the average household in Wales will save £63.7 (~$97) a year, based on a 5% reduction in the average dual fuel bill for gas and electricity in Wales.
Source: BBC News

Electricity sales by Japan’s 10 regional utilities in fiscal 2012 sagged 1.0 percent from the previous year to 851.6 billion kilowatt-hours for the second straight year amid anemic manufacturing activity and greater power-saving efforts, an industry body said Friday. Sales to the commercial sector including operators of commercial facilities rose 1.4 percent to 190.7 billion kilowatt-hours.
Source: NETC

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has instructed Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkul to draw up a comprehensive program for energy efficiency in the utilities and manufacturing sectors. He said the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry, the Ministry for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities and the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry should work on the creation of the program.

Please send story suggestions or comments about This Week in Energy Efficiency to Peter J. Cavan