Replies to post #6759 on Composite Technology Corporation (fka CPTQE)

[gym gravity]

Obama grid upgrade is most likely behind this action today.

Quote during speech:

Some of the projects involve modernizing old, inefficient transmission lines that just waste too much energy. And to speed that process along, nine federal agencies have signed an agreement that will help break down the bureaucratic barriers that currently make it slow and costly to build new transmission lines on federal lands.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/27/AR2009102701753.html

one of many articles with details on $$$

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125663945180609871.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular

Obama Names 'Smart Grid' Projects

By REBECCA SMITH
The Obama administration on Tuesday named 100 utility projects that will share $3.4 billion in federal stimulus funding to speed deployment of advanced technology designed to cut energy use and make the electric-power grid more robust.

Touring a field of solar energy panels in west-central Florida, President Barack Obama urged greater use of several technologies, including installing "smart" electric meters in homes, automating utility substations and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors.

"There's something big happening in America in terms of creating a clean-energy economy,' Mr. Obama said, although he added there is much more to be done.

Inside the Plan
The $3.4 billion in Smart Grid Investment Grant awards are part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and will be matched by industry funding for a total public-private investment worth more than $8 billion. See full listings of the grant awards by category and state , plus a map , from Energy.gov .
He likened the effort to the ambitious development of the national highway system 50 years ago. He said modernization would lead to a "smarter, stronger and more secure electric grid."

When combined with funds from utility customers, the program is expected to inject more than $8 billion into grid modernization efforts nationally.

"We have a very antiquated system that we need to upgrade," said Carol Browner, energy coordinator for the Obama administration.

The Department of Energy said grants of $400,000 to $200 million will lead to the installation of at least 18 million advanced digital meters, which should bring the nation's total to about 40 million, or enough to cover one-quarter to one-third of U.S. homes.

The new meters -- also known as "smart" meters -- funded by the stimulus grants differ from conventional meters because they are electronic, not electro-mechanical, and they contain communicating modules and software that enables them to receive signals and communicate to utilities or to utility customers. They are the backbone of demand-reduction efforts because they will allow utilities to charge different rates at different times of day and they can be programmed to alert consumers when grid conditions require special action.

Among the winners are Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., a unit of Constellation Energy, which will get $200 million it can use in a $451 million program to install 1.1 million digital meters and 400,000 in-home control devices and thermostats. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. will get $28 million to improve communications with the 1.4 million advanced meters it already is installing, part of California's extensive meter upgrade that will be completed in 2012.

The Department of Energy said that the stimulus fund will improve efficiency all along the grid -- touching everything from electric substations, to power lines, to transformers, to meters and speeding up the proliferation of energy-saving devices in the home.

About 200,000 new generation transformers will alert utilities before they fail. Currently, utilities often use a "run to fail" approach in which they often only replace equipment when it breaks. The new transformers will communicate their condition, either wirelessly or through power-line communications. Funds also will be used to put 850 special sensors on the electric grid that will allow grid operators to more precisely monitor electric frequencies to make sure the system stays in balance. The new sensors could also help to isolate problems, when they happen, to prevent small power disruptions from cascading into big outages, as happened in 2003 with the Northeast blackout that affected 50 million people.

Power Play

See how a house on a "smart grid" would allow customers and utilities new options.
Energy Department officials stressed, in a press briefing Monday evening, that consumers will benefit from the investments. New meters and energy monitoring systems will give consumers better information to manage their energy use, and make it easier for power companies to use more renewable energy. Electricity from wind turbines or solar power systems tends to come in uneven bursts -- when the wind is strong or the sun bright. A digital grid would be better able to handle those ups and downs, proponents of the investments say.

Energy Department officials said that they received more than 400 applications and requests for more than $17 billion in funding assistance.

One question that's still unanswered is whether consumers in states like California and Texas, where utilities are already installing millions of smart meters, could wind up being penalized, in effect, because those states moved forward before stimulus funds were offered.

—The Associated Press contributed ot this article.

[Zilla]

It's funny, because I bought into this company because of DeWind and almost sold when I heard they were selling it. However I did more research and realized that DeWind was the main thing holding it back. So I loaded up on shares at .25 and said lets see what happens. I've been happy with the triple even though it's only a double now. I'm really interested in what they can do for a year. I think a lot of things can be done especially once we get back over a buck. They were planning on listing before the crash and maybe we'll get there in less than a year. I'm glad to know that there are people like yourselves who've been following them for some time. It means this company has always had potiential and hopefully now they'll start to reach it. :) Good luck to all longs.