Energy Delivery News & Solutions A Service of MEA

INDUSTRY NEWS

"After Uproar Over Energy Bill, Lieberman Says He's Encouraged That Senate Will Take Up Measure"
Excerpts from Matthew Daly and Douglass K. Daniel, Associated Press, April 25, 2010 - http://www.startribune.com/business/92045864.html

A day after bipartisan support for an energy and climate change bill appeared to crumble, a Senate sponsor said Sunday he was optimistic the coalition would regroup and lawmakers would consider the measure this year.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he was encouraged after talking to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who were at odds over Reid's suggestion that an immigration overhaul might be considered ahead of the energy bill.

Lieberman said Reid pledged to bring the energy bill to the full Senate as soon as possible this year. In a separate conversation, according to Lieberman, Graham reiterated his support for the energy bill once it's no longer tangled up with immigration legislation.

"Now I'm encouraged," Lieberman said. Asked when the energy bill might advance, he said, "Sometime soon, as soon as we can get Lindsey on board."

Energy Industry Events

"Using Video Inspection Tool before Entering Potentially Dangerous Manholes"

Successful Practice Challenge: When field crews approach a manhole where a fault or other potentially dangerous condition might be present, they don their personal protective equipment, hope for the best, and enter the confined space. Even if dispatch says the circuit is shut down and grounded, the location could still represent a serious risk. If it is in service, then there is always potential for an impending fault. Without some kind of visual inspection tool, there is no way of evaluating the situation underground without putting a crew member at risk. No company wants to have one of its people injured or killed in the line of duty. Finding some kind of visual inspection system that is reliable, easy to set up, and simple to use would help avoid those potentially dangerous situations.

Successful Practice Solution: Find and evaluate video inspection systems that field crews can use productively. “That’s exactly what we did;” says Chris Gibbs, Underground Manager for Commonwealth Edison in Chicago, “our senior methods specialist, Kevin Kinnerk, researched available equipment and engaged our field force for evaluation.”

Gibbs has 190 Underground employees covering the Chicago area’s 22,000 manholes. “We inspect 7,000 annually as part of our safety program. We inspect another 1,000 because we have been called out to perform work in them.” ComEd lost an employee to a manhole flash fire and their incident investigation resulted in a number of recommendations. Video inspection was one of them.

ComEd now has ten video inspection units available to its crews. From above the manhole, they can insert the video camera down into the confined space to evaluate conditions before anyone enters. The camera systems are made by Zistos Corporation specifically for this application and are based on rugged, reliable search and security products proven in urban search and rescue and law enforcement applications. The cameras are available at each office and a crew can call for one and receive it within thirty minutes.

The Zistos displays are tripod-mounted and have recording capability with a separate digital video recorder (DVR). Some other utility users of the system have opted for either a wired or wireless solution that allows them to transmit video to a laptop near the site. This allows another pair of eyes away from the worksite to view the situation. The camera has a self illuminated 10-to-1 zoom feature which “lets us see within an inch of the cable abnormality.” By being able to pan across various cables, ducts, racks, and hangers, the crew can even determine the line number in order to get the proper line out of service. Gibbs reports that it takes a little while to orient yourself to what you are seeing in the manhole, as the controls and the view is not what we are accustomed to looking at. With training and increased use, crews are getting much more comfortable with this important tool. There are a wide variety of accessories, such a thermal cameras, to check temperatures. A rise in temperature can
signal an impending fault. The cameras have been very reliable and can even be immersed in water.

“We are probably at a four on a scale of ten in our effective utilization,” explains Gibbs. “There is still some attitude in the field that ‘hey I’m only going to go down there for ten minutes; it’s not worth waiting for the camera. But we are working with our field personnel and our supervisors to encourage their use whenever a crew feels there is a potentially dangerous situation.”

* Enhanced manhole inspections: ComEd inspects each time a crew is called to that manhole. They look to make sure joints aren’t falling off the rack and that all cable supporting equipment is in place. This means looking at brackets and channels, insulators, hangers, etc. They use a form to write it down and track it in a database. This change helps overcome the old mindset of ‘ignore anything in the manhole that you aren’t working on’.
* Starting to use suppression blankets: ComEd’s sister company, PECO, has invested thousands of dollars in suppression blankets and is in the process of mandating their usage in their Underground Department. ComEd is currently reviewing the process and will be moving forward with it in the very near future.
* Doubling Personal Protective Equipment, including fire retardant clothing.

“No matter how much we do to prevent incidents,” says Gibbs, “there will always be some risk. We had a recent incident where the splicing crew was OK after a cable failure. Luckily, it failed outside the joint and the crew was already coming out of the manhole. We determined that tomography would not have seen this fault and that by the time it happened the suppression blanket would have been removed. Even with the camera, we might not have been able to locate this particular problem. It is one of the reasons this is a highly technical and dangerous job which is only fully understood when employees come into the Underground Department. There is just some inherent danger. I breathe a little easier knowing that the Zistos cameras are available and that we have taken other steps to significantly reduce the risk to our people.”

MEA thanks Chris Gibbs, Underground Manager for Commonwealth Edison, for providing this Successful Practice.

MEA also thanks Zistos for providing additional background information. Go to http://www.zistos.com/industrial.htm for more information on their equipment. Zistos can also be reached at (631) 434-1370. There is a short video at the site and http://www.zistos.com/images/Utility_Inspection.pdf is a brochure of what most utilities are purchasing. In addition to ComEd, ConEd (New York), Duquesne Light (Pittsburg); Baltimore Gas & Electric, LA Power and Water, and Entergy (Louisiana) are also using the Zistos video system.

"Your Strategic Planning Process: Where Does the Future of Leadership In Your Organization Fit In to the Process…Or Does It?"

Successful Practice Challenge: In an industry that is often focused on climate change, carbon emissions, rates, regulation, and the cost of energy, is the energy industry like 40% of other employers - worried that the aging of our workforce will have a “negative or very negative” impact on our business, but like 68% of other employers, we haven’t even analyzed the demographics of our workforce, let alone made the issue a part of our strategic planning?

Successful Practice Solution: “There is still time to make it a strategic priority,” says M. Abigail Barrett, Licensed Psychologist at Leadership Transitions, Inc., “your business needs in the future as identified in your plan should, ideally, drive the required leadership competencies you should be hiring for and training for today.”

“It is understandable that while doing the “heavy lifting” of running the business today, which often includes keeping the employee count as small as possible, that leadership development is often delegated to the HR team. When leadership development is not tied to specific strategic direction, then it is also easier to underfund it or otherwise make it a lower priority.”

But dealing with the aging workforce, both in the field and in management, is more than finding “warm bodies” and sending them to training.

Successful strategic planning means identifying future business drivers (the opportunities, the threats, and the current strengths and weaknesses of the organization) and creating both long-term and tactical plans to insure future success. Here, Barrett encourages one parallel consideration: Determine the management and leadership competencies that will be required to turn the plans into successful reality.

In practical terms, this means having a consensus competency model that becomes a blueprint for the hiring, training, and ongoing development of your team.

Here is an example of why blending the future strategic direction and the Competency Model is so important. If the plan calls for future M & A, process improvement, and integration initiatives, for example, then “systems thinking” might be critical for the organization. It may not have been as important historically and therefore, it’s not now a hiring criteria or a development goal. If the competency model is not changed, this key management and leadership capability will not be present in the future, and the strategic plan may fail as a result.

* After sharing some of the key elements of the future direction, ask retiring executives and those currently selected high potentials what competencies have been important and are likely to be important in the future. This is a huge problem for many companies, because this is a much deeper conversation than an exit interview. Most companies don’t know how to have these conversations, nor what to do with the information. An atmosphere of trust and genuine interest in what these individuals have to say is critical.
* Involve the HRD and OD team as partners, not as staff specialists. Ask them, but do not abdicate to them the responsibility of translating the future direction of the organization into a competency plan that they AND management agree on.
* Ensure that employment screening, interviewing, testing, and selection tools reflect the new competency needs.
* Ensure that performance reviews and mentoring programs reflect the new model.
* Ensure that management and leadership development plans, classes, and assessments reflect the new model.
* Resist the temptation to assume that since today’s leaders are successful that tomorrow’s should be clones. Being open to the reality that the next leader may have to have different skills can be hard, but it is critical to handing the organization off for continued success.

Look for more from Abigail in the May edition of EDNS. We’ll explore more about the specifics of how a future competencies model functions, what it looks like, and how line management can work more effectively with their HRD and OD support teams.

Successful Practice Challenge:Ask anyone who has experienced a friend or coworker’s suicide. It is a human tragedy not only for the person and their family, but for everyone that knew the person. Each year, more than 30,000 Americans take their own lives. An additional 500,000 Americans visit emergency rooms for injuries related to suicide attempts. A large number of suicides and suicide attempts are related to treatable emotional conditions including depression and other mood disorders, as well as addiction and/or alcohol and other chemical abuse. People often want to conceal their suicidal thoughts, depression, or chemical abuse. They may be embarrassed by these problems or fear that public disclosure will hurt their careers.

The tragedy of these deaths could probably have been avoided if those around these individuals were more aware of suicide warning signs. Given our difficult economic times and the resultant job losses, foreclosures, and fears of further struggles ahead, these issues may lead more people to want to end their emotional or physical pain via suicide.

Successful Practice Solution: We can all learn how to recognize the signs and how to intervene if a coworker, family member, or friend is at risk for suicide.

Suicide Warning Signs:
Within your company, you see co-workers on a regular basis and know how they talk, act, and react to stress in the workplace. If you recognize changes in their behavior, personality, or moods, these could be their "cry for help". Here are some signs that a suicidal crisis might be imminent:

Fairly Obvious Indications:
* Talking about suicide or death and/or statements like "I wish I were dead" or "I'm going to end it all".
* Less direct statements like "What's the point of living?” or "I can’t cope anymore”.
* Giving away personal possessions or otherwise distancing themselves from close relationships.

Other/More Subtle Indications:
* Withdrawal from others in the workplace.
* Neglecting appearance and/or hygiene.
* Negative work performance: not finishing work, taking too many risks, unexplained absences.
* Increased alcohol use and/or suspected drug use.

There is no “foolproof” way of knowing that someone may be thinking of taking his/her life. These warning signs can also indicate that a person has serious problems that affect his or her life, productivity, and the work environment. By recognizing and acting on these signs, you can help a co-worker find professional assistance and become healthier, happier, and more productive.

Suicide Myths:
“People who talk about suicide won't really do it.”
This is not true. Any comment about suicide should be taken seriously.

“A failed suicide attempt means a person wasn’t really serious.”
Four out of five people who complete suicide have attempted it before. Unless they’re helped, they may try again and the next time could be fatal.

“If someone wants to die by suicide, they can’t be stopped.”
For most suicidal people, they are gambling with death and want others to save them.

“There are no warning signs of most suicides.”
Actually, 80% of suicide victims give clear warnings.

“Once a potentially-suicidal person seems improved the crisis is over.”
Unfortunately, most suicides occur 90 days following the beginning of improvement.

What You Can Do To Prevent a Suicide:
If you think you see some of the warning signs that a co-worker might be at risk of suicide, you may be unsure of what to do. You could embarrass yourself or the coworker. You may not want to get involved. You may not feel qualified to say anything. You could be wrong. But you could be right and save a life. Here is some guidance from the National Suicide Prevention Council.

Responding to Suicide Warning Signs:
“You should respond to warning signs that a co-worker may be thinking of suicide. If you are comfortable speaking with this person, you should ask the difficult questions that can help you understand that person's state-of-mind and intentions. Don't be afraid to approach the issue directly and just ask: "Are you thinking of killing yourself?" or "Do you feel like you want to die?" If their response gives any indication that they have been considering suicide or having suicidal thoughts, ask them to find help immediately. Offer to accompany them to your company's employee assistance program (EAP) and make an appointment with a counselor. If your company does not have an EAP, offer to help them find another source of mental health counseling. More information on how to find such counseling is provided below. You can also suggest they call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Lifeline provides crisis counseling and referrals 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

If you think a person is in immediate danger, do not leave him or her alone until you have found help. This may require mobilizing other co-workers or the person's friends or family. If a crisis seems imminent, accompany your co-worker to an emergency room or community mental health crisis center. If your co-worker is unwilling to seek help or is uncooperative or combative, call 911 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Tell the 911 dispatcher that you are concerned that the person with you "is a danger to themselves," or "they cannot take care of themselves." These specific phrases will alert the dispatcher that there is an immediate threat. Do not hesitate to make such a call if you suspect someone may be on the verge of harming him/herself.

Some of your co-workers may be personal friends. You may maintain a more professional relationship with others. And some of your relationships with co-workers may be strained or even antagonistic. If your relationship with a co-worker who may be thinking about suicide is such that you do not want to talk to him or her about these issues, express your concern to someone else - perhaps a colleague who is friendly with that person or a member of the human resources department or employee assistance program (if you have one). If you need help in deciding who can help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).”

MEA sincerely hopes that you never have to deal with either the threat or the reality of a suicide within your community (company, friends, or family). In our continuing efforts to provide you with useful information and successful practices, however, we believe that the information provided here is worthwhile for our readers. For more information, please go to:

Midwest organization for those coping with suicidal thoughts/depression themselves and for the suffering family members (suicide survivors) as well.

This month’s Success Byte career-enhancing advice comes from an executive from outside the energy industry. An entrepreneur and avid marathon runner in his 40’s, Chris Taylor did not have a clear career focus when he went to college. He attended three different universities, earned a degree political science, then set out to be an attorney, and ultimately earned another degree - this time in computer science. He joined the Army Reserve and became a Ranger during Desert Storm. He was hired by a company that Microsoft bought and has worked in system engineering, sales, business development, then computer consulting. Taylor is now CEO of Xcedex, a company that is focused on helping organizations dramatically reduce their energy consumption and the number of CPUs in their computer data centers. See the March issue of EDNS for a Successful Practice Taylor supplied last month.

Why a computer entrepreneur as opposed to a senior officer from the energy industry for this month’s Success Byte? To give you a chance to compare and contrast career observations, as their guidance might apply to your career.

Here are Taylor’s recommendations for you, based upon his own success and based on the kind of successful people he has hired into his own organization:

“Running a business unit or an entire company is like running a marathon,” says Taylor, “Start out too fast and you’ll blow up and not finish the race. Start too slow and you will run out of time. It takes discipline, training, eating right, managing stress, and planning the run to be competitive in a marathon. Success in business is very similar.”

“When I am looking for good people, I’ll take motivated, loyal, assertive, curious people…those not afraid to work at the job over the top 1% of career pedigrees if those candidates have an entitlement attitude or are lacking these other traits….some things you just can’t teach.

MEA thanks Chris Taylor, CEO of Xcedex, for sharing his own career experiences and his observations on what it takes to move ahead in your career. Go to www.xcedex.com for more information on Taylor’s company. - Contributing Editor, Ric Hinkie

TECHNOLOGY

"Status of Energy Storage Technology"
Excerpts from Sustainable Buisiness, April 23, 2010 - http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.feature/id/1796

Energy storage is widely viewed as an energy efficiency mega-trend that's destined to grow to gigantic proportions over the next decades. This critical enabling technology is bringing us plug-in and electric cars and a smart grid based on large scale renewable energy. The market for batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells for transportation and smart grid applications is projected to double from $21.4 billion in 2010 to $44 billion in 2015, according to "Emerging Technologies Power a $44 Billion Opportunity for Transportation and Grid" by Lux Research. Between 2010 -2015:
* Smart grid technologies are projected to skyrocket from $5.4 billion-$15.8 billion.
* Electric vehicle storage technology will nearly double from $7.7 billion-$14.5 billion
* Electric bike and scooter batteries will grow from $6.4 billion-$10.9 billion. Lead-acid batteries currently dominate transportation markets, but lithium-ion (Li) battery markets are growing almost three times faster.

"Bill Gates: 3 Reasons Why the Feds Need to Fund Energy Innovation"
Excerpts from Katie Fehrenbacher, earth2tech, April 25, 2010 - http://earth2tech.com/2010/04/25/bill-gates-3-reasons-why-the-feds-need-to-fund-energy-innovation/

Billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has started looking at energy innovation through politics. Gates, who has started speaking more frequently on the importance of developing the next generation of energy technology from a technologist and an investor’s perspective, co-wrote a column in the Washington Post on Friday that calls for the U.S. government to invest significantly more money into energy innovation. Specifically Gates used the column (co-written with former CEO and Chairman of DuPont’s Chad Holliday) to announce a new group that he’s joined called the American Energy Innovation Council, which is a group of business leaders that support energy innovation.

GAS OPERATIONS

"Don’t Mess With Texas Oil & Gas"
Excerpts from New Energy & Fuel, April 26, 2010 - http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2010/04/26/don%E2%80%99t-mess-with-texas-oil-gas/

The past week saw a flurry of reports and commentary about the Texas petroleum formation called Eagle Ford. Eagle Ford is a huge new oil and gas discovery, well, maybe not ‘new’ as much as economically profitable with the technology of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. With no particular surprise the technology has migrated from gas production areas to oil and liquid condensate production.

With natural gas prices way down and cheap compared to oil, sometimes as low as 1/20th as much per Btu as crude oil, the expensive well drilling and completion technologies have a new way to stay busy and support energy supplies. It’s difficult to imagine a better time than now for the Eagle Ford and the Granite Wash areas to be rediscovered.

Eagle Ford is proving to be rich in condensate. More information about the size of the field and the volumes of condensate and gas is coming out almost every day now, and the numbers are getting better and better. Only a year ago a dozen drilling rigs were working across the entire area that stretches across more than 30 Texas counties. Today, more than 50 rigs are drilling well after well.

Those 50 drilling rigs should allow production to grow to nearly 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day within the next 24 months. That’s roughly $1 billion worth of oil per year at current prices. Keep in mind; this is just from the handful of rigs working in Eagle Ford during 2009. The estimates don’t include the value of the natural gas that will also be produced.

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"Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Would Bring Area Prosperity"
Excerpts from Raymond M. Pocino, The Jersey Journal, April 26, 2010 - http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index.ssf/2010/04/proposed_natural_gas_pipeline.html

Elected officials in Jersey City have recently expressed concern about a proposed natural gas pipeline that Spectra Energy hopes to construct in New Jersey and New York. This vital infrastructure project will bring jobs and revenue to our state and our region while providing a safe and efficient energy delivery system.

I began my own career many years ago laying down pipe here in New Jersey and can attest how much the technology and safety of pipelines has evolved over the decades to absolute unparalleled safety. The simple truth is this: those of us tasked with building pipelines will build no pipeline that is not safe.

This project will also help stabilize utility prices in the tri-state area, which would promote greater energy security for us all. A stronger energy supply means greater economic development for Jersey City, Hudson County and the region. It is the kind of infrastructure project that will bring ratables to our cities and spur more fiscal growth for generations to come.

ELECTRIC OPERATIONS

"Virtual Power – Market Rewards for Smart Energy Practices"
Excertps from Christine, Smart Grid Library, April 26, 2010 - http://www.smartgridlibrary.com/2010/04/26/virtual-power-%E2%80%93-market-rewards-for-smart-energy-practices/

The entire electricity grid is undergoing innovations, and one interesting change is occurring in electricity markets and the way we value electricity consumption. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is the not-for-profit corporation charged with operating the majority of California’s high-voltage wholesale power grid. It serves as the link between power plants and utilities, and ensures equal access to the grid for all qualified users, among other important functions. Their latest strategic plan identifies integration of renewable energy sources and Smart Grid technologies into the grid to improve reliability and conform to California energy directives and air and water quality mandates.

There are regional and national environmental benefits as well. Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) stated that an estimated nationwide 20% reduction in peak electricity demand “if realized, can reduce…the number of power plants needed to meet peak demand and thereby reduce carbon emissions by as much as 1.2 billion tons of carbon annually.” That’s huge.

In addition to saving money and the environment, Proxy DR is also an important tool to integrate variable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind into the grid. If you’ve ever been sailing, you understand how fickle the wind can be. The ability to quickly reduce system-wide electricity use through a Proxy DR market program helps ISOs manage variations in electricity production caused by solar or wind through deployment of these virtual generation resources.

Savoy Energy Corporation, an independent oil and gas company, announces today that it has completed the conversion of the Zavadil #1 well located in Gonzales County, Texas from propane engine to electric motor to operate the well's pump jack. The Company's initiative to contribute to the environment will also increase efficiency while reducing maintenance costs.

On March the 27th, 2010 the Zavadil #1 well was placed online and closely monitored under full electric power. The Company is pleased with the results and the well has continued to operate efficiently to this date. This is the second producing well that Savoy Energy has operating under full electric power. In a previous release dated August 12th, 2009, Savoy announced its strategy to reduce environmental impacts and operating costs by converting all of its wells to operate under electric power.

Waste Management operates 115 landfill gas-to-energy facilities, which utilize methane created by decomposing organic material to generate electricity, but the company’s 16 waste-to-energy facilities use mixed municipal solid waste streams to generate electricity via advanced combustion technologies.

Last May, the company entered into a joint venture with InEnTec to create S4 Energy Solutions, which is commercializing plasma arc gasification technology to generate electricity or syngas for renewable fuel or chemical feedstock. In August, they partnered with Terrabon and Valero to commercialize a new technology that can create low-carbon liquid transportation fuel from organic waste. In November, Waste Management and Linde North America announced that their joint venture company has begun producing liquefied natural gas at the Altamont Landfill near Livermore, California. In January, WM announced an investment in Harvest Power, to develop an organic waste anaerobic digestion facility. In February, they announced our investment in Enerkem, to develop another waste gasification technology.

Vice President Biden announced today that Michigan has won $30 million to retrofit Michigan homes, businesses, and public buildings with energy efficient technologies. The $30 million for Michigan is the second largest award among the 25 Retrofit Ramp-Up grants announced today for states and communities throughout the country. The Michigan Retrofit Ramp-Up Initiative’s (MRRI) winning proposal was developed by a coalition of key stakeholders, including state and local governments, the state’s electric utilities, educational institutions, and a number of public and private sector partners.

The recession is over and unemployment will begin to drop shortly from its perch near 10%. Larry Summers, the head of the National Economic Council, and Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, say so frequently. The American public, however, is not buying this “better times” argument. People are more concerned about losing their jobs than at any time since the the 1973 recession. One out of five US workers believe that they are “fairly” or “very likely” to lose their jobs in the next year. This number is extraordinary, both because of the despair that it represents and the assumption it supposes among Americans, that unemployment will continue to increase into 2011.

Education Corporation of America, a leading owner and operator of private higher education institutions in the United States, announced today the launch of Ecotech Institute, the first and only college focused entirely on preparing America's workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design.

Ecotech Institute launched its first campus in the Denver metro area, offering seven associate's degrees and a certificate program for people seeking careers in the emerging cleantech economy. Once its flagship Colorado campus, located in Aurora, is fully established, Ecotech plans to expand across the U.S. to help fuel rapidly growing industries in the clean energy sector.

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MEA gathers the information provided in EDNS from employees of utilities, contractors and suppliers plus newspapers, magazines, news releases and Internet sites. EDNS content is offered to you with the intent of providing information, ideas, and practices that might you help you improve your personal or organizational performance. MEA, however, can not validate the information provided or guarantee any results. Each reader should individually evaluate and determine whether the information provided is appropriate for their organization.