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US OK's Duke 'smart meter' project
Duke Energy's request for $200 million to accelerate its installation of "smart meters" in its Midwest system is one of 100 projects picked by the Obama administration to jolt America's power transmission system into the digital age.
President Barack Obama, during a visit to a solar energy facility in Arcadia, Fla., is announcing Tuesday that he is making available $3.4 billion in government support projects aimed at modernizing the power grid. The projects include installing "smart" electric meters in homes, automating utility substations, and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors.
A Duke spokesman said, "We're pleased with the Department of Energy funding."
The Charlotte, N.C. utility said the federal funds would accelerate by two years a planned five-year deployment of electric and gas meters to 1.4 million customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Ohio is the only state of the three where Duke has received state regulatory approval for the futuristic smart meters which permit two-way communication between the utility and customers.
Duke has installed about 100,000 of the digital smart meters in southwest Ohio. It plans to install about 700,000 electric meters and 450,000 natural gas meters in Ohio and 800,000 electric meters in Indiana as part of the $1 billion investment.
White House officials provided details of the initiative prior to the president's scheduled visit to Florida Power & Light Co.'s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, the largest photovoltaic electricity facility in the country.
Officials have argued that a more modern grid is needed to give consumers better control over their electricity usage and costs, and to spur development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
The $3.4 billion in grants from the government's economic stimulus program will be matched by $4.7 billion in private investments, the officials said. The smallest grant will be $400,000 and the largest $200 million.
"We have a very antiquated (electric grid) system in our country," said Carol Browner, assistant to the president for energy and climate change. "The current system is outdated, it's dilapidated."
Browner said the federal funding will spur the needed modernization of the grid and set the stage for the smooth introduction of large amounts of electricity from wind or solar sources into the transmission system.
Matt Rogers, the Energy Department official involved in the program, said the 100 projects were selected from 400 proposed. The money would be distributed over the next two months and the work is expected to be done over the next one to three years, he said.
The push to essentially bring modern computer and communications technology to the electric grid has been under way for some time but has gained momentum with the prospect of billions of dollars in federal support.
Rogers said the government funds will allow installation of 18 million smart meters and 1 million other in-home devices as well as more modern thermostats to allow homeowners to better monitor their electricity usage. The government and industry want to deploy 40 million smart meters - wall-based units that can monitor how much electricity various appliances use and turn them off when energy is costlier to consume - within the next several years.
Other projects funded under the program will result in the installation of 850 sensors to allow utilities to better monitor the grid; the installation of 200,000 digital transformers to reduce the risk of power outages; and the automation of 700 grid substations.
"This will save or create tens of thousands of jobs," said Jared Bernstein, chief economist and economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. He said the jobs will include equipment installers and electrical engineers as well as communications systems analysts and data entry clerks.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091027/BIZ/910280318/1076/US+OK+s+Duke++smart+meter++project
That needs more smoke
and less mirrors...imo
Obama to give $3.4 billion in grants for smart grid
By Tom Doggett
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Tuesday will announce $3.4 billion in government grants to help build a "smart" electric grid that will save consumers money on their utility bills, reduce blackouts and carry power supplies generated by solar and wind energy, the White House said.
It marks the largest award made in a single day from the $787 billion stimulus package approved by Congress, and will create tens of thousands of jobs while upgrading the U.S. electric grid, according to administration officials.
The grants, which range from $400,000 to $200 million, will go to 100 companies, utilities, manufacturers, cities and other partners in 49 states.
"It is fair to say that the current (grid) system is certainly outdated. It's dilapidated," Carol Browner, the president's top adviser on climate change and energy issues, told reporters in a telephone briefing.
"Not only do we need to make the current system bigger and add more watts, but we need to make it function better," she said.
The grants will not be used to build new power lines, but improve the capabilities of the electrical system. "I would say it's more than a face-lift," Browner said.
The money will pay for about 18 million smart meters that will help consumers manage energy use in their homes, 700 automated substations to make it faster for utilities to restore power knocked out by storms and 200,000 smart transformers that allow power companies to replace units before they fail, thus avoiding outages.
Obama will announce the grants on Tuesday when he visits one of the largest solar farms in the country in Arcadia, Florida.
The winning companies have secured an additional $4.7 billion in private money to match their government grants, creating $8.1 billion in total investment in the smart grid.
The White House will act fast to get the money into the economy, with the funds expected to be in the accounts of the winning companies within 60 days. The projects themselves will last 12 to 36 months.
One of the winning companies is Constellation Energy's Baltimore Gas and Electric Co, which will receive $200 million in grants to add to $250 million in private funds to deploy a smart meter network for all of its 1.1 million residential customers.
BGE customers can use the meters to view their electricity use in real-time, allowing them to run appliances when there is less demand on the grid and power prices are cheaper.
Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas and Electric Co subsidiary will get $28.1 million on top of the $32 million it plans to spend to connect 1.4 million smart meters.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091027/ts_nm/us_obama_grid_1
ABTG chart when possible...Thanks, Clay!
Rose, there is no way to anticipate the myriad of possibilities for capitilizing the share structure here. They don't NEED to do anything (except raise cash in the near future,of course). Their options for financing become better everyday,imo. This is the best year this company has ever had and we're not even in the revs yet!
Perhaps you should address your concerns with Anna and JJ and let us know what their position is. JJ has been pretty straight up as far as the necessary demons of financing,imo.
Ask him if he's heard from Cisco or IBM?
gl
Much of recent news was already baked into the price when finally announced.
Yesterday's news was not. It adds a whole new layer to the cake,imo.
gl2a
ABTG...taking out the 52w high today.
Go smart grid!
This new EDC module opens up a whole new potential revenue stream for ABTG and ITRN. They were up 11.5% today on strong volume.
Ambient's EDC module provides another valuable tool our customers can use, especially those that are looking for ways to bridge to Itron's OpenWay® solution," said Russ Vanos, director of marketing for Itron.
Data collected by the EDC module will be transferred to the utility's meter collection software, and eventually to their billing system, as Ambient and Itron work together to complete the end-to-end process.
"This new application continues to demonstrate the flexibility and extensibility of the Ambient Smart Grid® platform. A node with the EDC module can also be simultaneously utilized to provide other smart grid applications such as distribution system monitoring," said Ram Rao, Chief Technology Officer of Ambient Corporation. "The EDC is currently being tested in the field by one of our utility partners."
http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&cb=1255401446&article=39852302&symbol=NB%5EABTG
The new EDC module, developed with cooperation from Itron, gives utilities a critical migration path linking their legacy meters to newer advanced communications systems without stranding recently deployed assets," said John J. Joyce, President and CEO of Ambient Corporation. "With greater than 60 million ERT meters in the U.S. alone, the market potential is very significant."
http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&cb=1255401446&article=39852302&symbol=NB%5EABTG
That's alot of smart grid for the new widget.
ABTG...thanks, Clay!
The Smart Grid Needs Smart Regulations
By David J. Leeds David J. Leeds
2 hrs 9 mins ago
It's the night before Christmas in the energy sector, with the Energy Dept. expected to announce $4.5 billion in federal stimulus awards soon for projects aimed at ushering in the smart grid. The aim of the money is a far-reaching upgrade of the system that distributes energy to homes and businesses across the U.S., adding two-way communications and control technologies throughout the newly networked grid.
But those investments may have little impact if they're not accompanied by new state-level regulations that give both utilities and customers strong incentives to better manage and reduce their electricity consumption.
The first area in need of change is how utilities are compensated. An electric utility's revenue is tied primarily to the amount of power it sells. That was fine 50 years ago, in a world with seemingly unlimited resources and little evidence of climate change, but not today. As it stands, utilities have little motivation, if any, to encourage customers to find ways to reduce demand or to practice energy efficiency themselves -- two core tenets of the smart-grid vision.
To encourage utilities to foster energy efficiency, we'll need regulations that establish new rate structures and business models. These will create incentives for utilities to earn revenue in ways that are not entirely linked to additional sales. Otherwise, asking a utility to sell less power is analogous to asking Starbucks (NasdaqGS:SBUX - News) to sell less coffee. Furthermore, since utilities are granted monopolies at regulated rates, a reduction in sales is equivalent to demand (and profit) destruction.
From Demand Destruction to Demand Response
Smart grids aim to replace demand destruction with a practice called demand response. Utilities intentionally reduce overall demand by sending signals to customers to turn down energy use in exchange for financial rewards. For example, a utility might offer a discount to users who run their dishwashers in other than peak-demand hours.
The second challenge is overcoming the user's passive relationship to energy. In the U.S., customers have long been numb to energy costs because prices were dirt cheap. This resulted from flat rates that didn't really express the true, variable costs of energy generation and delivery. However, significant increases in the cost of electricity are coming, and fast. According to the Energy Dept., electricity prices are forecast to rise 50% over the next seven years, while the Energy Information Administration, which compiles energy statistics for the government, expects nationwide demand for electricity to grow by 30% by 2030.
The reform needed to encourage consumer energy management: eliminating the single fixed retail rate for electricity. Until dynamic rates that reflect current market conditions are implemented, smart-grid technologies such as smart meters and smart appliances, and home-energy management systems like those being developed by Google (NasdaqGS:GOOG - News) and Microsoft (NasdaqGS:MSFT - News), will have little effect in altering consumer power usage. Customers will have no impetus to shift their consumption to off-peak hours. A smart meter without a smart rate schedule is not smart at all.
Just because the cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour will jump doesn't mean a customer's bill has to rise. If a single customer is willing to shift demand from peak to off-peak (when more, and thus cheaper, supply is available), that change can cut costs for all parties, including the utility and every other customer. But today those savings are not passed on, providing no incentive to curb energy use. The win-win-win (for the utility, the consumer, and society at large) will not be created until dynamic prices are introduced.
Fifty Public Utility Commissions
The elephant in the room in initiating what will be a paradigm shift in the electric power market is that the federal government can't currently address these regulatory issues. The fact is that each state's public utility commission (PUC) regulates the retail price of electricity and rate of return a utility will earn. Therefore, these changes cannot be made with the stroke of one pen but will need approval by 50 different PUCs. The good news is that PUCs are responding to the Energy Dept.'s statements about the need to explore dynamic pricing and new business models that reward demand-response initiatives. As an example, the Ohio PUC recently announced it will give Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - News) incentives to put energy-efficiency programs in place.
This is the promise of the smart grid: moving from demand destruction to value creation. While utilities may be loath to reinvent a business model that has served them for decades, the revolution in information technology that has transformed other industries -- such as desktop computing, enterprise networking, and wireless communications -- will have a similar effect on the electric-power business. The smart grid, which in large part sits at the intersection of energy, IT, and telecommunications, is a market that, according to John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems (NasdaqGS:CSCO - News), "may be bigger than the whole Internet."
At Greentech Media, we interact every day with startups and utilities that envision energy marketed less as a commodity and more as a suite of services. Just as cell-phone plans now bundle voice, SMS, and data, the smart grid will lead to energy-pricing plans that include basic service plus add-ons such as smart charging of electric vehicles during off-peak hours, distributed renewable energy services, and countless other new services and applications. The Energy Dept. stimulus represents a massive investment in the smart grid, but technology can only take us so far. There's plenty of money to be made, but we can't go from iPhone to iHome, from Facebook to Gridbook, without the right state policies.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20091006/bs_bw/oct2009tc2009105408012
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.Questions or CommentsPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCopyright/IP Policy
Posts should be about ABTG and NOT your fellow posters.
That is what you have RB and Yahoo for.
Compliance is mandatory.
Resistance is futile.
Have a nice day.
Smart Grid Visionaries Gather to Chart the Future of The Networked Grid
Greentech Media Announces Smart Grid Event at PG&E Auditorium
CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwire - October 1, 2009) - Greentech Media, Inc., the industry-leading online media company covering green technology news and analysis, announces the company's first full-day seminar on the smart grid, "The Networked Grid: The Future of Smart Grid Communications and Applications." The event will take place at the PG&E Auditorium in San Francisco on November 4, 2009.
The Networked Grid has assembled the most relevant, influential and diverse set of speakers to date on the topic of intelligently networking the electric grid. Innovative technology providers, thought-leading utilities, influential policy makers and leading industry analysts will be on hand for an informative, balanced and forward-looking day of information on trends surrounding infrastructure, architecture, standards, applications, policy, security, deployments, funding and consumer adoption of smart grids.
Luminaries from organizations such as Cisco, California PUC, EPRI, Google, PG&E, Silver Spring Networks, Siemens, Southern California Edison, Verizon Wireless and many more will be on hand. The discussions and presentations will provide a reality check of early smart grid deployments and a roadmap for the future of this rapidly evolving market.
Topics to be covered at The Networked Grid include:
-- North American Utility Smart Grid Outlook: 2010-2015
-- Real-World Deployments and Policies: 2010-2020
-- Intelligent Smart Grid Network Infrastructure, Standards and
Security
-- Energy-Aware Home Area Networks and Applications
-- Integrating Utility-Scale Renewables, Storage, PHEVs and
Distributed Generation Resources at Mass Scale
"The next phase of the smart grid is upon us. From the growing addition of intermittent, often distributed, renewable energy sources to new and efficient ways that residential, commercial and industrial users are consuming electricity, the underpinning grid infrastructure is transforming on an epic scale to that of a networked grid," said Rick Thompson, Co-Founder and COO of Greentech Media. "We are honored to have assembled many of the industry's thought-leaders to help guide the market forward with this groundbreaking event."
For more information about The Networked Grid, visit http://www.greentechmedia.com/events/live/the-networked-grid/.
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Greentech-Media-Inc-1053128.html
About Greentech Media
Greentech Media is an integrated online media company designed to deliver the highest-quality content in the industry, whether it is research, news or critical networking events. Greentech Media is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with operations in New York City, San Francisco and Munich. For more information, visit http://www.greentechmedia.com.
Contact:
Clare Ondrey
Greentech Media, Inc.
718-384-5190
Email Contact
Engineers plug into draft smart grid specs
Pricing models, Net protocols among next topics to tackle
Rick Merritt
(10/01/2009 8:47 PM EDT)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220300792
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Engineers are pouring over two 100-page reports on smart grid standards released late last week and rolling up their sleeves for the next round of more detailed work.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a first draft of its framework and roadmap for smart grid interoperability standards. The report defines nearly 80 existing standards that can be used for smart grids now and calls for setting up 14 groups to define by the end of 2010 standards in missing areas.
The new efforts will address areas such as adapting Internet Protocol and wireless networks for electric grids as well as writing profiles for smart meters. Other groups will define electricity pricing models and ways for consumers, utilities and third parties to access information about energy usage.
"We have set very aggressive timetables to get that work done," said George Arnold, national coordinator for smart grids at NIST.
A separate NIST report outlines cyber security requirements for smart grids, outlining vulnerabilities of a digital, networked power grid. More than 200 participants worked on the report which details more than 70 different interfaces that must be secured in smart metering and distributed management systems alone.
The smart grid represents a broad and undefined network - with new vulnerabilities.
Both reports are now out for public review. The security report is expected to include a detailed architecture and requirements section when it is finished in March 2010.
The draft reports represent the output from a series of workshops conducted over the year to date. "There's been a real urgency to get the standards to catch up with the state of deployment of these technologies" with more than 400 proposals now vying for part of an estimated $3.9 billion in economic stimulus funds for smart grid deployments and demonstration projects.
NIST will form a permanent panel including members from utilities, vendors and consumer groups to oversee the evolution of the standards work. It is expected to post details soon for how it will organize the panel and a governing board that will supervise it.
Vendors expressed enthusiasm about the project, with two appliance makers—General Electric and Whirlpool--pledging they will ship in 2011 products ready to plug into smart grids. But plenty of work lies ahead.
For example, the draft framework falls short of adopting Internet standards everywhere and may require modification of existing Net and grid standards, said Fred Baker, a Cisco Systems fellow involved in NIST's task group on Internet Protocol in smart grids.
"A number of the [existing] standards [noted in the report] are really published specifications of individual vendors," said Baker. For instance, a so-called C-1222 management spec is said to have only one complete implementation and other versions don't work well together, he said.
As for new standards, it's optimistic to expect the 14 efforts NIST administrators will kick off soon will be completed by the end of 2010, added Baker, former chairman of the Internet Engineering Task Force that oversees Net standards.
The smart grid planners "said they are going to adopt Internet Protocol in some areas, but they haven't said IP everywhere and frankly we are getting a lot of pushback in some places," Baker said.
Specifically the so-called Goose protocol that runs over Ethernet is now used to keep current loads coming from multiple transformer stations separated by hundreds of miles in phase to within a quarter of a Hertz or a few milliseconds. Baker would prefer to see IP used for the long distance transmissions even if it would mean longer propagation delays, and is working with utility experts on a test of an IP-based approach.
"That's an example of a place where if we had IP in the first place it would be easier to move ahead," Baker said. "But utilities are basically saying, 'if it aint broke don't fix it," he said.
Multicasting protocols may also need work to enable smart grids. That's because they are used widely in smart meters and building automation systems, but not widely deployed by service providers, Baker said.
The group's defining pricing models and energy demand/response signaling are drawing the greatest participation from members of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, said Joe McGuire, the group's president. Clear specs in those areas are key to enabling smart appliances the can report and make decisions about their energy use, he said.
NIST released the draft reports at the GridWeek event in Washington D.C. About 1,400 people attended the event, twice the previous record, a sign of rising anticipation for deployments given the accelerated work on standards and the promise of stimulus funds.
All materials on this site Copyright © 2009 TechInsights, a Division of United Business Media LLC. All rights reserved.
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Thank you , Sloth! ...eom
Clean Edge and NASDAQ OMX Launch New Smart Grid Stock Index: QGRD
September 22, 2009
Source: Clean Edge News
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. and Clean Edge, Inc. have announced the introduction of the NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Smart Grid Infrastructure Index (NASDAQ:QGRD), a new benchmark for the smart grid and electric infrastructure sector. The NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Smart Grid Infrastructure Index is a modified market- capitalization index and includes companies that are primarily involved in electric grid; electric meters, devices and networks; energy storage and management; and enabling software used by the smart grid and electric infrastructure sector.
"This index brings sharper focus to an industry that is transforming our nation's energy grid, an extremely significant endeavor that will help shape our nation's future," said NASDAQ OMX Executive Vice President John Jacobs. "Investors, thanks to this index, can now easily track companies that are working diligently to help fully implement an energy grid that is more efficient, cleaner and resilient."
"Our current electric grid is dated and deteriorating," said Ron Pernick, Clean Edge Co-founder and Managing Director. "To keep up with energy demand and meet modern energy needs, the next evolution in our electric grid will include the embedding of smart meters, controls, and networks to make the grid more intelligent and the introduction of a two-way flow of electrons and energy storage to enable better integration of renewable power and energy efficiency. This build-out is already under way and offers an unprecedented opportunity to reshape the way energy is generated, stored, transmitted, and delivered."
The NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Smart Grid Infrastructure Index is calculated in real-time across the combined exchanges and is disseminated by NASDAQ OMX in U.S. Dollars. The Index commenced calculation today with a value of 250.00.
The NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Smart Grid Infrastructure Index is comprised of companies that are screened by Clean Edge. At launch, there are 29 component companies:
Pure Play
American Superconductor
Comverge
Echelon
EnerNOC
ESCO Technologies
General Cable
ITC Holdings
Itron
Jinpan International
NGK Insulators
Pike Electric
Power-One
Quanta Services
RuggedCom
SatCon Technology
Schneider Electric
SMA Solar Technology
Diversified
ABB
Advanced Energy Industries
Cooper Industries
Digi International
General Electric
Intellon
MasTec
National Grid
Siemens
Telvent
Valmont Industries
Wesco International
The launch of QGRD marks the third stock index to be produced jointly by Clean Edge and NASDAQ. The NASDAQ® Clean Edge® Green Energy Index (CELS) tracks the performance of U.S.-listed clean-energy companies and the NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Global Wind Energy Index (QWND) follows the global wind energy sector.
http://www.cleanedge.com/news/story.php?nID=6407
NIST readies Smart Grid security architecture
•By William Jackson
•Sep 25, 2009
A cybersecurity working group developing a security architecture for the Smart Grid expects to issue a preliminary report for public comment soon, outlining how security requirements will be incorporated into the design of the nation’s next-generation power distribution system.
The security plan is a critical part of the Smart Grid interoperability effort being spearheaded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The draft document, NIST Interagency Report 7628, "Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and Requirements," could be released as early as today and will be available online.
It is being developed in conjunction with the Smart Grid interoperability framework, a first draft of which was released yesterday by NIST. Annabelle Lee, senior cybersecurity strategist at NIST’s Computer Security Division, said Thursday that the security document, which will include a comprehensive set of security requirements, is expected to be finalized by March.
The Smart Grid program was established in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which mandated that security be built into the system that would use intelligent networking and automation to better control the flow and delivery of electricity to consumers. This would require a two-way flow of electricity and information between the power plant and the end user, and to points in between.
“History has shown that you can’t add security later” to complex systems, said George Arnold, NIST deputy director of technical services, who is leading the effort to define Smart Grid interoperability standards. “We’re putting the security architecture and requirements up front.”
“This is very different for us,” said Lee. The Computer Security Division traditionally has been called upon to develop security standards and requirements for systems that already have been deployed.
Developing a security architecture in parallel with the system design and engineering processes is a challenge, because the overall architecture of the system has not yet been determined. But it is necessary to conduct the different processes at the same time because development and even deployment of some elements of the Smart Grid already are under way.
“The urgent need for this framework was vastly accelerated with the passing of the recovery act,” which provides millions of dollars to jump-start development of Smart Grid technology, said NIST Deputy Director Pat Gallagher (who has been nominated by President Barack Obama to become director of NIST).
The interoperability framework for the Smart Grid is expected to be finalized by mid-November and is the first of a three-phase program to develop interoperability standards. In the second phase, an interoperability panel will begin meetings on Nov. 16 to assist development of remaining technical standards needed to ensure interoperability. This work is expected to be completed next year. The third phase is development of an interoperability testing and certification program. Gallagher called the timetable aggressive, but realistic.
Deployment of a Smart Grid offers a greenfield opportunity because the existing grid, parts of which are 50 years old or older, was not designed to support alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power, and the two-way flow of energy and data. But this wholesale upgrade also makes it imperative that security be built in now, because the grid lifecycle is measured in decades rather than years, as it is for much of the rest of our information infrastructure. Equipment being designed for deployment now might not be replaced for decades.
Smart Grid security requirements will be developed for specific domains, business and mission functions and interfaces, as well as for the overall grid. But they are being developed at a high level and will not be spelled out for specific systems or components because of the impossible complexity of that job.
The security requirements and architecture will address not only deliberate attacks, but errors, failures and natural disasters that also could destabilize the grid. Smart Grid risks being addressed by the working group include:
•Increasing complexity, which could introduce vulnerabilities and increase exposure to attacks and errors;
•Interconnected networks, which could introduce common vulnerabilities;
•Increasing vulnerability to disruption of communications and the introduction of malicious code;
•Increased number of entry points for exploits; and
•The potential for loss of confidentiality, including breach of customer privacy.
The security architecture being developed will identify interfaces between functional domains of the new grid and categorize them according to the criticality of their data accuracy and availability. The constraints, issues and impacts of breaches at these interfaces will be considered for each category, and security requirements will be developed.
The next steps in developing the security plan will be to assess existing standards that could apply to security requirements, to identify gaps where adequate standards do not now exist, and to assess development of new standards to address those gaps.
About the Author
William Jackson is a senior writer for GCN.
http://www.gcn.com/Articles/2009/09/25/Smart-Grid-security-architecture-NIST.aspx?Page=3
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to Present Major Report on Smart Grid Interoperability Standards at GridWeek 2009 Conference on September 24
Press Release
Source: GridWeek 2009
On Wednesday September 23, 2009, 3:32 pm EDT
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ --
What: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to keynote
GridWeek 2009 Conference.
Mr. Locke to open conference plenary - Thursday, Sept. 24,
2009 at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Ronald Reagan Building - 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington D.C.
Conference Plenary will be held in the Amphitheater
Info: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) will present a major new
report on the Smart Grid--the planned next-generation network
for distributing electricity throughout the country by
incorporating modern information technology.
The draft report, entitled NIST Framework and Roadmap for
Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0, was
developed during the first phase of NIST's three-phase plan to
identify technical standards to support the interoperability
of Smart Grid devices and systems. Following Locke's unveiling
of the draft report at 8:30 a.m., an in-depth public briefing
by NIST at 1:00 p.m. will include an opportunity for
stakeholders to review the report's contents and learn about
next steps. The public will have 30 days to comment on the
report.
GridWeek 2009, which runs from Sept. 21-24, is the country's
leading smart grid conference, featuring more than 30 sessions
and 110 speakers.
Media Registration:
Media should pre-register for the conference at
www.gridweek.com by going to "Registration" and selecting
"Media and Press Options."
Media check-in and passes are available in the press room:
Ronald Reagan Building, "Hemisphere B"
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-Commerce-Secretary-Gary-prnews-1104899703.html?x=0&.v=1
Duke reaches second Chinese energy deal
Posted: Sep 23, 2009 08:42 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 23, 2009 08:42 PM EDT
By MARK WILLIAMS
AP Energy Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Power company Duke Energy Corp. said Wednesday that it has struck its second deal in just over a month with a large Chinese power company to develop sources of low-carbon energy.
Duke and ENN Group say ideas for potential development between the two include commercial solar projects, coal-based clean energy, biofuels, natural gas, smart grid, energy efficiency and carbon-capturing algae.
"Between our two companies we're going to find ways to generate electricity and minimize our carbon footprint," Jim Rogers, Duke's chairman, president and CEO, said in an interview.
The two made the announcement in New York while at the annual meeting of President Bill Clinton's global initiative to address global problems.
China and the U.S. are No. 1 and 2 when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. The countries account for 40 percent of the world's total emissions. Both also heavily count on coal todrive their economies, with Duke using coal to generate about two-thirds of its electricity.
Rogers said if U.S. and Chinese companies can strike deals to work on climate change, then maybe it can lead to bigger solutions being reached by the governments of both countries. But he said the deals "mean nothing if they don't produce real projects, real solutions and are profitable."
The companies have signed agreements to share information and also are evaluating a partnership to pursue commercial development of utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects in the U.S.
Rogers said work will start immediately, with ENN executives visiting Duke facilities this week.
Duke signed a similar deal in August in Beijing with state-owned China Huaneng Group, China's largest electric utility.
Privately owned ENN, founded 20 years ago, has more than 100 subsidiaries that supply power in 80 cities across China. Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke has 4 million customers in five states: North and South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
Shares of Duke rose a penny to close at $15.72.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.kswo.com/global/story.asp?s=11187613&ClientType=Printable
Tech Vendors Thinking Big On Smart Grid
By REINHARDT KRAUSE, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 09/22/2009 06:16 PM ET
Tech firms are eagerly awaiting the release Thursday morning of the Commerce Department's road map for so-called smart grid technologies aimed at modernizing the country's aging electricity grid.
Cisco Systems (CSCO), IBM (IBM), AT&T (T) and Intel (INTC) are among hundreds of tech firms that have kept a close watch on smart grid initiatives at Commerce as well as the Department of Energy. Tech firms are anticipating the release of the first round of economic stimulus funds for smart grid projects.
In January, the Obama administration allocated $4.5 billion in stimulus funds for the smart grid. Some funds will probably be released by November, analysts say.
The Commerce game plan, being prepared by its National Institute of Standards, should provide insights into government funding priorities, analysts say.
NIST's report will identify key standards that the government wants power utilities to use as they set up smart grids over the next decade. Also, the power industry lacks key standards for connecting meters to substations and network infrastructure as well as sharing energy-use data among utilities. Those are among the standards NIST is trying to identify. In addition, analysts say the industry needs better standards for cybersecurity.
NIST released some proposed standards earlier this year and sought industry comment. Tech firms have lobbied hard for certain communications and data networking technologies in upgraded electrical systems.
Not Wasting Time
"Cisco has jumped in, IBM has jumped in, General Electric (GE) has jumped in ... because they all understand the business implications," said Jesse Berst, managing director of consulting firm GlobalSmartEnergy, which publishes Smart Grid News. "They want to make sure that things they feel they need are in the standards. They want early access to what the standards are looking like, so they can integrate them quickly into their product lines."
About 70% of the stimulus funds are expected to go to electric utilities. They're investing in smart meters that provide real-time data on household energy use, as well as power line and substation improvements.
The NIST report is widely expected to say that Internet-protocol technology should be used in smart grid systems.
Including IP as a standard would make smart grid systems more "interoperable," meaning they could share data.
Having IP as a key building block of smart grid networks would be good news for Cisco as well as Silver Spring, a well-funded startup. Both Cisco, a leader in IP technology, and Silver Spring, which has won several big utility contracts, use IP in their smart grid systems.
Cisco has declared smart grid its next billion-dollar business. IBM aims to provide services on monitoring transmission lines and analyzing data captured from smart meters in homes. Utilities expect to prevent some blackouts by tracking consumer and business demand.
"IBM and Cisco are counting on being able to bring their Internet skill set and knowledge from other industries, like financial services and banks, to bear in energy," Berst said. "They rightly feel they can make the energy Internet secure as well."
In April, NIST included among its proposed standards a home wireless networking standard called ZigBee.
The ZigBee Alliance trade group includes Philips Electronics (PHG), Texas Instruments (TXN) and startup Tendril, which sells home gear that lets consumers track the energy use of appliances.
The Intel-backed HomeGrid Forum also has filed comments with NIST, asking that its home networking standard be included. This group is promoting the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union standard, which it calls the leading global standard for the wired home networks.
Potential Conflict With Carriers
Intel has been working with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on smart grid standards. Analysts expect the IEEE, which itself is often a tech standards setter, to follow the smart grid standards determined by NIST.
Wireless phone companies AT&T and Verizon Wireless have made deals with companies that sell smart meters to utilities. The carriers' wireless phone networks provide two-way communications between homes and utilities in some smart grid projects.
NIST, however, is mulling using private wireless networks, which use unlicensed radio spectrum, for smart grids, as well as using the carriers' networks. But in a filing, AT&T has said that private wireless networks might not communicate with each other.
"Potential pitfalls can be avoided by encouraging that the smart grid rely on existing commercial wireless networks," AT&T said in its filing.
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=506799&Ntt=smart+grid
© 2009 Investor's Business Daily, Inc. All rights reserved. Investor's Business Daily, IBD and CAN SLIM and their corresponding logos are registered
I noticed Fischer's other shell (DTGP) got suspended by the SEC today. Maybe someday in the distant future they will follow the trail of crumbs he left leading to this mess.
Another fat RS of this shell in the wake of the bait and snatch dividend should pique their interest...IMO
---------------------------
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Before the
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Release No. 60707 / September 23, 2009
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) announced the temporary suspension, pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), of trading in the securities of the following 17 companies at 9:30 a.m. EDT on September 23, 2009, and terminating at 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 6, 2009: AEI Transportation Holdings, Inc. (DTGP) of Seattle, Washington
http://www.pinksheets.com/pink/quote/quote.jsp?symbol=dtgp
JVA...breaking out of the 52w range...
Seeking Alpha: This Week's Smart Grid Conference in D.C. Could Cause Several Stocks to Pop
September 22, 2009
An unprecedented overflow crowd at this week’s “smart” grid conference in Washington, D.C., could put a pop in the shares of several companies that are likely to garner media attention.
While definitions vary widely, the “smart grid” generally is a multi-year project (strongly backed by the Obama administration) whose cost has been estimated at up to $75 billion. It is intended to give the nation’s power grid a new telecommunications backbone, transforming it into an “energy Internet.” Over time, this new smart grid is expected to save the nation trillions of dollars by eliminating blackouts and the need to build hundreds of new power plants. It’s further expected to significantly reduce consumers’ and business’s power bills.
Among the companies likely to get favorable attention during Grid Week 2009 is Itron Inc. (ITRI), which plans to show off its advanced metering application for the grid, called “Openway.” Another is Ambient Corp. (ABTG), which plans to highlight how its open, scalable IP-based communications technology is being employed in utilities’ smart-grid pilot projects.
While they may be too big for their stocks to pop right away, Grid Week 2009 also may open the eyes of many more investors to the potential for a lot of telecomm heavyweights to make a lot of money, in particular: Cisco Systems (CSCO), IBM (IBM), Intel Corp. (INTC), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Google Inc. (GOOG).
Alert investors will also see how the move to “smarten up” the grid – which, after all, is occurring not just in the U.S. but also throughout Asia and Europe – could fatten the bottom lines of foreign-based firms such as Siemens AG (SI), ABB Ltd. (ABB), and Telvent Git SA (TLVT).
The list goes on and on, but another name that could stand out at next week’s conference is South Korea’s NURI Telecom Co. (Symbol KDQ:040160). General Electric Co. (GE), another heavyweight that could make hay on the smart grid, will be announcing a “collaboration” with NURI intended to “accelerate the advancement of smart grid globally.”
http://seekingalpha.com/article/162684-this-week-s-smart-grid-conference-in-d-c-could-cause-several-stocks-to-pop?source=yahoo
There were 894,634,187 shares outstanding prior to yesterdays s-1/a which will add another 43,633,331 ...does not include the overhead due to Vicis either.
http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&cb=1252807691&article=39436347&symbol=NB%5EABTG
gl
Hi, Clay! ABTG when you get a chance, please.
Thanks muchly.
Coffee Holding Co., Inc. Reports Results for Three and Nine Months Ended July 31, 2009
Press Release
Source: Coffee Holding Co, Inc.
On Thursday September 10, 2009, 9:15 am EDT
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coffee Holding Co., Inc. ("Coffee Holding") (AMEX:JVA - News) today announced its operating results for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2009. In this release, the Company:
* Reports that net income increased $248,501, or 45.1%, to $799,760,
or $0.15 per share (basic and diluted), for the three months ended
July 31, 2009 compared to net income of $551,259, or $0.10 per
share (basic and diluted), for the three months ended July 31,
2008;
* Reports net sales of $54,020,045 for the nine months ended July 31,
2009 and $17,289,305 for the three months ended July 31, 2009; and
* Reports sales growth of 6.5% for the nine months ended July 31,
2009 compared to the nine months ended July 31, 2008.
Net income increased $248,501, or 45.1%, to $799,760, or $0.15 per share (basic and diluted), for the three months ended July 31, 2009 compared to net income of $551,259, or $0.10 per share (basic and diluted), for the three months ended July 31, 2008. We had net income of $1,592,211, or $0.29 per share (basic and diluted), for the nine months ended July 31, 2009 compared to a net loss of $1,310,654, or $0.24 per share (basic and diluted), for the nine months ended July 31, 2008. The increase in net income for the quarter primarily reflects decreased cost of sales. The increase in net income for the nine month period reflects increased net sales, decreased cost of sales, decreased operating expenses and elimination of hedging loss.
Net sales totaled $17,289,305 for the three months ended July 31, 2009, a decrease of $309,267, or 1.8%, from $17,598,572 for the three months ended July 31, 2008. Net sales totaled $54,020,045 for the nine months ended July 31, 2009, an increase of $3,289,491, or 6.5%, from $50,730,554 for the nine months ended July 31, 2008. The increase in net sales for the nine month period reflects increased amounts of green coffee, branded coffee and private label coffee sold, partially offset by lower sales prices compared to the first nine months of 2008.
Cost of sales for the three months ended July 31, 2009 was $14,375,619, or 83.1% of net sales, as compared to $15,002,037, or 85.2% of net sales, for the three months ended July 31, 2008. Cost of sales for the nine months ended July 31, 2009 was $46,786,962, or 86.6% of net sales, as compared to $47,927,963, or 94.5% of net sales, for the nine months ended July 31, 2008. The decrease in cost of sales primarily reflects the lower robusta green coffee purchase prices in the three month period and an increase in gains on options and futures contracts over the nine month period.
Total operating expenses decreased by $17,307, or 1.1%, to $1,507,676 for the three months ended July 31, 2009 from $1,524,983 for the three months ended July 31, 2008. Total operating expenses decreased by $343,826, or 7.2%, to $4,400,211 for the nine months ended July 31, 2009 from $4,744,037 for the nine months ended July 31, 2008. The decrease in operating expenses was due to decreases in selling and administrative expense and expense for officers' salaries.
We closed our manufacturing operations at our Brooklyn, New York location in May 2009. The majority of our processing has been moved to our Colorado facility with our Generations Coffee Company, LLC facility in Brecksville, Ohio becoming more involved with our everyday coffee processing. We have leased office and warehouse space located in Staten Island, New York to house the corporate offices and serve as temporary storage of our branded product. We plan to sell the property located in Brooklyn and expect to complete the sale in September 2009. We anticipate that the sale of our Brooklyn property will enhance our already strong cash position and liquidity. Although we incurred a related severance cost of $78,500 in the third quarter of fiscal 2009, we believe that these measures will reduce long-term operating expenses, increase efficiencies and ultimately increase the profitability of Coffee Holding.
"Our strong quarter reflects the internal changes made within our company over the past nine months. We continue to focus on higher margin business as well as customer relations as our philosophy is that strength in those two key areas will ultimately give us the foundation for an improved stock price and greater shareholder value," said Andrew Gordon, President and Chief Executive Officer.
"We still have not completed the streamlining of our operations and we expect further savings in the immediate future. In addition, we believe that these savings and the proceeds we expect to generate from the sale of our property in Brooklyn will improve our cash flow and provide us with great flexibility as a company to promote our brands and explore strategic alliances in order to bolster both our long term top and bottom lines."
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Coffee-Holding-Co-Inc-Reports-pz-1905229030.html?x=0&.v=4
Ambient Becomes Duke’s Latest Smart Grid Partner
By Justin Moresco
September 09, 2009: 06:00 PM ET(gigaom.com) -- Duke Energy (DUK), one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S., has added yet another technology partner to its smart grid team. Newton, Mass.-based Ambient Corp., a decade-old company that develops data communication networks for electrical distribution systems, said this week that it has signed a “long-term agreement” with Duke to provide communication technologies for the utility’s next phase of its smart grid deployment. Ambient and Duke were fairly tight-lipped on details of the contract, but they did say it calls for Ambient to provide the utility with its X-series communications nodes, which would transmit data from residential and commercial smart meters and other applications back to the utility’s network operations center.
It’s unclear how large Ambient’s immediate role will be in Duke’s smart grid build-out, but getting its foot in the door even with a small initial contract is a significant win. Duke has announced ambitious plans over the next five years to add intelligence to the electric grid throughout its service regions. Those plans include the deployment of 700,000 smart meters in Ohio later this year, and, pending regulatory approval, 800,000 smart meters in Indiana. The utility also says it is “laying the groundwork” to bring smart grid technology to the other states it serves — North and South Carolina and Kentucky.
With this agreement, Ambient becomes the latest smart grid partner for Duke. The utility has inked a $15.8 million deal with Echelon (ELON) to supply smart meters in Ohio and Indiana, which could turn into a $150 million revenue opportunity. Duke’s biggest partnership is a 3-year deal with Cisco (CSCO). The networking giant will provide digital communications architecture and work with Duke to install home energy management devices.
Duke has applied for $214 million in stimulus grants from the federal government for the installation of smart meters. If the utility receives the grant, that will be good news for Ambient.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/gigaom/green/2009_09_09_ambient_becomes_duke_e2_80_99s_latest_smart_grid_partner.html
FYI:
We have been compensated 1,500,000 free trading shares and 1,500,000 shares of restricted shares from a non affiliated, third-party shareholder and we have received an additional 6 million shares of free trading shares of common stock from an unaffiliated third-party shareholder and an additional 2 million shares of restricted stock from Complete Care Medical, Inc. (CCMI)
http://www.thegreenbaron.com/Disclaimer.htm
Ambient Announces Second Quarter Results
Press Release
Source: Ambient Corporation
On Tuesday August 18, 2009, 9:37 am EDT
BOSTON, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ambient Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: ABTG - News) announced results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2009, with first half-year revenues of approximately $857,000.
Milestones of the first half of the year include a joint marketing agreement with Verizon Wireless and a partnership with Itron Inc. Ambient also relocated its corporate headquarters to a larger facility earlier in August, accommodating projected growth in both its business and R&D initiatives.
Commenting on the Company's recent achievements, John J. Joyce, President and CEO of Ambient Corporation, stated, "A purchase order received in mid-August for our latest version of our smart grid node assists in continuing to position the Company for anticipated growth for the remainder of 2009 and into 2010, and represents the ongoing success of laying a foundation for the future."
In mid-August, Ambient received a purchase order for 2,500 units of the newest version of its smart grid node. The Company is presently working to fulfill this order.
Operations Highlights - Second Quarter
REVENUE: Revenues for the six and three months ended June 30, 2009 were $857,183 and $30,590 respectively. Revenues for the corresponding periods in 2008 were $810,865 and $747,223, respectively. Revenues for the 2009 period were attributable to the sales of equipment and software to Duke Energy. Revenues for the 2008 period were attributable to the sales of equipment to Duke Energy. Revenues for the six and three months ended June 30, 2009 related to the sales of equipment totaled $823,253 and $30,590, respectively, as compared to $810,865 and $747,223 for the corresponding periods in 2008.
COST OF GOODS SOLD: Cost of goods sold for the six and three months ended June 30, 2009 were $756,854 and $25,618, respectively, compared to $948,500 and $605,630 during the corresponding periods in 2008. Cost of goods sold included all costs related to manufacturing and selling products and services and consisted primarily of direct material costs. Cost of goods sold for the 2008 period included expenses related to the write down of inventory to the lower of cost or market.
GROSS PROFIT: Gross profit for the six and three months ended June 30, 2009 were $100,329 and $4,972, compared to a loss of $137,635 and a gain of $141,593 for the corresponding periods in 2008.
A more detailed description of Ambient's business, our results of operations and financial statements are contained in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 14, 2009.
About Ambient Corporation
Ambient designs, develops and markets Ambient Smart Grid(®) communications technologies and equipment. Using open standards-based technologies along with in-depth industry experience, Ambient provides utilities with solutions for creating smart grid communication platforms and technologies. Headquartered in Newton, MA, Ambient is a publicly traded company (OTC Bulletin Board: ABTG - News). More information on Ambient is available at www.ambientcorp.com.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Ambient-Announces-Second-prnews-1240530209.html?x=0&.v=1
Yes. Verisign has it.
http://www.verisign.com/
Go ask them. They already know you,lol.
gl
If you wish to cancel future subscription renewals, simply go to Settings > Cancel My Subscription. This will cancel the auto-renewing component and your remaining subscription will continue until your expiration date.
If you wish to change the credit card on file with Verisign (our processor), do the same as above, then when you receive the expiration notice(s), re-subscribe with the new credit card.
Credit card information is never stored on/by iHub. It's processed entirely by Verisign.
Subscription options and feature entitlements can be found here.
http://ihwiki.stocksite.com/index.php?title=Handbook#Subscriptions
So there you have it.
Yes, with bondage pants and tartan straps, oddly enough.
I heard he had a new bean counter.
"I'm still walkin'
So I'm sure that I can dance"
-Wier/Barlow
Some of you have lost limbs yet you still try to pet the dog.
ROFL...bad dog, bad dog.
gl
Yep, and that's just the beginning!
gl
Thanks, Tina. I'm sure that will help Corey's bottom line and his latest valuation project...they should offer him 3 options to redeem his convertibles...lol
...exit laughing
August 10, 2009 -Duke Energy Applies for $214 million in Stimulus Funding
Long-time Ambient customer, Duke Energy, is continuing deployment of its smart grid, or “energy internet”, projects as described in an announcement last week detailing plans to apply for DOE stimulus funding. . Ambient Corporation recently provided a letter of support for Duke Energy’s application of $214 million in DOE Smart Grid Investment Grant Funding Opportunities (DE-FOA-0000058).
Duke Energy and Ambient have worked together on smart grid development and deployment projects for several years. In making this announcement, Duke detailed plans to accelerate its modernization programs in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky in what the company describes as “one of the largest smart grid initiatives in the country.”
http://www.ambientcorp.com/media_news.html