ANSI Accreditation to Support Smart Grid Testing and Certification Framework
New york, January 24, 2012 - The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. standards and conformity assessment system, is playing ...... [More]

FirstEnergy, Citing Impact of Environmental Regulations, Will Retire Six Coal-Fired Power Plants
Plants Located in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland
Akron, OH., January 26, 2012 - FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) announced that its generation subsidiaries will retire six older coal-fired power plants located ...... [More]

Dominion and Lockheed Martin Announce Grid Side Energy Efficiency Solution and Development Alliance
Richmond, VA., January 24, 2012 - Dominion (NYSE: D) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced the availability of the EDGE(SM) Grid Side Efficiency solution for ...... [More]

Alliant Energy Chairman and CEO William D. Harvey Announces Retirement
Board of Directors names Patricia L. Kampling successor
Madison, WI., January 23, 2012 - Alliant Energy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William D. Harvey announced his intent to retire from the company effective ...... [More]

Consumers Like Smart Grid for More Than Just Saving Money
SGCC Consumer Pulse Study reveals consumer appeal over range of benefits
Atlanta, GA, January 23, 2012 - Many non-financial benefits of smart grid upgrades are as compelling as those that can save consumers money, according to second-wave ...... [More]

Ameren Missouri Files Largest Plan in State for Energy Efficiency Programs
Total customer benefits of approximately $500 million estimated over the next 20 years
St. Louis, January 23, 2012 - Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC) a three-year ...... [More]

Smart Grid RoadShow Announces Program Committee Appointments for 2012
January 20, 2012 - Jaguar Expo, the owner, producer and manager of the popular Smart Grid RoadShow™ Conferences, has announced its slate of ...... [More]

OG&E Completes Crossroads Wind Farm Project
Crossroads adds 227.5 megawatts of renewable power to the grid
Oklahoma City, January 20, 2012 - OG&E announced that it has completed the Crossroads wind farm in northwestern Oklahoma. The project was a partnership between ...... [More]

Matthews, Shafer Appointed Senior Vice Presidents of We Energies
Milwaukee, WI, January 20, 2012 - We Energies announced that Charles Matthews has been appointed senior vice president - Wholesale Energy and Fuels, and Joan Shafer ...... [More]

Feds Give Idaho $5.1 Million More To Help Fight Soaring Utility Bills
Idaho's Low-income & Elderly Eligible for Funds to Pay Utility Bills as Energy Rate Hikes Hit Households Statewide
Boise, ID., January 20, 2012 - The New Year finds Idahoans facing higher energy bills - from Idaho Power's $34 million rate hike, to Rocky Mountain Power customers ...... [More]

Entergy Names Terry Young To Lead Nuclear Communications Role
New Orleans, January 18, 2012 - Terry Young has been named vice president of nuclear communications for Entergy Corporation, announced Toni Beck, group vice ...... [More]

TVA Secures $1 Billion Financing Through Lease-Purchase of John Sevier Combined Cycle Plant
Knoxville, TN., January 18, 2012 - The Tennessee Valley Authority completed a lease-purchase transaction on Tuesday that provides $1 billion in financing to support ...... [More]

PECO Files Default Service Plan with PA PUC
Filing outlines how PECO will purchase electricity for non-shopping customers and continues to promote Electric Choice in PA
Philadelphia, January 18, 2012 - On Jan. 13, 2012 PECO filed its Default Service Plan for approval with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). The ...... [More]

Arista Power Selected to Develop Intelligent Micro-Grid for U.S. Army
Rochester, N.Y., January 17, 2012 - Arista Power, Inc. ("Arista Power" or the "Company") (OTCBB: ASPWD), a manufacturer, designer and integrator ...... [More]

Exelon and Constellation, EDF Reach Agreement on Exelon-Constellation Merger
Chicago & Baltimore, January 17, 2012 - Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) and Constellation Energy (NYSE:CEG) announced that they have reached an agreement with Electricite ...... [More]

Sharyland Utilities and Brownsville Public Utilities Board Jointly Announce ERCOT Board Endorsement for Cross Valley 345 kV Line Project
Dallas, January 17, 2012 - Sharyland Utilities, L.P. (Sharyland) and the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) are pleased to jointly announce that ...... [More]

Itron and Cisco Launch Next-Generation Smart Grid Platform
Alliance Delivers on Vision for Truly Interoperable, Multi-Application Communications Architecture
Liberty Lake, WA., January 17, 2012 - Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced that, in partnership with Cisco, it has brought to market their combined next-generation ...... [More]

FPL proposes base rate increase to pay for new, high-efficiency power plant and increased costs, but expects customer bills to remain the lowest in the state and below the national average
Juno Beach, FL., January 17, 2012 - Florida Power & Light Company today notified the Florida Public Service Commission that it expects to ask for an increase ...... [More]

First Solar Sets Another World Record for CdTe Solar PV Efficiency 14.4 Percent Total Area Efficiency Module Confirmed by NREL
World Future Energy Summit 2012
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates & Tempe, AZ., January 17, 2012 - First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) announced it set a new world record for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) solar module ...... [More]

Huntington Beach City School District to Save More Than $15 Million With Solar Upgrades
Chevron Energy Solutions Completes First Energy Efficiency and Solar Project at Elementary School District in Orange County
Huntington Beach, CA., January 17, 2012 - Huntington Beach City School District and Chevron Energy Solutions announced the completion of a 592-kilowatt solar electric ...... [More]

ACEEE Report: U.S. Better Off 'Thinking Big' About Energy Efficiency Instead of Focusing First on Development of New Energy Sources
Washington, January 12, 2012 - How Lack of Emphasis on Major Energy Efficiency Investments Leaves "3 Jokers in the U.S. Economic Deck"; Slashing Energy ...... [More]

CPUC Acts to Reduce Fire Hazards Associated With Overhead Power Lines and Communication Facilities AND COMMUNICATION FACILITIES
San Francisco, January 12, 2012 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) established new rules to reduce fire hazards associated with overhead power ...... [More]

Joint Venture at Presque Isle Power Plant to be Studied
Marquette, MI., January 12, 2012 - We Energies and Wolverine Power Cooperative announced they have signed a letter of intent to evaluate the formation of a joint ...... [More]

CVPS, GMP Sue Entergy-Vermont Yankee Over Cooling Tower Failures
Colchester, VT., January 10, 2012 - Seeking to recover costs resulting from Vermont Yankee cooling tower failures in 2007 and 2008, the state's two largest distribution ...... [More]

Mitsubishi Electric Engineer Appointed Study Committee Chairman of International Council on Large Electric Systems
First Japanese to become Study Committee Chairman
Tokyo, Japan, January 25, 2012 - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced that Hiroki Ito, Research & Development Department Manager of Mitsubishi ...... [More]

Landis+Gyr Acquires Remaining Stake in Ecologic Analytics
Enhanced Utility Software Offering for Smart Grid Deployments
Zug, Switzerland and Boomington, MN., January 10, 2012 - Landis+Gyr, the leading global provider of integrated energy management products, announced that it has completed the transfer ...... [More]

Energy Efficiency in 2012: Forecast Is Mostly Sunny
January 6, 2012 - Looking forward into 2012, I see more reasons for optimism than pessimism. Many states and utilities are committed to ramping ...... [More]

Pepco to Make Reliability Upgrades at Buzzard Point
Upgrade of Transmission Lines Will Increase Reliability of Supply to the Buzzard Point Substation; Generating Units will be Retired
Washington, January 6, 2012 - The Potomac Electric Power Company (“Pepco” or “Company”) filed with the Public Service Commission of ...... [More]

• AMI Extends Alabama Power’s Outage System Effectiveness in Historic Storm
  2 - PART COVER STORY
  Alabama Power: Automation, Dedication & Determination
  On April 27, 2011, Alabama Power Company — the Birmingham-headquartered Alabama operating company of the Southern Company — experienced one of the most devastating and deadly natural disasters in US history. Damage caused by a string of tornadoes (Cover) striking Tuscaloosa, Alabama and the surrounding area dealt a severe blow to both the communities in the region as well as Alabama Power Company, with more than 400,000 customers without power at the storm’s peak. In addition, nearly 4200 poles, and as many as 400 transmission system structures were either damaged or destroyed. Besides the physical damage, a total of 243 people lost their lives — a loss that can never be restored. Yet just eight days after the storms passed, most of the affected area was up and running again, thanks to the influx of emergency workers; federal, state and local authorities; residents of Tuscaloosa and the surrounding communities; volunteers from far and wide, including those from other utilities across the country; and of course, the dedicated employees of Alabama Power Company.
  
  But there was another ingredient in this rapid recovery — an often unsung ‘hero’ that works 24/7, takes no breaks, sick days, holidays or vacations, and that is always ready for the worst — whenever and wherever it may occur: Alabama Power Company’s automation systems and the associated hardware and software assets. In the next few pages, you’ll learn how automation of various types and forms helped Alabama Power to survive the storm and restore power to homes and businesses in record time. Moreover, you’ll see how interaction and interoperability across systems helped to multiply the individual benefits and operational capabilities of each.
  
  In the second part of the article, you’ll have a chance to see how the integrity of Alabama’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure and the logistics associated with their Smart Meter preparation and roll-out helped to prepare the utility for the unexpected and unprecedented act of nature that nearly wiped out an entire region — truly, a lesson in Automation, Dedication & Determination! — Ed. [More]

• GridLines: Knee-deep in the Hoopla
• Critical Factors for Updating Legacy Systems: The Case for Alabama Power
  2 - PART COVER STORY | Alabama Power: Automation, Dedication & Determination
• The Grid Transformation Forum: Envisioning the 21st Century Grid
• Green Ovations: Innovations in Green Technologies
  More Power, Less Energy: Power to the People
• Bridging the Consumer Divide with Smart Meter Data
• Vehicle-to-Grid Development & Integration: EnVision 2030
  SPECIAL V2G FEATURE (Part 1 of 3)
• Smart Grid 2.0: The Role of GIS
• The Bigger Picture
  Dancing the Smart Grid Dance in Ontario, Canada: A Case Study Unfolding
• Security Sessions: Serial Links Are Intrinsically Secure – Right?
• Guest Editorial: Power to the Customer!