The biggest source of climate pollution dropped to 34% of US electricity generation and co-author of a new report says: ‘These are permanent changes’
America’s use of coal for electricity dropped to its lowest point in the historical record in 2015, delivering a new blow to an industry already in painful decline.
The dirtiest of fossil fuels and America’s biggest single source of climate pollution, coal accounted for just 34% of US electricity generation last year, according to the Sustainable Energy in America handbook on Thursday.
It was the smallest share for coal in the electricity mix since 1949, the first year in which Energy Information Administration records were kept.
“It was a really big year,” said Colleen Regan, a power analyst for Bloomberg New Energy Finance, who was co-author of the report for the Business Council on Sustainable Energy. “It was a landmark year with a long-term trajectory that we saw as the US decarbonising its power fleet.”
Coal made up 39% of electricity supply in 2014, the annual report said.
The changes in the US electricity system last year also produced milestone benefits for the climate, the report found. continued…
first published week of: 02/08/2016
U.S. nuclear energy facilities generated electricity at a record high level of reliability in 2015, preliminary estimates show.
Ninety-nine nuclear power plants operating in 30 states posted an estimated average capacity factor of 91.9 percent, based on preliminary 2015 data compiled by the Nuclear Energy Institute. That surpasses the industry’s prior record set in 2007 by one-tenth of a percentage point. Capacity factor measures the total electricity generated as a percentage of potential generation for the entire year.
“The 2015 data confirm yet again what a tremendous asset nuclear energy technology is,” said NEI Chief Nuclear Officer Anthony Pietrangelo. “U.S. nuclear power plants continue to operate at exceptional levels of safety and reliability, while generating affordable electricity that consumers and our economy rely on. This is due to the hard work and dedication of the highly skilled men and women who work at these facilities and the reactor vendors and suppliers who provide support services.” continued…
first published week of: 01/25/2016
The USGS National Map program is transitioning all of its GIS data download capabilities to its new TNM Download client during the week of February 15, 2016. The new launch page will help users easily find the variety of resources available to get National Map data, download GIS data, visualize and analyze data on the web, or access developer tools such as APIs and map services.
This is not a replacement for all the visualization capabilities in the current National Map Viewer, but rather an application and API to improve and simplify the data download experience. The National Map Viewer will remain available for web-based visualization and analysis of National Map data.
Usage of TNM Download Client combined with staged product files will provide faster, more reliable and larger quantities of data to the geospatial community. The Download Client has an associated API available to developers to take advantage in their own applications.
The National Map released several recent enhancements to the delivery of its data products and map services to include:
TNM Download Client
The new TNM Download Client will replace the data download function in the older legacy TNM Viewer. It allows the user to easily filter by product, file format, and search for data over their area of interest. Product specific workflows have also been developed such as selecting a particular hydrologic unit and to give users more appropriate results. Several ‘How to Download Data’ tutorial videos (lessons 4a-4d) have been created to take advantage of the new capabilities.
Basic download steps
1) Zoom to your area of interest
2) Select the desired product and file formats
3) Click on the “Find Product’ button to get search results
4) You will then be presented with a .CSV file to directly download or add to a cart if you want additional products
5) You can order multiple National Map products from this client but it is easiest to go through the steps for each product line you want to order, one product at a time.
Download Manager
Download Manager is a Java-based application that runs on your local computer and enables download of multiple products without requiring the user to click each individual download link. If you require lots of data, export all the search results into a .CSV file and use the ‘Download Manager’ application for fast behind the scenes data retrieval while working on other activities.
Large Scale Contours are available
The contours created from The National Map US Topo program are now included in a dynamic contours map service. This new service has dynamic layers enabled to allow user-defined custom styling to be applied in Esri® clients.
Dynamic Style Control is enabled on vector map services
Users can take advantage of dynamic style control on The National Map vector web services. This feature enables users to change the color and line weight of our vectors to best meet their mapping and visualization needs, without having to download the actual dataset.
File GeoDatabase 9.3.1 format retired
In addition to these new enhancements, some of the existing file formats and capabilities will be retired over the next few months. File GeoDatabase 9.3.1 format will be retired in mid-February 2016 and the download function in The National Map (TNM) legacy viewer will be removed. Users will be directed to the new TNM Download Client.
To keep current with The National Map downloadable products and map services, visit The National Map Viewer launch page.
first published week of: 02/15/2016
Utilities are going mobile, with all large electric and most large natural gas utilities now providing a mobile-enabled website or app; however, many utilities still struggle with website design and functionality, failing to provide content that is easy to access via mobile, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Utility Website Evaluation StudySM (UWES).
The study, now in its fifth year, is based on a combined ranking of evaluations collected across mobile websites/apps and desktop/laptop/tablet (desktop) devices. The study explores how easy it is to use a utility’s website by examining 12 tasks based on the type of utility: set up an online account; account log in; view consumption history; review account information; make a payment; research energy saving information; update service; report outages; view outages; locate contact information; perform account and profile maintenance; and locate gas leak information.
The study finds that the percentage of large utilities offering a mobile channel for their customers either through a mobile-enabled website or mobile app has increased dramatically to 92% in 2016 from 72% in 2014, and satisfaction with ease of use has improved to 409 ( on a 500-point scale) from 405. Of the 65 U.S. electric and natural gas utilities included in the study, 59 of them currently offer a mobile solution. While many of the utilities have adapted to responsive design for their website—one where the Web content adjusts to various screen sizes—customers are experiencing problems accessing content due to design and functionality challenges with the site.
“Many utilities have deployed responsive design technology on their mobile websites to deliver content that automatically fits on the various screen sizes of mobile devices,” said Andrew Heath, senior director of the utility and infrastructure practice at J.D. Power. “However, it’s not enough to just implement responsive design without also designing the website content customers will ultimately experience on their mobile device.”
Following are some of the key findings of the 2016 study:
For more information about the 2016 Utility Website Evaluation Study (UWES), visit http://www.jdpower.com/resource/us-utility-website-evaluation-study
first published week of: 03/21/2016
The new frontier of microgrids can turn islanding on its end
Major players such as Oncor Electric Delivery, Duke Energy, Schneider Electric and ERDF are investing big in microgrid pilot projects that can involve small pockets of residential, public service or industrial districts. Some are not so little anymore, such as Schneider Electric’s plan to build a microgrid at its Boston One headquarters campus by this fall.
REC Solar will build and operate the microgrid that will include a 400-kW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system generating about 560,000 kWh per year and saving the company nearly 5 percent on electricity costs.
In some situations microgrids are more of necessity than a trendy option. Some are constructed to feed remote military bases and communities or to provide power to poorer regions, such as in Haiti, which have less access to a power grid. They exist because they fit the need. continued…
first published week of: 04/18/2016
Another big merger is taking place in the electric utility space, furthering consolidation
Another utility merger is coming in the U.S. electricity sector, continuing a long-running trend in the industry. This time, Great Plains Energy (NYSE:GXP) is buying Westar Energy (NYSE:WR) for $8.6 billion in a deal that will consolidate utilities in Missouri and Kansas.
Electric utilities across the country are coming under fire from slowing consumer demand growth, greater regulatory costs, and more competitive options for power. That's resulted in a need to cut costs, and at a time when scale can be a big advantage, that's often meant industry consolidation.
Why two more utilities are combining
In talking about the acquisition of Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy, CEO Terry Bassham pointed to "rising customer expectations, increasing environmental standards, and emerging cybersecurity" as big drivers of the decision to buy Westar Energy. Let's unpack those elements and see why it may make sense for a bigger company to serve customers. continued…
first published week of: 06/06/2016
Record-low costs for power in the U.S. haven't translated into lower monthly payments for consumers.
As the price of electricity in the eastern U.S. fell by half over the last decade, utilities raised monthly bills for residential customers by 26 percent, according to government data. Consumer advocates say the power companies are using falling electricity costs as cover to raise other charges. Utilities counter that it's payback for billions of dollars worth of government-mandated improvements to long-neglected infrastructure.
It's "a good thing that energy prices have fallen off and allowed the required capital to be installed and be done without impacting the consumer," said Exelon Corp. Chief Executive Officer Chris Crane in an interview during a conference organized by Bloomberg New Energy Finance in New York on Monday. continued…
first published week of: 04/11/2016
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, left, addresses members of the media as Deepwater Wind Chairman Bryan Martin, right, looks on. ( Steven Senne, AP)
Construction at the site of the nation's first offshore wind farm is entering its final phase.
Deepwater Wind is building a five-turbine wind farm off Block Island, Rhode Island. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo visited the Port of Providence on Monday to see the main components for the turbines before they're brought offshore.
Raimondo says Rhode Island is leading the way in the new U.S. offshore wind industry and that she "loves it" when Rhode Island is first.
She says it's helping the state's economy.
The wind farm is expected to power about 17,000 homes. continued…
first published week of: 08/01/2016