Brewed Fresh Daily

Here’s an update from the Columbus Dispatch on the JobsOhio initiative.

Kasich’s Senate-budget amendments strip him of JobsOhio powers

Here’s an article that gives you a good overview of how the San Diego region is moving ahead to develop clean tech businesses. 

Read more. 

The San Diego region is a good one for NEO to benchmark, based on the emerging importance of collaboration within the region.

Brent Larkin has an interesting piece in yesterday’s paper: ‘Tough luck’ attitude hurts Kasich’s cause

It brought to mind a recent publication of the National Governors Association on the fiscal plight facing the states. Rather than simply taking the easy way out and cut budgets for schools and local government, the state government might do better to rethink some of its core functions.

This NGA brief provides a good start in thinking along those lines.

Surely, the structure of state and local government appropriate for the 1920’s will not meet the challenges of today. What ninety year old organizational design could withstand the remarkable shifts underway in the global economy?

Just as certain: the simple-minded strategy of whacking away at old structures with draconian budget cuts will create long term, unintended consequences.

We need innovation in government, just as we need to rethink the role of universities, foundations and business in rebuilding our civic economy. This type of open innovation requires a different type of civic leadership. The gun-slinger tough guy talk that we see from governors Kasich and Walker might play well on Fox News, but it is not the type of leadership that will stimulate civic innovation.

For that, we need a more mature leadership that will encourage and reward experimentation, deep collaboration, and continuous learning about what works. Above all, we need more pragmatism, less ideology.

State Government After the Great Recession

Clean Energy from America’s Oceans: Permitting and Financing Challenges to the U.S. Offshore Wind Industry

Contract represents $52 to $62 million, 35-year take-or-pay power purchase contract for 60 MW share of a 685 MW natural gas combined cycle generation plant.

[Original post is at:]
http://brian-cummins.blogspot.com/2011/06/council-considers-authorizing.html

On Wednesday, June 1st Cleveland City Council’s Public Utilities Committee heard legislation that would authorize participation in the proposed AMP Ohio Fremont Energy Center (AFEC) natural gas combined cycle generation plant and settlement of expenses for the cancelled AMPGS coal fired plant in Meigs County.

The authorization would allow Cleveland Public Power (CPP) to enter into a 35 year contract to purchase power from the plant as well as allow CPP to pay and settle its’ share of development costs for the unsuccessful AMPGS coal fired plant.

The authorization represents a contract for a 60 Megawatt (MW) share of the total 685 MW project, or a relative percentage (8.75%) value of the cost of the purchase of the AFEC, which equals: $574.7 million total project costs, for an amount of $50.3 million for the City of Cleveland’s share. An additional 25% “step-up” provision could increase The City’s subscription (from 60 to 75 MW) and the cost exposure to a TOTAL of $62.9 million.

The power purchase contract would also provide a discount to AMP participants that agree to a share in the new proposed gas fire plant. The total stranded costs of the AMPGS coal fired plant have been reported as $119 million. Cleveland’s share, according to AMP is $12.4 million.

AMP’s Board approved applying $34 million of the total cost of development of the AMPGS project to the AFEC project. The application of these fund balances has been stated to reflect development costs that can be applied to the new project based on work performed and related to the identified need and development of an intermediate and base load supply of power that was initially identified as a goal by AMP participants in 2002.

If Cleveland participates in the new project at a level of 60 MW, the $12.4 million stranded cost would be reduced to $7.5 million. Of the $7.5 million balance, CPP would be able to apply half the amount. $3.75 million to a 15-year payment term for power purchased from the AFEC project and the remaining $3.75 million would be paid out of CPP’s operating fund.

Resources:
Ord. No. 680-11
Executive Summary ORD 680-11
AMPGS/AFEC PowerPoint Presentation 6/1/2011

For a status of the legislation and list of questions and concerns raised by Council’s Public Utilities Committee see the original blog entry here.