Demand Response Class at Edison's CTAC (FCI Employee Testimonial)

I was fortunate enough to be apart of Southern California Edison's Demand Response training today and the information was invaluable. The class instructor, David Wiley, did an excellent job at explaining the basics of Demand Response and even some of the more technical aspects. I was familiar with many of the concepts already, but he did a great job of giving a more complete understanding of the head knowledge I acquired beforehand. I learned interesting facts such as:

-20% of California's energy is imported on hot days
-When energy reserves are low, energy costs are high (sort of a no brainer, but it clicked for me in the class)
-When power plants/generators charge more than $.50 per kWh, this sends a red flag to the government
-Price Response deals with getting paid to not use higher priced energy
-When businesses shift load to off peak times, this allows them to lower their over head cost and in turn provide their customers with lower prices

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what I absorbed today. I even got a free water bottle! I want to thank FCI for sending me to such a great training and applaud Edison for providing an excellent learning experience. I am one happy employee. If you would like to attend an Edison CTAC seminar, visit: sce.com.

Google to Build New Green Office in California

Search engine powerhouse, Google, has announced plans to construct a new company building that will be "extremely green". Google has partnered with the German architecture firm Ingenhoven Architects to construct the future 600,000 sq ft. structure. Ingenhoven is known for being environmentally responsible and utilizing renewable energy sources.The office will be located in Mountain view, Ca and plans will be rolled out in 2011, construction is expected to start in early 2012.
Google has long been recognized for employing energy efficient practices that promote sustainability. The company has been known to use energy created from wind, recylced computer equipment, and encourage employees to commute via more fuel efficient transportation. In an age where environmental responsibility is increasingly becoming priority for many businesses, Google is showing itself to be a leader. In your opinion, what other companies are showing innovation and leadership in sustainability?

Bill Gates Not Sold on Energy Efficiency

Bill Gates, the 2nd richest person in the world, announced that energy efficiency was a "cute" attempt at solving climate change but not a viable answer at the most recent Wired conference held in New York. The Microsoft mega mind is convinced that nuclear power is the way to go when choosing an energy source that will effectively deal with climate control. Gates has invested heavily in nuclear R&D companies and is noted for his support of nuclear initiatives. He argues that energy efficiency technologies will never get us to the 90% reduction in carbon emissions that the nation is aiming for. Even if that were true, a staunch supporter of nuclear power would have to admit (if they were truthful) that energy efficiency is the game changer that has opened up innovative and conscientious thought concerning how we power our country. The advent of the CFL has spurned both rich and poor on a massive scale to give thought to changing the way we produce and utilize energy. If anything, we should seek to find ways to utilize clean energy. Nuclear power has the potential to put us in the same position as coal has. It is the author's biased (won't lie about that) opinion that Nuclear power is a quick fix method that has a high potential to backfire whereas energy efficiency and conservation will require more time, energy, and creativity but will yield more effective results that will last longer. This is about future generations too. But then again, I'm no billionaire. What do you think? Does Nuclear energy trump energy efficiency?