An Infrared Camera Workshop being held on Jan. 9, 2012 in Billings, Mont., is a partnership with Western and Montana State University Billings-College of Technology. This one-day workshop offers your utility hands-on training in Fluke and Flir infrared cameras’ technology and software, as well as guidance on integrating IR cameras into efficiency program development and utility O&M.
This unique workshop presents insight into designing an IR program, reading IR images for utility applications, field training with cameras and how to work with customers to use IR camera data.
See Western’s Energy Services Web page to register and see the agenda for the workshop. Seating is limited to first come first serve, so register today.
Recently, Western’s senior management team updated Western’s strategic plan.
“This revision fine tunes and updates our strategies to ensure we are aligned with DOE’s goals and are working to secure a sustainable, clean reliable and secure energy future for our customers, the American people and future generations,” said Western’s Administrator Tim Meeks in his message to the Department of Energy, customers and employees.
“For a strategic plan to be useful, it needs to be a living document that is periodically reviewed and updated to reflect the changes in the world around us,” he added.
The Department of Energy recognized Rocky Mountain Environmental Manager Gene Iley with the Secretary of Energy’s Achievement Award for his work on the Fugitive Emissions Working Group .
The FEWG launched a successful campaign to eliminate emissions of the most highly potent greenhouse gas: SF6. Highlighting Western’s commitment to a cleaner environment, Iley along with three other Western employees gave a presentation to the entire workgroup on Western’s SF6 reduction program.
“We felt that it was in everyone’s interest to understand how different we are from most of the DOE family of sites and labs, as well as share our successes in SF6 emission reduction. In many instances, DOE sites have one location with one very large piece of equipment containing tons of SF6, whereas Western has thousands of smaller pieces of equipment to be managed,” Iley noted.
The Secretary Chu presented the award to Iley Oct. 27 in Washington, D.C. Iley modestly attributes his success on the FEWG to those who have contributed to Western’s SF6 Emissions Reduction Program.
Join Western and the Department of Energy’s Tribal Energy Program for a FREE webinar, Aug. 17, 2011, on Challenges and Opportunities with Tribal Renewable Energy Development from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mountain Time.
Utilities in Western’s 15-state territory need renewable energy and renewable energy certificates to meet goals and mandates. Native American tribes have abundant renewable resources on tribal lands, and jobs and economic development would come from building generation projects. This webinar is for tribes who are interested in responding to renewable Requests for Proposals from utilities, or who simply want to learn more about the competitive power market.
There are many challenges that beset renewable project development—from transmission interconnection and availability to conditions that are unique to each tribe. Speakers from utilities, government agencies and developers will offer their perspectives on how tribes can navigate the obstacles to create winning partnerships that result in successful tribal renewable projects. Expect frank discussions on what utilities expect in a tribal proposal to a renewable RFP, along with examples of success. See the full agenda.
Register online, or contact Guy Nelson at 541-994-4670 or 541-921-1127 for more information. Space is still available so register NOW!
Western employees on the job
A Western Electronic Equipment Foreman in the Rocky Mountain Region makes a fiber connection to a new 25 megavolt-ampere transformer that was installed in April 2010.
Western employees work 24/7 to keep electric power flowing across the West. Without dedicated employees like this we’d be left in the dark.
Western Area Power Administration invites its customers, electric utilities, tribes, generation and transmission developers, State and Federal agencies to attend a FREE workshop about meeting the transmission challenges in the Rocky Mountain region.
The workshop includes an overview of Western’s RM transmission planning and services and an opportunity for open discussion on overcoming transmission challenges in the region.
You must register by June 17, 2011.
More information and the agenda is available on Western’s Rocky Mountain Region’s website
Working their way back to Washington, D.C., Mira Loma High School took the title back as the Department of Energy’s 2011 Science Bowl Champions. Coach James Hill took home the 2009 championship and brought back another top team to the winners’ circle this year. Team members Russell Islam, Siddharth Trehan, Andrew Chen, Anish Khare, Sriram Pendyala receive an all-expense-paid trip in July to the International Science School in Sydney, Australia.
During the awards ceremony, Secretary Chu shared with more than 500 students why math and science is so important to our country’s future. He stated, “I have no doubt that the exceptional talent and hard work that earned them the Science Bowl championship will serve them well throughout their lives, as they help our Nation tackle the crucial scientific and engineering challenges we’ll face in the years ahead. America’s future will always be bright when we continue to invest in and support the young minds who will be tomorrow’s innovators, pioneers and leaders. That’s what the science bowl is all about.”
Western hosts six regional science bowls—including the one Mira Loma won in Sacramento—to help fulfill the Secretary of Energy’s vision of the future in science and technology.
Western’s Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Report (2.4 mb pdf) is now available online. The publication documents Western’s accomplishments as well as its 2010 financials.
The report focuses on the “Roadmap to Renewable Energy” and explains where we are, where we’re going and the successes we’ve had in 2010 to get us there. Also, take a moment to review our highlights, which speak to our operational achievements for the year.
Western is co-sponsoring the Sonoran-Mojave Renewable Transmission Project Preliminary Feasibility Study webinar. The one-hour webinar co-sponsored with the Solar Electric Power Association is Feb. 24, 2011 at 11 a.m., PST. The webinar will first focus on the activities of Western’s Transmission Infrastructure Program. Attendees will also learn about other transmission project news and about the collaborative process that produced the SMRT study. The intended audience includes distribution and transmission engineers, system planners, grid operators, supply and procurement staff, renewable program managers and strategic planners.
Western is considering a partnership on a TransWest Express project in which Western would provide the funding through Section 402 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The TWE project consists of about 725 to 800 miles of 600-kV direct current overhead transmission line to deliver renewable energy from Wyoming to the Desert Southwest Region. The TWE project starts near Rawlins, Wyo., through Nephi, Utah, and on to the Las Vegas, Nev., area. Western and the Bureau of Land Management published a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in the Federal Register on Jan. 4, initiating a 90-day public scoping period. The BLM and Western expect to hold 22 open-house meetings at various locations in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Nevada during the public scoping period.
BLM staff, Western staff and project proponents will be available at the public meetings to explain project details and gather information from interested individuals or groups. The exact dates, times and locations for these meetings will be announced at least 15 days before the event through local media, newspapers, newsletters and posting on the Western and BLM websites. The first round of meetings are listed on BLM’s TWE Scoping meeting schedule page.
Conservation, Customers, Education, Uncategorized | Tiffani | 
January 3, 2012 10:16 am | 
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