09.12.06
Minutes from July 27, 2006 Meeting
           Michael Stosser, led this month’s short call.Â
           Mike stated the intention to make renewable transmission the subject of a fall brown bag luncheon program. Monica Schwebs and Jeff Dennis have been tasked with putting it together. Gearold Knowles said he would contact them to help get it going.
           Mike reported that the Committee blog is up and running, but has not been as active as hoped. We are still looking for content.  He repeated his interest in information on Texas biofuels.           Lynn Fountain gave another plug for the blog and said she would send out an email on how to post messages.  Marlo Brown sent to the Committee Lynn’s follow-up email on August 16, 2006, describing procedures to subscribe to the blog and reporting on several new postings.  Edna Sussman, Chair of the ABA Renewables Committee, added that it was her experience that people will visit the blog once we start getting postings. Carolyn Pengidor asked a question about the location of the blog.
           Mike asked who worked for or represented utilities. He suggested that those who do report to the Committee on what utilities are doing in renewables, such as what they are buying and what incentives, if any, they are providing to ratepayers.
           John Gear reported on some options offered by Michigan utilities to its customers. He mentioned programs allowing them to pay a premium to buy energy generated from landfill gas and to zero-out the utility’s carbon footprint. He said that the utilities are in the process of changing those premiums.
            Carolyn said that in Pennsylvania utilities are not doing a lot of renewable projects and that project developers are trying to get projects started.
           Mike asked what FERC is doing to encourage renewable development. Don McCauley committed to track this and periodically post reports on the blog.
           Mike reported that he has submitted a panel on renewable energy to the Energy Bar Association Mid-Year Meeting in Washington on November 2, 2006, and that it has been accepted.
           Carolyn said that in addition to reporting on FERC activities, she would like to see postings on state activities. She volunteered to report on what’s happening in Pennsylvania. John added that Michigan is preparing a state energy plan and renewables portfolio standard.
           Mike announced, to general acclamation, that there would be no meeting of the Committee in August.