U.S. Renewable Energy Jobs Employ 800,000+ People and Rising: in Charts
Employment will always be a discussion worldwide. With the rise of renewable energy, the US has seen incredible growth within the solar and wind job sector. The numbers don’t lie.
As solar and wind power prices have fallen (some utilities say prices have dropped 75% in 5 years), jobs have grown quickly. Over the past three years, jobs doubled in the U.S. wind industry. In solar, jobs are up by 117,000 in the same amount of time.
However, the US is still trailing behind China, the EU, and even Brazil when it comes to total jobs in the renewable energy market. The consistent progression of clean energy over the past few years will hopefully continue to increase jobs as well as participation. At this rate, we will all be affected in some way by renewable energy.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
Additional Information:
Attention ComEd shoppers….Next month’s electricity price hike is just the start
ComEd is passing through the costs of higher wholesale energy costs. The first increase of 8% will start as early as June 2017; raising their rate to 6.89 cents per kilowatt-hour.
However, that is only the beginning.
October 2017 is forecast for another 5% increase, raising the total amount to 13%.
Although wholesale costs affect all suppliers, Realgy has demonstrated a consistent pattern of having lower rates than ComEd. In fact, over the last 24 months Realgy has only been above ComEd for 2 months.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
Additional Information:
Changing minds on a changing climate
Climate denial or climate change believer… you don’t have to change your mind to support the environment.
Climate denial is a belief that current (and future) weather patterns have NOT been greatly influenced from human behavior.
Climate change is evidence based belief that current and projected weather patterns have been and will be greatly influenced with human behavior.
Wherever you are in your understanding of climate change, there appears to be several areas that offer an opportunity to discuss climate change. Here are the topics open to discussion:
- Science and irrefutable evidence based facts
- Stewardship and acknowledged benefits of clean energy
- Current weather patterns are significantly different than the current past
- Who’s facts do you agree with and do you want to associate with credible sources?
So whatever camp you fall into, please share the science that supports your position. Is your position sustainable, does it explain current weather patterns and do you have sources that are trust worthy?
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include GuaranteedSavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
Additional Information:
https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2017/04/changing-minds-on-a-changing-climate/
Local sustainability leader finds forecast sunny for solar
Sustainable solar energy.
Realgy has invested in 6 solar projects by purchasing and installing the solar power panels and interconnection at our customer’s facility. The solar installation and maintenance is paid for by Realgy. The energy produced replaces energy being transmitted through the utility, thereby decreasing the distribution costs for our customer. The energy costs the same as our delivered supply, which is historically less than the utility. Realgy is planning on 2 additional projects for 2017.
Many homeowners are finding out the same advantage applies to them. The article cites an installation producing 9,300 kWh with a savings $982 / year. That is $0.0947/kWh. Which will continue for the next 20 years!
ComEd and Ameren have extensive solar programs and a great place to start is at the Illinois solar energy association at: http://www.illinoissolar.org/
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
Additional Information:
Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana continue to slip behind Illinois’ electric prices
Over 10 years ago, Illinois had some of the highest rates in the Midwest; today not so much, as they are below their neighboring states.
What did Illinois do that Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana haven’t; implement customer choice.
Customer choice enable businesses and residents to buy energy directly from the wholesale market without having the utility put any additional costs or taxes on top of the energy cost.
Its work so well in Illinois that its residents and business have saved over $37 billion and counting.
http://realgyenergyservices.com/competition-work-tune-37-billion/
Comparing current (2016) electric rates:
| Electric cost | |
| Illinois | $0.063 |
| Indiana | $0.071 |
| Ohio | $0.068 |
Illinois is leading the Midwest in energy costs, solely due to customer choice.
The arguments made against customer choice programs are always based upon the impact it would have on the incumbent utility(s) and creating doubt whether customers can buy energy. The first thing to overcome in customer choice, is that utilities don’t want competition and that they are major contributors to politicians. The politicians have to believe in technology and that residents can buy energy like they buy everything else.
In Illinois, what are the drivers lowering cost;
- Competition: there are over 30 energy marketers offering over 100 types of agreements for residents to buy energy. Abundant choices, lower costs.
- Technology: Illinois has deployed more smart meters enabling real-time pricing, time-of-use pricing offering numerous advances to marketers and the utility to reduce costs to residents.
Illinois has its issues but offering customer choice isn’t one of them.
The economic benefits will soon require other states implement customer choice, the sooner they do so the better it will be for their residents.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM
Additional Information:
School fights to keep solar incentive; it’s why they installed it!
The Indiana General Assembly (Senate Bill 309) has corrected a provision in an earlier bill that would have eliminated an incentive used by the school in deciding to install solar panels.
The incentive allows for “net” metering. That is; if the solar panels generate more energy in some months than you use, you get a credit for those kilowatts (kWh). If you use more in the next month than the solar panels generate, you can draw from the stored kilowatts and net out the bill.
Changing that provision would mean that when the solar panels generate more energy than you can use; you sell them to the utility at the wholesale cost ($.03 /kWh) and when you need more you buy it at the retail cost ($0.11 /kWh).
In the case of Lebanon Community School eliminating the net metering would have cost the school $300,000 to $900,000 in just a few years.
Utilities across the country are trying to have net metering removed from their service requirement. However, changing the rules should NOT take place to punish those who invested and relied on the rule to continue.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
Additional Information:
Ridgeland Recreation Complex completes installation of its solar power project.
The Park District of Oak Park’s Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex will soon be powered by 100 kW of solar energy. Realgy, LLC announced the installation of a 100.8 kilowatt (kWDC) solar photovoltaic (PV) system for the Rec Center which houses an indoor ice rink and outdoor pool serving the Oak Park community.
The solar PV system is being installed on the roof of the ice rink. Jan Arnold, Executive Director of the PDOP stated: “The Solar system will reduce not only our operating expenses but our carbon foot print. The park district is always looking to expand solar opportunities to increase sustainability as well as improve our overall environmental conditions.” This project will help to make the building a LEED Certified Gold Building, the first of its kind in the Chicago area.
The solar PV system is being installed by Eco Solar Solutions of Morton Grove, Illinois. “Ridgeland has a relatively new metal roof with southern exposure making it an ideal candidate for solar,” said Terry Black, Director of Business Development for Eco Solar Solutions. “When the center is using the most electricity during the summer months, the system will be producing at its peak. This projects fits in perfectly with the sustainable efforts of everyone involved in the project.”
Realgy, LLC is an alternative energy service supplier in Illinois and is the owner of 6 solar PV systems, including our newest at Ridgeland. Realgy is paying for the installation so as to generate renewable energy locally as part of its sustainable commitment in Illinois.
The Ridgeland PV Solar system will produce over 125,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy annually and more than 3.1 million kWh over the next 25 years. That is enough energy to power over 12 average Illinois homes annually. Beyond the economic value are the environmental and health benefits associated with the PV system. Consider the following:
- Reduction of 337,500 lbs. of coal burned each year to produce an equal amount of electricity. That is the same as getting 337 pickup trucks of coal off the road.
- Substituting the use of coal means the removal of 87,500 lbs. of CO2 into the environment each year. That is the equivalent of planting 6,731 trees.
“We expect to complete the installation by Christmas,” said Michael Vrtis, President of Realgy, LLC. “The Ridgeland PV project builds on our commitment of reducing the cost and providing the environmental benefits of renewable energy to our customers in Illinois.”
Realgy entered into a long term agreement with the Park District under which the District pays nothing for the Solar PV system, its installation or maintenance. Ridgeland simply remains a customer of Realgy and pays only the market-based cost of power it uses (averaging 5% below COMED rates). In addition, the Park District will receive a discount of about 10% as a result of having the solar energy displace energy that would otherwise be delivered (and charged) by COMED.
Contacts:
Chris Lindgren
Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds
218 Madison St
Oak Park, Il 60302
708-725-2050
chris.lindgren@pdop.com
ECO SOLAR Solutions, LLC.
Paul Szczesny, President
847-220-8786
paul@eco-solar-solutions.com
www.eco-solar-solutions.com
Realgy Energy Services, LLC
Michael Vrtis, President
675 Oakwood Avenue
West Hartford, CT
860-233-2270
www.realgyenergyservices.com
Public Power: An Industry in Flux
The power industry has been adjusting to the abundance of natural gas (from fracking) and its impact on the power industry cannot be understated. Nearly every major new stationary power plant built in the last 8 years has been powered by natural gas. And, during this same period we have had wind and solar power competing and winning. Wind and solar allow an investment to be made and for 20 years generate electricity with little maintenance and no emissions.
The combination of inexpensive natural gas and greater efficiency of solar and wind is changing power companies.
Consider Nebraska: the only state that gets 100% of its power from publicly owned power companies (the state residents own the power plants).
They closed one of their nuclear power plants citing that it is not competitive with low gas prices and regulatory costs. The replacement power is expected to be …1,200MW of wind!
That is extraordinary given that Nebraska is next door to one of the least expensive coal production in the US in Wyoming.
However, the wind resource in Nebraska combined with the wind technology will continue to offer alternatives to coal, nuclear and gas.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
Additional Information:
What if all Nuclear power plants all close?
Nuclear power was viewed as a miracle when it appeared some 50 years ago. Vast electrical power generation without any emission. It quickly gained about 25% of the electrical energy production in the US. Until that time, coal made up 80% and hydro 20%; all other sources contributed less than 1%.
What changed in 50 years; in a word…. “Energy Diversity”. Consider where the US electrical energy sources come from today:
- Coal provides about 37%
- Natural gas about 30%
- Nuclear 19%
- Hydro 7%
- Wind 4%
- Solar 2%
- Wood and other 1%
(EIA.gov)
Diversity of power sources ensures no single economic change affects all sources; thereby prevent major economic disruptions. Each energy sources has emissions, jobs and technical issues related to its produced energy. Therefore, each needs to be evaluated and consideration to its full contributions considered.
Eliminating any one source of generation will affect all the other sources and make the US more dependent on less resources.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional Information:
Home tour gives a taste of solar power
Ever wanted to know what living with a solar power plant on your roof is like?
Several people participating in the Illinois Solar Tour 2016 found out.
How about:
“A minimum electric bill; only the basic monthly charge”
“$170 in savings in one month compared to last year “
“100 percent pleased”
Realgy operates 5 solar power plants in Illinois.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
Additional Information: