Copper thieves target power stations

A power substation in McDonough, Georgia has been the target of thieves. Every time one is hit, it costs the power companies up to $5,000. “As an electric cooperative, we’re a not for profit organization,” said a spokesperson for Central Georgia EMC VP of Engineering. “So the costs that we experience ultimately do get passed on to the customers.”” He took CBS Atlanta into the McDonough substation to show exactly what thieves are looking for. The copper ground wires are most often taken, causing a dangerous situation for replacement crews. “They are actually trained to make observations at the sight, to make sure the grounds are in place, before they ever put their hands on the fence,” he said. Each substation has surveillance cameras to deter thieves.

Details Here

first published week of:   02/22/2010

CPUC Allows Non-Residential Customers Choice of Electric Provider

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) acted to implement a plan to increase the amount of Direct Access transactions within the service territories of California’s major investor-owned electric utilities (IOUs), Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric Company.

Direct Access allows eligible customers to purchase electricity from an independent Electric Service Provider rather than from an IOUS and was first instituted as an option for retail electric service throughout California in 1998. Currently, about 5 percent of total retail sales across the state are Direct Access transactions.          

The authorization for increased Direct Access is being implemented in accordance with the provisions of recently enacted Senate Bill 695 (Kehoe).  SB 695, which was supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders including the Division or Ratepayer Advocates, TURN, and each of the utilities, was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger October 11, 2009.

Details Here

first published week of:   03/22/2010

Crunching costs and benefits for smart grid projects

Knowing full well that they need to make their case both to regulators and to the public, utilities rightly seek the tools that result in a legitimate, defensible business case. For what? For improving efficiencies, strengthening reliability-related technology and having digital communications that provide near-real time insights into grid performance and behavior. Oh yeah, the consumer piece, too, that seeks demand management. (Perhaps placing smart grid opportunities in this order would assuage those making grand connections between government bailouts, stimulus grants and mind-boggling smart meter rollouts. Perhaps not.) 

Details Here

first published week of:   03/08/2010

Demand Response Committee Applauds Issuance by FERC of National Action Plan

The Demand Response Coordinating Committee (DRCC) applauded the issuance on June 17 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of a National Action Plan on Demand Response, calling it a significant step on the road to establishment of the smart grid. The DRCC is a non-profit organization formed in 2004 whose mission is to facilitate the exchange of expertise and information on demand response and smart grid.

FERC developed the Plan in response to a provision in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. EISA called for FERC to develop a Plan that would support further development of demand response as a both a resource for the nation's electricity system and a new energy management option for consumers. The Plan calls for the establishment of new technical assistance and informational resources for demand response practitioners and policymakers. It also calls for the development of support in the area of education and communications, including new research on consumers, and talks about the possibility of a national communications program to help convey why demand response and smart grid are being pursued. FERC issued its Plan and sent it to Capitol Hill.

“This is an important development,” said Dan Delurey, Executive Director of the DRCC. “Much has been learned about demand response and smart grid in recent years. Research has been done and pilots have been run such that it is clear that one of the ways that the smart grid will be built and put into action is through demand response. Demand response allows the grid to engage with the electricity customer and truly engage the demand side along with the supply side in optimizing the operation of the grid.”

Details Here

first published week of:   06/14/2010

DEP launches new probe into Oyster Creek's radioactive water leak

The state Department of Environmental Commission May 7 ordered the owners of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant to cooperate with the state’s investigation into the seepage of radioactive tritium into the ground. The DEP said it is launching a “new and thorough state investigation” into the 2009 tritium leak. The “Spill Act” directive issued today requires plant owner Exelon Corp. to cooperate with the DEP and take action to prevent the radioactive substance from reaching the region’s potable water supplies. It is believed that at least 180,000 gallons of contaminated water was released from the plant April 9, 2009, through two holes in separate pipes. The Oyster Creek leak was the second highest discharge of tritium in U.S. commercial nuclear plant history, in terms of radioactivity. Tritium is a byproduct of nuclear fission, which is used by the plant to generate electricity. To date, there is no evidence of an immediate threat to private or public drinking water supplies. The underground flow of the tritium-tainted water has been measured at a rate of one to three feet per day, and the nearest well is two miles away.

Details Here

first published week of:   05/10/2010

Depleted uranium not that scary

An open meeting on the effects of nuclear waste was held in Utah recently. The event was hosted by Tooele County. The deputy director of the county’s health department, acted as moderator. About 30 people showed up at the meeting room in downtown Tooele to listen to an epidemiologist, a physicist and a chemical engineer talk about the health risks and other side effects associated with depleted uranium, or DU as it’s more commonly called. DU, of course, is at the center of the current nuclear waste debate: Should DU from other parts of the country, and other countries, be allowed into the EnergySolutions waste facility at Clive in remote Tooele County? How radioactive is DU? Will it give us cancer? Will it make us sick? Does it constitute a clear and present danger? What are the ramifications for the future? One by one, the three invited panelists addressed these and other questions. First to speak was the chemical engineer. Then came the radiological and health physicist. He was followed by the epidemiologist. None is affiliated with EnergySolutions or the waste operation at Clive - or, for that matter, with Tooele County. They talked about where DU comes from, its relative level of radioactivity and the health hazards it poses. As the meeting wore on, one common theme became clear: DU definitely does not scare these scientists. They all talked about the potential dangers of DU; but overall they downplayed its overall effects on community health.

Details Here

first published week of:   04/05/2010

Volume 31

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