QUICK NEWS, November 6: ARIZONA WAR BTWN SOLAR & UTILITIES COMING TO CLIMAX; DEEPWATER WIND READY TO BUILD OFF RHODE ISLAND; SMART GRID INVESTING UP AFTER DOWN

ARIZONA WAR BTWN SOLAR & UTILITIES COMING TO CLIMAX Edison Electric Institue enters net metering fray with Arizona ad buy

Patrick O’Grady, November 5, 2013 (Phoenix Business Journal)

"The Edison Electric Institute is entering the fray over net metering in Arizona, joining many utility groups and solar proponents waging a war of words over the Valley’s airwaves with new advertisements…The Washington-based association that represents investor-owned utilities would not disclose how much it was spending on its ad buy. It said the campaign was education based for consumers…[Net metering is] the process by which residential rooftop solar system owners are compensated for their excess power...Arizona Public Service Co. and solar installers have been arguing for months over how much those payments should be. The Arizona Corporation Commission is set to determine this month if they will change the program or come up with a different solution…” click here for more

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DEEPWATER WIND READY TO BUILD OFF RHODE ISLAND Deepwater Wind Moves Into 'Execution Mode' For Demo Block Island Wind Project

Mark Del Franco, October 24, 2013 (North American Windpower)

"Jeff Grybowski, Deepwater Wind's chief executive officer, says the offshore wind developer has moved well beyond the early stages of development and is now squarely focusing on completing the 30 MW Block Island Wind Farm, located off the coast of Block Island, R.I…[C]onstruction activities will begin in late 2014, beginning with…a 21-mile, medium-voltage submarine cable connecting the offshore wind farm to the mainland…The jacket foundations will begin arriving in spring 2015, with Siemens delivering five 6 MW direct-drive turbines that summer and grid completion expected in the fall. That time frame would make Deepwater's Block Island Wind Farm among the first, if not the first, offshore wind farm in the U.S…” click here for more

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SMART GRID INVESTING UP AFTER DOWN Smart Grid Venture Capital Funding In Two-Year Slump

October 23, 2013 (Up Front via Renew Grid)

“Smart grid venture capital (VC) funding in the third quarter of this year (Q3'13) totaled $65 million in 12 deals, compared to $50 million in 10 deals in Q2'13…[according to Mercom Capital Group. That's a 30% rise…[but] VC funding in the sector has remained flat at this level over the last eight quarters, with the exception of Q3'12, when $238 million was raised…[T]otal corporate funding in the sector in Q3’13 was $129 million, including $64 million raised in what Mercom says is a rare initial public offering (IPO)…[H]ome and building automation companies received the most funding with $36 million in seven deals followed by grid optimization companies with $20 million in one deal…” click here for more

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