Monthly Archives: April 2009

Recap: 2009 AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference – Serving At-Risk Customers

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Jim Linn | Comments Off

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I just got back from the AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference and Exposition and it was a great success. The clear emphasis of this year’s conference was meeting the needs of at-risk customers. From the opening chairman’s remarks to the closing session, the theme was consistent.

090414cscpanelweb Recap: 2009 AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference – Serving At Risk Customers

Commissioner Katrina McMurrian, Florida Public Service Commission, at the podium during the Economic Crisis and its Impact on Customer Service panel. Also included in the panel were: John Caldwell, director, Economics EEI; Thomas Graham, president, Pepco Region; J.R. Kelly, Office of Public Counsel, Florida and member of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates; and Tracey Parker, director, Government Relations, EEI.

AGA Chairman, Thomas E. Skains, shared the CEO perspective on the importance of good customer service and clearly articulated the need for a customer service mindset – especially in economically challenging times like the one we face today.

John Caldwell, an EEI economist, provided his perspective on how our economy reached the point it is at today and shared some thoughts on how long our present situation may last.

Throughout the conference, from breakout sessions to general sessions to informal networking, the buzz was on how to engage customers who are newly in danger of being unable to pay their utility bills. The final session profiled We Energies, Integrys and Kansas City Power and Light and their efforts to work with customers in order to keep their energy needs met while providing a means for the customer to cover their financial obligations through payment programs, grants, fuel funds and other creative programs.

The proceedings from the conference are available to attendees (you’ll need your login information) at www.eei.org/meetings-cs. Leave a comment below if you’d like to learn more about the event, or were actually there and want to share your thoughts on the experience.

Posted in events | Tagged customer service | Comments Off

U.S. Natural Gas Reserves Continue to Grow in 2008

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Chris McGill | Comments Off

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The calendar year 2008 was an extraordinary period for natural gas resource development, natural gas prices and natural gas production in the United States. Even with significant impacts from the annual hurricane season, domestic gas production grew in 2008 and announcements of reserves growth (applicable to 2007) were the largest since the Energy Information Administration began keeping reserves records. U.S. natural gas reserves now are inventoried at 238 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) – the highest level in 33 years. However, countervailing forces are currently at work that may continue to influence the perception and the reality of our domestic resource base. You can read the full report here.

090407reserves01 U.S. Natural Gas Reserves Continue to Grow in 2008

Posted in Natural Gas | Tagged reserves | Comments Off

Department of the Interior’s first field hearing on energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tom Moskitis | Comments Off

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The Department of the Interior’s first field hearing on energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) was contentious to say the least. Several hundred people turned out for the event held yesterday at the Atlantic City, NJ, Convention Center.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar presided and listened to statements by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and several of the state’s congressmen, all opposed to oil and gas drilling, as well as from many anti-drilling activists who almost, but not quite, dominated the meeting.

090409ocs01 Department of the Interiors first field hearing on energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

Secretary Salazar hosted the first of four regional public meetings to gather information and public comment regarding an energy strategy for the Outer Continental Shelf [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]

To me, this was no surprise since New Jersey is ground zero for East Coast opposition to drilling on the OCS. The crowd may have been decidedly different if the hearing had been held in, say, Charleston, SC, or Savannah, GA, or maybe even in Norfolk, VA. To be fair, Interior has also scheduled OCS field hearings in New Orleans, San Francisco and Anchorage.

In two of these locations, those in favor of oil and gas production on the OCS should be in the majority. But that was not the case in Atlantic City!

Those in favor of more domestic oil and gas production got their views in to be sure. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT), who serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, and former Congressman John Peterson (R-PA), were very eloquent in their support of more OCS access. But anti-fossil fuel activists and environmental groups made the most noise.

I was struck by the fact that all the industry and business people that spoke out used part of their allotted three minutes to state that they were for all energy options, including renewable and alternative energy. This is in contrast to opponents of energy development on the OCS. They are clearly against oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. They are only for renewables, especially wind and solar.

What they do not, or refuse, to realize is that natural gas is part of the answer to our energy and climate challenges and can make more renewable energy possible. Revenues from natural gas production on the OCS could fund wind energy production on the OCS instead of tax payer dollars. And both the gas and the electricity produced could come to shore via the same undersea infrastructure.

This is a win-win scenario for our country and it is what I talked about during my three minutes at the microphone.

Here’s a link to video from the event.

Posted in energy | Tagged ocs | Comments Off

Win-Win-Win Weatherization

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Jim Linn | 3 Comments

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The emphasis on weatherization in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is a win-win-win for the U.S. economy in three areas: new jobs, energy relief to low-income households and decreased uncollectible accounts for utilities. The ARRA, commonly known as the stimulus package, includes $5 billion for weatherization, an increase from the previous level of only $227 million.

The task of weatherization starts with performing a home energy audit, then following up with one or more energy efficiency measures such as: duct sealing, insulation, window replacement, and even water heater replacement (like the tankless natural gas hot water heater photo in this article) and furnace replacement in some cases. It has been estimated that the weatherization funds in the stimulus package will create nearly 100,000 jobs initially as new energy auditors and contractors are needed to identify sources of energy loss and implement weatherization techniques to mitigate them. The development of these jobs will play a part in stimulating the economy.

Reducing the cost of energy for low income families is important. The average U.S. energy cost per home is roughly $2,000 per year. Weatherization can potentially reduce household energy consumption by at least 25%, putting roughly $500 annually back into the pockets of low-income families who need economic relief the most.

Utilities and every day rate payers also benefit from weatherization. In many cases, low-income families are simply unable to pay for their energy usage which impacts us all. For example, last year alone $5 billion in utility bills went unpaid, the expense of which ultimately is covered in the rates of paying customers.

So you see, things like weatherization can really pay off – both for low-income families and for those who are in more fortunate circumstances and for the economy at large.

Feel free to leave any of your weatherization tips or stories in the comments and be sure to visit our ARRA section on aga.org