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11 eastern U.S. states plan to develop low-carbon fuel standard

Eleven states in the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic — members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), plus Pennsylvania — plan to develop a low-carbon fuel standard that may not only affect transportation fuels but also electric generation, Massachusetts’ energy secretary said Monday. The Massachusetts governor initiated the idea in a letter sent last June to the governors of the 10 RGGI states, the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said. Officials from each state last week signed a letter of intent to pursue a common standard because of the “interconnected nature” of the fuel system in the region. The letter noted that RGGI already set a precedent for multi-state efforts to reduce green house gases (GHG) from power plants. The states plan to pursue a market-based approach, similar to California’s, to reduce carbon dioxide from fuels. The goal is to create a larger market for cleaner fuels, reduce GHG emissions, and support the development of clean energy technologies.

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first published week of:   01/12/2009

Advancing the Grid

Xcel Energy is rolling out sophisticated new technologies to enhance grid reliability and improve energy conservation. It says that the efforts will transform not just the utility but also the entire industry, which has seen little change during its long history. As such, the power company is installing “intelligent utility” technologies in Boulder, Colo. that can remotely monitor the system and will communicate with consumers to control energy usage.

An intelligent grid can screen power outages and manage supply and demand so as to maintain dependability. Operators are able to see the system in its entirety and to act in such a way so as to avert trouble spots and re-route power before there might ever be a blackout. And if the network were to become overburdened, the means would exist to send signals to grid operators and subsequently to end users to curtail consumption.

Federal lawmakers have taken a keen interest, realizing that a modern grid is essential to improving reliability and bolstering economic output. A multitude of states, meanwhile, are either considering or enacting laws to promote digital technologies. Massachusetts, for example, just adopted legislation to require utilities to perform time-of-use studies and adopt intelligent utility pilot programs.

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first published week of:   03/02/2009

AEP Ohio to perform aerial patrols of transmission lines

American Electric Power Ohio has begun helicopter patrols of its high voltage transmission lines throughout the state. The helicopter will pass about 50 to 100 feet above the lines, usually between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the week. The aerial patrols are part of the company’s ongoing program to maintain the reliability of the electric transmission system. Patrols are expected to come through Fairfield County the week of April 2

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first published week of:   04/20/2009

aging of water mains is becoming hard to ignore.

Water officials say they believe that a handful of wooden water mains are still in use in South Dakota, Alaska and Pennsylvania, among other places. Wooden planks are bound together with a coil of metal like a barrel. These primitive pipes are not unique to Chelan, Washington. The old wood pipes offer a vivid reminder of the age and fragility of the nation’s drinking water systems, many of which rely heavily on old pipes that often remain out of sight and mind — until they burst. The new federal stimulus law provides $6 billion for water projects, with $2 billion of that directed to drinking water systems. But a report released last month by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that the nation’s drinking water systems require an investment of $334.8 billion over the next two decades, with most of the money needed to improve transmission and distribution systems. When it comes to pipes, newer is not necessarily better, the American Water Works Association has found. The oldest cast-iron pipes, dating to the late 1800s, have an average useful life of about 120 years. For cast-iron pipes installed in the 1920s, that drops to about 100 years. And pipes put in after World War II have an average life of only around 75 years. The upshot is that all three vintages of pipe will need replacement in a short stretch of time. Still, some pipes last longer than anyone expected — like the remaining wooden pipes that are scattered around the country, relics from the days when many early American water systems used barrel-like pipes or bored-out logs to deliver water. No one seems to know exactly how old the wooden pipe is in Chelan. The rest of the city’s wooden mains were replaced long ago, said the city’s director of public works. Although the wood pipe has given him no trouble, he said he planned to replace the last 500-foot-section before it fails, because repairing wood pipe can be finicky work that combines carpentry with plumbing.

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first published week of:   04/27/2009

Al-Qaeda cell was preparing to attack pipeline

An international Al-Qaeda cell, based in the northern Sinai Peninsula, is suspected of being involved in plans to attack gas pipelines running between Israel and Egypt. According to Egyptian media, the plan was to strike Israeli ships passing through the Suez Canal. Ten people, allegedly behind a February bomb attack at Cairo’s famous Khan el-Khalili market, have been under suspicion since a police raid uncovered arms and information from a hideout used by the group. The cache of explosives included anti-tank weapons, car bombs and personal explosive belts. Two Palestinians, five Egyptians, a Belgian, a Briton and a French citizen are among the suspected cell members. It is believed the European members probably entered Egypt through underground tunnels near Rafah into the Gaza Strip. They allegedly received money for their mission and moved back to Egypt through the tunnels, at which time they allegedly carried out the Cairo attack. It has been suggested the cell was controlled by a Palestinian-based commander of an al-Qaeda group. He has lived in the Gaza Strip since fleeing Egypt three years ago

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first published week of:   07/01/2009

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Volume 31

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