The Georgia Public Service Commission Thursday gave Georgia Power Co. permission to raise rates by $3.9 billion to cover higher fuel costs.

The rate hike, which commissioners approved 4-1, will add an average of $5.59 per month to customer bills, down slightly from the increase originally sought by the utility.

In an agreement with the PSC’s public interest staff, Georgia Power lowered the per-month increase in exchange for a longer cost recovery period of 42 months.

The agreement includes an interim fuel rider (IFR) that allows Georgia Power, a unit of Southern Co. (NYSE: SO) to increase rates by an additional $330 million to $390 million without having to file data with the PSC justifying the move.

Commissioner Bobby Baker, the only PSC member voting against the proposal, objected to letting the utility raise fuel recovery costs within the next year without a formal hearing.

“You have taken the easy road out by accepting the IFR,” Baker told the other commissioners.

But Commissioner Chuck Eaton said the PSC was only following Georgia law.

“Georgia Power gets recovery on fuel cost increases,” Eaton said. “The statute is written so that we don’t shirk our responsibility on fuel costs.”

Fuel cost recoveries compensate electric utilities for the costs of the coal and natural gas that fire their power plants.

The new rates take effect April 1.

Courtesy of the Atlanta Business Chronicle

After a major retrofit that included HVAC upgrades and lighting automation, Caterpillar�s headquarters will save about $800,000 a year in energy costs.

The retrofit of its Peoria, Ill., headquarters resulted in a 46 percent drop in annual energy consumption, said Tom Gerike, Engineering Project Team Leader.

Previously, the building�s annual energy usage of electricity and natural gas was 111,591 MMBTU. Now, it uses 60,622 MMBTU, he said.

Caterpillar added direct digital controls (DDC) to 800 zones of the building, allowing for precise control of each zone, and preventing simultaneous heating and cooling of adjacent zones.

�With the variable volume system, this allowed the interior building zones to have their heating coils disabled,� he said. �All of the heating is done by the exterior zones.�

An upgrade to controls for the chiller plant is helping maximize pumping efficiency, he said.

Caterpillar was able to gain efficiencies by setting up a seasonal schedule for building systems, Gerike said.

�There was no night setback in place for HVAC equipment or for lights,� he said, adding that consistent setpoints were established at 70 degrees in the heating season and 76 degrees in the cooling season.

Also, Caterpillar increased training for building operators for how the DDC system was programmed and how the overall system was to function to optimize energy savings. A building operating plan was developed to ensure consistent operation of building systems. Increased maintenance of the existing building systems was performed, including the installation of new VFDs, the installation of new control valves, and the installation of new damper actuators, he said.

Air handler control algorithms were re-written to optimize energy efficiency, he added.

For lighting automation, the new system has smart breaker panels controlled by a lighting schedule with pushbutton overrides for common areas. Also, motion sensors were installed into private offices and conference rooms.

As a result of the upgrades, the building earned LEED Gold for existing buildings, according to a press release.

The project will equal a reduction in carbon emissions of 195 tons a year, reports Indian Country Today.

The casino, near Warm Springs, Ore., is looking at increasing its environmental responsibility initiatives, said Jeff Dean of Kah-Nee-Ta.

To help get the project started, the casino sought and received a utility rebate from the Bonneville Power Administration and Wasco electric. Warm Springs Ventures and Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprises also assisted on the project.

The resort�s other sustainability initiatives include adding recycling bins, offering eco-friendly bath products and running a reusable linen program for guest.

The casino is not alone in recent efforts to adopt energy efficiency in the hotel industry.

HEI Hotels & Resorts has invested more than $6.5 million in energy management programs at its hotels and resorts in the U.S. since 2005.

HEI�s initial capital upgrades have already resulted in energy savings of more than $2 million annually.


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	Georgia Public Service Commission votes to allow rate increase by Georgia Power.... The Georgia Public Service Commission Thursday gave Georgia Power Co. permission to raise rates by $3.9 billion to cover higher fuel costs. The rate hike, which commissioners approved 4-1, will add an average of $5.59 per month to customer bills, down slightly from the increase originally sought by the utility. In an agreement with the PSC’s public interest staff, Georgia Power lowered the per-month increase in exchange for a longer cost recovery period of 42 months. The agreement includes an interim fuel rider (IFR) that allows Georgia Power, a unit of Southern Co. (NYSE: SO) to increase rates by an additional $330 million to $390 million without having to file data with the PSC justifying the move. Commissioner Bobby Baker, the only PSC member voting against the proposal, objected to letting the utility raise fuel recovery costs within the next year without a formal hearing. “You have taken the easy road out by accepting the IFR,” Baker told the other commissioners. But Commissioner Chuck Eaton said the PSC was only following Georgia law. “Georgia Power gets recovery on fuel cost increases,” Eaton said. “The statute is written so that we don’t shirk our responsibility on fuel costs.” Fuel cost recoveries compensate electric utilities for the costs of the coal and natural gas that fire their power plants. The new rates take effect April 1. Courtesy of the Atlanta Business Chronicle Caterpillar Chooses Major Energy Efficiency Retrofits to save $800k per year.... After a major retrofit that included HVAC upgrades and lighting automation, Caterpillar�s headquarters will save about $800,000 a year in energy costs. The retrofit of its Peoria, Ill., headquarters resulted in a 46 percent drop in annual energy consumption, said Tom Gerike, Engineering Project Team Leader. Previously, the building�s annual energy usage of electricity and natural gas was 111,591 MMBTU. Now, it uses 60,622 MMBTU, he said. Caterpillar added direct digital controls (DDC) to 800 zones of the building, allowing for precise control of each zone, and preventing simultaneous heating and cooling of adjacent zones. The building is saving money with variable fan volume for the HVAC system. �With the variable volume system, this allowed the interior building zones to have their heating coils disabled,� he said. �All of the heating is done by the exterior zones.� An upgrade to controls for the chiller plant is helping maximize pumping efficiency, he said. Caterpillar was able to gain efficiencies by setting up a seasonal schedule for building systems, Gerike said. �There was no night setback in place for HVAC equipment or for lights,� he said, adding that consistent setpoints were established at 70 degrees in the heating season and 76 degrees in the cooling season. Also, Caterpillar increased training for building operators for how the DDC system was programmed and how the overall system was to function to optimize energy savings. A building operating plan was developed to ensure consistent operation of building systems. Increased maintenance of the existing building systems was performed, including the installation of new VFDs, the installation of new control valves, and the installation of new damper actuators, he said. Air handler control algorithms were re-written to optimize energy efficiency, he added. For lighting automation, the new system has smart breaker panels controlled by a lighting schedule with pushbutton overrides for common areas. Also, motion sensors were installed into private offices and conference rooms. As a result of the upgrades, the building earned LEED Gold for existing buildings, according to a press release. Courtesy of environmentalleader.com Lighting Retrofit Saves Casino 389,000 kWh An energy efficient lighting retrofit at the Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Lodge, Casino and Conference Center should result in 389,852 kilowatt hours of energy saved. The project will equal a reduction in carbon emissions of 195 tons a year, reports Indian Country Today. The casino, near Warm Springs, Ore., is looking at increasing its environmental responsibility initiatives, said Jeff Dean of Kah-Nee-Ta. �The lighting project was a step in the right direction,� Dean said. To help get the project started, the casino sought and received a utility rebate from the Bonneville Power Administration and Wasco electric. Warm Springs Ventures and Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprises also assisted on the project. The resort�s other sustainability initiatives include adding recycling bins, offering eco-friendly bath products and running a reusable linen program for guest. The casino is not alone in recent efforts to adopt energy efficiency in the hotel industry. HEI Hotels & Resorts has invested more than $6.5 million in energy management programs at its hotels and resorts in the U.S. since 2005. HEI�s initial capital upgrades have already resulted in energy savings of more than $2 million annually. Courtesy of environmentalleader.com What is LEED LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO₂ emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types � commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle � design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves. Solar Georgia : Most everyone in Georgia knows the Ray Charles song; but not everyone is aware that the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is singing the song so loudly. SEIA, the US trade group responsible for the education, advocacy and promotion of nationwide Solar Energy production projects, states that the Georgia sun is a major, untapped resource. The fact is, that while Georgia possesses some of the country�s best rays, and is a prime candidate for Solar energy production, it lags far behind other states, in spite of an excellent State Tax Incentive package to complement the Federal Incentives and a very positive climate for Corporate and Municipal Grant programs. Georgia has another distinction - as one of the nation�s largest generators and users of coal-fired electricity - in large part due to demand from energy-intensive industries that call Georgia home like the carpet and pulp/paper industries (source: Energy Information Administration). The SEIA has calculated that rooftop Solar alone could easily generate more than a quarter of Georgia�s total power needs - that�s more than the state�s two nuclear power plants generate today - not to mention that expansion of the State�s more than two dozen existing solar companies could create hundreds of high-paying, technically-oriented new jobs. Solar energy is slowly taking hold in Georgia with dozens of Commercial, Industrial, Municipal and Residential projects in place or in the works. The Georgia Solar Energy Association (GSEA) currently has more than 140 members, and is aggressively promoting a solar-only State tax credit with the hopes of being one of the nation�s Top 10 Solar producers by the year 2012! Georgia on Solar's Mind - Courtesy Georgia Solar Energy Association Georgia Power Seeks Rate Increase: Georgia Power Co. asked the state Public Service Commission Tuesday for a 6.8 percent rate increase to cover higher fuel costs. The rate hike would add about $6.98 a month to the average residential bill, based on usage of 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and would add about $470 million to the utility�s annual fuel-cost-recovery billings. Fuel-cost recoveries are set separately from base rates. In this case, the higher costs are driven primarily by growing worldwide demand for coal, according to a company press release. If approved by the PSC, the increase would take effect in April.




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