2014

Dismukes Gives Overview of EPA’s Proposed Clean Power Plan, Impacts for La.

At a meeting of the Clean Cities Coalition on November 5, 2014, David Dismukes, executive director, LSU Center for Energy Studies, provided an overview of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Clean Power Plan, or CPP. The goal of the plan, which the EPA proposed in June 2014, is to reduce carbon emissions by an average of 38 percent in 2020 (interim target) and 42 percent by 2030, both from 2012 levels.

Dismukes’ analysis indicates some problems and challenges with the EPA rule:

• Its carbon emissions regulation plan is inefficient. The method fails to examine cost-effectiveness and represents poor command and control regulation by (a) not utilizing market-based approaches and (b) forcing resource decisions upon states regulators.
• The stress is on regulatory resource planning instead of environmental regulation.
• The costs to Louisiana ratepayers could be considerable, with the possibility of a significant near-term reliability challenge.

Final comments on the proposed rule are due on December 1, 2014.

To view or download the presentation, click here.

U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Bill Passes Senate

September 19, 2014
Contact: media@energy.senate.gov

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources announced that the Senate passed her United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Enhancement legislation. The bill, which passed the Committee in December, was included as part of the broad, bipartisan United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act.

“Today is a big step forward in our work to enhance the energy partnership between Israel and the United States. Louisiana and Gulf Coast companies are in a unique position to use their unparalleled expertise in offshore oil and gas development to help our critical ally develop its newly-discovered energy resources. We are in a great position to help Israel secure its energy independence for years to come and to boost economic opportunities along America’s working coast,” Sen. Landrieu said.

Sen. Landrieu has long been a leader in the effort to enhance U.S.-Israeli collaboration on energy development. In October 2011, Sen. Landrieu organized the first ever oil and gas trade mission to Israel with the help of the Department of Commerce and the critical work of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. The mission was such a success that the Department of Commerce worked with Sen. Landrieu to organize a similar trip in October of 2012 to continue this work.

In June 2012, Sen. Landrieu helped arrange a visit by a high-ranking delegation of Israeli officials to Washington, D.C., and Louisiana. The delegation met with Sen. Landrieu, attended the Central Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale in New Orleans, and visited Port Fourchon and the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Cameron Parish.

In August, Sen. Landrieu co-hosted the inaugural U.S.-Israel Energy Summit at Tulane University in New Orleans, where she highlighted opportunities to build on and grow bilateral energy cooperation at the two-day event with 14 major research institutions from both countries.

The United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Enhancement bill:

Recognizes energy cooperation between the two countries as a strategic interest of the United States;
Officially encourages collaboration between the United States National Science Foundation and the Israel Science Foundation;
Encourages collaboration between the two countries’ academic communities in energy innovation technology, technology transfer, and analysis of geopolitical implications of new natural resource development;
Encourages business development engagement of the two countries private sectors;
Urges continued regular engagement between the two countries’ relevant agencies, departments, and ministries to share best practices in a number of fields, including: regulatory best practices; cyber energy infrastructure; energy efficiency of water technologies (water desalination is an incredibly energy-intensive process, and is thus deeply linked to energy efficiency); environmental management of deep water exploration; coastal protection and restoration.
Expands already existing United States-Israel grant making joint programs - Binational Industrial Research and Development Program (BIRD) and the Binational Science Foundation (BSF) - to include projects focused on natural gas, which are expected given Israel’s recent discoveries, entrepreneurial environment, and advanced hi-tech sector. Reauthorizes these programs through the end of fiscal year 2024;
Allows cooperative agreements between the Department of Energy (including its National Laboratories) and the Government of Israel;
Allows for the authorization of a United States- Israel Center based in the United States to further dialogue, collaboration and academic cooperation in energy innovation technology, technology transfer, and geopolitical implications of new natural resource development.

Sustainability in the Chemical Industry: Challenges and Opportunities Workshop Oct. 23

The LSU School of the Coast & Environment's Department of Environmental Sciences, the LSU Department of Chemical Engineering, the LSU Office of Research & Economic Development, with support from major chemical companies, sponsored a one-day workshop addressing the challenges and research needs for long-term sustainability of the chemical industry. The event took place Thursday, October 23, 2014.

Leading experts in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, academia and the Green Chemistry Institute of the American Chemical Society

Introduced key concepts and challenges pertinent to key Louisiana Chemical Industries
Discussed materials chemistry and technology for a sustainable future
Examined sustainability programs at key representative corporations at the national level
Presented strategies and implementation tools developed by the Green Chemistry Institute, American Chemical Society
Demonstrated the use of mitigation strategies for sustainable site restoration and redevelopment
Discussed the role universities play in sustainable industry development and maintenance

2014 Energy Law Seminar October 3

This Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminar will address Louisiana energy and water issues, including water management and water law; the relationship between groundwater and surface water under Louisiana law and implications for industry; maintaining in-stream flows in Louisiana; and emerging legal issues in hydraulic fracturing regulation.

To view the seminar brochure, click here.

Dismukes Speaks to Southern Governors on Energy-leveraged Economic Development

Most of the economic opportunities arising in energy-based manufacturing will be concentrated in few areas of the country, with the South being one of those preferred regions. In a presentation at the annual Southern Governors' Association conference in Little Rock August 16, David E. Dismukes, executive director of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies and professor in the School of the Coast and Environment, explained that energy-based manufacturing differs from traditional manufacturing in that it tends to pay considerably higher wages and uses energy in a variety of sophisticated ways, the most important of which is as a feedstock for other products, fuels, and energy resources.

“Abundant natural gas supplies have led to the development or announcement of more than $65 billion in new capital expenditures,” Dismukes said. “Demand for the output from these energy manufacturing facilities is not relegated to the U.S. or North American market, but extends world-wide, particularly to the growing economies of Asia, some of which are experiencing growth rates for the commodities and products produced at these facilities at levels double to triple those in the U.S.”

Dismukes cautioned, however, that securing in-state investment in new energy-based manufacturing will become increasingly more competitive, even for states like Louisiana and Texas that have, to date, held a competitive advantage in new project announcements. “Developers are increasingly exploring other locational opportunities,” he said. “The key to new energy manufacturing investment often rests with any individual state’s business climate, the stability of its regulatory environment, and its willingness to facilitate the development of transmission and distribution assets needed to move new energy supplies to locations that could support energy manufacturing.”

Click here to download or view Dismukes’ presentation.

Energy Summit 2014: The Future of Louisiana Energy

This year's Energy Summit addressed issues related to Louisiana's energy environment, including industrial energy usage and development; regional wholesale power markets; the Haynesville and Tuscaloosa Marine Shale plays; offshore Gulf of Mexico; and energy and the environment.

Visit the Energy Summit™ 2014 site for details.

Reprint of "Net metering study's leadership attracts criticism in La."

Edward Klump, E&E reporter. Published: Wednesday, July 9, 2014.

David Dismukes has a pretty thick resume.

He's executive director of the Center for Energy Studies at Louisiana State University. He helped form Acadian Consulting Group nearly 20 years ago to analyze energy issues. And his quotes have made their way into a host of U.S. newspapers.

Now, thanks to Louisiana's selection of Acadian to study the costs and benefits of net metering, Dismukes can safely add a new entry: being the center of a solar energy firestorm.

"I've read his bio, and it looks impressive," said C. Tucker Crawford, president of the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association. "He's obviously a smart man. We just don't feel he is the man for this particular study."

So what's causing the concern?

Plenty, according to a complaint Crawford's association filed recently with the Louisiana Public Service Commission, or LPSC. It asked that Dismukes and Acadian be disqualified from the net metering study and that a bidding process be reopened.

"Not only did the LPSC choose a Consultant that is not an independent third party; Acadian has an openly disclosed bias against renewable energy," the Gulf States group said in a copy of the complaint posted on its website. "Net metering is a renewable energy development and deployment mechanism. It stands to reason that Acadian is predisposed against net metering."

The costs associated with distributed generation have stirred debates across the country in recent months. Electric companies say all customers need to help pay for infrastructure even if they produce some power at home, while solar advocates argue that the benefits of renewables aren't fully appreciated.

With net metering, customers can send excess power back to the grid for credits to reduce bills. In Louisiana, regulators may consider changing rates and removing a cap on how much net metering can be put in place.

The complaint about Acadian, citing work with fossil fuel companies, stated that the firm either wasn't forthright "or the Commission did not give sufficient consideration to Acadian's past and current clients." If it was the latter, according to the complaint, "then the choice of Acadian was an arbitrary and capricious oversight of the facts by the Commission."

The Gulf States association's complaint said, "Dismukes has lobbied, simultaneously, for the elimination of renewable energy subsidies and the augmentation of fossil fuel subsidies." Crawford said a specific concern related to a lack of work on net metering for distributed generation.

Dismukes, when reached by phone this week, declined to comment. Colby Cook, a spokesman for the commission, said the complaint is being reviewed.

Complaints come from solar

Acadian, on its website, said it has worked with officials on electric cases in states such as New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. An LSU webpage on Dismukes said he has led studies on everything from offshore oil and gas exploration and production to economic and policy issues associated with renewable energy production and market design.

Eric Skrmetta, chairman of the LPSC, said Acadian has done good work in Louisiana and other states. He said the net metering study should move ahead.

"The complaints have come from the solar industry -- the actual companies that do sales and installation and leasing and installation," Skrmetta said in an interview. "Seemingly, it would be in everyone's best interest to get a decision made as quickly as possible."

That would mean the proper rate structure could be assessed and a cap that affects solar could be lifted, Skrmetta said. With continued delays by the opposition, he said he wondered whether the real intention was to try "to stall so we won't change the rate structure."

Net metering users in Louisiana can receive the retail price of electricity for power sent back to the grid. The state allows a utility with net metering purchases that exceed 0.5 percent of its retail peak load to no longer accept net metering applications.

The report on net metering is expected in November, Skrmetta said, and interested parties will be able to make arguments about the findings. He said the issue may be tackled by the end of this year or early next year.

"Once the proper rate is established where non-solar users are not burdened by servicing the costs of the infrastructure by solar users and where that balance point is found, there's no reason to have a cap at all," he said.

The complaint against Acadian from the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association, which represents firms in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, covers a lot of ground.

One section questioned Dismukes' judgment and said there previously was criticism related to his report on the impact of legacy lawsuits on conventional oil and gas drilling. It also referred to a story from an LSU newspaper that suggested Dismukes sought to dodge a process server and rammed his automobile during the ordeal.

Also in its complaint, the Gulf States group cited a meeting transcript in which Commissioner Foster Campbell raised questions about Dismukes, whose firm gained the support of Skrmetta and two other commissioners, with one abstention and Campbell in opposition.

There is a "laundry list of conflicts, as well as hypocrisy, which we contend disqualifies Acadian Consulting Group and David Dismukes from conducting an independent, objective net metering cost/benefit analysis," the association said in its complaint. "We find it particularly unsettling that Commissioner Campbell tried multiple times in session to assert that Acadian was conflicted and had shown questionable judgment."

Campbell didn't return calls to his office this week seeking comment.

'Back to the drawing board'

Skrmetta said that Dismukes hasn't been a public figure and that "false, defamatory statements of fact against him will only give rise to causes of action against the people who make them." The chairman said he also doesn't believe in suppressing individual opinion and thought.

"All I'm looking for is the right job to be done by the consultant," Skrmetta said. "If I actually would not vote for consultants or attorneys who had different opinions than I do, I wouldn't vote for 90 percent of them."

Excluding experts with experience in areas such as oil and gas would cut out qualified people in Louisiana, said Eric Smith, associate director of Tulane University's energy institute.

"If you got somebody who was advocating for solar energy, that might make the solar people happy but it wouldn't produce an accurate balance between the energy supplies that are available in the state for power generation," he said.

Smith said the Tulane Energy Institute has done work for state agencies, and he said it seemed like "self-interest" was at the core of the complaint about Dismukes from solar supporters. Perhaps the critics wanted "an advocate" more than a balanced report, Smith said.

"David was awarded this contract because he's a known quantity that can produce a fair, well-thought-out analysis, not that he was going to be particularly favorable to the natural gas people or particularly favorable to the utility people," Smith said. "But he was going to produce a balanced report."

The Public Service Commission is scheduled to have a meeting today, and the Acadian saga could be discussed.

Crawford said disruption is coming for business models in the power sector as new technologies emerge. He said he'd like to resolve the consulting issue amicably, noting that his group seeks an unbiased account of what net metering can provide.

Other groups have supported the complaint against Acadian and Dismukes, including the Alliance for Affordable Energy and the Alliance for Solar Choice.

Bryan Miller, president of the Alliance for Solar Choice, noted that Public Service Commission members are elected in Louisiana, and he predicted that the state won't eliminate net metering. Rate reform is a possibility, such as creating a minimum bill for customers, he said.

The process of choosing Acadian wasn't good, as some firms were disqualified in a way that seemed somewhat "shady," said Casey DeMoss, chief executive officer of the Alliance for Affordable Energy.

DeMoss said she was hoping the commission would be serious about identifying the costs of net metering and the benefits of solar, and then create a policy that works for ratepayers, utilities and the solar industry. Instead, she said interveners have lost confidence in the proceeding, though she said it's important to find a way to remove the net metering cap.

"What we hope the commission will do is acknowledge that there were problems in the process and basically go back to the drawing board," DeMoss said.

Twitter: @edward_klump | Email: eklump@eenews.net

Dismukes Named Executive Director

David E. Dismukes has been named executive director for the Center for Energy Studies. He replaces Allan Pulsipher, who will continue at the Center as associate executive director.

During his nearly 20 years at the Center, Dismukes has led a number of the Center’s research efforts on topics associated with many aspects of the energy industry, including offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) activities; the restructuring of natural gas and electric power markets; market structure issues in various energy industries;economic and policy issues related to renewable energy generation and market design; and the economic impacts of energy industry infrastructure development along the Gulf Coast. He has given more than 200 energy-related presentations to civic, professional, and trade groups.

Dismukes' opinions on energy industry trends and issues have been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today, as well as regional and local newspapers and trade newsletters.

He has a joint appointment as a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and serves as the director of the Coastal Marine Institute, both of which are in the LSU School of the Coast and Environment.

Dismukes received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from the Florida State University.

Jackson Awarded Outstanding Student Thesis Award

On May 9, Environmental Sciences graduate student Emily Jackson was awarded the LSU School of the Coast & Environment Outstanding Student Thesis Award for 2013-2014. Her thesis “Hydraulic Fracturing: A Look at the Haynesville Shale and the Environmental Effects of Fracking,” estimates an inventory of water use, air emissions, and chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing and drilling process. It then compares the estimates to overall regional and state-wide uses of water, as well as various air emissions and chemical discharges, and provides estimates of “learning-by-doing” effects of operator environmental performance in the Haynesville shale. David Dismukes served as her lead professor on the research project.

“Emily’s thesis topic is one very important to Louisiana from an energy, environmental, and economic perspective,” Dismukes said. “Hers is the first comprehensive, independent environmental assessment of the Haynesville shale that examines water use, air emissions, and chemicals used in the drilling and hydraulic fracturing process.”

Jackson created an extensive database of well-specific observations and matched this data (available from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources) with information from industry non-profit reporting sources such as “Frac Focus” to estimated overall water use and discharges. The research results include:

• A comprehensive inventory of air emissions, water use and chemical uses (in concentrations and volumetric terms). While some prior studies have estimated Haynesville air emissions, those studies were based upon a number of assumptions, and not the types of well-specific characteristics utilized in Jackson’s thesis.

• The relative size of the discharges and water uses to both overall statewide statistics and regional/local statistics. The thesis generally finds that, while discharges and water uses were moderate at the state-wide level, there were some significant local impacts that needed to be monitored, particularly regarding local water use.

• Preliminary findings that show that there are environmental “learning-by-doing” impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing: namely, that firms get better in their environmental performance as the number of wells drilled/fractured increases. Findings show that water use trends for major operators in the Haynesville improved their performance considerably relative to small players developing fewer wells.

American Energy, Imperiled Coast Book Signing, Seminar June 9, 2014

Seminar & Book Signing Reception* with Jason P. Theriot

Monday, June 9, 2014
5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Dalton J. Woods Auditorium
LSU Energy, Coast & Environment Building

*Please RSVP to mpinsonn@lsu.edu or 225‐578‐3948.

In American Energy, Imperiled Coast, published by the LSU Press, Jason P. Theriot explores the tension between oil and gas development and the land-loss crisis in Louisiana. His book offers an analysis of both the impressive, yet ecologically destructive, engineering feats that characterized industrial growth in the region and the mounting environmental problems that threaten south Louisiana’s communities, culture, and “working” coast.

A former Energy Policy Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Theriot earned a doctorate in history from the University of Houston and a degree in journalism from Louisiana State University. His website is www.jasontheriot.com.

American Shale & Manufacturing Partnership Regional Event

American Shale & Manufacturing Partnership
Manufacturing Renaissance Discussion Series Regional Event

Hosted by Louisiana State University’s Center for Energy Studies
Keynote Remarks by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal

Friday, May 9, 2014 (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
Networking Reception – Thursday, May 8, 2014 (5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.)

Hilton Capitol Center
201 Lafayette Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Event registration closed on Friday, April 25

The LSU Center for Energy Studies and the American Shale & Manufacturing Partnership (ASMP) invite you to participate in this exclusive, senior level discussion highlighting the potential of domestic shale resources and the resurgence of American manufacturing. ASMP has traveled around the country to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas and has held events focused on issues and potential solutions to promote a successful Manufacturing Renaissance.

The May 9, 2014 event is a culmination of these previous discussions and will be focused on analysis, prioritization and recommendations. A key component of this gathering is collecting input from senior executives from companies and organizations such as yours. Attendees will include opinion leaders, lawmakers, government officials, C-level industry executives, environment and labor experts, and academia from across the country and from all sectors of the industry. The discussion will be focused on five core areas: federal and state policies; infrastructure; environment; research and innovation; and workforce education and jobs creation. The end goal of the discussion series is the creation of a Manufacturing Renaissance policies framework which is scheduled for launch in 1Q15 in Washington, DC

The ASMP is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on shale development and its impact on the supply chain for American manufacturing. The ASMP member organizations are:

Allegheny Conference
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
America’s Natural Gas Alliance
Carnegie Mellon University
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Consumer Energy Alliance
Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers
National Association of Manufacturers
NorTech
Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates
Texas A&M Engineering
Institute for 21st Century Energy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

8:00 am – 8:30 am	Networking Breakfast
8:30 am – 8:45 am	Welcome and Opening Remarks David Dismukes, Center for Energy Studies – Louisiana State University Charlie Drevna, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers David Mustine, JobsOhio (Event Moderator)
8:45 am – 9:45 am	Discussion Topic 1 – Workforce Development
9:45 am – 10:45 am	Discussion Topic 2 – Infrastructure
10:45 am – 11:00 pm	Break
11:00 am – 12:00 pm	Discussion Topic 3 – Environment
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm	Networking Luncheon
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm	Keynote Address by The Honorable Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana
1:00 pm – 1:15 pm	Break
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm	Discussion Topic 4 – Federal and State Policies
2:15 pm – 2:30 pm	Break
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm	Discussion Topic 5 – Research and Innovation
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm	Next Steps and Wrap-Up
4:00 pm	Adjourn

Energy Outlook 2035: The Global Energy Industry and Its Impact on Louisiana.

On Tuesday, March 18, 2014, the Center for Energy Studies and the Grow Louisiana Coalition hosted “Energy Outlook 2035: The Global Energy Industry and Its Impact on Louisiana.” The featured speaker was industry analyst Mark Finley, general manager, Global Energy Markets & U.S. Economics, BP. Panelists were: James Richardson, Director, LSU Public Administration Institute; Gifford Briggs, Louisiana Oil & Gas Association; Chris John, President, Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association; and David Dismukes, Associate Director and Professor, LSU Center for Energy Studies.

In his address, Finley explained that U.S. gas production would increase by 45 percent between 2012 and 2035, with shale gas production increasing an average of 4.3 percent during that time. The current boom means the U.S. will become a net exporter of liquefied natural gas in 2016.

His energy outlook included a prediction that oil would continue to serve as the primary transportation fuel through 2035; however, full hybrid vehicles will likely account for 24 percent of auto sales, and “mild” hybrids (internal combustion engines equipped with an electric machine), will account for 38 percent.

Finley’s prediction regarding renewable energy sources, including biofuels, is an increase from 2 percent to 7 percent, surpassing that of nuclear power by 2025 and attaining the same level as hydro by 2035.

Coal will remain king for non-Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Countries through 2035, but for North America, the EU, and China, natural gas will serve as the primary power source.

View or download the presentation here.

Natchez Tuscaloosa Marine Shale Summit to Address Economic, Environmental Impacts

The LSU Center for Energy Studies and the U.S. Oil and Gas Association (USAGO) will host the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale Summit, March 31 and April 1, 2014, at the Natchez Convention Center in Natchez, Miss. The Summit will address the economic impacts of the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) Trend on the region, its environmental effects, and the safety concerns regarding oil transportation and storage along the Mississippi River. The goal of the Summit is to inform elected area leaders, the business community, and concerned citizens of the benefits and challenges of this billion-dollar investment.

The industry and economic development professionals who will speak at the Summit represent decades of experience in examining the impacts of shale oil and gas plays in the U.S. The specific TMS trend is unique, but the economic opportunities and other impacts are not. Topics will include job creation, business investments, environmental concerns, transportation, infrastructure, and storage.

Speakers
• Darryl Grennell, President of the Board of Supervisors, Adams County, Miss.
• Jill Gunnell, Regional Workforce Training Coordinator, Southwest Mississippi Community College
• David E. Dismukes, Associate Executive Director, and Director of Policy Analysis, Center for Energy Studies, Louisiana State University
• Kirk A. Barrell, Petroleum Geologist
• Max Fenn, Protective Security Advisor, Mississippi Office of Infrastructure Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Ben Thompson, USAGO
• Tom King, Mississippi Highway Commissioner, Southern District
• Jay Musgrove, Environmental Geologist
• Brandon Presley, Mississippi Public Service Commissioner

The luncheon on the first day will honor Mississippi State Oil and Gas Board Chairman Carroll Hood, presented by Lisa Ivshin, Executive Director of Mississippi State Oil and Gas.

Robert Turnham, Jr., COO for Goodrich Petroleum, will be the keynote speaker during a reception for Mississippi/Louisiana state legislators at Dunleith Plantation at 6:30 p.m. on March 31.

On the second day, the lunch guest speaker will be Ted Walden, Environmental Protection Agency, Atlanta.

A full agenda and registration information are available at tmssummit.com

Funding Available for Installation Energy Technology Demonstrations

ALEXANDRIA, VA, February 11, 2014—The Department of Defense (DoD), through the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), supports the demonstration of technologies that address priority DoD installation energy requirements. The demonstrations are intended to generate supporting cost and performance data needed for validation of the technology. The goal is to accelerate the deployment of innovative energy technologies and to enable promising technologies to receive end-user acceptance and be fielded and commercialized more rapidly.

ESTCP is seeking proposals for demonstrations of energy technologies on DoD installations as candidates for funding in FY2015. The solicitation requests pre-proposals via Calls for Proposals to DoD organizations and Non-DoD Federal organizations and via a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Private Sector organizations. PRE-PROPOSALS ARE DUE BY TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014.

Detailed instructions for DoD, Non-DoD Federal, and BAA proposers are available on the ESTCP web site: http://www.serdp-estcp.org/Funding-Opportunities/ESTCP-Solicitations.

DoD organizations (Service and Defense Agencies) may submit pre-proposals for demonstrations of innovative energy technologies in the following topic areas only:

· Energy Efficiency for Military Buildings

· Water Conservation and Reuse for Military Facilities

The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) and Non-DoD Federal Call for Proposals (CFP) are seeking pre-proposals for environmental technologies in the following topic area only:

· Energy Efficiency for Military Buildings

WEBINAR for the ESTCP INSTALLATION ENERGY SOLICITATION – February 21: ESTCP Director Dr. Anne Andrews will conduct an online seminar “ESTCP Funding Opportunities” on February 21, 2014, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. This “how to play” briefing will offer valuable information for those interested in new ESTCP funding opportunities. During the online seminar, participants may ask questions about the funding process, the current ESTCP solicitation, and the proposal submission process. Pre-registration for this webinar is required. A recording of the online seminar and the presentation will be posted to the SERDP and ESTCP web site in late February

Iledare Retires from CES

Wumi Iledare, professor of petroleum economics and policy research and the director of the Energy Information and Data Division, retired January 3, 2014, after 21 years of service to the Center for Energy Studies. He will be director of the Emerald Energy Institute for Petroleum, Energy Economics, Policy and Strategic Studies at the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria.

Iledare joined CES as an assistant professor in 1992. His areas of expertise include global exploration and production analysis, the geopolitics of oil and gas resources, energy economics and policy, and petroleum taxation and regulation.

Iledare’s many honors include recognition by the Society for Petroleum Engineers in 2008 for his distinguished contribution to the field of petroleum engineering in the area of management and information in Africa. In 2011, he was awarded the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics, or NAEE, Distinguished Fellowship Award in recognition of his “distinguished leadership and contributions to the development of the Energy Sector in Nigeria” and for his support of the NAEE. He served as president of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics in 2008 and president of the International Association for Energy Economics in 2014.
He holds B.Sc. degree with honors in petroleum engineering from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, an M.S. in energy resources (technology and management) from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in mineral economics from the West Virginia University.

The Center expresses best wishes to Wumi.