QUICK NEWS, October 8: NEW ENERGY IN THE FIRST DEBATE; WYOMING PERMITS 1,000 TURBINE WIND PROJECT; THREE PRINCIPLES FOR A SECURE SMART GRID

NEW ENERGY IN THE FIRST DEBATE Presidential Candidates Talk Solyndra, Energy Investment During First Debate

4 October 2012 (Solar Industry)

“Renewable energy was given little attention during the first televised debate between Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama…But Solyndra - the failed thin-film PV manufacturer that has become synonymous with what critics believe are misguided investments in solar by the Obama administration - received a specific mention from Romney…

“…[T]he two sparred over the topic of subsidies and incentives for both renewable energy and fossil fuels…Following Romney's comments, Obama did not directly defend his administration's investments in renewable energy, though he had reiterated his support of solar during an earlier debate statement…In response, Romney stated that the levels of oil and gas production have risen in spite of Obama's policies, which he characterized as unfriendly to producers of these energy sources…”

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“Solyndra indirectly came up once again during the debate's final moments, when Romney stated that ‘about half’ of the renewable energy companies receiving government funding have failed…

“…[C]ongressional investigations over the past year have focused on whether Solyndra's Department of Energy loan guarantee was improperly received due to the involvement of Obama campaign donor George Kaiser, whose foundation held a stake in Solyndra. The Republican leadership of the House of Representatives…has repeatedly insisted that laws were broken - assertions that have been disputed by Democratic lawmakers…”

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WYOMING PERMITS 1,000 TURBINE WIND PROJECT County OKs 1,000-turbine wind farm in Wyoming

Jeremy Fugleberg, October 4, 2012 (Casper Star-Tribune)

“Carbon County officials have [unanimously] approved a…conditional use permit for the [1,000-turbine] Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind energy project, which would be the largest wind farm in the country…The 2,000-3,000-megawatt project’s developer, Power Co. Of Wyoming, must now bring the massive wind farm before the Industrial Siting Council, a state board that reviews large industrial projects [and that permit will be filed for in November]…Construction on the project [is expected to begin] in 2013…

“…The project already has all necessary federal permits in hand…[There was opposition from those concerned] the project would harm wildlife and hinder the views across the county’s vistas…[that was answered by the company’s] work to study birds in the project area and its willingness to answer any questions thrown its way…things sometimes not shown by other wind project developers…”

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“…[Two commissioners] said they’re not overly happy about wind turbines dotting the horizon and they’re ideologically opposed to wind energy. But neither could turn down a project that met the rules for approval and will bring jobs and money to the county…[One] described renewable energy projects such as wind farms as an unstoppable federal government-driven freight train barreling down the tracks…[He said commissioners could] either get run over, or put your hand on the switch to direct the train…

“Power Co. of Wyoming representatives say the county would get between $445 million and $562 million through various taxes over the 20-year life of the project…The project would also require 300 to 400 employees during the first two year’s of construction, 1,000 to 1,200 jobs over the following three years and 114 long-term jobs…”

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THREE PRINCIPLES FOR A SECURE SMART GRID Cybersecurity And The Smart Grid: Detecting And Thwarting Attacks

3 October 2012 (Renew Grid)

“Over the last few years, the smart grid has created both real concerns and dramatized fears about cybersecurity weaknesses and the risk of potential attacks…[T]here are a few guiding principles that can help in the analysis of these potential attacks and even prevent them.

“Guiding principle #1: Assume that any security system can be breached, and plan ahead for breaches, in order to ensure that a successful attack is detected, localized and compartmentalized. Following this principle lowers the value and likelihood of an attack.”

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“Guiding principle #2: Understand and manage the attack surface, which is the virtual avenue of attack. Some attacks are relatively simple and require minimal training to mount. The system must anticipate and counter these simple attacks…Other[s] require expert cryptologists and super computers…If the reward of a successful attack at this surface does not yield a proportionate benefit [to the needed resources], the likelihood of this attack is reduced.

“Guiding principle #3: Use standard security protocols and best practices that have been applied in IT systems that have been - and continue to be - attacked…[If] known access control, authentication and encryption techniques…have been attacked (and revised when an attack was successful), it makes them generally stronger than a proprietary technique that has not been subjected to relentless attacks…If the industry follows…[these] guiding principles, smart meters can provide a more reliable, theft-resistant and attack-resistant grid than what is currently in place…”

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