This newsletter was originally published on September 12, 2016. 

Michigan Energy Innovators Gala – Award Nominations Now Open!

Michigan EIBC Members and Gala Sponsors are invited to nominate companies and individuals for the following awards to be presented at the fourth annual Michigan Energy Innovators Gala on November 10, 2016 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. The awards are:

• Business of the Year
• Emerging Business of the Year
• Employer of the Year
• Public Official of the Year
• Energy Innovators Business Hall of Fame

For a nomination form, please contact Nicole Forward at nicole@mieibc.org. You can also download the form here.

Michigan EIBC will accept nominations September 12 through September 30.

 

Michigan EIBC Tours Rockford Construction HQ

GRAND RAPIDS –Michigan EIBC toured the headquarters of their fellow member, Rockford Construction, on Thursday, September 8, a September installation of the Michigan Energy Forum. Rockford’s headquarters in Grand Rapids’ west side was built with energy efficiency in mind, from green roofs to help thermal insulation, to efficient LED lighting to optimizing the use of natural light.

“We’re excited to host our fellow Michigan EIBC members on today’s tour,” said Scott Ferguson, Vice President of Sustainability at Rockford Construction. “We believe that high-performing buildings are good for the property owner and the local economy. Whether giving businesses a tour of our facility, to our membership in the Grand Rapids 2030 District, we will continue to push high-performing building practices.”

Click here to read more about the tour. Join Michigan EIBC today so you can attend events like this free.

 

New/Renewing Members

NOVI Energy

Started in March of 2002, NOVI Energy is a family-owned entrepreneurial company that turns exceptional ideas and innovative technologies into the world’s best energy solutions. We provide a broad range of services in energy management and energy infrastructure development for governmental, industrial, institutional, commercial, and utility customers located around the world.

 

TRC

TRC is considered a pioneer in groundbreaking scientific and engineering developments since the 1960s, TRC is a national engineering services, consulting and construction management firm that provides integrated services to the energy, environmental and infrastructure markets. TRC serves a broad range of clients in government and industry, implementing complex projects from initial concept to delivery and operation.

With Midwest offices in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin, TRC has worked with developers, utilities, and government agencies to provide efficient, cost-effective support on both large and small utility and distributed generation-scale solar and wind projects. TRC’s solar and wind expertise includes permitting support, site selection, impact assessment, engineering, design and handling interconnection issues.

 

Michigan Energy News

The Detroit News Editorial Board announced their support for SB 437 and 438, legislation to rewrite Michigan’s energy laws.

Utility Dive wrote a feature on SB 437 and 438, alluding to a possibility of a deal to between the Republicans supporting the bill and Democrats, if stronger policy signals on renewables and energy efficiency are in the final legislation.

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) approved Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCo)’s rate increase, but at a rate 30 percent lower than they requested, leading some customers to get refunds.

The MPSC also authorized Consumers Energy to reconcile 2015 costs for their Energy Optimization programs. Only residential customers using 100 cubic feet of natural gas a month would see an increase starting next year.

The August report from Advanced Energy Economy about the state potential for corporate access to renewables received a write-up in Midwest Energy News

East Jackson Community School was a finalist for the Governor’s Energy Excellence Award for energy conservation work involved in a $14 million reconstruction project, Mlive reports.

APEX clean energy is working on a wind project in southwest Michigan, Herald-Palladium reports.

A 12-year old kid died due to an old Detroit Public Lighting wire crossing a DTE wire. Mayor Mike Duggan is calling for greater attention to grid maintenance, Detroit CBS reports.

 

National Energy News

Minnesota’s decoupling has had a minimal effect on electric rates so far, Midwest Energy News reports.

A report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that new transmission between the Midwest and Great Plains to the East Coast could increase the region’s ability to use renewables, Midwest Energy News reports.

Steady price declines in solar are leading to new regions and markets increasing their own deployment, Utility Dive reports.

The recent approval for the MidAmerican Energy’s $3.6 billion “Wind XI farm” is just another example of how the wind Production Tax Credit (PTC) is a bipartisan success, the Gazette reports.

Competition in the property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing market appears to be lowering costs in Florida, Sun Sentinel reports.

China and India are expected to make big moves into the energy storage market in the coming years, GreenTech Media reports.

A ‘super-grid’ of 30,000 miles of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity lines could allow surplus power generated by wind, solar, hydroelectric and natural gas around the nation, facilitating more renewable capacity. E&E News has the feature on one group’s work to get such a grid developed.

Brazil’s development bank, the world’s biggest backer of renewable energy, is revising its clean-energy strategy in a move that will probably drive up borrowing costs, Bloomberg reports.

Electric Vehicle charging stations are increasing, making it easier to go electric, but cheaper gas prices are still preventing the switch, Bloomberg Technology reports.

 

Michigan Energy Events

The US Department of Energy, with help from NextEnergy, the American Jobs Project and Michigan EIBC, is hosting their Manufacturing Impacts Through Energy and Commerce (MITEC) Bootcamp on Wednesday, September 14, at Next Energy. You can find out more and register here.
 
The fifth annual Heating the Midwest with Renewable Biomass Conference will be held October 11-13 in Harris, Michigan at the Island Resort and Conference Center.

SAVE THE DATE: The 4th Annual Michigan Energy Innovators Gala will be held Thursday, November 10 in East Lansing.
 

 

National Events
Solar Power International is scheduled for September 12-15 in Las Vegas.
 
The Battery Show, collocated with the Critical Power Expo and Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo, will be held in Novi from September 13-15.

 

Additional Resources
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant cycle is now open, awarding grants for renewable energy projects in rural communities and agricultural areas. REAP is open to Agricultural Producers and Rural Small Businesses. Grants can be used for the purchase, installation, and construction of a Renewable Energy System or Energy Efficiency Improvement. Rural Small Business Projects must be located in a rural area with populations of 50,000 or less. The Agricultural Producer Projects can be located in rural or non-rural areas. REAP Grants provide a 25% cash reimbursement of the total system costs, with a maximum grant of $500,000 for Renewable Energy Systems and $250,000 for Energy Efficiency Improvements.
 
Applications for projects with Total Project Costs of $80,000 or less are accepted through Monday, October 31, 2016. Applications for projects with Total Project Costs greater than $80,000 are accepted through Monday, May 1, 2017.
 
The Application Templates and Forms are available at USDA Rural Development Offices or the National Website at: www.rd.usda.gov/reap under Forms and Resources.
  
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) is home to PowerSuite, a suite of tools that allows companies a one-stop on-line portal to search, track, and collaborate on state legislation and regulatory proceedings from around the country.
 
PowerSuite includes both BillBoard, the AEE dashboard for managing state legislation, and DocketDash, the AEE dashboard for managing state public utility commission proceedings. Subscription required.
 
SolarPermit.org is a national solar permitting database that provides information on permitting for solar in jurisdictions across the country. The database includes a variety of information, from average permit turnaround times, to information required to be included in the permit, to contact information for individual jurisdictions. You can browse the requirements for the Michigan cities included in the database here.
 
The U.S. Department of Energy is offering A Guide to Federal Finance Facilities Available for Energy Efficiency Upgrades and Clean Energy Deployment. The downloadable guide provides information about the various federal financing programs available for energy efficiency and renewable energy — making it easier for state, local and tribal leaders, along with their partners in the private sector, to find capital for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
 
The Department of Energy has offers free public access to accepted peer-reviewed manuscripts or published scientific journal articles from projects funded by the DOE within 12 months of publication.