"In addition, $200 million in federal stimulus grants awarded to Con Edison of New York and Orange & Rockland (O&R) will fund smart grid projects designed to improve system performance. The projects include a control system that will facilitate renewable energy applications, whether from solar arrays, electric-car charging stations, or in-home energy monitors."
NEW YORK, NY, May 17, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Duke Energy Signs Agreement with DOE
May 13, 2010
Ambient is excited to share with you the news that our marquee customer, Duke Energy, today announced that they have executed their agreements with the Department of Energy (Duke Energy's release).
The larger of the two agreements will allow Duke Energy to access up to $200M of Smart Grid Investment Grant funding awarded to them back in October 2009, by the Department of Energy (DOE) to facilitate their smart grid deployment plans through May 2013.
Further, we are gratified to be part of Duke Energy's successful application to the DOE, and we look forward to continuing our support of Duke Energy's initiatives and vision to build out an open smart grid platform.
Duke Energy ready to move ahead with ‘smart grid’ projects: committed $851.7 million and will receive $200 million federal dollars for its grid modernization and smart metering project
Duke Energy ready to move ahead with ‘smart grid’ projects
AP, LTW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) has signed the agreement to formalize the $204 million in economic stimulus funds for “smart grid” technology it will receive from the federal government, the power provider said Thursday.
Duke said it will use the funds from the Department of Energy to modernize its power distribution system and install digital equipment on the transmission system in the Carolinas. It said the funding will save or create about 1,000 jobs in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and the Carolinas.
“Yes, the agreement we finalized this week is for the funds that the Department of Energy awarded us last fall,” Duke spokesperson Paige Layne told LTW and WRAL.com.
“It is our intent to use the funds for deployment efforts across the five states over the next three years,” she added. “Of course, we’ll need to work through the regulatory process in the Carolinas to finalize specific deployment plans.”
Duke committed $851.7 million and will receive $200 million federal dollars for its grid modernization and smart metering project in its Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky service areas. Smart meters are to be placed with 1.4 million customers.
In a second project, Duke will invested $7.9 million and the government is providing $3.9 million to upgrade substations and communications in North Carolina.
The grant is part of $3.4 billion in government support for 100 projects announced in October.
Monday, May 10, 2010
News from Ambient Corporation (ABTG)
| Ambient Corporation | May 10, 2010 |
We invite you to look at our advertisement on the Wall Street Journal's homepage. Our ad will run for a week. We also have a print ad in the Journal's special Energy Report today, Monday, May 10th. Thank you for your continued support and interest in the company. |
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Progress Energy to Invest $200 Million in Smart Grid Ventures
April 29, 2010
"The two utilities of Progress Energy will also invest over $300 million on smart grid projects in addition to the DOE grant. Up to 500 jobs could be created by the total investment. Progress Energy’s two utilities have already started assembling their workforces to support the smart grid transition better."
"The two utilities of Progress Energy will also invest over $300 million on smart grid projects in addition to the DOE grant. Up to 500 jobs could be created by the total investment. Progress Energy’s two utilities have already started assembling their workforces to support the smart grid transition better."
Monday, April 26, 2010
Smart Grid RoadShow - Bringing the Smart Grid Marketplace to Your Door!
http://www.smartgridroadshow.com/4/
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Smart grid technology sector could grow larger than the internet
April 23, 2:52 AM
Energy Policy ExaminerClifford Bryan
Energy Policy ExaminerClifford BryanSmart grid technology is needed to connect electrical smart grid systems. According to the Electric Power Research Institute and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the total market size is approximately $200 billion spread over 10-15 years. Certain veteran observers within the technology space maintain that the Smart Grid represents an opportunity to technology providers larger than the internet.
Technology or service providers may recognize that technology won’t work in isolation. but rather, these technologies must work with other Smart Grid and legacy technologies. Depending on the technology, there must be work undertaken to interface with and understand the issues of utilities, consumer, and/or a service provider’s technology integrator. Technology providers should ensuring that a technology adds value for generators and consumers of electricity in the most efficient and economical manner possible.
Technology providers should in the near-term create a modernized electric infrastructure, which includes working with regulators to develop rules that support innovation and allow access to customers; encouraging market design that compensates consumers as they move from passive energy consumers to active providers; and helping to build a network ensuring that all stakeholders benefit over time…and as soon as possible. In the process, the nation can re-assert its global competitiveness and technologies and systems developed by companies will be replicated around the world.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Pete Najarian Believes In Smart Grid Trade (ITRI, ELON, GE)
Posted on 04/20/10 at 7:09pm by Craig Jones
Pete Najarian spoke on CNBC's Fast Money about smart grid technology as a way to reduce energy spending.
He said that Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) predicts that the smart grid technology market is going to be a $100 billion market. It is using Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) like algorithms to send electricity where it is needed the most and away from where it is needed the least, and it also allows the user to control his or her usage. Smart grid technology could really decrease energy expenses.
Pete Najarian recommends two direct plays in this field, Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) and Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON). It is possible to get exposure to this technology through General Electric Company
(NYSE: GE) too.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Energy Dept. invests $100M in Smart Grid education
April 9, 2010 | Camille Ricketts
The U.S. Department of Energy rolled out its Open Government Plan yesterday, pledging to be more transparent about energy policy shifts and to better educate the market about efficiency initiatives. A major part of the latter goal is teaching people about the benefits and importance of the Smart Grid — a concept that consumers and some utilities have yet to rally behind.
Tackling this challenge head on, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that the department will be sinking almost $100 million into 54 different Smart Grid training programs across the country. Targeted at about 30,000 utility workers and electrical equipment manufacturers, these programs will also use $95 million from universities, utilities and industrial groups to design curricula around the modernization of today’s electrical grid.
As some of the oldest and largely unchanged companies in the U.S., utilities move notoriously slow when it comes to adopting new technologies and updating equipment in the field. Some substations and transistors have been in place for decades. One of the reasons for this is that the workforce is older and accustomed to established practices. This new investment in training employees is an attempt by the federal government to shake things up and accelerate change.
Last fall, the Energy Department handed out $3.4 billion to utilities to help them deploy smart meters and other changes toward a cleaner, more energy efficient grid. Since then, thousands of meters have been deployed across the country, but response hasn’t been overwhelmingly positive.
Residents in Bakersfield, Calif. have gone as far as filing a class-action lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric, alleging that the installation of smart meters hiked their energy rates. Utilities have had a tough time responding these these accusations and others flowing in in other regions. Aside from verifying meter accuracy with third-party laboratories, they haven’t offered to do much else. Utility efforts to educate consumers about why smart meters represent a positive change have been weak at best.
At this point, bad PR could still break — or more likely, slow down — the Smart Grid. If the opposition gets loud enough in areas where smart meters have been rolled out, programs could be turned back or blocked elsewhere. Market education couldn’t be more critical — a trend that must start with the people working in the industry itself.
The $100 million allocated today will go to two categories of training initiatives: beefing up workforce training programs in the electric power sector in general, including interdisciplinary programs at universities and community colleges focused on training the electric power systems workers of tomorrow; and launching training programs for new hires — with an interesting emphasis on displaced workers and military veterans. This is consistent with the goal of most of the stimulus funds handed out in the green sector: the creation of a vibrant green-collar workforce.
Big utilities landing stimulus funds include:
- Pepco Holdings: $4.4 million to train its workforce in Smart Grid equipment and to advise customers about Smart Grid changes.
- Florida Power & Light: $5 million to enlist local academic institutions in retraining the utility’s workforce to better deploy the Smart Grid.
- Mississippi Power Company: $2.6 million to train workers in transmission line automation, substation management and new metering infrastructure.
- Duke Energy: $3.5 million to teach workers about consumer-facing Smart Grid products like home energy monitors and more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
