|
|
To ensure you continue to receive the EBuzz properly, please add schappell@csa1.com to your address book or safe senders list. |
.jpg){kind=small}
|
|
For the Week of July 19 - 23, 2010 |
|||
|
|
Good day, all! |
|
Electric Currents |
________________________________________________________________ |
||||
|
|
Kerry, Lieberman Push Their Own Utility-Only Climate Bill As Reid's Decision Nears: (Josh Voorhees and Robin Bravender) The architects behind this year's sweeping Senate energy and climate proposal are working overtime to round up support for a slimmed-down version of their bill that would curb emissions from only the electric utility sector. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) had previously conceded that they would be willing to scale back their goal of an economywide price on carbon, and the pair are now ramping up efforts to take the lead in making such a utility-only bill a reality. More: nytimes.com AISI Opposes Electric Utility Cap-and-Trade Proposals: The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) today expressed its opposition to proposals for a cap-and-trade program directly regulating the electric utility sector because such legislation will have a substantially negative impact on the international competitiveness of the steel industry. In a letter sent today to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), AISI President and CEO Thomas J. Gibson stated that an electric utility cap-and-trade bill “will increase costs to energy-intensive trade-exposed manufacturers such as the steel industry, undermining our ability to compete in global markets” and resulting in the loss of valuable manufacturing jobs and increases in emissions in other unregulated countries. More: steel.org Over 50% Want Electricity Usage Data Displayed In Their Homes: A recent consumer survey from IMS Research found that over half of respondents consider displaying current electricity usage information in their homes ‘very useful’. Over 90% considered it ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ useful. This consumer survey analyzed the attitudes and expectations of 1,000 respondents (500 in the UK, and 500 in the US), to find out their views on a variety of smart home energy management functions, including attitudes to demand response, and willingness to pay for remote home management functions. More: electricenergyonline.com TVA Scientists, Engineers Receive EPRI Honors for Research, Lifetime Service: From air quality monitoring to advancing the power grid, the Tennessee Valley Authority is sharing its scientific insights and engineering expertise as part of its public service mission. Six TVA employees this year have received Technology Transfer Awards from the Electric Power Research Institute -- an independent, nonprofit research organization -- for their collaborative efforts tackling big challenges facing the electric utility industry. More: electricenergyonline.com |
|
Natural Gas Intelligence |
________________________________________________________________ |
||||
|
|
NG
Weekly Update: Natural gas prices moved significantly lower at
market locations across the lower 48 States during the report week. The Henry
Hub spot price averaged $4.39 per million Btu (MMBtu) in trading yesterday,
July 14, decreasing $0.37 compared with the previous Wednesday. At the New
York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the price of the futures contract for
August delivery at the Henry Hub decreased in 4 out the 5 trading sessions
during the report week. The near-month contract settled yesterday at $4.31
per MMBtu, about $0.26 lower than the previous Wednesday. More: eia.doe.gov House Panel Seeks To Ban BP From Offshore Drilling: A House committee wants to put BP in a penalty box of sorts. The Natural Resources Committee approved an amendment Wednesday that would ban companies with significant workplace safety or environmental violations over the preceding seven years from new offshore drilling permits. The California Democrat who sponsored the amendment, congressman George Miller, said it was needed to limit drilling to responsible companies. Miller's office said BP's safety violations alone would be enough to disqualify that company. More: wkrg.com
AGA Lauds House Subcommittee for Preserving Important LIHEAP Funding: The American Gas Association (AGA) today commended Chairman David Obey (D-WI) and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS and Education for maintaining $5.1 billion in FY11 funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) during its Appropriations markup on Thursday, July 15, 2010. “We are pleased that the Subcommittee has maintained this funding level for LIHEAP,” said David Parker, AGA president and CEO. “While the funding still needs to go to the full House Appropriations Committee for approval, we are encouraged to see this strong signal about the importance of this program. We look forward to working with the House to make sure this funding is maintained in the final bill.” More: aga.org
* iPress, Inc. is a subscription for pay site. E-Buzz gratefully acknowledges iPress and Powermarketers.com for their generosity in sharing their information with E-Buzz readers. |
|
Water Headlines |
________________________________________________________________ |
||||
|
|
House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Clean Water Infrastructure: The Water Resources and Environment subcommittee held a hearing on July 15 to discuss the importance of investment in clean water infrastructure and its impact on job creation, according to a press release. In his statement to the committee, Chairman James L. Oberstar said that investment in clean water infrastructure will not only ensure protections for public health and the environment, but will also help create and sustain jobs. More: watertechonline.com How Accurate Is Your Water Balance? (Dean Slejko) Does your most recent water balance accurately reflect your system today? Do you use it to guide your daily operational and maintenance decisions? If you answered no to either question, then a two-way, fixed-network, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system could help. While one-way, automated meter reading (AMR) systems communicate only from the meter to the utility, the latest generation of AMI systems allows communication to the meter as well as from it, providing the data utilities need to really understand how their water systems are operating. More: waterworld.com New Consumer Campaign Kicks off: We’re for Water EPA’s WaterSense® program will kick off the new multi-year We’re for Water campaign July 14, 2010 to educate consumers about water-saving behaviors and WaterSense labeled products. We’re for Water shows consumers that saving water can be as easy as check, twist, replace. Follow Flo, the We’re for Water “spokesgallon,” as she takes a road trip across the country to launch the campaign and educate people about water efficiency at www.epa.gov/watersense/wereforwater or www.facebook.com/epawatersense. |
.gif)
|
Tech Knowledge |
________________________________________________________________ |
||||
|
|
Companies Not Using Social Nets at Risk, Report Says: (Sharon Gaudin) A majority of consumers want to interact with companies over social networks like Facebook and Twitter, but only 30% of businesses are prepared for it, according to a survey. With 70% of consumers in a survey looking for information and communications on social networks, companies failing to get onboard with them are putting themselves at risk, according to Yankee Group, an industry analyst firm that worked on the survey with Siemens Enterprise Communications, a business software company. More: computerworld.com 10 Must-Have Android Apps for Business: (Daniel Ionescu) The keyboard on the Motorola Droid makes that smartphone great for cranking out e-mail while you're on the move. The HTC Desire and Google Nexus One are good choices, too, if you don’t mind typing on glass. Why not make your workday more pleasant and productive with some great business apps for Android? To get you going, we've selected ten of the best and most useful apps for your Android smartphone; all are available at the Android Market. More: itworld.com The E-Mail Signature: From Efficient to Overkill (Dave Clarke) That's my e-mail signature. Name, title, company/slogan, mobile. I'd like to think it's pretty basic. It's not overloaded with content, but it's sufficient in communicating who I am, what I do, where I do it, and how you can hear my voice if you so desire. My personal preferences aside, the sig is an interesting element of e-mail communication and etiquette. More: businessweek.com |
.gif)
|
Office Aid |
________________________________________________________________ |
||||
|
|
The Seven Deadly Sins of Customer Service: (Donna Fenn) Is customer service getting more abominable by the moment or is it my imagination? Last week, my latest service nightmare (more later), made me think of previous customer service offenses, many (but not all) by large companies. Wake up, business owners! In a world where everything eventually becomes a commodity, great service is a differentiating factor that you can hang your hat on. More: bnet.com Conflict Resolution: Resolving conflict rationally and effectively: (Staff) In many cases, conflict in the workplace just seems to be a fact of life. We've all seen situations where different people with different goals and needs have come into conflict. And we've all seen the often-intense personal animosity that can result. The fact that conflict exists, however, is not necessarily a bad thing: As long as it is resolved effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth. In many cases, effective conflict resolution skills can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes. More: mindtools.com Why You're Doing Performance Reviews All Wrong: (Kirsten Korosec) They're every manager's yearly conundrum. In theory, performance reviews make sense. In practice, the exercise borders on the absurd: You have one hour to review a whole year's worth of work, issue a grade usually based on a rudimentary "satisfaction" scale, and outline goals that you likely won’t revisit until next year’s meeting. Sound familiar? If this is still how you think about and conduct performance reviews, then you're wasting everyone's time, including your own. More: bnet.com |
|
|
Our active engine for the latest news gathered via live feeds from across the web |
.gif){kind=small}
.jpg)
For more information on CSA or our products/services, please call toll-free 1-877-842-5962, or visit our website at www.csa1.com
|
Utility Spotlight |
________________________________________________________________ |
||
|
|
This week's swings
westward illuminating the state of Iowa and the area surrounding Marshalltown
and Marshall County. Marshalltown is the county seat of Marshall County and a
farming community located at 42° 2′ 30″ N, 92° 54′ 52″
W. Marshall County was formed on January 13, 1846 and named in honor of Chief
Justice of the United States Supreme Court John Marshall. As of the 2000
census, the population was 26,009. Notable natives of the Marshall community
include film actress Jean Seberg (Paint Your Wagon), Mary Beth Hurt (The
World According to Garp), and musician Nick Lane, formerly with Rod
Stewart, Tom Petty, The Who, Maynard Ferguson, and Chicago. |
|
Winsome Quote of the Week |
________________________________________________________________ |
||
|
|
Pearl Buck: US novelist in China (1892 - 1973) "A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love." * got a favorite quote? Send it to Winsome Wisdom ... schappell@csa1.com |
|
What's Up |
________________________________________________________________ |
||||
|
|
July
28-29, 2010 AGA Executive Leadership Safety Summit Westin Boston / Waterfront Boston, MA Contact: Christina Sames csames@aga.org
September
26-29, 2010
October 10 - 13, 2010 |
.gif)
|
Seen & Heard |
________________________________________________________________ |
|
VIDEO: Zero-energy Building.The largest zero-energy building in America uses modern and ancient techniques to produce as much energy as it consumes. |
"With the use
of modern technology, nuclear energy is really safe. It's quite different
from many decades ago. The nuclear physics has already been figured out.
Other things are dictating the efficiency of the fuel burn-up. You need
people from all disciplines. My contribution has to do with the mechanics and
materials aspects of the nuclear fission process." "The
simultaneous assessment of water and carbon, along with economic analysis,
provides organizations with a more comprehensive framework for making truly
sustainable decisions. With this achievement, Milwaukee is further
demonstrating its unique leadership in advancing the case of sustainable
fresh water resource management, and with this new initiative, our
partnership is further developing the path to sustainability." "Just as
Silicon Valley gave the world computers, so it can give us the answer to our
energy problems. I hate to say it, but it isn't going to happen." |
|
E-Buzz Mystery Puzzle |
________________________________________________________________ |
|
|
Something a bit different for you this time around requiring only a few minutes of research:
Name the composer and classical work from which come the ever-popular "Bridal Chorus" and "Wedding March". Two different works; two different composers. Name them both! As always, the winning entry will be chosen at random from all correct submissions. Deadline for submission is midnight Friday, July 23, 2010. Good luck!! |
|
The Final Word |
________________________________________________________________ |
|||||||||
|
|
Congratulations to Mike and Christine Vinson, Susan Sherrill and all the volunteers that made the Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association (TMEPA) annual meeting a huge success. Great job, folks!
Have a great week...and an even better weekend.
Steve
Chappell
For more than 20 years, Steve has worked with municipal utilities, electric cooperatives, and utility districts throughout the United States, providing training and consulting in the areas of customer service, marketing, media/public relations, leadership and communication skills. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Citadel, a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Tennessee, and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Utah. Additionally, he is a veteran of the US Air Force Security Forces where he attained the rank of Captain. Steve's background and 15 years with the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association bring an in-depth knowledge of utilities and their operations to the Association. EBuzz is published by Central Service Association, 93 South Coley Road, Tupelo, MS 38801. Please contact us at (662) 407-2648 for subscription information. For more information, click here to visit the CSA website. If you would like to be contacted by a CSA representative, click here. Click here to Subscribe to the EBuzz Newsletter; click here to Unsubscribe.
|
.gif)
.gif){kind=small}