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	Highly Read Since Aug 12 Some Economics of the Great Coal Game (2085 Page Views) Electric Vehicles but Not as We Know Them (1180 Page Views) Announcement of the GE ecomagination Challenge, Powering the grid, a $200 million innovation experiment (587 Page Views) Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) a promising technology that can help mitigating carbon footprint (541 Page Views) Before Peak or Beyond Petroleum - BP Oil Limits (449 Page Views) A Future Scenario of Energy and Navigation on the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River (349 Page Views)


	Webcasts Conferences/Shows Training 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... All Webcasts » 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... All Conferences / Shows » 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... All Training » View All Events »


	Energy Central Power Network

OR

Bill Opalka

Editor-in-Chief, Topic Centers Energy Central
	Member Since: 11/12/06 Author Rating: Gold Article Count: 19 Email this author Phone: 860.633.0090

Background

Bill Opalka is the Editor-in-Chief of the RenewablesBiz Daily. While at Energy Central, he was Editor-in-Chief of the topic Center newsletters and a contributing writer to EnergyBiz and the Intelligent Utility magazines. Before joining the company, he was the founding editor of a leading wind energy trade publication. He has an extensive career in trade publications and newspapers, mostly focused on the utility sector, covering such issues as restructuring, renewable energy and consumer affairs.

Articles

9.2.09	Biomass Seeks Higher Profile Topic: Fossil & Biomass Article Viewed 4345 Times; 1 comments 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.

9.2.09	DSCADA Talk Topic: Grid Operations Article Viewed 3523 Times; 1 comments When fire hit a rural Connecticut home and a downed power line endangered response teams, the actions of Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) were anything but routine. With residents trapped inside the burning building, firefighters didn't have to wait the seemingly interminable minutes it would normally take for a utility crew to arrive and cut the electricity.

8.12.09	Study Says Geothermal Energy Most Efficient and Improving Fastest Topic: Future & Alternative Generation Article Viewed 5168 Times; 16 comments A new study says geothermal energy is the most efficient source among renewable energy resources and could become cheaper than fossil fuel-generated energy with a concerted government research effort.

6.17.09	Utility Solar Power Grew 25 Percent in 2008 Topic: Solar Article Viewed 3932 Times; 9 comments Utility scale solar installations grew by about 25 percent last year according to an annual survey conducted by an industry trade association. The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) "2008 Top Ten Utility Solar Integration Rankings" report identified U.S utilities that have the most significant amounts of solar electricity integrated into their portfolio.

5.27.09	Marine Renewables Make Some Headway Topic: Future & Alternative Generation Article Viewed 3878 Times; 2 comments Slowly but surely, energy produced by the waves and tides is gaining some measure of momentum as a viable alternative source of power. At least on the policy front, marine renewables have gained greater visibility in a series of recent decisions, proposals and legislative acts.

4.1.09	Biomass Boosted by Economic Stimulus Plan Topic: Fossil & Biomass Article Viewed 5405 Times; 1 comments Tax incentives, grants and loan guarantees under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the stimulus bill, include biomass energy as part of the overall energy plan aimed at boosting renewable production and use.

3.10.09	Some Steam Heads Geothermal's Way Topic: Future & Alternative Generation Article Viewed 3957 Times; Comment on this article A renewable power source that had slowly been gaining steam in recent years, only to slow down in the current financial crisis, got a new hot blast sent its way, courtesy of the economic stimulus package promoted by President Obama. Favorable tax policies and outright grants are the latest strategies to be sent the industry's way.

2.24.09	Stimulating Wind May Take Some Time Topic: Wind Article Viewed 4315 Times; 15 comments The U.S. wind industry is a major beneficiary of the Obama $787 billion economic stimulus plan but it may take months for developers to return to the breakneck pace they have maintained for the past three years. Many projects from coast to coast have been slowed or stopped, and the policy changes and financial benefits for wind contained in the bill will take months or even a year to work through the tax and financial systems. And the chill from the credit freeze still gripping much of the financial sector will be felt for some time.

11.4.08	Offshore Wind Riding a Wave Topic: Wind Article Viewed 4729 Times; 19 comments While T. Boone Pickens has garnered much attention in recent months with his well publicized plan to create a massive infrastructure for wind energy production in America's heartland, offshore wind energy is getting more attention in the heavily populated Northeast.

7.29.08	Department of Energy Sees 20% Wind Energy by 2030 Topic: Wind Article Viewed 5290 Times; 61 comments With wind energy currently providing about 1 percent of the U.S. electricity supply, its advocates have been trumpeting for several years its potential to provide an exponentially greater share.

5.15.08	Winning Over Customers - Challenges of Growing Online Bill Payment Topic: Billing & Customer Care Article Viewed 4308 Times; 2 comments A company can save 50 cents on a common transaction. By itself, that may not seem like a big deal. Suppose it could be repeated a few times a year. Then suppose it could be repeated hundreds of thousands of times, perhaps millions of times, over the course of a year. That could get some manager's attention in a hurry.

4.30.08	States Remain Renewables Policy Laboratory Topic: Wind Article Viewed 3810 Times; 2 comments A national Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) once again failed in the U.S. Congress late last year when it was removed from a comprehensive energy bill that passed at the end of the session. The House of Representatives had passed its version of the energy bill that included a requirement for most U.S. utilities to acquire 15% of their energy from sources like wind and solar energy.

1.30.08	Cape Wind Passes Agency Test Topic: Wind Article Viewed 4337 Times; 2 comments The first proposed offshore wind energy facility in the United States passed a significant test with the mid-January release of a federal review as it starts what is expected to be its final year of permitting.

11.21.07	FERC Assesses Advanced Metering Programs Topic: Metering Article Viewed 6525 Times; 19 comments Interest in electric demand response and advanced metering increased significantly in the past year, as reported in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's "2007 Assessment of Demand Response and Advanced Metering." This is the second report by Commission staff. This article is a review of only Advanced Metering activities considered in this year's report.

10.31.07	How Transmission Operators are Helping Renewable Energy, Especially Wind Topic: Wind Article Viewed 4876 Times; Comment on this article Transmission operators say in a new report that they have adopted policies and practices that are advancing the acceptance and integration of renewable energy in North America. The report, "Increasing Renewable Resources: How ISOs and RTOs Are Helping Meet This Public Policy Objective," was one of three released by the ISO/RTO Council, an organization of 10 system operators in North America.

10.19.07	Carbon Sequestration Part of Coal Generation's Future Topic: Fossil & Biomass Article Viewed 6340 Times; 18 comments If carbon sequestration is indeed part of the future of coal power generation in the United States, the Department of Energy (DoE) is attacking the problem on several fronts. In the past year it has prepared to open its first demonstration sites and has intensified efforts to identify potential storage areas.

9.20.07	Ultraclean Combustion Technology Fires Up in Hydrogen Tests Topic: Fossil & Biomass Article Viewed 5711 Times; 19 comments Successful tests using pure hydrogen as a fuel have been performed using an experimental gas turbine simulator equipped with a low-swirl injector (LSI). U. S. government researchers reached this milestone that indicates a potential to help eliminate millions of tons of carbon dioxide and thousands of tons of NOx from power plants each year.

12.27.06	Energy Output Gets a Boost at Cape Wind Topic: Wind Article Viewed 5652 Times; 3 comments Controversy still swirls around the proposal to place 130 wind turbines off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, but one formidable obstacle will soon leave the scene, with a strong supporter taking his place.

11.27.06	TXU Displacing Older Generation With Advanced Technologies Topic: Fossil & Biomass Article Viewed 7343 Times; 21 comments Faced with higher fuel costs, over-reliance on natural gas generation, increased demand, dropping reserve margins and anticipated pressures to regulate carbon emissions, TXU has made plans for $2 billion of investment in advanced technologies.

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