What's in our energy future?

What is the right mix of energy for the future of America? 

The globe? 

You personally? 

Population has just hit the 7 billion mark.  What does that mean in terms of energy demand?  This article asks the question, "When should we pursue energy transition?"

What are your thoughts?

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/energy-futurist/when-should-we-pursue-energy-transition/159

-------

This Halloween, it's time to slay some vampires

National Energy Awareness Month ends today, but our efforts shouldn't.  Save money on your energy bills by learning how to spot and destroy the vampires which are draining the lifeblood from your wallet each month.  Click HERE to view a larger image.

------

The irk with FERC

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) met yesterday and reaffirmed their approval of MISO's transmission planning process, potentially sparking further litigation. In support of yesterday's actions, FERC issued this press release.

MISO territory map

FERC's Order 1000 speaks to the issue of whether states can be forced to coordinate on transmission planning and meeting cost obligations for new electricity transmission capacity. It holds that states can be compelled -- which, not unexpectedly, has raised some dander.

That is particularly the case in states such as Michigan, where it is believed that the cost of the tariff would not fairly reflect the limited benefits Michigan would receive, given the state's unique geography. The gold-colored areas on the map above shows MISO's territory.

Steven Transeth

Steven Transeth, consultant for MISO Northeast Customer Coalition and former Michigan Public Service Commissioner wrote this article, published earlier this year in the Wall Street Journal, setting out Michigan's case.

In a telephone interview Thursday, Transeth commented that the meeting offered little to improve the situation of Michigan, which he calls the "worst case scenario" among states.  "The Commission's actions demonstrated that, regardless of the rhetoric, FERC intends to push a socialized approach in which rates are not commensurate, costs are not ‘just and reasonable,’ and authority is improperly delegated to a regional group with [differing] loyalties,” said Transeth.

An archived webcast of yesterday's meeting can be found here.

---

Education...Engineering the Future

Today's headlines shone a clear spotlight on the importance of introducing engineering education to children and young adults as early and often as possible. They are worth sharing here.

Raytheon Donates $1 Million to Expand Engineering is Elementary® Teacher Training

"By helping teachers bring the basic concepts of engineering and technology to life, they will be able to excite future generations of students to become the innovators of tomorrow," said Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson. "We share the Museum of Science's desire to accelerate the adoption of its Engineering is Elementary program, and to support teachers throughout the nation who are committed to instilling a passion for STEM among America's young students."

Elementary schools commonly lack compelling activities and reliable materials for fostering literacy among students in the "E" and "T" of STEM education. The Engineering is Elementary program is designed to fill that gap.

Read complete article here.


Broadcom MASTERS™ 2011 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Competition Winners Announced in Washington, DC

Through his research, first place winner DANIEL FEENY noticed that some sections of the intertidal zone at Pescadero Beach were rich in species, while other sections of the beach were bare. The difference intrigued him, and he wondered if the force of waves striking the shore affects the diversity and number of organisms living there. He designed an experiment to quantify wave forces in different sections of the intertidal zone and correlate this data with the diversity of organisms in each location.

Second place honors and $10,000 goes to BENJAMIN HYLAK, 14, of West Grove, Penn., for his project on the practical application of a telepresence robot. Benjamin's grandmother lives in a senior residence facility, and he noticed that some of her fellow residents had few or no visitors. He wanted to find a new way for residents to connect with family and friends and decided to build an interactive robot, through which people could virtually visit their loved ones at the facility.

Third place honors and $5,000 goes to I-CHUN LIN, 14, of Plano, Texas for her project on dye-sensitized solar cell efficiency and lifespan. As an active member of her school's recycling club, I-Chun wanted to find an inexpensive, eco-friendly way to harness solar power. She learned that dye-sensitized solar cells are cheaper to manufacture than solar panels, but are not nearly as efficient. She hypothesized that a mixture of dyes would be most efficient, helping the cell to increase its voltage output.

Read complete article here.


Students take adventure in Army engineering

More than 400 local high school students visited Redstone Arsenal Sept. 28 for the 11th annual Adventures in Engineering Day.

Aimed at high school juniors, the purpose of this event was to promote science and engineering disciplines as a career choice. It offered the students an opportunity to observe what engineers do on a daily basis, provided them with hands-on knowledge and encouraged their pursuit of a science.

Read complete article here.


Engineering camp for girls lacks necessary funds

The four-week program, which held its first session this July, aims to introduce high school girls to engineering and provide them the fundamentals and camaraderie necessary to pursue engineering through college. Many of the campers could be the first in their families to attend college.

Serrino said she has noticed more and more women dropping out of the engineering program during her three years at Brown. Women often lack confidence in their intellectual abilities, especially in math and science, she said. Confidence is a key factor for success in higher levels of engineering, she said.

Read complete article here.

October is National Energy Awareness Month!

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Federal Government first set aside time to raise energy awareness in 1981 with American Energy Week, which was observed from 1981 through 1985. It became a month-long observance at the DOE in 1986. On September 13, 1991, President George Bush proclaimed October as Energy Awareness Month. Since then, DOE has been conducting energy awareness campaigns each year that promote the wise and efficient use of our nation's energy.

2011's theme is Turn Words into Action; Turn Action into Results.  This short article provides some actions you may wish to incorporate this month:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2320093_celebrate-national-energy-awareness-month.html

Finding the balance between stewardship and energy and economic security

Professor Gary Wolfram, William Simon Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Hillsdale College, in an article yesterday, agreed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that overly stringent regulations by the EPA are putting fully 8% of the U.S. electricity capacity at risk.  He suggests that doing so "will raise the costs of production, reduce the reliability of the power grid, and result in a substantial drag on economic growth and employment." 

View the full article here.
  
  

We're going back to college...

It's fall and that means it's College Recruitment Time!  We couldn't be more excited.  In a few days, we're going on the road to meet some of the engineering leaders of tomorrow.  We really enjoy meeting engineering students, sharing information about our internships, and listening to them share what they are looking for in a post-college career.  We've met many great people whom we've hired as a result of these events.  Who knows, maybe soon you could be one of them!  Click here to view our current openings. 

Please look for us at these upcoming career fairs -- we're looking forward to meeting you!

9/26     University of Michigan

9/27     Michigan Tech

9/29     Western Michigan University

10/5     Michigan State University

10/12   Ohio State University    
  

Time for a 21st Century Grid

If we, as a nation, are to have true energy security and facilitate a more robust economy which supports job growth, then we must get serious about taking the steps necessary to remove the roadblocks currently preventing increased electric transmission.  So argues Heath Knakmuhs, Senior Policy Director at the US Chamber's Institute for 21st Century Energy. 

Click here to read Heath's article.

A big weekend for solar

From the red carpet at the Emmys, to FedExField, complete with its own "Solar Bowl" Sunday, solar was center stage. 


To read more about the state of the US solar market, please click here.

.

Truth is stranger than fiction...

It's called "Graphene," but folks often refer to it as "atomic chicken wire."  As Doug Peeples notes in his recent article, "It has a breaking strength 200 times stronger than steel, but it's so thin that three million sheets would give you a stack one millimeter thick." Will it be a smart grid wonder?  Only time will tell.  In the meantime, it's certainly interesting to keep an eye on.

Scan me!

Your career, your next project, your solutions...can all be found here.

Land Services project ranked Top 10 nationally

CONGRATULATIONS to our Land Acquisition team for their outstanding efforts in the Texas Drive - West Milham Ave. - 12th St. Roundabout Project with the City of Portage for our client, Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.

The International Right of Way Association announced today that the project was selected as one of the Top 10 Right-of-Way projects in the country.

Great job, Team!

Getting excited about wind

Evel Knievel in one of his many breathtaking stunts.

I love the feeling of the fresh air on my face and the wind blowing through my hair.  So said famed dare-devil, Evel Knievel. 

He's not the only one.  

Folks in Holland, Michigan, are also getting excited about the wind these days.  They have good reason to.  They've asked Commonwealth to analyze the cost and effect of interconnecting a wind farm in Allegan County to BPW's electrical transmission system.  

Read more here. 

Google us!

If you haven't already, why not take a minute and check out our new Google profile.  If you need additional information about us, our products or services, please don't hesitate to contact us at (517) 788-3000 or by email...we look forward to doing business with you!

Engineering -- a Labor of Love

Hope you had a terrific Labor Day weekend!  It's a cooler, although gorgeous day here at Commonwealth HQ. 

Just a quick reminder that we are hiring in several of our offices around the country for various positions, so if you or someone you know would like to labor alongside of us doing rewarding work in the engineering field, please feel free to check out our openings HERE and let us hear from you!

Enjoy the short week!