July 2009 Archives

Petra Solar, Inc., the leading provider of innovative photovoltaic (PV) solutions for utilities, will be producing 200,000 smart solar systems for installation on PSE&G utility poles and street light poles in the largest pole-attached solar installation in the world, following the NJ Board of Public Utilities approval of a new PSE&G program today. Petra Solar will also be creating more than 100 green jobs in installation, research and development, operational and manufacturing of the pole-mounted, grid-connected solar PV system.

In a contract of about $200 million with PSE&G, Petra Solar will make units for 200,000 poles in New Jersey's six largest cities and 300 rural and suburban communities in PSE&G's service territory. Over the 3 1/2 year life of the contract, Petra will add the green jobs to its employee base of 40-plus employees, most of whom work in the company's South Plainfield headquarters and manufacturing facility.

Shihab Kuran, President and CEO of Petra Solar, said, "This contract is transformational for us. We are tripling in size and will start hiring immediately. We invite those interested in applying for positions to visit the company's website at www.petrasolar.com."

Kuran added, "We at Petra Solar are very pleased to enter a contract with PSE&G to provide 200,000 pole-mounted, grid-connected solar systems. This effort exemplifies the Obama and Corzine administration goals of transforming energy technology into energy employment opportunities while at the same time addressing global energy and climate change challenges."

"Our SunWave(TM) pole-mounted, grid-connected PV generation system delivers true technological innovation," Kuran said. "Our product will enable PSE&G to enhance the reliability of its delivery of electricity to customers."

Petra's SunWave system combines highly distributed, grid connected photovoltaic generation and smart grid communications capabilities. In addition it provides enhancement of electric distribution grid reliability through a host of functions such as voltage support.

Source: Petra Solar, Inc.

The New York State Department of Transportation announced that today, July 28, 2009, is an Air Quality Action Day, a day when air quality will be unhealthy, especially for sensitive individuals, such as children, seniors and people with asthma and other respiratory ailments, due to forecasted high levels of ground-level ozone pollution. The alert is issued for the New York downstate metropolitan region (the five boroughs, Long Island and lower Hudson Valley). This is the second alert of the week.

Recent studies have shown that poor air quality can cause respiratory and heart disease, restrict fetal growth and even cause premature death. Transportation -- primarily cars and trucks -- accounts for about 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. While today will still be a day when New Yorkers can go about most of their daily activities, such as going to work, the New York State Department of Transportation encourages metro area residents to leave their cars at home and/or stay indoors as much as possible.

To help prevent air pollution on an Air Quality Action Day, New York area residents are asked to take the following simple steps:

• Stay indoors when possible.
• Combine errands into a single trip, rather than separate trips.
• Take the subway, bus or train to and from work or other destinations.
• Share a ride by carpooling or vanpooling. To find a carpool partner or vanpool, visit nycommute.org or 511ny.org.
• Refuel after dark. This prevents certain pollutants from being emitted into the air that react with sunlight and heat to create ground-level ozone.
• Bring lunch to work instead of driving out to get it to save time and money while helping to improve air quality.
• Avoid car idling.
• Avoid operating gas-powered gardening equipment such as lawn mowers. Such equipment releases chemicals that form ozone into the atmosphere.
  

To receive real-time Air Quality Action Day updates, text AIR to 42269 or visit cleanairny.org. You can also receive automatic updates on Facebook and Twitter -- search for "Clean Air NY" to opt in.

About Clean Air NY

Clean Air NY is an initiative sponsored by the New York State Department of Transportation in support of regional air quality efforts. Clean Air NY's network of individuals and businesses believes that every person has the power to help make New York's air healthier and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Clean Air NY educates the public on simple everyday changes that reduce driving and provides real-time updates on Air Quality Action Days via text messaging, e-mail and media notifications. To learn more, visit CleanAirNY.org.

SOURCE The New York State Department of Transportation

From fresh ice cold watermelon to chocolate ice cream, Illinoisans rely on refrigerators and freezers for those tasty treats that make Midwestern summers special while tips from the Ameren Illinois Utilities (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP) help reduce energy bills.

For many Ameren Illinois Utilities (AIU) electric customers, savings can begin with just one phone call. AIU will pay an electric customer $35 for a standard size refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1993. The appliance must be operating and used as a secondary unit located in a garage or basement.

"Those old refrigerators and freezers out in garages and down in basements waste a lot of energy," said Karen Warnke, Ameren Illinois Utilities Customer Service energy efficiency advisor. "A standard size secondary refrigerator might cost $100 or more a year to operate."

Eligible Ameren Illinois Utilities electric customers should call 1-866-899-9088 to schedule a pickup of their refrigerator or freezer. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The refrigerator and freezer program is part of Act On Energy(R), the AIU energy efficiency initiative for residential and business customers. Complete information, including energy conservation tips, are available at ActOnEnergy.com.

Close the door

Getting the most out of a refrigerator or freezer begins with sound advice most people heard from their parents - close the door. Minimizing the amount of time a refrigerator or freezer door is open keeps cold air in which lowers energy costs. Other tips include:

• Keep refrigerators at 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit and freezers at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for maximum performance and food safety.
• Make certain there are a few inches between the back of the refrigerator or freezer and the wall to allow for proper air circulation.
• Replace door seals that are not airtight.
• Avoid placing refrigerators and freezers near heat sources such as ranges, dishwaters, direct sunlight and heat vents.
• Manual defrost freezers should be defrosted when ice builds up to one-quarter of an inch.
  

Always buy ENERGY STAR

When buying a new refrigerator or freezer, select a model that is ENERGY STAR qualified for maximum energy efficiency and the features you need. Other tips include:

• Refrigerators with a top-mounted freezers use 10 to 25 percent less energy than side-by-side and bottom-mount freezer models.
• Typically, the most energy efficient refrigerators have 16 to 20 cubic feet of space. In most cases, larger freezers use more energy than smaller models.
• Automatic ice makers and through-the-door water/ice dispensers will increase energy use by as much as 20 percent, while adding up to $250 to the purchase price.
• Consider buying a chest freezer, which typically use less energy than an upright model.
• Manual defrost freezers use about 50 percent less energy than automatic defrost units.
  

SOURCE Ameren Illinois Utilities

The Renewable Energy Institute International (REII), a non-profit organization, announced the formation of an alliance of industry, academic and government organizations to build a pilot demonstration plant in Toledo, Ohio for the efficient and economical conversion of waste biomass to clean, diesel fuel. This new alliance includes organizations from around the United States including Red Lion Bio-Energy, Pacific Renewable Fuels, Grace Davison, PACCAR, SolarTurbines/Caterpillar, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Desert Research Institute, Quanta Services, Worley Parsons, University of Toledo, Midwest Terminals/Port of Toledo, and other leading partners.

"REII's ultimate goal is to ensure that these technologies are reliable, efficient, economical and environmentally friendly," said Dr. Dennis Schuetzle, President of REII. "The project team assembled for this effort includes the best and brightest in their fields."

The demonstration plant, located near the Port of Toledo, will integrate and upgrade existing, next generation conversion processes that have been designed and validated at test sites in Sacramento and Toledo during the past two years. This demonstration plant will produce 350,000 gallons of no sulfur, high-cetane, clean diesel fuel per year with a high biomass to fuel energy conversion efficiency of 44%. Based upon a comprehensive life cycle analysis using Argonne National Labs' computer models, this production of diesel from biomass will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 89%, compared to petroleum derived fuels.

"It is imperative that the United States develop ways to produce fuels that can be used directly in the existing fuel infrastructure and with high fuel efficiency engines," said Dr. Schuetzle. "Unlike ethanol or bio-diesel, this 'synthetic' renewable diesel can be used in the existing transportation infrastructure without modification and therefore can dramatically reduce United States need for imported oil." This renewable, clean diesel has the potential to displace 74% of the diesel fuel used in the United States, using the waste biomass that is available today. The fuel will be used in diesel vehicles at the Port of Toledo and in diesel vehicles at other U.S. locations, reducing vehicle pollutant emissions by up to 40%.

The Toledo demonstration plant and research and development facilities at McClellan Park in California will be used in the long term to continually improve plant efficiencies and lower production costs. The plans are to begin deploying commercial-scale plants during 2011-12, each of which will have the capability of producing 5 - 42 million gallons of clean diesel fuel per year, depending upon the plant capacity and local availability of waste biomass. One of the first plants is planned for an industrial site in Gridley, California, where rice harvest waste, wood waste and other local biomass residues will be converted to diesel fuel and renewable electricity.

Enough waste biomass is generated each year to support thousands of these plants, distributed throughout the U.S. The successful deployment of these plants would result in the creation of hundreds of thousands of new U.S. jobs in manufacturing, research and development, and support industries. REII is coordinating their efforts with the Apollo Alliance, Chaired by Phil Angeledis, which has the objective of building a major clean and renewable energy industry in the U.S.

"This project has the long term potential to bring key manufacturing jobs back to the United States," said Alex Johnson, a key alliance partner and President of Red Lion Bio-Energy and Midwest Terminals of Toledo International who operates the Port of Toledo. "Our vision is to build a robust manufacturing capability in the Toledo/Lake Erie region for plant components that will be deployed in the U.S. and worldwide."

Funding support for this effort to date has been provided by private industry, the U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and other organizations. The REII Alliance recently applied to DOE for additional financial support under the American Recovery Act, and the upgrade of the Toledo demonstration plant is ready to commence immediately.

SOURCE Renewable Energy Institute International

On one of the hottest days of the year, Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) executives and employees are joining community leaders in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee as they line up and don orange scarves in support of Piedmont's new Share the Warmth Round Up program.

Share the Warmth Round Up offers a simple way for Piedmont customers to round up their monthly natural gas bill to the nearest dollar with the difference going to assist neighbors in their community who need help paying their home energy bills. Share the Warmth funds can be used to pay energy bills throughout the year regardless of the energy source used in the home - including natural gas, propane, oil and electricity.

Piedmont Natural Gas is making an initial contribution of $100,000 to Share the Warmth, and as an added incentive, will donate an additional $50,000 if 100,000 customers enroll in Share the Warmth Round Up within the next 60 days.

In recognition of the occasion, Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory issued an official proclamation designating July 15 as "Piedmont Natural Gas 'Share the Warmth Day.'"

"The need for assistance in the communities we serve has never been greater," said Thomas E. Skains, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Piedmont Natural Gas. "In Charlotte alone, we expect 10,000 families to need energy assistance in the coming year. As a result, we hope as many of our customers who are able will join us in this effort by signing up for Share the Warmth Round Up. The more customers that sign up means the more families that can be helped. This is a simple step each of us can take to support our communities and our neighbors in need and the most it could cost any of us is $12 a year. That's small change to change lives."

"On a typical day, we have nearly 150 people in line who need assistance for themselves or their families," said Carol Hardison, executive director, Crisis Assistance Ministry in Charlotte. "Share the Warmth is a godsend for our neighbors who face impossible decisions - food or heat, rent or electricity. Piedmont has made it so easy to help with its Share the Warmth Round Up program."

Contributions are tax deductible and 100 percent of every donation goes to assisting families and individuals in need. Share the Warmth partner agencies use donations to provide direct financial assistance to low-income families and individuals using all forms of energy throughout the year.

Piedmont's Share the Warmth partner agencies are:

North Carolina

• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (All areas with the exception of Mecklenburg County)
• Crisis Assistance Ministry (Charlotte)
  

South Carolina

• South Carolina Governor's Office
  

Tennessee

• Metro Action Commission (Davidson County)
• Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency (Cheatham, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson and Wilson counties)
• Highland Rim Economic Corporation (Dickson County)
  

There are three ways for Piedmont customers to sign up for Share the Warmth Round Up: 1) complete the enrollment form on the back of their monthly bill and return it with their bill remittance; 2) call 1.800.752.7504; or 3) visit www.piedmontng.com and click on the Share the Warmth icon on the left-hand side of the page.

Non-Piedmont customers may contribute by sending a check made out to Share the Warmth to:

Piedmont Natural Gas / Share the Warmth

Attn: Treasury Department

4720 Piedmont Row Dr., 8th Floor

Charlotte, NC 28210

Those interested in tracking the Share the Warmth Round Up program during the 60-day challenge period can do so by following @sharethewarmth on Twitter or becoming a fan of "Piedmont Natural Gas Share the Warmth Round Up" on Facebook.

SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas

Karl W. Miller, a senior energy executive and institutional investor, today issued the following statement through his advisors, regarding the state of the U.S. renewable energy and the cap-and-trade bill, called the American Clean Energy and Security Act recently passed by the Congress and the overall lack of a credible and comprehensive US Energy Plan.

With the financial markets in turmoil, and a major renewable energy initiative being undertaken by the new Obama administration, major attention is being focused towards developing and implementing a comprehensive energy production and carbon emissions strategy for the United States.

This major paradigm shift is leading the politicians in Washington and the capital markets to attempt to develop and implement a credible energy plan for the United States. Unfortunately, all efforts to date have been flawed and billions of dollars in taxpayer capital is being wasted.

As a senior energy industry executive who has deregulated many energy products and markets in the United States, Europe and Asia, Mr. Miller has increasingly expressed his concern for the misguided direction that the Obama administration and the Democratic leadership has been taking evidenced by the cap-and-trade bill, called the American Clean Energy and Security Act recently passed by the Congress and other multi-billion dollar handouts for a renewable energy industry not equipped to manage nor deliver the promised results.

Mr. Miller who has a long history of implementing bipartisan and free market views in the energy industry believes the multi billion dollar Obama stimulus and cap-and-trade bill will be wasted with no meaningful change to the reliability and re-powering and re-fueling of US power generation industry and developing sustainable efficient energy production.

The only true proven method of changing energy production is through market driven technology in fuels and efficiency gains. This must be driven by venture and risk capital to finance and judge the winners and losers.

Mr. Miller and other disciplined investors do not intend to invest in the renewable energy sector following the short-term investment drive expected to be created by flawed policies created under the current Obama Administration.

Seasoned investors like Mr. Miller will continue to wait on the sidelines during the short-term boom period and will look to step in and buy failed renewable energy assets at substantial discounts to original cost when the renewable sector flounders in the very near future.

Mr. Miller believes that market will, in a short period of time, become littered with uneconomical renewable energy projects, similar to the illiquid and toxic real estate assets currently held by large banks and hedge funds.

Mr. Miller was one of the first senior energy executives to call the ethanol and bio diesel boom and bust three years ago and was quoted saying at the time, "It is a clear demonstration that government handouts simply do not work, and billions of dollars of investor capital were lost."

Seasoned and disciplined energy executives have begun securing development sites and options for gas and coal plants currently on the wayside in preparation for the next build and re-power cycle which is eminent. Venture capitalist should be taking the risky bets on new power generation technology and other renewable ventures, not the US government.

Who wins with the government renewable energy hand outs embedded in the stimulus package and the cap and trade bill? As always, the investment bankers have all geared up for the hand outs by expanding their respective renewable energy practices and started peddling their wares including project finance services, arrangement of IPO's for new renewable companies (most of which will fail shortly after being taken public) and carbon emission trading and hedging businesses, among other services.

The tag along corporate law firms have done the same and well as all of the major consulting firms. These financial institutions, law firms, and consulting firms will be the short term financial winners as service providers for fees.

The losers will be, as always the pension, insurance, endowment, and retail investors who directly or indirectly invest in the renewable energy sector during the boom period and then get stuck "holding the bag" when the bust comes, especially when the financial sponsor firms dump their renewable energy deals that they sponsored and financed.

Finally the biggest long term winners will be the vulture and distressed investors like Mr. Miller and other disciplined investors, who will be waiting on the sidelines during the short term boom period and will look to step in and buy assets for pennies on the dollar when the renewable bust comes in a few years. Thus the biggest winners will ultimately be the distressed investors, much like the current US real estate crisis, which the US Government is financing.

The Government will do the same in the Renewable energy sector when the bust comes as they will have no choice but to bail out the renewable energy sector.

SOURCE VBCC

A new report released by The Pew Charitable Trusts ranks Ohio best in the Midwest and among the top five states in the nation for job growth in a clean energy economy. According to the Ohio Business Development Coalition, the nonprofit organization that markets the state for capital investment, the report is further evidence that Ohio is uniquely positioned to succeed in the advanced energy industry thanks to its existing strengths in manufacturing and engineering, along with its vast, skilled labor pool capable of an easy transition to fulfill the jobs of the future.

"This report further proves Ohio's dedication to technology innovation coupled with its access to a world-class supply chain and a talented, educated workforce is vital in building a strong foundation for the widespread application of advanced energy systems," said Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher. "There are many business incentive programs the state offers to companies that create new jobs, thereby creating a supportive and encouraging environment for new investment."

Based on significant research and input from experts in the field, including the advisory panel that helped guide the study, Pew developed the following definition: A clean energy economy generates jobs, businesses and investments while expanding clean energy production, increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution and conserving water and other natural resources.

The Pew study shows in 2007 Ohio ranked among the top five states with the most jobs in clean energy (3,653), energy efficiency (5,367) and environmentally friendly production (2,800). Overall, Ohio boasted a total of 35,267 clean jobs in 2007, which represents an overall job growth of 31 percent since 1998 and an average annual job growth of .85 percent each year. For more information about The Pew Charitable Trusts and the report, visit http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=53254

Ohio's leaders are leveraging the state's key assets such as Ohio's manufacturing infrastructure, skilled workforce and advantageous location to support a growing advanced energy industry. Ohio's historic strengths in advanced design, advanced materials and advanced manufacturing combined with the state's ability to seamlessly transform these existing skill sets into those needed to compete for the jobs of the future creates the perfect environment to make the state a global leader in this rapidly growing industry. Ohio-based companies are now producing an increasing array of solar panels, wind turbines and component parts, biomass products, fuel cells, hydroelectric components, geothermal parts and storage facilities that promote better utilization of advanced energy resources and competitiveness in a global marketplace.

"Ohio has surplus automotive skilled labor and manufacturing capability that is rapidly being converted to accelerated growth of the clean energy industry and is available for clean energy companies that want a rapid start," said Ed Burghard, executive director of the Ohio Business Development Coalition. "Ohio is successfully reinventing itself as the location of choice among leading suppliers to the technologies of the future, and our state serves as a model for struggling states and cities with economies that rely on traditional manufacturing processes."

One of the most significant initiatives supporting Ohio's advanced energy industry is the Ohio Third Frontier, an unprecedented and bipartisan commitment to expand Ohio's technological strengths and promote commercialization that leads to economic prosperity throughout Ohio. Since its inception, the program has retained or created 7,700 high-paying technology jobs and has attracted more than $3.5 billion in private investment to Ohio, a 9:1 return on investment. Ohio's Third Frontier has already invested more than $100 million in advanced energy technology research and development since 2002, and is projected to provide $24 million in additional grants related to advanced energy in the coming year.

"Business leaders in the advanced energy industry are realizing how, in Ohio, they're able to successfully build a business without sacrificing their personal life," Burghard said. "Business owners profit from the bottom-line benefits of better work:life balance for their employees. Ohio offers low-cost, low stress communities in a combination of micropolitan and metropolitan cities. This diversity provides executives and employees the resources and time to make any ambition achievable. Ohio truly is the state of perfect balance."

SOURCE Ohio Business Development Coalition

Standard Renewable Energy (SRE) CEO, John Berger, along with several other energy CEOs were invited to the White House for a roundtable discussion on the stimulus, renewable energy, climate change legislation and the cumulative impact of all three issues on positive U.S. job creation.

President Barack Obama (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Moving-Forward-with-Energy-Innovation) noted that the assembled renewable energy leaders represented "the most innovative energy companies in America... (able to) save small businesses and large businesses alike up to 20 or 30 percent on their energy usage."

Berger, a former advisor to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission founded SRE in 2006 to help consumers understand that energy efficiency and renewable energy can have a highly positive financial impact for homes and businesses alike. Since then, SRE has grown to become the largest distributed energy services company (DESCO) or "on-site" renewable energy generation and energy efficiency provider in the U.S. with a mission to assist customers in achieving (i) lower energy bills, (ii) a reduced environmental footprint, and (iii) increased energy reliability.

"The transformation to a clean economy is job positive. The industry is moving in the right direction," Berger told the President. "SRE is proud to be one of the companies that is helping to lead the transformation toward a clean energy future."

In his Rose Garden press conference that followed the private roundtable meeting, President Obama made reference to companies that are rapidly growing in revenue and job creation. SRE is a prime example of this as it has grown from 21 employees in January of 2007 to a projected 400 by year's end and more than 550 by December of 2010.

SOURCE Standard Renewable Energy

Proper Power & Energy, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PPWE) announced today Robert Dunbar, using his improved radiometric technology, Radiometric Plus, has identified potential Giant Fields in Utah. Proper Power & Energy holds an 11,000 acre lease in Utah with room for over 75 wells with an excellent chance for a "pay," according to Dunbar. Robert Dunbar, Geologist, stated, "Based on Radiometric Plus, I predict a very high probability that Proper Power & Energy will be successful in hitting a large pay and potentially a giant field similar in size or larger than that of the Covenant field."

Giant oil and gas fields are considered those with 500 million barrels of ultimately recoverable oil or gas equivalent. Geoscientists believe these giants account for 40 percent of the world's petroleum reserves. Robert Dunbar has identified potential giant oil fields in Utah.

The central Utah thrust belt, or "Hingeline," has seen cycles of petroleum exploration for the past 50 years because explorers viewed the geology as a natural extension of productive thrust belt-style structures in northern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. Wolverine Gas & Oil Corp. lit a firestorm of interest in central Utah with its Covenant oil field discovery in Sevier County in 2004. Original estimates of Wolverine's Covenant field range from 75 million to 150 million barrels. According to data compiled by the Utah Geological Survey in 2005, Utah holds 493 million barrels of proved oil reserves (about 1.9 percent of the total U.S. onshore oil reserves). As oil prices remain above $50/barrel, it is predicted that oil exploration will increase in Utah and should dramatically increase the proven oil reserves in the state.

SOURCE Proper Power & Energy, Inc.

PPL Electric Utilities on Wednesday (7/1) requested Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approval of an energy efficiency and conservation plan to help its customers use electricity more wisely.

The submittal is part of Pennsylvania Act 129 of 2008, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor last fall as a way to reduce electricity use, expand the use of advanced metering technology and set requirements for electricity supply purchases by utilities.

The plan includes more than a dozen energy efficiency and conservation programs, ranging from energy-efficient equipment rebates to expanded home weatherization services for eligible customers.

"As electricity users, we all have the potential to save energy," said David G. DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities. "Sometimes it just takes knowing where to start and getting a little help."

DeCampli said the company's plan offers opportunities for every customer group, from large commercial customers and institutions to small businesses, homeowners and renters. The plan aims to reduce customers' electric use by more than 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours a year by mid-2013.

"The plan we've proposed lays out programs that will dramatically expand our existing e-power campaign to promote wise energy use and help our customers save money, conserve resources and contribute to protecting the environment," he said.

In the last 50 years, customer electric use has surged nearly 500 percent - PPL Electric Utilities delivered 38 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2008 compared with just 6 billion kilowatt-hours in 1960.

"With bigger homes, more air conditioning, and more appliances, gadgets and home electronics, customers are using far more electricity than they did decades ago, and they're spending more as a result," DeCampli said.

"That's why it's important that electricity users make the best decisions they can, from purchasing energy-efficient appliances to taking actions that reduce their electric use," he said.

Among measures PPL Electric Utilities has proposed are:

• Rebates to customers who install energy-efficient equipment, including lighting, appliances, programmable thermostats, and heating and cooling systems.
• Nearly doubling the company's funding of home weatherization and conservation services for low-income customers.
• Financial incentives for customers to weatherize their home or get a home energy audit.
• A compact fluorescent lighting campaign to distribute more than 7 million energy-efficient light bulbs through a combination of giveaways and discount programs.
• A program to promote construction of energy-efficient homes, and grants to help offset higher construction costs.
• Rebates to encourage recycling of old, inefficient refrigerators and freezers.
• Energy efficiency education and take-home kits.
• Rebates for commercial customers who have their heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems tuned up and improved to increase energy efficiency.
• A time-of-use pricing option that would allow residential customers and some businesses to save money by shifting their electricity use from periods when demand is high.
• Financial incentives for customers to reduce use during peak hours or install remote-controlled devices on certain appliances so that the company can scale back electric use when summer demand is highest.
• Financial incentives for customers to install solar energy systems or geothermal heat pumps.

The plan proposed by PPL Electric Utilities will help the company meet the energy efficiency mandates of Act 129, which requires electric utilities to reduce customers' annual energy use 1 percent by mid-2011 and 3 percent by mid-2013. It also requires utilities to reduce customers' peak demand, or peak hourly use, by 4.5 percent by mid-2013.

PPL Electric Utilities held several daylong meetings to gather input on its draft energy efficiency plan from representatives of economic development organizations, state agencies, consumer advocates, environmental groups and operators of energy efficiency programs. The company plans to partner with community agencies, equipment manufacturers, appliance retailers, contractors and others to carry out some of the proposed initiatives.

The PUC is expected to act on the plan by Nov. 1, and the company hopes to begin offering some of the new programs by the end of the year and most by early 2010.

DeCampli said the company already has taken steps to raise awareness about energy efficiency in recent years. For example, today PPL Electric Utilities is able to provide all of its 1.4 million customers access to detailed usage information like few, if any, utilities can in the country.

The company's online Energy Analyzer at www.pplelectric.com allows customers to view daily and hourly usage information. Customers can experiment with changes, like adjusting their thermostat, to see the difference it makes. They can complete a home profile on the Energy Analyzer to see where their energy dollars are being spent and get personalized tips to save.

The company's e-power team is visiting thousands of customers each year to share energy-saving tips. In addition, the company shares monthly tips in a newsletter that accompanies customer bills. PPL Electric Utilities also funds rebates to small businesses that upgrade to energy-efficient lighting and rebates to residential customers who have their home's energy use evaluated by a certified energy auditor.

SOURCE PPL Electric Utilities