Monday Morning – May 19, 2014 News · Report Assesses Climate Change Resiliency in Austin — The City of Austin Sustainability Office has issued a report on climate resiliency in Austin in response to a City Council resolution. The resolution asked the City to analyze how the efforts of City departments — including AE — integrate future impacts of climate change and to identify a process for assessing department vulnerabilities. Climate change projections indicate that the extreme heat and flooding events of the last few years are likely to become the “new normal” in the next few decades. In the context of a rapidly growing regional population, the report said this will put additional strain on City facilities and employees, making it challenging for City departments to maintain assets and services at current levels. Climate change also is likely to disproportionally impact our most vulnerable communities, as their ability to adapt to climate change is limited. To become more resilient to climate change, the report said the City must manage the risk of impacts to both new and existing capital investments. This may involve infrastructure design and material decisions that ensure adequate service despite climate change projections. It will also mean ensuring high levels of service to residents and the ability to effectively protect human life during extreme weather events. See report. · STP Passes Seismic Risk Reevaluation — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has concluded that 17 nuclear plants — including the South Texas Project — do not need to carry out a seismic hazard risk analysis because they were able to demonstrate that their original design covers new risks following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The NRC has set a priority list for 21 of 59 nuclear power plant sites in the central and eastern United States to conduct in-depth analyses of the plants’ updated earthquake risk. The agency reviewed updated earthquake hazard information for the 59 operating reactor sites and one unfinished reactor site east of the Rocky Mountains. The sites submitted this information in March as part of the NRC’s implementation of lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. Depending on how the new seismic hazards compare to the plants’ original seismic hazard estimates or to subsequent evaluations that have been conducted, operators may be asked by the NRC to evaluate specific equipment or the entire plant to identify potential modifications that could enhance public health and safety. In response to the NRC request, a seismic hazard reevaluation using the latest methodology and seismic data was performed for STP. The results of the reevaluation showed that the newly calculated seismic hazards did not exceed previous seismic STP evaluations. No further evaluations are required or will be performed for STP. · Low Energy Demand Last Week — A typical day in May here in Central Texas sees high temperatures around 86 degrees and lows around 63, but last week’s moderate weather resulted in low energy demand for the whole city. A normal mid-May day would require about 1,975 megawatts of power; last Thursday we only needed 1,500 MW — Wednesday’s peak was 1,370 MW, a difference of 605 megawatts from the typical May day. Our historical high for a May day was in 2011, when AE’s peak was 2,429 MW. But last week’s weather — highs in the low 80s and lows in the upper 40s — translated to all of our customers saving energy and saving money. · Interim Sr. VP of ESD Named — Andy Gallo, Director of Reliability Compliance Programs, will serve as the Interim Senior Vice President of Electric Service Delivery (ESD) with the retirement of David Wood. Andy’s assignment begins officially June 1 but David and Andy have begun working together to ensure a successful transition. The process for hiring the permanent Senior Vice President is under way. The position was posted April 21. Andy’s office is in room #585 at TLC during this assignment. · New ESD Appointments — Dan Smith is the new Smart Grid and System Operations Director. Dan was selected from a nationwide search which attracted more than 35 candidates. He assumes his new duties effective today. Dan has more than 11 years experience in the electric utility industry. He was AE’s Director of Substation and Transmission Engineering and Construction. Dan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University at College Station. Susan Groce is the new ESD Support Services Manager. Susan was selected from a nationwide search which attracted more than 25 applicants. She assumes her new duties effective today. Susan has more than nine years of experience in giving legal advice on many aspects of AE’s operations as a City of Austin Assistant City Attorney. Susan also has prior experience as both a Manager and Executive at the Southern Union Gas Company. Susan holds both a Bachelor’s Degree in the Honors Program and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Todd Henson, the current Superintendent of Substation Construction and Maintenance, will assume the vacated Director of Substation and Transmission Engineering and Construction on an acting basis. The Director of Substation and Transmission Engineering and Construction will be posted and filled competitively. Richard Smith, the current Schedule Analyst in Substation Construction and Maintenance, will temporarily assume the role of Superintendent of Substation Construction and Maintenance. · New Residential Energy Efficiency Manager — Thomas O. Chamberlain is the new Manager of Energy Efficiency Services. He begins his duties today. Thomas will be responsible for overseeing residential programs including Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, AEP, Free Weatherization, Residential Demand Response, Refrigerator Recycling, QA/QC and Compliance (Inspections). Thomas is a 16-year veteran of the nation’s largest municipal three-service utility, Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW). Thomas has a strong track record in developing and overseeing successful energy efficiency initiatives. Programs include Rental Ordinance; Energy Doctor, EcoBuild Green Building Program, In-Home Energy Evaluation Program; Energy Efficiency and Community Block Grant, and Project Care. Prior to entering the energy efficiency field, Thomas worked in MLGW’s Economic Development Department, helping the City of Memphis land the Memphis Grizzlies NBA franchise, a $100-plus million Nike Distribution Center expansion, and more. He has previous municipal experience with the City of Indianapolis; the City of West Memphis, Ark.; and the City of Bloomington, Indiana. Additionally, he served in the United States Air Force. Thomas earned a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Memphis. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University, where he also received a Certificate in Business. · AE Offers $29 AC Check-Up — AE is offering a $29 air conditioning check-up to help residents make sure their air conditioner runs efficiently and their home stays cool before the hottest months of summer arrive. AE is providing a $70 rebate on the regular $99 service by registered Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® participating companies. The offer is valid through July 31, 2014. Customers pay only $29 for the first unit and $19 for any additional units. See news release. Photo Gallery · Lakeway Hospital Receives Green Building Rating — Debbie Kimberly, VP of Customer Energy Solutions, presented the 3-star Green Building rating last week to the Lakeway Regional Medical Center for its excellence in sustainable design and construction. The building features energy-efficient HVAC and lighting that contributes to the building’s 23.7% energy savings. The savings are augmented by capturing waste heat to preheat hot water. The system design results in nearly 1 MW of avoided peak demand. The project selected material with a recycled content of 32.7% and sourced 57% of materials from Texas. More than 400 tons of construction waste were diverted from landfills and recycled. See photos. · 15th Annual Asian American Luncheon Super Fun — Many AE employees took time to attend the 15th Annual Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Cultural Celebration at the Palmer Events Center week. Some 400 City of Austin employees gathered for the celebration, which featured cultural entertainment, food and refreshments, and notable speakers including Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano and Austin City Council Members Kathie Tovo and Mike Martinez. The City’s Asian American Employee Network (AAEN) hosted the annual event, and AE’s Real Time Market Supervisor Lei Ye, a board member of the AAEN, and Power System Consulting Engineer Reza Alaghehband were on the planning committee. See photos. · AE University Graduation Ceremony — This year 25 AE employees were honored as graduates of AE University — Utility School, a utility education program coordinated by AE Workforce Planning & Development. Participants attended 10 monthly sessions where they received in-depth information about all aspects of the utility. Participants also formed two project teams. Each group was assigned a team project. One project sponsored by Vice President of Customer Care, Jawana Gutierrez, and Vice President of Customer Account Management, Elaine Kelly-Diaz, worked on future customer walk-in payment centers. The second project sponsored by Karl Popham, Manager of Electric Vehicles & Emerging Technologies, identified potential sites for fast-charging electric vehicle stations throughout the AE service territory. Both groups made presentations to an audience that included AE senior executives, many of their managers and AE University instructors. See list of graduates. See photos. · EMO, ESD Participate in ERCOT Drill — Several AE divisions took part in the annual severe weather drill last week, organized by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The spring-time drill is spread over two days with the Energy & Market Operations workgroup having more of a presence, working alongside Electric Service Delivery’s Energy Control Center (ECC), transmission, and dispatch primarily. Within EMO, the Qualified Scheduling Entity (QSE) was one of only 39 QSEs statewide that was required to participate in the ERCOT drill because we not only trade energy on the market, we also have our own generation portfolio. There are 405 total QSEs statewide, but the majority are banks or other financial institutions that solely work with the energy market, as opposed to serving as a utility. ERCOT’s severe weather drill followed the path of Hurricane Carla this year; that 1961 category 4 hurricane came up the Gulf of Mexico just north of Corpus Cristi and hit Victoria, then to the east of San Antonio and then Austin as a tropical storm. Carla is still considered the ninth most intense hurricane to hit the U.S. since 1851. ERCOT also conducts a winter weather drill each fall. These drills take place at an undisclosed location known as the Back-Up Control Center, where our ECC, EMO, and other operations would work in the case severe weather or another emergency event. See photos. · Ethics Bowl Explores Gray Areas — The 2nd Annual City of Austin Ethics Bowl was a smash hit again last week, with eight departments participating in the day-long event held at the Carver Museum. The Austin Water Utility won first place; Austin Energy won second; and Austin Resource Recovery won third place. Each team was challenged in three rounds of exploring gray areas of ethical issues, and scoring was based on ranking the teams first by how many rounds they won, then by the point differential within each round to determine winners. The judges were a mix of the Law Department, AE, Small & Minority Business Resources, and Texas State University. The AE team (Keizhia Carlisle, Liam Sheppard, and Carl Robinson) won all three rounds. Other teams included Municipal Court, Austin Convention Center, Health & Human Services, and Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs. Topics included what the City should do about graffiti, environmental versus job growth issues, and more. The City’s Ethics Bowl is the only municipally sponsored type event of its kind in the nation, according to the Association of Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE). Guidelines and rules for the bowl are from the APPE. See photos. Housekeeping · City Hosts CAREER EXPO — The City of Austin is hosting the CAREER EXPO from noon to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 20 at the Palmer Events Center. The purpose of the CAREER EXPO is to help build a stronger and more vibrant community by providing opportunities for employers to fill their openings and for attendees to find gainful employment. In 2013, 98 employers and more than 3,000 job seekers participated. It is free and open to the public. Please share with co-workers, family and friends. · Rabid Bat at SCC — Last Tuesday a bat was found on a wall in the front of the System Control Center by a staircase leading to the front door. The bat was secured by Animal Control and submitted for testing. The bat was tested by the Texas Department of State Health Services and found to be positive for rabies. Rabies exposure occurs only when a person is bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal, or when abrasions, open wounds, or mucous membranes are contaminated with the saliva, brain, or nervous system tissue of a potentially rabid animal. It may take several weeks or longer for people to show symptoms after being infected with rabies. The early signs of rabies can be fever or headache, but this changes quickly to nervous system signs such as confusion, sleepiness, or agitation. Once someone with a rabies infection starts having these symptoms, that person usually does not survive. This is why it is critical to talk to your doctor or health care provider right away if any animal bites you, especially a wild animal. For more information contact the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Service’s Disease Surveillance Program at (512) 972-5555 or visit their website. · Tour de Cure 2014 Update — The 2014 Tour de Cure Event Planning Committee has formed and the wheels are in motion to conduct events that heighten awareness about the impact of diabetes as well as recruit riders and volunteers for the Sept. 13, 2014 ride. This year’s committee chair is Michele Bonner and committee members include: Karina Alvarado, Stacy Gillespie, Jionne Harnsberry, Mary Guerrero, Marta McDougle, Carlos Quiroz, Norma Rios and Jerrel Wallace. The Austin Energy/CoA cycling team is being led by co-captains Richard Taylor (AE) and Jesse Gonzales (Austin Water Utility). Register to ride, sponsor a rider or learn more about the Tour by clicking here. · Early Voting for Election Runoff — A Travis County mobile election site will be set up outside the Assembly Room at Town Lake Center Tuesday, May 20, from 8 to 10 a.m. The Primary Election Runoff is Saturday, May 27. Click here to view the ballot. Industry & Professional · AE Employee Accepted Into Grad School — Dawud Whigham, Senior Real Time Energy Market Operator, has been accepted into the University of Tulsa’s Master of Energy Business Program. Dawud works in the Real Time Energy Market Operations team at TLC and is a military veteran with more than nine years of service in the United States Navy serving in various roles including nuclear power plant operator, watch supervisor and nuclear program instructor. Kudos · “Will Make Me More Effective” — “Thanks to you, Jim Collins and Armando Armengol (On-Site Energy Resources) for the District Cooling Plant #2 tour. Its been great soaking up all this information. I definitely feel like it will make me a more effective EUC member.” — Brent Heidebrecht, Electric Utility Commission · “Terrific Design” — “I just wanted to send a note to express how much I enjoyed your Cool House Tour Guide Book. I see acres of text and design every year as you can imagine, but on occasion, a submission just pulls me in; theres just no other way to say it. There have been only two in the past eight years that have had this effect on me. Yours and a remarkable high school news magazine that just won a national award. Not only do I respond to the terrific design elements and layout and gorgeous photography, but it is wonderfully written — just beautiful. The designs were so imaginative. Its reflective of a lot of hard work and organizational effort. Keep up the fine work.” – Don Rincon, AusTex · “Great Work” — “I got this great message (see kudos above). Great work and many thanks to Bryan Bomer and Molly Emerick in Green Building and to Brenda de la Garza and Jorge Alvarado in Market Communications for their work on the Cool House Tour Guide Book and to all the other Green Building staff who are working to make this Cool House Tour the best yet.” — Richard Morgan, Green Building and Sustainability Manager · “Helpful, Patient and Wonderful” — “Ngoc-minh Bruce (Energy Efficiency Services), it has been my pleasure to work with you over the past couple of weeks to complete the ECAD audit information and submit. I called your office and you were most helpful and informed me of the upcoming workshops and sent information to me regarding the required information. I also appreciate you walking me through the process and advising me to complete the information needed. We are very proud of our new building and have taken measures to make it energy efficient as possible. Minh, you have been so helpful, patient and a wonderful instructor. I appreciate you.” Shirley DeBerry, Disability Rights Texas Family News · SPC Katherine Pitts, daughter of Stuart Pitts, Financial Consultant, and step daughter of Lynn English-Pitts, Customer Service Representative 1, graduated with honors from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, Calif. on May 8. She is now a certified Basic Linguist in Arabic-Modern Language. She was also awarded an Associate of Arts in Arabic and an Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Performance in exceeding the Army’s standard on the Defense Language Proficiency test. Job Postings Job Type Open & Close Date Enterprise Applications Analyst Sr - Mobility & GIS Full-Time 16-May 20-May Regulatory Planner Utility Full-Time 16-May 13-Jun Utility Budget and Finance Manager (Reserved for City Employees) Full-Time 14-May 28-May Business Process Consultant Full-Time 29-Apr 19-May MuniProg, Administrative Sppt (3 Utility Account Specialists) Full-Time 14-May 21-May Austin Energy Customer Account Manager Full-Time 14-May 28-May UI Developer Full-Time 13-May 23-Jun Engineer C Full-Time 5-May 19-May Senior Vice President, Electric Service Delivery Full-Time 21-Apr 31-May Power System Consulting Engineer - R&D Program Manager Full-Time 30-Apr 23-May Meter Services Representative Full-Time 25-Apr 19-May Database Administrator Full-Time 16-Apr 31-May Lan Wan Integrator (IT System Architect) Full-Time 16-Apr 1-Jun Contact Monday Morning We always welcome feedback, comments, news and story ideas for Monday Morning. Feel free to email or call anyone in our Public Information Office: Carlos Cordova (carlos.cordova@austinenergy; 512-505-3576) Sarah Fusco (sarah.fusco@austinenergy; 512-322-6230) · Peter McCrady (peter.mccrady@austinenergy; 512-505-3737) Luis Rivas (luis.rivas@austinenergy; 512-322-6306) · Shannon Wisner (shannon.wisner@austinenergy; 512-322-6282) Sherry Canady (sherry.canady@austinenergy; 512-322-6240)
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 22:37:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015