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Around the Circuit
USFCC Requests
Extension for Tax Credit
Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Fuel Cell Council (USFCC)
recently asked Congress for a long-term extension of the investment tax
credit for businesses and households that install fuel cells. In
testimony to the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue
Measures,
Robert Rose, executive director of the USFCC, endorsed H.R. 550,
bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Mike McNulty (D-NY) and Dave
Camp (R-MI) with 54 co-sponsors to extend the credit for eight years
and
to make other improvements. The current incentive is scheduled to
expire
after 2008. "An eight-year extension of the tax credits ... will
provide certainty and stability for purchasers, stimulate cost
reduction
and supply chain interest, and send a positive signal to capital
markets," says Rose. Currently, more than 30 fuel cell products are on
offer from USFCC member companies.
ADVERTISEMENT
Power Quality Analyzer
The Powerpad® Jr. model 8230 is a single-phase power
quality analyzer that is easy-to-use and shock-resistant. It is
intended
for electricians and engineers to measure and carry out single-phase
and
balanced 3-phase power quality analysis. Users are able to obtain
instant waveforms of the electrical network's characteristics and also
monitor their variation over a period of time. All Power Quality
parameters, including harmonics out to the 50th, can be
recorded. www.aemc.com
Maryland Approves
Solar Energy Bill
Senate Bill 595 modifies the state's renewable energy
requirement to include a minimum percentage of solar power, starting at
0.0005% of retail electricity sales in 2008 and increasing to 2% of
electricity sales by 2022, according to a newsletter from the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy.
The new solar requirement is added on to the previous renewable
requirement, which called for 7.5% renewable energy by 2019. The bill
also increases the maximum size of customer-owned, grid-connected power
systems for net metering from 200kW to 2MW, and requires utilities to
provide net metering for up to 1,500MW of customer-owned generation
systems. Net metering allows customers to earn credit for power fed
back
into the electrical grid. The Solar Energy Industries Association
hailed
the passage of the bill, claiming it will make Maryland into one of the
nation's largest markets for solar energy.
CEA Endorses
National Standards for
Lighting Efficiency
The Canadian Electricity Association (CEA), Ottawa,
Ontario, voiced its approval of the proposed performance standards for
lighting products announced by Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn.
The
proposal includes a collaborative approach, drawing together provincial
and territorial governments, electric utilities, manufacturers, and
distributors that will result in the definition of a standard by the
end
of this year and timelines for the elimination of low-efficiency
lighting by 2012.According to a study funded in part by CEA,
lighting
has the highest potential for energy savings for Canada. It is
responsible for a significant portion of the electricity consumed by
buildings: 4% of total energy use for residential and 14% total energy
use for commercial. The federal government's initiative complements a
collaborative effort already underway among CEA, utilities,
governments,
and standards bodies to transform the lighting market to more efficient
technology.
ADVERTISEMENT
 New Flip Clip
from Cooper B-Line
The fastest, most inexpensive way to securely hang and level wire
basket
tray, saving installers time and money. The Flip Clip™
can be used with 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch threaded rods, eliminating the
need for multiple hanger sizes. The Flip Clip requires only one nut and
one tool for installation. www.cooperbline.com/flipclip
Project Watch
Arkansas Needs
On-Call Design Services
Little Rock, Ark.-based Arkansas Building Authority
(ABA) is soliciting responses from qualified firms to provide on-call
professional engineering services for mechanical and electrical
engineering as defined by the Arkansas Building Authority Minimum
Standards and Criteria (ABAMSC) 6-201 for the design of critical
maintenance and repair projects at ABA facilities in Pulaski County and
Sebastian County in Arkansas. Professional services required include
but
are not limited to: review of agency's program and budget, code
analysis, cost estimating, schematic design, design development,
construction document development; regulatory agency review submittals;
advertisement and bidding, contract administration, project
observations, and project closeout. The deadline for submitting
detailed
responses to this RFQ is 4 p.m. CST on May 18. For more information,
visit the ABA Web
site.
Electrical Work
Available in
Pittsburgh Schools
The Board of Public Education of the School District of
Pittsburgh is requesting sealed proposals for general electrical
work at various schools. Proposals will be received in the Office of
the
Chief Operations Officer and Assistant Secretary, Room 251,
Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Ave. until 2 p.m. EDT
during the month of May. Interested contractors should refer to the
official advertisement in the official documents for specific opening
and possible mandatory pre-bid meetings dates. For more information,
visit the Facilities Division, 1305 Muriel St., between the hours of 9
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
ADVERTISEMENT
 Grounding Line Addition
ILSCO introduces a new line of cast bronze clamps with copper straps
for
grounding rigid conduit systems (BGCS). The BGCS clamps have a ground
wire range of 3/0-10, a water pipe range of 1/2 inch to 1 inch, and a
conduit hub size range of 1/2 inch to 1 inch. Two versions are
available: one with a saddle for connecting the ground wire to the pipe
and one without a saddle. UL Listed and CSA certified. www.ilsco.com
Web Exclusives
Business Brief
Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Alliant Energy - Interstate
Power and Light Co. (IP&L) recently selected Stanley Consultants,
Muscatine, Iowa, as the pre-construction owner's engineer for IP&L's
proposed new 600MW coal-fired generation facility. The utility plans to
construct the new facility next to the existing Sutherland Generating
Station in Marshalltown, Iowa. Stanley Consultants will join IP&L
project staff in reviewing engineering work leading up to
groundbreaking
and assist with the hiring of a contractor to build the generating
station. Design work on the new plant continues, and permitting and
regulatory approval efforts are just underway. IP&L expects to file for
plant certification with the Iowa Utilities Board this summer with an
expected groundbreaking in late 2008 or early 2009. IP&L projects
commercial operation of the plant in 2013. "We're extremely pleased
to bring Stanley Consultants into the fold on this project," says Tom
Aller, president of IP&L. "We've made it clear that this plant is about
the economic and business health of our service territory. By selecting
an Iowa company as our owner's engineer, we're able to expand the
positive impact of this plant on the state's economy." For more
Business Briefs, visit the EC&M Web site.
Shows and Events
 West Coast EMC
The Association of Energy Engineers will present the
West Coast Energy Management Congress (EMC) from June 6-7 in Long
Beach,
Calif. Topics for workshops at this year's event include demand-side
management and technology, sustainable development, distributed
generation and renewable energy, and perspectives on the future. For
more information and to register, visit AEE's Web site.
EC&M
Code
Change Conferences
Where do you turn when you need accurate information on
changes to the National Electrical Code? Acknowledged as the leaders in
providing information on the NEC, EC&M magazine and EC&M
Seminars have been the preferred sources of this information for more
than 60 years. Seven Code change conferences have been scheduled in the
fall of 2007. Host cities include: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Orlando,
Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Seattle.
As an approved provider with the National Council of Examiners for
Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), through its Registered Continuing
Education provider Program (RCEPP), professional engineers attending
any
of our 2008 Code change conferences will receive Professional
Development Hours (PDHs), a requirement for re-licensing in many
states.
The conferences are also approved by every state that has a continuing
education requirement for contractors and electricians.
For additional information on the dates and locations of these
events, click
here.
Don't Miss This FREE Live Session
Scheduled for May 17th in
the EC&M e-Tradeshow
"Industrial Harmonics Mitigation Techniques" presented by
John Houdek, Allied Industrial Marketing, 10 a.m. Eastern and Pacific
time
Before and after the conference session, visit the many exhibitors in
this virtual tradeshow and take a look at the On-Demand Theater, where
you can view past online conferences 24/7/365.
Go to http://www.ecmweb.com/etradeshow/index.html
for information on accessing the EC&M e-Tradeshow and attending
these FREE live conferences.
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