Industry News Briefs

June 18, 2009 Headlines
FutureGen Power Plant Gets $1-Billion Resurrection
Federal Government Releases New Subcontract Agreement
How Much Does Road Construction Really Snarl Up Traffic?

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FutureGen Power Plant Gets $1 Billion Resurrection
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (06/13/09) Rose, Sean

FutureGen, the coal-fired power plant that was put on hold during the Bush administration, was resurrected with $1.073 billion from the Energy Department, and may also be receiving $600 million from the FutureGen Alliance, a coalition of energy companies. The plant is designed to examine the effectiveness of carbon capture and sequestration. "I think the important thing to remember is that we never gave up," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). "There was an attempt to kill this project a year and a half ago and many of us refused to give up. We believe in this project and the importance that it holds out not only for the United States but literally for the world so that we can find ways to use coal in environmentally sensitive ways." While the plant could be very useful in looking at environmentally-conscious power generation, there is still a decent amount of funding that is needed in order to complete the project. In order to combat the problem, the alliance is looking to add more members, especially international companies. FutureGen will also start by removing 60 percent of carbon from its emissions as opposed to the original 90 percent. Although environmentalists are disappointed by this decision, they acknowledge that it is a start to cutting the emissions. Even with the potential setbacks, Durbin is still optimistic, "I would say as important as the first part of next year will be in this decision process, the fact that we are moving forward at this point is a good indication that it is a promising project."
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Federal Government Releases New Subcontract Agreement
Associated General Contractors of America (06/10/09)

It is now easier for construction companies to work on federal government construction projects. An industry-wide coalition called ConsensusDOCS has published a new contract agreement intended to tackle the challenges of federal subcontracting. The new document is known as ConsensusDOCS 752--Subcontract for Federal Government Construction Projects, and addresses the terms and conditions needed for subcontractors and contractors to comply with Federal Acquisition Regulations, says Tom Kelleher, Senior Partner in Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP and Chair of the national coalition of associations that wrote and endorsed the new standard contract. Kelleher noted the contract takes into account new legal and ethical requirements related to the legal status of employees, compliance with ethics rules, and federal Prompt Pay Act requirements. "There is no need to reinvent the wheel every time someone wants to engage a subcontractor or work as a subcontractor on a federal government construction project," Kelleher says. ConsensusDOCS contracts are the first and only industry standard contracts written and endorsed by 22 leading construction organizations. The move comes as stimulus and other federal construction programs are rapidly expanding.
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How Much Does Road Construction Really Snarl Up Traffic?
Slate (06/09/09) Vanderbilt, Tom

The stimulus spending in response to the economic downturn is expected to produce road-works projects across the country, leading to concern among drivers about being held up by work zones in the roadways they travel. However, some of the drop in efficiency due to work zones is due to inefficient merging, sometimes called hostile merging, which has led engineers to seek better ways to allow motorists to move through work zones. Conceptually, if not necessarily in practice, the simplest idea is building roads that require less maintenance, such as by using fast-setting hydraulic-cement treatments and making tradeoffs between concrete and asphalt roadways. Another idea in many places is to shift almost completely to doing road works at night or otherwise outside of rush hour, which means higher wages for workers and longer timelines for projects but can reduce congestion, crashes, and emissions on average. Improving the efficiency of road crews themselves, such as by adopting cost-plus-time or "A+B" bidding, has been another popular idea. One seemingly radical solution, but perhaps also the most effective, is "full-road closure," which shuts down an entire direction of travel or an entire highway, which road agencies have slowly been learning is a way to get projects done more quickly overall. This idea, however, requires a great deal of planning ahead to create a "Traffic Management Plan" that notifies drivers ahead of time, gives them useful alternate routes, and pays close attention to the overall network effects of the changes.
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Donovan Announces $3.7 Billion in Disaster Assistance to 11 States Impacted by 2008 Natural Disasters
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (06/10/09)

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced the allocation of $3.7 billion in disaster aid to 11 states to help them recover from dozens of natural disasters last year. The funding will support the states' long-term disaster recovery and augments $2.4 billion HUD already allocated through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. HUD has also announced that nearly $312 million is available to states that spend their existing funding on programs that reduce potential damages from future disasters through the Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund, which aims to encourage states to design forward-thinking recovery plans that will reduce the risks of loss of life and the extent of future damage.
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USDA Announces Economic Recovery Projects for Wood-to-Energy Grants and Biomass Utilization Projects
U.S. Department of Agriculture (06/11/09)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for wood-to-energy and biomass utilization. In all, 30 projects have received a total of $57 million, $49 million for wood-to-energy grants and $8 million for biomass utilization. The projects are located in 14 states. "These projects will promote the development of biofuels from wood and help private sector businesses to establish renewable energy infrastructure and accelerate availability in the marketplace," says Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "Additionally, hazardous fuels reduction projects utilize biomass from forested lands that, when left untreated, increase wildland fire risks to communities and natural resources."
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Giving New Meaning to 'Electric Avenue'
New York Times (06/10/09) Lorinc, John

Research projects in South Korea and in Israel have pointed up new ideas for helping the roadway infrastructure itself work in service of electric cars, something still in the sights for U.S. entrepreneurs. Scientists at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology showed in May how induction strips and inverters in a roadway can recharge specially designed electric vehicles moving over them. This project, shown last month at the C-40 summit in Seoul, has won heavy investment from the South Korean government. In Israel, the Innowattech research and development firm linked to the Israel Institute of Technology is touting the idea of embedding piezoelectric ceramic tiles in roadways and railroad tracks to draw electricity from the pressure created by passing vehicles. Innowattech has installed this under a 50-yard portion of a commercial highway handling about 600 trucks per hour, in an effort to adapt nanotechnology to the macro world. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Bay Area firms Better Place and Coulomb Technologies are working to install charging networks in urban areas seeking to promote plug-in hybrid cars, including in the Bay Area as well as Seattle and Chicago, and London mayor Boris Johnson has said he wants to see 100,000 electric vehicles on London streets by 2015, which could be a market-making move.
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Runway Status Lights
Federal Aviation Administration (06/10/09)

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is currently testing and deploying a runway warning system called Runway Status Lights (RWSL), the first system that provides direct warning to pilots of potential runway incursions or collisions. RWSLs warn pilots when it is unsafe to cross, enter, or begin takeoff from a runway through a series of red lights embedded in the pavement. Pilots approaching a runway see the lights illuminate if the airport's ground surveillance radar detects traffic on or approaching that runway. The system is being tested at airports in Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Additionally, FAA plans to deploy the lights at airports in Atlanta, Baltimore Washington International, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Detroit, Washington Dulles, Fort Lauderdale, Houston Intercontinental, New York John F. Kennedy and La Guardia, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Seattle by 2011.
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Digging In to Deliver Clean Water
ENR (06/10/09) Buehrer, Jack

New York City is building its first-ever water filtration plant under a strict U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deadline, with the plant set to be operational in 2012. Contractors broke ground early in 2007, and the idea has been slowly getting underway since 1989, when filtration was first mandated for all surface drinking water. After decades of controversy and planning, the 100-foot-below-grade plant is being built with a construction schedule of only 51 months.

Construction Group Seeks to Build Support for RFID
RFID Journal (06/11/09) Swedberg, Claire

A new group called the RFID in Construction Consortium aims to increase usage of RFID and other forms of sensor, wireless, and automatic investigation and data capture (AIDC) technologies in the construction industry. The president of the consortium is Jose Faria, an associate professor at Florida International University's Department of Construction Management, and other leaders in the project have included Francis Rabuck of Bentley Systems' Intelligent Infrastructure Lab and Harry Pappas of the International RFID Business Association. "The RFID consortium's mission is educating end users in a vendor-neutral and technology-agnostic manner," Faria says, "so they can take advantage of the benefits of implementing RFID in their enterprises." The current economic downturn is an excellent time to establish this kind of effort, says Faria, as many companies are trying to improve efficiency and productivity. "We launched the organization at a time when education is imperative," says Faria, who is hopeful that the Obama stimulus plan will help make funding available for RFID programs.
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Changes to National Model Energy Codes Could Help Buildings Save Up to 25 Percent of Energy Costs
American Institute of Architects (06/11/09)

The New Buildings Institute (NBI) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) are proposing revisions to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)-- a national model energy code for new commercial buildings. The changes could create buildings that are 20 percent to 25 percent more energy efficient than required by today's average standards. The proposal calls for such things as using more renewable power, using high-efficiency lighting, improving the design of air distribution systems, raising efficiency levels in heating and cooling equipment, and incorporating insulation standards that have been used in utility programs or adopted into recent national model codes. The two groups submitted their proposal to the International Code Council (ICC) on June 1st for consideration in the current code development process. The ICC creates energy codes that are part of overall model codes for buildings every three years, with the next update to be released in 2012. The proposed high efficiency energy code is modeled on NBI's Core Performance protocol intended to achieve energy savings in commercial buildings. At present, buildings consume roughly two-thirds of the U.S. power supply and account for 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. "In co-authoring this proposal, it was our intention to make sure that the new energy codes would be stringent enough to advance our stated goal of achieving carbon neutrality in buildings by 2030," said Christine McEntee, AIA's executive vice president and CEO.
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Small Looms Large
Energybiz (05/09) Vol. 6, No. 3, P. 58; Salamone, Salvatore

Small nuclear power plants are increasingly being looked at to provide electricity to parts of the world and to support commercial applications. The plants would be helpful in regions where limited distribution infrastructure carries electricity. This would be useful in small regions, large remote areas, or energy-intensive operations. The plants could also help meet increased demand in places where grids already exist. Research on these small nuclear plants has been in the works for some time, and within the last year a few organizations, such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and Oregon State University, have developed reactors and power plants. Today, concern about global warming has focused attention on forms of low-emission power technologies. Because of this, many are looking at ways to control access to fissionable material within the plants. The new reactors from the aforementioned organizations can help with this by protecting the fuel. Despite the promise that the plants hold, getting them started may take some time. The small reactors need Nuclear Regulatory Commission approvals and infrastructure needs to be developed in order to support the generation capacity. Finally, the economic downturn will likely hinder efforts to get funding for any project.

Learning From Europe
Urban Land Green (05/01/09) Vol. 4, No. 1, P. 50; Yudelson, Jerry

Sustainable design trends in Europe may soon be used in North America, such as an environmental management system (EMS) that is certified under the ISO 14001 standard. To this end, developer Sonae Sierra has created a corporate responsibility action plan each year that focuses on greenhouse gas emissions, water use, land use and waste generation. Developers in Europe also seek to build low-carbon buildings such as the Forum Chriesbach office building by Bob Gysin and Partners. During the winter, the structure is heated using an air-to-earth heat exchange and heat recovery ventilation, and cooled in the summer using passive cooling and a chilled radiant system in the ceiling that uses groundwater. Meanwhile, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) must be implemented by European Union members by 2010 through individual national laws. The EPBD requires that when buildings are built, sold, or rented, the prospective buyer or renter must have access to the building's energy performance certificate. Furthermore, large boilers and air conditioning systems are to be inspected regularly by qualified consultants to make sure they function properly. A concept called climate engineering is also widely used in Europe to ensure that a building's occupants are comfortable while its environmental impact is minimized. This requires that a climate engineer examine such issues as sunlight, air quality, air temperature, ventilation and acoustics. Facade technology is also advanced in Europe, and includes the use of photovoltaic cells, solar shading, heat recovery, daylight control systems and other technologies to provide energy as well as glazing.

Shades of Greywater
Governing (05/09) P. 51; Goodman, Josh

Advocates of greywater recycling want regulators to relax plumbing codes so that they can install greywater systems. Arizona allows the installation of such systems without a permit as long as they use no more than 400 gallons per day and meet certain performance standards, and Texas, New Mexico and California have passed or are considering the passage of similar infrastructure measures. Safety is an issue for regulators, and greywater proponents note that some uses of greywater are unwise, such as cleaning soiled diapers in a washing machine and sending the effluent into the garden. However, advocates note that even in such instances there is virtually no risk of anyone getting sick. Still, officials spearheading the redrafting of California greywater rules say they have not seen any long-term greywater safety studies, and such a study is presently being performed by the Water Environment Research Foundation. The city of Phoenix prefers the reuse of purple water, or wastewater that has been treated at a reclaimed water facility. Ray Quay with Phoenix's Water Resources Department is concerned that homeowners using up greywater in their own yards is a waste of water that could be tapped to serve purple-water customers.
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New Coalition Pushes for 'Big' Broadband
IDG News Service (06/11/09) Gross, Grant

A new report from the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition says that schools, libraries, and healthcare providers in the United States need broadband speeds of 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps to adequately serve their customers' needs. The SHLB Coalition, which features 28 members, including the New America Foundation, the American Library Association, Internet 2, and Educause, is urging U.S. federal, state, and local governments to seriously consider the needs of libraries, schools, and healthcare providers when developing broadband deployment plans. "High-speed broadband is the key infrastructure that K-12 schools, universities, libraries, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers need to provide 21st-century education, information, and health services," says SHLB coordinator John Windhausen. The institutions are core elements of communities, and affordable, high-speed broadband will help both their immediate customers and surrounding neighborhoods through shared networks, says New America Foundation Wireless Future Program director Michael Calabrese. "The most promising public investment, given limited resources, would be high-capacity fiber networks connecting community anchor institutions in every local jurisdiction," Calabrese says. "By becoming both technology hubs and bringing fiber deep into every community, schools, libraries, and healthcare providers will [bring] affordable broadband access to everyone."
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