Save the date: March 4 - 5, 2013 Texas State Capitol Building |
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DATES TO REMEMBER
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TREIA January Board Meeting
January 18, 2013
Location TBD
March 4 - 5, 2013
Texas State Capitol
March 12 - 14, 2013
Dallas, TX
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NEW MEMBERS
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Gavin Estenssoro
Circular Energy
Austin, TX
Vincent Guerrero
Circular Energy
Austin, TX
Roger Jennings
Circular Energy
Austin, TX
Craig Collier
Green Energy Resources and Services
Brownfield, TX
Derrick Hoffman
HESolar LLC
Buda, TX
Krista Kisch
OCI Solar Power
San Antonio, TX
Kirk Weyby
Ontility, LLC
Houston, TX
Bruce Mercy
PPA Partners, LLC
Morgan Hill, CA
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TREIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 2013
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2013 Slate of Officers to be
elected at the January 18
Board Meeting.
Richard Amato,
Venti Energy
Kevin Gresham,
E.On Climate &
Renewables
Josh Grubaugh, Recurrent Energy Mitch Jacobson, Clean Energy Incubator Steve Krebs, OwnEnergy Jamie Mitchell, Austin Energy John Pitts, SunPower Corporation Cynthia Redwine, Clean Power Professionals Cyrus Reed, Sierra Club - Lone Star Chapter Billy J. "B.J." Stanbery, HelioVolt Corporation Carol Tombari, Carol Tombari Consulting Mark Walker, NRG Energy |
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TREIA STAFF
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Executive Director:
Russel Smith
Director of Finance: Judy Fort Photo Not Available At This Time Manager of Operations: Scott Kornfeld 
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Greetings!
Welcome to the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association 2013 newsletter. This newsletter is sent to you as a member or Friend of TREIA wishing you all a prosperous 2013. TREIA members should watch for notices in yellow type alerting you to special discounts and opportunities.
If you've got suggestions please let us know by hitting reply and giving us your feedback. Thanks for staying in touch!
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Parting Thoughts From The President
As my term as TREIA President comes to an end this month, I'm thinking back over the past several years: the surge of support clean energy received after the high energy prices and economic collapse of 2007-2008, and the the waning of some of that support, at least in the political sense, since 2011 or so. The past couple of years have been tough on our sector overall, but I believe TREIA's member companies - and TREIA itself - are stronger than ever and poised for growth as we look ahead. Read More>
"The long-term value and outlook for renewables remains incredibly high, and it is our task to consistently ensure that the message of renewable energy's value is made clear in every forum. If we do, we will be able to transform our strength and grit into rapid growth in the years ahead." Steve Wiese, TREIA Board President
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Federal Production Tax Credit Sets the Stage for Texas Legislative Session
Austin, TX (January 4, 2013)
Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association, TREIA celebrates the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) extension that was approved by Congress on January 1 as part of the so-called "fiscal cliff" avoidance bill. Other favorable tax related measures effecting the solar, biomass, biofuels, geothermal, and hydrokinetic sectors were included in the bill as well. Many national, state, and local renewable energy organizations, companies and individuals worked with Congressional representatives and the White House to keep these provisions in the bill and in support of its passage. This bill sets the stage for the 83rd Legislative Session in Texas that will be the focus of TREIA in the coming months. Read More>
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TREIA Board Election Official Winners Announced - 1st 2013 Bd. Mtg. Set
The committee of tellers appointed by President Steve Wiese met on Monday, January 7 to count the ballots in the 2013 TREIA Board election. The results are now official. Congratulations to the following individuals who were elected to the six available seats. They will serve through 2014.
- Josh Grubaugh, Recurrent Energy, Dallas, TX
- Mitch Jacobson, Clean Energy Incubator, Austin, TX
- Steve Krebs, OwnEnergy, Inc., Houston,TX
- Jamie Mitchell, Austin Energy, Austin, TX
- Cynthia Redwine, Clean Power Professionals, Austin, TX
- Cyrus Reed, Sierra Club - Lone Star Chapter, Austin, TX
Current Board Members continuing through 2013 are:
- Richard Amato, Venti Energy
- Kevin Gresham, E.ON Climate & Renewables
- John Pitts, SunPower Corporation
- B. J. Stanbery, HelioVolt Corporation
- Carol Tombari, Carol Tombari Consultant
- Mark Walker, NRG Energy
The new Board will be seated, officers elected, and Committee and Subcommittee chairs appointed at the first Board meeting of 2013 on Friday,January 18. The meeting will be held from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm in the Justice Room at the OMNI Austin Hotel Downtown.
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Texas Renewables 2012 - Inspirational, Memorable, Now Viewable
Texas Renewables 2012 was billed as an exciting new approach for TREIA conferences in format, content, and setting. Without question, it lived up to its billing. The agenda featured primarily general sessions, only a few select breakouts, a TED talk format, and TV-like stage setting. Hats off to conference co-chairs Michael Osborne and Roger Duncan.
View Texas Renewables Talks On YouTube
Most of the presentations were recorded in high-quality video format. These are being edited and many are already posted on YouTube. Others are being added almost daily as editing is completed. Each general session speaker (appx. 18 min.), panel (appx. 45 min.- 1hr.), or breakout session (appx. 1 - 1.5 hr.) has been produced as a separate video. To view the videos go to the "Tex Renew" YouTube channel.
 | | Michael Osborne sets the stage in the opening general session |
Don't miss the next one. Be sure to put Texas Renewables 2013 on your calendar now. It is scheduled for November 11-14 at the Omni San Antonio Hotel At The Colonnade, in San Antonio.
For a participant list from Texas Renewables 2012 go to www.treia.org and look for the conference logo. A conference photo album and PowerPoints will be posted there in the days ahead.
Read more including ... Remarks & Kudos For The Conference>
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Holiday Cold Front Brings Another New Wind Power Record To ERCOT
January 2, 2012, Austin, TX
The high winds that sent a chill through Texas last week also contributed to a new wind power record, with wind generation providing 8,638 MW of power at 3:11 p.m. on Dec. 25.
"Unlike traditional power plants, wind power output can vary dramatically over the course of a single day, and even more so over time," said Kent Saathoff, ERCOT's vice president of Grid Operations and System Planning. "With new tools and experience, our operators have learned how to harness every megawatt of power they can when the wind is blowing at high levels like this." Read More>
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NABCEP Announces Changes To Its PV Installer Certification Program
Clifton Park, NY (December 19, 2012)
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) has voted to implement changes to its PV Installer Certification. The changes that the Board approved this week include: a name change of the certification to NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional, revised language to the introduction, scope statement, the job description in the Job Task Analysis (JTA) and the eligibility criteria. These changes reflect the evolution of the PV Installation industry along with the evolution of installation related careers and allow wider range of PV Installation professionals to attain and maintain certification.
NABCEP Chairperson, Don Warfield states, "One thing that we want to make very clear is that the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification will remain as rigorous, meaningful, and maintain the same high standards as ever before." Read More>
Please visit the NABCEP website for more information on the Certified PV Installation Professional Certification.
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NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATIONS SUMMARIZE IMPACTS OF "FISCAL CLIFF" LEGISLATION PASSED BY CONGRESS ON JANUARY 1, 2013
Several national renewable energy associations weighed in quickly on the impacts on their industry sector following the passage of the "Fiscal Cliff" legislation on January 1, 2013. Below are releases from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Geothermal Power Association (GEA), Biomass Power Association (BPA), Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and the National Hydropower Association (NHA).
How the Texas delegations voted - Source: Associated Press Press Releases from: AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION -
SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY ASSOCIATION
BIOMASS POWER ASSOCIATION
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Austin Energy Now Boasts Largest Rooftop Solar System In City
Austin Energy announced on December 7 that installation is complete on Austin's largest rooftop solar system. The 540-kilowatt installation atop two buildings at its electric system control center on Montopolis Drive uses thin-film solar modules. It will produce 665,492 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually -- the equivalent of powering 55 average-size homes in Austin year-round. The system covers the roof of the main building that houses the energy control center, which monitors the operation of Austin's electric grid 24/7. Power from the solar installation will feed directly into the building complex, with any surplus going to the Austin electric grid. More photos>
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AWEA CEO Denise Bode Announces Her Resignation
Washington, D.C. (Dec. 14, 2012)
Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, announced today that she is resigning, effective January 1, to return to private practice as a tax attorney.
"There is now a strong, bipartisan team of Congressional champions for the wind industry, and the all-important extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC)," Bode said. "When that is secured, all of my goals from the AWEA Board will have been accomplished. I am extremely proud to have led the AWEA staff as we worked together to get that job done, and, of course, grateful to the AWEA Board for the opportunity to serve this very promising industry." Read More >
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DEFG Annual Retail Electricity Markets Report Says Texas Number 1
Several U.S. states have seen a surge in new products and service innovations in retail electricity. DEFG prepares and annual report on North American retail electricity markets titled "Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States," or ABACCUS.
"ABACCUS identifies Texas as the number one retail market for the sixth consecutive year," said Treadway, DEFG Managing Partner. "Residential consumers in competitive electricity markets are seeing a greater variety of choices than consumers in areas where electricity remains a commodity delivered by the monopoly provider. The choices include fixed-price contracts, month-to-month pricing, time-of-use pricing with no-cost hours (or days), prepaid energy with daily notifications about usage, green power for electric vehicle charging, mobile applications to control thermostat settings, and advanced analysis of personal usage with customized suggestions about reducing electric bills."
You may download the report with a simple email registration at no charge HERE; proceed to "download reports." If your network blocks the link, paste this into your browser: defgllc.com/publications/consumer-choice/
For more information, contact: Nat Treadway, DEFG, 713-729-6244, ntreadway@defgllc.com, www.defgllc.com, www.ecoalign.com
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Laurence Doxsey, On To Greener Pastures, Literally!
By Julia Diana
Laurence Doxsey, founding Director of the City of San Antonio Office of Environmental Policy now doing business as the Office of Sustainability, has retired after a long and distinguished career in public service. Though leaving city employ, Laurence will scarcely be looking for things to occupy his time. In fact, he'll be fulfilling his life's work of living light on the land as a true steward who practices what he preaches.
On their property in Bandera County, Laurence and his wife Carla have established a truly sustainable lifestyle, harnessing solar energy, collecting rainwater, and implementing integrated farming practices that aim to lower inputs, employ local inputs, and maximize production. As such, Laurence and Carla will become local experts of vermiculture, poultry raising, and aquaponics. Read More>
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NADB Provides $220 Million Loan Funding For Texas Wind Projects
San Antonio, TX (December 20, 2012)
The North American Development Bank (NADB) and Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy, signed two US$110 million loans for the construction of Los Vientos I and Los Vientos II wind farm projects in Willacy and Cameron Counties in Texas. The combined installed capacity of the wind farms will be 402 megawatts (MW).
"We are excited that Los Vientos brings positive environmental benefits as well as providing a boost to economic growth in south Texas," said Duke Energy Renewables President Greg Wolf. "During construction, the area has benefitted from job creation as well as increased business for local companies and service providers. And for years to come, the windpower project will continue to stimulate economic development through lease payments to landowners, dependable tax revenue and contributions to the
local community."
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Austin Energy Selects New Vice President For Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
Austin, TX (December 7, 2012)
Deborah L. Kimberly with the Salt River Project - the third largest public power electric utility in the country - has been selected after a nationwide recruitment process to lead Austin Energy's energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Kimberly begins her duties as Vice President of Distributed Energy Services on Jan. 22, 2013.
Kimberly has 30 years of experience in the electric utility industry. She is currently the Director of the energy efficiency and marketing groups for Salt River Project (SRP) based in Tempe, Arizona. Joining SRP in 1982, Kimberly served as an analyst, manager of financial planning, special projects manager, manager of financial services, manager of energy efficiency and policy analysis and director of customer programs and marketing. Her current responsibilities include energy efficiency product design and implementation, marketing of all SRP products, price plans and services, corporate events management, measurement and evaluation, and the customer and market research function. Read More>
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Steve Krebs Joins Center For Resource Solutions Board of Directors
Washington, D.C. (December 17, 2012)
Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a nonprofit dedicated to creating policy and market solutions to advance sustainable energy, announced today that renewable energy project development and finance expert Steve Krebs has joined its Board of Directors.
"Steve's vast industry experience in getting projects built will be invaluable to us as we expand our programs and further our mission to accelerate clean energy adoption in North America and globally," said CRS Executive Director Jennifer Martin. "We welcome him to the Board and look forward to working with him for many years to come."
Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) is a national nonprofit with global impact. CRS brings forth expert responses to climate change issues with the speed and effectiveness necessary to provide real-time solutions. Its leadership through collaboration and environmental innovation builds policies and consumer-protection mechanisms in renewable energy, greenhouse gas reductions, and energy efficiency that foster healthy and sustained growth in national and international markets. For more information about its programs, including Green-e, visit www.resource-solutions.org and www.green-e.org. Read More>
Contact: Jeff Swenerton, CRS Communications Director, 415-561-2119 office, 415-265-8142 cell,
jeff@resource-solutions.org
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DISCLAIMER: Reference to a specific company, product, or service, in TREIA's Renewable Energy Record, does not constitute or imply recommendation or endorsement by TREIA. TREIA is not legally responsible or liable for claims by third parties expressed herein or in links from this publication. We hope the information in this newsletter was of value and easy to read. Please let us know if you have any suggestions for timely topics!
Sincerely, |
Russel Smith, Editor
Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association
Debrah Dubay, Layout & Design
Dubay Communications |
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