Newsletter: EIBC Leadership Council Meets with Gubernatorial Candidate Calley, IEI and EIBC Release Legislative Candidate Questionnaire Report

This newsletter was originally published on July 11, 2018.

EIBC Leadership Council Meets with Gubernatorial Candidate Calley

On July 10, the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (Michigan EIBC) and Institute for Energy Innovation (IEI) held the second in a series of gubernatorial candidate roundtables in Michigan. The business leaders from Michigan EIBC sat down with Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley to discuss energy policy. The Lieutenant Governor was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. As a state representative, he was an expert on tax policy and served as minority vice chair of the House Tax Policy Committee.

The conversation focused on the strength of the advanced energy industry in Michigan, which represents 92,200 workers and includes Michigan EIBC’s 116 member companies. Michigan EIBC believes that Michigan’s next governor can harness the economic power of the advanced energy industry, support Michigan’s economy, solidify the state’s leadership in mobility, and put quality jobs at the heart of a vision for a forward-looking energy future. In the meeting with Calley, the EIBC Leadership Council members focused on the role of energy in Michigan’s future economic development. The attendees also highlighted the favorable economics of advanced energy in Michigan and significant cost declines over recent years.

Michigan EIBC has reached out to all of the major party candidates to request similar off-the-record briefings, and met with Senator Gretchen Whitmer on June 4. We look forward to additional meetings in the coming weeks.

IEI and EIBC Release Legislative Candidate Questionnaire Report

This week, the Institute for Energy Innovation and Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council released a report on Michigan state legislative candidates’ stances on advanced energy issues to Michigan EIBC’s membership. The questionnaire was sent to 604 state legislative candidates, and the report details the 165 received responses, as well as provides a summary of the upcoming election and they key dynamics to watch regarding the advanced energy industry. If you want your company or organization to have access to member-exclusive content like this, join Michigan EIBC here.

Energy Innovators Gala Keynote to be Announced in Two Weeks

Michigan EIBC’s 6thAnnual Michigan Energy Innovators Gala is November 14, 2018, at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing, Michigan. This event recognizes individuals and businesses who have worked to build Michigan’s advanced energy sector. At the event, awards will be handed out for Business of the Year, Emerging Business of the Year, Employer of the Year, and Public Official of the Year. There will also be plenty of time for networking.

This year’s keynote speaker has already been confirmed, but we’re not spilling the beans yet! Stay tuned for an announcement on July 25!

Save the date – registration for this event will open soon.

CBS Solar Uses Nanotechnology to Make Panels More Efficient

Michigan EIBC member company CBS Solar is assisting in the development of exciting new products. Using cutting-edge nanotechnology, CBS Solar is coating solar panels with a protective coating of titanium dioxide (called NanoSC) that reduces static and reduces light transmission through the panel. In addition, because the coating is hydrophilic, it repels water, making it easy to wash off dush or contamination.

CBS Solar believes that this breakthrough will innovate the solar industry and increase lifetime panel efficiency. In fact, in some places where the coating is being used, solar panel efficiencies have already improved by up to 8 percent.

Renewing Members:

 

 

 

 

 

Clarke Energy is the authorized distributor and service provider for GE’s Jenbacher gas engines in the Midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Clarke Energy brings a new business model for the GE Jenbacher gas engine product to the United States.  Clarke Energy is an award-winning multi-national specialist in the engineering, installation and maintenance of reciprocating engine-based power plants. Our offering includes gas fuel technologies. Clarke Energy was acquired by the Kohler Company in February 2017. We are the largest authorized distributor and service provider for GE’s Jenbacher reciprocating engine business. Clarke Energy can either supply an individual generator, or deliver an EPC turn-key multi-engine power plant backed up by long-term service support. Clarke Energy is a specialist in high efficiency utilization of fuels and is an innovator in the field of combined heat and power (CHP) or cogeneration technology.

 

 

 

Helios Solar provides turnkey solutions for Utility, Commercial, and Residential Photovoltaic Installations. Our founding principles of Environment, Economics, and Engineering guide our practices with the goal of designing and constructing the most efficient, value driven solar installations possible.

 

 

 

 

Oracle offers a complete suite of operational applications and cloud services for electric, natural gas, and water utilities world-wide that automate core operational processes and enable compliance in a dynamic and changing industry. With the April 2016 acquisition of Opower, Oracle incorporates industry-leading behavioral energy efficiency, behavioral demand response, and customer engagement capabilities. To date, these energy programs have resulted in over seventeen terawatt-hours of cost-effective energy savings from energy efficiency and enabled over $2 billion in customer bill savings.

Michigan Energy Stories

  • In an interview with Public Utilities Fortnightly, Michigan Public Service Commission Chairman Sally Talberg described the state’s electric power industry as “dynamic,” saying, “We see a lot of change, particularly here in Michigan, with our power generation transforming rapidly.”
  • The Michigan Public Service Commission issued order directly impacting  electric choice.
  • DTE Energy proposed a three-year, $13 million electric vehicle pilot program to develop charging infrastructure. The utility also proposed rate increases totaling $328 million.
  • Solardevelopers are unsure what to expect following Consumers Energy’s announcement that it will increase solar investment.
  • Consumers Energy will increase its wind portfolio by adding 150 MW by 2020.
  • Consumers Energy announced a new EV pilot program, which the Ecology Center reviewed in a new blog.
  • SEMCO, UMERC and UPPCO customers will see reductions in their bills starting in July.
  • UPPCO is partnering on a pilot project to make energy efficiency measures accessible to qualifying low-income customers.
  • A second lawsuit has been filed against an Escanaba shipping company following an anchor strike that severed transmission cables in the Straits of Mackinac.
  • Enbridge submitted its final 3 reports to the State of Michigan on Line 5, the pipeline running through the Straits of Mackinac. The reportsassess technology solutions to detect and prevent leaks and damage, as well as prioritize bodies of water that the pipeline crosses and assess measures to minimize the possibility and negative impact of a spill at each point of crossing.
  • The Michigan Conservative Energy Forum released a study finding thatrenewable energy could grow the state’s economy by more than $10 billionThe report states that Michigan could create 69,000 job-years on a path to 30% renewables by 2027.

Michigan Energy Leaders

  • Twenty-one businesses, organizations, and individuals from across the state have been announced as finalists for the 2018 Governor’s Energy Excellence Awards. You can view the press release, which includes the full list of finalists, here.

National Energy Stories

  • The Trump administration hopes to boost offshore wind development by making the permitting process easier and carving out prime lease locations.
  • Scott Pruitt resigned as Environmental Protection Agency administrator amidst various ethical scandals. Andrew Wheeler is now the interim administrator of the EPA.
  • The EPA has drafted a proposed rule to replace the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan with a looser regulation. The regulation now awaits White House approval.
  • Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Robert Powelson, who was nominated by President Donald Trump and sworn in last August, announced that he will leave the Commission in this August.
  • An Indiana utility completed a transmission line to improve grid reliability and increase access to wind and solar.
  • The U.S. dropped to number 10 in a new international ranking on energy efficiency.
  • Michigan EIBC member company Petros PACE Finance partnered with Twain Financial Partners to close a $4 Million C-PACE Loan in Nebraska.
  • Michigan EIBC member company Sempra Energy announced plans to sell its U.S. wind, solar and natural gas assets.

National Energy Leaders

  • Colorado is becoming a national model for how to expand renewable energy to low-income residents.
  • Atlanta, Georgia, officials are considering three possible plans to run the city on 100% clean energy by 2050.
  • Georgetown, Texas, is the first city in the state to run entirely on renewable energy.
  • An Arizona regulator laid out a framework for new rules requiring utilities to derive 80% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2050.
  • Fremont, Ohio, is considering spending $8.5 million on energy efficiency improvements for aging buildings over the next 15 years.
  • A new report shows a 5% increase in clean energy jobs over the past two years in Missouri.

Michigan Energy Events
Grand Rapids 2030 invites you to the ZNE Series: Energy Efficiency Puts Money in Your Pockets session on July 11 in Grand Rapids. During this session, you will learn to calculate key financial equations and portray the value to upper management. Register Here.

On July 17-19, PlugVolt will be hosting its next Battery Seminar in Plymouth, Michigan (USA), featuring an entire day of in-depth training by EnerDelon Lithium Ion technology, alongside complementary industry updates by automotive and grid storage OEMs, global battery manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers. Attendees also get a tour of Intertek’s Battery Testing Center. Register here.

Invenergy is hosting a Summit Lake Wind Project open house and information meeting on Wednesday, July 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the L’Anse High School Cafeteria, 201 N. 4th Street.

Michigan EIBC’s fourth EV Convening on fleet deployment is scheduled for July 18 at the Michigan Agency for Energy’s office in Lansing. Register here.

MSU IPU invites you to the 60th Annual Regulatory Studies Program’sFundamentals Program. The event will provide essential education in the theory, principles, and practice of economic regulation organized by disciplinary perspectives, core functions, and utility sector applications. It will take place August 6-10 inEast Lansing.

MSU IPU invites you to the 60th Annual Regulatory Studies Program’s Intermediate Program.The event will provide essential education in regulatory jurisdiction and governance, utility market structures, and current trends, drivers, and policy issues across the sectors. It will take place August 13-17 in East Lansing.

On August 15, Michigan EIBC will host its fifth EV Convening on rate design and future engagement at the Michigan Agency for Energy’s office in Lansing. Register here.

IEI is hosting a Mobility 101 Lunch & Learn at the House Office Building in Lansing on September 12. This event will be open to legislators and legislative staff, as well as Michigan EIBC members. Watch your inboxes for registration details.

MSU IPU invites you to the 60th Annual Regulatory Studies Program’s 13th Advanced Regulatory Studies Program:Ratemaking, Accounting, Finance, and Evaluation. The event will provide intensive, interactive, and technical workshops for experienced professionals in the regulatory policy community. It will take place October 1-5 in East Lansing.

Michigan EIBC will host a members-only election recap on Friday, November 9. Watch your inboxes for registration details.

Save the Date: Michigan EIBC’s Annual Energy Innovator’s Gala is scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, in Lansing. Watch your inboxes for a formal invitation, agenda, and registration details.

IEI will host a Corporate Purchasers Lunch & Learn at the House Office Building in Lansing on December 5. This event will be open to legislators and legislative staff, as well as Michigan EIBC members. Watch your inboxes for registration details.

National Energy Events   
Registration is now open for the TransGrid-X 2030 SymposiumJuly 26, in Ames, Iowa. The event will showcase the long-awaited NREL Seam Study — a concept featuring bi-directional high-voltage transmission; 600 GW of wind, solar and gas-fired generation; and a trillion-dollar economic event, if fully built.

EUCI invites you to the Compensation for Distributed Energy Resources in a Low-Cost Marginal World conference, July 30-31 in Austin, Texas. Register here.

EUCI invites you to the Smart Cities 2018 Conference on August 13-14 in Columbus, Ohio. Register here.

The 2018 Veteran’s Energy Seminar Series is scheduled for San Diego (8/18)Chicago (8/30), and Boston (9/27). If you are interested in speaking or sponsoring an event, please visit www.vetsenergyseminar.org/speakers or www.vetsenergyseminar.org/donate.

EUCI invites you to the Retooling PURPA conference on August 20-21 in Atlanta, Georgia. Register here.

EUCI invites you to Renewable Energy 101, September 10-11, in Chicago, Illinois. Register here.

EUCI invites you to the “Land Lease Agreements for Renewable Energy 101” conference on September 13-14, in Austin, Texas. Register here.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) invite you to Solar Power International, September 24-27, in Anaheim, California. Registration opens in spring of 2018 here.

EUCI invites you to a FERC Transmission Ratemaking Conference, October 1 – 2, in Denver, Colorado. Register here.

MSU IPU invites you to the 60th Annual Regulatory Studies Program’s 46th Eastern NARUC Utility Rate School. The event provides comprehensive hands-on training on the basics of the public utility ratemaking process and is sponsored by the NARUC Committee on Water and featuring group work on a mock water utility rate case. It will take place October 22-26in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Announcements and Opportunities
A podcast covers the energy and climate races to watch in the 2018 midterm election.