Tag: Economy

Morgantown Apartment Complex Participates in a Virtual Power Plant

Traditionally, electricity is turned on and off on a demand-only basis, with physical power plants only generating electricity when it’s needed for use. However, a Maryland-based power brokerage company, Mosaic Power, has come up with a way to make our energy consumption more efficient without changing our lifestyle.

Mosaic CEO Laurie Vaudreuil says, “And you can think about that like a car driving in traffic, where if you stop and start all the time, it’s very, very poor fuel efficiency. But if you drive at a steady 55 miles an hour all the time, it’s very good fuel efficiency. So that’s what we’re offering the power grid, is a way to let generators drive 55.”

Mosaic’s solution is a virtual power plant, and it all starts by connecting our water heaters to a cellular network. The system monitors the patterns of supply and demand on the power grid and recognizes when electricity is being over-generated.

Electricity levels fluctuate all day and even every minute. When there’s an excess of power, the network responds by firing up more water heaters to do their job now rather than later. Then it communicates to the generators to lower their output.

By steadying the supply of electricity at a lower level, less carbon is emitted without changing the electricity demand. Joey James of Downstream Strategies adds, “This smart grid technology will bring West Virginia into the 21st century of virtual power plants.”

Vaudreuil compares Mosaic to a stock market of electricity. Mosaic’s job is to stabilize the demand by trading excess electricity with other power companies who need it. Just like buying and selling stock, Mosaic gets paid by how well they respond to momentary changes in the market.

This summer, Downstream Strategies and the Morgantown Municipal Green Team have paired up with Mosaic as part of the third phase in their project to limit the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. So far, one multi-unit apartment complex has signed up to participate in the virtual power plant, Mosaic is withholding the landlord’s name to protect its client’s privacy.

Vaudreuil says that every standard water heater produces one and a half tons of carbon per year.  By participating in Mosaic’s demand-response technology, most of the energy typically used per water heater is saved, significantly reducing its carbon emissions.

Mosaic doesn’t charge for its services and pays its clients $100 per water heater every year. That adds up to $28,000 every year for this Morgantown apartment complex. Vaudreuil says the added income can even help improve low-income housing statewide.

“Sometimes when we go into low income apartment complexes, it’s offsetting money they used to get from government grants that’s no longer available,” Vaudreuil says.

Both Downstream and Mosaic say the extra income is a great way for property owners to install solar and other cost-saving measures without raising rent. In an effort to cut carbon emissions in West Virginia and in the region, the team is looking for more apartment complexes and single-family homes to participate in the program.

165 W.Va. Pension Recipients Get More than $80K Annually

A review of West Virginia’s pension system has found that 165 recipients are paid more than $80,000 in annual benefits.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that 40 state pension recipients collect more than $100,000 annually. More than half of those receiving more than $80,000 have begun receiving benefits since 2009.

That includes first lady Joanne Tomblin, who retired in June after 15 years as president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. The newspaper says she is receiving $111,260 in annual retirement benefits, compared to her annual college salary of $166,336.

The newspaper obtained the information through an open-records request.

West Virginia as nine retirement systems serving more than 140,000 active employees and retirees. In recent years, the pension system has accounted for 10 percent of the state’s budget.

Huntington Officials Announce New Development

Huntington City officials joined with local developers Thursday to announce a new downtown development.

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams announced that local development group Capital Venture Corporation has purchased a building along Third Avenue and is in the process of finishing the purchase of three remaining buildings next to it.

One of the buildings will be torn down and the other three will be renovated, making room for condos and businesses on the upper floors, and restaurants and markets on the lower floors.

Williams said it’s part of a continued development of the downtown area. 

“It’s another indication of the level of confidence that downtown has. Anyone that’s come into downtown knows the area has been revitalized,” Williams said.

A walk-thru will be developed at the site of the torn down building that connects the Third Avenue shopping area to a parking lot on Fourth Avenue and other businesses. Construction and renovation has begun and will be on-going for the next couple of years. 

WVU Launches Craft Beer Certificate Program

West Virginia’s first ever Craft Beer Week may not kick off until Saturday, but those interested in the state’s burgeoning industry already have a reason…

West Virginia’s first ever Craft Beer Week may not kick off until Saturday, but those interested in the state’s burgeoning industry already have a reason to celebrate. 

West Virginia University has announced a craft beer certificate program aimed to help beer lovers expand their knowledge of the brewing process and understand the business.

The University’s Department of Continuing and Professional Education will offer hands on brewing experience in Morgantown combined with field trips to those interested in launching a career in the craft beer industry.

Program coordinator Sherrilynn Kuehn said the program came about for a variety of reasons.

“There’s a lot of interest in craft beer now. It’s been in legislation. It’s growing in popularity. We’re always looking for programming that is new and hot topic right now and of interest to our audience,” said Kuehn.

"Not all craft beers are created equal."-WVU Craft Beer Instructor Bryce Capodieci

 Longtime Morgantown home brewers Bryce Capodieci and Brett Clark will serve as instructors for program.  Tuesday evening courses will focus on the history of brewing and the process, evaluating varieties and formulating recipes, as well as the business side of the industry.

“These three courses are only the beginning. We have plans to offer other courses and seminars that focus more on specific topics,” said Capodieci.

“We are the only institution in West Virginia offering these courses. It is exciting to see careers open in West Virginia that involve the craft beer industry,” he added.

Among other important aspects of craft beer, Capodieci emphasized the importance of tasting and distinguishing off-flavors in beer, noting that “not all craft beers are created equal.”

“It is very important to learn the proper techniques in tasting and evaluating craft beer,” he explained.

“First, by understanding the components of each beer, you can then fully appreciate the aroma; flavor, appearance and mouth feel in each beer. Second, with a little bit of knowledge and practice, you can determine off-flavors in those beers. Many people think that because a beer is craft beer, it has to be good.”

Credit West Virginia University Continuing and Professional Education
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Introduction to Craft Beer (September 15 to October 20, 2015): 

  • Beer Styles and History
  • Brewing Ingredients
  • Brewing Process
  • Brewing Methods and Mashing Techniques
  • Serving Beer

Advanced Craft Beer Appreciation (November 3 to December 15, 2015): 

  • Sensory Beer Evaluation per BJCP Style Guidelines
  • Off-Flavors
  • Draft Systems
  • Recipe Formulation

Going Professional (January 12 to February 16, 2016):

  • Components of a Brewery
  • Federal and State Requirements
  • Design Your Brewery
  • Quality Control and Safety
  • Raw Materials
  • Business Plan/Financial Projections

The three-course program launches September 15.  Registration is limited to 20 students per course. Students must be 21 years old to register.

Former Coal Miner Releases New Book: Unfit to Be a Slave

It’s well known throughout circles in West Virginia that the state’s public education system lags behind nationally, ranking 48th, according to the US Census Bureau. There’s also a lot of talk throughout the state about the need for re-education and economic diversification in the state for adults.

As coal miners continue to lose their jobs, some are looking to education as a tool for new opportunities. But starting from the bottom or starting over isn’t easy.

One adult educator, a former coal miner from Boone County, just wrote a book that offers guidance. While author David Greene says this book should appeal to adult educators, it’s also meant to help individuals outside of the classroom.

David Greene

David Greene is a former coal miner, adult literacy teacher and now author. His first book, Unfit to Be a Slave: A Guide to Adult Education for Liberation was inspired by this work teaching and learning from students in adult literacy programs.

“The idea is to stretch it much more than we conventionally think of adult education,” Greene said, “huge numbers of people need to get a different kind of education.”

So for the folks who can’t make it to the classroom, Greene says his book could help. He hopes the book offers an education that helps readers understand the world more clearly. His book embodies certain educational philosophies that promote social change through critical thinking and dialogue. Greene traveled to different countries and places where these models and successful literacy programs exist, which convinced him that implementation is possible in places like West Virginia.

“It’s not just about literacy of words but learning to read the world,” Greene said.

Unfit to be a Slave

Greene explains that the title, Unfit to be a Slave, is taken from the history of the famous social reformer, writer, and statesman, Frederick Douglass. As an enslaved African American on a plantation, Douglass was taught to read. Greene says the master of the house objected to the lessons as they made Douglass “unfit to be a slave.”

“Literacy and education are aimed at making sure we are all unfit to be slaves,” Greene said. “Even though we aren’t owned by other people, decisions are being made that affect our lives.”

"It's not just about literacy of words but learning to read the world," Greene said.

Golden Jefferies

Greene’s book includes stories throughout of working people and their families, “from enslaved Africans to factory assembly line workers” and also from some coal miners, like Golden Jefferies from Boone County, West Virginia.

In his book Greene recalls visiting Jefferies in 1968. Jefferies was 36, unemployed, and married with four children. Greene was speaking about potential training programs when Jefferies invited him in to look at all of the training certificates on his walls.

“What I need is a job,” Jefferies said.

Greene says these accounts are important because they remind us that reality is often different from what’s projected in media and throughout policy and statehouses. And he says he wrote the book for people of all educational backgrounds.

“This is not the kind of education where you say, ‘the poor uneducated people in West Virginia or Ohio.’ We all need education. Education is connected with empowerment. The premise of the book is that if we had more understanding, the clearest reflection of the real world, we’d have a different approach to changing it.”

Adapting to Change

And change is what many West Virginians seem to be in store for.

State legislators, teachers and parents are fighting to move the state’s education system up from being ranked 48th in the country. Common Core standards are again on the chopping block as stakeholders mull over options.

Meanwhile, folks who work in the coal mining industry face continued uncertainty in light of changing markets and regulatory forces. Since March of 2012, more than 11-thousand people with mining-related jobs have been laid off, according to Workforce West Virginia.

Greene remembers watching market forces alter the lives of West Virginians back in the 70s too, when western coal mines began to produce more coal. He notes similarities today with the rise of the natural gas industry and increasing global pressure to move away from fossil fuel energy.   

“In the 70s some miners from WV went to Wales in Europe to look at the coal industry and talk to miners there. Those things can help educate people in different ways.

Greene’s book identifies schools and education programs from all over the country, as well as other less conventional forms of education proven to help communities cope with economic and social changes. He hopes his book, Unfit to be a Slave, might empower community members to improve their circumstances, should they want to.  

Rubberlite Proposes Center Huntington Brownfield Site

Rubberlite has proposed building a research, development and light manufacturing center at a brownfield site in Huntington.

The Herald-Dispatch reports that Rubberlite President Alan Letton provided details of the proposal to the Huntington Municipal Development Authority on Tuesday. Letton asked the authority to buy the 27-acre site along the Ohio River.

Brownfield properties are sites that can be redeveloped but have potential environmental issues.

Under the proposal, the authority would buy the land and establish a public trust where it retains ownership and management of the property. Marshall University would buy the required equipment. The purchases would qualify for federal funding.

Letton says Rubberlite would assume the risk of making the center a success. The company also would invest in Marshall’s engineering program.

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