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Around the Circuit
New Jersey
Approves Regulations to Expand Renewable Energy Sources
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recently voted
to approve new regulations that expand the state's Renewable Portfolio
Standard (RPS) by extending the existing goals to 2020 and increasing
the required amount of renewable and solar energy. Under the new
regulations, 20% of New Jersey's electricity must come from renewable
sources by 2020. The regulations also include a 2% solar set aside,
which is estimated to require 1500MW, the nation's largest solar
commitment relative to population and electricity consumption.The RPS
requires companies that provide retail electric service in New Jersey to
either purchase or product a minimum percentage of qualified renewable
energy to residents and businesses in the state. The new regulations
increase the current RPS requirement by more than five times from 4% for
Class I Renewables to 20%. The RPS increases incrementally on an annual
basis between 2008 and 2020.
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Verdant Power
Begins Tidal Power Project Test
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently gave
Arlington, Va.-based Verdant Power permits to install turbines for a
tidal energy project in New York City's East River. The turbines are
expected to produce 200KW to power a grocery store and parking lot on
Roosevelt Island. The company hopes this test will lead the way for
installing a field of 200 to 300 turbines, enough to generate 10,000KW
to power about 8,000 homes. The New York tidal project will be the first
in the United States.
EGSA Requests
Feedback on Standard's GFCI Requirement
Boca Raton, Fla.-based Electrical Generating Systems
Association (EGSA) seeks feedback on UL 2201 "Standard for Portable
Generator Sets." The standard includes a requirement for a GFCI on the
output for even the 120/240V circuit. However, EGSA has received reports
that when the portable generator set is used as emergency power for a
home and connected to a transfer switch, the GFCI continues to trip, and
the set cannot power the home. EGSA wants to know how many such reports
you have received. It is also interested in hearing about your personal
experiences with this particular matter. This information will enable
the organization to petition UL to remove this requirement. Please
e-mail the information to Herb Whittall at hwhittall@Comcast.net or fax to
EGSA headquarters at (561) 395-8557.
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Project Watch
Florida Housing
Authority Solicits Bids for Electrical Upgrades
The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale,
Fla., requests bids for electrical upgrades to the following sites:
Sunnyland Homes, 841 NW 13 Terrace, and Suncrest Court, 1615 NW 23 Ave.
Sealed bids should be delivered to the Housing Authority of The City of
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1OO SW 18th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312,
on or before noon EST on May 19. Questions pertaining to the scope of
work may be directed to Miguel Villa at (954) 467-7977.
Wisconsin School
District Seeks Proposals from Design Firms
The Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin
seeks proposals for architectural and engineering services, including
electrical, communications, and fire protection, for a proposed 88,000
square-foot, LEED-certified elementary school. Proposals will be
received by the Madison Metropolitan School District, Building Services
Department, 4711 Pflaum Road, Madison, WI 53718-6765 until 10 a.m. CST
on June 1. For more information contact the owner at (608) 204-6680.
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label and use them to select from a wide assortment of gear in B-Line's
Great Gear catalog. To obtain a catalog and order forms, see your local
B-Line distributor, or visit our Web site at www.b-line.com
Web Exclusives
Business Brief
San Francisco-based Bechtel Corp. will design and build
some 7,000MW in power-generating facilities as part of a plan by
Dallas-based TXU Corp. to meet the demand for electricity in Texas. TXU
intends to invest $10 billion to build up to 11 new power-generating
units at nine existing power plant sites. Bechtel will be the primary
contractor on up to nine of the units, most with a capacity of 800MW.
The company will begin immediately to provide permitting support,
preliminary engineering, procurement of major equipment, and
construction planning, with construction set to start next year. For
more business briefs, visit EC&M's Web
site.
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optimal network efficiency and reliability -- even in the harshest
environments. Copper constructions include rugged unshielded and
shielded products. Heavy-duty, all-dielectric TrayOptic®
optical fiber cables are also offered. Go to www.belden.com/ECM231 for
Industrial Ethernet Product Bulletin 231.
Eye on Safety
Investigators Find
Sago Lacked Lightning Protectors
According to federal and West Virginia investigators,
Sago Mine owner International Coal Group (IGC) may have violated basic
electrical and safety rules by not installing equipment to prevent
lightning from sending a charge into underground mine workings. The
investigators are examining the possibility that lighting hit one of the
mine's surface electrical systems and sent a charge underground,
eventually igniting a buildup of methane in a sealed area deep in the
mine.
At least two electrical systems at Sago were not equipped with lighting
arresters, Denver Wilfong, the mine's maintenance foreman and chief
electrician, told investigators in a sworn statement. Under federal mine
safety rules, all power lines and phone cables that lead into
underground mines must be equipped with lightning arresters.
In mid-March, ICG issued a news release that the company's investigation
had concluded lightning caused the explosion. In a three-page briefing
paper, ICG said, "Although it appears that lighting was the source of
the energy for ignition, it has not been determined how it passed into
the sealed area."
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information.
Shows and Events
West Coast EMC
2006
The Association of Energy Engineers presents the
24th West Coast Energy Management Congress (EMC), which will
take place from June 7-8 at the Washington State Convention & Trade
Center in Seattle. The full EMC 2006 agenda includes the two-day
conference and expo, as well as several optional intensive seminars.
This year's seminar topics include The Energy Policy Act of 2005,
advanced lighting retrofit options, fundamentals of business energy
management, and fundamentals of power quality. For more information and
to register visit the congress Web
site.
Southern
California Facilities Expo
The 20th Annual Southern California
Facilities Expo is scheduled to take place from June 7-8 at the Anaheim
Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. The Facilities Expo is a free
two-day trade show that showcases a wide array of products and services
along with educational seminars. Topics for this year's seminars include
"Online Partial Discharge Testing of Medium-Voltage Cables," "Aerial
Lift and Forklift Training," "Predictive Maintenance Options for
Electric Motor Bearings" and "LEED Consulting." For more information and
to register, visit the Expo's Web site.
Harmonics & Power
Quality Conference
EC&M, PowerQuality, and PQNewsBeat
present the 2006 Harmonics & Power Quality conferences in Boston from
June 15-16, Seattle from July 20-21, and St. Louis from Sept. 14-15.
Presenters at this year's conferences will include William Bush,
director of engineering, Signals, Power & Grounding Specialists, Inc.,
Bruce Lonie, president, PowerCET Corp., Chris Melhorn, engineering
manager, EPRI Solutions, and Alex McEachern, president, Power Systems
Lab. For more information and to register, visit the conference's Web site.
IEEE Pulp & Paper
Industry Technical Conference
IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS) presents the
52nd Pulp & Paper Industry Technical Conference in Appleton,
Wis., from June 18-23. Papers to be presented at the conference include
"Dryden Operations Improved Power Distribution System Reliability -- A
Case Study," "Is My UPS Distribution System Coordinated?" "Optimizing
Waste Fuel Boiler Control with Multivariable Predictive Controls," and
"Monitoring Your Plant From Anywhere." For more information and to
register, visit the IEEE IAS conference Web site.
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