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The world's exclusive network for the advancement of energyEnergy MattersThe energy news you need to know right now8 July 2015The e-Newsletter for Premium Members of the American Energy Society"Sound-bite" summaries of: conventional, renewables, electricity, events, policy;as well as jobs, funding, online courses, and more.For a limited time, Premium Members may also invite colleagues to join.Share the following complimentary Premium Membership Coupon Code:AEScc4Headline NewsConventional- Featured Story: The Supreme Court dealt a significant blow to the Obamaadministration's "war on coal," ruling 5-4 that the EPA erred while writing the rule that limitsthe amount of mercury and other hazardous pollutants produced by power plants. Please visityour AES account for analysis and consequences of the ruling.- Speaking of mercury, a Dartmouth study that mercury pollution decreased faster thanpreviously thought in the late 1970s when emissions started to decline, suggesting thatefforts to cut mercury emissions reduces pollution faster than current models predict.- The Energy Department guaranteed 1.8 billion in funding to help finish the Vogtle nuclearpower plant project in Georgia, which is nearly 50% complete. The plant's two new nuclearreactors will provide enough electricity for nearly 1.5 million homes and avoid nearly 10 millionmetric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year once they come on line.- Unpredictable oil markets: the U.S. is about to allow the export of oil, which will reduce thesupply at home; however, exporting oil will create downward pressure on the domestic priceof oil because petroleum prices are set on global, not national markets.

- Complimentary Report for PREMIUM MEMBERS - A narrow band of 16 Central Appalachiacounties are 'ground zero' in the coal job free fall. For example, Boone County, W.Va., lost58% from the county's coal mine employment in one economic quarter.16. Harlan County, Kentucky15. Wise County, Virginia14. Perry County, Kentucky13. Boone County, West Virginia12. Logan County, West VirginiaNote: PREMIUM MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO THIS IMPORTANT SNL-ENERGY REPORT.Renewables- Bill Gates is about to double his 1 billion investment in some as yet undeclared "wildeyed" energy tech companies. He says, "The only way . to a positive scenario is by greatinnovation that bends the curve."- Off the coast of Fukushima (home to the triple-nuclear reactor meltdown) sits the newestand largest floating wind turbine in the world: 620-feet-tall, 1,500-ton, three 270 foot longblades, generating up to 7 megawatts of electricity.- Thunder Bay Generating Station in Ontario, Canada, completely converted from coal tobiomass. Now called the Atikokan Station, the conversion to biomass required the addition of twosilos and boiler modifications.- Contrary to a WSJ story one year ago, the Ivanpah solar plant, located in the Mojave Desert,has reportedly improved its output by 170% in the last year; efficiency gains are typical of asolar project this large - expect a four-year ramp rate.- Last year, renewable energy consumption in the U.S. matched its record peak set in the1930s, when the Depression forced families to use wood as the primary source of energy.- In Bangladesh, crews are installing sixty thousand solar arrays a month.- Kenya broke ground on a 310-megawatt wind farm just north of Nairobi. Consisting of 365turbines when fully completed in mid-2017, it will be the largest in Africa.Policy- Because the Supreme Court ruled against the EPA, Congress is now preparing for a "climateshowdown." Summary: US House - "Everything is in desperate need of scrutiny"(T. Young) vs. Obama's certain VETO.· H.R. 2822, decreasing FY-16 appropriations for the Department of Interior and "RelatedAgencies" (specifically, the E.P.A.'s budget).· H.R. 2647, revising the Resilient Federal Forests Act, which allows for hydraulic fracturing onfederal lands (Westerman).· H.R. 2898, relaxing restrictions established in the Water and Food Act (Valadao).· H.R. 427, revisiting ALL regulations from the Executive Office, including the REINS Act.· All legislation related to previous clean energy by the Energy & Commerce Committee· The Senate Energy Committee will not be as aggressive; instead, it will hold a hearing todiscuss nuclear energy and related legislation.

- While the Supreme Court was ruling against the EPA, administrators in the Agency werefinalizing its newest rules that prohibit use of hydrofluorocarbons chemicals (HFCs) in airconditioning, refrigeration, and other equipment. In the U.S., HFC emissions are expected todouble by 2020 and triple by 2030. The policy and new climate-friendly refrigerants can reduceHFC emissions, or about 54 to 64 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025, equalto the carbon dioxide emissions from the annual energy use of more than 5.8 million homes. TheAHRI opposes the EPA rule as written, requesting at least 6 years to reach compliance andspecial exemptions for smaller manufacturers of home appliances.- You can't understand Europe's current diplomatic tensions without understandingEuropean energy consumption, production, and policy. For instance, Russia's Gazprom, thestate-owned energy company, exports natural gas through pipelines that crosses numerouscountries in Eastern and Central Europe. Many of these transit countries have disrupted supply byimposing sudden and unexpected tariffs on the piped gas. Russia has countered by leveraging itspower in all areas of diplomacy - including agreements that have nothing to do with energy - andhas manipulated the flow of natural gas across Europe, sometimes even shutting it off.Climate- Keeping the air clean in Beijing is a political priority for Prime Minister Li Keqiang, but the waron pollution has been costly for nearby Hebei province, which produces most of the smog inBeijing: last year, China closed 8,000 polluting factories and 37 rock (coal) quarries and rubblepits, and now the Hebei economy is in a region-wide depression.- China produces twice as much CO2 and other greenhouse gases than the US, but Delhi, Indiais much worse; it has: the highest level of large airborne toxic particulates (PM10) in the world;andthe highest level of small airborne toxic particulates (PM2.5) in the world - which are more likely tolead to death because they go deeper into the lungs;Delhi's PM2.5 levels are 15 times higher than what is considered safe by WHO.- India has 13 of the 25 most polluted cities in the world; China has 10 (7 are in the Hebeiprovince, which surrounds Beijing to the west).- Rural people in India breath the dirtiest air in the world - indoor pollution inhaled from dungfueled fires and paraffin stoves produce more concentrated levels of PM2.5 than any other fuelbased source. (For more on India and China, please visit your AES account)Electricity- Utilities are trapped in a golden-cage. There is weakness throughout the sector, with thestrongest in red-states due to localized opposition to "net-metering." The final decline will happensuddenly - like Kodak in the 1980s - due to rapid technological innovation and adoption of"personal storage units." The utilities that survive (and thrive) will embrace integratedsolar/psu systems.- Tax Deductions for Businesses with LED lighting has been extended. Businesses have upto 1.80 / sq. ft. in 179D Tax Deductions on properties that have been retrofitted with LED lightingor other energy initiatives. President Obama signed into law the Tax Increase Prevention Act of2014 (HR 5771). This officially extends the section 179D Tax Deduction.

Professional DevelopmentFunding- 100 M in USDA Funding to Support Consumer Biofuels Infrastructure. The BiofuelInfrastructure Partnership (BIP) is seeking to support the development of infrastructure needed tomake more renewable fuel options available to American consumers. BIP grantees must providematching contributions; funds must be used to pay a portion of the costs related to the installationof fuel pumps and related infrastructure dedicated to the distribution of higher ethanol blends. Thecurrent closing date for introductory applications is July 2015.- 20 M in DoE Funding for Technologies to Facilitate Recovery of Rare-Earth Elements fromDomestic Coal. The National Energy Technology Laboratory supports the recovery of Rare EarthElements from coal and coal byproducts. Rare Earth Elements have been generally found invarying concentrations in: coal mine roof and floor materials, run of mine coal, prepared coal,partings, pit cleanings, coal preparation refuse, and tailings, and in coal byproducts, including ash,coal related sludge, and mine drainage. Minimizing the cost of the recovery processes is a keychallenge. The National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking projects that can quicklydevelop bench scale and pilot scale projects for recovery of Rare Earth Elements from coal andcoal byproducts. The current closing date for applications is August 31, 2015- 116 M in USDA Funding for Renewable Energy Research. The AFRI Foundational Programis offering support in six AFRI priority areas, including Renewable Energy, Natural Resources,and the Environment; Agriculture Systems and Technology; and Agriculture Economics and RuralCommunities. The current closing date for applications is September 30, 2015JobsFEATURED JOB - Technology to Market Advisor, ARPA-e, Washington, DC. ARPA-E isseeking highly motivated technology-to-market experts who have a unique mix of technical,business and entrepreneurial experience to help create high-impact energy technologydevelopment programs and prepare teams and technologies for commercial markets. The mostcompetitive candidates will have strong energy industry experience, and strengths in the followingcategories: concentrated solar power (CSP) or solar PV; power grid, particularly related torenewable and distributed generation integration; consumer product goods, particularly thosefocused on energy efficiency; large-scale power generation and/or operations; agriculture; and anability to use Excel. How to apply: Highly motivated candidates should submit a CV and coverletter. Questions can be directed via email to ARPA-E-jobs@hq.doe.gov with the words"Technology-to-Market Advisor" in the subject heading.- Manager, Pricing & Cost of Service, Pacificorp, Portland, Oregon.Manages the day-to-day functions of the pricing & cost of service team and uses Excel to conductanalysis of: feasibility studies, cost/benefit analysis, revenues, and trends.- Supply Chain Analyst, Landis Gyr, in Alpharetta, Georgia. The Supply chain analyst willmanage forecasts and inventory levels in the North American (NAM) warehouses. This entry-levelposition will support sales and operations planning and new product introductions.