Details on New Michigan Appliance Rebate Program

The program will spur economic growth, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging appliance replacements.  This program will create jobs in retailing and manufacturing and Michigan companies make many of the products included in this program.  The Michigan strategy will have the following objectives:

1. Complement existing utility energy optimization programs by providing rebates for appliances not covered by utility programs.
2. Reach rural areas not served by utility natural gas programs.
3. Push the marketplace by providing rebates for appliances that exceed the ENERGY STAR standards.

The program will start on February 10, 2010 and end when funds run out.  Rebates are not retroactive. Only Michigan residents will be eligible to participate and rebates are limited to one per product per household. Appliances have to be replaced.  Customers can go online or call a toll-free number to reserve a rebate. Participants will be required to mail in a rebate application and valid receipt for proof of purchase.

* Tiers refer to Consortium for Energy Efficiency standards.

Websites to reserve rebates:

http://www.MIrebates.com/ – Refrigerators, dishwashers, & clothes washers

http://www.michrebate.com/ – Furnaces & hot water heaters

Call-In Numbers for additional information or to reserve a rebate:

1-866-621-8782 – Refrigerators, dishwashers, & clothes washers

1-888-MICHNRG (1-888-642-4674) – Furnaces & hot water heaters

MPSC Approves over $1.6 Million in MI Efficiency Grants for Offshore Wind Technology Research

MPSC Press Release, February 8, 2010

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today issued an order approving $1,686,370 in Michigan energy efficiency grants for all customer classes to two organizations.

“My fellow Commissioners and I are extremely pleased to announce these grants,” said MPSC Chairman Orjiakor Isiogu.  “The grants awarded today will move Michigan forward in garnering the research and tools needed to establish the feasibility of the deployment of offshore wind technologies in Michigan.”

The Commission on November 20, 2009 issued a request for proposals for Michigan energy efficiency grants for all customer classes.  Based on its review, the MPSC awarded the following grants:

Grand Valley State University, Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center, in partnership with the University of Michigan Memorial Phoenix

Energy Institute – $1,336,370 to conduct and/or perform studies to explore the feasibility of deployment of offshore wind technologies in Michigan.

Superior Watershed Partnership – $350,000 to conduct and/or perform studies to explore the feasibility of deployment of offshore wind technologies in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The grants are part of the Low Income and Energy Efficiency Fund, which provides energy bill assistance for low income customers and promotes the efficient use of energy by all customer classes.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Energy, Labor &  Economic Growth.

Case No. U-13129

John Sarver’s Energy Tidbits – February 2010 Edition

by John Sarver of the Michigan DELEG

$17.4 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) has been awarded to 125 cities, villages, townships, and counties to support local energy efficiency projects.  DELEG’s Bureau of Energy Systems (BES) has two separate programs: 1) Multi-purpose competitive grants for smaller communities will support energy efficiency measures, 2) Light Emitting Diode/Solid State Lighting (LED/SSL) competitive grants will fund demonstrations of LED/SSL technology in various applications such as exterior parking, street and traffic lighting. State EECBG grant awards generally range from $50,000 to $140,000 for single cities, townships, or villages and up to $650,000 for single counties and multi-jurisdictional recipients.  Selected projects and funding amounts at  www.michigan.gov/energyoffice.

Center for Climate Strategies has completed an analysis that indicates the Michigan Climate Action Plan – if fully implemented – would create 129,000 new jobs over the next 15 years.   The plan’s 54 recommendations call for greater use of renewable energy and more conservation in sectors such as industrial, farming and transportation. The center’s analysis also predicts a $25 billion net gain in the gross state product and lower prices for energy sources such as electricity, gasoline, fuel oil and natural gas.

General Motors has manufactured the first advanced lithium-ion battery for the Chevrolet Volt at GM’s Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant. GM announced last August a $43 million investment to prepare the 160,000 sq.ft. plant for production of lithium-ion battery packs for the Volt and other electric vehicles.

Two Michigan Regions have been designated by the MPSC as wind energy resource zones.  MPSC is required to base its decision based on the findings of the Wind Energy Resource Zone Board, which submitted its final report (http://www.michigan.gov/windboard) on Oct. 15, 2009. MPSC designated as the primary wind energy resource zone an area that includes parts of Bay, Huron, Saginaw, Sanilac and Tuscola counties.  It also designated parts of Allegan County as an additional wind energy resource zone.  The MPSC also submitted to the Michigan legislature its report on the impact of setback requirements and noise limitations in the wind zones and recommended that decisions about setback distances and noise levels be made by local planning and zoning authorities. MPSC will also expand the role of the Wind Working Group, which will review current scientific information on the process for determining setbacks.

Alternative Energy Conference: Creating Solutions; Driving Change sponsored by The Engineering Society of Detroit will be held on March 3 at the DoubleTree Dearborn.  The conference will look at Michigan’s opportunities and challenges in becoming a “hub” for alternative energy. Hear about Success Stories & Opportunities, Global and National Policy Benchmarking, VC and funding, technology, education and training, and much more.  www.esd.org

MPSC annual net metering program report shows that the number of net metering customers in Michigan has more than doubled from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.  The MPSC in May last year adopted net metering and interconnection rules for small, renewable electric generation projects onsite.  The report said the number of net metering customers increased from 53 in 2007/08 to 137 in 2008/09.  Wind proved the most popular with the number of installations increasing from 29 to 96 during the period, while solar installations increased from 23 to 39.  www.michigan.gov/netmetering

8th Annual Renewable Energy Conference will be held on Saturday, March 20 at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute. The conference is ideal for homeowners, renewable energy enthusiasts, and students who wish to learn something new and meet other individuals that are interested in promoting and using renewable and alternative energy technologies. This year’s keynote speaker, Pat Murphy, will present Beyond Sustainability – Surviving the Oil Depletion and Climate Change with Community Solutions’ Plan C. Attendees can choose from a variety of break-out sessions including Renewable Energy in Your Home, Food Security and Local Foods in Michigan, Peak Oil and the Future of Transportation, and Financing your Renewable Energy System. www.cedarcreekinstitute.org

U.S. Department of Labor has awarded SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc. and the International Training Institute for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Industry approximately $5.3 Million in Energy Training Partnership grants. Approximately $4.3 million has been awarded to SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc. to coordinate several partnerships to provide academic, occupational and on-the-job skills training plus employment or apprenticeship opportunities and support services to 340 people in Wayne County. The International Training Institute for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Industry will utilize about $1 million to prepare 240 unemployed and incumbent sheet metal workers for careers in energy efficient building construction, retrofitting, and manufacturing through a series of customized training courses.

Architectural Resource and Meadowlark Builders will present a “Behind the Drywall Tour” of their new home at 4675 Arkona Road in Saline.  The house is near zero energy and features solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and other advanced elements. The highly unusual and specialized building envelope of the home is made to capture and store heat on cold winter days and to remain cool and dry in the summer. A guided tour will take place every hour-on-the-hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Saturday, Feb. 13th.  Each tour can accommodate up to 30 people. Since this is a construction site, boots and appropriate winter attire should be worn.  Interested parties can signup for the tour by going to www.behindthedrywall.com or calling (734) 332-1500.

2010 Michigan Wind Energy Conference hosted by the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Assoc. will be held April 20th & 21st at COBO Hall in Detroit.  In 2009, the Michigan Wind Energy Conference was the largest Michigan wind event and showcased over 25 wind industry companies, 1500 attendees and two days of presentations on manufacturing, financing, off-shore development, policy and more. www.glrea.org

First class of Energy Auditors at Glen Oaks Community College graduated Dec. 17.  The Energy Auditor/Workplace Readiness training program was funded with a $100,000 grant made possible through the Kalamazoo-St. Joseph County Michigan Works! and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Instruction in the GOCC Business Development Center came from professional trainers and energy consultants/trainers.  The program is part of a state-wide effort to retrain displaced workers in “green” energy-related occupations.  If you are looking to hire any energy auditors, contact Brandi at Building Science Academy 616-887-2311.

West Michigan Chapter of the Assoc. of Energy Engineers will have its first meeting of 2010 on Feb. 2, 11:30-1:00 at Bobarino’s and include a tour of the Veolia Energy Steam Plant.  http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=197242

Michigan Businesses won $242 million in tax credits as part of a White House effort to create 17,000 green manufacturing technology jobs through a total of $2.3 billion in tax credits. The tax credits awarded to 183 firms provide a 30% write-off for building advanced technology equipment such as wind turbines, batteries and solar panels. Among the Michigan companies was Hemlock Semiconductor, which got $142 million to make solar components — the largest single award. Other Michigan tax incentives include: $27 million to Dow Corning to build a new monosilane facility,  $22 million to Merrill Technologies Group to help buy advanced manufacturing equipment to support the production of components for Northern Power’s new 2.2  MWwind turbines, $17.8 million to Dow Chemical to produce photovoltaic cells, $9.8 million to Stirling Energy Systems to produce azimuth drives used to track the sun for the SunCatcher, a 25 kW solar dish, $1.3 million to Great Lakes Industry to produce components for wind turbines, $1.3 million to Ilumisys to automate production of LED replacements for fluorescent lights, $2.7 million to Guardian Industries to produce unique low-iron pattern glass used in solar applications, $300,000 to Rogers Foam Automotive to manufacture a component to be used in the thermal management system of lithium ion battery assemblies for vehicles, and $2.6 million to Ventower Industries to become a full service manufacturer of wind turbine towers.

Michigan’s Largest Earth Day event is being planned for April 23-25. The MI Earth Day Fest will welcome to downtown Rochester an anticipated audience of 100,000 people from around Michigan, eager to learn about green and healthy living. Businesses and organizations are invited to participate and gain the benefits of exposure, recognition, sales, community service, networking and association with this high-profile, family-friendly event’s Earth Day message. For information about sponsoring, exhibiting, presenting or volunteering, visit www.miearthday.com or contact Steve Rogge at steve@trigreen.biz or 248-535-9390.

Energy Tidbits is free and is prepared by John Sarver, Michigan Dept. of Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth.  To subscribe, contact sarverj@michigan.gov.  Previous copies can be found at www.michigan.gov/energyoffice under Publications.

Jobs Impact of Proposed National Renewable Electricity Standard

Navigant Consulting, Inc. put together this study, and RES-Alliance for Jobs put out the press release below.

On February 4, 2010 – CEOs representing America’s renewable energy industries announced a major new study showing that a 25% by 2025 national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) would result in hundreds of thousands of new American jobs and prevent a near-term collapse in some industries.

The “Jobs Impact of a National Renewable Electricity Standard” study, conducted by Navigant Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: NCI), found that a 25% by 2025 national RES would result in 274,000 more renewable energy jobs over no-national RES policy. This additional employment is equivalent to 2.36 million additional job-years by 2025. The study found that new jobs would be supported by renewable energy in every region of the United States and that the biomass, hydropower and waste-to-energy industries, in particular, would see significant job gains in the Southeast. Without stronger near-term targets than currently envisioned, the study found that industries like wind will experience flat job growth and long-term stagnation, while the U.S. biomass industry could collapse altogether. The RES Alliance recommends raising near-term RES targets in federal legislation to 12% in 2014 and 20% in 2020.

For a summary of findings click here.
To view the entire study click here.

U.S. Wind Energy Industry Installs Nearly 10,000 MW in 2009

(AWEA Press Release via MPSC Listserv) – WASHINGTON, D.C. –   The U.S. wind industry broke all previous records by installing nearly 10,000 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in 2009 (enough to serve over 2.4 million homes), but still lags in manufacturing, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today in its Q4 report.

These new projects place wind power neck and neck with natural gas as the leading source of new electricity generation for the country.  Together, the two sources account for about 80% of the new capacity added in the country last year.

“The U.S. wind energy industry shattered all installation records in 2009, chalking up the Recovery Act as a historic success in creating jobs, avoiding carbon, and protecting consumers,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “But U.S. wind turbine manufacturing – the canary in the mine — is down compared to last year’s levels, and needs long-term policy certainty and market pull in order to grow.  We need to set hard targets, in the form of a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), in order to provide the necessary stability for manufacturers to expand their U.S. operations and to seize the historic opportunity we have today to build up a thriving renewable energy industry.”

Early last year, before the Recovery Act (ARRA), the industry anticipated that in 2009 wind power development might drop by as much as 50% from 2008 levels, with equivalent job losses.  The clear commitment by the President to create clean energy jobs and the swift implementation of ARRA incentives by the Administration in mid-summer reversed the situation. Recovery Act incentives spurred the growth of construction, operations and maintenance, and management jobs, helping the industry to save and create jobs in those sectors and shine as a bright spot in the economy.

At the same time, the continuing lack of a long-term policy and market signal allowed investment in the manufacturing sector to drop compared to 2008, with one-third fewer wind power manufacturing facilities online, announced and expanded in 2009.  The result was net job losses in the manufacturing sector, which were compounded by low orders and high inventory.  Looking forward, the critical Recovery Act manufacturing incentives that were announced only at the start of this year will also need to be supplemented with the hard targets of a national Renewable Electricity Standard.

With 4,041 MW completed, this fourth quarter was the strongest in the year but still lower than the fourth quarter of 2008.

The 9,922 MW installed last year expand the nation’s wind plant fleet by 39% and bring total wind power generating capacity in the U.S to over 35,000 MW.  The five-year average annual growth rate for the industry is now 39%, up from 32% between 2003 and 2008.  U.S. wind projects today generate enough to power the equivalent of 9.7 million homes, protecting consumers from fuel price volatility and strengthening our energy security.

America’s wind power fleet will avoid an estimated 62 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to taking 10.5 million cars off the road, and will conserve approximately 20 billion gallons of water annually, which would otherwise be withdrawn for steam or cooling in conventional power plants.

In state news, Texas consolidated its lead, and Washington pulled ahead of Minnesota in the ranking of the top five states by wind power installed (in MW):

The Q4 report is available on AWEA’s Web site at http://www.awea.org/publications/reports/4Q09.pdf .

A full projects map and list is available at http://www.awea.org/projects/ .

A full Wind Industry Market and Rankings Report will be issued in April 2010.

AWEA is the national trade association of America’s wind industry, with more than 2,500 member companies, including global leaders in wind power and energy development, wind turbine manufacturing, component and service suppliers, and the world’s largest wind power trade show. AWEA is the voice of wind energy in the U.S., promoting renewable energy to power a cleaner, stronger America.  Look up information on wind energy at the AWEA Web site. Find insight on industry issues at AWEA’s blog Into the Wind. Join AWEA on Facebook. Follow AWEA on Twitter.