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Communicating Smart Meter Value

Sep 9 2010 - 2010-01-01 12:00:00 - Your City

If you are involved in Management or Customer Service and are responsible for communicating the value of smart meters to your utility customers, you don’t want to miss this online discussion - Communicating Smart Meter Value.  more...

Social Media: The new frontier in recruiting, communications and marketing

Sep 13 2010 - 2010-01-01 12:00:00 - Your City

Join social media mavens Matthew Burks and Amanda Shewmake as they provide an insider's perspective on how HR, communications and marketing professionals in energy companies can harness the power of social media to be more effective and productive. more...

Eliminating Obstacles and Delivering the Benefits of the Smart Grid - IBM's Optimized Energy Value Chain (OEVC)

Sep 14 2010 - 2010-01-01 12:00:00 - Your City

The convergence of power and information technologies in the smart grid has created opportunities for finer grained and broader controls of energy flows. These opportunities can improve electric service in multiple dimensions: lower cost, greater reliability, greater customer satisfaction, and more...

Achieving Operational Excellence - What to Consider Before Implementing or Upgrading Your Distribution Management Solutions

Sep 16 2010 - 2010-01-01 12:00:00 - Your City

Significant cost over runs. Changing business requirements. A well thought out plan is essential. Attend this free webcast discussion to hear inside hear three experts in utility operations discuss what utilities need to evaluate when they are considering upgrading or more...

Outsmarting the Smart Grid: IT, Security and Communication Infrastructure  Challenges & Opportunities for Utilities

Sep 21 2010 - 2010-01-01 12:00:00 - Your City

The smart grid is shifting the playing field for utilities. And when the game changes, it pays to be prepared. A nimble solutions partner can help you design the solutions that keep operations on track, even as new challenges come more...

1st CSP Today Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Summit India

Sep 7 2010 - Sep 8 2010 - New Delhi India

Deliver a profitable, productive and commercially successful large scale CSP business in India. Building on the success of past events in USA, Europe & MENA, CSP Today brings to New Delhi the most relevant international experience for the concentrated solar more...

Offshore Wind Energy in North America's Great Lakes Conference

Sep 9 2010 - Sep 10 2010 - Toronto

Two day conference that tackles the most important challenges. A blend of European knowledge from the companies who have been installing offshore wind turbines for the last decade alongside local state governing bodies and leading project developers. Permitting, securing long more...

Autovation 2010

Sep 12 2010 - Sep 15 2010 - Austin, TX - USA

Autovation 2010 is a not-to-miss educational forum that will attract utility executives from around the world looking for new ways to optimize their operations through automation technologies. more...

Global Sustainable Bioenergy North American Convention

Sep 14 2010 - Sep 16 2010 - Minneapolis, MN - USA

The North American convention provides a remarkable opportunity to play a part in guiding renewable energy policy for the 21st century. Attendees will create a resolution that, along with similar resolutions already drafted on four other continents, will help set more...

GridWise Global Forum

Sep 21 2010 - Sep 23 2010 - Washington, DC - USA

Hosted by the GridWise(R) Alliance and the U.S. Department of Energy, the GridWise Global Forum will convene thought leaders from the highest levels of government, business, NGOS, and academia from around the world to discuss the ultimate enabling potential of more...

1. Intro to Nat Gas Trading & Hedging 2. Option Applications in Energy

Sep 20 2010 - Sep 23 2010 - Houston, TX - USA

Introduction to Natural Gas Trading & Hedging - This program provides a comprehensive understanding of the structures that underlie Natural Gas trading. Beyond Essentials: Option Applications in Energy - This course provides a solid practical and conceptual (non-quantitative) understanding of more...

Electric Business Understanding Seminar

Sep 20 2010 - Sep 21 2010 - Houston, TX - USA

Electric Business Understanding provides a comprehensive overview of the electric industry. Position yourself for career advancement by gaining a solid understanding of how the electric business works including key physical, market, and regulatory aspects and how market participants navigate this more...

Electric Market Dynamics Seminar

Sep 22 2010 - Sep 23 2010 - Houston, TX - USA

Electric Market Dynamics offers participants an in-depth understanding of North American electric markets and how they function. Enhance your career by furthering your knowledge of market structures, pricing mechanisms, services offered in markets, and how various participants use the markets more...

Gas and Electric Business Understanding Seminar

Oct 5 2010 - Oct 6 2010 - Los Angeles, CA - USA

Gas and Electric Business Understanding provides a comprehensive overview of the natural gas and electric industries. Position yourself for career success by gaining a solid understanding of how each business works, including key physical, market and regulatory aspects, as well more...

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Biomass Seeks Higher Profile
9.2.09   Bill Opalka, Editor-in-Chief, Topic Centers, Energy Central

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    While biomass energy doesn't have the cachet of other renewable energy sources like solar and wind, the industry is taking steps to change that perception. And it's started a multi-pronged effort in two areas where it will get the most attention: in a public relations campaign and a simultaneous drive to gain favor with Washington policymakers, particularly with regard to tax and job creation policies.

    The Biomass Power Association (BPA) just launched a $250,000 public relations campaign to raise the profile of biomass in Washington as a fossil fuel alternative and to help it get tax treatment equivalent to solar and wind.

    "The goal of this campaign is to inform people of the long-term environmental and economic benefits of biomass power," said Bob Cleaves, President and CEO of the BPA. "We will emphasize that biomass power actually reduces greenhouse gases and presents the greatest opportunity to meeting a strong standard for renewable electricity and create thousands of clean energy jobs."

    The production tax credits awarded to existing biomass power facilities are set to expire at the end of this year. The industry says an expiration of the tax credit would put thousands of jobs in at risk. "The Biomass Power Association urges Congress to level the playing field in the renewable industry by providing tax equity, or parity, in the production tax credit. Further, Congress must extend these tax credits to existing biomass power facilities for an additional five years," according to the BPA.

    The Biomass Power Association's campaign includes an educational briefing in Washington, a facilities tour, advertising and a web site update. So it will emphasize its benefits as a resource that could create green jobs in the current downturn and as a resource that could help the nation reach its renewable energy mandates in legislation currently pending in Congress.

    But the industry knows that the effort to raise its profile will only show a measure of success if it gains more favorable tax treatment. The BPA says biomass has been taxed at twice the rate of competing renewables such as wind and geothermal, leaving it at a competitive disadvantage. It also wants Congress to extend the production tax credit for an additional five years for those plants that were awarded the credit in 2004, but could see it expire in 2009.

    The Department of Energy estimates that biomass-powered plants currently provide almost 2 percent of the U.S. electricity. It projects that the potential for biomass could grow to 15 percent by 2020. Power plants that burn wood and plant materials for electricity account for more than 50 percent of America's renewable energy.

    The organization says biomass power is a $1 billion industry with 80 facilities in 20 states and provides over 18,000 jobs nationwide. Its power plants are predominately located in rural communities.

    The BPA is part of the RES-Alliance for Jobs, a coalition of businesses and organizations supporting an aggressive renewable electricity standard. This alliance is promoting a 25 percent renewable electricity standard (RES) to help spur economic growth and investment and create thousands of new jobs in the renewable energy industries. The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) passed the U.S. House in June and is now pending in the Senate calls for a 15 percent standard by 2020 but has loopholes renewable energy trade associations are trying to remove as the legislation moves forward.

    BPA is promoting biomass in the Southeastern states as the renewable energy source of choice since those regions lack wind and solar potential that exists elsewhere. Unlike solar and wind, biomass power can produce electricity 24 hours a day.

    "Many southeastern states lack sustainable access to wind or solar power," said Cleaves. "This campaign will demonstrate how biomass power can produce enough renewable electricity to meet a strong federal mandate in all fifty states and create thousands of green jobs in the process. Biomass is the unknown renewable energy source that will lead the way to a clean energy future."

    For information on purchasing reprints of this article, contact Tim Tobeck ttobeck@energycentral.com.
    Copyright 2010 CyberTech, Inc.
     
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    Readers Comments

    Date Comment
    Don Hirschberg
    9.8.09
    “…it's started a multi-pronged effort in two areas where it will get the most attention: in a public relations campaign and a simultaneous drive to gain favor with Washington policymakers, particularly with regard to tax and job creation policies.”

    Does any endeavor these days ever become viable on its merits rather on its “public relations campaign”, “drive to gain favor with Washington”, and “regard to tax…policies?”

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