News Release

21st century electric transmission infrastructure analyzed in IEEE-USA eBook

Book Announcement

IEEE-USA

WASHINGTON (16 December 2005) -- The "vital American energy infrastructure" will "deteriorate before our eyes" unless economists, engineers and policy specialists resolve "a raging battle" among market pressures, technical necessities and policy priorities, according to Patrick E. Meyer, author of a new IEEE-USA eBook. Titled "The Reliability of the Electric Transmission Infrastructure in the 21st Century, An Analysis of 'The Energy Policy Act of 2005,'" the eBook provides a detailed discussion of the key provisions of the first comprehensive U.S. energy bill signed into law since 1992.

The 60-page document analyzes the legislation as it addresses tax benefits for traditional and alternative fuel sources, offshore drilling and Alaska development, nuclear energy, Daylight Savings, alternative fuels, energy efficiency, and electricity market reform. The eBook also provides a detailed summary of Title XII of the legislation, which covers the American electricity sector. In multiple tables, the publication summarizes important electricity sector-related action dates.

In addition, the eBook provides background on which U.S. congressional body supported each of the contending issues in the Electricity Title XII, including sections covering electric reliability standards, siting of interstate electric transmission facilities, third-party finance, advanced transmission technologies, funding new interconnection and transmission upgrades, market transparency rules, sanctity of contract and electric utility mergers.

Finally, the publication identifies IEEE-USA priority issues on current and future energy policy affecting advanced transmission technologies, development of advanced nuclear power, hybrid-electric vehicles and electric transportation, and renewable energy technologies. According to Meyer, the eBook author, further input from professional societies, including the IEEE, and others, will be crucial as the legislation is implemented.

Still pending are final rules on Electric Reliability Organization implementation and reliability standards, an inventory report on renewable energy resources, a study on the future location of national interest electric transmission corridors, and a report on demand-response resources and advanced electricity metering.

Patrick Meyer is a graduate student in public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology and was an energy intern at IEEE-USA in Washington during the summer of 2005.

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To order the new eBook: IEEE members pay a special discounted price of $4.95; non-members pay $19.95.

To order, go to https://salaryapp.ieeeusa.org/rt/salary_database/shop. Then, scroll down to product number UH3510.

IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public-policy interests of more than 220,000 engineers, scientists and allied professionals who are U.S. members of the IEEE. IEEE-USA is part of the IEEE, the world's largest technical professional society with 360,000 members in 150 countries.

For more information, go to http://www.ieeeusa.org.


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